...hear the wind through the tops of the trees...

I don't know if it was the allergy meds finally kicking in or what, but I woke up this morning feeling truly fantastic. Conquer the world kind of fantastic. Beautiful weather, last semester, swimming, fantastic friends...what more could I ask for?

I swear my shadow was doing this while I had my iPod on:

popsicle

It's 25 degrees outside. I live in Austin, TX, it's the middle of February and it's 25 degrees outside. There is something very wrong with this.

I've turned into such a wimp since moving here...

strung out

There is a new website for the research group my lab is a part of. It's simple and shiny and attractive. There is also a photo page with a bunch of students, many already graduated from my or other alcohol labs. Most of us look like we're feeling the strain of it all.

everything I know to do

Spent the weekend mostly trying to avoid completely freaking out about everything I need to do between now and May. It's like it all decided to drop out of the sky on me at once. Thursday night I left neuro class with the distinct feeling that I was in way over my head after a discussion about the physics of electrical current and resistance. Way over my head. So I started making solutions; I need to use my time and my resources more effectively. And make small goals for myself. If I look at the entire mountain I'll freeze in fear; focusing on the next rock makes it seem much more managable.

Friday as I was headed into the Gregory Gym to grab a smoothie between discussion sections I passed a sign advertising "swim like a fish." On an impulse I signed up for swimming lessons. I've been around the water most of my life and can get by just fine, but have never learned anything anywhere near resembling form. I figure I can learn to swim for fitness; having to focus on my breathing will be a big help for rugby and my aerobic abilities. Plus being in the water is just calming for me. So I had my first class today. There are about five other adults ranging in age from mid-college to mid-50s. Our instructor is probably twenty years old, started taking swimming lessons at the age of six, and has spent her entire life in the water on a regular basis. I feel like I'm missing out on something not having had that opportunity as a kid. The first class involved learning the basics of breathing and kicking. As I was focusing on not inhaling water it became pretty plain what the truly important things in life. I think I could really get into this.

thesis count: 29 pages, 54 citations

strategery

This morning was group lab meeting, a rare one in which we had an outside speaker instead of listening to someone from of the other WCAAR labs presenting their most recent data. (I'm scheduled to give mine a week and a half before the thesis is due.) I tried to pay attention, and can say I did actually get a little bit out of it. Serotonin receptors are cool. Pictures of fluorescent imaging are always nice and easy to understand.

Importantly, however, was where my mind wandered. To the thesis. I have 44 days to finish the first complete draft of the thing by my self-imposed strategic "six week early, allow for rewriting after perusal by official readers" deadline of March 23rd. This works out to about two pages per day, including weekends, or just over three if weekends are not included. I will be working weekends.

Okay. 44 days. I can do this. Really.

squeak

Okay, Grey's Anatomy. That moment, the one where George announces that thing, I jumped and I squeaked. I squeaked. And I continued to do so until after the commercial break. Pathetic, perhaps, but there was no helping it.

Even stranger, I was so absorbed in what I was working on with my thesis I missed the first few minutes of the show. I looked up from reading a review on miRNA biogenesis and function and correlating the citations and it was suddenly 8:04. Maybe I really can do this...

Spent today on class stuff, so the count hasn't really changed...