What to do now?/ Wondering if that BA was worth it?

Warning: Negativity Purge!

Well I foundout from one of my old teachers that my High school is hiring a history teacher and that I should send my resume ASAP. Well I foundout they're already interviewing for the position so I called to see how I would go about putting my resume on file. The office secretary pretty much gave me the info in the "We're in hiring freeze mode...but maybe on the 31st of Never we might glance at the application and decide you're not qualified, but give you the sympathy interview because you were an alumni." sort of tone. Yes I know I'm a total optimist. Alright so I'm a little negative but the last 3 times I tried to update my career, I was told I was underqualified, the department was in hiring freeze, or it was a commission based ( read unpaid.) position. So can you tell I'm a little nervous add to that one of my co-workers made the comment that I'm going to be in my current position for the rest of my working life...yeah counting other people's money and getting cussed out by people that can't balance a check book for the rest of my life isn't what I have in mind as a vocational calling...but to quote my Aunt Marie "You're lucky you got a job Bobby, lots of people don't got no job Bobby." Not that I have a lot of issues with my job...I don't I just don't want to be 70 working a drive thru window. Plus I would actually like to put my degree to use I mean I spent enough time and money trying to get it. I don't want $n and several sleepless nights going to a wall decoration or fire starter.

On that note one of my professors is out of the state for a convention and I desperately need a grade from her course so I can get my Bachelor's in the mail. Note to self..never, ever hand anything in late ever again ...also anyone who decides to tackle a 40hour/week job and a 15+ credit course load should be adjudicated mentally incompetent..but that's neither here nor there...my big fear is that if I get interviewed and get the job that something will fall through like I won't get the grade in time and won't be qualified for the job and because of that fiasco never have a shot at a career in education ever again....

Yep all best case scenarios running through my head....ok I'm really spiraling here but the last week hasn't really been all that good. So my attitude has sort've been in the crapper. The fact that the news media suggestion to new grads is pull out a card board sign that states "will work for loan payment." and get used to the taste of sewer rat because that's the only meat you'll be able to afford, really isn't helping to assuage my fears. It's just I would really like to be able to spend a majority of my life in a job that I enjoy doing...not counting down the hours, minutes and seconds until I punch out....or if I am counting down to punch out time, getting paid a premium for my time. Alright so that's me purging out my fears of being a college grad in a post apocolyptic economy....I just really hope that piece of paper was worth the effort.

Wondering if Sewer rat is better roasted or fried...
R.D.

Smoked

"You got beat by a Gur-url" - Speed Racer's comments to me last year after the Nutmeg State Half marathon.

Yesterday I got on the bike for the first time in two weeks for a 100k ride with Josie. I could go in to details about how I put my wheel on backwards ( hence no data.) and got totally annihilated on any upward incline. Long story short I think Josie is well within her goal of a sub 3 hour Half Ironman bike split. On the hillest sections of climbs she managed to open a good 5 to 10 minute lead on me. Seriously I haven't felt that tired on a bike since my last 100k ride. So this week since the weather is supposed to be good I'm going to run myself through a mini-bike camp. 20-30 miles everyday...weather permitting...missed rides accumalate with a 10 mile loop of the Griskus Sprint course tossed on as interest. I need to get serious and learn to fly on two wheels.

Trying to pry out his inner Lance.
R.D.

Kickin' it Old School.

Alright I made the decision to buy a bathing suit on Thursday... as my previous one had a see through back side. Rather than make the world suffer by exposing my cavernous can, I decided to stop into Sports Authority to get a new set of trunks. Well apparently I decided to skimp out on coverage to save some dough so I decided to rock the brief or as others know it as "the grape hanger", "The Banana Hammock", " Good Ol' Little suit", ""Man-kini" Bottom" , figure at worst case senario I can toss them on under a worn out jammer. ( I'm really liking Kastaway's $23 jammer deal...I'm going to take advantadge of it.) Anyway, my choice of swimwear aside, this week has turned out to be an old school training week. Wednesday I got back into the pool and realized just how out of shape I had gotten. Thursday I ran about 7 miles and swam another 3000 yards, this time it felt a little better. Yesterday another 6-7 miles of running, my planned swim was kaboshed by "get us out of the house before we go insane" movie night with my sisters.
Today 100k ride in Middlebury with Josie. Sunday my sister, Christina graduates high school, she and Melissa will be moving to Newport in September So I'll have an excuse to visit the island.
So that's all for me.

Lettin' it all hang out.
R.D.

Outta shape..

Last night I hit the pool at the Southington YMCA.
Other than splitting a lane with an elderly woman doing breatstroke it wasn't too bad....other than I'm out of shape. My main set was 3x500 on 7 min. and I was touch and go on them.
That's what I get for only one pool session a week for the last two weeks. So tonight more flogging in the pool. Also I'm at a debate on equipment, I need new running shoes and a new bathing suit. The running shoes still have some tread but they are slightly above the 5oo mile mark.
The bathing suit well, lets just say my jammer is turning into see-through leg tights. Both are at the breaking point and I really don't want to have to throw down on both at the same time. Especially since I need to renew my Y memebership. $44 a month ....man part of me misses the undergrad discount.

