My thesis, "Using Physiological Tradeoffs to Study the Evolution of Mechanisms of Aging," has really gotten rolling. I've submitted a review paper on mathematical models to my thesis committee. I'm working on some results from my model of how aging happens in one organ because I'm presenting them at a conference next week! My boss thinks there's a "good" chance that the simplest model will be a stand-alone paper if I really tighten up the mathematical analysis of the model. I'm also studying autopsies of Portuguese water dogs! This will hopefully tell us which organs experience correlated, or near-correlated, aging. It will also, crucially perhaps, tell us which organs do not! Exciting stuff.
Even more amazing, my PhD program is giving me a paid semester off this coming year! I'm taking the Fall off to really focus on my math modeling and water dog autopsies. I will, if I get everything up to par, graduate in April! It will be my 6th year of PhDing. I'm looking forward to getting the hell out of Utah ;) For realz.
I am so broke right now, more than I have ever been in my life. Seriously. I cancelled Netflix and downgraded my data usage plan :( But, I keep working away so I can graduate, get a job, buy my dog awesome toys, buy myself awesome toys :) and then sweep BabyWolf away to somewhere like Europe when I finish here.