Thesis Update

So.... I emerged unscathed from my thesis progress meeting. I even got a couple of comments along the lines of, "Great meeting, Ericka" and other such niceties. I guess I have turned into one of those people that complains all the time about how poorly they're doing, but really they're doing fine. At least I honestly believe I'm doing a crappy job though! (Hmmm.... although that doesn't say much for the pride I take in my work I guess. Maybe I'm just too critical?)

And, the even better news is that one of my projects just got a whole lot easier! I was facing a big analysis problem - trying to get software to do something that it wasn't originally designed to do - and my committee basically told me to use a much easier method, that I was making things too hard on myself. So, that project should be done by this summer - woohoo!

In house news - I've obtained a dumpster permit (so that we can have one parked on the street, as we have no driveway), and will be calling to schedule a dumpster in a little while. Last Thursday, after my meeting was done, I planted my two new daylillies - Pardon Me Daylillies, from Gurney, they're bright magenta with orange-ish insides), and transplanted a bunch of the earlier seedlings (tomatoes, and some flowers whose names are eluding me right now), and moved them upstairs to get on a natural light schedule. Tonight I'll probably start some more seeds in the basement, and once it gets warmer we can start preparing the vegetable/flower beds for outdoor planting. The cats are great, the little black&white one now curls up beside me just about any time I sit down (very cute, but also annoying, she always lays in a way that I know must be uncomfortable for her), and the calico has resumed her post in the window, looking at the birds on the feeder (which D refilled for her enjoyment). I got a birdbath for Easter as well, so I'm hoping maybe one of the cats will figure out that it's fun to stalk/catch birds. But I'm not expecting great things - the cats are wonderfully fuzzy, but not too bright. As I guess most cats are.

Otherwise, not much happening. We had a very lazy weekend - although I did roast some garlic & make cajun tuna on saturday. Sunday, D spent organizing his giant piles of paper in preparation to do his taxes, which will probably not get done by the deadline (I think this is the way he's most like my dad, and I can't get him to accept the fact that there is no way that his ATM receipts for the last 5 years are going to yield anything that is legally deductible; he's convinced that he's going to find something that will mean he won't have to pay anything. I think it's more important to actually file them, but what do I know? I've only filed taxes & not ended up owing them tons of money in fees and interest for the last 15 years. Oh, and I always do my taxes both ways, and realize every year that it's easier & better financially for me to take the standard deduction). I guess the only part of this that really irks me is the belief that somehow he shouldn't have to pay taxes. And the griping about it. In true hyperbolic fashion, he goes on and on about how he would have been better off not to have worked, because the government takes so much. Not in his current job, but one of the self-employed contracts he did last year. I have to point out to him that they only take 25%, and that that still leaves him with a refund coming, plus he got the money for doing the work in the first place!!!! Sometimes I really hate the libertarian crap that comes spouting out of him, and would like to strangle the idiot friends of his that spouted it in the first place. (I place this in the same category as the "My parents didn't pay for me to go to college" crap - just a lot of self-pity by somebody that isn't actually any worse off that 95% of the people in this country, but wants to feel wronged somehow) But I digress.....

Tax time means the economic stimulus checks will be mailed soon! I hate the idea of these - W bribed everyone on the way in, and on the way out - but am not going to turn down the check. Neither will I be stimulating the economy with it. Just paying off bills, but it will still be nice to do that. I did however, just pick up a compound miter saw off of ebay for a reasonable amount of money. (The features I wanted, but about 1/2 price of a new Dewalt 12" single-bevel compound miter saw). I can't wait until it gets here! And we can cut trim for our bathroom! I have become the most boring person in the world - I'm taking a week's vacation to gut the 2nd floor of the house, and am excited about a new-ish saw. But I can't help it, i've been waiting a long time to do this stuff!

All right, I should get back to something productive. I hope you all had a fabulous weekend, & I get to talk to you soon!

Ericka