Today was the sort of day off that I haven't had for a while. I slept 'til 11, made myself pancakes, and headed to a coworker's apartment in the distant suburbs to watch basketball, drink beer, and have Chinese food delivered. The basketball games sucked, the Chinese food was forgettable, and I don't think I'll be hanging out there often. But it was relaxing.
I decided not to turn it into a Saturday like last week's, so headed home to eat pie, clean my apartment a little, and watch season 4 Wire eps. Tomorrow's a big day; I think all the pieces of the last month or so might come together in the lab.
I'm reading A Prayer for Owen Meany, mostly because my supervisor who I respect made a casual reference to it in a meeting and I'm kind of curious about what sort of books he reads. John Irving is one of those authors who I've perpetually avoided for no particular reason. It's OK, but I probably won't pick up more of him. I mostly liked the parts about the old man in the "present" (1987) day, and the evocation of the 60s. I didn't really care for the the New England WASP fetishization. But Cricket went to a private school in Cambridge, MA, and then Princeton, so I really need to be careful about how I say these things. But technically she was born in Cali, so fuckit.
Saturday, March 22, 2008
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
Poor me
Sorry no blogging.
It's feeling like tough times in Katzenklavier land. I'm working twelve-hour days out of vague whim that it's my "scientific style," and I'm not getting much done. That's partially because I'm an inefficient scientist, but also I'd like to think it's because I'm working on a tough problem. The person a year ahead of me in the pipeline is getting the complete hairy eyeball from academia, and I don't think it bodes well for me, as this person is sexier on paper than me. Granted nobody is sexier in person than myself. I think I've really gotten decent at communicating the whole audacious enthusiasm thing in person, but I need to be able to get shortlisted somewhere.
In other words, I'm definitely starting to freak out about where I'm going to be in the fall of 2009.
Cricket is in Tanzania right now so I have nobody to talk to, which is fine, as I'm only thinking science and life strategy these days. In grad school I had roommates and friends and people to drink with. I don't dig too much on the phone conversations, so I pretty much isolate. Last weekend I hung out with a friend from those days who lives around here, M, and another one who was in town visiting, P. There was a lot of drinking. I can't drink like I used to. I also was pissed that the house party ran out of booze and my people wanted to go to Wonderland. What would have been a $10 evening (Delerium Nocturnum, donated to party stash) turned into a $50 evening. But I had fun. P and M were my cohort in grad school, and it's always sweet to see them. I wonder where we'll all be in ten years.
Also, in good news: Cricket will be cohabitating with me this summer. The prospect of a girlfriend who isn't a million miles away is a nice one. I like her friends who live in DC, too. They class up my boring-ass joint, something sorely needed since I couldn't be fucked to even go to a show these days.
I'll probably play hooky and watch basketball and drink on Friday, though.
It's feeling like tough times in Katzenklavier land. I'm working twelve-hour days out of vague whim that it's my "scientific style," and I'm not getting much done. That's partially because I'm an inefficient scientist, but also I'd like to think it's because I'm working on a tough problem. The person a year ahead of me in the pipeline is getting the complete hairy eyeball from academia, and I don't think it bodes well for me, as this person is sexier on paper than me. Granted nobody is sexier in person than myself. I think I've really gotten decent at communicating the whole audacious enthusiasm thing in person, but I need to be able to get shortlisted somewhere.
In other words, I'm definitely starting to freak out about where I'm going to be in the fall of 2009.
Cricket is in Tanzania right now so I have nobody to talk to, which is fine, as I'm only thinking science and life strategy these days. In grad school I had roommates and friends and people to drink with. I don't dig too much on the phone conversations, so I pretty much isolate. Last weekend I hung out with a friend from those days who lives around here, M, and another one who was in town visiting, P. There was a lot of drinking. I can't drink like I used to. I also was pissed that the house party ran out of booze and my people wanted to go to Wonderland. What would have been a $10 evening (Delerium Nocturnum, donated to party stash) turned into a $50 evening. But I had fun. P and M were my cohort in grad school, and it's always sweet to see them. I wonder where we'll all be in ten years.
Also, in good news: Cricket will be cohabitating with me this summer. The prospect of a girlfriend who isn't a million miles away is a nice one. I like her friends who live in DC, too. They class up my boring-ass joint, something sorely needed since I couldn't be fucked to even go to a show these days.
I'll probably play hooky and watch basketball and drink on Friday, though.
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