Monday already??

What a weekend it was! Friday, our McNair research class started. It's from 9-noon every Friday this summer, and luckily, it counts toward our 40 hour/week research requirement. I enjoyed it. It's all McNair scholars and also NSF (National Science Foundation) people who are visiting UNT for the summer to do research. It was nice to meet some new people. The class itself was nice too. We will have a different guest every week to talk about some aspect of the research process. This week, our guest talked about formulating proposals and gave us some handouts that I thought were really helpful.

Friday night, Tom and I went to dinner at Texas Land & Cattle. Still wasn't super impressed. The first time we went, my food was so bad that I complained and our whole ticket was comped. I have NEVER complained at a restaurant, and having to bothered me so much that it ruined my night! Still, we tried again. It was good, just not special. Now I know!

Later that night, my mom called, and a family friend, my old pastor's son, my sister's ex-boyfriend, etc etc, was in the hospital and not expected to live through the night. He had a terrible infection after colon surgery. He is awake and talking now, two days later, but expected to recover. Thank goodness! I was so upset about it...people, especially 30-year-olds, just shouldn't be dealing with that stuff.

Tom went to Barnwell Mountain Saturday with his buddies to go offroading. I guess I don't get it, but apparently, it was fun. I get muddin', but looking at the pictures, it just looked like a bunch of guys getting their trucks into tight spots, stopping to take pictures of it and say "Whooooaaaa!", then carrying on. LOL Here is the most compromising situation the truck was in.

I had an equally thrilling day (not!) going to the library. It was nice though, because I got a lot done. Sometimes you just need real live books, you know? No matter how good your library's electronic journal database is. I forgot to mention how frustrated I am with my advisor because I sent her an email about this presentation with a couple easy questions (like, telling her what I'm doing and "am I on the right track?") and she responded to my email without addressing my questions. This is just another in a series of shenanigans...it's fine, it's just that I'm going to talk to a bunch of people for 45 minutes about our half baked research study that we aren't finishing til fall, and I'd like a little guidance. I am not the expert here! She is in Ecuador until the night before our presentation.

But I'm serious when I say it's fine. Saturday was bad, but I got in the zone today and made progress that I feel good about. I'll just be glad when this particular presentation is over and my project can go back to being enjoyable.

We also went to Frys today. Get this, I'm in the market for a new laptop, and I'm seriously considering a MacBook. I just want something that will last... My poor Dell is on the fritz, and I need something before fall because I can't go back to taking notes by hand.

The week ahead promises more work, more research, and a new volunteer position with Upward Bound Math & Science. We're also going to visit my dad to do some fishing this weekend. Don't forget it's father's day Sunday!

And finally, we need to mow. Sorry kitties, you'll have to find another hiding place. Have a great week!!