This semester I'm teaching an undergraduate statics class. Since there are so many students, I get to hire a grader. In a timespan of about 4 days, I had 9 grad students contact me, wanting to be my grader. Grading isn't that fun. Grading doesn't pay that well. And yet, I had 9 students contacting me (without any advertising on my part), wanting to grade for me?
Here's what I realized: these students who are applying to be graders aren't doing it to get extra cash on the side; they're applying because they don't have TA or RA funding. First off, that means they're earning less than half of a grad student TA or RA stipend--and those aren't that large to begin with! Secondly, they don't have their tuition paid for. And I'm not sure that they get the in-state tuition discount. So here they are, paying to go to school, paying for housing, and any trips home they take cost over $1000. (Yes, these were all international students, too.)
It makes my life seem cushy. I have my tuition paid for; I get a monthly stipend; I don't track the hours I work on a timecard; and I don't have to search for new funding every single semester. Yes, I feel blessed.
Sunday, February 5, 2012
Saturday, February 4, 2012
Organizing
For Christmas, David and I got a whole slew of new spice blends to try out. There was only one problem: our cupboard was already pretty crowded, and it was already a hassle trying to find the seasonings we wanted. Or, when we left the seasonings at the front, it was a hassle moving them to get to the flour, sugar, and other staples. The shelves weren't tall enough to stack spices 2 high, so a double layer turntable wouldn't work. I didn't want to get one of those organizers that could only fit certain spice bottles, either, because I didn't want to transfer all the spices to new containers. I took some careful measurements, and then headed over to Bed Bath and Beyond to see what the options were. And I found the perfect solution!
It's designed to fit 18 spice bottles, and since 10 of our new spices are half-height, we fit 23. It has 3 racks that pull out and tilt down, so you can see exactly what you have. And do you see how perfect the height is for my cabinet? Here's the full-on view:
I did have to transfer the white flour and white sugar into smaller canisters to make everything fit, but I'm really happy with the result. (Yes, we do have over 30 bottles of various spices.)
My next source of frustration, which had been a frustration for awhile, was the freezer. It had no shelf. I asked my landlord about getting a shelf for the freezer, and he said there isn't a shelf to fit it. I don't know about you, but those holes placed mid-height of the freezer, at the front and back of the left and right sides sure make it look like there should be a shelf to fit the freezer. I copied down the model number and looked it up online: no freezer shelf. Then I decided to measure it and see if I could just pick a shelf that would fit--how many varieties can there be? A lot. And, when you search for a freezer shelf, you can't just search by the dimensions, you have to search by the manufacturer and model number. And when you select a shelf to fit a model number, they don't give you the dimensions. So basically, no luck.
Then I had looked at Bed Bath and Beyond, to see what I could come up with for just a basic wire shelf like people use in their cabinets. I wasn't that happy with what I found, so I forgot about it for awhile. Then, the freezer started bugging me again. So, I went back, and bought 2 shelves which weren't going to be a great fit, but then again, nothing was going to be a great fit. I was pretty impressed with what I did. The shelves leave a gap of about 3 inches in between each other, and a gap of about 2 inches from the back of the freezer. But, I found a decent solution for that: place things that won't bend or slip over the gap. See?
Why yes, we do have about 15 lbs of cheese in our freezer. And at least 5 lbs of frozen strawberries. And we're running low on meat. But focus on the organization. This makes the freezer so much easier to deal with! Food doesn't fall out and attack us! Hopefully, we'll also keep better tabs on what we have, so we don't have as many times where we unknowingly run out of ground beef. (Right now we are knowingly out of ground beef. It just hasn't been on sale.)
Speaking of sales, we were running dangerously low on brownie mix. And by dangerously low, I mean that we only had a few of the super fancy brownie mixes that we save for sort of special occasions, and none of the regular brownie mixes. This is a problem, because brownies are a key source of chocolate consumption in our home. We go through about 3 mixes a month. And we were out. And they weren't on sale, at least, not on sale for the price that I will pay for them. For 2 months. It was very sad. Then, last week, they went on sale. We bought 12. Then I though about it again and went back for more. We are, happily, now stocked (for at least the next 2 months).
My next source of frustration, which had been a frustration for awhile, was the freezer. It had no shelf. I asked my landlord about getting a shelf for the freezer, and he said there isn't a shelf to fit it. I don't know about you, but those holes placed mid-height of the freezer, at the front and back of the left and right sides sure make it look like there should be a shelf to fit the freezer. I copied down the model number and looked it up online: no freezer shelf. Then I decided to measure it and see if I could just pick a shelf that would fit--how many varieties can there be? A lot. And, when you search for a freezer shelf, you can't just search by the dimensions, you have to search by the manufacturer and model number. And when you select a shelf to fit a model number, they don't give you the dimensions. So basically, no luck.
