And, uh, today I found out that some of my research was just cited in a Supreem Kort (yes, THE Supreem Kort) opinion. Sweet god I'm awesome.

Ordinary Eternal Machinery

1. Yay Jenny and Mike! Best news ever, best future brother-in-law ever.
2. I have to go to a lab meeting in a minute, at which I will be relentlessly bored, so this won't be that long.
3. Unless I get started listing things.

Life's good. No complaints, really. I was having an extended Case of the Mondaies for the last week but I think it's cleared up now. My chakras were all spinning the wrong ways and shit.

I received 2 "gratis" (italian for "douchey") copies of a book that I wrote a chapter in. How fucking cool to have a hardback book I wrote part of. It's really satisfying, especially because they gave me two so I have one prominently casually displayed on my coffee table at home, one shelved academically alongside better, more important books in my office.

I signed the copyright transfer page for an article that's going to be coming out for sure that involved that awful data collection with kids who have bad parents. That's kind of nice, something came of that!

Raedy and I got to work together on a paper from the stuff we did as undergrads about fish swimming and the hand posishes that go with different fish. That was 1) awesome, to work on something with Raedy and 2) a total blast from the past.

JD working at home is a little weird. I have finally realized that I cannot do ANYTHING productive when he is in the apartment. Normally I would work, take a break and clean up the apt or watch montel or judge judy or something, then work. But he has to have silence so the tv is out and cleaning is also too noisy. Then the instant he's off work I don't want to do any chores or work, I just want to hang out and do fun stuff. The obvious solution is to go work in my office, but I have only just remembered that. Le sigh. Also I am continuously hungry when I am in my office, no matter what. Hmmmm.

I have been taking a super challenging yoga class once or twice a week. It's fantastic. I sweat balls in there and it is very definitely at the upper limits of what my body is capable of doing. I love it. It's tonight, yay.

Other than that, I am working on a handful of papers and trying to launch my data colleckshun for my Big project.

Next Weds we are flying up to Oregon for a friend's wedding. I am going to see Portland, finally, and we're going to drive down to Eugene through wine country and *ahem* make a day of it. I had to purchase white shoes for this bridesmaid outfit, so I feel entitled to meander through the wineries instead of coming to the out of towner-welcoming BBQ.

We had our anniversary a couple weeks ago (June 21), or as Ashleigh called it, "our love birthday," and we went down to San Diego for a day/night. Fun fun.

Last weekend we drove to Phoenix, through the 120 degree desert, to see JD's gparents. That was nice, and they love him a lot and are super proud of what a good person he is (I am too) and it's nice to see them get so excited about the fact that he's not a fuckup. I did get to hear a lot of voiced opining on issues that I feel completely opposite about, too, so that was an entertaining exercise in self-restraint.

Yeah not much is interesting. I am super happy with everything and I love all of you. Kisses.

I'd Rather I Lose My Limbs Than Let You Come to Harm

Stacey's right. I need a new post. I am a complete and total badass.

Yesterday I had my big fat scary meeting where I had to defend my propppzel in order to advance to candidacy.

And I fucking pwned it. BLAAAADOW

It was delightful. Everything was perfect, from my choice of outfit (brown pinstripe skirt, bright raspberry button up shirt tucked in to skirt, brown vegan peeptoes) that made me feel like a grown up badass to the extremely girly, perfect high tea I fed them, to the careful, thoughtful but loaded questions I fielded from the committee to the people themselves who are mostly people I have worked closely with in the past few years and thus it was very, very important to me that I not come off sounding like an idiot in this thing.

Ohhh, it was so great. I enjoyed the whole process, even when it was clear I was being tested. A ridiculous number of my best friends here were waiting outside the room the whole time, so when they kicked me out at the start/end to promote intense anxiety I had a bunch of supportive smiling faces waiting for me. I felt like I was smart and saying smart things in a smart way, and totally in control and not blindsided or thrown off by anything. Probably it helped that I fully expected Level 10 hazing bullshit going in to it, but it never felt like that at all.

The whole time I just felt like I was talking to people who were treating me like I was a colleague, and not a petulant student that burdens all of them with my stupidity. It was fucking great. At the end, people said some of the nicest shit to me I've ever heard, about how gorgeous my propppzel is and how they'd like to show it to other students as an example of what ought to be done when writing these. The faculty who know me best who were in that room were clearly proud. My advisor hugged me three different times and then asked if she could also high five me.

It was spectacular, and I feel fucking great and totally satisfied. And I ran into one of the committee members this afternoon in the mailroom and she was talking to me differently than she had a few days ago. It's subtle but noticeable. It's unbelievably validating and it's the most complimentary people have been to me--ever-- in this program/field/career path/whatever. I maybe am drinking the kool-aid here, I'm not sure how much of this is patently designed to groom me into miniature thems...but I feel like I killed that shit and I know my project is awesome and the writing was good and I am immensely satisfied with the way I handled myself and That. Feels. Nice.



Also hugely positive is now that I can take the adv.blinders off, I am pissing my pants about Stacey's wedding and seeing everyone in a week! Fuck balls! So awesome. Love and miss you guys tons!