That old-time rock 'n roll

At the beginning of this year, I announced some goals for while I'm 30.

30-while-30: Month 2 - Academics

Academic

Go to 2 conferences each in Summer and Fall semesters 

I just got back from the lovely NMBIST Symposium last week, where I experienced some pretty awesome interaction with fellow students I travelled/presented with and got to practice my conference skills. I will be presenting at a local (on campus) conference on April 19. I have apps in progress for conferences in May, June, and October.

Write 3 papers for Journal (not conference) submissions 

I really have no idea where/when this is happening. Really, 3 journal submissions?? We have one in the works, but it's stagnating due to the conference schedule.

Pass prelims!

Gah! My PI is pushing me in so many areas right now that when I asked her to clarify timeline she pushed this back a semester. Grrr! not.cool.

Present 2x to the working group 

I think the poster I'm doing for the local event would be good for the second working group presentation this semester

Go to one dept networking event monthly

In February I went to three speaker events: lunch with speaker, pre- and post- analysis of the presentation. Since those all included food, I'm counting it as networking. In March, all the dinners at the NMBIST symposium were networking. That was two distinct opportunities to talk shop plus an open-bar poster session.

Work on thesis daily

This is a bit harder to quantify. I do stuff every day that I know incrementally adds to my body of work, but the delayed gratification makes it difficult to evaluate any success.

Create an academic web presence

The site and structure are there; I do need content. Part of the concern is to avoid putting anything up that looks stupid or completely unrefined. The whole purpose is to "sell oneself", not "get scooped while looking incompetent". However, modern social media also demands that one appear relavent, and responsive with a high degree of flexibility.

The following have not been started:

• Write a program that calls C code from within R
• Apply for graduation (gulp!)
• Push a package to CRAN

30-while-30: 2 month update

Okay, this post was supposed to go out on Tuesday (the closest Tuesday to the 26th of the month, in case anyone is wondering). But I got sidetracked by a monsterous case of poison ivy. I'll spare you gory details; let's just say I now know what the words "Urticaria" and "plaques" mean in a medical context.

And for all of you employed folks, let me just say that while I really really appreciate the cheapness of student insurance when it comes to well-care checkups, I also really really can't stand the fact that my insurance doesn't cover urgent care visits in town on the one day of the week that the student health center is closed. Or the reduced coverage for visiting out-of-network practitioners when I'm traveling out of state for university business. Or the zero pharmacy coverage off-campus (did I mention that I returned home on the one day the university center was closed?). Which means my 3-day wait to see a practitioner was only partially successful at reducing out-of-pocket costs. But do let me sing the praises of a chemical cocktail that involves oral steroids, antihistimines and topical hydrocortizone.

I am quite pleased to avoid the moniker "that itchy rashy girl at the conference" thank-you-very-much.

Health and Happiness

Exercise 3x/week regularly

Because of the allergies and traveling and gardening, I haven't been as good lately. I'm okay with gardening as a substitute for regular exercise (my approach seems to be of the more active sort), but sleeping itchiness off isn't very useful. I did get two days at the hotel fitness center (2 miles on elliptical plus 15 min of pilates each time).

Run a 5K

See above for my whiny reason for not making progress towards the 5K. I'm pretty sure I won't make the April run I chose last month. Before taking the training break, I had worked thru week 3 of the NHS C25K podcast program on an indoor track. What I really need to do is transition to outdoor running and get a good feel for what the ratio of indoor miles:outdoor miles is in order to exert the same effort.

Blog regularly

This is one area I feel like I'm making progress in, if the blogger stats and lovely comments I'm getting are an indicator. With practice, I hope this will continue to improve. I did notice that on one post I got 110 views with only two comments. I'm hoping this means that I have more than the 5 readers that blogger tracks!

Lose 30#

Again due to life, I'm not making progress as fast as I'd like. There was a wonderful comment on a blog (I forget the source) that giving up on trying to follow an eating plan for the rest of the day b/c of initial "cheating" (I ate those chips earlier, might as well eat ice cream now) is akin to dropping your cell, seeing a crack on the screen and proceed to smash it to smithereens. Not wise or helpful. Must keep this analogy in mind. I have been hovering steadily at -14 from my original start weight, so all is not lost. Just need to get moving more.

