And the school year is looming in the near future once again.
So....as one might assume the last month has been both really busy and very much not busy. In that order.
At the end of July I left for a week (9 days) in the field. The party consisted of Laura, Nyquist (who I do now refer to as Jon which is still odd to me), Mike and myself. Well Laura came up the next day but whatever. Our destination was Mirror Lake in NH - dead center of the white mountains basically. The site is gorgeous, the van ride up was the weirdest 8 hrs I've spent in a vehicle with anyone and that includes the 4 day Historical Geomorph Structure trip where I spent the whole time riding along with Hozik in his truck.
Nyquist and Mike both don't talk much so it was really boring. And noone turned on the radio. EVER!
We got lost 2x trying to find rest stops. Connetticut people don't seem to like visitors.
Once there we got to work. The week went well. We were joined by Don Rosenberry - who is awesome! He is the lead guy on seepage and he was just the nicest person to work with. I feel much indebted to him for teaching me how to row a row boat and for not getting anoyed the many times I was clearly frustrated.
The lake is gorgeous and was really warm. The section I was working on though was swampy so I spent most of the whole time trudging around in soggy mulch. Somehow we managed to get piezometers through that stuff and around the rocks into the ground here too.
Toward the end of the week it rained - and a lot. Luckily the lake water was warm enough that I really didn't mind it.
Other quick highlights, Laura is inept with technology. Nyquist may be slightly inept when it comes to GPS - and he either runs with the assumption that most women are just as inept with technology or really has issues with his student vs her student. (Meaning I still don't have all the data we collected and almost didn't get a chance how to learn the equipment. There was at least one occasion where Laura was like "well take melanie with you as it's her field site" leading to his response of "well, mike knows how to use the equipment". This would lead into a small argument on how it really is my field site and how I need to know the equipment and mike really needs to know what seepage is.)
And, speaking of arguments Laura and Nyquist argued back and forth at least 3 times wether or not to do sonar bathymetry for the NE inlet. And each time they had the oposite positions! At first she did cause it would help but then later didn't cause it meant that Jon wouldn't be helping out with the seepage. Then she argued back that he should but he didn't want to right then. Eventually he just did it and she was very happy. These incidents happened over a multi day span and drove me crazy.
I was the only one there without a laptop. One would think that this would mean I would have time to type up the data on someone else's? no...not at all. Yay hand calculations!
For all her other faults Laura can cook. She seems to be much better as a domestic then as a research scientist - which is highly unusual in this field. most women scientists tend to be slightly awkward as parents from what i can tell....
The drive back was equally as odd. especially as we took a detour to visit Lamont Doherty in the Palisades to visit some geophysicist there. The reason is long and slightly complicated but to boil it down Nyquist is trying to get a seismograph permanently in philly and the college of science and technology wants to borrow one for a demo they plan to run for their aniversary celebrations.
The stop was kind of long - much to Mike's dismay. Leaving we got lost and then stuck in a construction zone which also did not make him happy.
We got back on a monday so on tuesday I came in early to empty the van. Not exciting in itself. However, some delivery guy accidently pushed a pallet he was delivering through one of the glass windows by the door. The scene that unfolded was rather amusing.
The rest of that week I spent trying to dodge Laura. She and the nyquist and their kids went to france for vacation and so this being the week leading to them leading they were both ansy. Mostly because they wanted to get us on track, get the most done and still have to pack and make ready to leave.
That brings us to the last 2 weeks. I basically didn't come in much nor do much of anything. Well, thats not entirely true. I typed up data, organized more data, tried to start making sense of things, dried out the sed samples, ran most of my water samples through the dionex (with G's help) and helped Cat with GIS. This last part was not fun and basically reiterated to both of us how sucky the computers in the lab really are.
Outside of thesis work I cleaned and reorganized my room - including rearanging most of the wall decorations and throwing some things out. I went and got some pictures printed bought frames and actually hung some of them. I helped Kathleen buy towels and then helped her move to Clayton. And otherwise worked through a couple of side projects, read a book or two and just chilled out.
