Caitlin's Visit

Hey, so I've been busy grading 60-odd lab reports and didn't get a chance to update on Caitlin's visit. It was so good to see Caitlin again, I hadn't seen her since Mags and Spencer's wedding. We headed up to Cooperstown straight from the airport and got to see lots of pretty fall foliage along the way. When we got to Cooperstown we walked around downtown and got pizza from Sal's (mmmm good).

Friday was our only full day in Cooperstown, so we had to pack in a lot. We went to the Farmer's Museum, Cider Mill, Doubleday Cafe (great lunch place, but no clam chowder this year), and we went by my grandaddy's old farm. I was a little dissapointed that it wasn't colder, I was hoping for some chilly fall weather for Caitlin, but at least all the trees were pretty colors. Friday night we did the ghost walk at the Farmer's Museum, which was very fun and very dark. I still maintain that they were supposed to provide flashlights, and it was kind of drizzling off and on, but it was fun and creepy. Our tour guide had worked at the museum for 15 years, so he had some good stories.

Saturday we swung by the Farmer's Market and got some fresh muffins, hung out in the house, and drove 5 hours back to Rhode Island. We were both too exhausted to do anything Saturday night, but Caitlin had to leave Sunday afternoon, so we got up Sunday, walked around campus (which is alternately lovely old buildings and odd modern buildings), and then we went to Newport to do the cliff walk and walk around the cute touristy streets for a while. So we managed to fit quite a lot into 4 days. And I had such a blast!! If anybody else is ever in the New England area, give me a call! I miss my friends!

More Thesis Disappointments

So I haven't updated in a while, mostly because I've just been too busy or lazy to bother. I've been conducting experiments off and on for the last month with numerous things going wrong, of course. It just wouldn't be my research without everything that can possibly go wrong actually going wrong. So now instead of comparing two temperatures and two pHs for Dosidicus I'll probably just be comparing two temperatures. Oh, and writing about how freezing blood does effect the oxygen-binding ability, since my frozen experiment results are kinda sketchy. Originally I thought I'd be doing experiments up until Oct. 15th, and that I would then analyze my results and write up my methods while Brad was gone on the cruise. Then, when he got back, we could discuss the results, I could write them up, and I could get started on the discussion. But now that won't happen, and I don't have much to do for the next month. I'll teach of course, and write up my methods, do an elemental analysis of Loligo pealei (local squid), but, I just won't accomplish as much as I was hoping to. Oh well.

On the plus side, I've done some fun stuff in the last couple of weeks. Irishfest, classical concert, Journey cover band. Plus, I'm hearing some Hawaiian music tonight (trying to expose myself to new things), and Caitlin comes next week! Yay!! Oh, and the fall weather is Finally here, so it's actually chilly outside. :)