sunnudagur, desember 30, 2007
Yarn hike
As some of you may be aware, I'm a great fan of knitting and such. Yesterday I finally gathered the courage to make an inventory of my stash, i.e. my yarn collection. Guess what I found out: If all the yarn in my closet were strung out, one skein after the other, it would stretch for over 17 kilometers! I have a feeling I should be mildly embarrassed ;) but honestly, the more yarn in the apartment, the better I feel :)
föstudagur, desember 28, 2007
In the upstate
Well well me, here I am in the upstate, having all but abandoned my loyal reader.
Where to begin? I'm downloading the second episode of the second season of Grey's Anatomy so you all will have to take second place once the download finishes. I have every intention of becoming a total GA fanatic and I think that some strategic planning might convert Shan too... he did watch 4 (yes, that's four!!!) episodes with me last night.
Anyhow. Christmas this year, spent in Delaware, was lovely. Highlights include a fancy Christmas party at the Whitham mansion (kind of a similar affair to the Lindal-clan get-togethers on Christmas Day that I like so much), Christmas Eve dinner at a steakhouse and an invigorating discussion about the death penalty and immigration with a staunch Republican over Christmas dinner. No, no one got hurt...
Coming back to Ithaca from Houston was also lovely, especially since a) I did not get thrown off an overbooked plane or fall victim to mindboggling delays and b) my luggage arrived safe and sound in Ithaca with me, all three pieces! I was flying US (Sc-)airways and therefore both a) and b) must be regarded as absolute miracles.
Gee, how exciting my life is! Stay tuned for the next installment!!
Where to begin? I'm downloading the second episode of the second season of Grey's Anatomy so you all will have to take second place once the download finishes. I have every intention of becoming a total GA fanatic and I think that some strategic planning might convert Shan too... he did watch 4 (yes, that's four!!!) episodes with me last night.
Anyhow. Christmas this year, spent in Delaware, was lovely. Highlights include a fancy Christmas party at the Whitham mansion (kind of a similar affair to the Lindal-clan get-togethers on Christmas Day that I like so much), Christmas Eve dinner at a steakhouse and an invigorating discussion about the death penalty and immigration with a staunch Republican over Christmas dinner. No, no one got hurt...
Coming back to Ithaca from Houston was also lovely, especially since a) I did not get thrown off an overbooked plane or fall victim to mindboggling delays and b) my luggage arrived safe and sound in Ithaca with me, all three pieces! I was flying US (Sc-)airways and therefore both a) and b) must be regarded as absolute miracles.
Gee, how exciting my life is! Stay tuned for the next installment!!
miðvikudagur, desember 12, 2007
þriðjudagur, desember 11, 2007
mánudagur, desember 10, 2007
Polar news
The world's oldest polar bear was just found. Furthermore, my old buddy Jason Roberts was apparently involved in filming "The Golden Compass". Obviously, Svalbard (and everyone on it, dead or alive) still rocks!!
sunnudagur, desember 09, 2007
Let it rain, let it rain, let it rain
Hah! Looks like I'll be able to sport my new wellies this week!!
Not resisting temptation
Why is there a Banana Republic store right next to my favorite (Starbucks) coffee shop?? This is what I came out with today...
föstudagur, desember 07, 2007
And I hereby present...
... the worst-prepared presentation I've ever given!
Yesterday I gave a draft presentation to one of the groups I've been working with here at Shell. It was... to put things mildly... not well prepared. The reason: My project was changed a month into my internship and I completely (and utterly. And completely. And utterly) missed what was expected of me. In my naivité, I thought I was supposed to do and deliver one thing, whereas it turns out I was supposed to do and deliver that thing, and then all these other things as well. This is entirely my fault, for not communicating effectively with the people I'm working for and for not thinking carefully about things and asking myself questions such as: "Well, why would Shell be interested in this product if it's not accompanied by these other products?" But coming from academia, I'm trained to want to know all kinds of different things without always needing a solid reason for wanting to know them. Knowledge for knowledge's sake. I implicitly assumed that's what I was dealing with here. I wasn't expecting the Business Applicability to pop up. As I said, naive.
So. Now I have ... let me count... Saturday, Sunday and Monday to prepare for the Final Presentation. And a truckload of things to do before then, that I should have dedicated, say, 2 or 3 weeks to. And at the same time I'm so tired that I zombied around all yesterday afternoon and have spent most of today sleeping.
