Interview

Day after tomorrow, hubby leaves for his interview at Big Southern University (well, medium-sized really, considering its only 17K students). I don't know about an elephant as a mascot, and a chant referencing polluted water. That, and I graduated from Florida. Working there just seems, well, ...let's just hope they pay well. I CAN be bought.

We've looked at houses on-line in Small Southern City just east of Mississippi. I even found a cute one on a lake. Houses seem affordable. The only catch is a big one - we'd have to sell our house here, and there's no way we could carry two house payments. I also feel like we just got our house here looking the way I wanted it (most rooms re-painted, all new lighting, etc.).

I find the thought of moving downright invigorating. Most folks loathe the idea, but I think grad school and the academy made me more flexible in that area.

I'm not looking forward to being a single-mom for the 3 days Michael will be gone. I'm a wimp. I like our routine with the kids, and how much he does with them. I can't imagine how I'm going to get both of them to sleep. Usually he gets Bit-Bit to sleep and I lay down next to Cookie as she drifts off. It's a good balance.

Michael won't know for a while the outcome of his interview as the other candidate isn't coming in until the end of January. There is also another faculty line being filled in the same department, and those candidates are also interviewing this month. So, the faculty there won't likely make their decisions and have approval to extend the offers until the beginning of February. It will be a long, hard wait for me. I like to have answers YESTERDAY. I was not blessed with the gift of patience. Until then, we will focus on our teaching and the new semester and our family.

We've purchased new bedroom furniture for ourselves, and that will arrive this month. We're also getting our master bedroom painted (a very, very light aqua), and purchased new bedding. I've gone for the "spa" feel, so hopefully that will also motivate me to get the oldest child OUT of our SPA bed! It also won't hurt for showing the house to prospective buyers.

All that should keep us busy. I'm working on getting my vita updated so we can potentially try to land me some teaching in the department as well, should Michael get an offer that he can't pass up.

Rest assured, it would take a fabulous offer to get us to leave all we have here. We are pretty certain the offer would have to involve promotion to Associate Professor (which there is a good chance of), promise of tenure in a year (which there is a slight chance of), and a nice bump in salary (who the heck knows the chances of that one). It really needs to be a "dream offer".

So, what do we think we want at this moment? We want an offer that is all of the above. So, if you are the praying type, we'd love for you to pray with us this week and this month. If God wants us to roll with the tide, then pray we follow His will! If we are to stay, pray we know for sure we need to be here. We are grateful to be in this position, especially when so many others are suffering without jobs of any kind. We are excited that God might be telling us it is time to move on to the next great adventure! You know, I had no clue as to why I/we was/were supposed to move to Lexington, KY - but I have two beautiful reasons that are now crystal clear.

I'm so proud of Michael. And in my previous marriage I was never proud of my husband. What a difference it is to have someone to be proud of. Such a cool feeling.

His BIG interview day is Friday. Relaxed day Thurs. getting shown around and "wined and dined", BIG interview day and his research presentation on Friday, and he returns Sat. morning. So BIG prayers needed Friday!