Peeking, Peaking or Peking

Ok, so now I walk around campus checking out people's feet. For the sneakered masses, I'd say about 99% are peeking and the remaining 1% are in ankle socks. Of the non-peekers, I actually had one sit next to me Monday in Bio Lecture. A woman walking past in a sari with sneakers was a peeker. I'm peeking myself now and according to my friend Randee, Polo makes great color peekers - might be a Labor Day Weekend sale excursion for me. Peekers to match my tank tops: black, turquoise, hot pink. Ok, now I'm scaring myself. LOL ... I actually think I almost scared some classmates today. We were all waiting out in the hallway prior to Bio Section Discussion to start and all these people were sitting on the floor. I was actually assessing their feet to see if anyone had a good peeking shot. Nothing photographable. (one to the right is a little high, but it'll do).

Peaking. Have we peaked? Do you peak somewhere in your 40's, not know it and then wake up to find you are considered a dinosaur. Is peaking perception or reality? And because it is other's perception of us, does it need to become our reality? I don't know that you ever really peak. If learning and experience are cumulative, the trajectory should always be moving upward and then death would be the peak.

I do wonder though if my mind has peaked - is it too full to retain what I am learning? Is water the only thing I still retain? I bought vitamins and ginko and stuff today to help me. We'll see if I notice a difference in my ability to concentrate, absorb and retain (things other than water, that is).

Peking ... yes, as in duck! Well, not duck but Chinese Marinated Chicken. This is my shout out to Austin Chinese food. Austin actually has really good Chinese food. I know that may be hard to believe ... you're thinking, Tex-Mex, yeah, BBQ, absolutely, but Chinese food, no way!

Well after years of hideous Chinese food in Florida, we were shocked to find Austin has some awesome places. Din Ho was the first place we found - was great, but started slipping. Then they opened Chinatown Center and a place called 1st Chinese BBQ and now the original owners of Din Ho have opened Ho Ho. These are places with the ducks hanging in the window - mmm-mmm the roast duck (called BBQ Duck here) is incredibly delicious. Monday night was take in from Ho Ho ... nice easy dinner after a long day on campus.

I'm thinking that I might start bringing my camera to campus some days. There is so much there that is interesting and between classes and studying, I'm not going to be getting near my camera very much ... so if I integrate the two ... it should help alleviate some of the withdrawal symptoms and provide another avenue to view this experience.

No One Wants to Be the Nerd ... Ever ...

So Friday I made a few changes, I went from a messenger bookbag to a backpack and from flipflops to sneakers. Brisk walking across two campus' on Thursday wreaked havoc on my lower back, so evening out the weight distribution of my books is definitely the way to go to make this a less painful experience.

Ok, so on Friday I am nice and casual in a pair of black gym shorts, black tank top, socks, sneakers and my sea glass necklace. Backpack on my back and I'm ready for UT. As I head up onto the Commons and across campus, I notice something odd. And it's everywhere! The people not wearing sandals, those in sneakers, don't seem to have socks on. Ahhh, but on closer inspection, they are wearing socks, just those really short ones that you can hardly see. Peekers, I guess you can call them, they just peek out over the lip of the sneaker ... a peek of hot pink, or gray or navy blue.

And now I'm strolling across campus looking at every pair of feet in my view - and every single one of them are wearing these peekers. Except me. I'm wearing white ribbed tennis socks that go a good 2 inches above my ankle. And I am the ONLY one on the ENTIRE UT campus of 40,000 people wearing socks that more than peek. Who knew that more than peek wasn't in. I didn't know.

By the time I got to Welch Hall, I had passed hundreds and hundreds of sneakered feet. All peekers. So here I was the 50 year old student and if that doesn't make me stick out enough, I am wearing the wrong socks. As I entered Welch Hall with an extra 5 minutes before I needed to be in class, I searched frantically for a bathroom. Once inside the stall, I leaned against the wall, slipped off my sneakers and hid my "outdated" socks in my backpack. I entered class, sockless with a hint of indents rimming my legs 2 inches above my ankle.

