Where the "F" have I been?

Yes...I know....it has been forever...

For the speedy catch-up version here it is...at any point feel free to post questions about the giant holes I will inevitably leave in the story...

When last you heard I was neck deep in a summer of middle schoolers teaching the skills of outdoorness...I have to say that they were lovely children and I didn't find myself eying cliffs to push them off of...

I did finish the "program" and was very happy to see free wine and beer at the ceremony...I even managed some nostalgic tears along with the "hallelujahs" and "I can't believe it's finally overs"...and of course the hysterical and maniacal laughing I tried to keep contained...not very successfully thanks to the free wine...

Then it was a month of nothing...and I mean nothing...

Which was something I could have gotten used to if it wasn't for my damn conscience always pushing and poking at me...

Note to self...listen to subconscious more...it's not as motivated...

So I packed all my stuff...well not all of it...

And moved back to a larger town/small city to finish my Masters degree...

After a week of classes I find myself inundated with too much stimulation and fear that my mind will melt at any moment...

Real Grad school kinda sucks...

Especially when you have a committee overseeing your every academic move under the guise of "helping" you through the maze and hoop jumping...these three people...all professors or professionals in your field...periodically get together to discuss what you're doing wrong and how these mistakes will cost you months of time and thousands of dollars...like I need three more people telling me that...and you get to sit there and try really hard not to scream and break down in hysterical crying...there's never free wine around when you need it...

Plus you "get to" take fun classes like "Research Design and Interpretation"...yippee...

Basically this class is the bane of my existence...it's all statistics...need I remind you that I have a degree in ENGLISH LITERATURE...

I haven't done real math since 1997...

I'm screwed...double exclamation point!!

And to make my life a little more enjoyable...the professor of this class-from-hell is on my committee...

Can't wait for the next meeting...

But at least it's only one class that's causing mass panic and fetal position rocking...

And I have to remember where I was last year at this time...schlepping a 40 pound pack around while trying to teach 5th graders about science and hoping to God I wouldn't loose one of them in the woods...

So not really a fish out of water anymore...

Just a freshwater fish in a statistical ocean...

Still swimming but slowly realizing that the salt may kill me...if my shark-like committee doesn't get there first...

Gulp...

Here we go again...