Made the Short List!

[Bravus]

Just a note to share excitement with my friends here. I applied for a higher ranked job at a university down the road a bit from the one I work at, and just found out today that I have made the shortlist and will be interviewed next month. There would be both costs and benefits to the move, and I'm not 100% sure what I'd do if I was offered the job, but it's still an exciting time. Please pray for me and my family that the right decision will be made both by the uni and by us.

[Dr. Shane]

Would this mean moving from paradise (tropical warmness)? Would this impact your tenure?

[Bravus]

No, the new uni is about a 1 hour commute from where we live now, and we'd probably move a little closer, but Alex is in Grade 10 and wants to stay at her same school until she finishes Grade 12, and Sue just got a new job in Brisbane, so one of the nice things about this job was that it *doesn't* involve uprooting my longsuffering family again.

I'd have to start the 3 years probation thing that I've almost finished here (I'd have been here 3 years by the time I left) all over again, but I'd be at a higher rank and have more time to accumulate the achievements to be permanently confirmed, so that doesn't worry me too much.

The new uni is much closer to the beach than the current one, so in a couple of years when Alex finishes school we could move down there, which is also an attraction. And it just feels as though their program at their uni is vital and expanding, whereas ours is feeling a bit stagnant and seems to be shrinking. I guess if I *don't* get the new job I'll have to stay here and see what I can do about turning that around.

Still, exciting times for me.

[Dr. Shane]

Sounds great except all that fossil fuel you will have to burn on the commute. Make sure your car has a rocking stereo system. Those even make Rush Limbaugh sound better and I am sure you can't live without his podcasts.

Beach is nice except when there are hurricanes. Are there hurricanes in Australia? I hear there are a lot of sharks in Australian waters. That makes the backyard swimming pool so much more attractive.

I think it is important to make a difference in the world. To leave it a better place. I believe you can do that no matter where you find yourself.

[olger]

Go gettum and thank your Creator !

og

[Bravus]

Will do, olger.

Shane, what is this 'car' you speak of? Bike all the way!

[Bravus]

And yeah, since the commute is mostly highway I'll be ipodding, and I plan to get a lot of the 'iPod U' university-based podcasts to make the commute an educational experience...

We're a bit too far south for cyclones (what we call hurricanes around here), although with climate change who knows what will happen in future. Sharks are not too much of a worry - you have a much higher chance of winning the lottery than getting eaten by a shark, and humans eat millions more sharks than sharks eat humans!

[Amelia]

Such awesome news Mr B. Praise God and prayers for His will for you. And I was thinking about you today while traveling for work. The store I was working today was out in po-dunk Oregon. In getting there I had to travel through Liberal,Oregon. Now, If you hang a right on Liberal way, in Liberal, Oregon you will find yourself in Needy. Needy, Oregon. But since I didn't need to travel through Needy, I don't really know if any needy live in Needy. Or if in fact there are any liberals living in Liberal. Maybe next time I can stop and take a poll. Fun facts eh?

BTW, I do know there are fossils residing in Fossil, Oregon. teehe

[Jeannieb43]

Congratulations, Bravus!

I'll be praying for you, to get this new position. Obviously (to us, at least) you're the best qualified!!

Hope you're careful when riding your bike on a highway. Hope the highways there are built wide enough to have a safe bike lane where the autos don't intrude.

Cheers!

[Bravus]

Thanks all for your kind words.

My family had the same reaction (they're biased) - "Of course you'll get the job!"

But as I said, getting offered it would be wonderful but there's still the decision about whether to take it. Still, one step at a time with lots of prayers.

[Amelia]

Hope you're careful when riding your bike on a highway. Hope the highways there are built wide enough to have a safe bike lane where the autos don't intrude.

Jeannie, it's a motorcycle not bicycle. All the same he had better be careful!

[Nan]

Will pray all works at the way it should, Bravus - are you currently at U of Q or if you would rather not say, that is fine.

[Bravus]

Yep, UQ at the moment. I shouldn't say bad things about it - it's a very good uni and the actual people here have been fantastic and very supportive. The issues are much more institutional and relate to things as diverse as the way the government has changed the registration requirements for teachers and the historical balance of the School of Education. No-one's fault, really.