This morning we left for Illinois, to join my sister and should-be sister-in-law in making history. You see, today marks the beginning of civil unions in Illinois, and my sister and her better half are among the first to be joined in civil unity.
There's a big ceremony tomorrow morning in a Chicago park, in which couples from across the state will participate. The governor and the mayor will both speak. I am really excited to be a part of the festivities and I am also looking forward to the time we will spend together after the ceremony!
Showing posts with label Illinois. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Illinois. Show all posts
Wednesday, June 01, 2011
Tuesday, December 07, 2010
Winter Weather
It has been pretty cold here lately! Why, today I don't think the temperature rose above freezing. I excitedly wore several layers of clothes today.
It doesn't get quite this cold that often here in Tennessee. The weather (although not the complete lack of snow) reminds me of my days in Illinois.
Speaking of Illinois, when I told Vinny that one of his cousins lives in Illinois, he suggested that his cousin actually lives in "Billinois" and just laughed like it was the most hilarious thing ever. Then I suggested that Vinny lived in "Sillynois" and laughed a bit myself (although Vinny did not find that as humorous as his own joke). I am still trying to figure out the four-year-old sense of humor. So far it seems to me that watching him laugh is about the funniest part of his jokes.
It doesn't get quite this cold that often here in Tennessee. The weather (although not the complete lack of snow) reminds me of my days in Illinois.
Speaking of Illinois, when I told Vinny that one of his cousins lives in Illinois, he suggested that his cousin actually lives in "Billinois" and just laughed like it was the most hilarious thing ever. Then I suggested that Vinny lived in "Sillynois" and laughed a bit myself (although Vinny did not find that as humorous as his own joke). I am still trying to figure out the four-year-old sense of humor. So far it seems to me that watching him laugh is about the funniest part of his jokes.
Saturday, December 05, 2009
Live from Urbana
I was concerned about the weather forecast for today, because snow was promised at home. Now, normally, snow in East Tennessee is a joke -- that is, as long as you're at the lower elevations. But today, I had to cross a mountain -- sure, go through a mountain pass, but still, it was a concern.
The promise of snow actually delivered. We got about 1/2 inch in our yard. We got Vinny dressed and went outside and played in the snow with him. Because, hey, this was going to be one of the few snows of the winter!
I left home at about 11, when I figured the roads would all be clear. And I had no problems over the mountain at all. When I called Jeff later that afternoon, he said that all the snow had melted by 1:00 pm. Once I got into Northern Kentucky, the roads were completely dry. As I drove North, the temperature kept going down, but since the roads were dry I didn't really care. My drive was completely uneventful, except for the fact that I had the radio cranked up and was singing at the top of my lungs in order to keep myself from getting drowsy.
I got to Urbana at about 6 local time, dropped off my stuff at my aunt and uncle's house, and went out to dinner with an old friend who still lives in Urbana. We went to this Chinese restaurant that I had really missed, where I ordered "Ants Climbing Trees." I'm not sure what's in it, but there are no trees or ants in this dish, just some combination of ingredients that tastes really good. I got a chance to catch up on what my friend is up to as well as some local gossip.
Now I'm back at my aunt and uncle's house, waiting for them to get home. I plan on sleeping in late in the morning, and then making my way to my sister's place sometime in the afternoon. She and I will talk tomorrow, to coordinate.
Friday, September 11, 2009
Nine Eleven
Today's normally somber mood is somewhat lightened by the fact that it's my last day of work before we go on vacation! But still, it is quite a sad day.
On this fateful day eight years ago, I was getting ready to go to class. I'd showered and gotten dressed, and was eating my cereal and surfing the internet when I got an email from my sister who was living in DC saying that she was fine, and not to worry.
Huh?
So I went onto CNN.com and I could barely get on and saw that the first plane had hit the twin towers and the plane had hit the Pentagon. There was speculation that a plane had hit the White House too. At that point I had to leave to catch my bus, but I remember thinking, "This can't be a coincidence."
As the day progressed, I was able to get more and more information. I watched them bulldozing and searching for survivors live on TV.
What were you doing that day?
On this fateful day eight years ago, I was getting ready to go to class. I'd showered and gotten dressed, and was eating my cereal and surfing the internet when I got an email from my sister who was living in DC saying that she was fine, and not to worry.
Huh?
So I went onto CNN.com and I could barely get on and saw that the first plane had hit the twin towers and the plane had hit the Pentagon. There was speculation that a plane had hit the White House too. At that point I had to leave to catch my bus, but I remember thinking, "This can't be a coincidence."
As the day progressed, I was able to get more and more information. I watched them bulldozing and searching for survivors live on TV.
What were you doing that day?
Thursday, December 11, 2008
By Thy Money Gently Flowing, Illinois, Illinois*
As I'm sure you've all heard by now, the governor of Illinois was arrested on Tuesday morning for corruption, including attempting to use the filling of Barack Obama's empty senate seat for personal gain.
Wow.
Dang.
I must admit it: I voted for Blagojevich in 2002, but by the time he was up for re-election, I had moved to Tennessee.
That makes two completely corrupt, lawbreaking frauds we elected in a row (George Ryan, and now Blagojevich). What other state can say that?!?!
It's funny, because when I moved to Illinois from Kentucky, shortly after Operation Boptrot, I was relieved to be moving away from such a corrupt state. How wrong I was!
Friday, January 04, 2008
Winter Weather
After going from Illinois winters to Tennessee winters, I now understand how my Wisconsin-native parents felt about Kentucky winters. They're wimpy! It just doesn't get cold. The first two winters here, I kept wondering when winter would actually come. It felt more like a prolonged autumn.
I would laugh at my Tennessee-native friends and colleagues, who would bundle up at the first sign of the temperature dipping below 50. Those first two years, I would occasionally don thermal underwear, but I never got out my super heavy Illinois coat.
