I just got some of the reading material for my Social Psych class. A couple of weeks ago I had received an anthology of accounts of a dozen or so exploratory expeditions through the Olympic Mountains in the late 1800's. I had ordered it a month or so ago and had just started reading it.

I am also still working on a very well written biography of Richard Nixon by Conrad Black.

Giving up leisure reading for grad school reading is the only sacrifice that I do not like. However, I am really looking forward to reading the materials for this semesters Social Psych and my Sociology of Death class. I guess I will catch up on my other reading after the end of the semester. I will most likely be needing shoulder surgery this spring or summer and will have plenty of time for reading then. I tore a rotater cuff or something a year or so ago and had to quit playing volleyball. My chiropractor and massage therapist have been able to help to a point but they advised me to see a medical doctor.

Another focus that I feel that I need to consider is the professional prospects that I will have with my degree. I have looked a little on line and there are ton's of research jobs which I find interesting in and out of government, the church also employs sociologists and I have put out feelers in that regard. I am interested in the work of Conservative think tank type organizations like the Hoover institute and the Heritage foundation.

Another interest of mine is that of coaching and consulting. I do not know how lucrative and how hard it would be to be self employed in this area. So I will start looking into that as well.

I do not want to put the cart before the horse yet, but I just think having a better handle on these professional issues will inform my choice of thesis work.

Boy, I am horrible at keeping this up. I am back in grad school at Minnesota State University and am pursuing a Masters in Sociology with a concentration in Human Service Planning and administration. I have just completed my 1st semester in the program and am 4 weeks out from semester #2. I am really enjoying being back in school but at the same time it is really hectic as I hold down a full time job at the same time - which I realize is something that thousands of other grad students do every year. I am still working at coming up with my thesis topic and really hope to focus my work in a specific direction by the end of the next semester. My program coordinator really advised me to keep a thesis journal and I have begun to do so and hope to highlight that here from time to time.

I have spent the last 20 years in the field of social services and would really like to change directions. So to help facilitate that change in direction, I am hoping to pick a thesis area that will help me do that. I have identified a few areas of interest. I just need to focus these ideas down into actual researchable questions. and of course any input would be appreciated.

1) I am interested in Non profit - private business partnerships in overcoming poverty.
2) Any myriad of Fatherhood issues.
3) Rural Homelessness and issues of causation
4) Outdoor/wilderness therapy programs for youth.
5)End of life/quality of life issues, while combining some aspect of religion and what constitutes a "good Life"
6) Solitude and studying Grizzly Adams and Jeremiah Johnson type people.

I don't know where I am going with any of this but these are my interest areas.