Well, what the hell. As my friend Paula says, you can't do any better than your best. And I'm too old for allnighters anyway :)
So, to kick off the flurry of activity that will surround me the next few days, I'm heading for a) Starbucks, for a coffee and a 5-pm lunch, and b) my LYS, where I'll meet the regulars over knitting and pizza for one last time. Mildly pathetic, that's me ;)
Yesterday I gave a draft presentation to one of the groups I've been working with here at Shell. It was... to put things mildly... not well prepared. The reason: My project was changed a month into my internship and I completely (and utterly. And completely. And utterly) missed what was expected of me. In my naivité, I thought I was supposed to do and deliver one thing, whereas it turns out I was supposed to do and deliver that thing, and then all these other things as well. This is entirely my fault, for not communicating effectively with the people I'm working for and for not thinking carefully about things and asking myself questions such as: "Well, why would Shell be interested in this product if it's not accompanied by these other products?" But coming from academia, I'm trained to want to know all kinds of different things without always needing a solid reason for wanting to know them. Knowledge for knowledge's sake. I implicitly assumed that's what I was dealing with here. I wasn't expecting the Business Applicability to pop up. As I said, naive.
So. Now I have ... let me count... Saturday, Sunday and Monday to prepare for the Final Presentation. And a truckload of things to do before then, that I should have dedicated, say, 2 or 3 weeks to. And at the same time I'm so tired that I zombied around all yesterday afternoon and have spent most of today sleeping.
Well, what the hell. As my friend Paula says, you can't do any better than your best. And I'm too old for allnighters anyway :)
So, to kick off the flurry of activity that will surround me the next few days, I'm heading for a) Starbucks, for a coffee and a 5-pm lunch, and b) my LYS, where I'll meet the regulars over knitting and pizza for one last time. Mildly pathetic, that's me ;)
miðvikudagur, desember 05, 2007
þriðjudagur, desember 04, 2007
þriðjudagur, nóvember 27, 2007
Goin' to the Moon
It's bizarre to think that this thing took humans to the moon. Well, at least most of the way there:
According to reliable sources, when this thing took off it used 0.5% of all the power being generated on the entire planet at that particular moment:
Each of these engines is tall enough for me to stand inside it. Wow!
According to reliable sources, when this thing took off it used 0.5% of all the power being generated on the entire planet at that particular moment:
Each of these engines is tall enough for me to stand inside it. Wow!
mánudagur, nóvember 26, 2007
Long time...
.. no blogging here. Oh well, such is life.
So, what's been going on? First, my house has been Internet-deprived for the last week and I'm going nuts. Fortunately I can use my cell phone to read my gmail, but that's about the extent of my internet usage during the holidays.
Speaking of the holidays, I had a visitor over Thanksgiving week. My beloved boyfriend Shan came down from frosty Ithaca and we had a nice time. We went on a road trip to Austin where we had coffee at a sidewalk cafe while listening to a live country bluegrass band. We also went to the Johnson Space Center and visited the old mission control and almost froze our ears off in the cold (it was 11°C and windy in Houston that day). Last but not least we had a delicious Thanksgiving dinner with my friend and co-worker Paula and her husband and our friends Patricia and Pascale.
Shan escaped the worst weather of the year by heading back to Ithaca on Friday afternoon. On Saturday it didn't really get light until ~2 pm, such was the heaviness of the clouds. It rained cats and dogs all day and all plans for outings were cancelled in favor of snuggling up in bed with books and knitting. The same applied, more or less, for Sunday.
And now, the last weeks of being an intern. Better roll up them sleeves...
So, what's been going on? First, my house has been Internet-deprived for the last week and I'm going nuts. Fortunately I can use my cell phone to read my gmail, but that's about the extent of my internet usage during the holidays.
Speaking of the holidays, I had a visitor over Thanksgiving week. My beloved boyfriend Shan came down from frosty Ithaca and we had a nice time. We went on a road trip to Austin where we had coffee at a sidewalk cafe while listening to a live country bluegrass band. We also went to the Johnson Space Center and visited the old mission control and almost froze our ears off in the cold (it was 11°C and windy in Houston that day). Last but not least we had a delicious Thanksgiving dinner with my friend and co-worker Paula and her husband and our friends Patricia and Pascale.
Shan escaped the worst weather of the year by heading back to Ithaca on Friday afternoon. On Saturday it didn't really get light until ~2 pm, such was the heaviness of the clouds. It rained cats and dogs all day and all plans for outings were cancelled in favor of snuggling up in bed with books and knitting. The same applied, more or less, for Sunday.
