Things have been busy again, with finishing dissertation revisions and preparing my talk for AGU. Tom wanted all of us to give practice talks today, so I threw together a presentation this morning. It helps that I just gave a major presentation on this stuff not too long ago (my defense), but I had to condense a 40 min talk into 10 min. Actually it wasn't so bad because I posed the question in a new light. Tom and everybody seemed to like it though. Usually I have to reorganize everything, but this time I only have to add a couple slides.

In other news, Tom gave the OK on my revisions yesterday. I hope to get the Graduate Dean's signature on my dissertation tomorrow, so I can start printing out copies for binding!

I never thought I would have to say this, but a bird shit on my laptop...while it was in my house!

My laptop and all my dissertation-related stuff was on the kitchen table, and I guess Jace left the back screen door and Ed's doggy door wide open when he left. So in the few hours while nobody was home a bird must have flown in and out. There was also shit on the sink, the refrigerator, the clean dishes in the drying rack, and one of the kitchen chairs.

I finished A Million Little Pieces last week, but I've been so busy working on revisions that I haven't blogged about it. It's a pretty good story, and I think it's important for this day and age, because the main character pretty much takes responsibility for his addictions. It is his choice to use drugs or alcohol or whatever, instead of a disease or uncontrollable urge. He chooses not to continue in his addictions instead of relying on what he sees as other harmless addictions like food or religion or AA. I think that's a great message.

My only beef with the book, and Kelly and I argue about this, is the writing style. It is pretty simplistic and repetitive, kind of like Hemingway. I hate that style, but I have to admit that it fits the content of the book really well. So I see it as a necessary evil.

Anyway, I would recommend the book to others. To bad it has that Oprah stigma around it now.

Now I re-reading an old book from my youth. It's sort of a retelling of part of the Arthurian legend that I remember liking. Now I'm not so sure. Actually, I'm just tired of seeing it on my shelf, so I'm reading it one last time before I sell it. It should be a pretty quick read.

I sort of dropped off the face of the earth this week. After coming back from Seattle, I didn't feel like doing anything, so I didn't. Plus I came down with a cold. But I'm starting to feel better today. I've got lots to take care of now. First and foremost are dissertation revisions. I need to complete those and get all the required signatures by the end of the month.

Here's a tank full of rockfish, I think. 

We went to the Seattle Aquarium. The otters there were really cool (as usual). They had both river otters and sea otters, like this one. After the aquarium, we walked around Pike's Market, which is one of my favorite places in Seattle. There's just so much good food there, even though it's sorta touristy. 

A nice mossy tree in Discovery Park. 

The day after my defense (I passed!) Kelly and I took off for Seattle to visit Beth and just relax for a weekend. It was rainy and cold, but not too bad. 

Less than an hour till my defense. I'm nervous as hell, but I think I'm ready.

I gave a second practice talk yesterday. It went much better, and even with some stammering it was only 42 minutes. So all I have to do it practice and get it down.

By the way, if anyone is interested in getting TiVo, you can get an older model for free with the purchase of a service plan directly from the manufacturer. This is how I got my free TiVo, but I was able to get the lifetime plan, which they don't offer anymore because TiVo lost so much money on those plans. The only problem with the older model is that it needs a USB adapter to connect to a home network, and it requires a phone line for initial setup. But after that all communications can be made over the internet.

I just gave a practice defense talk. I basically blew it. I didn't even get past the first slide before my mind went blank. I guess it doesn't help that I finished the talk last night at 11:30 and I only went through it once this morning. But, since I sucked so hard, Tom and everybody helped out alot with organization and comments, so it should be alot better by Thursday (so soon!). I have a plan now, and I've identified alot of extra information to cut out. But tonight I'm just going to feel sorry for myself because I did such a shitty job today.

Kelly and I didn't dress up for Halloween this year, but we did dress up the dog! He hates it so much! We were going for Abe Lincoln, but it turned out more Amish.