This week has been a blur. I am in the thick of finals–three extra long term papers and two extra important presentations due withing the next four days as well as an exam to prep for. This is all in addition to working at the Cancer Center 20 hours a week and doing my combined research/assessment assistanceship for 20 hours. On the not so positive side, I have had to deal with a patriarchal and egotistical supervisor who seems bent on making me (and every other woman he works with) feel belittled and disempowered (I am going to write a post on this and being a woman in higher education in the near future).
On a more positive note, Drew and I were able to spend Thursday evening enjoying the company of the Charlotte Culture and Couth Club. We LOVE this group. We meet every other month of so for dinner at a new local restaurant followed by the newest play at Charlotte’s Actors Theater. Dinner this time was at 300 East in Dilworth. I love this part of town and the restaurant was so cute! It is in an old home and has been in operation for over 25 years–which is saying something in the every changing up-town area of Charlotte! I had the Salmon Croquettes which were absolutely delicious and Drew had the Hanger Steak which he loved. All of the meats, cheeses, and vegetables are seasonal and locally sourced. The decor was cute and cozy as well. I violated the cardinal rule of bloggers near and far and FORGOT TO TAKE PICTURES, so this little gem is taken from the website.
I hear their Sunday brunch is amazing….we are already planning our next trip there.
The Actor’s Theater is one of my favorite places in Charlotte. They are known for pushing the boundaries in terms of content/topics and for stellar performances. This month’s production was “The Great American Trailer Park Christmas Musical”. I almost just want to let the show poster speak for itself….
The show was HILARIOUS. I think Drew and I were practically in tears at several points. The cast did a phenomenal job and I was so impressed with the entire production–from the set, to the singing, to the (totally moderately inappropriate songs)! We had such a fun time and if you are in the Charlotte, NC area this month and want an untraditionally good time, I highly recommend trying to make a show. The theater is currently running a holiday special as well. For a limited time, you can purchase a package of 2 tickets to each of the three remaining shows this season (the season runs until May 2016) for a discounted rate. The best part is….the package comes with THIS little gem:
Yes, you are seeing this correctly. You, too, can be the proud owner of your very own Great American Trailer Park Christmas Ornament! Drew and I try to get a new ornament every year and this is ours for 2015. I added the 2015 to the front so we can remember what a great time we had at the show for years to come.
Finally–the most exciting news of all–I AM PUBLISHED! My advisor is pretty much the best and has been so wonderful in giving me the freedom to pursue research that both speaks to me and that I am passionate about. It has made grad school bearable and even FUN at times (I plan to return to this tomorrow after I have been writing constantly for 24+ hours and cramming for exams). He has supported my varied interests and usually lets me go do my own things, only stepping in occasionally to redirect or refocus me (or advise me to stop taking on so many projects). This past summer, he offered me the opportunity to respond to a target article which has been released in the latest issue of Psychological Inquiry in which Eric Garland and colleagues propose a mechanistic model of mindfulness and meaning-making processes. I have been intrigued by the concept of mindfulness for years (I used to meditate before softball games when I was young to help focus and prepare myself). I was so excited to a) get an opportunity to read an advance release of Garland et al.’s model (really cool things are on the academic horizon) and b) to get to begin to try and integrate our work on posttraumatic growth (PTG) with the work on mindfulness. You can check out the article here on my academic website.
I hope you have a great weekend! I am sure I will find another time to post this weekend in an attempt to procrastinate, so be sure to keep an eye out 🙂
Happy Shanti 