Then I had looked at Bed Bath and Beyond, to see what I could come up with for just a basic wire shelf like people use in their cabinets. I wasn't that happy with what I found, so I forgot about it for awhile. Then, the freezer started bugging me again. So, I went back, and bought 2 shelves which weren't going to be a great fit, but then again, nothing was going to be a great fit. I was pretty impressed with what I did. The shelves leave a gap of about 3 inches in between each other, and a gap of about 2 inches from the back of the freezer. But, I found a decent solution for that: place things that won't bend or slip over the gap. See?
Speaking of sales, we were running dangerously low on brownie mix. And by dangerously low, I mean that we only had a few of the super fancy brownie mixes that we save for sort of special occasions, and none of the regular brownie mixes. This is a problem, because brownies are a key source of chocolate consumption in our home. We go through about 3 mixes a month. And we were out. And they weren't on sale, at least, not on sale for the price that I will pay for them. For 2 months. It was very sad. Then, last week, they went on sale. We bought 12. Then I though about it again and went back for more. We are, happily, now stocked (for at least the next 2 months).
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
5 Years Ago Today . . .
I was studying late on campus, working on an acoustics lab report. I wasn't getting too much done, so I took a break by downloading and printing a reading assignment for another class I was taking. I kept doing stuff on my computer while I waited for it to print. Then, a guy came up to me, holding my printout, and asked if I was in Prof Chadwick's Judaism class. I didn't hear him. After deciding that I wasn't ignoring him, but actually didn't hear, he asked again. I turned around, and that was the first time I saw David.
At least, I think that was the first time I saw him. David and I also took a New Testament class from the same teacher Winter semester of 2005, but neither of us can remember if we were in the 8 am or 9 am section, so we could have been in the same class at the same time . . .
5 years ago today, I also received my first grad school acceptance letter, along with an invitation for an all-expense paid visit to the school. But that event kind of pales in comparison.
At least, I think that was the first time I saw him. David and I also took a New Testament class from the same teacher Winter semester of 2005, but neither of us can remember if we were in the 8 am or 9 am section, so we could have been in the same class at the same time . . .
5 years ago today, I also received my first grad school acceptance letter, along with an invitation for an all-expense paid visit to the school. But that event kind of pales in comparison.
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
The Tell Me About Yourself Award
For quite awhile, I was safe from Blog Chain Letters. For one thing, only a few people read my blog. And for another, I didn't blog enough to give anyone the idea that I would respond. I guess more people read my blog now--I do have 20 subscribers on Google Reader. But anyway, this blog chain letter is pretty basic: tell 7 things about myself. And, the title of the chain letter / award is
If it says "Your blog is great!" in it, I'm a little more inclined to respond.
So, seven things about me.
1. I have the music to almost all of Les Miserables memorized. I could pretty much sing the entire thing, including much of the orchestral part. When my high school put it on, I could tell you exactly what was changed and what was cut. (That's also when I began to notice a lot more of the nuances of the orchestral part. I guess playing the music adds to my appreciation for it.)
2. I've read all the Jane Austen books, and have watched a majority of the film adaptations. I've gradually gotten into books from other authors in the 1800s, and have watched and read (in that order) some of the adaptations and books from Elizabeth Gaskell, Charlotte Bronte, Anne Bronte, and Charles Dickens.
[Fun fact: The Bronte sisters' father changed his last name from Brunty to Bronte. It was out of admiration for Lord Nelson, who had the title of the Duke of Bronte.]
3. I've dabbled in a lot of different kinds of things: I've done some cool stuff with photography, have been learning a bit more about photo editing, have learned a lot about computers in the past few years, am now getting into jewelry-making, and have done some cake-decorating kinds of things in the past.
4. I met my husband in a physics computer lab. It was about 8 pm on a Wednesday night, and we sent something to the printer at the same time. He recognized what I printed as a reading assignment for a class he was taking as well, and that started us talking.
[Aside: That morning, I had written in my grateful journal that I was really grateful to not be in a relationship--the previous day I had listened to two friends share the drama of their current dating situations, and I was glad to be avoiding that.]
5. I'm working on a PhD in Mechanical Engineering. (Yes, I am slightly crazy.) I just passed my preliminary exam on December 7, which means I'm now in the stage of all but dissertation.
6. Besides when I was one year old, my hair has only been cut above my shoulders once. And that was only because the beauty school student cut it too short: I said 10 inches; she cut 14.
7. My favorite color is green. I think I have something like 12 green shirts, between the short sleeved tees, the long sleeved tees, the button-down shirts, the cardigans, and the sweaters. I also have a plethora of green earrings to coordinate.
[Yes, I am supposed to pass this award along. But I'm not going to.]
So, seven things about me.
1. I have the music to almost all of Les Miserables memorized. I could pretty much sing the entire thing, including much of the orchestral part. When my high school put it on, I could tell you exactly what was changed and what was cut. (That's also when I began to notice a lot more of the nuances of the orchestral part. I guess playing the music adds to my appreciation for it.)
