Whew!

Well, I finally finished the first draft of chapter 4 of my dissertation (statistical analysis chapter). I feel like July was just a blur after spending every available minute with numbers and books! I completed preliminary analyses on the first 3 (of 5) - preliminary in that I don't have all my data in yet. I did not do preliminary stats on the last 2, as I was unable to use my stats program , because I'm using pre-existing data for comparison, which means I don't have raw data. For those of you familiar with SPSS, you can't run an analysis without raw data! So, I spent hours looking for a way to conduct a factorial ANOVA using means and standard deviations. I finally found (a wonderful) guy who had submitted a formula to a statistical journal 4 years ago. It has the catchy title of "Computing a Factorial Analysis Using Means and Standard Deviations." Well, long story short, it took me 15 hours just to understand the formula (that involved going back to old text books, googling stat lingo, doing lots of algebra, etc.) and THEN when I finally understood the whole process, I did the sample problem at the end of the article to see if I could do it right. Well, that took me 2.5 hours to compute (by hand). It was an analysis with 4 cells - my analysis has 60 cells! So I'm guessing 10 to 14 hours per analysis (for the 2 I have left) and I refuse to do a preliminary when using that kind of time on a calculator! I'll wait for all the data to come in.
Any way, here are a few pics from around the house. Top is my kiwi vine which is growing like crazy this years, but no kiwi (we had kiwi last year). Next, a lovely Peace rose bud. Then you will see sick trees. We're losing the oaks on our property (2.5 acres). They have something called oak wilt, which is a fungus. We have had the trees immediately surrounding our home "innoculated." Even so, in the past 2 months we've lost 6 trees. The ones shown here are in our side yard (not the back where we have the woods). So, we're hoping to stop the thing from spreading. We have to wait until late fall to cut down the dead trees. The tree people said cutting them now will spread the fungus (last thing we want!).



I have noticed a couple of other trees in our neighborhood like this and I'm hoping it doesn't become an epidemic! Our neighborhood is so beautiful because it's so heavily treed.

So right now, I'm having dinner and watching "Harold and Kumar Go to Guantanamo" and feeling really strange - I feel like I should be out on the 2-season porch with my laptop, calculator, spread sheets, and piles of articles and books!

So, the plan is to work on syllabi for my courses (I'm teaching) this fall over the next week. My goal is to develop the tests, homework - everything- so that it's all done, for both courses. That way, I'll be able to focus on my dissertation defense this fall, providing I get in the last bit of data. Specifically, that is FOUR MORE ASSSESSMENTS! I just can't seem to get those last four. I need Haitian-Americans (4 people, born in the US, of Haitian descent, at least 18 years of age). I have been begging all my past participants and everyone I know for the past 3 months and would really like to wrap this up, but I need those last 4! I'll appreciate help and/or prayers!


Clay has been busy with his summer job, walking Abby, the schnauzer from down the street. Harrison has been working about 24 hours a week (3 full days), lifting weights, practicing for the varsity hockey team - and he has a tournament this weekend. Games Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. The boys have also enjoyed swimming, biking, and movies this summer. Clay has been so fortunate to have been invited to his best buddie's cottage TWICE this summer! Clay insists he wants to live there, we need to buy a cottage on the same lake,there's nothing as awesome as T.'s cottage!!

Stuff

We did get the garage cleaned out Monday; it's amazing to look in there and see a car, an SUV, and a crossover vehicle all parked in there! I'm still entering data...

Here's a couple of links that you may find enjoyable. The first is from my niece, Martha. This is a discussion of the linguistic use of the word "like."

http://psychologytoday.com/articles/pto-20080514-000008.html

This next link was sent by my sister. I was amused and I'm sure many of you will be as well:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zSaZ5v1eW5I

http://g.dwgsee.com/wake/index.htm

Jumping for Joy

I just typed in the last of 13,940 numbers (it's 10:44 pm) and had to share that piece of news! So, that was the first bunch of numbers needing entry to a spreadsheet. Now, I have 3 more data sets. I began with the worst one, so the next has 3,060 numbers to enter (which seems like nothing in comparison to the first set!). As the first one took me an entire week, I'm hoping to get this second bunch in by Thursday (tomorrow the boys and I are cleaning out the garage, so I'll miss hours of work time).

Also, Harrison and I worked on algebra for about 2.5 hours this afternoon. I wasn't doing much teaching as I don't understand it much at this point! It was more like the two of us trying to put our heads together to figure it out. He's doing well overall, so the goal is to get through this last section (wow, only a week and half left until he takes the final exam). We'll have to spend an hour or two on that tomorrow as well. So, I'm guessing 4/5 hours on the garage (we're taking everything out, washing it down, putting in new cabinets and reorganizing to make room for another car), a couple hours on math, I'd like to get in a couple hours on my dissertation as well, then laundry, dishes, meals, and all the other crappy stuff that goes with living! I need a wife.