The past two days, however, have been remarkably cold for Tennessee. The temperature did not make it above freezing at all, and in the morning on my way to work, the temperature was in the teens. So I pulled out the Illinois coat and gloves, and felt pleasantly nostalgic. Okay, so the low temperature (14 degrees yesterday) was a temperature that would pass for a high in Illinois, but it felt good to don the accoutrements of cold weather, zip up that coat, and fumble with my keys through the thick gloves.
I would laugh at my Tennessee-native friends and colleagues, who would bundle up at the first sign of the temperature dipping below 50. Those first two years, I would occasionally don thermal underwear, but I never got out my super heavy Illinois coat.
The past two days, however, have been remarkably cold for Tennessee. The temperature did not make it above freezing at all, and in the morning on my way to work, the temperature was in the teens. So I pulled out the Illinois coat and gloves, and felt pleasantly nostalgic. Okay, so the low temperature (14 degrees yesterday) was a temperature that would pass for a high in Illinois, but it felt good to don the accoutrements of cold weather, zip up that coat, and fumble with my keys through the thick gloves.
Thursday, August 09, 2007
Home Again!
We're back! (I bet you didn't realize we were gone! Well, we were. I just didn't want to announce that our house would be vacant to all of teh internets.)
We went to suburban Chicago for a family reunion and then on to Urbana so that I could give a seminar and meet with my former adviser and the rest of the scientific computing group, before heading home. We left on Thursday and got home yesterday.
When Vinny was very young, he didn't seem to mind riding in the car at all, but now he seems to take great issue with it. But after we figured out that he was much happier if one of us was sitting in the back with him, the drive went much more smoothly.
On the way up to Chicago, we stopped in at Jeff's parents' place for a few hours so that they could see Vinny. Then we went as far as Indianapolis before stopping for the night. We made it to the Chicago suburbs by the late afternoon, and introduced Vinny to the relatives who had already arrived at the hotel. That evening, I took Vinny with me to have dinner with a friend of mine who works at Argonne and her family. It was really fun to see them.
We went to a nearby Mexican restaurant, and Vinny was looking at my plate of food rather longingly, so I fed him some of my refried beans. I already knew from our friends Adam and Jody's house that he liked refried beans, but until that evening I did not realize the degree to which he loved them. He ate all my refried beans! Usually he gets to a point where he's had enough of whatever I'm feeding him, and turns his head to refuse, but every time he saw those frijoles coming towards him, he opened his mouth wide!
On Saturday we had family reunion activities all day, including an extended family reunion with hundreds of people I don't even know, all of whom were descended from some Scottish siblings, more than half of whom immigrated to the Naperville area, with the rest staying in Scotland. Unfortunately, it wasn't a very exciting reunion; in the past, they had people wearing kilts and playing bagpipes, or last time it was a cousin who plays the koto professionally in Japan, but there was nothing entertaining like that this time. So we left shortly after the panoramic picture was taken.
For dinner we went to an enormous Chinese buffet. It was an amazing place; they had more foods than I imagined possible, including fresh lychees that you could peel and eat! Lychees aren't too bad when canned, but fresh, they are just plain delicious. The flavor is a lot stronger. Anyhow, they also had sweet potatoes, of all things, so I mashed a piece of sweet potato up and fed it to Vinny, and he loved it almost as much as he loved the refried beans! And that is saying a lot, because he was crazy about those refried beans.
After dinner, there was a gathering of the descendants of my paternal grandfather and his siblings. This was interesting, because it meant we got to catch up on a lot of relatives we had last seen five years ago at the last reunion.
On Sunday, we went to a family reunion for the descendants of my paternal grandmother and her siblings. That reunion was organized by one of my uncles, and it was really interesting to meet all those people, some of whom I'd never met before. We also got copies of a book written by my grandmother about her mother and grandmother. I have read some of it, and it's very interesting. I look forward to getting more time to read it.
After that reunion, we caravaned with my dad and bonus mom, grandmother, and my aunt and uncle and their two kids to Urbana, where my aunt and uncle and family live. We had some pizza for dinner before Dad, Bonus Mom, and Grandma took off again for their final destination of the evening: Grandma's house.
It was so weird to be back in Urbana. I hadn't been back in nearly two years. Going to my aunt and uncle's house was very comfortable and comforting. Checking into a hotel instead of walking eight blocks home (as we used to do) was strange. Going back to my old department felt really good and quite comfortable, but things were very different and a lot of people I knew have (like me) graduated and moved on. My seminar was well-received, and a lot of interesting questions were asked and I had a few new things to think about. After the seminar, I went out to lunch with my old group, and I brought Vinny along. We went to a Mexican restaurant, so I was careful to order something that came with refried beans, which, once again, Vinny ate in their entirety.
After the day was over, Jeff picked Vinny and me up, and we went out to dinner with an old friend, to one of our favorite Chinese restaurants. The food was delicious as usual. It was a lot of fun to talk with that friend, and to play a game with him after dinner. We also took the time to drive past our old house. It looks really good. The current owner kept most of our landscaping, including the herb garden in the between the sidewalk and the road, our red groundcover roses, the star magnolia, and little bur oak tree (which is not so little anymore!), and added some of her own taste to it. I was very pleased to see the house so loved and well taken care of, but it still looked so familiar that I felt sort of surprised that we weren't turning in to the driveway.
There is a lot that I miss about Urbana. I didn't go into the library, because I knew that if I did, I would cry. I did ride the bus just like I used to (except for the fact that this time, I had to pay instead of just flashing my student ID), even remembering exactly where to get off to get where I needed to be. What I wouldn't give to be able to ride the bus to work every day!
On Tuesday, we began the long trip home. We decided to take the Western route, because we wanted to stop in the Amish country south of Urbana on the way. There was an Amish grocery store that we loved to go to when we lived there, where we would go to stock up on bulk spices. We really haven't found a place around here that sells the spices in bulk like that. So we took advantage of our proximity to stop in at that grocery store. We spent that night in Clarksville, Tennessee, and then drove the rest of the way home yesterday.
It is good to be home. When I'm here, it really does seem like home. Urbana has that pull on my heartstrings, and I miss it a lot. After all, I spent the majority of my adult life there. But I am getting used to it here and I do enjoy a lot of things about Tennessee. One thing I don't miss is the low income of a graduate student! Maybe someday I will get a chance to move back there, but in the meantime, this is home.