And now, the last weeks of being an intern. Better roll up them sleeves...
mánudagur, nóvember 12, 2007
6 pm
and I'm leaving work. It's been one of those days when all you do all day is sit in front of the computer with things happening veeeeerrrrrry slowly... but still happening.
Am headed for the first installment of the Hula program. I wonder what it'll be like. I have to admit I'm a little nervous. What the hell did I get myself into??
Update, 11/13 @ 1 am: Well, I got myself into some seriously sore butt muscles, that's what! Of course the class was fun. I learned to wiggle my arms very gracefully (ehemm...) and do a figure eight with my hips (in theory, at least). I also learned how to tell my lei that it's wonderful fragrance was coaxing the sun into shining on me. Is there anything not to love about this??
Am headed for the first installment of the Hula program. I wonder what it'll be like. I have to admit I'm a little nervous. What the hell did I get myself into??
Update, 11/13 @ 1 am: Well, I got myself into some seriously sore butt muscles, that's what! Of course the class was fun. I learned to wiggle my arms very gracefully (ehemm...) and do a figure eight with my hips (in theory, at least). I also learned how to tell my lei that it's wonderful fragrance was coaxing the sun into shining on me. Is there anything not to love about this??
fimmtudagur, nóvember 08, 2007
miðvikudagur, nóvember 07, 2007
Penetration talk
Well well. All is well. Oil well, that is.
Funny how geologists like to penetrate things. Isn't there's something decidedly phallic about the whole drilling business:
Very phallic, I dare say.
Funny how geologists like to penetrate things. Isn't there's something decidedly phallic about the whole drilling business:
"This was the first penetration of the Kimmeridgian in Alabama"...
Very phallic, I dare say.
miðvikudagur, október 31, 2007
Halloween and Hula
picture courtesy of about.comMy gated community is swarming with little princesses and Mickey Mouses and pirates and ladybugs and whatnot tonight. It's so CUTE!
I just signed up for a class in Hula and Tahitian dancing. Yay!!!! For an earlier hula-post (in Icelandic), see April 2nd 2005.
picture courtesy of Randy Jay Brown
þriðjudagur, október 30, 2007
Tonic and lime, please
This afternoon the group I belong to here at Shell had a little celebration, to which I was, naturally, invited. It was nice to get out of the office for a while and meet people in a relaxed setting. I had to go back to the office after this so I asked for tonic water with lime. My refill came from a different waiter and I think he may not have realized I originally only had tonic in there... after almost finishing the second drink I started to feel as if there was something stronger in there as well. Oh whatever. A free drink never hurt anyone. Ermmm....
Am at home, looking at and for data. How come that out of 35,000 data points, only 5 are relevant to what I am interested in??? It's not fair!
Am at home, looking at and for data. How come that out of 35,000 data points, only 5 are relevant to what I am interested in??? It's not fair!
laugardagur, október 27, 2007
The sheriff and other downtown tales
Last night I worked until 7 pm, as I sometimes do. When I arrived at the parking garage to get my car, a sheriff sat on a chair in the elevator lobby, reading the evening paper. He got up as I was about to enter the elevator and joined me, explaining that he was there to protect people like me from whatever might happen in a downtown Houston parking garage on an early Friday night. He walked me to my car, made sure that I got safely under way, and then presumably returned to his post to wait for the next person to protect. Remarkable, huh?
On the way to the car I asked him about the crime rate in downtown Houston. He said that in the last few years it had improved dramatically, since the authorities had relocated most of the homeless people to south of downtown. I live south of downtown and I can attest that he's right, that's where the homeless hang out. So, the problem hasn't been solved, it has only been moved places. Beautiful governance, right?
I don't drive to work every day. I am lucky that the bus stops at the nearest corner from my house (well, the gated community in which I live these days) and it takes me to within a short distance of work. Of all the hundreds of people I have seen in the bus, only two were white and they didn't look like they had a comfy bed to rest in at night. The rest are overwhelmingly black, with some Asians and Hispanics thrown in the mix. Most of them don't look like they hold profitable jobs and some look like they haven't held any kind of a job in years. Quite a few give me surprised stares, as in "what's a white, well dressed woman doing here??".
