How to freak your wife out

I made a mistake. Perhaps even a cardinal sin.

I expressed doubt about my current Tenure-track job hunt to my wife.

Or more specifically, I mused about the probability of a department actually getting back to me for a follow-up interview.

I probably should have known this wasn't the smartest conversation to have, but I am cursed with a very ineffective personal filter when it comes to my wife. She knows everything. What I think, what I fear, what I love. Everything.

Anyway, she didn't really respond well.

She didn't totally freak out or anything, but she did ask, in a VERY serious voice, what we would do if no one was interested.

Fortunately, I have a plan B (and even C) in place so it wasn't a big deal, but I feel horrible for raising her blood pressure and inducing a panic on the drive home....

So I am now forcing myself not to listen to my doubts, but rather stay positive. After all every little thing is gonna be alright.

Grant Fail :(

Got the score for my K99. Or should I say lack of score. Triaged. I sorta felt like my research plan was a stretch, but I was hoping for more...

To say I feel deflated is an understatement. But I've been here before and I know it's just part of the deal of doing academic research. I only wish I didn't have so much riding on the outcome. Still not sure if I have a job next fall...

Anyway, enough feeling sorry for myself. Time to brush myself off send in a few job apps while I wait for the comments to be posted.

Sometimes it's better not knowing....

OK, here's the deal.

I'm currently working on getting a tenure track science faculty position (read: academic research) and I probably spend more time online than I should looking up information on what credentials I should have, the process of applying, and what to expect once I get there.

While all this information has been helpful and made me much more empowered during my job search, it's that last category that is beginning to bug me. I keep seeing all this negative crap about becoming a professor and I'm not sure I like it.

Why? Because no job is perfect, and as I see it, you can either spend your time obsessing about the stuff you don't like, or you can revel in the stuff you enjoy. I choose the latter. Because to this day I can't believe I get payed to do this stuff.

That's not to say I'll stop informing myself (after all, I do believe that success favors the prepared mind). Instead, I'll just not dwell on it.

Homework in kindergarten?

OK, I'm all for education and all that jazz, but it concerns me a bit that my son has over an hour of homework every night.

He's 5 years old. In kindergarten. And he's terrified of his first test on Friday (spelling quiz).

I certainly don't remember having to do that much work until later (although to be fair, I was something of an academic slacker)....