I found out today that I've had mono since sometime in October. Who knew? I didn't have most of the visible symptoms, which is why we realize it until now, but I definitely had the constant exhaustion and lack of motivation. At least now I know why I felt so out of sorts this fall! Hopefully a good solid week at home without work or school will help me get over it.
And yes, this means I did defend my Master's thesis while I had mono.
Monday, December 12, 2011
Monday, November 21, 2011
Master's Thesis = Defended
Today I successfully defended my Master's thesis! I passed without revisions!
My advisor and committee members told me not to worry too much about it, but of course I did anyway. The defense itself lasted only an hour, and it went very well. I presented my study, and then answered questions from the faculty. One of my colleagues was there to provide moral support and take notes for me, and she tells me I didn't seem nervous and that I handled the questions well. It's nice to know that what I've been working on for the past year has a tangible result.
I say I have my MA now, but I'll officially have it on December 31st.
My advisor and committee members told me not to worry too much about it, but of course I did anyway. The defense itself lasted only an hour, and it went very well. I presented my study, and then answered questions from the faculty. One of my colleagues was there to provide moral support and take notes for me, and she tells me I didn't seem nervous and that I handled the questions well. It's nice to know that what I've been working on for the past year has a tangible result.
I say I have my MA now, but I'll officially have it on December 31st.
Saturday, October 29, 2011
Master's Thesis
I have scheduled my Master's thesis defense.
It's a scary and exhilarating idea - to defend my thesis. It means I have to justify why I did the study I did and explain what I found and why it is important. It also means that my last two full years of work haven't been for naught. I'll have something tangible to show for those long days and short nights.
It's a scary and exhilarating idea - to defend my thesis. It means I have to justify why I did the study I did and explain what I found and why it is important. It also means that my last two full years of work haven't been for naught. I'll have something tangible to show for those long days and short nights.
Saturday, October 22, 2011
Performing Arts
One perk of being a student at a large public university is the wide variety of performances I have the opportunity to attend. Friday night I thoroughly enjoyed seeing the National Acrobats of the People's Republic of China at KU's Lied Center. Last year I saw Fiddler on the Roof, and later this school year I'll see two Broadway shows - South Pacific and Mamma Mia!, as well as the Celtic Tenors and Mannheim Steamroller. What a year!
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
New Bern, NC
This weekend's trip was ... interesting. I'm not sure if there's a better word for it or not.
We traveled to a town on the North Carolina coast named New Bern. It's the birthplace of Pepsi, and during our time there, we got to visit the location of the original pharmacy where Pepsi was first served. I got to buy some Mountain Dew swag! =) In addition to that stop, part of what made this trip neat for me was my current novel. I've been reading the very popular Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon. During this trip, I finished the fourth book (Drums of Autumn) and began the fifth book (The Fiery Cross). In both books, the main characters are living in a relatively uninhabited area of pre-Revolution North Carolina. The closest minor town is Cross Creek, and the closest major town is New Bern. The governor of North Carolina is Governor William Tryon, whose palace is a notable historic landmark in modern times. So cool!! How often does it happen that you read a historical novel describing a relatively obscure place, then end up visiting that place while you're reading about it without making explicit plans to do so??
New Bern, like most of the East Coast, had been hit by hurricane Irene last month, so we'd postponed our trip to allow the family some time to recover. Thankfully their house wasn't badly damaged. I won't go into details about the visit itself, but suffice it to say it was exhausting - mentally and physically. To make a long story short, we were not able to make our originally scheduled return flight, which meant we had to wait for the next one. Unfortunately, Delta only has 2 flights per day from New Bern to Atlanta. We were scheduled to take the second one on Sunday. So, we found ourselves stuck in New Bern for an extra day. It wasn't as bad as it could've been - the weather was beautiful and we were able to gather all the data we needed from the family. We just hadn't planned on an extra day away from home. Thankfully, we were able to make a quick Target run to get some necessities. We did make it home safely Monday evening, but for me it meant today's slate of classes was much tougher since I'd been up much of Monday night finishing up the homework I'd planned to have all of Monday to complete.
I guess our trips had been going too smoothly lately. Here's to hoping my next two trips go better than this one did!