This is all pretty mind-boggling. While I do know that the US aren't exactly setting the world standard for social equality, I don't know that I was prepared to find myself living in a fancy house in a fancy community where the inhabitants need gates and security guards to protect themselves from the poverty of the people around. Or that I would need police escort to get my car at night. Or that I'd be in a racially segregated bus. This reminds me a smidgen of what I've read and heard of Bogotá, what I've seen in Manila, even apartheid. It's disturbing, to say the least.
On the way to the car I asked him about the crime rate in downtown Houston. He said that in the last few years it had improved dramatically, since the authorities had relocated most of the homeless people to south of downtown. I live south of downtown and I can attest that he's right, that's where the homeless hang out. So, the problem hasn't been solved, it has only been moved places. Beautiful governance, right?
I don't drive to work every day. I am lucky that the bus stops at the nearest corner from my house (well, the gated community in which I live these days) and it takes me to within a short distance of work. Of all the hundreds of people I have seen in the bus, only two were white and they didn't look like they had a comfy bed to rest in at night. The rest are overwhelmingly black, with some Asians and Hispanics thrown in the mix. Most of them don't look like they hold profitable jobs and some look like they haven't held any kind of a job in years. Quite a few give me surprised stares, as in "what's a white, well dressed woman doing here??".
This is all pretty mind-boggling. While I do know that the US aren't exactly setting the world standard for social equality, I don't know that I was prepared to find myself living in a fancy house in a fancy community where the inhabitants need gates and security guards to protect themselves from the poverty of the people around. Or that I would need police escort to get my car at night. Or that I'd be in a racially segregated bus. This reminds me a smidgen of what I've read and heard of Bogotá, what I've seen in Manila, even apartheid. It's disturbing, to say the least.
fimmtudagur, október 25, 2007
Mumínpabbi
 | |
 | Hvem er du i Mummidalen? |
Mitt resultat: Mummipappa Du er Mummipappa! Du er en drømmer og du drømmer deg ofte bort og inn i eventyr. Du er også en håpløs romantikker. | |
| Ta denne quizen på Start.no | |
Via Laggablogg
mánudagur, október 22, 2007
Winter comes crashing in
The hard drive in my work computer crashed today. And winter came to Houston:
It rained all morning and the wind picked up during the afternoon, so much so that my fellow elevator travelers were discussing where on the 21st floor was the best place to feel the building swinging back and forth. On my way to the bus stop I sorely missed my new woolen coat. To keep warm I decided to walk to a bus stop two blocks further away than my regular one, and by doing so I almost missed the bus.
Then, there's Facebook. Instead of reading up some more on the biochemistry of biomarkers tonight, or even processing a set of raw data straight off the ion chromatograph which I've been putting off for a month now (no, it's really not that hard, I'm just colossally lazy when it comes to my Ph.D. project), I spent the evening on Facebook. Sad, really.
It rained all morning and the wind picked up during the afternoon, so much so that my fellow elevator travelers were discussing where on the 21st floor was the best place to feel the building swinging back and forth. On my way to the bus stop I sorely missed my new woolen coat. To keep warm I decided to walk to a bus stop two blocks further away than my regular one, and by doing so I almost missed the bus. Then, there's Facebook. Instead of reading up some more on the biochemistry of biomarkers tonight, or even processing a set of raw data straight off the ion chromatograph which I've been putting off for a month now (no, it's really not that hard, I'm just colossally lazy when it comes to my Ph.D. project), I spent the evening on Facebook. Sad, really.
miðvikudagur, október 17, 2007
Houstonians
Houstonians ar the most friendly and easy-going lot I've met in a long while. I wonder if it is because most of them are Europeans?
*muhawhawhaw*
See, I'm evil. Anyway, my colleagues here in this massive, sprawling city are so nice! They make sure I don't have to eat my lunches alone. They come over and introduce themselves and offer help and assistance (and sound like they mean it). They invite me to their housewarming parties. They have lovely friends who invite me out to meet their friends. And the list goes on. Even on the bus, people are friendly and ready to chat.
I find all this rather wonderful, I have to say.
*muhawhawhaw*
See, I'm evil. Anyway, my colleagues here in this massive, sprawling city are so nice! They make sure I don't have to eat my lunches alone. They come over and introduce themselves and offer help and assistance (and sound like they mean it). They invite me to their housewarming parties. They have lovely friends who invite me out to meet their friends. And the list goes on. Even on the bus, people are friendly and ready to chat.
I find all this rather wonderful, I have to say.
fimmtudagur, október 11, 2007
föstudagur, október 05, 2007
Houston cont.
