Another post for 2012

So, I figured I'd get in another post before the year is out - which is incredibly soon! Riding high on the election results. My fiscal views may be a little left of center, but socially, I'm about as liberal as you get, so I see last night as a big win. Now, I just hope the folks in Washington can stop us from heading over the fiscal cliff. If for no other reason (and there are a great many other reasons) than that funding for science and research will suffer hardcore.

I'm almost halfway through my second year of grad school. It's been a bumpy ride this year. The spring semester was uber tough. My summer was pretty shitty, for mostly non-school related reasons. Was sort of seeing a guy who turned out to be a douche. Anyway, this semester has been up and down. Right now I'm feeling okay about things, but we'll see as the end looms closer. I'm toying with the idea of applying for some jobs when I get done with the Master's degree section of my Ph.D., just to see how it goes. I know I don't want to stay in academia, so it sort of makes me wonder if maybe I'd be happier just getting out now. I don't know, I haven't reached any conclusions on that front. We'll see how the rest of this year goes. I did pass my candidacy exam in August, which was the first big hoop to jump through in the grand scheme of graduate school hoops. Next will be my comprehensive exam, which I'll probably take maybe a year from now. Or maybe in August if I have a really productive summer! (N.B. The previous statements was tinged with sarcasm.)

I've started seeing a guy recently. I like him a lot. It's in it's very early stages, but I'm looking forward to seeing where it goes.

Let's see - is there anything else to report? Not that I can think of...

Edit (a day later): Oh! And I've been on my insulin pump since March! Best decision I've ever made, no holds barred. My HbA1C is better than when on shots, even when I feel like my control has been iffy.

Hallo! Did you know that sometimes I still check this blog? Hard to believe, I know. I'm only sorry I missed posting in 2011, even once. In any case, I figured I'd jump on here and give you all an update.

Let's see... I finally finished my degree. I officially have a BS in Engineering Physics with minors in Astronomy and Classical Civilizations from UIUC! Woot! Graduated with High Honors. So, that was in May. I spent the summer doing nothing. However, in June I got motivated to lose some weight, and so far I've lost 20 lbs. It got rocky over the holidays, but I'm ready to hop back in the game. I spent some time this spring visiting grad schools I'd been accepted to, and it came down to choosing between UC Davis and Penn State. I chose Penn State, and I've just finished my first semester of grad school there - all A's! Anyway, I've been spending the break in Florida with my sister and other family. I'm heading home today, actually. I miss my kitty! He's been being visited by the pet sitter every other day, but I want him to know I haven't abandoned him. I look forward to seeing him. Next semester starts in a week. I'm looking forward to getting back into the routine, although I'm worried about these classes being tougher. Oh, and I won the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship! Really big accomplishment, I'm not going to lie. I wrote my research proposal based on the solar physics I did in Montana, which was the last thing I posted about, I think. Anyway, so I'm supported (pretty well) for three years of grad school. I'm looking at doing some astrobiology research for an initial project. Anyway, that's my last 18 months in a nutshell! Whew!

I wish everyone a very happy new year.