I'm back

[cornerofmadness]

My usual interview luck prevailed. Snowed all the way to Marietta (Ohio guys, not GA) but I was thrilled to find out that the hotel they put me in was right on the Ohio river front and was, in fact, a historic riverboat hotel. The chandelier in the Lafayette was a ship’s wheel and there was a lot of nice antique furniture around. My room was in the Hoag addition which dated to 1937. Small room but nice and it overlooked the river. Mostly I just chilled out, watched TV and thought about anything but the coming day so I wouldn’t get nervous. I did remember to go out and look at the total lunar eclipse. Beautiful, especially looking at it standing in the riverfront parking lot. Later learned I could also see it from my room so I’d peer out at commercial break and just relax in the beauty of nature. After looking through the tourist info, I regret NOT going to Marietta in the years I’ve lived here (it’s only about an hour and forty minutes away, not much further than Columbus really). All sorts of antique shops, Fenton glass and other things.

I did get a halfway decent night’s sleep but snowplows woke me at 5 AM. Grr. I was pretty calm considering. For those of you who’ve never done an academic interview, it’s not like your normal job interview. They usually make you meet for separate interview/bull sessions with most of the department and other faculty AND administration. Take a job interview and make it thirteen hours long. That was my interview yesterday. I have to confess I think it went well. Breakfast was a little stiff because well who’s awake at 7:30 AM? I did like everyone I met. The staff seemed to get along and better yet couldn’t stop praising the administration something that is rare as hen’s teeth, let me tell you. The undergrad research IS ambitious but what they expect of me is less so, thankfully. The labs are great. It would be a very interesting place to work. They even sent me off for lunch with the students all by myself. No one has ever done that before. Students yes, but usually faculty goes along. The students got to rate me both personally (lunch) and professionally (lecture). I enjoyed being with the students. They weren’t all med-school wannabes. In fact pre-med isn’t a priority. Becoming research PhD’s is. Neat perspective.

Upsides? – Cadavers. I would get to do TWO different cadaver labs. One for sports medicine and one for physician assistants. So I’d be getting decent students. It looks likes nice place to work. The pay is nearly 10K more than I make here (well six grand if you count my overtime money) but the cost of living isn’t TOO much more. Marietta is a post-Revolutionary war town with stuff to do and Parkersburg WV (a city of about 100,000) is only 12-15 miles away.

Downside – cadaver lab, well it’s not a huge downside but there is a lot of work required for such a thing. In fact I’ll be an 11 month contract instead of the usual 9 since I’ll have to work all summer too. In other words I’ll be working a lot harder here than anywhere else I might look. Not that I’m afraid of work, mind you. The thing that is probably the biggest downside is I might be locked into teaching nothing more than anatomy and physiology (which was my concern at a community college) which would bore me. Granted that IS my primary focus no matter where I am but I might not have time to do anything else. Maybe I could get my new parasitology in since they don’t have that. The other downside which is always the way at small private colleges, money. Huge chunks of the budget go to the cadavers leaving not much for anything but still, there isn’t too much down here.

I think my lectures went well. Interesting that a talk about studying Asian medicine was attended by a least a half dozen of the many Chinese students that are at the college on the exchange program. They took me to dinner after that. Everyone at the school likes to cook (they have cook offs) and two of them saw the Star Trek quote on my website and asked if I wanted some Gah for dinner. That kicked off a geekfest.

The one problem that arose? It started snowing during my lecture and never stopped until after midnight so I had to cancel my classes and stay another night. Glad I did. It looked like a snocone machine barfed all over my area of the world. And I got to run to the gourmet pasta shop right across the street from the hotel. Vinto Rosso, lemon pepper and curry pasta are now waiting for me to decide on the proper complimentary sauces to put on them. Got home to find Roy had been picking fights (he stayed out since I didn’t expect to be gone so long. He’s very happy to be inside with me today. Also mjules called to tell me to watch the eclipse. Thanks! I did manage to see her wearing her veil.

If you had any stories/important posts you want me to see point the way.

Comments

[evil-little-dog.livejournal.com]

Sounds like a good trip except for the snow. We had an ice storm. The dogs are hating it; the grass is all frozen into little spikes.

The interview sounds like it went well; that's VERY cool.

Trust you to get into a geekfest.

They have cook offs? You ARE getting a job there, aren't you?