Wanna see the building I work in? Here it is, in as good a rendition as my cellphone camera can muster:
þriðjudagur, október 02, 2007
mánudagur, október 01, 2007
Houston, TX
Yep, I'm here. Spent the weekend acclimatizing with my lovely boyfriend by my side. Started work today. Got stuck in traffic and the whole nine yards. This is amazing!
More later. A book on basin modeling is waiting to put me to sleep. I am tired... zzzzz.... zzz... zzz.. .. z. . zzzzzzzz
More later. A book on basin modeling is waiting to put me to sleep. I am tired... zzzzz.... zzz... zzz.. .. z. . zzzzzzzz
miðvikudagur, september 26, 2007
þriðjudagur, september 25, 2007
You may not believe this:
It's warmer in Ithaca now than in Houston. I'll be damned.
Instrument update: The computer finally started cooperating last night after I had posted about my troubles here. The samples are running smoothly. If the rest of the run continues so nicely I'll have all the analyzes I need by midnight. Aaahhh.
I guess it's a weird coincidence, but my mom and sis, my friend Erna, and myself are all moving places this week. Personally I am mildly freaking out about all the undone stuff. Alkalinity titrations, for example. Well, at least I got the issue with the company rental car sorted out and I have a place to stay when I get to Houston. From now on it's become a question of how much work stuff I forget to bring along (yep, the plan is to work on my thesis in my spare time... or so my adviser wants... and I'd do it if the word self-discipline existed in my vocabulary) and not forgetting to take the stuff I can't bring on the plane to the UPS store for shipping to Texas.
But this is peanuts compared to the other moves taking place. My mom has a whole home to move from one house to another. Phew. Erna is not only moving houses but also from one country to another. And as if that weren't enough, she's defending her Ph.D. thesis in the middle of it all. Phew again.
Instrument update: The computer finally started cooperating last night after I had posted about my troubles here. The samples are running smoothly. If the rest of the run continues so nicely I'll have all the analyzes I need by midnight. Aaahhh.
I guess it's a weird coincidence, but my mom and sis, my friend Erna, and myself are all moving places this week. Personally I am mildly freaking out about all the undone stuff. Alkalinity titrations, for example. Well, at least I got the issue with the company rental car sorted out and I have a place to stay when I get to Houston. From now on it's become a question of how much work stuff I forget to bring along (yep, the plan is to work on my thesis in my spare time... or so my adviser wants... and I'd do it if the word self-discipline existed in my vocabulary) and not forgetting to take the stuff I can't bring on the plane to the UPS store for shipping to Texas.
But this is peanuts compared to the other moves taking place. My mom has a whole home to move from one house to another. Phew. Erna is not only moving houses but also from one country to another. And as if that weren't enough, she's defending her Ph.D. thesis in the middle of it all. Phew again.
mánudagur, september 24, 2007
Instrument massage
'Allo allo!
erm... the "save now" button is growing as I type. No shittin'. Ok, it's stopped now.
Again, I'm enjoying a full evening in a lab, massaging a stubborn instrument into cooperation. And I even forgot my knitting at the office! The stubborn instrument is actually a laptop PC that remotely controls the ion chromatograph (IC) I'm trying to use... and the friggin laptop is so old and slow that it can't handle anything... even gave me the blue screen of death once... and I'm having to shut it down and restart it over and over again... and voila, the clock went from 6:30 pm to 9:30 pm, and still no success (or dinner!).
Hopefully this will be over soon. I have the Fifth Element at home and need to watch it by tomorrow (I know it's supposed to be crappy, but I need to (finally) find out for my self). I also have to start packing for Houston and throw my dirty clothes into the washing machine. And most of all I have to run these samples!! Wish me luck, please.
erm... the "save now" button is growing as I type. No shittin'. Ok, it's stopped now.
Again, I'm enjoying a full evening in a lab, massaging a stubborn instrument into cooperation. And I even forgot my knitting at the office! The stubborn instrument is actually a laptop PC that remotely controls the ion chromatograph (IC) I'm trying to use... and the friggin laptop is so old and slow that it can't handle anything... even gave me the blue screen of death once... and I'm having to shut it down and restart it over and over again... and voila, the clock went from 6:30 pm to 9:30 pm, and still no success (or dinner!).
