Hello all. I just wanted to let you all know that, yes, I’m still alive. However, I’ve got this massive research deadline that has dominated everything else in my life. More posting will follow, at some point in the future :)

64%How Addicted to Blogging Are You?

<!–

Mingle² - Online Dating

–>

Hehehehheh.

Via Ian (first post I saw about it) and Phil (second post, giving me the impetus to try it out!).

I’ve been “meme”d! Michael, over at Blackbelt Productivity, has recently written about what he wants to be when he grows up. And he’s graciously tagged me. Now, I’m not much of a “meme”r. Kind of like I don’t like those chainmail letters that some of my friends send around. So, I’ll continue my normal habit. I shall be a leaf node and provide you with my 2 cents, but I won’t meme anyone else. Hopefully, one of Michael’s other “meme”ees will carry on :)

Far Past

Back when I was a tot, I wanted to be many things. Ballerina and policeman were among them. Yes, I know, what a dichotomy those two choices create! In my high school years, I figured I would be a single working woman, like those women to whom (I thought) Glamour magazine catered. I also figured that I would own my own little house. (I even thought about what it would look like, and if I had any schmick of architectural sense, I would be able to tell you the exact period and style of the house.)

Up until my first year of university, I thought I would be some kind of business woman, whatever that was. The trouble was, what exactly was a business woman? I made my life easier :) by joining the military after my first year of university. Then the career choices became a bit easier. I would be an officer. I would stay in for 20 years, and get a pension. I could even stay in much longer, if desired. I would travel the world, do fascinating things, and serve my country with pride.

Recent Past

I did all of these things while I was in the military; well, everything except stay in 20+ years. There came a point where I had the opportunity to leave the military to pursue other interests. For various reasons, I decided to go back to school. In the back of my mind, I had always wanted a master’s degree, in something. So, I decided to get my master’s, and then get a job in the computer field.

Present

Well, I’m still in grad school; but now I’m working on my PhD. Yeah, I know, it’s a long haul, but I’m doing to challenge myself. And boy, is it challenging ;) What I really want to be right now, is *employed*. I’m hoping against all hope to work for a particular company, in a particular city. I have a bit of an “in”, so I’m just working on getting my thesis done so I can show up on their doorstep and say, “Hi. I’m ready!”

Future

I have a funny feeling that I’ll probably change careers one more time. I mean really, let’s say I do twenty years in the computer industry. That’s still plenty of time to do something else afterwards. Especially since we seem to be living longer these days. So what do I want to be when I get old? Well, I have several ideas. I might like being a university professor (I could technically get a job as a prof as soon as I finish my PhD, but I want to work in industry). I could try self-employment - say a computer company catering to technophobes, or teaching software to newbies, or even trying to support myself with a collection of blogs (I hear it can be done).

But to be honest, I have a secret desire to become a librarian! Not a fancy librarian that needs to know the Dewey decimal system, but one who can find new books for people to read. Yeah, it’s a far cry from what I’m working toward right now, but I can see myself in my golden years. I’ll be wearing a cardigan, and glasses hanging from a chain around my neck, pointing other little old ladies to the newest murder mystery, or even better, latest sci-fi masterpiece.