We traveled to a town on the North Carolina coast named New Bern. It's the birthplace of Pepsi, and during our time there, we got to visit the location of the original pharmacy where Pepsi was first served. I got to buy some Mountain Dew swag! =) In addition to that stop, part of what made this trip neat for me was my current novel. I've been reading the very popular Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon. During this trip, I finished the fourth book (Drums of Autumn) and began the fifth book (The Fiery Cross). In both books, the main characters are living in a relatively uninhabited area of pre-Revolution North Carolina. The closest minor town is Cross Creek, and the closest major town is New Bern. The governor of North Carolina is Governor William Tryon, whose palace is a notable historic landmark in modern times. So cool!! How often does it happen that you read a historical novel describing a relatively obscure place, then end up visiting that place while you're reading about it without making explicit plans to do so??
New Bern, like most of the East Coast, had been hit by hurricane Irene last month, so we'd postponed our trip to allow the family some time to recover. Thankfully their house wasn't badly damaged. I won't go into details about the visit itself, but suffice it to say it was exhausting - mentally and physically. To make a long story short, we were not able to make our originally scheduled return flight, which meant we had to wait for the next one. Unfortunately, Delta only has 2 flights per day from New Bern to Atlanta. We were scheduled to take the second one on Sunday. So, we found ourselves stuck in New Bern for an extra day. It wasn't as bad as it could've been - the weather was beautiful and we were able to gather all the data we needed from the family. We just hadn't planned on an extra day away from home. Thankfully, we were able to make a quick Target run to get some necessities. We did make it home safely Monday evening, but for me it meant today's slate of classes was much tougher since I'd been up much of Monday night finishing up the homework I'd planned to have all of Monday to complete.
I guess our trips had been going too smoothly lately. Here's to hoping my next two trips go better than this one did!
Friday, August 26, 2011
The End of Summer
I started my 3rd year of grad school this week. Added to the stress of classes this fall is the pressure of finishing my Master's thesis. So far things are going well, and hopefully it will continue that way.
It was awesome to have a 10-day get-away vacation right before I had to get back to the grind. My brother and I drove to Grand Teton, Yellowstone, and Glacier National Parks. It was AMAZING!! I'd never been to the states of Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho, much less those three parks. We camped and hiked in some absolutely beautiful country. Here are a few of the hundreds of pictures we took:
It was awesome to have a 10-day get-away vacation right before I had to get back to the grind. My brother and I drove to Grand Teton, Yellowstone, and Glacier National Parks. It was AMAZING!! I'd never been to the states of Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho, much less those three parks. We camped and hiked in some absolutely beautiful country. Here are a few of the hundreds of pictures we took:
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| Moonrise at Jenny Lake campground, Grand Teton Nat'l Park |
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| Old Faithful |
Saturday, August 20, 2011
Precious Bunnies
If you've ever wondered what it looks like when a bunny cleans her ears, here's your chance. It's definitely one of a rabbit's cutest moments!
Thursday, August 4, 2011
New Jersey
I love it when I can combine a work trip with some fun. Especially when that fun involves seeing one of my best friends from college! Last weekend I went to New Jersey and spent two days on vacation and two days seeing families. I got to sail on and swim in the Delaware River a few miles from where George Washington crossed it, despite an adventure involving a rope wrapped around the boat's propeller just before low tide. The next day, my friend showed me Princeton University, including historic Nassau Hall as well as some of the buildings filmed in Transformers 2 and the opening scenes of House. Later, my colleague and I got to enjoy the Jersey beach and swim in the Atlantic Ocean. The water was chilly but totally worth it! Both of our family visits went well, so I deemed the extended weekend a success!!
Now, I've gotta get all the presenters lined up for this fall's Proseminar and make a dent in writing my master's thesis before I go on my next adventure!
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| On the Delaware River |
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| Our view of the Atlantic Ocean at lunch |
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Vacation? What is that, again?
Yes, that's right. I get to take a "real" vacation for the first time in about 6 years!! I know that as a GRA I'm supposed to be working all the time, and that is definitely what I've been doing for the last two years. The difference is that I also worked all the time during my undergrad years, which meant I never got a "let's go somewhere for fun" vacation. Sure, I've been home and seen my family several times since I moved away from home, but none of those trips were a true vacation. I haven't been to the beach in years, and I've never had a wintertime skiing vacation, nor a cruise, nor any of those things. That all changes in 2 weeks!!
Sunday, June 26, 2011
New Bunnies!
As a half-birthday gift to myself, I got two baby bunnies today! They are mini Rex sisters who are absolutely precious. =)
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| 6 weeks old |
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| Tori |
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| Kita |
Saturday, June 18, 2011
Missing Sugar
Sugar died today. He went from being relatively healthy to being very sick in about a week's time. Today was really really hard.
