I must be losing my writing muscle because lately I haven’t been able to think of much to write about. Nothing new here. Well, nothing I’d post on this blog. Life is going along.

Frustration over my project is just beginning. Funny how people don’t remember what is said in meetings. I took detailed notes, so I do know.

I’m looking forward to my son’s summer vacation. I can’t wait for him to get here.

Another comic from Phd comics…

Finally an explanation why the jokes I find funny almost no one gets. We were a funny bunch in grad school, but that humor just doesn’t work outside chemistry graduate school. So now in social situations, I don’t tell jokes. No, alcohol doesn’t help. In fact, I can speak even more coherently about chemistry with several drinks. I do have my limit though. Coherent, then sick. So it goes.

While I find this graphic hysterical, I’m sure that anyone who hasn’t been to graduate school doesn’t get it. That’s what an advanced degree will get you…confused stares and people thinking “dork!” or worse:  saying it aloud.

I took a break yesterday. After spending 12 hours in a seminar on Saturday, I didn’t want to do anything on Sunday. Saturday was really good, but it became tiring about mid-afternoon. As the last “workday,” the course is winding down. We have four more meetings, and projects are ending. Mine won’t end, but I will have met the goals I set. I have done far more than I originally planned.

The best part of these long days is the morning. The morning is spent listening to people share about their project and what has been going on. The most amazing part is that people who were big jerks at the beginning of the course now seem like cool people. They are lit up. The difference is amazing. Everyone who gets to this course is quite lit up to begin with after going through the other courses. The energy of the room on the first day is amazing. It gets even more amazing. It’s quite an experience.

I’m not sure why I’m so tired though. I barely got anything done on Sunday, and I canceled plans to get housework done. Sad.

Well, I’m off to the third and last workday of the third and last seminar of a series. Frankly, I can’t wait for it to all be over. Yet, it won’t be quite over. I will finish this last seminar by the end of June. I will have only spent 4 1/2 months in this series. Probably the shortest ever time anyone has spent at it and completed it. There are a few others who are doing the same. I have been on overload. Near the end of June though, my son will take the second course, and I will be there the entire time with him.

At this point, I don’t look forward to the course meetings, but I’m always glad I went. Perhaps I am getting a bit burned out. My project is moving along nicely. I have meetings set up to get things done and parts of it will be moving along on their own. I’m so ready to be done with it. Give it to someone else.

Here’s something I heard awhile back that really bothered me, but I didn’t write about. I was having a discussion about donating items to charity. This is something I do on occasion. Often I don’t record it. Sometimes I do keep a list and determine a value for the donated items. What I want to know is what kind of person donates clothes but puts down furniture on the receipt? Charities just don’t want to deal with itemizing anymore, so you can write down whatever you want. But why would someone “cheat” a charity? I guess I don’t get it because it would never occur to me to do so. Perhaps I’m too honest.