I have been traveling a lot, and just when I thought I would be home for a month or more... I get a call about flying to the Left Coast for a job interview. It's been kinda crazy, and not exactly blog-update friendly.
The Big Conference was really nice. Host city was really, really expensive and hard to get to. As a result, it was a smaller group than past years. I schmoozed, I did not booze. I think my presentation went really well, but I had no questions. The moderator and I had a nice conversation, but he teaches at the same school as MT so we've actually talked about this topic before. My topic is one where graduate students often know more about the "facts" than established scholars. Notoriously Scary Professor came to my panel just to see my paper, which he seemed to enjoy.
The Big News is the on-site interview, my first of the season. It's also my first tenure-track interview in the US., a whole different kettle of fish than the UK job or the one-years. Two days of interviews and lectures. Two days of being on. I'm excited about the job, the department is a good fit and the location is primo. However, the teaching load is scary, especially considering the impending arrival of little Octavia/Caesar. Still, there is almost nowhere else in the US where we would be near so many different schools with good programs for MT too. Childcare. I have no idea how bad it will be, and I'm so scared. So very, very scared.
Also, my health issues are getting weird. Lately, I've been gasping. It's not shortness of breath, because that would be a normal symptom of pregnancy. No, I gasp randomly. Sometimes it takes me by surprise and sounds like a horror-movie gasp. Usually it's just a deep inhale, and sometimes it's connected to obvious signs of indigestion. I think I need to see a specialist, because the consensus is that it's probably related to reflux. Since it's not a threat to the pregnancy, I don't think the midwives care (much). I, of course, am worried that I will randomly gasp with food in my mouth, but no one else (other than MT) sees this as an issue. Well, at least we already know the ENTs and GIs at the local hospital.
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