Hack hack, cough cough. That's what it sounds like over here as I type along. I have managed to pick up a nasty dry cough. No other cold symptoms luckily, no fever, no aches, no runny nose. Just a dry hacking cough that wont go away. :( Thank goodness the makers of night time cough medicine thought well enough of us to put 10% alcohol in the syrup to let us sleep through the night.....
So yes, the week has been amazing in many ways. I was happy that I did get to take time out during the day at work on Tuesday and watch the inauguration. They had the large conference room set up with the projector screen showing the whole thing starting at 11:30 am. I sat for the entire thing. I cheered for VP Joe Biden, was a bit stunned by Aretha Franklin's hat (what a bow!), and then was so pleased when President Obama gave a speech that included complete sentences, no made up words, and not once did he ever utter a slang term or act like he didn't have an education. Wow. It's like a bad dream is finally over. Lets hope he sticks to his guns, doesn't make too many mistakes and is a better president then the last, surely this one can't be any worse, right???
Aside from this momentous day in our lives here in the USA, I worked. I got lots done, I managed to get that paper back to my boss, edit another one quickly that he needed done, work more on another one, and find time to eat and breath in there. And of course deal with people from the other lab, well not people from that lab but rather "guests" who are a bit um, lets just say expect a lot more than you're able to give them or have time to give to them. Especially when I don't work full time in that other lab.
The rest of the week actually got better. I got the date for the job interview I'm excited about at the Cool University. It isn't too far away and so far I've talked with the Department Chair over the phone and she seems pretty awesome. Now if my tummy and nerves would calm down, I know they will, but the initial excitement is still there. Eeeeek!!! I talked to my baby brother last night about stuff to prepare for the interview, it helped a lot. I'll be ready. I'm just still in my giddy phase.
Oh and the snow we got the other day stuck around for a little while, but it's nearly all gone. It's still cold, but warming up. We'll have like 40F (4.4C) tomorrow. Downright balmy! But I did get a chance to use my ice scrapper this year! My roommate got me a snazzy little ice scrapper for Yule. The handle is encased in a mitten. It works pretty good. But this is what I had to tackle with the scrapper, not exactly heavy ice conditions, but it at least looked like winter finally arrived! Finally!!!!
Enough with the coughing
MLK Day & The Day Before Obama
I'm excited. Truly excited. Why? Only a few hours left until the epic 8 years are over, and hopefully, a better time to come. I'm not expecting utopia. I'm not expecting President Obama to fix everything by January 25th. I'm a realist, it will take time, months, even years to repair the damage that has been done. But I'm also thrilled that the repairs will indeed begin. The healing can start. My work is so excited too, so much so that they are wheeling in TV's into the large conference room to show the inauguration all day for anyone who wants to watch tomorrow. Or they just don't want us crashing the Internet trying to watch it on our computers, not sure..... Wow. This is really happening.
Other than the national world being awesome, things are good here. In case you're wondering about the last post, no there was no end of the world. But the world did feel like it crashed on that Friday. I had a migraine attack. It happens. But all better now. Back to feeling better and having better things happen.
I managed to get my reviews done and sent back to my boss on my accepted manuscript, yay! I had today off due to MLK Day, so I spent it in front of the computer finishing that up. I had a little scare today too. I tried to make tea. Sounds simple enough, right? The tea kettle whistle never went off, so I went out to the kitchen to investigate. Like a ninny, I picked up the kettle with my bare hand. I didn't think plastic could get that hot! The water had completely boiled out and the kettle was burnt, the handle scalded my fingertips, I dropped the kettle on the counter, where it promptly burnt a small hole in the counter top. I managed to scoop it up in a towel and get it back onto the stove and my fingers under cold water before mass damage occurred. I'm okay. I was mostly terrified that my roommate would be angry when she got home. She just had the counter top installed a few months ago, its brand-new! :( I was so upset all day long, by the time she got home I started to tear up telling her what happened and that I would pay for it. Luckily, she laughed at me, hugged me and told me I worried too much. Kitchen accidents happen. BTW, the tea kettle was destroyed, beyond use ever again. Sigh. I liked that one. And it took me 1 hour before I could type on the computer again.....
In the meantime, I piled on some clothes, grabbed the pup and went for a walk. Hey, I had nothing else to do and I wasn't going to sulk in front of the TV when we had a perfectly beautiful SNOW DAY!!!! You read that right, we finally got some snow. only about an inch, but enough that the pup could play and I could take some pictures. Yay, snow. So here is the snow... what little we could get....
A really good week
I've had a really good week. No really, like every day something awesome has happened. So much so that I'm terrified that the next day the Apocalypse is going to happen or I'm going to be struck by a meteorite. The balance of karma may be out of whack by Friday, but my roommate assures me this is just all the good karma built up that hadn't been paid to me just being delivered all at once. It's a bit scary. Good, but scary.
So what good stuff you ask? Well, I got the reviews to my accepted manuscript, which weren't too bad, I submitted an abstract on a new subject to a science conference which will be in May without too many edits from the co-authors, I was asked to be a reviewer for a manuscript for a rather prestigious journal (and of course accepted), and a book chapter that I'm a co-author on was published. See, scary. I think I'll just take it as a good start to 2009! :)
This has been my first week back to work since the winter break too, so its been a jump in with both feet and try to get back into the groove thang. So far so good. I've got quite a bit done, not nearly everything I've wanted to do has gotten done. But, no matter, I'll get there. We did have a wonderful time in NYC w/Jeboleth's parents, I really enjoy The City! Such pretty lights, beautiful buildings, interesting people watching... :)
It is supposed to snow on Saturday too. I do hope so, I really want to see some snow this year, a flake or two please??? OH and I'm making NY cheesecake this weekend too. Yup, I have a brand new springfoam baking pan that needs testing out, so bring on the baking!!! Yum.
Happy New Year 2009
Happy New Year! It's another start to another year. I'm hoping this year means many good things, such as a new job and less stressful days. Of course not sure if those two coincide very well.... My New Year's Eve is one of dual importance, it is not only the fresh new start to a plethora of possibilities, it is also my anniversary with Jeboleth. Yup, 2 years ago we met on the eve and I haven't looked back since. One of the first things he said to me, which caught my attention and nearly made me choke on my food, was this little conversation: Him: "So what do you do?" Me: "I'm getting my Ph.D." (waiting for him to run to the other side of the room.....) Him: "Oh really, what in?" Me: "um... (pause to breath....) viral ecology...." Him: "What's that about" Me in my head: "okay is this guy for real??? And the answer, a resounding YES!!!! I explained it to him, and he continued to talk to me and later that evening give me the most wonderful kiss. :) He's pretty awesome.
I've enjoyed my two weeks off from work, but have been rather busy. We've had to do a bunch of things, Jeboleth moved apartments, we went to NY for Hanukkah, we're going back to NYC this weekend, we went to the NYE party, and we spent Xmas Eve with our traditional group of friends. I got to sleep in today, funny, my first day to fully sleep in since my time off, or at least it felt that way.
I hope that next week, when work begins, and life has to deal with all the frustrations and dealings that must come with the stresses that one cannot control, I will be able to navigate and manage the waters so that I can maintain the calm that I've developed during these two weeks. Wish me luck. I'll leave you with a pic I got from the ship, its not mine, I think it is from Ms. Ed, the Education coordinator. But it makes me have that calm but ready feeling that I hope to keep with me.