We went to suburban Chicago for a family reunion and then on to Urbana so that I could give a seminar and meet with my former adviser and the rest of the scientific computing group, before heading home. We left on Thursday and got home yesterday.
When Vinny was very young, he didn't seem to mind riding in the car at all, but now he seems to take great issue with it. But after we figured out that he was much happier if one of us was sitting in the back with him, the drive went much more smoothly.
On the way up to Chicago, we stopped in at Jeff's parents' place for a few hours so that they could see Vinny. Then we went as far as Indianapolis before stopping for the night. We made it to the Chicago suburbs by the late afternoon, and introduced Vinny to the relatives who had already arrived at the hotel. That evening, I took Vinny with me to have dinner with a friend of mine who works at Argonne and her family. It was really fun to see them.
We went to a nearby Mexican restaurant, and Vinny was looking at my plate of food rather longingly, so I fed him some of my refried beans. I already knew from our friends Adam and Jody's house that he liked refried beans, but until that evening I did not realize the degree to which he loved them. He ate all my refried beans! Usually he gets to a point where he's had enough of whatever I'm feeding him, and turns his head to refuse, but every time he saw those frijoles coming towards him, he opened his mouth wide!
On Saturday we had family reunion activities all day, including an extended family reunion with hundreds of people I don't even know, all of whom were descended from some Scottish siblings, more than half of whom immigrated to the Naperville area, with the rest staying in Scotland. Unfortunately, it wasn't a very exciting reunion; in the past, they had people wearing kilts and playing bagpipes, or last time it was a cousin who plays the koto professionally in Japan, but there was nothing entertaining like that this time. So we left shortly after the panoramic picture was taken.
For dinner we went to an enormous Chinese buffet. It was an amazing place; they had more foods than I imagined possible, including fresh lychees that you could peel and eat! Lychees aren't too bad when canned, but fresh, they are just plain delicious. The flavor is a lot stronger. Anyhow, they also had sweet potatoes, of all things, so I mashed a piece of sweet potato up and fed it to Vinny, and he loved it almost as much as he loved the refried beans! And that is saying a lot, because he was crazy about those refried beans.
After dinner, there was a gathering of the descendants of my paternal grandfather and his siblings. This was interesting, because it meant we got to catch up on a lot of relatives we had last seen five years ago at the last reunion.
On Sunday, we went to a family reunion for the descendants of my paternal grandmother and her siblings. That reunion was organized by one of my uncles, and it was really interesting to meet all those people, some of whom I'd never met before. We also got copies of a book written by my grandmother about her mother and grandmother. I have read some of it, and it's very interesting. I look forward to getting more time to read it.
After that reunion, we caravaned with my dad and bonus mom, grandmother, and my aunt and uncle and their two kids to Urbana, where my aunt and uncle and family live. We had some pizza for dinner before Dad, Bonus Mom, and Grandma took off again for their final destination of the evening: Grandma's house.
It was so weird to be back in Urbana. I hadn't been back in nearly two years. Going to my aunt and uncle's house was very comfortable and comforting. Checking into a hotel instead of walking eight blocks home (as we used to do) was strange. Going back to my old department felt really good and quite comfortable, but things were very different and a lot of people I knew have (like me) graduated and moved on. My seminar was well-received, and a lot of interesting questions were asked and I had a few new things to think about. After the seminar, I went out to lunch with my old group, and I brought Vinny along. We went to a Mexican restaurant, so I was careful to order something that came with refried beans, which, once again, Vinny ate in their entirety.
After the day was over, Jeff picked Vinny and me up, and we went out to dinner with an old friend, to one of our favorite Chinese restaurants. The food was delicious as usual. It was a lot of fun to talk with that friend, and to play a game with him after dinner. We also took the time to drive past our old house. It looks really good. The current owner kept most of our landscaping, including the herb garden in the between the sidewalk and the road, our red groundcover roses, the star magnolia, and little bur oak tree (which is not so little anymore!), and added some of her own taste to it. I was very pleased to see the house so loved and well taken care of, but it still looked so familiar that I felt sort of surprised that we weren't turning in to the driveway.
There is a lot that I miss about Urbana. I didn't go into the library, because I knew that if I did, I would cry. I did ride the bus just like I used to (except for the fact that this time, I had to pay instead of just flashing my student ID), even remembering exactly where to get off to get where I needed to be. What I wouldn't give to be able to ride the bus to work every day!
On Tuesday, we began the long trip home. We decided to take the Western route, because we wanted to stop in the Amish country south of Urbana on the way. There was an Amish grocery store that we loved to go to when we lived there, where we would go to stock up on bulk spices. We really haven't found a place around here that sells the spices in bulk like that. So we took advantage of our proximity to stop in at that grocery store. We spent that night in Clarksville, Tennessee, and then drove the rest of the way home yesterday.
It is good to be home. When I'm here, it really does seem like home. Urbana has that pull on my heartstrings, and I miss it a lot. After all, I spent the majority of my adult life there. But I am getting used to it here and I do enjoy a lot of things about Tennessee. One thing I don't miss is the low income of a graduate student! Maybe someday I will get a chance to move back there, but in the meantime, this is home.
Sunday, June 24, 2007
This Day in History
On this day two years ago, I defended my dissertation!
It was a very hot day in Illinois, unusually hot for June. Jeff, Dad, Marvis, and Laura were in the audience. I brought all kinds of treats for the committee and the rest of the audience, including pirozhkis specially baked by the nice Russian lady at the Farmer's Market. My dad was the only person to ask a question before the committee kicked out the audience to grill me in private. They didn't actually ask me any really hard questions or anything. I did have to show one committee member where a certain proof was within the dissertation, and then they asked me to add a section with some more results at the end, which I dutifully did.
