Well, shoot. I didn't make a November post. Well, let's pretend this is the one for late November, and I'll try to make another post a couple weeks from now, and that one will count for December.
As usual, Daisy Pirate has inspired this post. She's about to leave Japan (well, in a few months) to come back to the States. I think she's doing some soul searching. Me, too. I am in need of a big change in my daily life. I would like to go to graduate school and pursue a PhD in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology. I would not be able to apply until 2006-- not just because applications are usually due in Dec or Jan, but because I don't know how prepared I am mentally and financially. I just took a General Chem I class at ACC to refresh and find out if I wanted to go back to school. It was hard work and I admit I am a little rusty.. basically I was relearning everything. But I really enjoyed it, and I think I did well. And I think I want to go back to school.
It's a long hard road ahead, though, and I'm 30. (Practically 30). And I still have a lingering feeling of doubt, as to whether or not this is something I really want to do. I don't remember having doubt like this before. I think there are so many real-world concerns weighing in now, finances, children, where Lee's career will take him, where mine will take me... I need to take a deep breath and choose. And hope everything manages to fall into place. Usually, it has. Perhaps I've just been lucky? I am a rabbit...
But what about art? This question keeps driving me crazy. I paint, I keep a few small paintings going on at all times, but when will it grow? Will it even get a chance to, if I go back to school? Research is not something I can do just in my spare time, it will be something I will have to do full time and also in my spare time. I will have to be on top of the game, being competitive, finding funds and making connections.
So much to decide... for the next big step.

I'm trying to at least post one entry a month.. so we'll see how long this works. I don't get online at work for fun that much. I actually do many work-related activities online, such as create purchase documents for our department. Pretty boring. Usually the highlight of my day is getting out of the office. At least I have some natural light from a window, twice removed. And no annoying buzzing sound across the hall anymore.
I want to do something completely different, though. I am taking a chemistry class right now (again, I should say) and I'm really enjoying it. Although it makes me want to paint even more. I think the tighter the schedule I have, the more inclined I am to work in painting into the week. I'm signed up and have started a correspondence-based ecology class, which I have been really looking forward to. However I think I will drop it and wait until next semester to take printmaking. I also want to learn French or (re-learn) Spanish... just to keep my options open.
We may be leaving the country again...

Today, inspired by daisy pirate, I create another post in my blog. Since the title of this blog means, "interesting things in (my) life," and since it has been over a year since my last post, I have to admit that NOTHING of interest has happened since the last post. wait... that's not true at all... I think that so many interesting things HAVE happened, and I have been SO busy, that I have not been able to post anything in all this time. Only now have I spared a breathless moment from my active lifestyle to jot a few things down... whew...