On my lack of love for the piano, and the irresistable cuteness of blond toddlers

I don't mind classical music. In fact, when I'm in the right mood, it's wonderful. I played violin for 12 years, and really enjoy most of it. My one exception is the piano, which I would love to learn to play simply because I'm not sure I'm coordinated enough to get my extremities and eyes together to complete a song. For whatever reason, though, piano music does not generally excite me. I much prefer cello or a full orchestra.

Which makes it a wonderful coincidence that my new downstairs neighbor appears to have one hobby.... classical piano. Oi. And while he's very good, it's piano. And it's driving me nuts, because he appears to practice exclusively during the times I am trying to nap, or read, or blog, or generally enjoy some quiet downtime at home. Maybe this will change as the semester progresses and he gets a social life... but for now, I'm anticipating a forced lesson in how to appreciate the piano through my floor. Ew. (Or, I could take it as motivation to find more hobbies/spend more time in lab.... choices, choices...)

On a happier note, I went to visit some family last week and was greeted by these cuties and their parents.

Adorable, yes? They also helped me practice with my fancy schmancy camera, but I didn't come out with anything too spectacular.

(She knows she's cute, you can see it in her eyes. Both adorably cuddly, too.)

Fieldwork for Advisor's project (theoretically) starts in less than two weeks. HOLY CRAP. I need to pack and wrap up everything I'm doing for this month soon. Oi.

Thoughts from the first day of classes:

1) "Hey you kids, get off my lawn [campus]" is not appropriate. Yet. Or possibly ever, but at least until I'm out of grad school. I remember being an undergrad, but I swear I wasn't nearly as annoying as they are here. Maybe it's a different school thing. Or probably I'm just starting to feel old.

2) Dear undergrads, please note that your phones are NOT surgically attached to your fingers. Put them away, walk to where you are going, and THEN text or call or whatever you need to do. Just don't do it while walking. You tend to bump into things like trees, or signs, or cranky grad students. Also, the stopping in the middle of the sidewalk to text? Yeah, that's gotta go.

3) PROGRESS! Made contact with another research site today, and they seem much more enthusiastic/helpful/not-evil than my other site. Lovely.

4) Had lunch with Advisor today while she is between trips, which was nice. Got caught up on personal gossip and some research things. She made contact with some potential collaborators for me while she was on her last trip, so I'll be following up on that this week. Also? New data. YES.

Am also feeling much better... antibiotics are wonderful things. So, overall, a good day. :)

Popping in for a quick update

Haven't posted in a while... again. Oops. At least this time I have a good reason: poison ivy tried to eat my legs, and either the rash, subsequent staph infection, antibiotics or all three are sapping my energy to the point where I'm lucky if I'm awake for two hours in a row. (Of course, that only holds during the day - at night I'm always up at 4am, wide awake and itchy. Ugh)

Also? If you get poison ivy, WEAR GLOVES when you wash the clothes you were wearing. Otherwise, your fingers break out really badly. Trust me on this one.

I am incredibly pleased to have been linked to by the fabulous Zuska a few weeks ago, which bumped my traffic way up. And then, I of course did not post until all of the attention faded away. Le sigh.

Workwise - still stalled on the major portion of my project, but got one important phone call completed today and will do one on Monday, when I hope to be back at work full time.

And so that this isn't a completely pointless post: bat news!

Noise news

New info on the effects of noise on juvenile reef fish here. Interesting -- I think I'm going to go look up the actual paper.

Open letters

Dear Research spot,

Please, PLEASE stop being fucking dickheads. If you like the thing, say yes. If you don't like it, say no. But either way, stop fucking stringing me along and wasting my time and my assistants'. I'm sick and tired of your bullshit and your non-communication and your general assholishness. Screw off.

- me.

Dear chairman,

What are you thinking, allowing someone to replace a class they failed with TEACHING credits? Are you serious? How does that work?

Please grow a brain,
me.

Dear labmate,

I get it. You've put a lot of time and energy into this, and you want something out of it. Well, guess what. You've gotten something - you've been paid for the last two years, even though you're incompetent, rude, and have really whacked out priorities. Please get it through your head that no one likes having you around, and we're all hoping you wise up and leave soon. (and WITHOUT the degree that you most definitely have not earned.)

Sorry bout that, but it's true.
- me.