2 weeks to the committee meeting. I am starting to feel really nervous about the whole thing, not to mention that I very soon need to have th dreaded conversation with EHD about my data. And the fact that I still have no idea how I'm going to get the thesis done in 6 weeks...

On the more pleasant side, I found out today that I got into the chamber choir. yeah! I'm looking forward to doing some extra stuff at the christmas concert and performing at some other events during the year. I'm just glad i made it!

Yeah...finished!

Today was the last show for Don Gio. I would say that today was definitely the best show. The supertitles are working, the chorus is no longer confused about what to do. I am most definitely glad that it is over. No more operas for me till after the new year, when I will hopefully be a newly minted PhD. Still going to choir, at least till I find out about the chamber singer roster.

Birthday presents today!

I hadn't really been in the mood to celebrate my birthday at all but today I got 3 presents and am quite excited about it all...



Nike ipod running gear

Albert Einstein aciton figure

Wireless mighty mouse

Me as a peasant in Don Giovanni

Don Gio

First performance for Don Giovanni was tonight. It's interesting trying to perform an opera without having a full dress rehearsal. They were definitely working on the set down to the wire. It went ok I guess, but it was long....and didn't finish till midnight. Now after dinner I just got home ready to start work on my dissertation. Ugh. Ah well. After this week it will all be over.

Got my first birthday present today. Julie gave me a laptop protection pack. A iskin cover for my keyboard and a protector for the wrist rest, which was starting to turn yellow and bothering me tremendously. Now I am happy, and stylish, though i think the iskin cover impedes my typing a little. Probably just takes some time getting used to.

3 weeks to my committee meeting..........
the paper is going....slow, but going. I am making decent headway on the text, and would really like to have a submittable version to my committee in three weeks. Not to mention that all this week I am going to be doing experiments and singing in Don Giovanni. If it weren't for networking purposes, I would definitely have blown this gig off. Tomorrow is the very long sitz probe, which is annoying if the conductor wants to do the whole thing in order, since we don't sing a whole lot but would have to stay for the whole time.

The chamber group auditon today was rather harrowing. I know all of us expected it, but the idea of singing in quartets still caused me great stress. And from talking to some other people, it's the same for everyone. I was really glad that I took the time this weekend to learn the music as the stuff was not easy and I am no great sight reader. I definitely don't envy John's job of having to pick from a group of really talented people.

finished making all the figures, for now. I will now focus on the text and tweak the figures and others as necessary. Scheduled my committee meeting for 11/13, which leaves me with 3 weeks to finish up some experiments and this paper, possibly starting on the next paper.
Next week I sing in Don Giovanni, so I have to learn the music before the show starts in less than a week, and then the chamber music callback audition on sunday. yikes!
meeting with utpal tomorrow to discuss the course. We'll see how it goes.

Got a call back for the chamber choir. Supposedly John wants to hear how our voices blend and will give us music at the tuesday rehearsal..hmm

Who knew putting figures together would take so long?

I am grateful to have a mentor in uncle Bob. He is able to help me in many ways that EHD can't (personally and scientifically) due personal conflicts or the lack of interest. Had a really good discussion with him about my paper(s). He really helped me decide what to do and how to organize my thoughts. I had forgotten that he was always really good at that. :P

My new shoes...

Photos from my trip to Boston and New York

available here...

NYC

Being in new york for a couple fo days now and have so far seen:

yesterday:
times square
soho
china town

Today:
fifth avenue (great shopping in New York)
carnegie hall and lincoln center
empire state building
serendipity for ice cream
carnegie deli for pastrami sandwich

Am meeting Ann for lunch tomorrow. So excited about seeing little Ian and how he has grown!