About who? Me? Me Who? Exactly. Exactly What?

If you hadn't noticed, I'm a huge Shel Silverstein fan.  The title of this blog post is  play his poem, "The Meehoo with an Exactlywatt."  The purpose of the body of this post is the clear up some lingering questions you might have about me.  I realize that I lead quite the confusing life, and I like it.  I've been assumed to be many things ranging from a pastry chef (no) and to a vet (also no).  With the new FTC guidelines coming into effect in the very near future, I should make my professions and un-professions very clear. 


My other work: 

• I am a PhD student at Texas A&M (though, I bleed orange) in social psychology.  I got my undergraduate degree at the University of Texas - Austin.  My area of research is behavioral neuroendocrinology.  I study human behavior and how it can be affected by or affect hormone release in the body.  I like my research area.  It makes for great debates. I also love numbers and statistics, but that's a different post all together.
• I'm an adjunct professor at another college right now. 
• I do consulting for an educational consulting firm. 
• I also go to prison to collect DNA (buccal swabs and blood samples) for Attorney General's office.  This job makes for interesting stories and different perspectives.  

Other random jobs I've had: 

• I was a phlebotomy technician at a large hospital for several years. 
• I groomed dogs for a while. 
• I tutored students here and there. 
• I taught at a handful of other colleges. 
  

Things I do for fun (i.e., I get absolutely no money for doing these things, but they keep me happy): 

• This blog. I've never received, nor do I anticipate receiving money for anything I have written on this blog.  This blog was created due to intrinsic motivation.  I don't want to make it extrinsic.  
•  Keep Austin Dog Friendly Blog.  Over the last 7.5 years,I have received no money for that blog/website either.  I do receive emails from readers, and the occasional email about how to program my website. 
• I skate for fun.  Wind breezing through my hair and bugs flying into my mouth is totally awesome.  
• Show, train, judge, and handle dogs.  The canine sports I judge do not pay a dime, but they do cover my expenses.  I spent much more showing and training my dogs than I did on the down payment of my house.  
• Business consulting for some non-profit organizations. A PhD in social psychology is very similar to a PhD in business.  My research area would translate into marketing and management.  
  
• Hypermiling.  I've never been paid by any news station or car manufacturer for anything I do with hypermiling.  They have provided vehicles and covered expenses, but no money. 
  

Things I am not: 

• A pastry chef. While I like to cook, bake, and slave in the hot kitchen, I'm not pastry chef. 
• A vet/vet tech. I lived with many vet students, but I'm not one. 
• A professional dog trainer.  I don't train for money. I could lecture for six hours on what it means to be a professional dog trainer, but I'll keep that canned for now. 
• A programmer in any way shape or form.  I'm not sure if I can even program a scientific calculator these days. 
• A photographer. I take photographs for fun. Just because I have a big camera doesn't mean it's an SLR or that I'm a professional. 

The Gray/Grey area: 

• I have not been paid by a food or drink business for writing in any way shape or form.  While I'm friends with my restaurants, I'm not officially affiliated with any of them.  I also do not ever intend on starting one of my own.  I don't want to work that hard. :o)
  
• I do receive some perks related to my blogs, and I'll spell them out here.  I do get complimentary food and drinks from time to time.  I get invited to food events and food tastings.  I will write explicitly that it was a "food blogger event" or "I was a guest at..."  or "thank you for the complimentary .....". 
  
• I do not accept anything if they come with a "now you have to write about it" line.  I'll write if I have the time, if I really liked it, and if I feel like it.  I don't like being coerced into writing.  If my meal (or a part of it) was complimentary, I will make that known on the blog post (if I decide to write one).  
• If I attended an event via complimentary tickets, I will state that in the post and/or thank the host.  The line will usually be something like: "Thank you to Great Brewers for inviting me as their guest." 
• If I received cooking and baking supplies, I will thank the person or company who provided them and make it explicit that they were a gift.  If I thank the person in general, it was not a gift. I also like to recognize people who give me ideas or other non-tangible things like moral support during my baking woes.
  
• I often get dog equipment or dog food to use at dog shows, tests, event prizes, or as donations.  I explicitly thank those people and businesses.
  

What have or have not I been paid to write: 

• Yelp: Nope.  No monetary payment there.  
• My website and blogs: No money here either. 
• Academic research papers: No.Getting paid to write anything academic is like a pink unicorn.  It only exists in your imagination.  Kind of like the book chapter below. 
  
• Book Chapters: I was supposed to split $200 with one of the coauthors of a book chapter in The Cambridge Handbook of Personal Relationships.  I don't remember getting paid.  I did not get paid for my chapter in The Endocrinology of Social Relationships.