Wednesday, Wednesday

Typically, I loathe Wednesdays because I don't like Tuesdays and they run late into the next day and I just hate the feeling I wake up with on Wednesday mornings. But that didn't happen today, and for that I'm glad. Possibly because today is really not Wednesday on my week schedule, having just come back from conference yesterday. By the way, conference got better - very much better, in fact - so I'm back feeling pretty good about the time I spent in Orlando. The big picker-uppers on Monday night, after posting, were an appetizer, a coke, and great conversation with my former Dean and Associate Dean of students, a reception held by ACSD which was the most normal and comfortable thing I had experienced the whole time I was there, and meeting a handful of new friends who are friends of friends and coming from the same perspective as me about our role as student affairs practitioners. It was great - and then Florida won the NCAA National Championship for men's college basketball against Ohio State (whom they also beat for the National Title for college football) and the Lady Vols won the women's championship last night which also made me incredibly happy (GO SEC!)

I flew back into Nashville yesterday early-evening and enjoyed a relaxing night hanging out a bit with my forlorn fiance (who acted like I had been gone a year), having dinner with Nat, and meeting with the VUcept Exec Board as the sole advisor for the evening. It stormed pretty hard last night, too, which was awesome - it's been a long time since I've seen lightning like that - spiderwebs of electric white spread out across a dark sky. I read Gone with the Wind for awhile (45 chapters down, 18 more to go) and fell asleep on my oh-so comfortable bed, relishing the absence of a hard floor against my back (although I stayed in a really nice hotel).

I'm at work now with not a whole lot to do, but I'm going to take advantage of that in productive ways and spend some time finding resources and research for a bit more professional development on my part. I realize that if I'm not getting the knowledge and experience I really desire from my time here at Vanderbilt, then it's no one's responsibilty but my own to change that and do something about it. I can't keep waiting for everyone to get their act together and make this whole experience stream-lined and really beneficial, I have to take what I'm given (lemons) and make something that works for me (lemonade). I got a lot of great ideas about things I'd like to learn more about and become more educated about in regards to higher ed and fortunately a lot of great resource lists too. So I'll keep sipping on my orange pekoe black tea and dive into something a little new and fresh, instead of wasting the time I'm given to do something valuable with.

Oh, and by the way - in case you've been wondering - Cliff and I are going down to Cool Springs tomorrow afternoon to have lunch with the director of the position for which he's been interviewed for with Dave Ramsey (he's had 3 really great interviews with them so far) and his wife. I think they call this a "spousal interview" with the spouse being Jack's wife (not me). I'm really excited and nervous, but this whole process has been really promising and tomorrow could be the deal-breaker. Pray for us, if you think about it please. Thanks!