In which I attempt to be the ball.

This post is one of my irregular ramblings that isn't television related.  Anxiety, excitement, and my trials and tribulations in academia after the jump if anyone is interested.


I've been sharpening my Hello Kitty pencils (which I purposely use because no one in their right mind would ever steal one), cleaning up my hard drive, memorizing my non-existent schedule, and trying to get back to a regular sleeping schedule in preparation for the upcoming fall semester.  Screw January for new beginnings, the nerd in me has always loved back-to-school season.  New clothes, new notebooks, new friends, new possibilities.  I love it all, hence the excitement.  I've even ordered my own Gemma-inspired jacket to ring in the new year.  Cool, yes?  Double the excitement:  at the most, this is going to be my last academic year as a student. Ever.  I'll graduate in December or May and if I don't, my family will disown me.  This is where the anxiety comes in.

I'm teaching two sections of Introduction to American Politics this semester.  It's the first time I've taught on my own and frankly, I'm terrified.  The course prep is going to be a shit-ton of work and I am okay with that.  What I'm apprehensive about is this:  I've safely been working on a grant and away from the unwashed masses of undergraduates for 2 years.  A LOT has changed politically since then.  I live in a barely purple state and will be teaching at a fairly conservative university.  In short:  I'm not real sure how to deal with potential students who are Tea Party enthusiasts.  Suggestions welcome.

The second part of my anxiety revolves around finishing my dissertation.  Things are moving along, everyone is happy with my progress, it's "interesting work," and so on.  I just keep waiting for a sucker punch.  Someone on my committee will have a problem with the statistics, the theory, whatever.  I just have a feeling that it is going to happen eventually so I'm trying to gird my loins for it.

And finally, after a summer away I'm about to re-enter what is very much a man's world. Well, a correction:  it's academia so it's a boy's world.  A dirty boy's world and I have to resume my queen bitch position.  After a summer of easy-breezy days at the beach, it's going to take a bit of an adjustment and 4 inch heels which I wear specifically to intimidate the boy-men.

Until then, I'm just going to focus on being the ball.......