An Icky Day with a Great Story!

All I can say is "sigh." Our power was cut this morning and we went all day with no power. I had planned to continue working on my dissertation data today - I did for the 1.5 hours my battery (laptop) lasted, but now am just even further behind than I already was. I'm going to have to contact my committee for an extension (and another $2,200 fee for me) as I don't think there's any way I can pull this off by the end of July at this point. I'm thinking I'll just work as much as I can through the weekend and make a final decision on Monday about my plan of action for the coming 2 weeks.



On a happier note, I have a really cool story I'd like to share as I know many of you will truly enjoy it - however, I will say no tears (specifically Rose and Janice!!) - just joking, but it might bring a few to your eyes! Our friends who adopted their second child from China recently had planned to hang a lock on the Great Wall commemorating both adoptions. They had found out the Chinese, at various places along the Great Wall, have strung chain that holds locks which symbolize a long, loving union for newly married couples. The family thought to hand an engraved lock to symbolize the start of the "forever" family for the girls; a really neat idea. An aunt was along for the trip as well, and she brought a lock from her home on the West Coast from another family that wanted to do the same thing for their adopted child. Everyone had the locks engraved and off they went to China. A series of mishaps, resulting in numerous lost articles plagued our friends. One of those was a digital camera lost in Beijing (I think) - anyway, they went to the Great Wall one day, but their tour didn't go to a location with the chain! Their guide told them she went about once a week to a location with a chain and that she'd take the locks and hang them. After they left Beijing, they contacted her about the camera, which she had found and was sending to them at their new hotel in Jiangxi (where the orphanage was located). The camera arrived after they had left for Guangzhou, where they would get physicals for the children and visas. Long story, but the camera arrived the morning of their departure back to the US! In the meantime, their guide had left on vacation to France. Well, lo and behold, after several days back in the US, a look at the pictures revealed the following photos. I don't tell this story well, but I'm sure you can imagine how comforted they were to know that not only had their tour guide followed through, but she was thoughtful enough to take pictures, and make sure someone was following the progress of the camera while she was in France to assure the camera made it back to the family! Wouldn't it be something if someday the girls are able to go back to China and were able to find the locks?

Long Weekend

Yesterday, Harrison's buddy S. came over and spent the night. They've been busy (yesterday and today) filming some shorts for contests they're entering, playing "Rock Band," watching movies - oh and they went to get free Slurpees yesterday from 7-11 (the date was 7/11). Harrison and I also spent some time working on Algebra this afternoon, while S. stopped home to shower, change, and see his family for a couple of hours. I managed to enter 1440 pieces of data (of the 13,000+) as well today - and did laundry, made beds, cooked, grocery store, a little weeding, lifted weights, and took a short walk! Actually, the exercise is MUCH needed (not only in general!) because I get really tense and stiff after working at the computer (entering data). Walks help me break it up and keep my body a little less painful! Here's a picture of the boys watching a movie while checking video contests online (and eating and drinking!!). Clay has been gone since Thursday afternoon, up to T.'s summer home on Crystal Lake. He's been having a fabulous time, which we're glad to hear, but we also miss him!

Busy, Busy!

Here's a car Harrison and I spotted in the turn lane on the corner of Forest Hills and Cascade on July 3. Think this guy likes the Dave Matthews Band?? Harrison and I worked on (homeschool) algebra for quite a while today; we got a little behind schedule. I finally finished scoring the assessments for my dissertation and experienced a brief moment of bliss until I realized one (of several) statistical analyses I will be completing will require me to enter 13,920 individual pieces of data - I guess-calculated this might take upwards of 70 hours. Then I'll need to do data entry for the other analyses ... No rest for the wicked I guess. The worst (and most discouraging part) is that I was trying to get the analyses completed by the end of July. It seems I might not get any further than data entry if I do nothing but enter data in all my free time! Well, at least it feels good to vent!

Young men on Mackinac Island

Well, here are 5 boys that many of you may recognize! They all enjoyed each others' company during our short stay on Mackinac. I really like this picture of all of them on the steps under the awning (some of you may recall the garden/flower shop is just to the right). The boys were all just being themselves in this photo, showing each of their unique personalities! In the next, 4 of them were patiently waiting to have dinner and enjoying the lovely weather, horses passing by the front of the hotel, and the nice lobby, while the dads chatted in an arrangement of chairs near-by. Now why do my 2 look so serious in this picture?? I think the last photo is precious; not only was the small furniture really

cute but I thought it was great that the little guy took advantage of the right-sized chair!!

