Inspired

I know I promised more pictures ASAP. Those will absolutely be delivered to this blog tonight. I'm excited to share them, we have some amazing photos from Oregon. It's truly one of the most beautiful places I've ever been. I thought I'd give a brief break from looking at pictures of my mug, and blog about whatever is on my mind since it's been a really interesting week.

I will forewarn, I am not going to blog about the Flyers losing the Stanley Cup. I'm not a crazed hockey fan by any means (I root for the Thrashers and Flyers, yes, in that order) but I watched most of the Series which I thought was great, actually. I am not in anyways crushed (or even surprised, as they were true underdogs!). I think Philly should be very proud of the Orange and Black, and that's all I'll say on the subject. If you are a "Blackhawks fan" (and yes, that is in quotes since the number of fans they have exponentially increased since the Stanley Cup Finals began), then congratulations to you.

Moving on. I have been feeling especially introspective lately. I'm not going to write the woe-is-me blog that I thought I would. And I'm not sure if my newfound optimism is a result of having some delicious coffee this morning (I finally figured out the ratio of coffee to cream that I like with this new Fresh Market stuff that I tried), getting a good night's sleep, or being on the very verge of possibly landing a job that would be perfect for me (well, maybe I'm not quite on the verge yet, but there is a strong possibility, I think), but I am quite inspired at the thought of some of the upcoming events this Summer. And I'm not even just talking wedding-related events, although from the sounds of my favorite ladies in the world, my bachelorette parties are going to be two for the ages!

In approximately three weeks, I will be concluding my time working in a research lab. I have been dreading this for the past few months, mostly because the idea of relying entirely on tutoring for income panics the heck out of me and because I will no longer be working with Mary (who recently has established herself as not only the coordinator for the particular lab I was working in, but is now a manager of a core facility for the entire Institute - a HUGE deal!). That being said, not only am I losing a salary and a fabulous co-worker, I started to think about the fact that I'm sort of losing part of my identity. And this has been a hard pill to swallow. I wanted to be a Scientist since I was about 9 years old and declared to my Aunt Nonie that I had ideas on how to cure AIDS (this was before I realized that my IQ was only so high).

Interestingly, as a kid, I was receiving most of my scientific information about various diseases from movies ("Lorenzo's Oil", an incredible true story of parents doing the research to find a cure for their son's disease; "And the Band Played On", which dealt with the beginning of the AIDS epidemic in the U.S.; and hopefully everyone on the planet has seen "Outbreak" - I still never stand too close to a centrifuge, thank you, Kevin Spacey). So Science and research have been a big part of my life since I can remember.

After 8+ years doing research, now what do I do?

Well, first, I have about 400 journal articles in the spare bedroom that we call my "office". They're everywhere. I have a small file cabinet stuffed with papers, a set of drawers with papers in them; they're on the floor, stacked on top of shelves; they're everywhere! I never thought about getting rid of them EVER. What if someone asks me one day to reference an article about the seasonal regulation of aggression in song sparrows???

But no one is going to! Because that's not what I do anymore! How weird. (Although if you really need to know something, I most likely can cite references for you from memory...it's almost scary).

So first thing on the agenda for July 1st? The recycling center. There will be paper, paper, and more paper. And then what? What if I don't get the job that I so badly want?

Well, then I tutor, which is awesome. But then, I think I'm going to do something that I've wanted to do FOREVER. And that is write a novel.

Ok, ok, well first I'll also be applying for more jobs. And I'm still pursuing the possibility of entering the MPH program at UGA (This is funding-dependent for anyone who is wondering - I've gotten lots of questions about this lately, so let's just say, Status: Pending).

Regardless, job or no job, I'd like to write a novel. I've been talking only to Bryan about this for a really long time. He's always tells me I'll have plenty of time to write when I'm pregnant! (My take on this is that I have a feeling I'm going to be tired, hot, and hungry the whole time I'm pregnant and if my hands are busy delivering food to my mouth, how am I going to type?)

And not write a novel as in, sit around, write it, and hope that an agent spontaneously reads it one day because they manifested in a puff of smoke on my front doorstep. I mean, write a manuscript, find an editor, and seriously pursue publication. A Tomboy Bride-based novel? Maybe one day. I know the M.O.B. is pulling for that one. But I've had an idea for a long time, these characters that live in my head (yes, I may be crazy, I know that), and it's gotta get written. So I'm not sure which will get written first, and I know there's lots of research to do with respect to writing a proposal for a book and all of that (in hopes of getting a meager advance of some sort that will allow me to live off of oatmeal and spend my time in seclusion writing). Can you imagine?

Soon-to-be-Mrs. Hoey: Former Scientist, Math/Science Instructor, NOVELIST??? One thing that being a novelist will (most likely) include? Research. So maybe I won't lose my identity after all. The situation around me will change (not "The Situation", I mean MY situation), but I'll still strive to make a positive impact on people regardless of my job title. And who knows, maybe by the time my first novel is finished the Flyers WILL win the Stanley Cup (and the Thrashers will make the playoffs!)! :-)