That evening, we all went out to dinner with my aunt and uncle and cousins as a family celebration, and then the next day I had a huge party, to which I invited basically everyone whom I knew and could tolerate, although with the exception of a few relatives and my parents-in-law and a friend from way back when, it was mostly just locals who attended. I held it at a city park on a lake, and my guests got to paddle on the lake in canoes and paddleboats. In addition, I had a sheet cake saying "Congratulations, Dr. Rebecca!" on it. The invite list, the location, and the cake were the only requirements I had for my party. It was a lot of fun to celebrate the accomplishment of a lifetime with my friends and family.
Of course life carries on even after you've accomplished something wonderful. Unlike a book, which would have spent maybe a few more pages summing things up, or a movie, which probably would have cut to credits right after the party, in real life this was just one event in the course of time. Since then we have moved to a new state, I started an actual job, and we had a baby, amongst other things. But that was still a great two days and it felt like such a relief to finally be done with school, even if it only meant I was moving on to something else.
It was a very hot day in Illinois, unusually hot for June. Jeff, Dad, Marvis, and Laura were in the audience. I brought all kinds of treats for the committee and the rest of the audience, including pirozhkis specially baked by the nice Russian lady at the Farmer's Market. My dad was the only person to ask a question before the committee kicked out the audience to grill me in private. They didn't actually ask me any really hard questions or anything. I did have to show one committee member where a certain proof was within the dissertation, and then they asked me to add a section with some more results at the end, which I dutifully did.
That evening, we all went out to dinner with my aunt and uncle and cousins as a family celebration, and then the next day I had a huge party, to which I invited basically everyone whom I knew and could tolerate, although with the exception of a few relatives and my parents-in-law and a friend from way back when, it was mostly just locals who attended. I held it at a city park on a lake, and my guests got to paddle on the lake in canoes and paddleboats. In addition, I had a sheet cake saying "Congratulations, Dr. Rebecca!" on it. The invite list, the location, and the cake were the only requirements I had for my party. It was a lot of fun to celebrate the accomplishment of a lifetime with my friends and family.
Of course life carries on even after you've accomplished something wonderful. Unlike a book, which would have spent maybe a few more pages summing things up, or a movie, which probably would have cut to credits right after the party, in real life this was just one event in the course of time. Since then we have moved to a new state, I started an actual job, and we had a baby, amongst other things. But that was still a great two days and it felt like such a relief to finally be done with school, even if it only meant I was moving on to something else.
Thursday, February 01, 2007
Snow!
We were supposed to get something like four inches of snow overnight last night. I was so excited: I parked the car on the street just in case the driveway was too slick, I got out my boots, and I set my alarm for extra early to make sure I'd be on time to my opthamologist appointment.
At 3:30 a.m., Vinny woke up screaming because he was both hungry and all wet. After I changed his outfit, I looked out the window and didn't see any snow. But when my alarm went off I saw that there was maybe an inch of snow on the grass; the pavement was clear. The car was also covered with snow, so not all was lost. I used my super deluxe Illinois scraper (not my badge) to clear the snow off the car, which took a grand total of two minutes, and I was early for my appointment.
By the time I got out of the eye doctor's office, the snow had pretty much melted away. So that was a disappointment. I really miss the snow in Illinois. I don't miss the cold, though. Monday's expected high in Urbana: four degrees F!
At 3:30 a.m., Vinny woke up screaming because he was both hungry and all wet. After I changed his outfit, I looked out the window and didn't see any snow. But when my alarm went off I saw that there was maybe an inch of snow on the grass; the pavement was clear. The car was also covered with snow, so not all was lost. I used my super deluxe Illinois scraper (not my badge) to clear the snow off the car, which took a grand total of two minutes, and I was early for my appointment.
By the time I got out of the eye doctor's office, the snow had pretty much melted away. So that was a disappointment. I really miss the snow in Illinois. I don't miss the cold, though. Monday's expected high in Urbana: four degrees F!
Friday, January 26, 2007
Car Thoughts
When we first moved to Illinois, I remember being intrigued by all the personalized license plates. Easily one out of every ten plates was an expression of the driver's personality. I always wondered why so many people there chose to invest in vanity plates. I'm sure that the fact that it was only twenty dollars more than the regular $78 license fee was a factor.
Here in Tennessee, I see very few personalized license plates. Perhaps this is because a twenty dollar premium would nearly double the price of your plates. Instead it seems that many people here use their rear windshields to memorialize dead loved ones. I've seen several memorials to children whose lives were tragically shortened, perhaps by illness or even a drunk driver. Until I moved here I had never seen such a thing. Is this a local phenomenon?
Here in Tennessee, I see very few personalized license plates. Perhaps this is because a twenty dollar premium would nearly double the price of your plates. Instead it seems that many people here use their rear windshields to memorialize dead loved ones. I've seen several memorials to children whose lives were tragically shortened, perhaps by illness or even a drunk driver. Until I moved here I had never seen such a thing. Is this a local phenomenon?
Saturday, November 11, 2006
New Car
I'd been looking for a new (to me) car, because Gundar the 1990 Volvo has become a petulant teenager and once again believes that he'll start when he dang well feels like it rather than every time we want him to. Instead of trying to get him repaired, we decided to just get another car.
It didn't need to be a very big or luxurious car like the new Impala we have for the babymobile; it just needed to get me from point A to point B and back (i.e. home to work). I decided that I didn't need to have a brand new car, but it would be strategic to get a car three years old or less, because it could still have some warranty left.
We found a good car on the internet: a 2005 Beetle with less than 5000 miles, at a dealership. On Sunday we went to testdrive it. It was really nice: a 5-speed stick shift, silver (not my favorite color; silver is just "shiny gray" and I hate gray), surprisingly roomy for such a small car. Even Jeff could fit in it comfortably.
So on Monday we went to our bank and got a car loan (a blank check, preapproved up to a certain amount). Then we went to the dealership and bought the car. We parked it near the dealership before going on to the hospital to see Uncle Wayne (who was finally in a recovery room and got to meet Vinny). After our visit, I drove the new car home while Jeff drove the other car.
I had missed driving a stick shift. With all the hills here, it is much more fun to drive than it was to drive Ingrid the 1982 Volvo around flat Illinois. I am so looking forward to coasting down hills and enjoying physics in action!
