You and Ouise have been on my mind, Helena. I hope that 2018 brings peace and comfort to all the family and loved ones. It is clear that she was surrounded by love and support. I'm so sorry that she was lost so soon.

Also, one of the least fun parts of my job is where someone is like, "I want to support women in STEM!" and I have to be like, yeah, no. We can't do that. Due to our anti-discrimination policy.

Can you work toward policies that indirectly support women in STEM, like blind hiring practices where you remove the first name off resumes and cover letters before review, so people don't know if the person is male or female? I read in the infamous "somewhere" that women candidates are more likely to make it past the first round of candidate review if their gender isn't specified. Of course, the f2f interview will probably remove all doubt, but at least more women candidates are likely to make it to the interview stage.

Oh Helena, I'm glad you came and saw the posts. Best wishes to you and your family.

Can you work toward policies that indirectly support women in STEM, like blind hiring practices where you remove the first name off resumes and cover letters before review, so people don't know if the person is male or female?

Oh yeah, we should absolutely do that kind of thing (I have no idea what actually goes on, but I think our faculty gender balance is pretty good), but this person wants to do something like donate a scholarship just for women, and we can't.

Good to see you, Helena. Peace to you and your family.

Gud, I'm hoping that you are having a better day. Peace and strength to you as well.

I've been trying to take care of a some emotionally taxing but necessary stuff today, like taking paperwork to the lawyer. Next up: letter to the bank. Then wash the car. Then ugh.

Can the scholarship wording be for any group not represented proportionally with population? That would maintain supporting an under-represented population even as dynamics change. Someday white males may be the under-represented segment. HAHAHAHAHA

Can the scholarship wording be for any group not represented proportionally with population? That would maintain supporting an under-represented population even as dynamics change. Someday white males may be the under-represented segment. HAHAHAHAHA

Yeah, we'll do that kind of thing, but the donor is really interested in women! WHICH IS GREAT. Conceptually.

I stayed home sick to avoid spreading the contagion, which was a good call because even though I'm feeling a little better, I'm still sneezing and filled with phlegm.

I did finish a library book and called my optometrist to order more contact lenses.

I have spent a good chunk of the day moving stuff out of the upstairs bathroom, which is going to be completely redone starting tomorrow. As part of the redo, they are also pulling down the old chimney, which nothing vents through anymore. This will open up the kitchen, as it currently goes through the middle of the counter which they built around it. Upstairs, it was drywalled around, and getting rid of it will give us more closet space. On the roof, it's in such bad shape that bricks are starting to fall out of it, for realz, so it should be easy to demo.

Scrappy, that sounds lovely. I wish my old house had an open kitchen, but there's no way to make that happen.

So, travel is starting off fairly rapidly for 2018. Pittsburgh next Tuesday and Cleveland next Wednesday, then Delray Beach at the end of the month, Vegas in February, Cancun in March (assuming I didn't get knocked out of the top 10 performers for the year), Anaheim in April, and Nashville in May. That's not including any last minute trips. And there will be. There is a reason I don't unpack my suitcase anymore.

then Delray Beach at the end of the month

does a little dance of joy