Saturday, June 11, 2011
SRCLD
Wow. Guess I've been busy. Or distracted. Either way, it's been a while since I've posted. Sorry about that.
This week I'm attending the Symposium on Research in Child Language Disorders in Madison, WI. It's my first visit to Madison and my first time at this conference. It ended this evening, but I've had an enjoyable time since it began Thursday morning. Definitely have learned a lot! I've attended several great talks on a variety of subjects pertaining to language impairment in children, and I've seen several posters describing current research on an even wider variety of topics in child language. I hope one day I can think like these researchers do!
This week I'm attending the Symposium on Research in Child Language Disorders in Madison, WI. It's my first visit to Madison and my first time at this conference. It ended this evening, but I've had an enjoyable time since it began Thursday morning. Definitely have learned a lot! I've attended several great talks on a variety of subjects pertaining to language impairment in children, and I've seen several posters describing current research on an even wider variety of topics in child language. I hope one day I can think like these researchers do!
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Illness in Illinois
In case you were wondering, it hurts very badly to fly when your ears are plugged because of a cold. Descending is the worst. And then you look silly because half the time you're trying to yawn as big as you can on the off-chance that your ears might clear and the rest of the time you're shaking your head or grabbing your ears. One plus: you can't hear the shrieking toddler who is two rows away.
Despite my discomfort, the double trip to Illinois went very well this weekend. We worked with two wonderful families and a couple sweet kids. The suitcase made it to Peoria (see my post from Feb 2010) this time, and there were no other mishaps. I drove a Nissan Cube, which was interesting. I'm definitely not a fan of the way it looks from the outside, but it was quite spacious inside, and the cup holder to the left of the steering wheel was perfect. My colleague enjoyed pointing out the sights to me as we drove from Peoria to Chicago (she went to undergrad nearby). I particularly liked the wind farm. I've seen modern windmills before, but never so many in one place! After a successful visit and only a 1-hour delay in O'Hare, I made it home in time to see the second half of the KU game. Rock Chalk Jayhawk!
Despite my discomfort, the double trip to Illinois went very well this weekend. We worked with two wonderful families and a couple sweet kids. The suitcase made it to Peoria (see my post from Feb 2010) this time, and there were no other mishaps. I drove a Nissan Cube, which was interesting. I'm definitely not a fan of the way it looks from the outside, but it was quite spacious inside, and the cup holder to the left of the steering wheel was perfect. My colleague enjoyed pointing out the sights to me as we drove from Peoria to Chicago (she went to undergrad nearby). I particularly liked the wind farm. I've seen modern windmills before, but never so many in one place! After a successful visit and only a 1-hour delay in O'Hare, I made it home in time to see the second half of the KU game. Rock Chalk Jayhawk!
Thursday, March 10, 2011
First Proseminar Presentation
Today was a big day for me in the life of the Child Language program at KU. I gave a talk at Proseminar today for the first time. It was also the first time I formally presented my own research that was not required for a class. Though I participated in the poster session last week in San Antonio, today I had to talk about my work, not just stand by my poster and answer questions. Overall, I think it went well. It was short, but I knew it would be. I fielded questions throughout and at the end, and I didn't get flustered. It would be interesting to see a video of myself, though I might be terrified by what I see!
Friday, March 4, 2011
Gatlinburg Conference, Day 3 wrap up
Home again to freezing cold and rainy Kansas. I already miss warm and balmy San Antonio! The Riverwalk is absolutely beautiful, and I highly recommend it!
My first poster presentation on Wednesday evening was a success. I enjoyed meeting and talking with well-established researchers whose papers I've read as well as new graduate students working on another part of the larger project I'm a part of. Granted, my feet were protesting very much by the time I sat down in my room, but all in all it was a good evening.
On Thursday I heard some great presentations and discussions during the symposia I attended, as well as from the plenary speakers, including Dr. Cheryl Sisk. I'm really starting to like these conference things!
I also got to go to the Alamo on Thursday, after lunch on the Riverwalk. Wow. Talk about a piece of history smack dab in the middle of the city! We also managed to be there on the week of the 175th anniversary week (the Alamo fell on March 6), which made things interesting.
Back at the conference, I attended yet another fascinating symposium, then wandered among the posters at the second poster session. Once we got our fill, several of us went to eat at a recommended bar-b-que place on the Riverwalk. It was delicious!