This weekend I start riding again...I'll blow the dust off the old Stomper and get some much needed road time in. Patriot is rapidly approaching and I want to haul ass at stupid rate of speed...especially on the run. Last year I died a most horrible death at about mile 30 on the bike this year I still plan on throttling the bike granted I want to do it on the second loop...not the first like last year... it's just so hard when you're in the top 5 overall for most of the day..also I would like to do a sub 1:40 half marathon...so can you guess where my focus is going to be for the next month. I ran a 8 miler on Monday in about 1:13 so hopefully I can match that split again today. Before I hit the pool.

Well time to get in touch with my inner Rocky

R.D.

Let the Beatings continue....

Well it's back to the training front. Some life issues have creeped up, they always do. For one my Internet is down at the homestead so I'm blogging on company time and at CCSU via the Alumni free computer lab deal. But I need to train and train like a wild beast. This weekend 200k of doom and gloom is on the table. Tonight I get back in the pool for the first time in a week. My running and riding will get into routine, things are falling into place. I have to wait for one of my professors to come back from a conference to take care of an incomplete and I should have that mystical piece of parchment mailed to me. ( hopefully with the words Cum Laude on the bottom.) Regardless I need to get in shape because quite frankly $300 from the Patriot would be a good thing right about now.
I got my CPR re certified and I'm debating getting my guard cert redone as it expires at the end of June. Guarding would be extra money and I would need the cert to coach, granted I know the high school kids are holding a monopoly on guard jobs and I really don't want to be bossed around by a 16 year old. Granted Swim seasons aren't too far off so I'm definitely thinking about coaching especially if I start teaching.
Well that's it for me I've got a date with chlorine.

Lord of the lane line
R.D.

Waiting for that sheet of paper....

Well I handed in my thesis: God hope it was good enough.
handed in my past due work for the incomplete and now it's hoping my grades are good enough to pass. I don't think either effort was my best work. My thesis was more of an anthropology paper than a history one....that's the problem with contemporary issues I focused too much on the contemporary and not enough on the past.

So now I'm in hope and pray mode that my grades were good enough to pass and maintain at least a 3.0 average and I can get my sheet of paper, start working a more fulfilling gig. Otherwise I'll be cashing checks and balancing classes again in the fall, granted I'll probably be taking classes in the fall any way but those are supposed to be helping my grad school ambitions, not going into year 7 on trying to get this damned bachelors. ( 2 years Fordham...1 year off, 1/2 a year of credits not transferring, 3 years of course work at CCSU amid all sorts of family crisis seriously 1 major one per year.)

All that aside the chips have fallen and it's time to get back into training. Start packing and ironing out housing for the summer, settle my fiscal mess...the BA will really help in this. If I have my BA take my GREs, take a Latin refresher as well as either Spanish or Italian and start working on my writing sample, for entering a Phd Program...yes I know I'm a glutton for suffering.

If I get the dreaded..."yeah Mr. Duguay you're six credits short..." letter...after screaming, pulling out a large chunk of my scalp and curling up in the fetal position saying "damn it why do I do this to myself." I'll knuckle down suck it up and see if I can do an Independent study for my thesis.

In my "hopefully" last semester of college I have learned the following:

an 18 credit course load, a 40 hour a week job and training for an Ironman at the same time is not really a good idea.

My professors and co-workers should be up for sainthood.

I don't have alot of friends but the ones I got are good ones. ( damn hope I didn't write like that on my thesis.)

Red Bull is Austria's greatest gift to Mankind.

One Person can single handedly save Colombia's legitmate market economy.

Jstor is my homeboy.

It is quite possible to live for 4 months getting 5=> hours of sleep a night.

Juan Valdez es mi amigo bueno.

Well for right now it's back to the grind.

Waiting by the mailbox.
R.D.

Edit 1: Got news back from my thesis advisor: The paper got a B.

Changes in the air....

Saturday I walk...Monday I hand in the thesis
God knows when in June I get my sheet of paper...

My Undergradate career is at an end...no more posts of how I have to burn gas getting to good old Uconn's bastard sibling...I mean CCSU.

To celebrate I worked out for the first time in over a week..3200 yards in the pool. Now I've just got to finish shit and get myself into shape for Patriot.

Also last week I went to my sister's comencement ball at Salve Regina in Newport, seriously 5 to 1 girl to guy ratio I so should have gone there.... I went with one of our mutual friends...I'll just code name her as The Spanish Teacher, needless to say the Spanish Teacher is kinda cute and I've known her for quite a while...and not in the Biblical sense ...to cut any smart alec comments off at the chase. So is she Bob-o's next romantic interest?

Also Melissa Graduated and now holds the title as the first in the fam to graduate from college...man if I hadn't partied too hardy at Fordham....
but on that note as I stand here with my bachelor's almost in hand...I'm left to debate what to do with my life.

Do I go after my masters in basket weavin...I mean history and persue a career in education...
Do I do my current plan and take my sciences while teaching and apply for med school?
Do I go after a PhD and become Dr. Bob-o expert on Italy, Britain and living off Ramen?

It sucks that I could be pretty happy doing any of the three...I guess the summer will tell.

So on that note it's back to the grind and the debate...

On the threshold of something big.
R.D.