Exponential Ramblings

You will have to forgive me, my dear readers, as I have been waxing romanticism as of late. I don't know what it is, I just feel all gushy inside. A very rare treat for everyone else. There may be a bit of poetry along the way as I wax and wane about former loves, present loves, and loves that have yet to be.   As to former loves, I have befriended most. Unusual for most women as they readily toss aside their latest flame for someone that promises something better. We have far more choices than we have had in the past and this makes the whole process of love a little tricky to wander. But it does not have to be a path riddled with thorns and burs. We don't have to tear our pantyhose or break the heels off our shoes just to find the one. It is a matter of watching and reading body language, action, motive, and their spoken word.    I have learned that some men spit nails from their mouth. Their demeanor is very pleasant at the beginning and as you learn and listen, ...

  And this week, I can breathe a little more. My research advisor is on vacation and I have decided to do half days at the college. I am still waiting for a lot of the simulations to complete to run another cycle and it does get decidedly mind-numbing at various points of the day. So Monday, I figured I would try something new to break out of the routine rut.   Having ADD, I can't sit till for long periods of time. I find that I function better by working on several activities at once. Actually, not more than two different things. And I find mornings and late evenings better for my brain activity. Which makes sense since most people are at their most creative upon waking and sleeping.   However, in the afternoons, I prefer a small siesta and vigorous activity. I just felt like I was able to get more  accomplished. I have noticed this even during the normal school year. I get the afternoon blahs and should take a nap and workout instead.   I can't express enou...

   It is fifteen minutes before 11:00 PM and I am in bed watching Blazing Saddles and cuddling with my favorite fur baby. Some of you may not be familiar with Mel Brooks and his infamous comedies. I grew up with them and enjoy their company while my brain tries to reach LaLa Land. They are wonderfully and completely as far from political correctness as possible. There are not enough modern comedies in the past few years that can reach this level of goofiness. I have yet to see the Hangover movies that everyone raves about. One of the best comedies in the past ten years, to me, has been Dodgeball, goofy comedies that actually have a story line. Maybe that is why I miss my Saturday morning Looney Tunes cartoons. Luckily, a local theatre shows them for free on Saturday mornings once a month. Looney Tunes on the big screen as they were originally viewed during my grandparent’s youth.   Technology has impacted our lives to the point that makes many of us baby boomers and...

  I made the mistake of dating as soon as I recognized that my marriage was over. You're ready and you're not ready, all in the same moment. The only advice I give is to go out and have fun. Put your time and effort into you  because you are the only person you have!  You are the hero of your own story.  Only you have the power to change your attitude!  Write your story, literally and figuratively. Every hero begins at less than zero but keep going and moving!   And yes, my friends, I will push you because I know what it is like to be there and how important it is to have support!

       Depression and I have spent a lot of quality time together over the years. We know as much about each other in the same way the most intimate of lovers knows every line, curve, and secret. Depression is not a welcome lover and known to attack when you least want to endure it's pain and memories.   I can recount the days that I lovingly gazed upon the gleaming silver blade of a knife, or held onto a bottle of prescription pills too long, or thought about how lovely it would be to wrap my truck around the thickest oak tree at the side of the road in the experimental attempt to meld metal, flesh, and wood. A deadly dance of the macabre.   There is no sure-fire way to get rid of it. As a matter of fact, it often shows up on your face like a bad pimple before your period. You try your best to ignore it but you really want to pop that sucker into oblivion. All I can say is, what works for me may not work for you in matters of coping with the blue-heade...

  Yes, I have fallen into the trap of reading "Lean In" by Sheryl Sandberg but she makes so many good points about how our culture undermines women's roles. Are we still stuck in the 1950's? Is the only purpose of a woman to bear the children of men? And the greater question I have is why do we talk ourselves out of the things we deserve and have more than earned?   My intent and contribution is to lean in to my major, Physics, and to encourage more women to pursue what are deemed the hardcore sciences, the sciences that are almost 100% made of men. Chemistry and Biology are not one of those sciences. I am talking about Math, Physics, and Engineering. Luckily, the population of Physics undergraduate majors happen to be composed of about 33% women at Roanoke College, much better than the national percentage of 2%. My question is, what happens to women in these fields and why do they drop out? After reading "Lean In," I can see why they leave the field, usual...