This morning, I woke up extra early to pack and then attended the last symposium and plenary speaker session. Dr. Laurence Steinberg gave a great talk. During the closing remarks, there was a drawing for free books from the publisher sponsor, Brookes. My name was drawn, so I got to choose a stack of books to bring home! So now I have in my possession a handbook of intellectual and developmental disabilities, which I'm sure will come in very handy.
I can't wait for next year's Gatlinburg!
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| the view from a balcony at Hotel Contessa |
My first poster presentation on Wednesday evening was a success. I enjoyed meeting and talking with well-established researchers whose papers I've read as well as new graduate students working on another part of the larger project I'm a part of. Granted, my feet were protesting very much by the time I sat down in my room, but all in all it was a good evening.
On Thursday I heard some great presentations and discussions during the symposia I attended, as well as from the plenary speakers, including Dr. Cheryl Sisk. I'm really starting to like these conference things!
I also got to go to the Alamo on Thursday, after lunch on the Riverwalk. Wow. Talk about a piece of history smack dab in the middle of the city! We also managed to be there on the week of the 175th anniversary week (the Alamo fell on March 6), which made things interesting.
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| me at the Alamo |
Back at the conference, I attended yet another fascinating symposium, then wandered among the posters at the second poster session. Once we got our fill, several of us went to eat at a recommended bar-b-que place on the Riverwalk. It was delicious!
This morning, I woke up extra early to pack and then attended the last symposium and plenary speaker session. Dr. Laurence Steinberg gave a great talk. During the closing remarks, there was a drawing for free books from the publisher sponsor, Brookes. My name was drawn, so I got to choose a stack of books to bring home! So now I have in my possession a handbook of intellectual and developmental disabilities, which I'm sure will come in very handy.
I can't wait for next year's Gatlinburg!
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Gatlinburg Conference, Day 1
Gatlinburg Conference on Research and Theory in Intellectual and Developmental Disabilites, San Antonio, TX
I'm here attending my second conference in the last 5 months (not to mention my 2nd conference ever). The morning session was great, and I learned a lot. I heard four research presentations from people studying the psychological well-being of caregivers of children with autism and/or ID (intellectual disability), and the discussion that took place after the presentations was quite interesting. After the obligatory opening remarks from the conference coordinator, Dr. Ronald Dahl talked with us about adolescence and neurobiology. His talk was very user-friendly and he was an entertaining speaker!
This afternoon I'll go to another symposium and then an information session by NIH. After that, I'll be participating in my first poster session. I'll be one of 31 researchers standing by our posters discussing them and answering questions. It should be informative for me, but it's also a little nerve-wracking!
(hopefully I'll be relaxed enough to watch the KU game right after!)
I'm here attending my second conference in the last 5 months (not to mention my 2nd conference ever). The morning session was great, and I learned a lot. I heard four research presentations from people studying the psychological well-being of caregivers of children with autism and/or ID (intellectual disability), and the discussion that took place after the presentations was quite interesting. After the obligatory opening remarks from the conference coordinator, Dr. Ronald Dahl talked with us about adolescence and neurobiology. His talk was very user-friendly and he was an entertaining speaker!
This afternoon I'll go to another symposium and then an information session by NIH. After that, I'll be participating in my first poster session. I'll be one of 31 researchers standing by our posters discussing them and answering questions. It should be informative for me, but it's also a little nerve-wracking!
(hopefully I'll be relaxed enough to watch the KU game right after!)
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Blizzard Day
Well, apparently I managed to miss posting in all of January. As far as work goes, it wasn't terribly exciting for me. My colleagues did have a couple interesting trips, and I did have a good time working with our family in Topeka, but no major snow dramas or anything. Personally, I got to be a bridesmaid in the wedding of my best friend from middle school. We've known each other for nearly 15 years. I'm super happy for her!!
We're welcoming February 2011 in with a serious blizzard. KU is closed today, so I'm attempting to be productive from home. At least it's warm and cozy here. I'm sure the lab would be absolutely frigid today since it's quite chilly on warmer days. It's been snowing for several hours, but the wind is blowing so hard it's difficult to tell how much snow we've actually gotten. The 1/10 inch of ice is definitely there, though!
We're welcoming February 2011 in with a serious blizzard. KU is closed today, so I'm attempting to be productive from home. At least it's warm and cozy here. I'm sure the lab would be absolutely frigid today since it's quite chilly on warmer days. It's been snowing for several hours, but the wind is blowing so hard it's difficult to tell how much snow we've actually gotten. The 1/10 inch of ice is definitely there, though!
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