Learn to use my dSLR

I figured out how to use custom white balance! Awesome! (please wait to work thru delayed posts to see any actual evidence). I'm using the course from Two Peas in a Bucket via Twenty-Six To Life

Do two social activities a week

I really haven't found a good substitute for confirmation class since it ended. And since I've been replacing my weekend group exercise with [solitary] gardening, this is an area I've completely fallen behind in. What I'd really like to do is be organized for my Monday meetings that I don't need the hour right before for prep, then I can go to the group ex class during the week (reducing trips to campus) and reorganize how I'm spending time at church on Sunday mornings. I'm really committed to several big projects - internship, academics, home improvement which are pretty solitary in nature - which is a big obstacle in this goal. I'm not sure if this perspective means that I am looking at "social" in the wrong light or if I just need to build the confidence/skills to make my "work" less stressful...

Visit another country

This one is still in the planning stages. But budget is set/saved. Wahoo!

Make 2 quilts

Still hand-quilting #1. #2 is totally planned, in my head (and uses far more machine sewing)

Talk to Mom daily

I really put this on my list because my mom is in that in-between stage of being both unemployed (thanks economy!) and newly graduated. So I didn't want her to get too lonely without a regular routine of expected interaction. Guess what? My mom is perfectly happy in solitary company. For days at a time. I still text/email/call daily. At least she knows I'm available for chats!

Go to a concert

The summer free concerts start up around here in June. Can't wait! (Is anyone else jonesing for farmer's markets? The ones in my city don't open until May, boo-hoo.)

Okay there are two more sections. But this is a really long post of words already.  I'll leave the academic and house updates for another post.

30-while-30: 1 month update

Health and Happiness

Exercise 3x/week regularly (4-6 days every week!)
Run a 5K (I'm looking at: http://vetmed.iastate.edu/event/scavma-scamper as a possibility in April)
Blog regularly (do you like?)
Lose 30# (10 down, 20 to go)
Learn to use my dSLR (I've bookmarked a couple of  online tutes....)
Do two social activities a week (church, confirmation class and pilates weekly. Although pilates is causing neck pain and confirmation ends this week. Need to find something else...)
Visit another country (we may be going to ireland this spring/summer! squee!)
Make 2 quilts (hand quilting #1, a 60-degree diamond, I think the next will be machine quilted though found a great inspiration pic; the next one might also be a 60-degree diamond too...)
Talk to Mom daily (except when she's traveling, yup!)
Go to a concert (I'd like to make this a semi-regular summer activity, and bring my camera)

Academic

Go to 2 conferences each in Summer and Fall semesters (paper for conference #1 draft is done, and my dept is sending me to [providing funding for] 2 more! )
Write 3 papers for Journal (not conference) submission (paper #1 in-progress)

Pass prelims!
Present 2x to the working group (last friday!)
Go to one dept networking event monthly (two in one day [yesterday] - it was fun! and yummy! This makes up for none in Jan)
Work on thesis daily
Create an academic web presence
Write a program that calls C code from within R
Apply for graduation (gulp!)
Push a package to CRAN

House
Paint Kitchen cabs and reconfigure dw area
build headboards for the beds upstairs
build a kitchen banquette
install new flooring
refinish stairs
finalize a basement design (flooring chosen)
do something about the interior doors (replace or add molding and paint)
install trim for formal dining area

epoxy coat garage floor
plant a garden (measured out the yard - existing plants, etc and contacted a garden designer)

30 while 30

My birthday is next week! I'll be thirty. egads - I remember thinking that 25 was old. And while I certainly don't feel old, I do feel that at 30 I can no longer position myself as the young sprout. That deserves some sort of commemoration, right? As part of the transition to adulthood I'm implementing a 30-while-30 plan, inspired by Jen

Health and Happiness

1. Exercise 3x/week regularly
2. Run a 5K
3. Blog regularly; increase to 3x/week
4. Lose 30#
5. Learn to use my dSLR
6. Do two social activities a week
7. Visit another country
8. Make 2 quilts
9. Talk to Mom daily
10. Go to a concert

Academic

1. Go to 2 conferences each in Summer and Fall semesters
2. Write 3 papers for Journal (not conference) submission
3. Pass prelims!
4. Present 2x to the working group
5. Go to one dept networking event monthly 
6. Work on thesis daily
7. Create an academic web presence
8. Write a program that calls C code from within R
9. Apply for graduation (gulp!)
10. Push a package to CRAN

House

1. Paint Kitchen cabs and reconfigure dw area
2. build headboards for the beds upstairs
3. build a kitchen banquette
4. install new flooring
5. refinish stairs
6. finalize a basement design
7. do something about the interior doors (replace or add molding and paint)
8. install trim for formal dining area
9. epoxy coat garage floor
10. plant a garden