Spring Letter – April 2008
I was planning on using this letter to announce happy news of a different kind. As you may remember, last year’s letter said I was applying to study full-time for a Ph.D. in English beginning this fall. Well, the bad news is I didn’t get in anywhere I applied. The great news is, I have a new job and plan on closing on my first home purchase in the coming weeks AND I became an aunt for the first time… all within a month! When it rains it pours (especially in March and April in New Jersey)!!
Let’s start with the new job. I’m working for the Lotos Club (www.lotosclub.org) on E. 66th St. in NYC in their Membership office. Basically it’s a country club without a golf course. I look forward to the challenge of switching from a small tech. company to a small social club. And of course, it’s great to have such a lovely park (Can you guess which one?) nearby to walk in during lunch. While I can’t say I’ll ever afford to shop in this new work neighborhood, it will be nice to work in a different part of the city.
I still teach part-time at Union County College as a freshmen composition professor. Many of my friends and students ask me “Why don’t you teach full-time?” The simple answer is, there are many college level teachers with similar or better qualifications in my field. I’d hoped to use a Ph.D. to get full-time work but it appears that’s not the career path I should take. I accepted this once the four out of the six rejection letters headed to my mailbox during the past few weeks. I’m very lucky to have the opportunity to teach on my schedule, it’s a good balance to working as an administrative assistant during the day.
One of my goals has been to buy my first place before I turned 30 and never have to rent. Well, if everything continues to go move in my favor, I will be the proud owner of a ~500 sq. ft. one bedroom condo in Iselin, NJ (near the MetroPark train station) by the end of May. I’d been looking at buying a condo for the last six months as my back-up plan if graduate school didn’t pan out. The irony of my situation is I had terrible GRE test scores but an outstanding credit score. While shopping for a mortgage, it was such a boost to hear lenders say right away, “You have great credit; we’ll have no problem getting you a mortgage.” I’m very lucky that in these credit crunch times and falling housing prices, I can finally enter the real estate market. While the unit I’ve chosen is in move in condition, there are a lot of cosmetic changes to make. Since this is my first place, I plan to put in a LOT of sweat equity work. I’ll let you know if HGTV ends up filming my efforts J.
Last, but not least, the most joyful news: bragging about becoming an aunt. Benjamin Thomas Dening (aka “The Little Engine that Could” to me) was born at Morristown Hospital on February 26th six weeks early at 3lbs 9.5 oz and 16” long. He’s had only one surgery (hernia, very common for pre-mature babies) and eats like a champ every three hours. I’ve haven’t held him that much yet but I’m sure I’ll have a lot of time to do that in the near future. He came home from the hospital on March 16th.
Well that should catch you up on my life this past year. If you’d like more current updates and pictures, please visit my blog at: givenry.blogspot.com
Best wishes, Maggie
I was planning on using this letter to announce happy news of a different kind. As you may remember, last year’s letter said I was applying to study full-time for a Ph.D. in English beginning this fall. Well, the bad news is I didn’t get in anywhere I applied. The great news is, I have a new job and plan on closing on my first home purchase in the coming weeks AND I became an aunt for the first time… all within a month! When it rains it pours (especially in March and April in New Jersey)!!
Let’s start with the new job. I’m working for the Lotos Club (www.lotosclub.org) on E. 66th St. in NYC in their Membership office. Basically it’s a country club without a golf course. I look forward to the challenge of switching from a small tech. company to a small social club. And of course, it’s great to have such a lovely park (Can you guess which one?) nearby to walk in during lunch. While I can’t say I’ll ever afford to shop in this new work neighborhood, it will be nice to work in a different part of the city.
I still teach part-time at Union County College as a freshmen composition professor. Many of my friends and students ask me “Why don’t you teach full-time?” The simple answer is, there are many college level teachers with similar or better qualifications in my field. I’d hoped to use a Ph.D. to get full-time work but it appears that’s not the career path I should take. I accepted this once the four out of the six rejection letters headed to my mailbox during the past few weeks. I’m very lucky to have the opportunity to teach on my schedule, it’s a good balance to working as an administrative assistant during the day.
One of my goals has been to buy my first place before I turned 30 and never have to rent. Well, if everything continues to go move in my favor, I will be the proud owner of a ~500 sq. ft. one bedroom condo in Iselin, NJ (near the MetroPark train station) by the end of May. I’d been looking at buying a condo for the last six months as my back-up plan if graduate school didn’t pan out. The irony of my situation is I had terrible GRE test scores but an outstanding credit score. While shopping for a mortgage, it was such a boost to hear lenders say right away, “You have great credit; we’ll have no problem getting you a mortgage.” I’m very lucky that in these credit crunch times and falling housing prices, I can finally enter the real estate market. While the unit I’ve chosen is in move in condition, there are a lot of cosmetic changes to make. Since this is my first place, I plan to put in a LOT of sweat equity work. I’ll let you know if HGTV ends up filming my efforts J.
Last, but not least, the most joyful news: bragging about becoming an aunt. Benjamin Thomas Dening (aka “The Little Engine that Could” to me) was born at Morristown Hospital on February 26th six weeks early at 3lbs 9.5 oz and 16” long. He’s had only one surgery (hernia, very common for pre-mature babies) and eats like a champ every three hours. I’ve haven’t held him that much yet but I’m sure I’ll have a lot of time to do that in the near future. He came home from the hospital on March 16th.
Well that should catch you up on my life this past year. If you’d like more current updates and pictures, please visit my blog at: givenry.blogspot.com
Best wishes, Maggie
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