Renovations Begin!

CDW tearing out the carpet.
Kitchen before.
Above - Condo before (with renters furniture).

Hi everyone!  I have been unforgivably neglectful of the blog.  I'm hoping to turn over a new leaf at least for the summer, and especially since we have so many exciting things going on!  This morning we started the renovations on our condo on Charles Street - we only have until June 30 to get everything done, and get moved in!  

Before lunch today we tore up the carpet in both bedrooms, and the hallway.  I say we, but CDW did most of the really hard work.  I'm primarily on clean-up crew.  Our contractors have also gotten a lot done already - they've removed all of our kitchen cabinets and sink.  We are told that after lunch they will be taking out the kitchen wall.  This afternoon we'll finish taking out the carpet, and haul our flooring materials from the Sharp Street condo to Charles.  We have to open the boxes so that the materials have the week to acclimate.  More to come . . . 

Ms. Sheely Visits Washington

So this weekend I am participating in an advocacy summit. The good folks at SOPHE (Society for Public Health in Education) will be teaching public health people like me how to go to Washington, and make the case for our cause with the beaurocrats. This does interest me a little bit, but my primary motivation is that it gets me out of writing a 20-page paper on "What is community health advocacy?" I think you see my point. So I will let you all know how it goes. I'm sad to miss a weekend with my family, as the weeks seem to fly by with so few moments to be enjoyed together - we're either grading papers, doing reports for work, working on school projects, sending "very important e-mails" or something like that. For this moment I'm able to enjoy a nutty Irishman, but I must get back to grading these papers.

Absenteeism Blogging

Yikes folks - I guess that school kept me pretty busy - so busy that I kinda forgot about the blog. I will try to be better. Promise.

js

A Different Table of Knowledge

Any of you know my Grandpa Fred?  If you do, you know that he goes to the Table of Knowledge most every morning.  This is where Grandpa and some of his hunting buddies sit around a table at the Century Bar in Bellevue, Nebraska.  Mostly I think that they drink coffee and wax philosophical.  This is small town America if you ask me.

While I am in Nebraska I've also been finishing up a policy paper (due tomorrow thank goodness!).  Anyway, I've been commandeering a table in the morning at the local Panera (I'm a slave to free wi-fi).  So this particular morning there appears to be a Table of Knowledge group at the Panera!  I think I've actually seen these fellas here before on another visit home.  They're reading their papers, talking politics, and many of them are wearing Carhart.  I have no doubt that they are Cornhuskers through and through.  I guess I'm just surprised that they hold their Table of Knowledge at  . . . Panera.

Mom update - By the way, mom is recovering well from her surgery, but, as anticipated, it's hard to keep her from moving around.

Facebook

Yo peeps - I'm on Facebook  now - like the rest of the world.  So friend me.  Because I can't find a lot of you.

Blog Diet

I know it - the blog is looking pretty lean these days.  It is taking the hit for all of this school work.  Just in case anyone is interested - here is what has been occupying my time lately:

- presentation on the oral/systemic connection, and saliva as a biomarker (shout out to my NMD homies here)

- paper and presentation on behavior effects of soda consumption in adolescents

- paper on consumer credit protection legislation

- research proposal to examine connections between college student credit card debt and negative physical and mental health effects  

Thrilling, isn't it?  I have a lot to say about grad school these days.  One of the nicest things on that list is that by and large I get to pick my own writing topics, so that at least when I spend a whole Saturday researching and writing (instead of watching college football) it is a topic that I find interesting.

VOTE

Make sure to get out and cast your ballot today!  CDW and JAS both voted before 8AM today - and it was a breeze!