That is, I *could* have created life in the amount of time that I've been on hiatus...but I didn't. In fact, I didn't even try, or rather, I actively tried not to.
Instead what I did was ALL the work, some of the sicks, some of the travel, lots of the loves, and ALL of the cohabitating with Zoe, Potato, GMK, and that D guy.
Here are the highlights.
ALL THE WORK--ALL THE TIME:
All work and no play makes Erica...get tenure hopefully. I've been seriously busting my butt. I won't fully recount my CV for you here, but I've been working on lots of projects, and I've learned some valuable lessons.
For example, if playing the role of every single faculty and staff member from your old lab in your new lab isn't motivation enough to get some flippin' grant money, then I don't know what is. Note: I'm working with some extraordinary grads and RAs, but I'm playing the role of PI, project coordinator, recruitment coordinator, scheduling coordinator, receptionist/secretary, RA, and data manager/analyst. GIMME SOME FLIPPIN' MONEY NIH!
In that regard, I have submitted 1 grant as a PI and 2 as a co-I, and I'm working on 1 as a PI, 1 as a co-PI, and 2 as a co-I as we speak. I'm hoping that by sheer quantity alone NIH will eventually just give me money because they recognize my name, but alas, as all researchers and scientists know all too well, NIH has lost ~25% of its purchasing power over the last decade. That's BILLIONS of dollars that could be funding my work and the important work of others. I'm constantly reading new articles on the bleak nature of academia these days, and in truth, I'm just happy that I currently have *any* job, let alone one that I really love. Now all I have to do is make it permanent by getting some funding to show my department chair that I'm worth keeping around. It really is the same roller-coaster that graduate school was I get really good feedback on something, then I *DON'T* get an award or grant or what have you and start to doubt whether it is all worth it. For now, the answer is OF COURSE, but I'm not sure that will always be the case, especially if I ever decide to settle down and actually try to create life to keep me from writing over a 9 month time span.
HAVE I FINALLY BEATEN THE SICKS!?
So, um, well, I guess I have some confessions to make. All those times over all those years that I was "sick", it turns out I wasn't really sick. Apparently, I have some of the worst nasal allergies the ENT I went to see has ever seen in his career. So, that's great. But what is great is that he has me on 3 meds that actually allow me to breathe. Like really, truly breathe. He also has prescribed allergy shots, which I am still kind of wishy-washy about, but I've only had them twice, so I'm allowed to be. I have to get them WEEKLY for a full year, then down to monthly for along time, then less and less until about 3-5 years from now, I won't need meds anymore. That is, unless I leave south Florida, then I'll have to start all over again. I'd like to take a moment to thank my Dad and my Gram Wood for this. Both of them were/are allergic to everything. Way to give me a double dose!
LORD, I WAS BORN A RAMBLIN' (wo)MAN
Over the past few months, I've been lots of places: San Francisco, DC, PA, NYC.
Over the next few months I'll be going lots more places: PA--home, PA--Philly, Curacoa, NYC, PA--Philly (again! dammit!), San Francisco (probably), Kansas City, Portland, Eugene, Seattle
All of these are either work or family trips except: Curacao, Kansas City, and the PNW trip is half work/half fun.
I CANNOT WAIT for these trips. I don't think I've been on a proper vacation since, um, I don't know when. When I lived in Rochester, maybe? Jay and I went on some for fun trips. But during graduate school, all my trips were to conferences or to see family or just short day/weekend trips around the PNW. Curacao will be my first real vacation in nearly a decade. We are already planning some awesome times including scuba diving, which I've never done before, but am both excited and scared about. What I'm more excited about is the prospect of doing NOTHING for a full 5 days. No emails. No calls. No drama. No (work) reading. No (work) writing. Just me and D and food and sun and sand and sleeping in and swimming and probably a massage. ONE. MORE. MONTH.
I am also crazy excited for Cara's wedding and my PNW trip, but those are so far away that they don't even feel real yet.
LOVE AND LIVING IN SIN
D and I moved in together in July and it has been going smashingly. I've never been happier or more in love. Mushy. I know, but still this is the real deal. Even when he leaves his clothes from the day before on the floor when he leaves for work in the morning. Even when the trash is overflowing because we were both too lazy to take it out. Even when Potato completely coats the couch in blonde. Even when there is no more OJ. And especially when I come home from work and start to walk to the bedroom to change and decompress, and he stops me and says, "Wait, you forgot something.", then pulls me in for a kiss. Especially when he sings to the dogs. Especially when I walk in on him having a dance party in his undies while listening to the record player and doing the dishes, and he says, "Oh, I was going to surprise you!". Especially when I don't feel well and he comes back from getting toilet paper and says, "I got you something. I know you love nail polish, and I know you like reds and pinks, but I didn't know which ones you already had, so I got you this.", and he pulls out a bright-ass blue polish that I would have never picked myself, but I wear it anyway because it makes me think of him.
