**Well, I Did It**

I applied for the job. But I don't know that I want it anymore. It is just that preparing the cover letter and resume was such a drag, I felt like I had to send it in. If I can invest 8-9 hours writing a cover letter, they can spend an hour looking it over.

I saw a senior thesis presentation from a student who did her research on krill off the Oregon Coast. I am homesick. Doesn't bode well for pulling up stakes and moving cross country, eh?

**On the Road Again**

I am off visiting my daughter. I haven't come to see her at college since her freshman year. This weekend she is presenting her senior thesis at a three day symposium. All very impressive - full of words I can't pronounce. I am sitting at her desk in one of the college labs working on job reviews while she is off studying for an midterm. Her desk if full of accolades, student leadership awards, honor society invitations and very cool artwork by her friends. It is nice to finally see the place where she spends A LOT of time.

We listened to a guest speaker tonight talk about DNA analysis and evolutionary forensics. Very engaging speaker with - surprise, surprise - a new book out. After his talk, however, I might just read it. We had a nice chat afterwards about the intelligent design movement and a scathing review he did of a recent not-to-be-named-cause-he-teaches-at-my-son's-school-academic's tome on the subject. The review comes out in the July issue of Discover - I WILL be reading that. He also lambasted the media - rightfully so, but hey, get in line - for their polarizing, oversimplication of the creationist/evolution debate, simply ignoring the great variations of middle ground held by those who acknowledge some level of faith and yet still see the OVERWHELMING scientific evidence in support of evolution. I took a picture of E with him, just in case he gets as famous as Jane Goodall and I can add it to my E-with-famous-cool-people picture collection.

E and I enjoyed a nice dinner at my dear friends house and planned her college graduation open house. No to acobats, yes to finger food. No to slide show, yes to slip 'n slide. Yes to guest book, no to gifts. Now that is my kind of graduation party.

**Why the Name**

So I recently changed my "name" on this blog. It is only now that I realize why. Sometimes that happens to me. I do things and don't really know why until later. I just feel initially this need to do them. And urge that I can only describe as like a urinary tract infection without the pain. Or that urge to push (for you moms out there) And I do apologize for the imagery of both analogies.

This name - Someone on the cusp - is becoming prescient.

I find myself, as I mentioned earlier, almost overwhelmed with commitments to the point of no return. That pressure seems to build up just before something potentially life changing comes along. That something is apparently showing up in the form of a new job possibility.

So now I am faced with a dilemma. Pursue this new position - which, at the outset will involve a substantial investment of time invested in an application process, when I really DO NOT have time to spare - or blow off a potentially important opportunity for career advancement. I don't even know if I am competitive for the job. And I can't even get my head around all the other implications if I were to take such a job. The impact would be like a tidal wave through my life here in the northwest. ARGH.

**Not a Good Week. Not at All**

I am only emerging from the surprising emotional turmoil I felt over the events at Virginia Tech. I don't know anyone there, but tears have come several times when I think about the parents, the young promising lives lost, and the apparent acts of selflessnes and heroism in the face of paralyzing fear.

I don't think much about all the discussions of whether "our children" are safe in school. That is a useless discussion. No one is safe from such a random act.

When, oh when, are we going to get real about gun control?

So, I slept an extra hour this morning (after another late night board meeting) and woke to the Supreme Court decision upholding the federal Partial Birth Abortion Ban Act. Read J. Ginsberg's dissent. This does not bode well for women. The chipping away at a women's right to choose is underway. Menopause. Bring it on. I am ready.

**The Horror and the Beauty**

Noted on Dooce, the video got me thinking about the allure that must have been felt by those who worked in Los Alamos developing the hydrogen bomb. Must watch Fat Man and Little Boy again. It's power is mesmerizing and the images a beautiful in a horrific sort of way.

**Up Against the Wall**

It happens to me once or twice a year. I get so backed up, I don't even know where to begin. I have things on the "to do" list from over a year ago. I can't even get close to them.

When I get to this point, I usually have to lock myself in the house or office for a couple days, get into a groove and clean off the most pressing items on the list. Currently, taxes still hang over me, although I have done a good chunk of them, closure seems to be the problem. It doesn't help that between me and the kids, there are three federal and five state returns to complete. (Good diversion for the doldrums of preparing taxes here. - an IRS poster contest. And I don't want to hear about all you who "have it done by your accountant!") Add to my must-be-done-immediately-list an employee evaluation to finish, conference papers to review, and an employee manual to rewrite. All of these have a May 1 or earlier deadline.

So it is Friday morning, I am NOT going to the office because I know there would be interruptions. I have turned the heat on, and am brewing my second latte. First off, the employee review and then TAXES. This may require some rock music....

**So Where the Bloody Hell Are You?**

I have had a webcam bookmarked for a long time. The webcam is mounted in the middle of Pete's Pond in Botswana. You can watch the wildlife wander around. Complete with audio. The season for viewing at Pete's Pond is over and National Geographic has two other webcams available. Wouldn't you know, one of the cams is in Australia. You can view it here, but the live shot is preceded by a tourism ad for Australia. Watch it. Ah, now this entry's title makes sense, eh?

**Now That's Better**

I could have graded. I could have finished taxes (don't panic Em). I could have prepped classes. Instead I fixed the blog. Added some stuff. I am still looking for a good RSS feed of images of Australia or New Zealand. If anyone knows of one or, like me, wants to avoid working and look for one, I would love to learn about it. I also am trying to figure out how to have YouTube videos play on my site. I know some of you know how to do this. Help?

I did the math. Figuring a December 20th departure, 255 days until Australia.

**That's what I get for...**

...updating my blog template. All my customization is lost and the width has changed mashing my images together (see two entries down). I can barely find time to post these days, let alone recustomize my blog. Oh well, one sleepless night and I should be able to get to it. In the meantime... lots of conversation generated among bloggers (whose links USED to be on me blog, matey) about the trip to Australia. If it is anything like Ecuador, E. should do a bang-up job as tour guide (and probably go crazy with all of us and the concurrent mayhem and bedlam that seems to follow us when we travel). At least she won't have to play group translator.... The trip must include a visit to a place like this....