Uh oh. I'm becoming one of those people. The CrossFit people.
I bought a Groupon for one month of CrossFit for two people and convinced my sister she wanted to do it with me. The plan was to start at the beginning of September so that it would be easier to keep track of the "month". Well, that didn't happen. Last week I convinced her we needed to start so on Wednesday we went for the first session. Oh my goodness did that kick my rear! But it felt really good to actually move. Lately I've been attached to a computer for job #1 (which isn't always the case), of course for job #2 (because it's online), and also for homework. I've been craving some physicality. I couldn't go again on Friday because of the class time ending at the exact time I needed to be at job #1, so Monday it was. This is probably a good thing because Friday came and I was still incredibly sore, much to my own personal amusement as well as the amusement of my coworkers. It's funny when you laugh and it hurts. Which makes you laugh more. Which hurts. Which makes you laugh even more. I'm sure you can see where this leads.
Monday was great. It kicked my rear, but not in the same way. In the good way. Today is Wednesday and again job #1 start time requirements conflicted with class time. And I found myself disappointed. I'm actually looking forward to tomorrow and Friday. I could bore you with all the biological reasons why physical activity is good for you, not just on a basic health level, but also chemically. I won't, though. Google it. Or check out this link, which my sister happily shared with me: Scientific study on CrossFit.
I also think my drive to go back to CrossFit ties in with SQUIRREL!s. Something the core faculty discussed in our first colloquium week was taking care of ourselves, ensuring we have personal resilient abundance. It's a play on sustainability terminology. PhD humor. We're nerds.
Taking the opportunity to chase the SQUIRREL! and keeping up normal routines (or new ones of working out) helps the mind mull over and consider different topics and concepts. Have you ever sat in front of a project wracking your brain for ideas when you're stumped? Then decide to step away for a bit and suddenly have a brilliant idea, or just can return to the task a short time later with a fresh perspective? Yea. Like that. Chase the SQUIRREL! Go do CrossFit! Feed the body and mind.
I'll see you at the gym tomorrow. And Friday. Where you'll hear that once you finish this last exercise of the warm up (which is remarkably like the entire boot camp workout I experienced (again through a Groupon) in May) that the real work out starts. Woot - getting our rears kicked for resilient abundance.
25 September 2013
17 September 2013
Squirrel!
I don't want to bore you with repetition of doctoral work. It's hard. And time consuming. There. You're updated now.
A few years ago I attended a workshop on incorporating humor in presentations. It was hilarious, especially when one presenter described that he has ADOS: attention deficit...ooh shiny!
Now, you might think this isn't really that bad to have, this ADOS. It's not, in most cases. Especially if you are a bird that likes to collect shiny things (male bower birds have been observed collecting iridescent beetle exoskeletons to impress the ladies. hubba hubba). I've seen grackles sitting on top of the side mirror of the van I drive for work staring at her/himself and wiping his/her beak on the mirror. This is unpleasant when attempting to drive around town and see out of the side mirror.
I was introduced to a new type of ADOS called SOS when at my colloquium week. This SOS is not the "I need help now" kind. Instead it's "Shiny Object Syndrome". Sounds remarkably similar to ADOS. Now, this tends to rear its ugly head when it's least desired, like when a paper is due. But the problem is, there is always a paper due. I don't think ADOS or SOS are really bad things. I think of it as a way for my brain to take a break from consciously concentrating on various philosophical topics...like research methods. But it's not a complete shut down. The human brain needs time to process. Sometimes something completely seemingly unrelated can spark fresh ideas or perspectives. Did you watch the TV show House? Like that, only less angry drug addict and more crazy PhD student with a very full life.
In fact, a conversation with a good friend brought an interesting new application of SOS. Squirrels. There was a delightful movie in 2009 about an old man who didn't want to leave his house and so inflated a ridiculous number of balloons and flew away. Some might say this is a kid movie. I argue it's only labeled a kid movie if you aren't a kid at heart. I am most definitely a kid at heart. Anywho, in this movie there is a marvelous dog named Dug. Dug, and the other dogs in the movie, are frequently distracted momentarily by SQUIRREL!