This brings us to last week. Laura and Nyquist are back. Which means no more procrastination but also means they are in mostly happy moods. I started looking at the first labs I will be teaching. Hydro and sustainability again - blech.
On this note the college has switched over to microsoft office 2007 so i have now spent some time learning how to use the new version of excel. mostly its not different. just the charts. aka what the hydro students use most often. yay......
I also ran the rest of my water samples. Yay! so I get to figure out what the data means.
And the most time consuming thing this week has been the 3 days of ta orientation. The first was through the cst which was cool. I got to be a panalist and answer dumb questions. (I volenteered after shelia asked me) Then came the 2 day "conference" of which i basically only signed up so i could appear and eat the food. What can I say - im terrible. Well, that and get to know the new students. All new TAs are required to go so I spent a lot of time hanging out with them.
We have 4 new students:
Jennifer - dinosaur lover who is working with Allison also a dinosaur lover
Raymond - who moved here from Missouri and is going to work on soils with DT
Chad - who was a temple student some time ago and is now back. he thinks he wants to do hydro
Allison - who definitely wants to do hydro even after I tried to warn her off
So... this means 2 new people in our office. yay?
It's weird being on the other side. I realized this as I find that I am now perfectly confident when it comes to teaching labs. Last year I was scared shitless and now it doesn't even phase me at all. That and I've been the go to for the new student's questions. It's both awesome that I can help and weird at the same time. Needless to say I miss our recent graduates already. The new students are cool and as a dynamic but it won't quite be the same.
In good news both Ebeth and Michael Wyant are back. Yay! I was sorely missing then for most of the summer.
Well, that's most of the back news. not in a lot of detail but that's ok. if anyone wants to know more specifics they can always ask. Currently I must run out to look for table cloths for the back porch table. we are hosting a labor day weekend family picnic. mostly because we have the biggest space - that and tradition
At the end of July I left for a week (9 days) in the field. The party consisted of Laura, Nyquist (who I do now refer to as Jon which is still odd to me), Mike and myself. Well Laura came up the next day but whatever. Our destination was Mirror Lake in NH - dead center of the white mountains basically. The site is gorgeous, the van ride up was the weirdest 8 hrs I've spent in a vehicle with anyone and that includes the 4 day Historical Geomorph Structure trip where I spent the whole time riding along with Hozik in his truck.
Nyquist and Mike both don't talk much so it was really boring. And noone turned on the radio. EVER!
We got lost 2x trying to find rest stops. Connetticut people don't seem to like visitors.
Once there we got to work. The week went well. We were joined by Don Rosenberry - who is awesome! He is the lead guy on seepage and he was just the nicest person to work with. I feel much indebted to him for teaching me how to row a row boat and for not getting anoyed the many times I was clearly frustrated.
The lake is gorgeous and was really warm. The section I was working on though was swampy so I spent most of the whole time trudging around in soggy mulch. Somehow we managed to get piezometers through that stuff and around the rocks into the ground here too.
Toward the end of the week it rained - and a lot. Luckily the lake water was warm enough that I really didn't mind it.
Other quick highlights, Laura is inept with technology. Nyquist may be slightly inept when it comes to GPS - and he either runs with the assumption that most women are just as inept with technology or really has issues with his student vs her student. (Meaning I still don't have all the data we collected and almost didn't get a chance how to learn the equipment. There was at least one occasion where Laura was like "well take melanie with you as it's her field site" leading to his response of "well, mike knows how to use the equipment". This would lead into a small argument on how it really is my field site and how I need to know the equipment and mike really needs to know what seepage is.)
