Looks like we will have to learn to spell this properly, as I have been offered the position at University of Hartford.
WHoohoo!
When the Dean called my parents house on Thursday he asked for "Doctor Owens", which threw my family for a bit of a loop-- as my Grandfather, the only Dr. Owens we know in Valdosta, Georgia died about 20 years ago. My parents gave the Dean the number for Mike's parents-- where we are staying until today. He called, offered the position, and then I told him I'd call back the next day. WHen I called back on Friday I had to negotiate the details, like salary, moving expenses, research budget-- CRAZY. That's not my strong suit, but it was fun and exciting.
I will sign a contract in January, with the expectation that we will move to Connecticut in the late summer-- July or August of next year.
OK-- taking the UHaul to Valdosta today-- so we need to get rolling!
More soon!
Saturday, December 22, 2007
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
I heart hartford
will in transit
tearful haircut
james, thrilled to ride in an AUTO of his ownThis is Katharine writing, just back from a whirlwind visit to the University of Hartford for a speedy job interview. If given my choice, I do not think I would have opted to leave just a few days after the international move-- but now that it is over I am quite glad I had the chance to visit the school and interview.
Mike drove Will and I at 4AM on Monday morning to catch the airport shuttle, then we flew from Atlanta to Dulles in Washington, and finally from Dulles to the Hartford international airport. Special Note: I found out during the visit that KLM has just started non stop service from Amsterdam to the hartford airport (Bradley International). Mike picked us up just after midnight on Tuesday. The interview went really well. Everyone was really friendly, and supportive of the fact that I'd brought my 3 month old baby along. In fact, I cannot tell if they really, really liked me-- or are just some of the nicest people I've met in a while. I had a great visit, though it was super busy with meetings, appointments, meals and lectures. I met with each of the members of the department, the dean, the environmental studies folks, and had dinner with the search committee. I also had a chance to present my research to a group of faculty/search committee members and students. They did not want a traditional "research presentation" because the school focuses more on teaching than research. So, I took my research (or a portion of) and used it to create a lecture about connections between local initiatives and global environmental problems. They were really positive about it, though as I said they were super nice people-- so it is difficult to say what their enthusiasm "means" in terms of a job prospect. They said they hope to inform the candidates by January... and of course I will pass that information on through this website.
The city of hartford was great, the town of West Hartford really accessible and not a victim of suburban sprawl. The campus is beautiful (though surely the foot of snow gave it an especially pristine and clean appearance).
Will was great as a traveling companion. Compared to a nine hour flight, a few short jumps up and down the east coast seemed like an easy task. Will slept, ate, and charmed everyone he came into contact with. Our sister in law Pat's sister Berni came down to babysit Will on Tuesday and they had a wonderful day together.
In other news--- we are just keeping busy organizing ourselves (and our belongings) on this side of the Atlantic. We will move our stuff from Atlanta to Valdosta later this week. In our 'spare' time we have been to the Catholic Church's Santa pancake breakfast, to the barber for a tearful haircut for James, shopping for clothes and Christmas stuff, and on several playdates with our cousins the Goulds. Such fun!
Saturday, December 15, 2007
Legal Aliens
Well, we are back in the States after a once in a lifetime trip. As our plane finally taxied into Hartsfield , we looked at each other and said (tearfully) - okay, we will never try to do so many things all in the same year again. The trip back would have been exhausting for well-rested people, but for two sleep-deprived parents and two little kids, it really did push us to the limits of sanity.
We began, well let's go back to last week, when James had taken out the folder with our passports, birth certificates etc. and placed it in the recycling bin for paper- the day before they came to collect it. Luckily, Katharine spotted it in time.
There is no perfect place for such a ridiculously important folder in a torn apart house that is being packed up to move- we decided we wouldn't put it anywhere but back in the file cabinet it came from and leave it there until we were ready to go.
When the movers showed up (2 hours early) the day before we left, we had everything packed and numbered on a manifest- except for the filing cabinet and the computer because we were busy with some last minute things and thought we had plenty of time to pack them up. After i hurriedly packed up the computer and as the movers went to put the last box in the van, i realised they had forgotten the big heavy filing cabinet and rushed to get it on the truck. About 15 minutes later I realised i had never taken out the all-important folder and the already high stress level jumped up a notch. Again, we were lucky to catch them before the boxes were on the pallets and put on the boat, and one of the guys went through the stuff and found the right folder and brought it to us.
You'd think we hadn't prepared for all this but we really have been working on logistics for months.