But then the dogs returned to the task at hand...err, paw.
I plan to embrace my SQUIRREL! moments, allow my brain the time to process, enjoy the moment, and move forward with tasks at hand.
A few years ago I attended a workshop on incorporating humor in presentations. It was hilarious, especially when one presenter described that he has ADOS: attention deficit...ooh shiny!
Now, you might think this isn't really that bad to have, this ADOS. It's not, in most cases. Especially if you are a bird that likes to collect shiny things (male bower birds have been observed collecting iridescent beetle exoskeletons to impress the ladies. hubba hubba). I've seen grackles sitting on top of the side mirror of the van I drive for work staring at her/himself and wiping his/her beak on the mirror. This is unpleasant when attempting to drive around town and see out of the side mirror.
I was introduced to a new type of ADOS called SOS when at my colloquium week. This SOS is not the "I need help now" kind. Instead it's "Shiny Object Syndrome". Sounds remarkably similar to ADOS. Now, this tends to rear its ugly head when it's least desired, like when a paper is due. But the problem is, there is always a paper due. I don't think ADOS or SOS are really bad things. I think of it as a way for my brain to take a break from consciously concentrating on various philosophical topics...like research methods. But it's not a complete shut down. The human brain needs time to process. Sometimes something completely seemingly unrelated can spark fresh ideas or perspectives. Did you watch the TV show House? Like that, only less angry drug addict and more crazy PhD student with a very full life.
In fact, a conversation with a good friend brought an interesting new application of SOS. Squirrels. There was a delightful movie in 2009 about an old man who didn't want to leave his house and so inflated a ridiculous number of balloons and flew away. Some might say this is a kid movie. I argue it's only labeled a kid movie if you aren't a kid at heart. I am most definitely a kid at heart. Anywho, in this movie there is a marvelous dog named Dug. Dug, and the other dogs in the movie, are frequently distracted momentarily by SQUIRREL!
But then the dogs returned to the task at hand...err, paw.
I plan to embrace my SQUIRREL! moments, allow my brain the time to process, enjoy the moment, and move forward with tasks at hand.
09 September 2013
A week in the life of a penguin...
Being a penguin is tough. Especially an Adélie penguin. Imagine living in Antarctica with extremely harsh, cold winters and having to travel many hundreds of miles from pack ice to the ocean to find food. And finding food is becoming more difficult each day as competition increases with large strange mammals who travel in loud, not-ice-or-rock floating icebergs collecting all the yummiest of the fish and krill. Plus, while warmer temperatures and stronger winds make it a little easier to get to the ocean to hunt, there is less ice on which to live. I decided to leave this mundane ice-bound life and travel to an exotic place - the desert. There are many similarities between the antarctic landscape and the desert landscape. Not much grows there. Not a lot of drinkable water is available. But the desert I traveled to doesn't have snow for me to eat as a source of water like in Antarctica. And cactus doesn't taste very good to me. Fish aren't abundant here, but they are becoming less abundant back home too. Plenty of rocks are available for naps, although they are a bit warm. Locating the perfect shady spot for a nap is a bit tricky, as most things in the desert are pokey.
My migration is because I heard there is availability in fungus gardening, so for a little fresh perspective I decided to try my flipper at it. I've spent the last week really focusing on the little garden that was overgrown. It took a lot of effort! Little by little I selected the fungi, mainly mushrooms, that needed to be removed and carefully plucked them one by one. I saw a mushroom that seemed to be small, but the mycelium (or root-like structures) were much deeper than expected. It took me almost 4 hours to learn about this special type of mushroom, research how to remove it, and finally pluck it! But I was awarded a certificate that I'm told I have to keep forever. Maybe that's so I don't have to do all that work again to remove the same kind of mushroom in the future. During this time I was told I should go to the vet to get some tests done, just for funsies, and potentially extra treats. The tests might help other penguins in the future, but also could involve taking medicine. I don't like medicine. It was difficult, but I think I presented a good argument against it. Plus I don't need extra treats. Then I pulled another mushroom. That one was a little taller and quite pretty, so I didn't really want to remove it from the garden since it was so nice to look at, but I can see now that it needed to be done.
