RBOC

• As of Saturday morning, I can't move my head to the right. I hope the health center is open tomorrow but I doubt it with the holiday.
• Our paper got rejected. Boo. The reviews were not that bad. They wanted some different analyses and more justification. Alright. That is cool and fixable. There are two parts that suck. First, I may have misinterpreted a paper. This was pointed out by (most likely based on the review) the author of that paper whom I admire and would like it impress. Instead, I look like a stupid ass. Second, I was docked for not knowing some current literature. Like a paper that came out AFTER we submitted. Geez! Given that the reviews weren't that bad, I will stop taking it personally and get down to reworking it soon. Just an unpleasant Saturday night email.
• In anticipation of the impending anniversary, we went to play outside today! Part scouting field sites for V and part hiking in state parks made for a lovely day.
• Our lives have been forever changed. We bought..................a vacuum. My small one was not doing its job with the pet hair problems around this place. Our new one even has special pet-hair attachments! The house has never been cleaner and I have never found cleaning more exciting!

Busy enough for bullets

• My trip went fantastic! My committee member was totally on board with my preliminary data and summer research plan. She even thinks that some chapters could be split into multiple papers.
• The postdoc conversation was a difficult one to have and I waited as long as possible to have it. It also went well. She would 'love to have' me as a postdoc and would happily write something with me. In addition to possible funding from her next grant proposal. In addition to other possible funding for a year if first round of grants don't get funded. Plus, there is a lot of potential in her system and it could be really great research. Yay!
• I made it through another committee member today. 3 out of 5 committee members agree that Dancingfish is A-ok.
• Things have been busy. With V studying so much, I have tried to pick up household tasks despite the fact that I am not so good at housework. So far, laundry is going ok as long as I remember to get it out when the washer is done. Dishes must be motivated by a reward but I am getting good at all aspects of mammalian pet care. The pooch even gets brushed regularly!
• Not too much else going on. Spending time with V means working or doing things around the house. Lots of projects but nothing completed.
• Thursday brings another trip. I need one of these to be a vacation. With V. And no work involved.

RBO Good

• Thanks for the comments on the dress. I love it and am wearing it for my presentation. I have worn a lot of red for presentations and interviews and this came up a number of times in the comments. Being a power color, it commands attention and is memorable- both good things (particularly because I am competing for best student talk).
• Last year when I was out West, a big portion of the project was something that was risky. We didn't know if it would work, but if it did- it would be the first test of a specific idea AND totally good for the Earth. My advisor went to the site yesterday and it seems to have worked! Yay Earth!
• We had another writing date today. I wasn't feeling like writing at all but still managed a few hundred words and some good revisions. I hope to make up for it tomorrow with renewed excitement due to the above bullet!
• Sunny, 60 degrees, a good run outside, I wish spring would stick around!!

RBOC: Oh yeah, I forgot to tell you...

So, I haven't been very blog-y, or work-y, or awake-y. There were 2 solid days of lab report grading, a few more crappy personal things, student evaluations from last semester, and I'm broke. I just want to stay home. Drink coffee, hang out with cats, watch tennis. That is about it. But there are a few things that have been going on....

• Drug bust: We were on our way home from work and were being followed by a cop. Before an intersection, they throw the lights on, passed us abruptly and pulled over the car in front of us. I had pulled over when the lights went on and pulled back out but then the person behind me was flashing their lights and tailgating me. I don't know to pull over again or what so I drive confused for a block or two. They swerve around me and stop facing the oncoming traffic in the left lane. We are stopped in the middle of the road when I see a guy approach the car that was pulled over, guns-a-drawn. Drag the guy out, cars stopped behind us, weird car stopped in the oncoming traffic is an undercover unit. Drug busts are confusing for those not involved.
• Over Xmas, V and I were driving (again) and a power line fell on the car. Like, ON THE WINDSHIELD. It was still attached to a house and a power line but a truck had hit it and it came loose on our car. I called 911 and tried to direct traffic for a few minutes till the fear of getting run over or V's car being rear ended at this busy intersection won me over. It was weird.
• No pics yet but I'm knitting a cozy new scarf.
• And a sweater. It is almost done.
• I am sewing a dress. It needs a zipper and a hem. I want to make it is 10 different colors and wear it every day. Would that be weird?
• Yet another reason we can't have nice things: We bought new kitchen rugs. Two of the three mammalian pets have thrown up on them already.
• I think this might be the year I run a marathon. Get some time off in October, Mom.
• Tennis has been ruining my life. The Australian Open is just on WAY too late. I haven't been to sleep before 1:30 all week and actually set my alarm at 4am to watch a match. Why does Ivanovic wear a dress with a bubble skirt?
• This weekend I will finish: A dress, 2 manuscripts, my blog hiatus.

Bullet style!

• My students got their 3rd exam back today. They had looks of panic in their eyes when asked if I was going to be curving the course I replied a simple "No." I really see no reason to. My exam averages have been between 78 and 89. There are anywhere from 4-9 As on each exam and less than a handful of Ds and Fs. They still have the final to pull those Bs up to med-school-approved As anyway!
• V and I are running a 5k on Saturday. Today I did 3.25 miles on the treadmill in about 29 minutes. The cold should slow me down quite a bit but I think I will be able to finish with little trouble.
• Lookey! 21% completed on my second InaDWriMo project. After the Big Deal paper (which I haven't gone back to) and the Big Grant, this interesting little paper is a piece of cake to write. No word limits! No page limits! Methods! Results! There will be some tricky theoretical stuff to write in the intro but it is stuff I get excited about so even that should be...fun?!?
• As of today, I am back in the lab! Between teaching and needing a specific set-up that was being used by a more senior student, I have been doing next to nothing in the lab. Experiments will be run on Wednesday! Data will be collected! This is very good as it is going to be added to that ZF Manuscript that is currently being written....
• We have been married for 6 months as of today! Pizza to celebrate!

RBOC

Bullets to update you on things I don't post about. Or more likely- write posts about but then never actually post...

• My first exam was today. I spent the weekend thinking they would all get As or all get Fs. After grading parts of it- the average should be in the high C- low B range. Not bad for a first test.
• I was just asked to review a manuscript. My first one! There is a series of easy lectures coming up so I even feel like I have time to do it and do it well! Cool!
• This house is a pit and it drives me crazy. I am organizing my craft room. Most rooms of the house actually. I am also making a new office space so I don't have to work at the dining room table anymore. It works well except for eating over papers and laptops every meal.
• Slowly but surely, knitting has begun. In the past I tried to knit an hour a day. Now it is 2 rows a day on a pair of armwarmers. A sweater will be made (or at least started) by the end of the year.
• Could Rex Grossman be any worse?