Introducing www.phdcomics.com!!! Aka "Piled Higher and Deeper!!!!"

Don't know if you can read this or not...but if not at least go to this website!!! One of the first year students tipped me off to this distracting, but yet very entertaining look into the life and brain of a Ph.D. student. As I enter the home stretch my sense of humor is becoming a little more twisted which makes www.phdcomics.com just about perfect!

I'm Back!

Hey everyone!! Well, it has been awhile...but I arrived back in NC last night after a few wonderful days in my stomping grounds of Virginia. Oh, how I loved being back in Hokie country!!! I brought back the week's worth of sports pages that are appropriately splattered in orange and maroon. I hope each of you had a Thanksgiving at least half as wonderful as mine. I ate enough for me to go into hibernation for the next three months and every breakfast started off with piece of pie...oh the joy. I then got to watch Va Tech spank UNC sitting in my Aunt and Uncle's beautiful new house that was freshly adorned for Christmas. I also got informed by my 11 year old nephew (11 going on 30!...he's already as tall as me!) of his very mature career plans...looks like he is still thinking of heading to Va Tech and having himself a nice career in science. I'm all for the Tech part...think I should warn him off about the science? :) And as usual my brother Tim came prepared with catalogs of replica car kits and stereo equipment...when I have money to spend, this could be trouble. So now I'm back to the "real world" and the work is about to begin. Keep a look out on the blog for new tidbits...since it's been awhile, I'm gonna feel the need to update often.

Happy Holidays!! Let the Parties Begin!!!!

Mama Peggy is Coming!!

My mom is coming into town in this afternoon. I am so excited!! She's gonna help me clean up the mess I made during these last few frantic weeks of working and we'll do some good girl bonding. With us that likely includes shopping, dinner at the Cracker Barrel, and hot fudge sundies. Apparently she's popular with the peeps too since I've had to start scheduling visits for my Mom to see my friends. I obviously came by my charm honestly! :) So I will be well behaved this weekend, but that doesn't mean I won't be having a good time!

Hey Ginger...

If T is for Tuesday and Tasty Treats...which day is for beer??! Let me know!

If I say beer...then you say.....

Fun Pics...

So today is the start of a beautiful new day with one major obstacle and source of stress behind me! I'm about to go for a nice cleansing run and pump some iron in the spirit of the next couple of months being a building of my mind and body. So in the theme of things that bring me joy...I wanted to put up some fun pictures from our Asheville weekend at Thad's wedding (I think there are still cute pictures to come.). If "Table 11" sparks your curiousity then I'll comment more later and by the way the "floating cake" was fantastic...wish I had some of that around for breakfast this morning...I LOVE cake for breakfast...probably part of the reason I have to enjoy running! :)

I Got Permission To Write!!!!

Today has been a roller coaster!!! I've never taken such a mental beating in my entire life...but after 3 hours of complete torture, I received the official word that I can wrap up my project and start writing my thesis. The target for my thesis defense was set today for the 3 or 4th week of January. They also decided how they want me to restructure my manuscript...so over the next few weeks I will be feverishly re-writing the paper and working on my thesis. Then yes, Amy I will start trying my darndest to get a ride to Nashville! :)

Thanks to each of you that took the time today to e-mail me, call me, bring me gifts, give me hugs, and most importantly thanks for those of you who took the time to pray for me. These are the things that have allowed me to make it this far in spite of so many obstacles. I owe a few of you a returned phone call...that will be coming shortly.

And my dear Ginger...I know that God gave you specifically to me as a friend so that we could get each other through these fiery trials. Thanks for the late night science talk on Tuesday night, since I don't have an advisor to help guide me...for eating pizza with me when I needed some way to take my mind off of the challenge at hand...and for reminding me today that my real source of strength and beauty is my faith. Your faith in me has helped me to come a little closer to the person God intends for me to be and I pray that I can in some way repay you. Love you babe!!

It's now time for me to finally crash. Tomorrow I start tackling the next obstacle...getting this manuscript published. Thanks again guys! I couldn't have done any of this without each of you!

Stress is Building!

So tonight is the scenario where "Classic Kelly" makes an appearance. I'm known for putting things off to the last minute and then completely freaking out about it and not sleeping for four days in a row...but in the process producing my best work. Even in college, if I studied more than 2 days in advance I brought home a B...when I started 12 hrs before the test and slept for a half hour before the exam I came home with the golden A. So hopefully this will hold true for tomorrow. I finally have come up with my model (or schematic...for us Dane fans...you know if I'm talking to you...if not, you're missing out...more on that later). The worst is that I have to "dress up" for my presentation tomorrow...so all day I will get questioned on why I'm not sporting the lab uniform of jeans and a t-shirt.

Wish me luck...tomorrow is do or die!

Start your Praying...My Committee Meeting is Wed.

That's right...my committee meeting to ask for official "permission to write" is this Wed. Apparently Bass is supposed to look at my presentation before Wed., but since he won't make the drive till Wed I'm jumping in all by myself on this one...so in other words, things are like normal. Panic is beginning to set in, which for me means that the real magic is about to happen. Those last minute panic hours are where my pure genious shines through. So I am parked in front of this labtop for the night while watching reruns of the Adam Carolla Project and Sex in the City. All this crap even caused me to miss the girls' shopping trip this weekend in Gatlinburg...although my fun break was some entertaining tailgating at the Wake - Miami game this weekend! Sadly enough the game was so bad that the tailgating resumed half way through the third quarter.

So you will hear something from me Wednesday night...maybe good, maybe bad. I need your prayers and crossing of fingers (for my German friends...please press your thumbs for me :) )!

New Quote: David Topped Himself

So John and I were talking about how lonely I am in the lab since David packed up and moved down to the North Tower yesterday. John sees him coming down the hallway and says, "Well, speaking of the devil." David quickly reponds...

"Who me the devil?!.............Well, now that I think of it I am a little horny."

Nice!!! What do you say in response to that? :)

Quote of the Week:

We were sitting around discussing things that don't taste as good as they smell...prime example being coffee. Then next came tobacco and I starting recalling how wonderful my uncle's pipe used to smell. Following David announcing that I had convinced him to take up the pipe he blurts out:

"If it wasn't for the cancer, that smoking would be alright!"

Pure genious D$...well, the cancer and the fact that your mouth tastes like ass...but I'm sure Marie won't let you get away with that anyways...so no worries. :)

Then D$ followed this with a story about his favorite science writer: A. Tool. I will have to blog about A. Tool later. Too funny...thanks guys for cheering me up today!!! Yall are the bestest!

NICE CACKLE!!

We refer to Ginger's VERY LOUD laugh as the "infectious cackle"...when you hear it...you can't help but crack up and you don't even know why you're laughing...that's the infectious part. So long story short...we meet this guy the other night...when we say our goodnights...he looks at her and comments: "Hey, Nice Cackle!". OMG...Freakin' HILARIOUS!!! Yes, it is nice...one of your many fine features Snap!

Pic of the Week: "Kel in Jail" as Ginger refers to it

This is an oldie but goodie that I came across today...Ginger says this looks like she is visiting me in jail...if only we had a pic of her giving me a drink of her beer through the fence (I looked like a hamster sucking out of the top of a glass bottle...hilarious!). This is from our last season of Micro softball. Notice that Ginger is wearing a uniform...but is on the wrong side of the fence (this scenario happens to her frequently)...she is our official mascot...I got her to play 3 innings about 5 years ago and ever since she has assumed her position as the drinking cheerleader from the sideline. As you can see...she also coaches me a little from time to time. :)

Human Ankles...

Yep...that's right...human ankles...I just watched D$ learn how to carve cartilage off of a human ankle...kinda weird. They are doing it in our lab because they are having contamination problems in theirs. After watching their skills in the hood, it is obvious that they are not good at keeping things sterile. Do you think it would be acceptable for me to tell the new chairman's lab that they are DOING IT WRONG?! (Apparently not just my phrase for Keith anymore! hehe)

Somebody Has a Case of the Mondays!!!

Much in the same spirit as the famous quote from "Office Space"...I received one of those lines much like "the mondays" comment yesterday. After the 10,000th meeting of the week with Martha (my co-advisor) to discuss what an idiot my actual advisor is...she concluded with the phrase: "Kelly, you look a little beat down.". You think!!! Well, at that point I did feel officially "beat down"...what can you do. So at that point how do you make the world right again...you stroll down the hallway to disrupt Ginger's manuscript in progress and insist that she brew you a pot of coffee...and then ALL BETTER!!

