So OK, I'm the worst internet friend ever. I'll grant you all that. I think I've had maybe three or four journal entries this year. It's sad. The fact that it took me about a minute and a half to actually figure out how to post a journal entry on the new site (which has been up for what, three months?) today is a pretty good indication of that. But whatever, I'm updating, finally. No promises on when the next one is going to go up.
As most of you are probably aware, I've been writing for the newswire again. I definitely enjoy it quite a bit. However, this time around I am on something of a "quota" system - which means that I don't necessarily get to spend as much time writing particular articles as I wish I did because I want to get a few written, and also because the newswire competes with my time to get actual work done at grad school. Which is also my lame, but totally legitimate excuse for not really spending much time checking on people's journals and being social. I apologize.
Anyway, school is rolling right along. It's amazing to me to think that I've been in grad school for five years. The end is really in sight though - we're now actually throwing around thesis defense dates. It's looking like the middle of January is the likeliest time for a date. When I get the actual one I'll post it, if any of you happen to be in NYC at the time and would like to check it out, please do - it's open to the public. I got a few useful experimental results this summer which have helped things, but as usual I'm plagued by irritating technical problems that have limited my ability to generate as much data as I would have liked. When I'm done with grad school, if I stay in experimental research I think I'll pick a slightly easier system to study, so I spend less time troubleshooting and more time getting and analyzing data.
Other things.... well, my grandfather died in July. It was not a pleasant experience. He and I were extremely close, probably closer than I was to anyone else in my family, so it was painful for me to have to face the fact that he's really gone forever. He had been in the hospital for about two months - he went in for minor chest pains and they learned that he had suffered a slight heart attack. He quickly developed pneumonia. After about a week and a half, he was no longer conscious or able to breathe on his own. The family collectively made the decision to cut of life support later on that week. Two days later he had nothing short of a miraculous recovery - he woke up, sponteanously improved, his heart starting working better and he could breathe on his own. Totally unexpected, but certainly welcome. His improvement continued dramatically, he was taken out of the intensive care unit, then finally out of the hospital to a rehab center. He could get out of bed and walk around, he made an amazing recovery and there was serious talk about him returning home in the next week or two. Then he had a mild asthma attack, and the next morning he was dead.
He was 92 years old when he died, and lived an extremely full life. The week before he died my mother and father visited him, and he told my mother that "life doesn't owe me anything," he was extremely appreciative for everything that he had, and grateful for the long time that he had been alive. So while I'll miss him terribly, at least I'm happy with the fact that really didn't suffer, and he died at peace with himself and his life.
In other, less morbid news, Victrola (who has, along with many of my close SG friends, gone grey) and I went to Maine early in August for a long weekend in Boothbay harbor. It was great, we had absolutely perfect weather, it was nice and cool, and I got to eat a ton of lobster (yes, my last night there I ate three whole pound-and-a-half lobsters) and go swimming. Very relaxing.
Last night we also went to the US Open, something that has been an annual tradition for me for years. After watching Martina Hingis get her butt handed to her, I had the privelige of seeing Andre Agassi one last time, in what was without question the most exciting tennis match I've ever seen in person. After coming on strong, Agassi was all set to put away Marco Baghdatis, who then had an incredible resurgence and brought the match to a grueling, 5 set, three hour and forty-five minute time length, when Agassi finally pulled away and beat him. Both players got long, standing ovations from the fans for such an incredible display of talent and determination, and as it's Agassi's last tournament of his career it will make a fitting end.
That's all I have for now. I make no promises about when my next update will be, though the fact that this only took about ten minutes to write might encourage me to do it more often. I hope everyone else is well, and I'll try and stop by your journals and say hello.
As most of you are probably aware, I've been writing for the newswire again. I definitely enjoy it quite a bit. However, this time around I am on something of a "quota" system - which means that I don't necessarily get to spend as much time writing particular articles as I wish I did because I want to get a few written, and also because the newswire competes with my time to get actual work done at grad school. Which is also my lame, but totally legitimate excuse for not really spending much time checking on people's journals and being social. I apologize.
Anyway, school is rolling right along. It's amazing to me to think that I've been in grad school for five years. The end is really in sight though - we're now actually throwing around thesis defense dates. It's looking like the middle of January is the likeliest time for a date. When I get the actual one I'll post it, if any of you happen to be in NYC at the time and would like to check it out, please do - it's open to the public. I got a few useful experimental results this summer which have helped things, but as usual I'm plagued by irritating technical problems that have limited my ability to generate as much data as I would have liked. When I'm done with grad school, if I stay in experimental research I think I'll pick a slightly easier system to study, so I spend less time troubleshooting and more time getting and analyzing data.
Other things.... well, my grandfather died in July. It was not a pleasant experience. He and I were extremely close, probably closer than I was to anyone else in my family, so it was painful for me to have to face the fact that he's really gone forever. He had been in the hospital for about two months - he went in for minor chest pains and they learned that he had suffered a slight heart attack. He quickly developed pneumonia. After about a week and a half, he was no longer conscious or able to breathe on his own. The family collectively made the decision to cut of life support later on that week. Two days later he had nothing short of a miraculous recovery - he woke up, sponteanously improved, his heart starting working better and he could breathe on his own. Totally unexpected, but certainly welcome. His improvement continued dramatically, he was taken out of the intensive care unit, then finally out of the hospital to a rehab center. He could get out of bed and walk around, he made an amazing recovery and there was serious talk about him returning home in the next week or two. Then he had a mild asthma attack, and the next morning he was dead.
He was 92 years old when he died, and lived an extremely full life. The week before he died my mother and father visited him, and he told my mother that "life doesn't owe me anything," he was extremely appreciative for everything that he had, and grateful for the long time that he had been alive. So while I'll miss him terribly, at least I'm happy with the fact that really didn't suffer, and he died at peace with himself and his life.
In other, less morbid news, Victrola (who has, along with many of my close SG friends, gone grey) and I went to Maine early in August for a long weekend in Boothbay harbor. It was great, we had absolutely perfect weather, it was nice and cool, and I got to eat a ton of lobster (yes, my last night there I ate three whole pound-and-a-half lobsters) and go swimming. Very relaxing.
Last night we also went to the US Open, something that has been an annual tradition for me for years. After watching Martina Hingis get her butt handed to her, I had the privelige of seeing Andre Agassi one last time, in what was without question the most exciting tennis match I've ever seen in person. After coming on strong, Agassi was all set to put away Marco Baghdatis, who then had an incredible resurgence and brought the match to a grueling, 5 set, three hour and forty-five minute time length, when Agassi finally pulled away and beat him. Both players got long, standing ovations from the fans for such an incredible display of talent and determination, and as it's Agassi's last tournament of his career it will make a fitting end.
That's all I have for now. I make no promises about when my next update will be, though the fact that this only took about ten minutes to write might encourage me to do it more often. I hope everyone else is well, and I'll try and stop by your journals and say hello.
VIEW 25 of 44 COMMENTS
misstyrios:
Thank you so much for the great books and I hope all is going well.
phoebus:
Still saving the world?