The joys of being a graduate student.
And for the first time I don't mean that subject line sarcastically. I just got back from a small party at my advisor's house since two of his students just defended their theses this week. There was a 1:1 ratio of students to professors... not including my advisor's wife. And it was great. Four students, four professors, good food, and beer and wine. Not a shabby way to spend your evening. It is fun to think that finally I can really be peers with my professors, at least the younger ones. We gossiped about the department (surprise) and about Villanova in general (the Dean of the Law School just left after it was found out that he was running a prostitution ring... nice Catholic school, eh?). We talked about Michael Jackson, and being a graduate student, and research, and recent articles in the NYTimes, and some politics, and the Greatful Dead, and John Stewart, and it was generally a good time. Always nice to have fun with people you don't get to "hang out" with often.
In other news, my research is plugging along. I am working on data analysis for this poster I have to present at the AOU meeting in August. Then I will really dive head first into my thesis data analysis and writing, with the idea of being done in December or January... before the February AOU meeting in San Diego so I can try to get Villanova to pay for my plane ticket and maybe hotel accomodations. :D
Endymion and Oddment are getting along well, although he is much more active jumping around the cage than Tweak ever was, so I think she is a little shocked to have someone to jump around with. I don't know if he has caught on to the dry, non-seed food yet, but hopefully he'll get the idea soon... so much healthier.
I am really having fun teaching this summer. Even though I have determined that teaching the same semester four times in two years (two springs and two summers) is the point where you go insane. Despite that, I really enjoy my students, except for the one who is older than me by a few years and therefore thinks he has to give me attitude. Like today I got "Why are we looking at stomata?" ::facepalm:: My answer (paraphrased): "Because they are an integral part of plant anatomy that allow the plant to regulate both gas intake as well as gas and water loss, dictating the metabolic capabilities of and physiological stresses on the plant and therefore its ability to survive." Nyah!!
I played Munchkin for the first time last week after playing D&D with the crew... and I won!! I like that game! :) Not to mention that we played it with a bottle of Wild Turkey. Then the group got boozed up more, so it was a lot of fun. And tomorrow is more D&D... with my favorite Otter this time!!!! I am sooooo excited!!! XD
And lastly, I may have picked up a minor crush on Zachary Quinto, the guy who plays new!Spock. ::headdesk:: Now I may *have* to watch Heroes. o.O
In other news, my research is plugging along. I am working on data analysis for this poster I have to present at the AOU meeting in August. Then I will really dive head first into my thesis data analysis and writing, with the idea of being done in December or January... before the February AOU meeting in San Diego so I can try to get Villanova to pay for my plane ticket and maybe hotel accomodations. :D
Endymion and Oddment are getting along well, although he is much more active jumping around the cage than Tweak ever was, so I think she is a little shocked to have someone to jump around with. I don't know if he has caught on to the dry, non-seed food yet, but hopefully he'll get the idea soon... so much healthier.
I am really having fun teaching this summer. Even though I have determined that teaching the same semester four times in two years (two springs and two summers) is the point where you go insane. Despite that, I really enjoy my students, except for the one who is older than me by a few years and therefore thinks he has to give me attitude. Like today I got "Why are we looking at stomata?" ::facepalm:: My answer (paraphrased): "Because they are an integral part of plant anatomy that allow the plant to regulate both gas intake as well as gas and water loss, dictating the metabolic capabilities of and physiological stresses on the plant and therefore its ability to survive." Nyah!!
I played Munchkin for the first time last week after playing D&D with the crew... and I won!! I like that game! :) Not to mention that we played it with a bottle of Wild Turkey. Then the group got boozed up more, so it was a lot of fun. And tomorrow is more D&D... with my favorite Otter this time!!!! I am sooooo excited!!! XD
And lastly, I may have picked up a minor crush on Zachary Quinto, the guy who plays new!Spock. ::headdesk:: Now I may *have* to watch Heroes. o.O