pre-eligible close-packed tally trade ( Read more... )

We had a wonderful day yesterday. Dave and I hosted my department's annual BBQ yesterday. It was the first time we've really had a chance to use the deck and yard, and we had probably 25 people (I never counted) playing on the deck, at the pond, in the hammock. There were three kids, who spent quite a lot of time catching frogs and newts (and ( Read more... )

An update, an update. I gave my talk yesterday on Alvan Clark & Sons, American telescope-making, and the role of discovery in the marketing of scientific instruments. It was really good-- I mean, the talk was fair, but I got great feedback from the department. The paper is written as a 'talk' rather than as a 'paper'-- that is to say, no ( Read more... )

Dave and I took a cat to the SPCA this morning. I feel awful about it. The cat is a total sweetheart, this big burly orange tom who has been hanging out on & under our deck for at least a week and in general trying (and mostly failing) to make friends with our two small girl cats. I've been calling him Maxwell. Last night the two little ( Read more... )

On the "Knowing What's Good for Me" front: finally made it to the gym yesterday. Feel very very sore today. Will go again tomorrow. Miss Oregon's beautiful facilities, friendly staff, awesome lifting partners (you know who you are). Maybe will get into good enough shape to enjoy cycling in the spring. Maybe will get into good enough shape so ( Read more... )

Yesterday was one of those days where, in spite of working all day, nothing quite seemed to get done. I mean, many things got done, but not on the projects that I set my (theoretically) unscheduled Tuesdays and Thursdays aside for. However, by evening I was pooped anyway, and was glad to be swept off to dinner with jofish22 and then trek down to Fellicia ( Read more... )

So, after my grouchy last entry I decided that I had been sick for far too long (bad sinuses since November, really) and made a doctor's appointment. The nice man scolded me for not coming in sooner, gave me a monster dose of antibiotics and some terrific decongestents, and sent me on my way. The bugs aren't gone yet, but they are going-- and I ( Read more... )

Ugh. Rough night. Perpetua-cold's gotten worse again, and I kept having these rediculous anxiety dreams about a project I'm just starting and waking up sweating. Plus, with all the sinus pressue, it felt a little like being stuck in a small box. Very uncomfortable. Then, after a night of staring at the clock and wondering why the night doesn't ( Read more... )

I'm making an effort to keep better track of my time. To remember that even an hour can be useful if used on the right task. To keep decent lists so that I have some idea of what those 'right tasks' might be ( Read more... )

kelaar recently posted about making his journal more representative of his life, rather than just posting in the bad times. He got a bunch of terrific, supportive replies saying he could write whatever he wants, which is just the right response, and true of course. But I think the sentiment is a good one-- if we keep these things online so that we can ( Read more... )