10 Realizations

The talk of “jobs” in the e-mails from a few profs? Yeah, that was jobs for their students here, with me. Or without me, but here where I work. Realization #1, that working here is the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow for many.

So I am struggling right now to establish my own program here and get a good, reliable, consistent source of funding going. Realization #2 that academia would be a much harder battle, for the same exact thing with added balking from coworkers that I need to pick up my child at 5pm from daycare.

Reno… ahh yes, Reno. The glitz, the glamour, the good food, the national forest on the edge of town, Lake Tahoe, skiing, the shopping (ohhh… the shopping at the NEW mall…). Realization #3, Reno, ahh yes, Reno, the cigarette smoke in the grocery stores, non-existence of non-smoking restaurants, the gambling culture, private school until age 18 since no school bonds ever pass and schools suck rocks, the forest fires where the smoke fills in the valley, teaching at a university with the highest drop out rate in the US…

The professors I adored, who dropped everything to answer my question or sign a form? I love them. I could so fit into their network. Realization #4, the in fighting and bickering kills me, in my 3 days there I was privy to the last four years of who is the bigger snake in the grass… and they will never see me as anything but a former student.

The restaurants are so much better in Reno… and I love good food, especially sushi. Realization #5, that new little sushi shop here in town that just went in apparently? From first exposure appears to knocks the socks off Kyoto (which btw, has apparently taken a nosedive recently since the manager was rolling sushi).

In NM’s mind, “Oh, there is that fellow from the lab, I could never approach him, plus he is there with his wife, I will leave them alone.” Realization #6, they actually WANTED to have meals with me, we have an amazing amount in common and that I have new friends now. Oh, and fellows are human too… and therefore not immune from food poisoning courtesy of the banquet in his own honor. (I hope it doesn’t hurt me professionally that I introduced his wife to Pottery Barn and Williams Sonoma… he needs to get her out more often! I mean who doesn’t know about PB and WS??)

Will Leif even notice I am gone? He is so into daddy right now. Daddy does everything. “Daddy funny”, “Daddy play”, "Daddy shovel", “Daddy outside”, “Howp daddy”, “Daddy toot” (Ok, so I don’t want the last one.) Realization #7, my son needs me and missed me terribly. Oh, and so did my husband.

I have to buy Leif things to make up for being gone. He will love the shark shirt, the elephant puzzle, the Cookie Monster cookies, the cow (or pow) soap and the backpack. Realization #8, presents really are just an extra, he just wanted me. Except maybe the Cookie Monster cookies…

I just want to stick my nose in my book on the flight and read. Don’t make eye contact with the person next to you on the plane, they might want to talk. Realization #9, you never know who you end up sitting by, he might offer your husband a job!

Wanderlust? Anywhere but here? Realization #10, this is a neat place, our friends are here, I have a good job. It is damn hot, but that makes the produce and the wine taste even better. Living here the rest of my life? There are worse places.