Let's poll the audience: How many weeks do you think I really NEED to write a thesis? This is where I expect all of my Dr. friends who have gone before me to ring in with your answer!

The Big Announcement: Ginger Picked a Post-Doc!!!

There were many weeks of interviewing and lots of stress and sitting and thinking. Ginger visited the following list of places for a post-doctoral postion:

University of Wisconsin, Madison
Yale
Harvard
Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, PA
Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA
UTMB, Galveston, TX
UNC Chapel Hill

After some discussions by her friends about placing bets on her decision...

Ginger has decided to go to
Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philly!!!!

We believe that her decision was based upon Philly Cheese Steaks and the lab pet hamster named Jumpy....hmmmm...well, whatever works! :)

Apparently, she has already started the job hunt for me and Lucia in Philly...not sure how I'm gonna survive without her by my side (especially after eating every meal with her today and buying purses together :) ). But I will make do. Although, Ginger how are you gonna leave muffins and gnomes in my car for me like you did this morning from so far away? I'm exited and sad all at the same time. This is the beginning of a new era for us and it could get interesting. There is discussion of having our defenses on consecutive days in January...so be in wait of the giant announcement of Dr. Snap and Dr. Kel!!!!

UVA REJECT!!!!

This is the best thing I've seen in a LONG time!!! I got this from Blubo's blog (a "dive in the pool" is actually a good thing every once in a while...thanks for the kick ass Halloween party...your mullet was hot!). Notice the Blacksburg Elementary Sign...isn't this great!?! I'll be in Chapel Hill this weekend watching the Eagles hand the Tarheels an A$$ kicking...but more importantly I'll be in a bar somewhere on Franklin St. Saturday night cheering on my Hokies as they take on the Miami Hurricanes! It's gonna be a good game...but lets hope that my boys show up with their A game on...I want my BCS Bowl trip to be to somewhere cool!!! I have to top last year's trip to New Orleans...and that is gonna be hard!
GO HOKIES!!!!

Aren't We Cute??!!

Here are the first of the Halloween pictures!!! Yay!! This was party #2 of the weekend...but 4th out of 5 Halloween "events". I thought it couldn't be topped...but at event #5 Jerry and Jessica announced the coming of their new family member. That's right Jessica will be having a baby in May! (Jessica...I hope it gets your looks and Jerry's ability to recite my favorite movies!) So here is Christy and me. I'm Daphne by the way in case you can't tell...I'm thinking of going orange all year...never had so many compliments on my real hair color. And Christy was looking pretty hot for a "dead chic", I must say!


And here is Ashley, Carrie, and Becky: Ashley's chest scared me...but it was impressive. And aren't our little martinis cute!! I must say ladies...those martini glasses are slimming! Can I borrow those dresses from time to time?

TV is filled with Good Ideas!

Of course, now that I've sat down to work I find myself easily distracted by the long list of programs on my DVR. Tonight's masterpiece is "The Office". The first scene gave me my next workplace gag idea: moving someone's entire desk into the men's bathroom...one unsuspecting moment and I'll strike!

Just brought Ginger home from her last interview...so a decision will be announced on Friday. Please remember "Don't anger the tot!" during this sensitive time. Snap...you can't go wrong...just go with your gut on this one.

I Promise - I Deliver: Ginger Snaps Back: The Beginning (2004)

Yes, you read this right. This movie is called Ginger Snaps Back!!! (Ok...in case a few of you don't know...Ginger, one of my best girls in the world, has been affectionately given the nickname Snap. If you're still struggling I'm sorry...gingersnap...snap...see, isn't that cute! Plus she is known to be a little snappy at times. (note earlier post - Don't anger the tot!)) So we're in the video store last night searching for some terrible Halloween flick since the parties were over and so was volleyball for the evening...and then I see this on the shelf...I about peed on myself. And yes there are sequels and prequels...but we'll discuss those later.

Plot summary: Set in 19th Century Canada, Brigette and her sister Ginger take refuge in a Traders' Fort which later becomes under siege by some savage werewolves. And an enigmatic Indian hunter decides to help the girls, but one of the girls has been bitten by a werewolf. Brigitte and Ginger may have no one to turn to but themselves.

Fantastic!!! Ginger and werewolves...when is movie night kidz?