Committee meetings, job prospects, and holidays

I had a committee meeting a couple weeks ago to update everyone on my research and dissertation-writing progress. Of the 5 research chapters, 4 have had all the experiments completed and 1 has already been published. It seemed to me that I was pretty much where I should be, but the committee refused to set a graduation timeline. I've been in the program more than 5 years and the funding for my stipend ends in a few months, so time is in short supply. I don't understand how the committee isn't pushing for me to finish! I mean, isn't the point of having graduate students to get them to graduate and get jobs? Aren't academic institutions in the business of flooding the market with over-educated but under-employed people?

Speaking of jobs, I had an interview recently. I thought it went really well. I was cool and collected, I had the skill set the employer was looking for, and I was willing to relocate. I didn't even bat an eye when the schedule had to be completely rearranged the day of the interview. But I received a rejection letter a few days later, stating that they had gone with someone else whose qualifications more closely aligned with the job. I found that rather odd, since I was told I was the only one interviewing for that particular position. Hmm .... It's too bad that most places are restricted legally on what they can and cannot share about one's interview, so I'll probably never know what I did wrong or why they decided not to hire me.

And with the holidays coming up, I've been busy Christmas shopping, lighting candles as mini offerings for a job, and hoping that I can tell my relatives that I'm finally finishing all this education.

Christmas 2010

I can't believe Christmas is only a few weeks away! Where has the time gone?

I've decorated my office with holiday flare, and it amazes me how a fake tree with twinkling lights and sparkly ornaments can really warm up a room. A layer of freshly fallen snow would complete the picture, but the weather forecast is without precipitation. It just isn't the same to look past stockings and presents to a green manicured lawn!

I hope you all have a very Merry Christmas! If you've been good, I hope Santa brings what was #1 on your list. If you've been naughty, well then, kudos to you too! *wink, wink*

And let's not forget those less fortunate this holiday season. Please donate to the Salvation Army kettles or your local food pantry.

Jingle all the way to Christmas

I can't believe that Christmas is less than 10 days away! Where has the time gone? Sheesh! I bet some of my confusion has to do with the green grass and flying insects outside my window. I associate Christmas with snow, ice, and warm outerwear, but all of that is moot in this part of the country.

On the plus side, I was done with my holiday shopping by the start of December, so I've been spending the month leisurely writing out cards and mailing out gifts. I also enjoy watching everyone else frantically run around. Apparently the "it gift" this year is a neon-colored motorized hamster that moves through plastic tubes and runs in a plastic wheel. It seems to me that parents should just buy their kids the actual pet, which is way more entertaining to watch, than a battery-powered version. And parents can't argue that the fake hamsters are safer than the actual mammals because the Zhu Zhu pets are being recalled for unsafe levels of heavy metals!

The holidays sure are amusing!