Still another mushroom needed plucking. This is a difficult job! The managers of the fungus garden are relentless in their demands. And so many mushrooms need pulling in such a short time! I think it's probably a combination of the weather and time of year. Regardless, this one took a little extra effort and some reflection. I didn't use a mirror though. It was the kind of reflection where a penguin has to consider who she is as a fungus gardener as well as what she knows, then apply these to future fungus gardening ideas. I learned some new words during this one. Like ontology. That's the part about who a penguin is.
The little garden still needed attention, though.There was a huge mushroom that took help from a good friend penguin to decide the best way to cull it from the rest. We had to follow careful gardening guidelines and work together to accomplish our goal. Luckily, we were very successful, and even pulled out that mushroom a few days earlier than we absolutely had to. Flipper high fives were shared. I love flipper high fives.
I can barely take a moment to peek at how the garden is taking shape because there is still one more big mushroom that needs to be removed quickly. And this one removal is going to be carefully watched by a different penguin. Who knew so many penguins were interested in fungus gardening? I'm told that I am committed to four years as a fungus gardener. Good thing there are some other penguins here to keep me company. Maybe my efforts here in the desert will help all the penguins back home. Good thing I have social media to keep in touch, since I don't think I'll be seeing anyone in the near future! Maybe the garden managers will give me vacation time...oh, that big one isn't going to pull itself, they say. Back to work.
My migration is because I heard there is availability in fungus gardening, so for a little fresh perspective I decided to try my flipper at it. I've spent the last week really focusing on the little garden that was overgrown. It took a lot of effort! Little by little I selected the fungi, mainly mushrooms, that needed to be removed and carefully plucked them one by one. I saw a mushroom that seemed to be small, but the mycelium (or root-like structures) were much deeper than expected. It took me almost 4 hours to learn about this special type of mushroom, research how to remove it, and finally pluck it! But I was awarded a certificate that I'm told I have to keep forever. Maybe that's so I don't have to do all that work again to remove the same kind of mushroom in the future. During this time I was told I should go to the vet to get some tests done, just for funsies, and potentially extra treats. The tests might help other penguins in the future, but also could involve taking medicine. I don't like medicine. It was difficult, but I think I presented a good argument against it. Plus I don't need extra treats. Then I pulled another mushroom. That one was a little taller and quite pretty, so I didn't really want to remove it from the garden since it was so nice to look at, but I can see now that it needed to be done.
Still another mushroom needed plucking. This is a difficult job! The managers of the fungus garden are relentless in their demands. And so many mushrooms need pulling in such a short time! I think it's probably a combination of the weather and time of year. Regardless, this one took a little extra effort and some reflection. I didn't use a mirror though. It was the kind of reflection where a penguin has to consider who she is as a fungus gardener as well as what she knows, then apply these to future fungus gardening ideas. I learned some new words during this one. Like ontology. That's the part about who a penguin is.
The little garden still needed attention, though.There was a huge mushroom that took help from a good friend penguin to decide the best way to cull it from the rest. We had to follow careful gardening guidelines and work together to accomplish our goal. Luckily, we were very successful, and even pulled out that mushroom a few days earlier than we absolutely had to. Flipper high fives were shared. I love flipper high fives.
I can barely take a moment to peek at how the garden is taking shape because there is still one more big mushroom that needs to be removed quickly. And this one removal is going to be carefully watched by a different penguin. Who knew so many penguins were interested in fungus gardening? I'm told that I am committed to four years as a fungus gardener. Good thing there are some other penguins here to keep me company. Maybe my efforts here in the desert will help all the penguins back home. Good thing I have social media to keep in touch, since I don't think I'll be seeing anyone in the near future! Maybe the garden managers will give me vacation time...oh, that big one isn't going to pull itself, they say. Back to work.
