New Beginning

Oddly, although I don't have much keeping me occupied in my spare time, I have not been inspired to write. Apologies extended to my readers.

I've been at ISU and in Terre Haute now for just over a week. In my first day at ISU, I received an ISU t-shirt and a label pin from HR, and received a welcome card from the president later in the week. I'm sure I'll discover the usual junk and politics down the road, but it's nice to have a welcoming start! The first week was a pretty casual mix of reading stuff to get my bearings, getting things organized, and attending meetings. I did co-facilitate a seminar on Thursday, so it has not been extremely slow. The lack of any fiery baptismal is making it a little tough to judge the whole scene, but I'm pretty sure I'm in a good place and a good job.

Home life is OK. I'm living in a one-bedroom, furnished university apartment that is pretty decent although the couch has much to be desired (which is the only seating beyond "dining" chairs) and the floor is all tile. On the flip side, it's the nicest tiny kitchen I've ever encountered. House purchasing continues to move right along, and closing should still happen around Dec. 6. I still have not made arrangements for moving all of my stuff from Ohio (storage).

The "stuff" and home factor are both making this a slow start. I don't have a home in which to get settled, and I don't have any of my office stuff for the workplace.  So, "home" and work are both pretty sterile right now. All in due time, though.

Wireless internet is certainly nice, though, and I've enjoyed having my Facebook connections and online chats! At some point, I need to get out and about in Terre Haute--and even around ISU--possibly meeting some people. With all of the transitions and holidays, though, I don't mind if that waits until 2011.

That's really about it for now. Oh, it turns out that my dissertation was posted online with a major typo on the title page! It looks like a revised copy is going to be uploaded, but my department at BG had to "cash in their chips" to make it happen. Oops.  I'm happy for it, though. I can live with typos, but a title page reading "Doctor of Eduation" does not bode well for credibility.

OK, I really think that is all for now. I'll stay alert for creative moments and get some more writing up soon.  Cheers!