And, speaking of arguments Laura and Nyquist argued back and forth at least 3 times wether or not to do sonar bathymetry for the NE inlet. And each time they had the oposite positions! At first she did cause it would help but then later didn't cause it meant that Jon wouldn't be helping out with the seepage. Then she argued back that he should but he didn't want to right then. Eventually he just did it and she was very happy. These incidents happened over a multi day span and drove me crazy.
I was the only one there without a laptop. One would think that this would mean I would have time to type up the data on someone else's? no...not at all. Yay hand calculations!
For all her other faults Laura can cook. She seems to be much better as a domestic then as a research scientist - which is highly unusual in this field. most women scientists tend to be slightly awkward as parents from what i can tell....
The drive back was equally as odd. especially as we took a detour to visit Lamont Doherty in the Palisades to visit some geophysicist there. The reason is long and slightly complicated but to boil it down Nyquist is trying to get a seismograph permanently in philly and the college of science and technology wants to borrow one for a demo they plan to run for their aniversary celebrations.
The stop was kind of long - much to Mike's dismay. Leaving we got lost and then stuck in a construction zone which also did not make him happy.
We got back on a monday so on tuesday I came in early to empty the van. Not exciting in itself. However, some delivery guy accidently pushed a pallet he was delivering through one of the glass windows by the door. The scene that unfolded was rather amusing.
The rest of that week I spent trying to dodge Laura. She and the nyquist and their kids went to france for vacation and so this being the week leading to them leading they were both ansy. Mostly because they wanted to get us on track, get the most done and still have to pack and make ready to leave.
That brings us to the last 2 weeks. I basically didn't come in much nor do much of anything. Well, thats not entirely true. I typed up data, organized more data, tried to start making sense of things, dried out the sed samples, ran most of my water samples through the dionex (with G's help) and helped Cat with GIS. This last part was not fun and basically reiterated to both of us how sucky the computers in the lab really are.
Outside of thesis work I cleaned and reorganized my room - including rearanging most of the wall decorations and throwing some things out. I went and got some pictures printed bought frames and actually hung some of them. I helped Kathleen buy towels and then helped her move to Clayton. And otherwise worked through a couple of side projects, read a book or two and just chilled out.
This brings us to last week. Laura and Nyquist are back. Which means no more procrastination but also means they are in mostly happy moods. I started looking at the first labs I will be teaching. Hydro and sustainability again - blech.
On this note the college has switched over to microsoft office 2007 so i have now spent some time learning how to use the new version of excel. mostly its not different. just the charts. aka what the hydro students use most often. yay......
I also ran the rest of my water samples. Yay! so I get to figure out what the data means.
And the most time consuming thing this week has been the 3 days of ta orientation. The first was through the cst which was cool. I got to be a panalist and answer dumb questions. (I volenteered after shelia asked me) Then came the 2 day "conference" of which i basically only signed up so i could appear and eat the food. What can I say - im terrible. Well, that and get to know the new students. All new TAs are required to go so I spent a lot of time hanging out with them.
We have 4 new students:
Jennifer - dinosaur lover who is working with Allison also a dinosaur lover
Raymond - who moved here from Missouri and is going to work on soils with DT
Chad - who was a temple student some time ago and is now back. he thinks he wants to do hydro
Allison - who definitely wants to do hydro even after I tried to warn her off
So... this means 2 new people in our office. yay?
It's weird being on the other side. I realized this as I find that I am now perfectly confident when it comes to teaching labs. Last year I was scared shitless and now it doesn't even phase me at all. That and I've been the go to for the new student's questions. It's both awesome that I can help and weird at the same time. Needless to say I miss our recent graduates already. The new students are cool and as a dynamic but it won't quite be the same.
In good news both Ebeth and Michael Wyant are back. Yay! I was sorely missing then for most of the summer.
Well, that's most of the back news. not in a lot of detail but that's ok. if anyone wants to know more specifics they can always ask. Currently I must run out to look for table cloths for the back porch table. we are hosting a labor day weekend family picnic. mostly because we have the biggest space - that and tradition