You know. I just want to write. I want to write a presentation for my committee. I want to tell them what I’ve done and get feedback on what I plan to do next. I want to write a manuscript about the reproductive biology of sour cherries. I want to fiddle with R and teach myself to understand multivariate statistics. I want to read the ecology ( Read more... )

I was chatting with a member of the HR department yesterday (as a representative of my union) and when I said that I was doing a Master of Science, she said, “Oh, non-traditional.” I didn’t understand her comment at first, like, was she asking me if I was doing a non-traditional project? Was she commenting on the rarity that science students get ( Read more... )

I walk to work every day, it's just under thirty minutes or just over thirty minutes depending on whether I'm going to school or the museum, and it's a really beautiful walk. I have thus far not made time to introduce myself to the uni gym/pool complex, so this is the extent of my exercise regime at the moment ( Read more... )

I dropped the class. I talked to my supervisor. I survived. I feel pretty ridiculous for how "big" this all felt. But really, I only feel ridiculous because I think other people think I'm ridiculous. When in reality, no one knows how much I thought about this but me ( Read more... )

I had a plan this morning and I was ready to execute it. I'm registered in a class I don't want to take and the reason I registered in it in the first place is solely because my supervisor wanted me to. I am not learning anything new (not really)> Sure it's good to practise and get feedback on different ways to communicate science, but I would much ( Read more... )

So this all started with thanksgiving this year, Canadian thanksgiving (we're talking mid-October). My boyfriend and I made took a time lapse video of us cooking a Julia Child themed supper. Virtually all the recipes came from Mastering the Art of French Cooking by Julia Child, with the exception, of course, of the stuffing and the turkey. French ( Read more... )

Oh gosh I'm floundering. And in a bid for productive procrastination, I'm going to write about it. Things could be worse (a great way to start): I was totally caught up in my online course two weekends ago, this weekend I have three sections to do and I will be caught up again. My systematics class is going well and is my favourite class. We just ( Read more... )

I can’t breathe. I feel the sensation to take a deep breath or to yawn and today, about one time out of 10, I actually fill my lungs. This started yesterday afternoon. Today my throat is starting to feel sore, like I’m shoving more air down it than it can handle. Getting to sleep was difficult last night. I get frustrated by this not-full feeling, ( Read more... )

It's Sunday, I have coffee at hand, it's a lovely day outside, the birds are at the feeder. Ah, weekend life. My plan is to spend the majority of the day reading a book, The Signature of all Things by Elizabeth Gilbert, which is due back at the library soon. Later I'll go searching for the pine cone galls of Rabdophaga strombiloides, more on that ( Read more... )

I think overall this Lent went well. I didn't post much about it towards the end, mostly because I was studying and getting ready for Austria, then I was IN Austria, which was fantastic ( Read more... )