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

well when your wee wee is touching that frozen grass....

it would be an interesting place to work. gourmet shops here I come

[0-mother-0.livejournal.com]

Wow the interview sounds like it went really well. I bet you get it! *wishes you the bestest of luck*

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

thank you

[marenfic.livejournal.com]

I'm so glad the interview went well. They are GRUELING, yes.

[sp23.livejournal.com]

Glad you had a good interview. I love Marietta, it's a lovely old city. You've really overestimated the population of Parkersburg, though. There are only about 32,000 people there with a total of about 86,000 in Wood County. Still, it's a nice enough little town, and I drool over Fenton glass. *g*

I hope you hear good news from your interview if you're really interested.

[masqthephlsphr.livejournal.com]

*Crosses fingers, toes, and eyes for you!*

[a2zmom.livejournal.com]

I'm glad the interview went well. I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

[druinsanity.livejournal.com]

It sounds great save for the snow.

We keep getting the promise of snow but it never actually happens. lol

Well wishes for the job.

[makd.livejournal.com]

sounds as though the trip went well. [crosses fingers and toes for step 2.)

\o/ Go, you!

[rain-oubliette.livejournal.com]

I send you the good luck kitty... though I don't know if you need it. ;-D From what you've written, you seem to have made a good impression. Parkersburg is a nice town, so long as you stay away from the Silver Bridge (Mothman reference).

[lillypuff.livejournal.com]

I'm so glad to hear that things seemed to have gone well. Sucks about the big snow storm though, we didn't get any snow here thankfully (really, I hate the damn stuff).

*crosses fingers*

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

i don't mind snow. but it does seem to like to come at the worst time possible

[chaos-by-design.livejournal.com]

Good luck with everything. That interview process sure sounds grueling. Nice to see you back in LJ-land.

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

thanks

and yes it is very very much so

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

snort. I go over the Silver Bridge all the time into Point Pleasant.

and thanks

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

p.s. love the icon

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

i think so. Thank you

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

thanks. I'll send you some of our snow

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

thanks

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

snicker. thanks

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

ah they told me it was that big. The net says about 34,000 (I did think 100K seemed like a lot)

thanks

[ljgould.livejournal.com]

It sounds like you did really well. I hope you get an offer from them if you want to work there.

I hate academic interviews...it makes me crazy whether I'm on the interviewee or interviewer side.

Tell Roy to quit fighting.

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

Aren't they though? It's like wow

thanks

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

i hope i did. I have a few other resumes out but this is the only cadaver lab

and yes these interviews just blow

Roy doesn't listen to anyone, stubborn hairball

[ladystarlightsj.livejournal.com]

Glad to hear the interview went well, I'm crossing my fingers for you!

[evil-little-dog.livejournal.com]

It wasn't the woobies or the wee wees, it was little paws getting poked by frozen grass stakes.

[midnightsjane.livejournal.com]

Sounds encouraging, and I hope you get the job. Best of luck.

[artemis2050.livejournal.com]

Sounds like an awesome interview! Congratulations, and I'll be sending crossed fingers too!

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

sissies

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

thanks. hey did you respond to the are you or aren't you staying in the nanomowhinging critique group. I thought you did but i can't find it

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

thank you

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

thanks

[ladystarlightsj.livejournal.com]

I thought I did and yes please! I hope that having somewhat of a 'deadline' will motivate me.

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

i think you did. I'm just being slow about finding it. I'll take care of it

[silvrethorn.livejournal.com]

One minute you're practically out of a job, the next you're swimming in options. Stay and be tenured but uncertain, or go and work at a nice, established college in a great town but be overworked and possibly bored? When your luck turns, it turns with a vengeance. You can't win for winning.

Sounds like Marietta would be a step up, though. And the salary rise would be a very nice thing.

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

no i really can't win.

Marietta is a step up. It reminds me of Deland

[evil-little-dog.livejournal.com]

HEE. They'd beg to differ.

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

i'm sure they do. Sissies

[evil-little-dog.livejournal.com]

All the ice is now so much runoff and muck, so they're not so picky about traipsing across the yard...except for not liking their paws getting wet.

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

naturally

[evil-little-dog.livejournal.com]

Especially Rogue.

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

she IS a priss

[evil-little-dog.livejournal.com]

But she's a funny one. *grins*