Hopefully this will be over soon. I have the Fifth Element at home and need to watch it by tomorrow (I know it's supposed to be crappy, but I need to (finally) find out for my self). I also have to start packing for Houston and throw my dirty clothes into the washing machine. And most of all I have to run these samples!! Wish me luck, please.
föstudagur, september 21, 2007
þriðjudagur, september 18, 2007
Lunch of the week
Under all this yummy salad (with cherry tomatoes and roasted pine nuts) lie hidden the remains of yesterday's dinner: Organic whole-wheat fettucine with Icelandic smoked salmon in cream-dill sauce. Namm!
mánudagur, september 17, 2007
laugardagur, september 15, 2007
föstudagur, september 14, 2007
Coming up next in Herdis's life:
Internship with Shell Oil in Houston!!
Yes, for those of you who did not fall of your chairs when reading this (or who have already managed to crawl up into your seats again): I, the tree hugger, the environmentalist, the general protester, I am going to work for Shell.
What happened? Well, I got an offer for a really nice internship (as in, really interesting science, or so it sounds) and after thinking about it for about... 1 minute... I decided to do it. The internship being quite well paid didn't hurt either, but was not the deciding factor. I simply figured it would be great to learn something new, get a glimpse of life as a professional, get to know a multinational company from the inside, meet new people and live in a different city. Can't hurt, can it?
I'm starting work on October 1st and will work for them until Christmas, more or less. I found a really nice place to live, with a really nice housemate, today. I'll have a car for the time that I'm there and maybe I'll get a chance to travel around a bit on the weekends.
After Houston, it's the Philippines again, with a possible stop-over in Hawaii. As I've said before, never a dull moment :)
But first things first. Erna, the recently published author of this article in the PNAS, is coming into Ithaca as we speak. She'll stay with us until Sunday. She's never seen Ithaca in the summer (well, late summer) before and I can't wait to show her around... and have some Ópalsnafs with her :)
Yes, for those of you who did not fall of your chairs when reading this (or who have already managed to crawl up into your seats again): I, the tree hugger, the environmentalist, the general protester, I am going to work for Shell.
What happened? Well, I got an offer for a really nice internship (as in, really interesting science, or so it sounds) and after thinking about it for about... 1 minute... I decided to do it. The internship being quite well paid didn't hurt either, but was not the deciding factor. I simply figured it would be great to learn something new, get a glimpse of life as a professional, get to know a multinational company from the inside, meet new people and live in a different city. Can't hurt, can it?
I'm starting work on October 1st and will work for them until Christmas, more or less. I found a really nice place to live, with a really nice housemate, today. I'll have a car for the time that I'm there and maybe I'll get a chance to travel around a bit on the weekends.
After Houston, it's the Philippines again, with a possible stop-over in Hawaii. As I've said before, never a dull moment :)
But first things first. Erna, the recently published author of this article in the PNAS, is coming into Ithaca as we speak. She'll stay with us until Sunday. She's never seen Ithaca in the summer (well, late summer) before and I can't wait to show her around... and have some Ópalsnafs with her :)
Europe, part 4
I also had a few glasses of white with my bosom buddies Hallveig and Stína. Aren't they gorgeous??
Europe, part 3
A nostalgic visit to the library of my old high school and a connection between Íþaka and Ithaca:
Europe, part 2
Stína and her sushi boat:
and Erna's living room after a day or two of visiting Icelanders (and their shopping bags):
and Erna's living room after a day or two of visiting Icelanders (and their shopping bags):
Europe, part 1
Yes, I do owe you all some juicy bits from Europe. Actually, Stína has done a fantastic job on her blog telling about the Austria part. *sigh*, I miss the Vienna days and my fantastic friends there...
Let's take a look at the Schloss Schönbrunn. Stína and I went for the imperial tour of the premises while Erna Ýr and Íris went shoe shopping. Not that I would have minded shoe shopping at all...
The front of the castle:
and the back of the castle:
The Habsburgers didn't exactly rough it, did they?
Let's take a look at the Schloss Schönbrunn. Stína and I went for the imperial tour of the premises while Erna Ýr and Íris went shoe shopping. Not that I would have minded shoe shopping at all...
The front of the castle:
and the back of the castle:
The Habsburgers didn't exactly rough it, did they?
sunnudagur, september 02, 2007
föstudagur, ágúst 31, 2007
laugardagur, ágúst 25, 2007
An idle day in Cologne
Instead of seeing Laacher See on a geological excursion today, I went to see an exhibition about Christian Dior and Germany at the Museum für Angewandte Kunst. It was excellent. I want that rust-red evening dress that Marlene Dietrich once had!
föstudagur, ágúst 24, 2007
Irr...rrrr....rrrr....itated
Please remember that I prolonged my stay in Europe by a week due to the American embassy in Reykjavik not having any available interview slots during the week I originally planned to be in Iceland. Now, it is not an altogether horrible thing to spend an extra week in Europe. It does have its undeniable benefits. It is, however, also entirely perceivable that this would not be the case.