It didn't need to be a very big or luxurious car like the new Impala we have for the babymobile; it just needed to get me from point A to point B and back (i.e. home to work). I decided that I didn't need to have a brand new car, but it would be strategic to get a car three years old or less, because it could still have some warranty left.
We found a good car on the internet: a 2005 Beetle with less than 5000 miles, at a dealership. On Sunday we went to testdrive it. It was really nice: a 5-speed stick shift, silver (not my favorite color; silver is just "shiny gray" and I hate gray), surprisingly roomy for such a small car. Even Jeff could fit in it comfortably.
So on Monday we went to our bank and got a car loan (a blank check, preapproved up to a certain amount). Then we went to the dealership and bought the car. We parked it near the dealership before going on to the hospital to see Uncle Wayne (who was finally in a recovery room and got to meet Vinny). After our visit, I drove the new car home while Jeff drove the other car.
I had missed driving a stick shift. With all the hills here, it is much more fun to drive than it was to drive Ingrid the 1982 Volvo around flat Illinois. I am so looking forward to coasting down hills and enjoying physics in action!
Friday, September 15, 2006
One Year
One year ago today, I started my job.
It's been a year of many adjustments, some easier than others. For example, adjusting to an income that exceeded my expenditures was not particularly difficult. Adjusting to the loss of my karate class and all my friends, that was tough. I don't think I had any idea what my life would be like today when I started my job. It's certainly much different than I might have expected.
In this year, I have made new friends. I still miss my old friends in Illinois, but I like the people here too. I have adjusted to hills and curvy roads after seven years in the flatlands. (It didn't take that long.) It was much harder to get used to my job. I feel like I work much harder at this job than I worked as a graduate student. In graduate school, the deadlines were more nebulous than they are here. I feel like I get along well with my boss and my colleagues, and that makes me happy. It almost seems like we all get along too well, and that makes me a little bit suspicious sometimes. I guess that's just my inner paranoia speaking.
The biggest adjustment is yet to come. I know that having a child is going to make my life very different. I mean, when I was a graduate student maybe I didn't work so hard but it was the same type of work. But I've never been a parent or even babysat regularly. The closest I've ever come to that is teaching children's karate once a week. But I had to deal with those critters for only one hour at a time, whereas this will be a full time gig.
Now that I've passed my one-year anniversary, I am eligible for family medical leave. It was quite a relief to pass the one-year mark without having to worry about my job. So son, feel free to come out whenever you're ready!
It's been a year of many adjustments, some easier than others. For example, adjusting to an income that exceeded my expenditures was not particularly difficult. Adjusting to the loss of my karate class and all my friends, that was tough. I don't think I had any idea what my life would be like today when I started my job. It's certainly much different than I might have expected.
In this year, I have made new friends. I still miss my old friends in Illinois, but I like the people here too. I have adjusted to hills and curvy roads after seven years in the flatlands. (It didn't take that long.) It was much harder to get used to my job. I feel like I work much harder at this job than I worked as a graduate student. In graduate school, the deadlines were more nebulous than they are here. I feel like I get along well with my boss and my colleagues, and that makes me happy. It almost seems like we all get along too well, and that makes me a little bit suspicious sometimes. I guess that's just my inner paranoia speaking.
The biggest adjustment is yet to come. I know that having a child is going to make my life very different. I mean, when I was a graduate student maybe I didn't work so hard but it was the same type of work. But I've never been a parent or even babysat regularly. The closest I've ever come to that is teaching children's karate once a week. But I had to deal with those critters for only one hour at a time, whereas this will be a full time gig.
Now that I've passed my one-year anniversary, I am eligible for family medical leave. It was quite a relief to pass the one-year mark without having to worry about my job. So son, feel free to come out whenever you're ready!
Wednesday, July 19, 2006
George Ryan
On Monday, I was sitting at the lunch table waiting for my co-workers to get through the cafeteria line when this guy came up and asked me to watch his laptop while he went through the lunch line. I guess he thought he knew me or something but I definitely didn't know him. But I agreed to watch his laptop and after he got his food he came and sat down with us. I didn't mind although it was certainly bizarre. He was a visitor from Argonne National Lab, here for a workshop of some sort. I had a good time chatting with him about all things Illinois, such as the current political situation and the general state of things in my former home state. As it turns out, the current governor of Illinois, Rod Blagojevich, is running for re-election against Republican candidate Judy Baar Topinka, and he has a pretty good chance of winning, because he's managed to associate her with corrupt former governor George Ryan. So then I asked him how ol' George Ryan was doing, seeing as when I left Illinois in September, he was scheduled to stand for trial soon.
For those of you playing along at home and lacking knowledge about Illinois politics, George Ryan was Illinois' Secretary of State for several years before he was governor. While he was secretary of state, he supposedly used state employees to work on his campaign on the state's dime, embezzled lots of money from his campaign funds, and traded bribes for leases and commercial drivers' licenses, some of the many charges against him. A truck driver with one of these undeserved licenses got into an accident in 1994 that killed six children. In 1998, George Ryan was elected governor, much to our consternation, even without knowledge of these allegations against him. Basically there was not much of a selection in the gubernatorial race, but at least he seemed to be the lesser of the two evils. Still, it was kind of scary because both candidates were vehemently pro-death-penalty and anti-choice.
But when he got in office, George Ryan seemed to have quite a change of heart. His tough stance softened, particularly after he began to see the inherent corruption in the justice system. Of the inmates on Illinois Death Row, thirteen had been put to death and twelve had been exonerated. In 2000, George Ryan placed a moratorium on the death penalty in Illinois, so that the system could be studied. He was still in favor of the death penalty, but he realized that the system did not ensure that the penalty was given to the right person.
Ryan's tenure as governor was marred by allegations of corruption. Prompted by investigations into the 1994 accident, scandals in the Secretary of State office were uncovered. As the investigations continued, people closer and closer to him began to be convicted and his popularity declined. He decided not to seek re-election as it became increasingly obvious that the investigation would soon reach his closest associates and ultimately him. Days before he left office, George Ryan commuted all the sentences of the inmates on Illinois' Death Row to life in prison.
