Monday, December 31, 2012
NYE: My Wishes for 2013
Here it is, New Year's Eve, and I'm sitting in a cold, empty office, sipping on hot coffee, trying to read through some more papers. There's a lot of work ahead in 2013. It'll take a little support and encouragement from those working around and with me.
My wishes for 2013 are...
My wishes for 2013 are...
- Motivation and focus to continue and finish my research, classes, and thesis to the best of my ability
- Continue and expand upon my efforts to host food dialogues and improve communication between food producers and customers
- Encourage others in my own community to be more proactive in these food dialogues
- Become better at knowing my limits, following through on commitments, and be able to set aside time for activities outside of work
- Set aside my savings each month
Sunday, December 30, 2012
Arkansas White Christmas
Well Christmas turned out pretty swell. Christmas Eve was our traditional family get together with the aunt and uncle where we had mexican food and played quelf until we were sore from laughing. Christmas Day the family got up early opened gifts and got ready to head to the grandparents. It's weird having all of the siblings now college-age. The gifts are all clothes or books or movies. No toys strolled across the house to step on. Not that I'm complaining, it's just different.
My step mom did something really cool for me. I told her earlier that all I wanted for Christmas was Time, Rest, and Focus. So what did she do? She gave me an alarm clock (that actually moos), a new pillow, and a set of binoculars. Pretty crafty!
On Christmas we all went to the grandparents' new apartment. Everyone had to leave early because freezing rain started falling in the early afternoon. It soon began sleeting which eventually transitioned to snow. Our lights flickered all night, but luckily we survived the storm with electricity unlike so many in Arkansas. All said and done we received about a foot of snow at the house with drifts up to my knees. One of the largest snows in Arkansas history, only the state's 4th official White Christmas.
The next day I went with my dad to feed cattle, which took us all day. Everything in the snow requires twice as much effort. We don't have any equipment to deal with the snow in Arkansas, nevermind an entire foot of the white stuff. It doesn't help that most all of our winter storms start out as ice, so there's a nice slick base layer we always have to deal with.
I headed back to Tennessee early, tired of the snow and not being able to go see the people I wanted, but also with the looming work that is hanging over my head. I just want to get this darn research over with. Grad school is overrated.
My step mom did something really cool for me. I told her earlier that all I wanted for Christmas was Time, Rest, and Focus. So what did she do? She gave me an alarm clock (that actually moos), a new pillow, and a set of binoculars. Pretty crafty!
On Christmas we all went to the grandparents' new apartment. Everyone had to leave early because freezing rain started falling in the early afternoon. It soon began sleeting which eventually transitioned to snow. Our lights flickered all night, but luckily we survived the storm with electricity unlike so many in Arkansas. All said and done we received about a foot of snow at the house with drifts up to my knees. One of the largest snows in Arkansas history, only the state's 4th official White Christmas.
The next day I went with my dad to feed cattle, which took us all day. Everything in the snow requires twice as much effort. We don't have any equipment to deal with the snow in Arkansas, nevermind an entire foot of the white stuff. It doesn't help that most all of our winter storms start out as ice, so there's a nice slick base layer we always have to deal with.
I headed back to Tennessee early, tired of the snow and not being able to go see the people I wanted, but also with the looming work that is hanging over my head. I just want to get this darn research over with. Grad school is overrated.
Monday, December 24, 2012
Road Trip home for Christmas
Yesterday I made the 500+ mile trip home for an early Christmas at the grandparents' house. If I'm going to spend 9+ hours in the pickup, I'm not going to spend it all on the interstate.
My uncle was all over me for not taking the shortest/quickest route home and none of the other family members could understand why I went slightly North through the Missouri boothill instead of through Memphis. Sorry, not everyone's in it for the quickest route.
I love crossing the River at Dyersburg then driving down through the Delta to get home. The scenery is much better, I don't have to deal with any of the Memphis traffic. The back state highways are much less crowded (and I might or might not take advantage of the speed opportunity). Maybe I want to enjoy all of the different crop fields, small Delta towns, and friendly people at the gas station for a fill up and coffee.
If you're driving, then you can choose the route. There's more than one way to get where you're headed.
But we didn't spend all night complaining about travel plans.
We all sat around the table and had a huge breakfast feast for supper. 5 pounds of bacon, 2 pounds of pork sausage, 2 dozen eggs, ~50 biscuits, a gallon of chocolate gravy, and hashbrown casserole. Before any gifts were open we all encircled the living room and sang devotional praise songs. Well worth the trip home (even if I chose the unpopular route).
My uncle was all over me for not taking the shortest/quickest route home and none of the other family members could understand why I went slightly North through the Missouri boothill instead of through Memphis. Sorry, not everyone's in it for the quickest route.
I love crossing the River at Dyersburg then driving down through the Delta to get home. The scenery is much better, I don't have to deal with any of the Memphis traffic. The back state highways are much less crowded (and I might or might not take advantage of the speed opportunity). Maybe I want to enjoy all of the different crop fields, small Delta towns, and friendly people at the gas station for a fill up and coffee.
If you're driving, then you can choose the route. There's more than one way to get where you're headed.
But we didn't spend all night complaining about travel plans.
We all sat around the table and had a huge breakfast feast for supper. 5 pounds of bacon, 2 pounds of pork sausage, 2 dozen eggs, ~50 biscuits, a gallon of chocolate gravy, and hashbrown casserole. Before any gifts were open we all encircled the living room and sang devotional praise songs. Well worth the trip home (even if I chose the unpopular route).
Friday, December 21, 2012
And there goes another semester...
That's another semester down! I'm now officially a year into my masters program, though my work never really takes a break. Classes actually finished on December 4th, and my final exam was on the 13th. I made this highest grade on the final exam in my Reproductive Technologies class. (woohoo!) Ended up with an A in there and a4.0 GPA for the semester! (Whew, relieves the worry of being on academic probation!)
My really worry has been research. I've been on the road to different farms and working cows more in the past month than I have been on main campus. But no complaints here. I'll take any day in the barn over the best day the desk. Don't get me wrong. I'm still behind with some of my work, but at least every thing so far is entered in the computer. When I return from break, I will have several days at the forage/feed grinder. Distillers Grains take FOREVER to grind with a 1mm screen.
I celebrated the end of my semester and a successful period of research this far with a steak and drink at Applebees. Can you believe it? I get a better steak there than I ever have at Texas Road House. Also, I'm celebrating with a Care Package from my dear friend, Wisconsin farmer Dairy Carrie. She sent me Sartori and Carr Valley cheese, RumChata, and White Whisky. I'll get back to ya after I finish celebrating!
My really worry has been research. I've been on the road to different farms and working cows more in the past month than I have been on main campus. But no complaints here. I'll take any day in the barn over the best day the desk. Don't get me wrong. I'm still behind with some of my work, but at least every thing so far is entered in the computer. When I return from break, I will have several days at the forage/feed grinder. Distillers Grains take FOREVER to grind with a 1mm screen.
I celebrated the end of my semester and a successful period of research this far with a steak and drink at Applebees. Can you believe it? I get a better steak there than I ever have at Texas Road House. Also, I'm celebrating with a Care Package from my dear friend, Wisconsin farmer Dairy Carrie. She sent me Sartori and Carr Valley cheese, RumChata, and White Whisky. I'll get back to ya after I finish celebrating!
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