You can therefore imagine my surprise when I booked my interview today. They had lots... let me repeat this... LOTS... of openings during the week that I will spend in Europe, waiting for an available interview slot at the embassy.
Now, please join me in sincere irritation. And trust me, I plan to yell at a certain receptionist when I get the chance.
You can therefore imagine my surprise when I booked my interview today. They had lots... let me repeat this... LOTS... of openings during the week that I will spend in Europe, waiting for an available interview slot at the embassy.
Now, please join me in sincere irritation. And trust me, I plan to yell at a certain receptionist when I get the chance.
þriðjudagur, ágúst 21, 2007
Conference - day II
Well, guess what. I already gave my talk!
It wasn't nearly as hard as I thought it would be. Everybody in the room heard me. I stayed within time limits. My throat was dry towards the end, but that's manageable. At the end there was time for only one question from the audience, and the question I got was one that I had actually researched and found a pretty cool answer to. An altogether encouraging experience.
It wasn't nearly as hard as I thought it would be. Everybody in the room heard me. I stayed within time limits. My throat was dry towards the end, but that's manageable. At the end there was time for only one question from the audience, and the question I got was one that I had actually researched and found a pretty cool answer to. An altogether encouraging experience.
mánudagur, ágúst 20, 2007
Talk talk talk - undubbed
I am in Köln. Or Cologne, as my boyfriend's compatriots like to call it.
Ich bin in Köln. Dass heisst, Cologne, wie es die Landesgenossen meines Freundes nennen möchten.
See! I can still speak German (or something akin to German). Hah!
For your edification, I am inserting a slide from my upcoming talk at the awesome schmawsome conference:
Now don't complain that you have no idea what I'm trying to tell you - just go and find out!
I forgot that all TV is dubbed in Germany. There is something decidedly odd about watching Buffy the vampire slayer in German.
Wondering why I'm watching TV? Well, I'm practicing my talk in the hotel room, and assuming my neighbors aren't interested in hearing the talk ten times, I'm trying to drown out my voice with the TV. Which is why I'm listening to the King of Queens having a fight with his wife in German right now. Sigh.
Ich bin in Köln. Dass heisst, Cologne, wie es die Landesgenossen meines Freundes nennen möchten.
See! I can still speak German (or something akin to German). Hah!
For your edification, I am inserting a slide from my upcoming talk at the awesome schmawsome conference:
Now don't complain that you have no idea what I'm trying to tell you - just go and find out!
I forgot that all TV is dubbed in Germany. There is something decidedly odd about watching Buffy the vampire slayer in German.
Wondering why I'm watching TV? Well, I'm practicing my talk in the hotel room, and assuming my neighbors aren't interested in hearing the talk ten times, I'm trying to drown out my voice with the TV. Which is why I'm listening to the King of Queens having a fight with his wife in German right now. Sigh.
föstudagur, ágúst 17, 2007
Crappy
These last three days haven't been good. At all. Wednesday the headache started and since I didn't knock it out right away with some ibuprofen it grew to astronomical proportions, rendering me totally incapable of working until now. In fact, I almost didn't sleep at all for the last two nights. This morning I called up the doctor and was sent home with a bag full of prescription painkillers. Those fortunately allowed me to sleep for 6 hours straight, but now my back hurts instead of the head. And my stomach is a total mess, not having seen a regular meal in three days. The joy. And all this just as I was supposed to be composing my talk for the Goldschmidt conference. Yikes.
þriðjudagur, ágúst 14, 2007
Something's in the air
Ah, bless the 'Mercan Embassy in Reykjavik. They are apparently so swamped with visa applications these days that one has to wait over a month to get an interview. And nowhere does it say so on their website. (And even if it did, I would still have a problem since it didn't become clear that I would have to change visas until last week). Therefore, after a conversation with a seemingly rather overworked but ultimately very friendly receptionist at the embassy, the verdict is that I have to push back my visit to Iceland by a week or so. That is of course monetarily not very convenient, but the pecuniary inconvenience is probably more than made up for by the fact that luvely people I know who won't be around in late August, such as my friend Stina, will be in town, and I'll be around to give my dad a happy b-day hug. Nicht schlecht.