The next day, we had arranged for a taxi service to come pick us, the kids and their strollers, all the extra baggage, and the dogs in their kennels in what we were clearly assured several times would be a sufficiently large vehicle. We even called the night before to check about the pick up time and make sure they knew these were not Jack Russells, but proper sized dogs in big crates etc.
To make this shuttle, we rose at 3am and got the kids ready for what was promised to be a 345 departure. Again, they show up early and begin to try to cram our stuff in the back of the van when we are not totally prepared- and then we notice that there are two people sitting in the van and the driver tells me he has two more to pick up before we get to the airport. According to his order we are three people and some extra baggage. No, I say no and then, well a black rage sort of has blanked the rest of the ensuing interchanges with him and his boss on the phone out, but after using all my choicest words at top volume and waking up most of the street- we come up with no solution and it is getting later.
We are lucky to have friends.
Our neighbors Ronald and Maaike also happen to be moving right now and had rented a trailer to pull behind their station wagon. When they heard- and came down to investigate and help us- Ronald finally offered to take us the two hours to the airport himself- which well, just totally saved us and avioded a complete disaster.
So that happened.
Then it was waiting in the airport and checking in the dogs and signing their health certificates and paying twice the price for Ghost because all of a sudden he was too heavy, and waiting in line, and checking documents and keeping the little guys relatively calm and happy and explaining that we would go soon and then getting on the plane and flying for 9.5 hours to Atlanta with poor James who did great but just could not fall asleep until about the 8.45 mark and poor Will who did great but inevitably broke down at the same time as his brother, we got to Hartsfield and went through customs and picked up sleeping children for inspection, and re-checked bags and found dogs in a broken crate (Ghost's) that someone, somewhere, had tied up with a rope and some tape and heard them cry and saw the cushions Keska had torn up into a million tiny peices, and walked through airport to baggage claim and met the Maiers and got our bags (8) and finally found where the dogs were taken again and waited in Atalnta rush hour traffic for an extra 45 minutes, we arrived home.
More soon as we decompress.
We began, well let's go back to last week, when James had taken out the folder with our passports, birth certificates etc. and placed it in the recycling bin for paper- the day before they came to collect it. Luckily, Katharine spotted it in time.
There is no perfect place for such a ridiculously important folder in a torn apart house that is being packed up to move- we decided we wouldn't put it anywhere but back in the file cabinet it came from and leave it there until we were ready to go.
When the movers showed up (2 hours early) the day before we left, we had everything packed and numbered on a manifest- except for the filing cabinet and the computer because we were busy with some last minute things and thought we had plenty of time to pack them up. After i hurriedly packed up the computer and as the movers went to put the last box in the van, i realised they had forgotten the big heavy filing cabinet and rushed to get it on the truck. About 15 minutes later I realised i had never taken out the all-important folder and the already high stress level jumped up a notch. Again, we were lucky to catch them before the boxes were on the pallets and put on the boat, and one of the guys went through the stuff and found the right folder and brought it to us.
You'd think we hadn't prepared for all this but we really have been working on logistics for months.
The next day, we had arranged for a taxi service to come pick us, the kids and their strollers, all the extra baggage, and the dogs in their kennels in what we were clearly assured several times would be a sufficiently large vehicle. We even called the night before to check about the pick up time and make sure they knew these were not Jack Russells, but proper sized dogs in big crates etc.
To make this shuttle, we rose at 3am and got the kids ready for what was promised to be a 345 departure. Again, they show up early and begin to try to cram our stuff in the back of the van when we are not totally prepared- and then we notice that there are two people sitting in the van and the driver tells me he has two more to pick up before we get to the airport. According to his order we are three people and some extra baggage. No, I say no and then, well a black rage sort of has blanked the rest of the ensuing interchanges with him and his boss on the phone out, but after using all my choicest words at top volume and waking up most of the street- we come up with no solution and it is getting later.
We are lucky to have friends.
Our neighbors Ronald and Maaike also happen to be moving right now and had rented a trailer to pull behind their station wagon. When they heard- and came down to investigate and help us- Ronald finally offered to take us the two hours to the airport himself- which well, just totally saved us and avioded a complete disaster.
So that happened.