As it turns out, George Ryan was found guilty on all 22 counts! He is due for sentencing sometime next month, and faces up to 20 years in prison. I doubt that they will give this 72-year-old man twenty years, but I think he will probably be sentenced to serve some time in prison. I am glad that justice will be served.
I have mixed feelings about George Ryan. He is obviously a deeply troubled man, who, despite embezzling millions of dollars, squandered it all. He was a man who evidently never thought through the consequences of giving out drivers' licenses to people who didn't know how to drive. But, to his credit, he was also a man who kept growing and learning, who realized that the death penalty system in Illinois was unjust, and used his power to bring the issue out into the open and fix it as best he could.
Some of his critics say he took on the death penalty system to distract from the scandals. Obviously I have never met George Ryan so I cannot be 100% sure, but I really don't think this is the case. I think he's not that disingenuous. I think he's an imperfect human being, just like the rest of us. It's so easy to categorize people as "good" or "bad," but I think George Ryan is hard to place in either category. He's a prime example of a person who is not an inherently evil person, but has performed some evil acts. No one is pure saint or pure sinner.
For those of you playing along at home and lacking knowledge about Illinois politics, George Ryan was Illinois' Secretary of State for several years before he was governor. While he was secretary of state, he supposedly used state employees to work on his campaign on the state's dime, embezzled lots of money from his campaign funds, and traded bribes for leases and commercial drivers' licenses, some of the many charges against him. A truck driver with one of these undeserved licenses got into an accident in 1994 that killed six children. In 1998, George Ryan was elected governor, much to our consternation, even without knowledge of these allegations against him. Basically there was not much of a selection in the gubernatorial race, but at least he seemed to be the lesser of the two evils. Still, it was kind of scary because both candidates were vehemently pro-death-penalty and anti-choice.
But when he got in office, George Ryan seemed to have quite a change of heart. His tough stance softened, particularly after he began to see the inherent corruption in the justice system. Of the inmates on Illinois Death Row, thirteen had been put to death and twelve had been exonerated. In 2000, George Ryan placed a moratorium on the death penalty in Illinois, so that the system could be studied. He was still in favor of the death penalty, but he realized that the system did not ensure that the penalty was given to the right person.
Ryan's tenure as governor was marred by allegations of corruption. Prompted by investigations into the 1994 accident, scandals in the Secretary of State office were uncovered. As the investigations continued, people closer and closer to him began to be convicted and his popularity declined. He decided not to seek re-election as it became increasingly obvious that the investigation would soon reach his closest associates and ultimately him. Days before he left office, George Ryan commuted all the sentences of the inmates on Illinois' Death Row to life in prison.
As it turns out, George Ryan was found guilty on all 22 counts! He is due for sentencing sometime next month, and faces up to 20 years in prison. I doubt that they will give this 72-year-old man twenty years, but I think he will probably be sentenced to serve some time in prison. I am glad that justice will be served.
I have mixed feelings about George Ryan. He is obviously a deeply troubled man, who, despite embezzling millions of dollars, squandered it all. He was a man who evidently never thought through the consequences of giving out drivers' licenses to people who didn't know how to drive. But, to his credit, he was also a man who kept growing and learning, who realized that the death penalty system in Illinois was unjust, and used his power to bring the issue out into the open and fix it as best he could.
Some of his critics say he took on the death penalty system to distract from the scandals. Obviously I have never met George Ryan so I cannot be 100% sure, but I really don't think this is the case. I think he's not that disingenuous. I think he's an imperfect human being, just like the rest of us. It's so easy to categorize people as "good" or "bad," but I think George Ryan is hard to place in either category. He's a prime example of a person who is not an inherently evil person, but has performed some evil acts. No one is pure saint or pure sinner.
Saturday, May 20, 2006
Dear Tennessee
Dear Tennessee,
I am a relatively new resident of yours, moving down here after seven years in Illinois. While I enjoy the beautiful hills, the lush greenery, and the new job I have here, I had a few complaints that I was hoping you could do something about.
First of all, do you think you could get your residents to stop pronouncing the final "s" in my former state's name? Illinois rhymes with boy, not poise. I begin to twitch involuntarily when they do that, which makes it hard for me to make a good impression.
Secondly, would it be possible to do something about the people who don't believe in traffic signals? When I first arrived here, I couldn't understand why cars turning left didn't do like they do in Illinois: get out into the middle of the intersection, and turn left when the light turns red. After seeing too many instances of people speeding into the intersection when they see the light turn red, however, I now understand.
Finally, what's up with the weather? The high hasn't been above 70 for the past ten days or so. Who do you think you are, Illinois?!?!
Love,
Becca
I am a relatively new resident of yours, moving down here after seven years in Illinois. While I enjoy the beautiful hills, the lush greenery, and the new job I have here, I had a few complaints that I was hoping you could do something about.
First of all, do you think you could get your residents to stop pronouncing the final "s" in my former state's name? Illinois rhymes with boy, not poise. I begin to twitch involuntarily when they do that, which makes it hard for me to make a good impression.
Secondly, would it be possible to do something about the people who don't believe in traffic signals? When I first arrived here, I couldn't understand why cars turning left didn't do like they do in Illinois: get out into the middle of the intersection, and turn left when the light turns red. After seeing too many instances of people speeding into the intersection when they see the light turn red, however, I now understand.
Finally, what's up with the weather? The high hasn't been above 70 for the past ten days or so. Who do you think you are, Illinois?!?!
Love,
Becca
Thursday, March 23, 2006
Adventures in Houseselling
We are no longer homeowners twice over. Yesterday was the closing on our house in Illinois. It was successful for us and we are now quite a bit richer (at least until the money goes to the folks we owe it to!).
