Nothing screams "you've grown up" more than the lack of a summer vacation

Where has May gone....or even April for that matter. Time is flying by like it actually has someplace to be. I long for the days when a summer day felt like you had all the time in the world, and summer vacation seemed an eternity. But now I have tasks and responsibilites and goals, and all the work that goes with those things, clogging up my so called summer break. Its an odd feeling -- not having a summer vacation. I don't like it much. I never asked for this grown up stuff to begin with.

Steven and I have managed to get in one adventure already. We took a weekend and went out to the Endless Mountains in Eastern Pennsylvania. His goal was to get some photos of waterfalls (which were everywhere, and quite impressive). My goal was to just get outside and get some hiking in. We wound up doing a lot of trail blazing, which is always a good time, and managed to get a bit lost thanks to a book with worthless directions and maps that don't even know what "scale" is. The result was us scaling up some mountains on our bellies. Which really wasn't all that bad. Except that I topped my boots, was wet up past my knees, and starting to get a bit chilled. Its one of those trips that evoke a ton of misery, but its the kind of misery that makes you feel good. You're wet, muddy, cold, tired as hell, you're feet hurt, and you're starving and thirsty, but as you stand at the top and gaze down into the gorge you were in but moments before, you say "Yep....I own this mountain." And then you go find a Pizza Hut. (Which is really hard to find on I-80.)

So after a change of clothes, a hot pizza hut pan pizza, and stinking everyone out of Pizza Hut, we were on our way home. Little did we know that the "roughing it" wasn't quite over. Apparently, a good storm had hit back home, and was kind enough to take out our water pump. That pump ran without a hiccup for 16 years and it got blown to bits by lightening on the night in which we probably needed showers the most. Dirty, sweaty, and all the way around stinky, not to mention very thirsty, and there's not a drop of running water in the house. Luckily we have the pool and were able to warm some pool water up on the stove to take sponge baths. Drinking water had been aquired from the spring itself and was stored in the fridge. Thank heavens.

As far as school goes, the week was spent gathering things, making things, and generally getting ready for the field season which commences next Tuesday. Tomorrow morning, the Lab is off to Windsor for the IAGLR conference. (Thats Internatilnal Association of Great Lakes Research, for any of you who care.) We'll be there till Friday, and then I'm off for home for the weekend. So thats about all thats been going on lately.

Till next time. Cheers.

Catching whiffs of summer time....

Summer is officially upon us, and the sunshine feels great. The sememester is over, and I'm finally done with multivariate statistics (which I got a B+ in. Go me.) I have to say though, I'm REALLY missing having a summer vacation. The fact that its summer and I have so much to do is just depressing. I have my committee meeting next wednesday, for which I need to edit my proposal and put together a powerpoint presentation. And then the IAGLR conference is the week after that. I still need to finish my poster for that, too. Arrrrg. Busyness. After that though, its all field work. I'm looking forward to that. Mor e sunshine.

Today, and for the next 2 days, is the Stream Restoration Workshop. Its been pretty interesting so far, and I'm learning stuff, which is always good. It helps that one of the main guys lecturing is hilarious. Today it was beautiful out, so we spent some of "class" outside. We also went down to the river, so at least we got outside. Its supposed to be rainy and stormy tomorrow, so it won't be so painful to be inside.

Last week, Jon, Dave and I went up to Michigan to scout out my study sites. Some of the area I'm working is looks like its right out of Pennsylvania, which is very nice. Minus the ~2 hour drive to the general area, its going to be great, I think/hope. I'd still like to find a couple more sites, but we'll see. There's so much to do.

So thats my life right now. With any luck, it will get a little more interesting.