Quiet River Raging

Yes, I'm still around.  Can't access LJ from work anymore, so there went that pleasant, time-killing activity.  *sigh*

So, what have I been up to lately?
 

• Accomplished - one Master's of Science in Biology, diploma received, sigh of relief breathed
• In progress - Scotland trip album scrapbook (getting close to being finished)
• In progress - Job hunt for new position (no luck yet)
• In progress - weight loss (Weight Watchers joined, going fairly well)
• Traveled to - Savannah, Georgia, for work-related course (American Indian Cultural Communications)
• Celebrated - 39th birthday (*gulp!*)
• Hosted - Dad and stepmother over President's Day weekend (went very well)
• Received - both Federal and state tax refunds (YAY!)
• Learned - "Wilt Thou Go to the Barracks, Johnny?" Scottish highland (recruiting) dance

Looks like most of you have been pretty busy as well.  Hope you all had pleasant and safe winters - spring/Ostara is only a few days away!

Unless I hear otherwise (the "otherwise" being "you really screwed up and need to do it over"), my written Comprehensive Exams are 1/3 complete.( Read more... )

That's about it, I guess. Just trying to stay awake at this point, and get everything done.

I am in full-on study mode right now, and my Population Ecology notes have been my near-constant companions for the last week. Seriously, they've been with me everywhere.

I've gotten a bit frightened in looking at some of them, though. I've been reviewing the homework assignments I had for the class and I'm at a loss when it comes to explaining how the hell I learned to do all that stuff. Even though the tests were take-home, you still had to know which equations to use and in what order. I'll turn a page in my notes to find a sheet full of numbers and tables and graphs and my mind starts going into panic mode.

It's calculus, coming straight for us! Shields up! Take evasive action!

Guess I need to contact the prof who taught that class and see if he can send me a couple of practice problems that I can play with.

Saturday I spent the day scrapbooking at a breast cancer benefit crop called ScrapPink. I didn't do any photo work this time, but I did get a lot of the journaling done for the pages I did at the crop I went to last month. I estimate that my Scotland album is about 40-50% done. I'm really pleased with how it's turning out.

This week will be pretty uneventful until Saturday, when I plan to drive to Williamsburg for the Scottish Festival (Albannach! WOO-HOO!). Other than that, it's business as usual.

I've submitted my intent to graduate in January. Masters Degree, here I come.

AAAAAAIIIIIIGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!

Now I need to finish the draft of my project and turn it in for review, set the dates for my comps, and start studying my happy arse off.

AAAAAAIIIIIIGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!

Updatage: the Pixie was dropped off this morning to get her hiney fixed, and I have a rental for the next day or two. Can't recall the model, but it's a Chevy. Looks kind of like a PT Cruiser, but not as cool looking. It's kind of fugly, actually. But it runs, and that's all I really care about.

Boss has approved my taking Wednesday through Friday off this week. Please join me in a sigh of relief. *Whew!* Now I feel like I have enough time to finish cleaning the spaces that Dad and stepmom will see, AND work on the Masters project (henceforth to be known as "MP").

That's about it. How's YOUR day going?

Hi. So what's new with you all?

Life is settling back into the typical summer routine - work, more work, sporadic dance lessons, trips to the gym, and procrastinating on my Master's project. Honestly, I really don't have anything especially newsworthy to post about right now.


In light of that, I've got a poll for you all. I posted an entry a couple weeks back detailing the time spent in Edinburgh. The post was primarily in response to a request for additional details beyond the brief dispatches I made whilst on (limited) internet time during the trip. So here's the question:


[Poll #1214273]

Holy cats, I need a nap.

Busy weekend. I worked at the store 5.5 hours on Friday night and 12.5 hours on Saturday. Then I returned to the store yesterday afternoon for a special event/demonstration, which was fun, but it really cut into my normal Sunday routine of domestic Goddess chores.

It was worth going to the demo yesterday, though, if only for my mode of transport alone. I went with a friend (also a neighbor) – she drove. If you were in the Central Park mall area in F’burg yesterday around 5:30-6:30 pm and you encountered a black mustang convertible with the top down, 2 women and 2 kids, and the sound of Led Zeppelin and Def Leppard blasting from the stereo speakers, well, that would have been us.

Now I’m here at work (the only one on time, as usual – lots of traffic on 95 north this morning, though), struggling to stay awake. I woke up from a very odd and intense dream around midnight and it took a little while for me to go back to sleep. Guess I’ll be hitting the sack early tonight.

Not much else to report, other than to say ONLY 11 DAYS AND A WAKE-UP LEFT!!!!

... or in type, whichever the case may be.

***Quick note so that the rest of this makes sense: Lewis and Harris are in the Outer Hebrides, off the west coast of Scotland. Despite the two names, Lewis and Harris are actually the same land mass as opposed to two geographically distinct islands. Lewis' topography tends to be flatter, with lots of moors and marshes, while Harris has lots of mountains.***

Okay, the Outer Hebrides portion of my trip has a bit of a kink in it, in particular the part where I actually leave Lewis/Harris and go to Skye. I am currently reserved for 2 nights in Laxdale Holiday Park's bunkhouse, just outside Stornoway, on Lewis. The day I leave, I need to be at the ferry terminal in Tarbert (on Harris) by 7:00 am. It's about an hour from Stornoway to Tarbert by bus, but there's a major problem with that - the buses don't run that early in the morning.

Here are my options:

1. Drive to Tarbert myself and leave the rental car at the pier. This really isn't a good option, since the fee for doing so is pretty high. In fact, it would double my rental rate. MEEP!

2. Take a taxi from Laxdale to Tarbert Pier. A possibility, but an expensive one - about 55 pounds or so. MEEP!

3. Cancel the second night at Laxdale and find a place in Tarbert to stay for that night, greatly facilitating my on-time arrival at the pier. And it costs considerably less as well.


I've already done some work regarding option #3 - I contacted a B&B that's spitting distance from the pier about their single room. Unfortunately, that room's been booked for several months. I've e-mailed the nice lady back about other rooms/area B&Bs, and I plan to follow that up with a phone call in a couple of hours.

I ironed out the other travel wrinkle yesterday - same type of thing, only in Drumnadrochit/Inverness. I also made my Orkney ferry reservations.

There's really not much left to do at this point, arrangements-wise. I plan to stop at the local AAA office this week to get my international driver's permit and some British sterling. I also need to get my travelers' checks at Navy Federal (that won't take long).

Only 58 days and a wake-up left to go...

It was a quiet, but fairly productive weekend. Friday night I worked the crop at the store - good sales that day, plus I managed to get out a bit earlier than usual.

( Saturday )

( Sunday )

In other news, ( More updates - refrigerators, cats, travel planning, etc. )


That's it for now, I guess. I expect to be hearing from genevieve2006 about her newest pending arrival (son #3), whose due date is next week, but could probably show up at any time.

Busy, busy, busy...

( New-sy, but kind of boring )

I guess that's it for now. Time for another cup of coffee. At least I get to leave early today for a dentist appointment - I have a feeling I'm going to be in bed by 8:00 tonight...