Just as you shouldn't let your parents force you to do a PhD, you shouldn't let them prevent you from doing one, if you want it. Otherwise they're still controlling you.

ita is wise.

Never close a door just because there's a possible "I told you so" on the other side. However, in the event that the "I told you so" greets you on arrival, "Bite me." is a perfectly reasonable response.

Feh. I'm feeling both very down and kind of dumb. Was all prepared to go to the Reel Moms showing of Mr & Mrs Smith this morning. Baby was dressed, I was dressed, both of us were awake. I put her in the carseat, went to get my keys and, because the world HATES ME AND NEVER LETS ME HAVE ANY FUN--no keys. Can't leave the house without keys. No spares, so no way to check under the seats of the car (a visual spot check revealed no keys, but there are many blind spots). As we have a Well Baby visit this afternoon, I had to call Paul, who took a FlexCar down so he could either help me find my keys, or, if that failed, leave his here. They turned up in a blind spot in the car. Which is a relief, because hey, keys aren't lost and I can get us to the doctor's office, but it doesn't help the really stupid crushing feeling of disappointment at not getting to go and do something nice and mindless and not in the house all due to my own stupidity (well, actually, also due to a fussy baby and a long wait for Paul at his bus stop last night, but my stupidity has at least a walk-on in this situation).

I hate hate hate disappointment. Even the word. It makes me feel like I'm two, and not in the good running around naked and playing with stuffed animals 24/7 way.

Yay Erin!!!

Awww, Ple. As you are learning, every trip out with baby is fraught with unexpected consequences. Even when it's not baby's fault, there's usually such a whirl of things that you're responsible for and juggling that stuff like this - like losing your keys except not - happens a lot more often.

It is not a condition of your intelligence, but your circumstances. This is what parenting is like with a young baby.

Yo, Erin! Awesome! Go you!

In too funny not to share news, one of the students just drew a big vagina on the board. When redirected and told it was inappropriate, he drew another one. I don't know why, but this has me in stitches. I'm so glad I didn't have to deal with it.

Yay! Lyra Jane. I'm glad you got an offer, and future jobma is appropriately redirected.

(((P-C))) I don't have any advice for dealing with parents like that. My sister, the actress would but I don't. I do know that one of the last straws for me as far as working at a job I don't like vs. doing something I am passionate about was being up at the bar one day with Mr. H after he got off work. He introduced me to this guy who delivers their kegs. I made some noise about not being able to do that, and I was thinking I was glad I wasn't doing some boring manual labor thing, driving all day in Dallas.

Then he started talking about how much he loves it, how he's never missed a day in like, 10 years. He loves the people and the physicality. He was showing me all the places he'd been injured, and telling me, with much admiration, about this guy he works with who can lift two, one over each shoulder, at the same time.

I want that job. Not hauling kegs specifically, but I want to feel that way about my job.

Speaking of which. If I have 3 writing samples, 2 of which have been published, one of those won an award, and one is a paper that with a little tweaking would be an awesome example of my mad skilz, is it ok to tweak? Only the one that wasn't published? Not the one that won an award? They're really ok as is, but I think they could be better now. I particularly think the paper could be turned into a rather good book review (The book was one of those, "Things were much better in the days before feminism and affirmative action when people got by on their own merits and never had any advantages other than their smarts and willingness to work. Besides, Community College students have cooties!" and the paper tore it apart).

Wonder how many miles I put on my bike the couple of weeks in between buying it and installing the odometer.

The odometer reads 1958.8. The last mile and a half or so involved me being on foot, though. Hmm and there's another couple miles on it from the last time I decided to get off and walk after breaking a spoke. But I guess two broken spokes after a couple thousand miles isn't too bad.

yay, employed ones!

Plei, that sucks. I want to see that movie, too.

Thanks, all!

Kristin, the principal was SO impressed with the bilingual Neruda lesson. You were so right.

I am so excited! I start August 15th, and will be making the most money I have ever made in my LIFE. $6000 more than my job at KU which was 3 years ago.

I'll be able to -- pay rent! Get car insurance! Go to the doctor! Maybe even buy some FREAKING NEW CLOTHES.

That's a bummer, Plei.

On Saturday we went ovr to a friends' place for bbq. Their duaghter (soon to be 2) was fascinated with my keys and spent a lot of time playing with them. At some point, I realized my car key wasn't on the ring any more (it's broken, it comes off all the time). No big deal, DH drove and I have a spare at home.

When we left, we found my car key stuck in the outside lock of the driver's side door. No idea how it got there.

Erin, that's so wonderful! I'm so happy for you.