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Oct. 12th, 2009 07:59 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
rivkaThis morning I was scheduled to present my research at the hourlong general staff seminar, in front of the eminent and notable (and scary) Dr. Institute Director, my division director, and about forty other people.
I had strong work to present. I put together a great presentation. I practiced it in front of![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
wcg and curiousangel, which was especially helpful because my general staff audience was not going to be composed of psychologists.
Two hours before I was due to go on, I had (a) no childcare, and (b) the beginning stages of a raging cold.
Our nanny was sick. Our backup childcare person wasn't answering her phone. Michael had already taken unscheduled time away from work to take care of the kids just last Friday, and we were both a little unsure where his boss would want to draw the line. Oh: and I had a headache and cough and a swimming head.
I finally got through to a friend on the phone, and she was so awesome that before I could get my groveling request out of my mouth she offered to come over with her two-year-old to care for Colin. Michael came home just in case I had to leave before she got there, and then stayed to drive me to work. I actually got there with enough time to spare that I could look over my presentaton a few times before the seminar. I still felt dangerously light-headed as I loaded my presentation, and I had to have a water bottle on the podium to deal with coughing fits.
And then? Then I utterly rocked my prsentation. I hit it out of the park.
It was very well received. People made a lot of comments and asked cogent questions. There was only a little whispering among the senior staff (usually a chronic problem). People seemed to be genuinely interested, which is so not a given when a behavioral scientist gets up in front of a bunch of virologists and immunologists.
Dr. Institute Director was stuck in traffic and didn't arrive until about 45 minutes in, which was unfortunate. Or maybe fortunate. I would've liked him to hear about my research, but I confess that I did feel safer with him absent.
Afterwards, the adrenaline that got me through the presentation ebbed away and I started to feel very ill indeed. Lydia had no trouble believing that it would be better for all concerned if I just went home. Phew. I felt wrecked.
But man did I ever do a good job at general staff. I am proud. And grateful to my community, without whom it wouldn't have happened.
I had strong work to present. I put together a great presentation. I practiced it in front of
wcg and curiousangel, which was especially helpful because my general staff audience was not going to be composed of psychologists. Two hours before I was due to go on, I had (a) no childcare, and (b) the beginning stages of a raging cold.
Our nanny was sick. Our backup childcare person wasn't answering her phone. Michael had already taken unscheduled time away from work to take care of the kids just last Friday, and we were both a little unsure where his boss would want to draw the line. Oh: and I had a headache and cough and a swimming head.
I finally got through to a friend on the phone, and she was so awesome that before I could get my groveling request out of my mouth she offered to come over with her two-year-old to care for Colin. Michael came home just in case I had to leave before she got there, and then stayed to drive me to work. I actually got there with enough time to spare that I could look over my presentaton a few times before the seminar. I still felt dangerously light-headed as I loaded my presentation, and I had to have a water bottle on the podium to deal with coughing fits.
And then? Then I utterly rocked my prsentation. I hit it out of the park.
It was very well received. People made a lot of comments and asked cogent questions. There was only a little whispering among the senior staff (usually a chronic problem). People seemed to be genuinely interested, which is so not a given when a behavioral scientist gets up in front of a bunch of virologists and immunologists.
Dr. Institute Director was stuck in traffic and didn't arrive until about 45 minutes in, which was unfortunate. Or maybe fortunate. I would've liked him to hear about my research, but I confess that I did feel safer with him absent.
Afterwards, the adrenaline that got me through the presentation ebbed away and I started to feel very ill indeed. Lydia had no trouble believing that it would be better for all concerned if I just went home. Phew. I felt wrecked.
But man did I ever do a good job at general staff. I am proud. And grateful to my community, without whom it wouldn't have happened.