The buyer ran into a bit of bad luck, though. From what I understand, the inspector ran the dishwasher when he was inspecting the house, and forgot to go back and look at it, so he didn't notice that it hadn't drained. The water left standing in the bottom of the dishwasher ate away all the seals, and the water leaked out. When the buyer went for the final walkthrough yesterday morning, they discovered that the kitchen floor was wet and damaged. We had put down a new laminate floor before selling the house and apparently some of the tiles were warped. The buyer was (understandably) upset and tried to back out of the sale or at least renegotiate, but our lawyer and our realtor convinced her that she couldn't. Instead of going after us for the damage to the floor, she needs to go after the home inspector. Our realtor said he thought that once it dried, the floor would be just fine. Still, it's got to be upsetting to buy a house and have this be your first experience with the house. I think she's going to have to buy a new dishwasher. Maybe that will be covered by the home warranty that we bought for her at closing.
Anyhow, it's not our problem and we are no longer the owners of two houses! I am looking forward to having the money that we were paying for that mortgage. It will be nice to have that extra income.
The buyer ran into a bit of bad luck, though. From what I understand, the inspector ran the dishwasher when he was inspecting the house, and forgot to go back and look at it, so he didn't notice that it hadn't drained. The water left standing in the bottom of the dishwasher ate away all the seals, and the water leaked out. When the buyer went for the final walkthrough yesterday morning, they discovered that the kitchen floor was wet and damaged. We had put down a new laminate floor before selling the house and apparently some of the tiles were warped. The buyer was (understandably) upset and tried to back out of the sale or at least renegotiate, but our lawyer and our realtor convinced her that she couldn't. Instead of going after us for the damage to the floor, she needs to go after the home inspector. Our realtor said he thought that once it dried, the floor would be just fine. Still, it's got to be upsetting to buy a house and have this be your first experience with the house. I think she's going to have to buy a new dishwasher. Maybe that will be covered by the home warranty that we bought for her at closing.
Anyhow, it's not our problem and we are no longer the owners of two houses! I am looking forward to having the money that we were paying for that mortgage. It will be nice to have that extra income.
Thursday, February 16, 2006
SOLD!
Somebody liked our house in Illinois enough to put a bid on it! They didn't like it enough to bid our asking price for it, but we accepted their offer anyhow, because every month that we hang on to that house costs us $1000. And who wouldn't like to have an extra thousand a month in income?!?! Seriously, their bid was only about $3500 below our asking price, and they want to close in March, so that is equivalent to full price in June or July, except that we get the money a couple of months sooner! We will still be getting a serious chunk of change out of that house. We'll be able to pay back my Dad, who loaned us the money for the down payment on our house here, and still have enough left over to pay off some lingering debts, make investments, and replenish our bank account.
That house is our final link with Illinois. I know it sounds silly, but I cut another link yesterday by changing over the cell phone to a Tennessee number. There was something nice about having that connection: people in Illinois could call us as if it were a local number. It's not like they actually did, but they COULD, at least in theory. So I felt kind of sad to cut off that tie.
We've been growing more and more roots here, though, which helps make these last Illinois ties easier to let go of. We are feeling more and more at home here, I'm getting used to my job, we've made some friends, and we've discovered some good restaurants (the next visitors get to have Mediterranean takeout, good Mexican food, and/or local gourmet pizza, all of which are vegetarian-friendly!). Also, this weekend a friend from undergrad is coming to town, because he's interviewing for a job here at the lab. It will make this an even cooler place to live if he gets that job!
That house is our final link with Illinois. I know it sounds silly, but I cut another link yesterday by changing over the cell phone to a Tennessee number. There was something nice about having that connection: people in Illinois could call us as if it were a local number. It's not like they actually did, but they COULD, at least in theory. So I felt kind of sad to cut off that tie.
We've been growing more and more roots here, though, which helps make these last Illinois ties easier to let go of. We are feeling more and more at home here, I'm getting used to my job, we've made some friends, and we've discovered some good restaurants (the next visitors get to have Mediterranean takeout, good Mexican food, and/or local gourmet pizza, all of which are vegetarian-friendly!). Also, this weekend a friend from undergrad is coming to town, because he's interviewing for a job here at the lab. It will make this an even cooler place to live if he gets that job!
Monday, January 24, 2005
Adventures in Winter Weather
I stayed at work late on Friday, because I had something important to finish. I'm trying to apply for a fellowship at NIST, and for that you have to create a research proposal, so I was working on that until about 6 p.m. During that time I chatted a bit with Laura on Yahoo IM (yay for instant messaging!) and she told me about the lovely weather in the Bay area, which I have to confess made me quite jealous, because it is cold and miserable here. But, trying to put a positive spin on it, I realized that if the weather here were that nice, I might be outside appreciating it instead of inside getting my work done.
Sometimes, though, the bleak cold can make you want to stay at home and not get anything done. Running errands is a significant chore if it means you have to shovel the walk and thaw out the car. On Saturday I saw in the paper that there was going to be a big sale on some items I needed, so I decided that I shouldn't let the weather dictate my behavior. I got up early and went shopping. I got up about 7:00 (as usual) and moseyed out the door by eight. Then I scraped the car and shoveled the walk as the car warmed up. It was snowing and the street was not clear (which was surprising because I live on a main street). I drove quite slowly to the store, only sliding in the snow a couple of times, and impressing myself with the calmness with which I overcame the sliding. I actually enjoyed driving on the slippery streets, because it was physics in action, and as a former physicist, I really dig anything having to do with kinematics.
The problem was that visibility was quite low. We were actually having blizzard conditions, I learned once I started actually listening to the radio. It's not that it was snowing very hard (it wasn't). It's that the snow was being whipped around by high winds, spreading the snow into the air and reducing visibility. As I drove around, I discovered that there were times that I literally could not see the car in front of me, not to mention where I was going. Fortunately, this is my seventh winter in Champaign-Urbana, and I know where everything is. That and the grid-like layout of streets is handy. When in doubt, just go straight!
