San Diego trip information and other ranting
For anyone who cares (aka certain puppies) and just in case the e-mail gets lost in my inbox, here is my flight information for February, barring any other unexpected changes:
Saturday, February 6, 2010
Delta Flight 1007: Depart Philadelphia @ 7:10AM >> Arrive in Atlanta @ 9:49AM
Delta Flight 1041: Depart Atlanta @ 10:50AM >> Arrive in San Diego @ 12:53PM
Saturday, February 13, 2010
Delta Flight 3603: Depart San Diego @ 8:45AM >> Arrive in Minneapolis/St. Paul @ 2:27PM
Delta Flight 6844: Depart Minneapolis/St. Paul @ 3:20PM >> Arrive in Philadelphia @ 6:42PM
Took me an hour arguing with customer service at Delta and Northwest to get my 6 Feb flight straightened out. Originally I was going to change planes in Detroit with an hour layover, but I got an e-mail from Orbitz this morning saying that Delta had changed my itinerary without asking me. WTF?!? They changed it so I had 30 minutes in Detroit to get onto a plane for Minneapolis/St. Paul and then over an hour layover in MSP before hopping a plane to San Diego. What are the chances of a Delta flight from Philly to Detroit being perfectly on time in February? Slim to none. And if I missed my flight to MSP, I would have had to wait until 6PM to catch the next flight to San Diego. Nono. Luckily, I got them to change the flight without charging me the $180 I would have had to pay if I changed it online. Whew. I didn't really want to go through Atlanta, since I remember that airport being a clusterfuck, but whatever. As long as I get to San Diego, I don't care anymore.
As for planning trips to the Zoo/Wild Animal Park, the conference is from the 7th to the 11th. Workshops are on the 7th, so depending on when the workshops I want to go to are scheduled, I may have that afternoon free. And I'm not going to the museum night, so I will be free Monday evening (8 Feb). And I will have all of the 12th free. I'm thinking maybe Zoo on the 7th or 8th (or even straight from the airport on the 6th) and then Wild Animal Park on the 12th... hrm. I at least want to get to one of those places, if not both. Only problem is that they are only open until 5pm. Boo.
And I am in need of a camera. Because I'm going to take pictures at the Zoo/Wild Animal Park, dammit, even if I have to borrow someone else's camera.
In other news, I've got all my applications/forms for presenting my research at the conference and getting money from people to travel to San Diego done and in. I'm going to get all my costs for this trip covered if it kills me. So now, in addition to hopping back onto the research bandwagon since I've been working on those applications for the past week or so, I need to start working on personal statements for PhD applications. Particularly, I have to get the UC Davis one done since it is due on December 15. And of course that is the longest one with two essays. Blarg. The first essay is straightfoward enough, the usual "Why do you want to go to our university? What are your career goals?" etc., but the second one is just plain bullshit:
In an essay, discuss how your personal background informs your decision to pursue a graduate degree. Please include any educational, familial, cultural, economic, or social experiences, challenges, or opportunities relevant to your academic journey; how your life experiences contribute to the social, intellectual, or cultural diversity within your chosen field; and/or how you might serve educationally underrepresented segments of society with your degree.
Bullshitbullshitbullshit. BUUULLshitbullshitbullshit.
Not to mention the cost of these fucking applications is astronomical. For four applications I am going to pay $175 in application fees, $28 to get my official transcipts sent places, and $80 to get my GREs sent places. Jeebus Christmascakes. Pain. In. My. Ass.
And I will need to get a part-time job in January to pay for gas for travelling back and forth to Villanova from home in NJ since I have to move out of my apartment by the end of December. BLARG. Petsmart here I come.
However, despite all this, life is rather good. :D
Saturday, February 6, 2010
Delta Flight 1007: Depart Philadelphia @ 7:10AM >> Arrive in Atlanta @ 9:49AM
Delta Flight 1041: Depart Atlanta @ 10:50AM >> Arrive in San Diego @ 12:53PM
Saturday, February 13, 2010
Delta Flight 3603: Depart San Diego @ 8:45AM >> Arrive in Minneapolis/St. Paul @ 2:27PM
Delta Flight 6844: Depart Minneapolis/St. Paul @ 3:20PM >> Arrive in Philadelphia @ 6:42PM
Took me an hour arguing with customer service at Delta and Northwest to get my 6 Feb flight straightened out. Originally I was going to change planes in Detroit with an hour layover, but I got an e-mail from Orbitz this morning saying that Delta had changed my itinerary without asking me. WTF?!? They changed it so I had 30 minutes in Detroit to get onto a plane for Minneapolis/St. Paul and then over an hour layover in MSP before hopping a plane to San Diego. What are the chances of a Delta flight from Philly to Detroit being perfectly on time in February? Slim to none. And if I missed my flight to MSP, I would have had to wait until 6PM to catch the next flight to San Diego. Nono. Luckily, I got them to change the flight without charging me the $180 I would have had to pay if I changed it online. Whew. I didn't really want to go through Atlanta, since I remember that airport being a clusterfuck, but whatever. As long as I get to San Diego, I don't care anymore.
As for planning trips to the Zoo/Wild Animal Park, the conference is from the 7th to the 11th. Workshops are on the 7th, so depending on when the workshops I want to go to are scheduled, I may have that afternoon free. And I'm not going to the museum night, so I will be free Monday evening (8 Feb). And I will have all of the 12th free. I'm thinking maybe Zoo on the 7th or 8th (or even straight from the airport on the 6th) and then Wild Animal Park on the 12th... hrm. I at least want to get to one of those places, if not both. Only problem is that they are only open until 5pm. Boo.
And I am in need of a camera. Because I'm going to take pictures at the Zoo/Wild Animal Park, dammit, even if I have to borrow someone else's camera.
In other news, I've got all my applications/forms for presenting my research at the conference and getting money from people to travel to San Diego done and in. I'm going to get all my costs for this trip covered if it kills me. So now, in addition to hopping back onto the research bandwagon since I've been working on those applications for the past week or so, I need to start working on personal statements for PhD applications. Particularly, I have to get the UC Davis one done since it is due on December 15. And of course that is the longest one with two essays. Blarg. The first essay is straightfoward enough, the usual "Why do you want to go to our university? What are your career goals?" etc., but the second one is just plain bullshit:
In an essay, discuss how your personal background informs your decision to pursue a graduate degree. Please include any educational, familial, cultural, economic, or social experiences, challenges, or opportunities relevant to your academic journey; how your life experiences contribute to the social, intellectual, or cultural diversity within your chosen field; and/or how you might serve educationally underrepresented segments of society with your degree.
Bullshitbullshitbullshit. BUUULLshitbullshitbullshit.
Not to mention the cost of these fucking applications is astronomical. For four applications I am going to pay $175 in application fees, $28 to get my official transcipts sent places, and $80 to get my GREs sent places. Jeebus Christmascakes. Pain. In. My. Ass.
And I will need to get a part-time job in January to pay for gas for travelling back and forth to Villanova from home in NJ since I have to move out of my apartment by the end of December. BLARG. Petsmart here I come.
However, despite all this, life is rather good. :D