Watcha Doin' - 2017.1 edition Showing 2,301-2,350 of 5,020

[KimeyDiann]

Cherie, your trip sounds amazing! I want to go to all of those places you mention. Rock and Gem hunts sound fun, too. I've tried panning for gold once in Georgia, I don't have the patience for it. Or maybe the problem was I just wasn't very good at it. lol. You two should have detoured through Arkansas while you were in the Memphis area. There is a park there called Crater of Diamonds Park where you can find raw diamonds. I actually think it is closer to the Texas state line than the Tennessee so it probably wasn't a good detour for you, but it sounds like something your sister might enjoy. I've never been but would like to.

[Lisa]

Cherie, was the Crazy Horse memorial finished on Mount Rushmore, or are they still working on it? My parents went there about 10 years ago and work had only recently begun on it then.

[Cherie]

Thanks, KimeyDiann. The diamond place might have been interesting.

Lisa, the Crazy Horse Monument is still a work in progress. We met a couple that said it was worth it to go see - and we considered it, but it was pouring down rain after we left Mt. Rushmore and my sister had her heart set on visiting a rock shop she saw on the way there. We were really lucky to see Mt. Rushmore during a clear spot in the weather. It had rained all morning on the way there and we still had to get to The Badlands that day. It rained all the way there too. It was clear when we visited but very windy and cold. We found that driving in the dark and rain when you have no idea where things are is scary and no fun. We were grateful to get to our hotel that night and go to bed.

[Lisa]

Cherie wrote: "Thanks, KimeyDiann. The diamond place might have been interesting.

Lisa, the Crazy Horse Monument is still a work in progress. We met a couple that said it was worth it to go see - and we consider..."

Thanks, Cherie. Sounds like it's going to be a while before it's finished.

[Lisa]

There has been a horrible fire in a tower block in West London, in an area not too far away from Notting Hill. Apparently there have been a number of fatalities and over 50 people have been taken to hospital. It sounds like the fire took hold incredibly quickly and it's not been confirmed how it started, although there are rumours it may have been a faulty fridge that is to blame. How horrible for everyone involved :(

[Peggy]

It's all over the news here too Lisa. Horrible :(

What really scares me is that in 2017 a fire can still spread so quickly in apartment buildings. You would think with all the technology and safety measures we have it should stay contained to just one part, of at least spread much much slower. And if it's indeed something so simple as a faulty fridge that can cause a fire with the size of consequences such as this...

[Lisa]

Peggy wrote: "It's all over the news here too Lisa. Horrible :(

What really scares me is that in 2017 a fire can still spread so quickly in apartment buildings. You would think with all the technology and safet..."

I know! Apparently, the tower block had recently been refurbished and it's now being said that those refurbishments could have contributed to the fire spreading so quickly. There are unconfirmed reports that only 20 minutes after the fire broke out, the whole 27 storey building was engulfed in flames. That is horrific!

[Rusalka, Moderator]

Margo wrote: "Just for Rusalka, I'll try to hold on til August lol"

Lol! I appreciate the effort :P

[Rusalka, Moderator]

How's your Dad going Anne?

[Janice, Moderator]

It makes me think of the movie back in the 70's Towering Inferno.

I've always worried about fires. We heated our mobile home with a wood burning stove, and I never felt comfortable with it. There were times you could hear the roar of the creosote burning in the chimney. My ex would open the door to the stove, and throw a glassful of water on the fire. He seemed so unconcerned. I feel safer now that I no longer live there. But, any whiff of smoke and I'm peering down the hallway and out the door, seeing if I can identify the origin.

To think about living on the 27th floor of an apartment scares me.

[Lisa]

Janice wrote: "It makes me think of the movie back in the 70's Towering Inferno.

I've always worried about fires. We heated our mobile home with a wood burning stove, and I never felt comfortable with it. There..."

Towering Inferno came into my head too, Janice. Like you, I am very weary of fire and I wouldn't want to live in a tall building such as this for that very reason. It sounds like a lot of things went wrong on this occasion though. Fire doors didn't do their job, people were given incorrect information about whether they should leave their apartments or not and the fire spread unbelievably quickly. The fire brigade were there only 6 minutes after the fire started and they still could not stop it from turning into an inferno.

[Sandra, Moderator]

I am very afraid of fires, and I don't think I could live in such a high floor. Not without a lethal-pill in my mouse, though...

[Sarah]

I was having a pretty good day today. The sun is out, I had work this morning with free time this afternoon until later when we take our boat in to the dock. But on the way home I had an asthma attack. My first one. It was pretty minor as they go I'm guessing but shook me up nonetheless. The pollen count and pollution levels are pretty high today which I think is what has gotten to me.

[Lisa]

Sarah wrote: "I was having a pretty good day today. The sun is out, I had work this morning with free time this afternoon until later when we take our boat in to the dock. But on the way home I had an asthma att..."

Sorry to hear that, Sarah. They are never a nice thing to go through, minor or not, so it's no surprise you are shaken up. Take it easy and try and relax as much as you can. I hope you feel better soon.

[Sarah]

Thanks Lisa. I've done a bit of reading and caught up on the posts on here which has taken my mind off things.

[Sandra, Moderator]

Get better soon, Sarah. As Lisa said, asthma attacks are always upsetting. Hopefully is an isolated event.

[Sarah]

Thanks Sandra. I spoke to the doctor and they've increased my antihistamines dosage so that should watch work a treat.

[Joan]

Rusalka, I thought f you today because the food section of my local paper focused on the food scene in Australia!
Bunya Bunya, plume pine and kranskies - made me hungry.

[Margo]

Sarah wrote: "I was having a pretty good day today. The sun is out, I had work this morning with free time this afternoon until later when we take our boat in to the dock. But on the way home I had an asthma att..."

Sarah that's horrible. I' m guessing it was pretty scary. I have had asthma all my life so I don't know any different but I know adult onset asthma is very traumatic. At least they have really good drugs these days and manage to control it so well that it shouldn't impact on your life - at least is you get into the routine of the meds!

[Travis]

I remember my friend would get attacks and he'd say I just need cigarettes. Usually after about 5 cigarettes we'd have to drive to the house for his inhaler. I never understood the concept of smoking unless it was to calm him which he thought by taking away the panic he would breath easier. I dunno.

[KimeyDiann]

Hope you're feeling okay, Sarah. I've never had anything like that but I imagine it is terrifying.

[Joan]

Sarah, I hope you are feeling better soon and the meds kick in quickly.

@Travis - your friend might have been on to something. Some cigarettes contain additives that can act as bronchodilators - so short term some brands might have made him feel better.
Obviously, this is not a good way to treat asthma - but you were kids.

[Rusalka, Moderator]

Joan wrote: "Rusalka, I thought f you today because the food section of my local paper focused on the food scene in Australia!
Bunya Bunya, plume pine and kranskies - made me hungry."

Bunya bunya nuts are huge but not very common. Dad used to have a pine outside his work, and snaffled a cone once when I was about 5. Never seen them since. Never heard of the plums, and kranskies to me are german sausages.

Sounds like you know more about Aussie food that me now!

[Peggy]

Are you feeling better Sarah?


I got invited for another job interview! It's not my ideal job (teacher at another university, but only 12-20 hours per week and only for the 2017/2018 academic year, and at a lower level than I'm allowed to do - so just teaching and not actually setting up or coordinating courses) but it's still something I think I would enjoy and perhaps I can find a research job for 18-26 hours and do both teaching and research. I think I have a pretty good shot at it, as they are looking for two teachers and the courses are courses very similar to what I've been teaching at my own university already.

I'm also still waiting to hear from another job I applied for. It's been over two weeks since applications were closes, and I was in contact with the person mentioned in the vacancy and he said they would make a decision quickly. I contacted them a few days ago to ask if there was any news, but no reply.

And at my own university they are offering one full-time permanent teaching position to someone currently working there on a permanent contract. Not sure if I want to teach full time, because I know from experience that teaching always takes more time than you're compensated for, so a 32-hour job would mean 40 hours in practice. But it might be nice if there are also some coordinating and policy things involved, so I'm applying for that one too. Chances of me getting it are pretty small though, it seems several people from my faculty are going to apply for it.

I'm a bit worried though about what will happen if I get selected for an interview but it's during my summer holidays..

The whole job application thing seems to go in waves. I had written 3 letters in March, and then there was nothing of interest at all for 2 months or so, and now I have 3 on the go again.

[Lisa]

Peggy wrote: "Are you feeling better Sarah?


I got invited for another job interview! It's not my ideal job (teacher at another university, but only 12-20 hours per week and only for the 2017/2018 academic year..."

Yay! Congrats, Peggy! I will keep my fingers crossed for you.

[Sandra, Moderator]

Lots on your plate, Peggy! Good luck.

[Lisa]

I have finally received a hospital appointment to see a neurologist about my MRI head scan results. It's on Friday 30th June. I'm a bit nervous but at least I should get some answers.

[Sandra, Moderator]

Hope everything goes well, Lisa. Knowledge is power.

[Lisa]

Sandra wrote: "Hope everything goes well, Lisa. Knowledge is power."

Thanks, Sandra. I agree, better to know than be left wondering.

[Janice, Moderator]

Best wishes, Lisa!

And for you too, Peggy.

[Rusalka, Moderator]

Good luck, Lisa. Nice to have a date locked in finally.

And good luck Peggy with all those applications! Are teaching only jobs common in the Netherlands?

At my uni our academics have to do a split of teaching and research, as well as what my uni calls service - so admin roles, committees, convening programs or courses, head of department, etc.

Mainly as they found that teaching only jobs were low level academics, and research were higher level so higher paid. And it was then hard to move between them and advance your career. And then, it was women in the lower paid teaching jobs, and not the prestigious research ones. So now everyone has to do 40-40 split, no matter if you are a level A postdoc, or a level E professor. And teaching is balanced so you could teach one large first year course of 200 students one year, and then several smaller second and third year ones the next.

And you don't get promoted if you don't do 20% service, so those admin jobs don't all get fobbed off on the lower paid level As.

[Peggy]

No, it's not common. It seems to be something new.

At my uni it's 55% research and 45% teaching (10 and 20% teaching if you are doing a phd or are a postdoc) but everyone teaches much more because we get more and more students and some other reasons. A few years ago they started with teaching positions for students who just graduated (no phd and who can do basic teaching things similar to what they are allowed to do as students) for a maximum of 2 years. And there are a few people who stayed on on temp contracts after doing their phd and do only teaching, which is offered to them as a sort of in between thing while they find another job. This is the first time I heard of a permanent teaching position being created. It's really meant for people who have a phd but want to pursue their career in teaching instead of research. Although I think there are some permanent staff who mainly teach.

Not sure what the deal at the other uni is. I expect they will get more students next year and need more teachers for that one year to get everything covered.

[Lisa]

Thanks, Janice and Rusalka!

[Peggy]

Oh, good luck Lisa! Forgot that in my previous post.

[Lisa]

Peggy wrote: "Oh, good luck Lisa! Forgot that in my previous post."

Thank you, Peggy!

[Travis]

Joan wrote: "Sarah, I hope you are feeling better soon and the meds kick in quickly.

@Travis - your friend might have been on to something. Some cigarettes contain additives that can act as bronchodilators - s..."

That's quite interesting.

[Margo]

Lisa wrote: "I have finally received a hospital appointment to see a neurologist about my MRI head scan results. It's on Friday 30th June. I'm a bit nervous but at least I should get some answers."

Best of luck Lisa. I won't forget that date as I also have a hospital trip that day. Mine is just for a routine pain procedure though so no worries there! Hope yours works out as well for you ;-)

[Margo]

Peggy wrote: "Are you feeling better Sarah?


I got invited for another job interview! It's not my ideal job (teacher at another university, but only 12-20 hours per week and only for the 2017/2018 academic year..."

Best of luck Peggy :-)

[Anne (Booklady)]

Good Luck, Lisa.

Travis, did you finally get some sleep?

See y'all probably tomorrow - I haven't been feeling too good. My stomach has not liking me yesterday nor today.

[Lisa]

Margo wrote: "Lisa wrote: "I have finally received a hospital appointment to see a neurologist about my MRI head scan results. It's on Friday 30th June. I'm a bit nervous but at least I should get some answers."..."

Thanks, Margo. Good luck with your procedure too!

[Lisa]

Anne (Booklady) wrote: "Good Luck, Lisa.

Travis, did you finally get some sleep?

See y'all probably tomorrow - I haven't been feeling too good. My stomach has not liking me yesterday nor today."

I hope your stomach settles down soon, Anne.

[Sandra, Moderator]

Get better soon, Anne. Do you know what is the reason for that discomfort?

[Travis]

I did finally get some sleep and it was so nice

[Lilisa]

Good luck on your interviews Peggy, hope all goes well with your appointments Lisa and Margo and hope you feel better soon Anne! Happy Father's Day tomorrow Travis. Have a good weekend everyone.

[Travis]

Thanks Lilisa

[Anne (Booklady)]

Thanks, Lisa, Sandra, and Lilisa.

@Sandra, it's just a stomach bug that's going around :(

[Sarah]

Spent the last 4 days painting our boat. It's been hard work in the heat. Still some to do but we got more done than we planned. Here's some pics. We painted from the gunwales down.

[Annerlee]

Sarah wrote: "Spent the last 4 days painting our boat. It's been hard work in the heat. Still some to do but we got more done than we planned. Here's some pics. We painted from the gunwales down.
"

Really nice job Sarah. I like the traditional feel to it.

[Sandra, Moderator]

I like the color selection, Sarah.

[Sarah]

Thank you. We're really pleased. I'm not looking forward to painting the diamond detail on the front though.