busy busy

Almost a month into school and the semester has fully hit me. Wednesday I am hopefully going out to Riesel to get sampling done. On Thursday I am presenting a paper at a soils conference at Texas A&M. Saturday I go up to Dallas to get my hair cut and hopefully meet up with Neil to work on getting these two papers finished. Sunday I fly from Dallas to Kansas City, MO, and drive to KU. I'm doing research there Monday - Wednesday on their CL scope (yippee). Then Wednesday I fly back to Dallas and drive to Waco. Before all this I have to finish micromorph and load soil organic matter for isotopic analysis, finish epoxying billets and get them sent off to spectrum. Also, I have to work on my paleoped lab for this week. Geeze it's going to be a crazy semester.

On the positive side, I'M GOING TO MILAN!!! I thought Bobby was kidding but apparently, AAPG is paying for my ass to fly to Milan, Italy and I get to see the Dolomites!! Okay enough blogging back to work. Someone's got to get all this crap done before Saturday.

LM

jobs

Something I have been thinking of since yesterday in Austin is the importance of the people around you. I used to have so many more "friends," people I surrounded myself with when I was growing up to make me feel important, special, popular whatever. Truthfully I think they were always extraordinary people, and I wanted to feel extraordinary growing up in the suburbs. I still talk to some of them, but I think when you are young you let anyone in without thinking about the effect they have on you. As I get older I keep pairing down the friends I have. Now, I feel like I have this handful of amazing friends: a few from New Jersey, a few from college, a few from SMU, a few from my travels around, and a few from Baylor. I appreciate this, as everyone who I am friends with effects me so much more. Somewhere in looking for myself in college and early in grad school I actually think I lost myself. These friends are my road map back. I know this is a sappy thought but whatever.

I was looking for jobs today in Argentina, Brazil, California and Portland I remember doing this exact same thing senior year of college. I was scared of going to grad school, scared I'd fail out or wasn't good. I thought maybe getting a job was the way to go, and after 4 years in D.C. I knew I was addicted to other cultures. I loved trying new cuisines and I was regretting not doing latin american studies and becoming fluent in a language. I looked for jobs teaching english in Argentina which lead to looking at jobs all over South America. I just wanted to be fluent in a language and take a year off from my life. A professor told me to stop going down that path, that I'd regret it. I'm glad I went to SMU and got the masters, but I am beginning to think I am ready to follow that path, it's one I won't regret. I am tired of living in one state for so long, and even more tired of living in Waco. I think I've learned what I can from this place and I'm ready to move on. I am so looking forward to seeing Jules, Matt, and Kristen in May. It really can't come fast enough.

Austin

It rained all day yesterday, but Casee, Steph and I went down to Austin regardless. We had such a good time! We started by hitting up Ikea and REI in Round Rock where I got a wine rack, new down pillows, and drapes and a kick ass hoodie. Casee had never eaten at Ikea so we did that too. Next we migrated down to Whole Foods to get groceries. I actually bought 5 bottles of wine under the "well I just got a wine rack" excuse. YESS! There is another REI next to the Whole Foods so we went there, cause they had a better tent selection. I ended up getting the new Half Dome 2 tent, since it was much cheaper than the Mountain Hardware tent and both were 3-pole tent constructions. I'm really bummed I even needed to buy a new tent, I loved the old Half Dome and wish they hadn't messed with the design. Also I ended getting a Solio, solar panel charger. Next Casee, Steph and I went down to South Congress. We hit up Gueros and Casee was hysterical. She was hitting on our very cute waiter and ended up leaving him her number. Girl definitely has guts. Then we walked along South Congress showing Casee some of the cute stores. I had always wanted to go into one, Lucy in Disguise with Diamonds, which I heard is the ultimate in costume stores. We went in and it DEFINITELY is. We ended up trying on all these costumes.

Casee and Steph wearing Texas sized hats.

Casee and I tried to put these on, but they were fastened close! Damn I was excited to try on Kiss boots/fall on my face walking.

French maid and Mermaid?

Steph trying to look all American.

Casee and me.

Casee

Me as a Fraggle!