After class, as I walked across campus back to my car in the oppressive Texas heat, I could feel my sweaty feet squishing inside my sneakers. My feet might have been sweaty and stinky, but unless someone was to look closely, and notice there was nothing peeking out, my feet fit right in on the UT campus.

He speaks New Yawk ...

So, yesterday was a UT day and today was ACC (although I ended up over at UT) to pick up a workshop 2 days next week.

Ok, UT day. Parking worked out great in the San Antonio Garage - so much closer to stuff than the Trinity Garage! Glad I made that switch - and in the nick of time, because they were out of passes, but since I had an email from the night before telling me that I could switch, I was able to get a pass - yay! And thank goodness for my iPhone, because I had the email on it to prove I was told I could get a pass.

Bio is in a big lecture hall and I'm going to have to get an iClicker (the bookstore is out of them) for attendance and stuff. The professor walks in, I guess around my age, maybe a few years older, opens his mouth and with the first sentence, I say to myself, "This boy is from the boroughs!" and sure enough within a few minutes he says he grew up in NYC and studied on the subways. Totally understood his wavelength, wonder how much the rest of the 18 yr. old Texans did - but I "got" him! Kind of "tuned in" to him the way I used to tune into Vin Sclesa's Idiot's Delight radio show. It's like you tune into someone's station and the frequency is clear. Made me think back to freshman year at the University of Redlands, Dick Dandeneau and his ability to relate to students. Dick Andrew, teaching American Popular Culture and bringing to us Mississippi Delta Blues. What appeals to an 18 yr. old now? I don't know. Ok, huge lecture hall and I am the ONLY one over 18 in there. Next to me is a kid who looks about 14 with a really tough case of acne. And he's probably thinking, "I'm glad it's not MY mother sitting next to me".

Here's what I also liked about the UT Prof - definite sense of humor (that I got), and ... he talked about Do's and Do Not's - top two do not's - Do Not come late to class and If you Do come late, Stay in the back and Do Not make a grand entrance. Set expectations for respect of your fellow students. ACC prof has not established that and kids roll in up to 20 minutes late and he stops and tells them what we've done .... grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr. (happened today again in lab). Nip that sh*t in the bud. I think there are a lot of very serious students in the ACC class that have high aspirations. A couple of the kids have returned from tours in Iraq and I think there are some interesting stories. Do not cater to the lowest common denominator. Let them know you expect more and they will give you more. You don't ask, you don't get!

The messenger book bag is going to get switched tomorrow to a backpack - I've got to even out the weight distribution. Also, flip flops are giving way to sneakers. With all the walking I'm doing (today all over 2 campus') carrying heavy books has already started to wreak havoc on my lower back. Time to pamper these dinosaur bones!

Today I got an email from my former business partner that we got the paperwork back from the state dissolving our corporation. Releasing the past is elevating ...

Cadence

Concerned about finding my "groove" - timing to study, do homework, have a life. First time around, I had quite the life and don't remember the study piece being that huge. Was I a faster reader then? Did I read at all then? LOL ... I did take a lot of film and creative writing undergrad!

Last night I did my Chem homework assignment questions that will be assigned next class. Read the chapters assigned (thank goodness I started last week!). I still have to read Chapter 3, but that is for next week's discussions.

I read when I came home from school yesterday. Started in my office, but sitting at my desk reading killed my neck and shoulders. I then moved up to the bedroom, threw all the clothes off the recliner and read there -- much more comfortable. Cooked a great dinner (pork chops parmigiana and spaghetti), watched TV with the boys for two hours and then came upstairs and did the Chem homework questions. I think I did ok. Was exhausted after that.

This morning before I head to UT, I'm going to crack open the Bio book and start reading it. Today is bio and bio lab. Have no idea when I am going to "schedule" my internet Nutrition course. I need to figure out the cadence of my life and balancing it all.

Max had a good first day yesterday. Glad to see all his old buds. Not really sure about who he ate lunch with - his old gang wasn't in his lunch period yesterday. Today is a B schedule day for him, so hopefully his posse will be around. He seemed pretty charged about being back at school. He's a trooper, that's for sure.

Ok, Bio book time ... off this dinosaur shleps ...

