My Work Life Balance


work-life-balance

My own work-life balance so out of balance that work dominates most of my schedule.   Right now, I am trying to fix that problem.   I am scheduling a few fun activities that are not work related to try to balance the scale.  I am going to try to meet with a group of fellow astronomy-loving persons.   I am even considering buying a telescope if the price is cheap enough.  I have joined a couple of meetup groups based on a couple of my interests:  science fiction and astronomy.  I also go to events with my local Epilepsy Foundation group.    I used to go to Zumba classes, which was a great way of coping with stress.  Since it got really cold, I stopped going to them.  I feel that this is a vital part of work-life balance, since exercise helps the mind as well as the body.

 

 

Sick Again?


I just recently got sick again.  I have this chest congestion and hacking cough.  Fortunately, I have a doctor’s visit coming up soon.  Hopefully it is just a cold.  I have been trying to get my normal work stuff done in the meantime, but that is difficult.  I get tired easily, and I’m teaching many classes.  

My Crushed American Dream


As Valentine’s Day approaches…

As Valentine’s Day approaches, the holiday only reminds me of my crushed American dream.  When I was younger, I had the dream that I would grow up and have a home of my own along with a husband,  children, and pet.  Epilepsy had no part in this dream.  Valentine’s Day is the holiday that reminds me that I am now single and no closer to attaining these goals then when I was 16.

For the moment, I have scaled my American dream down a bit.

  1. home of my own – I have done some extensive research into home ownership by observing others, and it is not always the joyful experience people want you to believe.  Since I am terrible at fixing things, I think that I dodged a bullet here.  I prefer calling the maintenance guy and asking them to come fix the problem.
  2. pet - This is just a matter of finding a pet friendly place and getting a cat.
  3.  financial stability – Although not specifically stated, I thought I would have a job that I loved and would not have to worry about financial problems.  Although I like helping students with their issues in math, my job comes with no health benefits.  At the moment, it is extremely difficult getting a full-time professor position without a PhD (at least in physics & mathematics), so I have worked as an adjunct for many years.  I am trying to break out of this trend and get a full-time job in higher education, which should resolve my financial stability problems.

Is there a Positive Side?

Due to Valentine’s Day, I now have a good excuse for buying large quantities of chocolate without any judgmental reactions from supermarket employees.  Every now and then my mood is a little negative, but I already have a strategy to help me with my ‘financial stability’ goal.  I have even met someone who got a full-time job, and their boss was completely comfortable with the fact that they had epilepsy.

 

My Faulty Memory


Memory loss or something else?

Not too long ago, something happened that kind of disturbed me.  Something that I needed for a class was not where I thought it was.  Fortunately, I was able to fix the problem and make it to class on time.  My mind immediately jumped to the worst possible scenario.  To make matters worse, I was obsessing over the situation all day.

What actually happened?

I discovered the items that I was going to use in class were actually at home.  I forgot where I placed them!  My memory has more holes than swiss cheese.  This should have been the obvious scenario.  Why didn’t it occur to me earlier?  I am still a little disturbed about my initial reaction.