Getting bored is not allowed. Sometimes I comb my hair with a fork.

Just kidding. Everyone knows I never comb my hair, period.

Lindsay and I leave for Africa in a week. LESS than a week! SIX DAYS!

This means that very soon I'll be all totally on top of updating this thing. Because I'll have so many exciting stories to tell you. Stories about sitting on the balcony drinking beer, and stories about eating very small delicious bananas, and probably some stories about my parents' ridiculous dog. Then if you guys are good, I'll throw in some stuff about Rwanda. Maybe.

Anyway so right, we leave Monday night next week. I'm excited cause we have an overnight in Addis Ababa and it's more than twelve hours so we have to get visas and the only reason I ever do ANYTHING is to get extra fancy stamps in my passport.

Meanwhile, and by "meanwhile" I mean "starting a week ago", I have so many things to do before I leave that I barely have time to sit in my room and cry about it. So don't hold your breath for any more posts between now and . . . I'm gonna go with Wednesday the 7th.

For your entertainment while you pine away for me, here's a picture of my favorite friend Rory, wearing lots of ultraviolet marker and not holding very still in the blacklight. It's Science!

18 years ago

Science!

Okay guys I have good news and bad news for you.

The good news is, the sea monkeys hatched! I can totally see them swimming frantically in little spirals through the magnification part of their little plastic jail. They are UBER scientific. I haven't named them yet because I can't quite figure out how many there are but that is bound to be a fun party activity.

Lindsay gave me sea monkeys for doing a good job on my Oral Comprehensive Exam last week. Sea monkeys and two cases of beer. Lindsay's my main squeeze.

Okay, but, the bad news, well, it's bad. Sit down and take a deep breath.

The beakers and ultraviolet markers I had on order might not make it to the party.

Don't cry! They MIGHT make it! We have to talk to some UPS people. Because the box is in DC, somewhere, it just isn't scheduled to be delivered to my house until Monday. Monday! Monday is too late. Anyway I haven't given up. I'll do some problem solving tomorrow when there are hearing people around to fob off the phone calling onto.

In other science-related news, we are starting to have big piles of science laying around all the time. Microscopes and goggles and lab suits and aprons and glow in the dark floam and whatnot. I heard a rumor today that one party guest may be bringing a real live geiger counter. He'll be the guest of honor!

Also I bought diet coke and mentos and borax and baking soda and cornstarch. All staple necessities. We're so ready.

Anyway, everyone should keep their chin up for the sake of the sea monkeys who will probably DIE if anyone is upset about any of the other stuff. They have fragile egos, those little guys, or so I hear.

***

completely unrelated to science: I'm going to Rwanda in May. Lindsay and I'll be gone the 5th-29th. Let us know if you need anything from there.

kisses,
Cecily

5 weeks out

to the semester's end seems like very not enough.

Tomorrow morning (Friday) is my big scary Oral Comprehensive Exam. I halfway expect my nice supportive friendly professors to suddenly have sharp teeth and big eyebrows and general Viola Swamp demeanors.

Assuming they don't (well, even if they do, really), then I will be drinking beer with Lindsay (and you if you would like to come) in the afternoon. And possibly the evening. Maybe even the nighttime!

Then: Back to work, you lazy girl!

I have to finish getting my act together for my impending-with-the-speed-of-doom trip to Rwanda. May 5, we leave. Ask me if I'm ready. No wait, don't ask me that. Ask me anything else! If it's about Phonology or Optimality Theory or Generative Syntax or Narrative Discourse Analysis, I will be all practiced up for answering you so go right ahead.

Plus, you know. Homework. Homework abounds.

And most distractingly of all is my Science Birthday Party which will be on April 12 and which is destined to be the best one yet. That's why I have to keep ordering scientific things from the bathtub; I'm multitasking! Who knows where I can get a helium tank?

I'll take a deep breath one of these days and then maybe I'll have something slightly more coherent to say.