Do-Overs

This post is about do-overs and my pattern for doing them over and over, but I feel like I've written this post already. But since I can't find it, this is either new to you, or just yet another do-over. OK, just kidding. Here it is. Long story short, I tend to do things twice: the first time I just make a decision or do something drastic because I just have to make a choice or do something, first time doesn't turn out as planned, but then I have the courage to do it again and everything works out great.

Anyway, read that post then come back and see one I've added to the list: grad school. I'm getting a second MA not because the first one was bad, but because I didn't know what I wanted to do with my life and I knew I wanted to go back to school for something. The great part about my do-overs is that I learn so much from them, like when I learned NOT to drive on the wrong side of the road during a driving test. Excellent lesson. In my Ling degree, I not only learned a ton about language and language possibilities all around the world, but I also got a much better idea of my areas of interest. Which of course is now making my experience in SLHS that much richer. I like to feel like I know what I'm doing, and I guess do-overs make that possible. And I haven't yet had to do over a do-over!

Back to School (again)

After a minuscule break between our August classes and fall semester, I am ready to go back to school tomorrow. I don't really know if I'm ready for the *work* necessarily, but I am beyond excited about my new program. This summer, I had bouts of uncertainty where I wasn't really sure if this is what I wanted to do, and where I worried that I just decided to go into this field on a whim and because of a few convenient factors (great job market, similar schedules with Peter and I working in the schools, and a single day of observation). I mean, why exactly was I going back for another two years? (For those just tuning in, I'm finishing my Linguistics master's and going into Speech Pathology to get a seconds master's).

But now that I've had some introductory classes and met some of the people in the department, I am just over the moon. Even now I have butterflies in my stomach for what lies ahead (in a good way). My path isn't going to be the most typical of the department, to say the least, but I know what I want and it is possible to do it. For one thing, I am the only (I think) person in the deaf and hard of hearing track. For another, I want to do a thesis, which very few MA students opt for. Most just take comps and do more internships for practical experience. I'm so grateful that I did my Ling MA because not only do I have a really good foundation in language and a much broader knowledge of the possibilities of language than most SLPs (speech-language pathologists), but I also have a much better idea of what I'm interested in and where I do and do not want to go.

At this point, I'm pretty sure I want to work for several years in the field, then go back and get my PhD to teach and do research. My interest areas are deafness, American Sign Language (ASL), child language and phonology/phonetics. Phew! I am so much more defined that when I started my ling program and felt so vague compared to all the veteran students who knew exactly what they wanted to study. Amazing what two years of exposure and experience will do!

Even better, there are several faculty members in the speech path department who work in these areas, and my adviser told me that I was lucky (or chose wisely) to be at CU because there was a great deal of support for deaf studies. Apparently, not all speech path programs recognize this as an area of need or importance (what!?!?). And the best part is that they are not oralists (no sign), so I don't have to suffer through competing ideology.

OK, enough excitement for now. I'll let you know mid-semester just how excited I am then :-)

Millions of peaches, peaches for me*

Mmm... The high school Peter is student teaching at has the most delicious fundraiser ever. They sell big boxes of peaches from Colorado's Western Slope, and he brought one home last week. Since then, we've been eating about 8-9 a day (he eats 6, I eat 3-4). They are SO good! I don't know that I've ever eaten peaches as they were meant to be, at least, not this fresh and delicious. So if you are in Boulder and like peaches, go pick up a box at Boulder High, you won't regret it! And if you are not in Boulder or Colorado, maybe you can come visit next summer!

*Presidents of the United States of America

Grrr.... iMovie

You know I heart Apple. I really do. I didn't understand why everyone wasn't happy with the new iMovie. I mean, yes, it's a totally different format, but it makes some things so very much easier. And they FINALLY fixed the stupid issue with the Ken Burns effect that caused horrible zooming that made you feel seasick. Compensating for that wasn't fun and it's been an issue pretty much since the second version. My movies tend to mix stills and movies a fair bit, so I really want a functional Ken Burns. I was so excited to see how well the new version worked with stills, so I started dealing with all our Alaska movies and photos.

But. Big huge but. I quickly realized what all the complainers were complaining about. Most of the features I considered *basic* like being able to slow down a video or add a song to a specific part of my track, those were all gone. Yes, I could put together a movie quickly (if I could find the best video bits quickly), but it wouldn't be what I wanted. And I would probably get really frustrated trying to get it the way I wanted, without being able to. I was trying to think of ways to circumvent it all, and do what I wanted in each version (the older version is still on the computer) and then put them all together, but even if it was possible (and I don't think it is), it wouldn't be worth it. I would be happy if Apple just let me do the Ken Burns from iMovie 08 and everything else from iMovie HD. Or just put all the good stuff from the old versions into the new one. That'd be good too :-)

Great Movie

Did you like The Princess Bride? I'm sorry, that question should read "Do you LOVE the Princess Bride?" If the answer is no, please don't tell me or we may never be able to be friends again. How could you not love twu wuv?

