I should be...

Working on my powerpoint slides for the first day of class that is now less than one week away and I have a party to throw for my baby this weekend (not at my house, which is actually better because I am not stressed about the house to be cleaned and perfect...it is just mom's house :-)

But instead I am blogging. (Turns out to be a long post...stay with me...)

On my work computer :-) I just got my laptop today and I am wirelessly connected to the internet at home, on the floor, with the cat laying next to me. Apparently he has missed me.

When I got back to my office after the morning sessions of meetings my computer was set up and waiting for me. I have a 19 inch monitor in addition to the laptop screen so that I have a dual monitor system. If you have ever used one you know how AWESOME it is when you are trying to work in different areas at once (writing a manuscript with an spreadsheet of numbers open to look at or making class powerpoints while the internet is up to get references from, etc). And I have a Bluetooth mouse and I will have an additional keyboard so that my laptop is almost just the processor at work. Very cool. Plus I am hooked up to a color laser jet printer at work.

Things are wonderfully relaxed there. My classes are my own and my schedule is this: I need to have 10 hours of posted office hours and I need to teach my classes and generally be available for students when they start to realize I am there. Other than that, "we just don't get paid enough to worry about the minute by minute comings and goings of everyone". Cool.

So far the last two days have been full of a TON of information about the campus and the campus systems. At some point I will be figuring out how to do a professional/personal website and how to do a website for my classes. I am also going to be doing a professional blog for careers in agriculture or animal science or something like that. I met with my mentor who was also the chair of the search committee and we are very much on the same page...my goal should be to be the best teacher EVER. And I really do want to be. In a small school like this, half the battle is caring about the students.

I have met a bunch of new faculty and have a number of things in common with quite a few of them (one girl is from Fond du Lac and apparently her mom met my mom in a quilt shop so that this instructor remembered her mom saying that there was a faculty member in Belmont with the name of Montgomery...small world...). I also talked to an agribusiness faculty member who went to the U of I and is a big fan, so I am sort of on her good side for having a panoramic view of Assembly Hall up in my office. Then I got to talk to a nice German lady who is faculty in Criminal Justice and has 9 horses. She thinks it is cool that I work in animal science and I think it is cool that she has horses. So tonight at the farm cookout thing for new faculty, Loran says, Oh there is Roger and his daughter, you know the one I give guitar lessons to. And I say, there is Sabina, the new faculty with the horses. Turns out that Roger and Sabina are married and Sarah is there daughter. And Roger was a helicopter pilot in the Marines. I think we might be visiting their farm at some point :-)

Let's all sing "It's a small world after all..." Gracious. Anyway, I am glad that I have officially started and met some great people. And the girls? Cried. Alot. Well, Ankica did. When I dropped them off? No...you know her better than that. She cried when I picked her up both yesterday and today. In fact, neither one of them wanted anything to do with me yesterday but Lillian was a little more willing to come with me today. Sigh. At least they are enjoying themselves. I hope Ankica eventually realizes she gets to be there every day. We'll see. I even took the traditional first day of school photo with them yesterday. I'll have to post it soon.

And Thursday/Friday will be interesting for Loran. The interview yesterday went better than expected and the plant really wants him there. So now it might be a bidding war and we will come out on top :-) What kind of plant you ask? We are in Wisconsin right? A cheese plant of course! Who woulda thought?

Lots going on and I hope to keep you updated as time allows.