The Dinosaur has Landed ...

Ok, both feet on terra firma now! Out of the pits and into the classroom.

Mostly young 'uns. Two men doing career changes that were older. I'm the only woman in there out of my 20's.

Was blown away at the amount of students who showed up 10, 20 and 30 minutes late. I mean, c'mon people, I know it's the first day of class and all, which is why you should give yourself even more time. The professor was very forgiving and backtracked for each of these late arrivals. They were lucky I wasn't at the lectern, for I would have given them a nice little speech on how I understand today is the first day, but moving forward I expect you to be on time and not disruptive of the class with a late arrival (30 minutes, c'mon).

Ok, so my snarky dino traits are emerging and yes, I acknowledge, I need to chill out, but it's a respect issue. (Here comes both corporate and mom training).

We'll see what tomorrow is like. Bio and Bio Lab over at UT - hopefully at $2000/class, students will be serious. (Actually there were a lot of serious students today - whole class shouldn't be dissed.

Ok, so I've discovered Pet Peeve #1 in my Student 2.0 career - Don't cut into my learning time because you are irresponsible. Even in my Student 1.0 life, I physically showed up on time - can't vouch for the rest.

One Foot Out ...

Hi - I'm Julie, a Stegasaurus Pentex.

A Stegasaurus Pentex? Qu-est que c'est? You may ask ... Well, the Stegasaurus mainly because that was my favorite dinosaur as a child, and although I don't have spikes on my back, being of the female variety, I have a couple on my chest. The Pentex is because I just turned 50 last month. Yes, I am a 50 year old dinosaur. When I look in the mirror, I see a lively blonde.... hmmmm ....

Tomorrow I start school and become a full time student again. After 29 yrs. in the corporate world, I'm chucking all those gorgeous spiked pumps for my flip flops and sneakers again. Blazers for tank tops, Frequent Flyer club rooms for the Student Union.

Adios Corporate bull, insecure bosses, backstabbing colleagues who want your job (take it), ridiculous goals set by out of touch Ivory Towerites, fiefdom hoarders. Adios to working for goals that really don't mean anything. That don't help people in anyway. That don't have a significant impact. That don't make a difference.

A few years ago, my 40-something friends started to get laid off at the height of their talents - when they had so much to give to their companies. They were hard-working, astute, stars in their fields. They worked hard and lived well. One by one they got picked off. And then couldn't find work. Then it was my turn. And I found work again. In the general field I'd been in. And I hated it. And you know what, THAT was the blessing in disguise. Because that made me realize that I was ready. That it was time to "Change Lanes" and it was time to move on what had been roaming around my brain for 3 years.

First off let me say that by and large, 45 and over, we are considered dinosaurs - a lot of it due to technology. Yes, we may Twitter and Facebook and blog, but face it, we went off to college (the first time) with electric typewriters. To young people, many making hiring decisions (especially if you live in a tech town), we are old. Now do you feel old? I know I don't feel old. But perception is reality. And their reality is that we are old - we are the dinosaurs and there are a boatload of us running around ... and unemployed. (Wow, that just kind of gave me a Night of the Living Dead zombies visual).

So, Changing Lanes. I am changing lanes and am going to drag myself out of the tar pits and reemerge not only relevant, but passionate. Passionate about who I am and what I'm doing.

Tomorrow, at age 50, I will be back on a college campus as a student. Right now I'm taking prerequisites to the prerequisites to apply for an MSN program in Nursing. I can visualize myself as a nurse. I can visualize myself taking years of both personal and corporate experience and utilizing that to help people. I can visualize loving what I do. And it has been a long time since I've felt that way.

I will not be obsolete. You can count on that, young techies! Because when I'm caring for you or your family you will take comfort in the fact that this mature, competent and caring individual made a rough time smoother. You know that lively blonde nurse ...

Excellent healthcare will never be considered passe. Experienced healthcare providers will not be cast off.

Today, one foot is out of the tar pit, dripping oily, viscous goop. Tomorrow, as I shlep from the tarpit, my other foot will be out, planted on terra firma, roaming a campus near you. Roarrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr