writing writing writing

Ever since I got back from my blissful trip to Florida I have been writing like mad to get a grant done for my next position. This thing is due April 5, but I have to have it done a few weeks before to give my new boss sufficient time to look it over and make changes. This whole thing makes me nervous for several reasons. First, it is my first real interaction with my new boss and I don't want him to think I'm a moron, or worse, I don't want to find out he's a moron; second, this project is one of two that I hope will carry me into a brilliant and bright future, so every time I see a competitor in the literature or think of a potential roadblock I have a small anxiety attack; third, this stuff is not the stuff I'm used to writing about, so at first I felt like I was writing in French (having to first learn the language before I could start writing); fourth, having just gotten back from a conference I went into this whole ordeal a little short on time and out of breath, so I have to make tracks and get it done fast, which always sucks when you're facing all the above challenges.

Needless to say, I've been pretty much glued to my computer for the past week (since I only play computer-boggle in my spare time) and am starting to have some good old-fashioned chronic computer-user problems to complain about, like an enormous headache that hits right about 3 pm every day and a butt that's numb just about all the time. Since I'm not normally at my computer this much (it's usually less than 10% of my day), I had to make a few adjustments. First, I put my computer on top of three textbooks on my desk, so the monitor is the same height as my head. That took care of the headache. Then, I came up with a genius plan to make myself get up from my computer every hour or so to give my numb butt (and bleary eyes) a break. I skip lunch entirely, and only grab a little food at a time. That way, every hour, I get a little hungry and thus get up and go pilfer in the kitchen. This also keeps me refilling my water glass. We have pretty healthy food in our kitchen, like cookies and Dove dark chocolate, so I believe this keeps the calories down too.

Home Safe and Snow

We got home late Sat night and I slept like a rock, then got up to go teach my Sun morning spin class only to realize when I got there that the sub I had gotten and then tried to cancel didn't get my message (mostly because I cancelled the wrong sub) and was there to teach anyhow. So I took the class from her, which was a refreshing relief, and then came home exhausted and slept most of the rest of the day. I did take a few breaks to eat the cookies my husband had made, watch the new Harry Potter movie my husband bought for me while I was gone (thanks Studly Hubby!), and give my husband a few presents I got for him in Orlando - a Mickey wizard magnet, a huge bag full of every color M&Ms ever made, a plastic killer whale lunch box, a little Epcott soccer ball, and a mickey barrett. Ok the barrett was for me but I showed it to him anyway and he wore it around for a bit.

Then starting last night the Minnesota Snow started coming down, so that when I woke up this morning it looked like the picture on the left (the snow-covered car on the street is my previously mentioned Super-Camry) - this was taken from our front porch. I would like to demonstrate the contrast I dealt with this weekend, so I am also including a picture from Sat night at our hotel in Orlando. This was after the conference was over, as we were waiting for our airport taxi and hanging out at the hotel pool (our hotel is on the left, an adjacent hotel on the right, and someone else's kid is in the foreground). You may be able to make out the swan boats on the lake - yes, these are real swan-shaped paddle boats. Apparently these are big in Orlando, at Sea World they had similar paddle boats that looked like pink flamingos. Only the pink flamingos were all tilted to one side because they each had a dad on one side weighing it down and their kid on the other side. I guess the dad's, especially the heavy ones, really go for those pink flamingos.

Orlando...!

We've begun the science, and boy is it science-ey! Synopsis:

- we found out Epcott is indeed mostly outside and went there yesterday afternoon for an afternoon around the world and a few science rides to boot
- we came back, I practiced my talk till I lost my voice
- went to bed, slept well
- spent next day hanging with a super-great chick we met from NIH
- we saw some talks, some great, some not so much
- I gave my talk, it went well, got a crowd of well-wishers afterwards which is a good sign
- had some interesting conversations with a few of the well-wishers
- picked up some toothpaste and dental floss at the vendors during the poster session, and bought an electric toothbrush for 1/3 the retail price - victory is mine!
- went to a U of M reception, for some reason one of the NIH administrators was there and sat at our table and engaged us in a totally interesting and hilarious conversation about fruit flies
- was joined by the chick from NIH who had tracked us down to invite us to dinner with her and her buddies from Colgate
- went out to dinner with Colgate buddies, got free booze, sushi, dessert, and some more interesting conversation (isn't this what these conferences are all about? wow, what a rush of free sushi)
- came back to hotel room, blogged before passing out

*currently passing out

one more day to go!

Sea World!!

We arrived safe in Orlando yesterday, registered for our conference, went and did some science, then busted out for a night on the town with some of my Florida relatives and then spent the day today at Sea World. It is SO GREAT to see some sun and grass in March, although I did not burn myself crispy like I usually do when I go someplace sunny. Maybe I'm getting better at that whole sunblock thing. We had so much fun in the sun that we decided to do another outdoor thing (Disney's Animal Kingdom) tomorrow afternoon instead of the indoor thing (Epcott) we had originally planned. We only bought a half-day pass though, so we poured over the tourist book tonight in our hotel (after doing some fusion yoga/kung-fu) to maximize our time there. I then practiced my talk, which was smooth on Monday but somehow fell all apart today - I guess the sun has confused me. So tomorrow night, the night before my talk, I am going to subject my kung-fu co-worker to it over and over until she has it memorized and can tell me my lines if I forget them.

Florida is pretty fun, esp in March, but I can't even comprehend the amount of money that flows through this place. Our hotel is insanely expensive, and yet we still have to pay for everything from continental breakfast to use of the gym. You pay $60 to get into Sea World, and then still have to pay for some of the rides. Although one thing that that maybe would be worth paying for is the swim-with-the-sharks deal. That deal looked cool. Anyhow, what family of four wouldn't spend their life savings going to a place like this? And what for? I'd rather play boggle (although if my hotel and flight is payed for then ok, maybe I'll go to Sea World).

And the sun, and the weather, oh my! This would be worth paying for.

Packing ...!

Packing can be such a nightmare. Especially when you're going someplace where you have to dress differently than what you're used to - i.e. Florida, a slightly dressy conference, etc (both of which is what I'm going to). I actually had a nightmare last night about packing - I dreamt I packed all the wrong stuff but didn't realize it until I got there. I woke up thinking, wow, I better give myself extra time to make sure I get all the right stuff packed. And here I am, my Studly Hubby is out running errands for me so I have more time to pack and I dread it so much I get on the blogger to sit here and complain about it instead of just doing it.

complain, complain, complain

(sits and complains internally for a while)

groans aloud

...decides maybe to go pack...

Party with my gals

I went out last night for a party with the gals that was conveniently located at the restaraunt only two blocks away. We started it off with real dinner and a bottle of wine and wound up buying more booze and a large piece of cake, then tootling off to the movie theater a few miles down the way (the sober one drove). At the theater we kicked back and watched Memoirs of a Geisha, which in our post-booze and post-chocolate cake haze was completely hysterical. I came home after midnight, knocked everything in our apartment over on the way to the bedroom, then couldn't find my pajamas and fell over my desk chair trying to get into bed. I'm pretty sure my husband didn't sleep through all that.

In my chronically full and serious life these days a night on the town was exactly what I needed, although I ended up sleeping in a few hours later than I intended this morning and getting started yet a few more hours after that - certainly not something I could schedule every day. But it was a good reminder to me to keep having fun even when things are getting really serious.

So on that note, I seriously plan to have some fun next week while I'm in Orlando for the dental conference. I'm giving a talk on Friday but before that I'll be visiting Sea World, Disney World, the hotel swimming pool (which has a water slide!) and as many restaraunts and umbrella drinks as I can find. I'm taking three swimsuits baby! Watch out (and shield your eyes - I've been in Minnesota all winter and have not a sunspot on me).

Beer, Science and Pizza

My new boss came to town yesterday to give a talk, so I had an interesting mix of worlds: new boss and old boss hanging out with me, the chair of my thesis committee, my boss' wife, and a few pitchers of beer. Then I got a ride home with the chair of my thesis committee in his new BMW M3 convertible with heated leather seats and an engine that can accelerate from 0-60 in 4 seconds. I'm not a car person but this car was pretty sweet. I wouldn't want to drive it though; it might detract from my love for my own 1989 Toyota Camry that can accelerate from 0-60 in about 15 minutes.

My Studly Hubby has figured out how to make The Most Amazing Pizza in the Whole Wide World. He puts olive oil on the crust (reminiscent of the wet Neopolitan-style pizza we had at Punch's a few weeks ago) and pineapple and organic pepperoni and jalepinos and pepperoncini. MMmmm, it makes my mouth water just thinking about it. If we knew the first thing about running a restaraunt I think we would do well to open a pizza place, but not in Minnesota. They only like cardboard and ketchup in Minnesota.