End of the year meme!

EcoGeoFemme at The Happy Scientist and ScienceGirl at curiosity killed the cat tagged me for this meme.

1. Will you be looking for a new job?
Yes!! As of today, I have one campus interview and one phone interview planned for Jan. I'm hoping I'll hear back from my outstanding applications in the coming weeks.

2. Will you be looking for a new relationship?
I loved EcoGeoFemme's response: "I'm always looking for new friends, especially women." From now until I leave LargeUtown in Juneish, I'm absolutely NOT looking for a relationship. (I'm not ruling out "boys for fun", however.) Focusing on myself this last year has been fantastic.

3. New house?
no. I will rent for the first year, until I feel out my new job and/or scope out the area.

4. What will you do differently in 08?
Date, like for reals! Like go out to dinners and stuff. Be wined and dined. And not by sucky people.

5. New Years resolution?
I very much don't like resolutions.... that said, I really need to get my IRA going (I know, I know!)

6. What will you not be doing in 08?
Hmm....well...at the rate that my (nonexistent) love life is going....

7. Any trips planned?
Yes! To Deutschland in the spring, to Various States for interviews in JanFeb (I hope), and a possible road trip with Mr. Bear after we both get doctored (teehee!) from LargeU and WarmU, respectively.

8. Wedding plans?
Gah, I hope not. Certainly not my own. I've got at least until 35....or was it 28?) before I invoke Back-up Marriage Plan with Mr. Bear.

9. Major thing on your calendar?
Thesis defense! Becoming Dr. Reaction!

10. What can’t you wait for?
To graduate.

11. What would you like to see happen differently?
Hmmm....not really sure.

12. What about yourself will you be changing?
I'll be going to church more. It's hard here in LargeUtown because people are either bible-beaters or eye-rollers. It's difficult to find middle ground.

13. What happened in 07 that you didn’t think would ever happen?
Teehee. I didn't think I'd be as introspective as I was.

14. Will you be nicer to the people you care about?
(would anyone actually say no?) Of course.

15. Will you dress differently this year than you did in 07?
Absolutely. Somehow I don't think my usual hoodie-with-jeans look will fly in a TT position.

16. Will you start or quit drinking?
Heck no! I will maintain my social drinking status. :-)

17. Will you better your relationship with your family?
Yes. Dad and I are back to speaking (posts later, I'm sure)

18. Will you do charity work?
I'll continue to do science volunteering and donate to my favorite charities.

19. Will you go to bars?
I'm a grad student, aren't I?

20. Will you be nice to people you don’t know?
Of course! I'm a southern gal, after all! (Didja guess that one??)

21. Do you expect 08 to be a good year for you?
yes.

22. How much did you change from this time last year till now?
A lot! I've become ready to get my Ph.D. and move on to the next phase in my life. This time last year, I really didn't think I'd be ready to leave in 2008. I've also improved the balance between work and play. I'm still a semi-neurotic workaholic, but I sometimes take Sundays off.

23. Do you plan on having a child?
OMG, no! Not that there would be a possibility, if the last bit of 07 is any indication (see #6).

24. Will you still be friends with the same people you are friends with now?
Yes, but I don't classify casual relationships as friendships. So those that are friends (vs. the bazillion LargeUtown "acquaintances"...like people that I'll drink with, watch football with, etc etc but not housesit for or drive to nearby state airport)

25. Major lifestyle changes?
Hopefully a faculty teaching job. Preferably somewhere warm. Possible big purchases: new car.

26. Will you be moving?
yessssssss!

27. What will you make sure doesn’t happen in 08 that happened in 07?
I'm going to take more vacation time. In 2007, I took six days off in the summer to travel to central america, and nine days off for Christmas. That is not. cool. Already for 2008, I will be traveling home twice in the spring for graduations and going to Germany for a week. Post-LargeUtown, I hope to do a wine country trip and a possible road trip to the Dakotas....but those depend on Mr. Bear.

28. What are your New Years Eve plans?
Not sure. Definitely football with champagne. Beyond ~10:30 remains to be determined.

29. Will you have someone to kiss at midnight?
Not anyone I know, unless there will be a midnight surprise visit to LargeUtown....but I dislike surprises.

30. One wish for 08?
Fall in love with someone in same zip code (say it with me now: awwwwwww).

If you decide to do this lovely meme, please let me know so I am sure to check it out! Happy 2008, all!


(yes, I am aware that I have excessively! used! exclamation points! in this post. Not sure why.

Time to unplug?

Facebook didn't come to be until after I graduated college, so I'm only a recent convert. I've enjoyed reconnecting with high school friends, seeing how many of my college friends have babies, and even linking up with grad students I meet through work.

But sometimes I think I might need to unplug.

Take tonight, for instance. I scanned my Friends' status updates, and saw one from one of my closest friends from high school, who also happens to be finishing up his own graduate work. "Mr. Bear is almost done with experiments," it read.

I shot off a quick FB message to him, jokingly asking if he meant he was done forever or just done for the night. He messaged me back that he was indeed done taking data. Next stop, dissertation.

I'm happy for him.


Really.


Deep down.

But seriously.... first people were using FB to post status updates about prelim status, now job interviews, and now thesis completion? For my own sanity, I might need to log off of Facebook....at least until I have a job offer to update my status with.