We also decided to have a costume party for Mardi Gras. There was a whole section of these in the store that we went through. Many of the costumes looked like something Betty White may have worn on Golden girls. However, there was one costume of GENUIS

This costume inspired us to think beyond their Mardi Gras section and these costumes might be "appropriate" for such a party. Something like this outfit

OR this top

with these bottoms

LOL should be a good Mardi Gras party. We ended the night at Hey Cupcake! and then drove back to Waco in the rain. We got back around 9 and Kelly and Michelle joined us and we played Apples to Apples until midnight when everyone went home. All in all a REALLY fun girls day. It really was just what I needed. However, now that I have new pillows I really don't want to get out of bed, like ever. Probably not good for productivity but I have a 4 day weekend to enjoy myself sooo. Hope everyone has as many good people around them. I am pretty fortunate.

grant writing

I am supposed to be working on these grants that are due in two days. However, I suddenly find processing my soil organic material and looking my thin sections so much more interesting. Really looking at dirt under a microscope is more interesting than writing this grant!? What has happened to me? I used to love writing grants, now I am finding myself stressed and dreading it. Uggg. I need a good kick in the ass. Since I finally got edits back on this grant from two of my colleges. I think wine and writing are in order for this evening. Maybe that will help me along.
I keep flip flopping between wanting to get all these grants, go back to Kenya, do great work and feel awesome about the state of my life, and then feeling like maybe if I don't get these grants it's a sign and I can walk away from school. I wish this decision was an easier one. On good days, I know I made the right decision and think I am so lucky to be in grad school. On bad days, I feel like absolute crap. I think multiple kicks in the ass are in order. No one should go through grad school so unappreciative of the experience. Then again maybe that is grad school...just thoughts.

UPDATE: Night got much better due to wine, a good bet and a great best friend. Steph cleaned the apartment turned on the Christmas lights that are still up and this is what our apartment looks like...

Magical! I am actually beginning to fly through these edits and am hopefully going to send out a new draft by tomorrow for final edits.

ewww

I just looked at the forecast for this weekend...EWWWW. Hopefully it doesn't rain Saturday as Steph, Casee and I are planning on going to Austin.

NWS Dallas/Fort Worth, TX Point Forecast: Waco TX 31.57°N 97.18°W (Elev. 548 ft) Mobile Weather Information | En Español Last Update: 3:15 pm CST Jan 12, 2011 Forecast Valid: 12am CST Jan 13, 2011-6pm CST Jan 19, 2011 Overnight Mostly Cloudy Lo 26 °F Thursday Mostly Cloudy Hi 43 °F Thursday Night Mostly Cloudy Lo 27 °F Friday Mostly Cloudy Hi 49 °F Friday Night Slight Chc Rain Lo 37 °F Saturday Chance Rain Hi 53 °F Saturday Night Chance Rain Lo 47 °F Sunday Chance Rain Hi 62 °F Sunday Night Slight Chc Rain Lo 42 °F

forgot

So I totally forgot about this blog, but today as I was driving along I was inspired to write again. I was freezing my butt off doing research, and I began to think of all the places I've gone in the past 6 years: the Blue Ridge, Mount Rogers, the south of France, Portugal, Utah, Japan, California, Ethiopia, Kenya, etc. Most of the traveling I have done in my lifetime has occurred since senior year of college. While I realize that your twenties is the time for adventure and travel and "not being tied down" sometimes I feel particularly gypsy-esque. I want to record these adventures better than I have, and record the adventures to come as well. If I remember here I will post my photos from past travels and in the future, adventures. In the mean time, here is a wrap up of some of last year's adventures.

Zach repelling down Barton Springs Park, Austin (January 2010)

Zach showing us how it is done, rock climbing in Austin (January 2010).

There were these guys waiting to climb this route as Zach as doing his accent. They kept going, "yeah, yeah that's how it's done." to one another.

Joe teaching me how to lead climb in Barton Springs Park, Austin (January 2010)

Joe rock climbing in Barton Springs Park, Austin (January 2010)

My rock climbing attempt (January 2010)

Leigh eating the best cupcakes in Austin (April 2010)

Steph and me, Austin Botanical Gardens (early June 2010)

The Great African Rift, Kenya (late June 2010)

R1 field locality, Rusinga Island, Kenya (July 2010)

The R1 field crew on Rusinga Island, Kenya (July 2010)

Sunset over Lake Victoria (July 2010)

Masai warrior in Kenya (July 2010)

Lions in Kenya (July 2010)

Rhinoceros in Kenya (July 2010)

At the Metropolitan Museum of Art's summer rooftop installation (August 2010)

Beginning the road trip back to Waco (New Jersey/Delaware border, August 2010)

Petroglyphs National Monument (October 2010)

Erik, Nick and me at Petrified Forest National Park (October 2010)