wanderlust07

trailer hitch

Lulz. One of my students once asked about essay grades before I'd had a chance to do anything more than take them to my office and look at them guiltily. I said, "Well, so far they are very white. Many of them have staples."

pain relief

I can't imagine a prof. at my current institution addressing me by anything other than my first name. I would personally be a lot less likely to request that professors at another institution/places I'm applying treat me less than formally, but that's just me. This would be a lot easier to do gracefully in person or over the phone as an aside than in writing. (Oh, I prefer x/please, call me x). Alternatively, you can sign an email with your first name and let the prof on the other end pick it up or not (this is also one way to tell if your professors are comfortable with you using their first names). If the person on the other end prefers to keep things formal, you might just remain "Ms. ___" until you're attending. I wouldn't necessarily let the fact that the email made you slightly uncomfortable lead you to think this form of address is out of the ordinary or awkward. If you're not used to interacting with people in the field as future colleague rather than a student (this is perfectly normal, and I remember it feeling really uncomfortable at times), it could just be an adjustment period! It's also entirely possible that this phase will drop away naturally once the funding issue is sorted and the conversation is less business-y.

utter failure.

Still zilch. In fact, I feel sort of bad updating this thread only to say something along the lines of "no one here but us chickens..." Starting to feel like my application got lost behind someone's desk or covered in coffee out in Durham, in spite of the fact that they were electronic. foo!

paid vacation

I'm not going to do so. Keep the crazy here with us!!! (We're more fun anyway)

brother's keeper

I second all of the above..esp ones about department atmosphere, TA/RA workload and type, and town. Other stuff that might not occur to you at first glance: --Related to atmosphere: What kind of relationship exists between cohorts? Between classes? Will you get support from advanced students? Chances to work closely with other departments (if this is important to your research)? Is faculty a consistent, supportive presence at student-run lectures and events or is that relationship more one-way? --Follow up on class sizes for TA-ships or teaching assignments, as well as chances for non-teaching related funding. It will greatly reduce your workload to have small classes or instructorships alternating with fellowships, etc. --the student health plan and quality of local medical care. --Accessibility of airport / getting around town generally: Will you be able to get home conveniently and at a reasonable price however often you wish? Can you get away from campus for a weekend? (is there anywhere you would want to go?). Make sure there is somewhere around to avoid burnout, including places that will keep you away from your students (who may not yet have grasped the borders between your professional life and your personal life--I've been stopped while walking with my partner, in Starbucks, etc...). This would include opportunities for any social or personal stuff you like to do, whether or not you expect to have time for it. --the political and religious atmosphere of both town and campus, if either is important to you. One other thing to keep in mind for the sake of making things run smoothly--as a current student, I'd remind anyone taking this step that any student you're emailing has an absurd workload and doesn't know you from Adam's off ox. In general, avoid asking questions you could find the answer to on the department website (size of stipends, etc), open-ended "What should I do in case of x?) sorts of things related specifically to your application or decisions, or barraging one student with 100 questions. This is not to say we're not happy to answer questions, but be respectful of our time, introduce yourself a bit to give us some context (esp. since we may be seeing you in the fall!), and thank us when you're done please.

poached ivory

I want to hand this to every person I know! Thanks for the laugh

Could be...I'm a "W" and still waiting.

Everyone should have emergency supplies. I recommend Woodford's Reserve, if you want to stick with bourbon.

Until I started digging for the duet, I had no idea that this was Chrissie Hynde. *culture fail* http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=foyLJ3GJAAw

Good morning! Also still twiddling my thumbs here and sending best wishes to you all! The refresh button is not my friend. Weatherwax--please tell me your handle is Pratchett reference...

Bucky ball

blank check

Only vid I could find for this Magnetic Fields song is a random cult scifi fanvid. I am not terribly opposed: There's also this one for the language geeks:

I've got nothing yet. Still early though?

Was it in 95 parts?

In my mind: I am meticulously saving them all. They will be carefully preserved and framed. One day, I will be super famous and possibly embarrassingly wealthy. Then I will paper a room/gallery (open to the public) with these and laugh...all the people who said the equivalent of "guitar music is on the way out" can go down in history as the poor fools they are, a la Decca Records. Yes, my day dreams are v. pompous... In reality: They will go in a junk drawer/file cabinet and be lost in the next move.

full service