2. I've read all the Jane Austen books, and have watched a majority of the film adaptations. I've gradually gotten into books from other authors in the 1800s, and have watched and read (in that order) some of the adaptations and books from Elizabeth Gaskell, Charlotte Bronte, Anne Bronte, and Charles Dickens.
[Fun fact: The Bronte sisters' father changed his last name from Brunty to Bronte. It was out of admiration for Lord Nelson, who had the title of the Duke of Bronte.]
3. I've dabbled in a lot of different kinds of things: I've done some cool stuff with photography, have been learning a bit more about photo editing, have learned a lot about computers in the past few years, am now getting into jewelry-making, and have done some cake-decorating kinds of things in the past.
4. I met my husband in a physics computer lab. It was about 8 pm on a Wednesday night, and we sent something to the printer at the same time. He recognized what I printed as a reading assignment for a class he was taking as well, and that started us talking.
[Aside: That morning, I had written in my grateful journal that I was really grateful to not be in a relationship--the previous day I had listened to two friends share the drama of their current dating situations, and I was glad to be avoiding that.]
5. I'm working on a PhD in Mechanical Engineering. (Yes, I am slightly crazy.) I just passed my preliminary exam on December 7, which means I'm now in the stage of all but dissertation.
6. Besides when I was one year old, my hair has only been cut above my shoulders once. And that was only because the beauty school student cut it too short: I said 10 inches; she cut 14.
7. My favorite color is green. I think I have something like 12 green shirts, between the short sleeved tees, the long sleeved tees, the button-down shirts, the cardigans, and the sweaters. I also have a plethora of green earrings to coordinate.
[Yes, I am supposed to pass this award along. But I'm not going to.]
Sunday, November 27, 2011
Food, Glorious Food
David and I decided that we didn't really want to do a turkey this year. But, since we already planned on spending the entire day cooking, we should cook things that we really like but don't normally take the time to make, and then we could have a whole variety of leftovers. Here's a sampling of what we ate on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday:
A top sirloin cut of meat, made into a roast, twice-baked potatoes, and fresh steamed green beans
Homemade rolls
A tea ring and strawberry-banana smoothies
Skor cake
Spinach lasagne with homemade lasagne noodles.
It was wonderful.
(Why, yes, David and I do have matching aprons.)
A top sirloin cut of meat, made into a roast, twice-baked potatoes, and fresh steamed green beans
(Why, yes, David and I do have matching aprons.)
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
Why I'm Glad I Rent
(1) Because when I find bats in the storage unit, I can call management, and they take care of it.
(2) Because when the dryer is making a horrible noise, I can call management, and they call the appliance repair shop to come fix it the next day.
(3) Because when the washer stops draining right before I leave on vacation, I can call management, and they send someone to fix it so it's working by the time I'm back in town.
(4) Because when there is a fire in the apartment complex and the firemen kick in our door, management is already there at 11:30 pm to fix it so that my apartment is secure.
(5) Because when there is smoke and ash damage in the walls after the fire, management deals with the insurance company and the restoration company to get me a new living room wall, 2 new windows, and fresh paint. And, because management chose such an awesome restoration company, I get touch up paint all over the apartment, because they already found the perfect match and they're generous like that.
(6) Because when the oven sends sparks out the bottom and the heating element is producing actual flames, I call management and have a working oven the next day.
Yes, all of these have happened to us in the 3 1/2 years we've lived in the same apartment. On Sunday, it was the oven.
It's just really nice to have someone else do the research on the appliance company to use, the restoration company to hire, and identify that the oven is not dead, but only needs a new heating element. And, of course, it's nice to have someone else foot the bill. So, today, I'm glad that I rent.
(2) Because when the dryer is making a horrible noise, I can call management, and they call the appliance repair shop to come fix it the next day.
(3) Because when the washer stops draining right before I leave on vacation, I can call management, and they send someone to fix it so it's working by the time I'm back in town.
(4) Because when there is a fire in the apartment complex and the firemen kick in our door, management is already there at 11:30 pm to fix it so that my apartment is secure.
(5) Because when there is smoke and ash damage in the walls after the fire, management deals with the insurance company and the restoration company to get me a new living room wall, 2 new windows, and fresh paint. And, because management chose such an awesome restoration company, I get touch up paint all over the apartment, because they already found the perfect match and they're generous like that.
(6) Because when the oven sends sparks out the bottom and the heating element is producing actual flames, I call management and have a working oven the next day.
Yes, all of these have happened to us in the 3 1/2 years we've lived in the same apartment. On Sunday, it was the oven.
It's just really nice to have someone else do the research on the appliance company to use, the restoration company to hire, and identify that the oven is not dead, but only needs a new heating element. And, of course, it's nice to have someone else foot the bill. So, today, I'm glad that I rent.
Thursday, November 3, 2011
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