For those of you wondering at home, I needed to buy some shoes. I have two suits, one which I inherited from my advisor's secretary, and one which I bought myself, and I needed to buy shoes to match them. So I bought one pair of tan shoes and one pair of brown shoes for those. And I also got a pair of boots, because I'm tired of snow slipping into my shoes. Jeff teased me about buying three pairs of shoes in one day. While I was out, I also stopped by a grocery store that was having a one-day sale, and bought a box of clementines, and several other very cheap items from their circular. I happened to see Glen there too.
When I got home, it looked as if I hadn't shoveled before, so I shoveled again. When my officemate Hanna came to pick me up a couple hours later, it once again looked like I hadn't shoveled. I decided not to worry about shoveling again, until the next day when I had to go out again.
Hanna picked me up to buy some flowers for my advisor and his wife, who were to be hosting us and several other graduate students for dinner the next night. The flower shop was a marked contrast with the blowing snow outside. All the greenery and botanical beauty was a welcome relief from the cold, white outdoors. I definitely need occasional exposure to exquisite plant life like that in the winter. It makes me look forward to the spring even more. I hope these next couple of months rush by!
Sometimes, though, the bleak cold can make you want to stay at home and not get anything done. Running errands is a significant chore if it means you have to shovel the walk and thaw out the car. On Saturday I saw in the paper that there was going to be a big sale on some items I needed, so I decided that I shouldn't let the weather dictate my behavior. I got up early and went shopping. I got up about 7:00 (as usual) and moseyed out the door by eight. Then I scraped the car and shoveled the walk as the car warmed up. It was snowing and the street was not clear (which was surprising because I live on a main street). I drove quite slowly to the store, only sliding in the snow a couple of times, and impressing myself with the calmness with which I overcame the sliding. I actually enjoyed driving on the slippery streets, because it was physics in action, and as a former physicist, I really dig anything having to do with kinematics.
The problem was that visibility was quite low. We were actually having blizzard conditions, I learned once I started actually listening to the radio. It's not that it was snowing very hard (it wasn't). It's that the snow was being whipped around by high winds, spreading the snow into the air and reducing visibility. As I drove around, I discovered that there were times that I literally could not see the car in front of me, not to mention where I was going. Fortunately, this is my seventh winter in Champaign-Urbana, and I know where everything is. That and the grid-like layout of streets is handy. When in doubt, just go straight!
For those of you wondering at home, I needed to buy some shoes. I have two suits, one which I inherited from my advisor's secretary, and one which I bought myself, and I needed to buy shoes to match them. So I bought one pair of tan shoes and one pair of brown shoes for those. And I also got a pair of boots, because I'm tired of snow slipping into my shoes. Jeff teased me about buying three pairs of shoes in one day. While I was out, I also stopped by a grocery store that was having a one-day sale, and bought a box of clementines, and several other very cheap items from their circular. I happened to see Glen there too.
When I got home, it looked as if I hadn't shoveled before, so I shoveled again. When my officemate Hanna came to pick me up a couple hours later, it once again looked like I hadn't shoveled. I decided not to worry about shoveling again, until the next day when I had to go out again.
Hanna picked me up to buy some flowers for my advisor and his wife, who were to be hosting us and several other graduate students for dinner the next night. The flower shop was a marked contrast with the blowing snow outside. All the greenery and botanical beauty was a welcome relief from the cold, white outdoors. I definitely need occasional exposure to exquisite plant life like that in the winter. It makes me look forward to the spring even more. I hope these next couple of months rush by!
Friday, January 21, 2005
Weather
As a wimpy Kentucky native, the biting winds and bone-chilling cold of the Midwest still get to me. It is relatively warm right now (as far as Illinois in January goes), in the teens (Fahrenheit; sorry you metric weenies!), but any benefit of the warmth is cancelled out by the brutal winds. The problem with living in the plains is that once the air gets moving, there's nothing to stop it! I now understand why people would plant rows of trees in strategic locations to block the cold, winter winds.
We also get a lot of rapidly changing weather. For example, last Wednesday it was 62 degrees, but within 36 hours it was down to the teens. During that whole time, it rained four inches and snowed an inch on top of that.
According to the USDA climate chart, this part of Illinois is zone 5, while Lexington, where I grew up, is zone 6. It seems like it is consistently about 5 degrees cooler here than in Lexington. And that makes for a really pleasant summer. There are only a couple of weeks where it is significantly more comfortable to run the air conditioner. Otherwise, we usually leave our windows open and enjoy the breeze.
Another thing I sometimes worry about is the fact that Illinois is so flat, and it rains so much. Eventually, it seems like it would flood, since there's not much of a downhill direction for the water to flow. But another difference between Illinois and Kentucky is that the soil here is very absorbent, so most of the water just soaks in. With that four inches of rain last week, some communities did experience flooding, but we had no problems at our house.
I am looking forward to spring, which, as Laura rightly pointed out, is like a reward for enduring the winter. Spring is undoubtedly my favorite season. Every week, something new blooms, and every week, I am convinced that this is the most beautiful thing I have ever seen. But it's going to be over two more months before that starts.
We also get a lot of rapidly changing weather. For example, last Wednesday it was 62 degrees, but within 36 hours it was down to the teens. During that whole time, it rained four inches and snowed an inch on top of that.
According to the USDA climate chart, this part of Illinois is zone 5, while Lexington, where I grew up, is zone 6. It seems like it is consistently about 5 degrees cooler here than in Lexington. And that makes for a really pleasant summer. There are only a couple of weeks where it is significantly more comfortable to run the air conditioner. Otherwise, we usually leave our windows open and enjoy the breeze.
Another thing I sometimes worry about is the fact that Illinois is so flat, and it rains so much. Eventually, it seems like it would flood, since there's not much of a downhill direction for the water to flow. But another difference between Illinois and Kentucky is that the soil here is very absorbent, so most of the water just soaks in. With that four inches of rain last week, some communities did experience flooding, but we had no problems at our house.
I am looking forward to spring, which, as Laura rightly pointed out, is like a reward for enduring the winter. Spring is undoubtedly my favorite season. Every week, something new blooms, and every week, I am convinced that this is the most beautiful thing I have ever seen. But it's going to be over two more months before that starts.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)