03 September 2013
The fungus among us
A dear friend of mine told me that the Bornean ducks (not technically the species name, just a descriptor of where I saw and took a photo of them. The ducks.) photo at the top is boring and needed to be changed. This person is no longer a dear friend. Not really. The suggestion was that I mix up the photographs used. I was skeptical at first. I like my Bornean ducks. They remind me of a delightful part of my Master's journey, including the fantastic homestay family I quickly grew to love and now miss terribly. But, I can also understand that looking at the same old photo each time you read these ground-breaking amalgamations of thought isn't very appealing. So, my no-longer-but-really-always dear friend sent me some fantastic photos and gave me permission to use them. You may notice I've played around with the appearance - new photo, a new background, font colors, etc. - because you definitely pay that close attention to things.
The photo I fell in love with, which you should see if you aren't viewing this on the mobile version, is one of a fungus taken on an island south of Tierra del Fuego (which makes this song pop into my head: http://youtu.be/OkEedQGZ5Q0 enjoy!) by my dear friend (who hopefully is fine with my quest for anonymity and doesn't desire to be named). Responses to hearing (or reading) the word 'fungus' probably range from accepting to "ewww!" because of varying levels of experience. Maybe you love to eat mushrooms. Maybe you hate mushrooms. Maybe you've been lucky enough to be a host for a fungus on your feet or other body parts. It's ok. I don't judge. Maybe you've geeked out at zombie-creating fungus (I totally geek out on this every. single. time.), like this:
Perhaps you've even equated fungus growth to homework. No? Just me, then? Ok. Well, here goes. Homework is like a fungus. If you don't address it in a timely manner, it just keeps growing, especially under the right conditions, such as a doctoral program. Fungus (i.e. homework) doesn't stop for your full time job, additional part time job, or the most important part of your life: parenthood. Instead, it sits quietly in the corner (i.e. computer), slowly accumulating and expanding until one day (read: many sleepless nights) you have to buckle down and apply some elbow grease just to catch up with the growth. But you never can eradicate it. This isn't necessarily a bad thing. Some fungus is quite beautiful, such as the one shown in the photo. Learning is also beautiful, and homework is just the "proof" of learning.
So, I guess it's time to buckle down and prepare to apply elbow grease for the foreseeable sleepless nights future. I am currently accepting donations in the form of coffee gift cards. Or just the coffee. My favorite is iced nonfat double chocolate mocha, in case you're wondering.
The photo I fell in love with, which you should see if you aren't viewing this on the mobile version, is one of a fungus taken on an island south of Tierra del Fuego (which makes this song pop into my head: http://youtu.be/OkEedQGZ5Q0 enjoy!) by my dear friend (who hopefully is fine with my quest for anonymity and doesn't desire to be named). Responses to hearing (or reading) the word 'fungus' probably range from accepting to "ewww!" because of varying levels of experience. Maybe you love to eat mushrooms. Maybe you hate mushrooms. Maybe you've been lucky enough to be a host for a fungus on your feet or other body parts. It's ok. I don't judge. Maybe you've geeked out at zombie-creating fungus (I totally geek out on this every. single. time.), like this:
Perhaps you've even equated fungus growth to homework. No? Just me, then? Ok. Well, here goes. Homework is like a fungus. If you don't address it in a timely manner, it just keeps growing, especially under the right conditions, such as a doctoral program. Fungus (i.e. homework) doesn't stop for your full time job, additional part time job, or the most important part of your life: parenthood. Instead, it sits quietly in the corner (i.e. computer), slowly accumulating and expanding until one day (read: many sleepless nights) you have to buckle down and apply some elbow grease just to catch up with the growth. But you never can eradicate it. This isn't necessarily a bad thing. Some fungus is quite beautiful, such as the one shown in the photo. Learning is also beautiful, and homework is just the "proof" of learning.
So, I guess it's time to buckle down and prepare to apply elbow grease for the foreseeable sleepless nights future. I am currently accepting donations in the form of coffee gift cards. Or just the coffee. My favorite is iced nonfat double chocolate mocha, in case you're wondering.
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