Anyway, if you like that classic, go check out Stardust. We saw it last weekend and it's a perfect fairy tale. Enough magic and enchantments to make a fun different world, enough evil magic to keep things interesting, beautiful visuals of a fantastic place, and a ton of great humor. Oh, and twu wuv! Hmm.. I think a rewatching of TPB is in order. ROUSes! Inigo Montoya! Aaaaaas youuuuuuuuu wiiiiiiiiiiish!!!

Typing Bliss

I really like typing on this little MacBook. Its keys are very fun and clicky. I've heard that the new iMac keyboards are similar. Yay!

Nothing very exciting to post, but I had a little free time and felt like writing (typing) so you get a post. I have five projects due in the next week, so I'm a little busy with schoolwork. Peter started his week before school prep stuff, so he started his day at 6:45 AM and didn't get home until almost 6. Phew! I guess summer really is over and the fall of our great stress begins.

New Toys Part Deux

I wasn't expecting it, but we got a new MacBook today. Peter starts school next week and really needs something he can bring to school and back to work on lesson plans and other fun teacherly things, and since his old-ass laptop has forgotten it is a laptop and requires being plugged in constantly, he gets a new one. And oh what a new one it is! The clicky-ness of the keyboard, the teeny little camera practically smiling at you, and how can we forget the luscious,
glowy Apple logo on the back? Mmmm... I have been promised a new iMac when Leopard comes out (thank God for student loans and Peter's amazing scholarship this year). This way we won't have to fight over computers and we will both have what we need for school and hobbies (i.e., my photography obsession).

Peter also got iWork, which always looked appealing to me, but didn't since worth it before since it didn't have an Excel replacement (just PowerPoint and Word-like programs). Apple has now introduced Numbers, so it now replaces everything we ever used Office for. I think Peter was sold on it when he opened up the spreadsheet app and saw not only a grade sheet template, but also a science lab template, complete with incredibly easy charts and graphs. Like, wow. You mean, you can just highlight a chart, click a button and you get exactly the kind of chart you wanted all along? And don't even have to go through a 15-step "wizard" that never seems to get it right anyway? And on top of that, it looks like some high-end design team drew it, rather than a cubicle-dwelling number cruncher? Sweet.

I've played a little bit with the new iLife '08 (which the Apple store said we'd probably have to pay $10 to get the DVD mailed to us, but was already in the box as a "drop-in"). So far, so goo, though it's hard to get a real idea of it, since I don't want to crap up Peter's computer with my gajillions of gigs of media. I'll wait for my iMac to do that. Plus, I really don't have time to do much more than a little playing with my classes now. In the next week and a half, I have 5 projects due for two classes. So fun!

Toys!

Apple just unveiled the new iMac, iLife '08, iWork '08, new stuff for .Mac, and even more stuff. Woah! I hearty McHearterson the new iLife; it looks incredible. Some of the features look like they will make my life much, much happier. Of course, we're still going to wait until October when the new operating system is supposed to come out, but now we know what we are waiting for and that it will be so worth it! Now we just have to decide if we still want to go the laptop route, or if we'll update our little iMac (we'll still keep our half-basketball!). Le sigh. Oh Apple, how do you know what I want even before I know it?

Second Day of Alaska

The picture of our second day in Alaska are up. We were still in Ketchikan, but it had begun to mizzle. We walked around town a bit as we had the day before, but the main event was a hike up to Deer Mountain. It started through old growth temperate rainforest, then ascended above treeline to where nice views would have been if it weren't raining. Apparently, the top was covered in snow, so we didn't make it quite that far. The hike itself was incredible and the misty rain just made it feel more magical.

After our slow soaking, we came back and wandered the small boat harbor while Peter caught small, bizarre sea fish. We then returned to our room on Creek Street, which is the old red light district. I think that pretty much explains most of the pictures, so enjoy!

Back to the Grind

I'm school again, as of Thursday. So far, the classes are fine, but my free time is being sucked away. I may not resurface again for another two years, when this program is done (and yes, it runs through next summer as well).

In other new, I'm so, so proud this man is a representative of my adopted state. Please note my infinite sarcasm transmitting across this blog. Ugh.