Still no news.

I don't know if this is how other professions work but the lack of communication in an academic job search is surprising.  I still haven't heard from the school I phone interviewed with 3 weeks ago.  I'm taking that to mean that I'm not invited for a campus interview.  I just wish they would actually tell me instead of inferring that conclusion.  The good news is that I had another phone interview with a different school.  I think it went okay but I learned a few more ways to prepare for such an interview and so I'm hoping I get at least one more phone interview so I can really rock it!  I'll keep you posted on whether or not I get invited to that campus.  Keep your fingers crossed for me.  From what I heard from friends and my experience from last year...this is going to dragged out for several months.

No news is good news?

I had a phone interview last week which I think went well.  The only problem is that I don't think I am a perfect match for the position.  Perfect match for the school-YES!  Need to teach microbiology-I can do it but perhaps not their number one choice.  They told me that they were meeting on Thursday to decide who to invite to campus.  I haven't heard anything.  With my experience from last year, no response means "no thank you"so I'm not too hopeful.  I haven't heard anything from the other 11 jobs I've applied for.  Keep your fingers crossed for me.  I'm really tired of putting my life on hold trying to get a tenure-track job.

Canadian Thanksgiving...pre-dinner.

I'm so happy I'm baking!!! Tonight I am making a pumpkin cake with cream cheese frosting for Canadian Thanksgiving tomorrow at our favorite Canadian's house (http://www.the-girl-who-ate-everything.com/2011/10/pumpkin-bars-cake.html).  The whole family gets to go including Cali!  They always have an amazing dinner with all of the fixin's and wine.  And this means we get two Thanksgivings this year.  We will also be sharing it with Brandy, Amir and Kenan.  Last year Kenan was so tiny but now he is huge and never stops moving.  Hopefully he will like throwing the ball for Cali and I can enjoy my wine.  I'll post pics of my cake and dinner although you might all be jealous!

Surviving

I wasn't feeling well at the end of the week.  I had the sore throat, cough, and stuffy nose thing.  I figured my high stress level might have lowered my immune system function leaving me vulnerable.  So I decided to take advantage of a rainy Saturday and watch home improvement shows and took a long nap.  I did shower but then put on clean pajamas.  It was awesome!  I feel much better today although I think I'll be heading to bed soon just to make sure I get enough rest.  I submitted two more applications this weekend and worked on the introduction of my paper.  I'm optimistic that I'll get a few more solid hours of work on it tomorrow.  Speaking of tomorrow, it will be my day off from applications!   I have about 10 more to apply to but they aren't due for two-four weeks so I think I deserve a night off.  This doesn't mean a night off from the manuscript though!  Oh well, I guess if I get a job as an assistant professor this will be my reality...always working on something.  Okay, off to bed.

Update on the job search

As I write this I just realized that I forgot to add a comma to sentence I was working on before I went to pick Mike up.  I said I would do it when I got home, before I submitted the application.  However, I submitted the application 5 minutes ago and I forgot the comma.  Hopefully that won't count against me because I really really really want this job.  It is in a SLAC in Massachusetts close to family.  Perfect!  Keep your fingers crossed for me.

Total jobs applied to to date: 6
Jobs left to apply to: 11-12 (depending)

Lab meeting tomorrow

I had hoped to finish my figures to present in lab meeting tomorrow but my weekend at the beach and a full day at work means that I only have a few hours to get my stuff together.  I thought I would help my productivity with a beverage and a snack.  I'll let you know how it goes ;)

Beach Trip!

We spent the weekend at Surf City, NC with our friends Caryn and Andy.  It was a great time with awesome weather and 80 degree water temps (gotta love NC in September).  We brought Cali with us and she had a great time.  I'll try and get some pics off our the camera but I am too busy tonight to do that.  Here is a picture of her asleep in the backseat of the car.  For those of you who know Cali and how crazy she is in the car, this picture is a testament to just how tired she was.  I love a tired dog!!