Nine Months?
Has it really been nine months since I typed something? Wow.
Teaching. This is a really busy semester. I got my normal load of part time teaching and added an ADDITIONAL class. Luckily that one is online, but still. Four classes and a full-time job? And a dissertation? It's just a lot of work. It only hits me every so often that it is a lot and I am (momentarily) overwhelmed. I then remember my mantra ("live through this") and boom...everything is okay. I got assigned an upper-division class for the winter (Marriage and the Family) a course I NEVER thought I would be teaching, and in the spring it's only two classes: Sociology of Race Class and Gender, and Sociology of Popular Culture. Not sure about summer yet, but it seems like the summer may be my last semester teaching in Maryland.
School. Wow. So...a lot has happened. I made a functional plan to END THIS with my advisor in May. I worked hard over the summer, and handed her, by my birthday 4 chapters of my dissertation (150 pages). I have a meeting with her today about her recommendations for revisions. My plan is to hand her the final 60-70 pages in late November, and then just work on revisions through the end of February. I am hoping to defend my dissertation in April. I'm both excited and nervous about that prospect. However, I am ready for this ALL to be OVER. I think five degrees is good enough, I'll have the PhD, I'll be "Dr" so-and-so, and.....okay...good. Whatever. On to the next chapter of my life.
Work. Work got re-funded so we are going to be doing the same type of research. We are in a holding pattern right now, so there isn't a lot to do. Which is fine; with school and the dissertation I have plenty, and work isn't averse to me doing my research here. However, even though they seem willing to make moves and concessions for me, like offering me a higher analyst position with a significant salary bump....this isn't what I want to do. I've been here for nearly 5 years, and it's time to move on. I know where the next chapter of my life takes me, and...it's out of Baltimore. More on that later.
Production. I have not really published anything in the past 9 months; I've been absorbed in a lot of other things. I haven't even really done many conferences. I presented at PCA in Washington DC in April, and Midwest PCA a few weeks ago. I won a grad student award at Midwest PCA, and won a fellowship for the summer (researching the paper I actually submitted for MPCA). I am submitting to three journals by years' end: Games & Culture, Journal of Bodies Sexualities and Masculinities, and Journal of Men's Studies. I think my writing has improved and my prospects are up for all three. One is in; I'll turn the others in after Thanksgiving. Next year I will present at four conferences: ESS, PCA, AMSA, and Veterans in Society. I might do a fall conference, but that all depends on where I am after August. We will see.
Social. Complicated. There's someone but...I don't know. Whatever. I'm fine with the ambiguity. If it were less ambiguous, it would actually be serious. I frankly just enjoy spending time with him every week. But of course, there are times you want more (followed immediately by times you want less). I think you just accept what you have, and do what's necessary to keep it alive.