Then it was waiting in the airport and checking in the dogs and signing their health certificates and paying twice the price for Ghost because all of a sudden he was too heavy, and waiting in line, and checking documents and keeping the little guys relatively calm and happy and explaining that we would go soon and then getting on the plane and flying for 9.5 hours to Atlanta with poor James who did great but just could not fall asleep until about the 8.45 mark and poor Will who did great but inevitably broke down at the same time as his brother, we got to Hartsfield and went through customs and picked up sleeping children for inspection, and re-checked bags and found dogs in a broken crate (Ghost's) that someone, somewhere, had tied up with a rope and some tape and heard them cry and saw the cushions Keska had torn up into a million tiny peices, and walked through airport to baggage claim and met the Maiers and got our bags (8) and finally found where the dogs were taken again and waited in Atalnta rush hour traffic for an extra 45 minutes, we arrived home.
More soon as we decompress.
Monday, December 10, 2007
Countdown
This may well be the last official 'Hollandsenieuwe' post as we have to pack up the desktop computer tomorrow for the movers (probably the last thing along with James' toys). I wish I had the time to reflect a little on the last four years here right now, but that will have to wait until things are a little less hectic.
We have arranged for people buying our furniture to come pick the bed up after we leave so at least we don't have to get a hotel our last night. James is feeling better, though the move is making him a little nervous; there is a not a day where anything is in the same place it seems. Today he pointed sadly at the blank spaces on his wall where his pictures had been, but did seem to accept that they were in all those boxes going on the ship to America. Will is still dealing with a cough and congestion that woke us up every 30-45 minutes last night but we are hoping that will clear up by Thursday morning. To compound the discomfort Katharine took him for his 3 month vaccinations today.
We have been preparing for this move for so long but it is still amazing how much there is to do right up to the last moment. We even had a potential buyer call today to come look at the house tomorrow- he will be right between the plumber coming to fix our water heater and the realtor with whom we will sign a contract with in the afternoon to show the property when we leave.
A big thanks go out to our good friends Cor and Marian who have been helping us out almost every day, as well as Judith and Niels, and Letteke.
As James really enjoyed sjoelen at Thanksgiving, though he had problems reaching the end, Cor and Marian very kindly bought him his own sjoelbakje today.
We have arranged for people buying our furniture to come pick the bed up after we leave so at least we don't have to get a hotel our last night. James is feeling better, though the move is making him a little nervous; there is a not a day where anything is in the same place it seems. Today he pointed sadly at the blank spaces on his wall where his pictures had been, but did seem to accept that they were in all those boxes going on the ship to America. Will is still dealing with a cough and congestion that woke us up every 30-45 minutes last night but we are hoping that will clear up by Thursday morning. To compound the discomfort Katharine took him for his 3 month vaccinations today.
We have been preparing for this move for so long but it is still amazing how much there is to do right up to the last moment. We even had a potential buyer call today to come look at the house tomorrow- he will be right between the plumber coming to fix our water heater and the realtor with whom we will sign a contract with in the afternoon to show the property when we leave.
A big thanks go out to our good friends Cor and Marian who have been helping us out almost every day, as well as Judith and Niels, and Letteke.
As James really enjoyed sjoelen at Thanksgiving, though he had problems reaching the end, Cor and Marian very kindly bought him his own sjoelbakje today.
Thursday, December 06, 2007
Almost gone
It has been a hectic week. With no buyer lined up for the house, we have been arranging it as a furnished rental. With our connections to the university we hope that we can find a short term renter while the realtor finds a buyer in the next couple of months. There are still a few small things to be done - some paint, attaching trim etc. but it will have to just be left as is, less than perfect.
In good, but logistically difficult news, Katharine will be flying to Hartford a couple of days after we get home to interview for a tenure track position. Its a real honor just to be invited so we are very excited and proud. Will and she will fly up for two days.
A bout of sickness destroyed most of our plans for the week- James was fine Saturday night but woke up Sunday with a croupy cough and a fever which passed (just the cough) to Will. The ensuing four nights of sleeplessness meant that Katharine and I now both have colds- no cough thankfully- but we are all just sort of holding on to sanity at times.
Will post more before we leave- and we have to think of a new blog name soon....
Here are the boys in a rare tandem restful period-
In good, but logistically difficult news, Katharine will be flying to Hartford a couple of days after we get home to interview for a tenure track position. Its a real honor just to be invited so we are very excited and proud. Will and she will fly up for two days.
A bout of sickness destroyed most of our plans for the week- James was fine Saturday night but woke up Sunday with a croupy cough and a fever which passed (just the cough) to Will. The ensuing four nights of sleeplessness meant that Katharine and I now both have colds- no cough thankfully- but we are all just sort of holding on to sanity at times.
Will post more before we leave- and we have to think of a new blog name soon....
Here are the boys in a rare tandem restful period-
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