I went to Saginaw today, as my sister was back in town visiting at my parent's. We had a great day visiting and she helped me with checking my scoring on the assessment s for my dissertation! I REALLY appreciated that. I was actually run off the road by a semi on the way home. I've never had that happen before! I think maybe the guy fell asleep or was drifting off because the truck just sort of started drifting my way, until the cab wheels were pointed diagonally and the truck was about 3/4 in my lane. I just sped up, drove on the shoulder and got past him. I think
he realized or roused himself because he pulled the cab way over to the left then and the trailer fish-tailed across the lanes. Anyway, he slowed down and got off. So, that was a new experience for me today! Thanks, J for letting me post pictures of your boys!

Highlights from Ada's 4th of July Parade

The parade this year was really fun; mostly, it was old cars. There were also a couple of floats (very homemade type), 2 riders on horseback, one horse-drawn thing, and one miniature horse drawn thing! Harrison and I got up early (even with no power!), went to the flea market in Ada where we found a few treasures, and watched the parade. I spent the rest of the day scoring assessments for my dissertation! Enjoy the photos!

Storm Pictures

Here a couple of pictures of some storm damage. The broken and downed tree is typical of what we saw all over; the 2 days following the storm we heard a lot of chain saws running! The tipped-over power pole was the one responsible for our lack of power! It was amazing that even though it was smoking for 2 days, it took 3 before the crews came to work on it! I know they prioritize, but it seems like a pole laying on the ground smoking and close to a business and residences ought to be a priority! We were just glad to see it stop smoking after the second afternoon. Our power came back on last night, which was a great 4th of July day-ender - better than fireworks!!

And last but not least, this rose of Harrison's survived the entire storm, just a little worse for the wear! It was still beautiful, even though it was a bit weathered. I'm still scoring assessments - 4 more and I'll hit the half-way mark. That actually feels good, even though it took so much time (and I hate thinking of that much more time). We saw "Hancock" today at the movie theater. I liked it. I would suppose it's not a movie for everyone (and it sure has been panned by the critics) but I thought it was unique, gave a realistic view of how humans cope with life events, and had a (big) twist of fantasy! It also doesn't hurt that Will Smith is great to look at!

Day 3 With No Power

We had a "humdinger" of a storm (well several storm systems) move through here on Wednesday, during which we lost power. There are power poles and trees, etc. down everywhere. We've been getting by on a generator - the only thing working is our phone line, but not our phones because they need electricity! So, I'm uisng my laptops battery and plugged in to the phone line! I have some pictures of the area I'll post later. Most of all, yesterday, I couldn't stop thinking of our friends who were returning from China with their new daughter. They did arrive home yesterday afternoon, but all I can think about is after being away for a few weeks, with 5 children, there must be a mountain of laundry! I'm also thinking of coming home with the new baby, plus a 2 year old and having no power to warm up food or see at night. To the B family, my heart goes out to you - but I'm glad you're back safely! Let's pray we get our power restored more quickly than the date we're being told!!

Herman

I've been working on scoring assessments for my dissertation (incredibly time consuming and boring - let me know if any of you would like to come over and spend some time double-checking my addition!!) and thinking about school starting up again in a couple of months. I always try to be a little bit creative when teaching and here's something I do sometimes - show pictures! Often, students are interested, surprised and intrigued by famous psychologists and psychiatrists. Their "looks," personality, other life interests and accomplishments often don't mesh with the picture students have in their mind! This guy is Herman Rorschach, the Swiss Psychiatrist who developed the Rorschach ("inkblot") Test. This test is greatly misunderstood; in reality there are no "correct" answers - all is based on emergent themes in a persons descriptions of the inkblots. There is also much to say about the opinions and experience of the person administering and interpreting the responses! This isn't a test I am fond of, have used, or believe I will use. Even so, it's important to keep in mind how very little was available at the time Rorschach developed it - at the time, it was revolutionary and much needed. In his time, there were no psychotropic medications and often the mentally ill were just locked away like prisoners. This was a man that was trying to make a difference and was able to improve the quality of life for many mentally ill. The first picture is Herman when he was young (my students often note a resemblance to Brad Pitt - they never imagine a psychologist or psychiatrist might be attractive!). The second picture is of Dr. Rorschach as a mature adult. Unfortunately, the world lost a brilliant scientist, as Rorschach died at the age of 37 from peritonitis (untreated infected appendix). If you'd like to read more about this fascinating man, a link:
http://www.whonamedit.com/doctor.cfm/1232.html