Project Approval

I had my first progress report last week, in the form of a presentation for my Research group. It was the first time that I really explained my project to everyone in the group. It went very well. The group was interested in this ribozyme business I'm in, and asked a lot of questions. In my experience with scientific presentations, questions are a good thing, because it means that the audience at least understood enough to ask questions. When everybody is quiet, it either means I didn't explain things very well, or my ideas are incredibly uninteresting. So I was glad for the questions. Dr. Wagner also approved of my ideas and the progress I was making, so I still have a job for a while.

Bryn and I furnished our new apartment last weekend, and it feels like home already. Although just the other day, I was rinsing the shampoo out of my hair, with my eyes closed, and I had the overwhelming feeling that when I opened them, I would see Portland. Not that I have been feeling especially homesick, just a bit disoriented.

This is the first year that I didn't watch either the NCAA football national championship game or the Superbowl! Maybe this is causing the disorientation? I found an "American" restaurant here that was showing the Superbowl, and I even made reservations. But when midnight rolled around, and it was time to ride my bike to the restaurant (the return would be too late for public transportation), in the below freezing night air, I decided to stay home and follow the score on the internet. Maybe I'm getting too old, or maybe I'm turning Euro. . . either way I don't like it.