Which reminds me. The conference is looming large on the horizon. Better get some work done!
Which reminds me. The conference is looming large on the horizon. Better get some work done!
fimmtudagur, ágúst 09, 2007
miðvikudagur, ágúst 08, 2007
þriðjudagur, ágúst 07, 2007
A new blog
No more knitting stuff here on this site. Nay, for that I created an all-new knit blog, knitting hurricanes.
föstudagur, ágúst 03, 2007
Progress
Still knitting the baby cardigan. The progress over a week is recorded in these two pix; old on the left, new on the right.
Here's what the whole thing looks like right now. Cute, innit?
fimmtudagur, ágúst 02, 2007
miðvikudagur, ágúst 01, 2007
Poor scheduling
I can't believe this: Stína won't be in Iceland when I visit. Out of all the 5-day slots in a year, what are the chances that both of us would plan to be away from our homes at EXACTLY the same time?? Anyone??
It's unfair. Hrmpf!!
It's unfair. Hrmpf!!
mánudagur, júlí 30, 2007
How could I be so...
...STUPID???
The Grad School at Cornell supports students presenting their work at conferences with up to 650 dollars once a year. I banked on this support for the Cologne conference. Today I sat down to fill out the application and almost got a heart attack.
See, I thought that the deadline was the first of the month of the conference. Turns out it is the first of the month BEFORE the conference. Here I am with my application, a month after the deadline.
Moron!
Update 07/31/07: The lady at the Grad School said I could submit my excessively belated application and so I did. Instantly. Now I'm waiting to see what comes out of it.
Update 08/01/07: They saw aumur á mér and gave me the grant. Nice.
The Grad School at Cornell supports students presenting their work at conferences with up to 650 dollars once a year. I banked on this support for the Cologne conference. Today I sat down to fill out the application and almost got a heart attack.
See, I thought that the deadline was the first of the month of the conference. Turns out it is the first of the month BEFORE the conference. Here I am with my application, a month after the deadline.
Moron!
Update 07/31/07: The lady at the Grad School said I could submit my excessively belated application and so I did. Instantly. Now I'm waiting to see what comes out of it.
Update 08/01/07: They saw aumur á mér and gave me the grant. Nice.
On me way
Ok, I will go to Iceland this summer after all. When it became clear that the trip to the Philippines would stretch into September, it became a necessity to renew a certain somebody's visa. The itinerary is:
Syracuse, NY - JFK
JFK - KEF
KEF - Frankfurt
and back the same way, with 6 days in Iceland. They better keep the embassy open while I'm there!!
Then as I'm back in Ithaca, it'll be no more than 48 hours before I'm on a plain again headed for the Philippines. Two weeks of work there (and maybe a short splash in the ocean) and back home, only long enough to stuff my new samples into the fridge and get ready for my in absentia plans (let's hope the grad school approves of them... spennó spennó)! Never a dull moment, as the man said.
Syracuse, NY - JFK
JFK - KEF
KEF - Frankfurt
and back the same way, with 6 days in Iceland. They better keep the embassy open while I'm there!!
Then as I'm back in Ithaca, it'll be no more than 48 hours before I'm on a plain again headed for the Philippines. Two weeks of work there (and maybe a short splash in the ocean) and back home, only long enough to stuff my new samples into the fridge and get ready for my in absentia plans (let's hope the grad school approves of them... spennó spennó)! Never a dull moment, as the man said.
föstudagur, júlí 27, 2007
Compliment
It doesn't take a lot to make a little heart happy:
Yesterday I parallel parked my car into a really tight spot. A car that was driving behind me waited until I was in the spot, then drove on and parked nearby. As I walked past, the driver, who was putting some coins in the parking meter, stopped me and commented on what a great job I'd done getting the car in there.
Needless to say, I was walking on air for the rest of the day :)
Yesterday I parallel parked my car into a really tight spot. A car that was driving behind me waited until I was in the spot, then drove on and parked nearby. As I walked past, the driver, who was putting some coins in the parking meter, stopped me and commented on what a great job I'd done getting the car in there.
Needless to say, I was walking on air for the rest of the day :)
It's a tie!!
Which Harry Potter Character Are You? | |
 | You are part Fred and George. You're a joker at heart, but when push comes to shove, you know what's important. |
 | You are part Dumbledore. You're the wise sage in any group. With your guidance, any situation can be resolved in the fairest way possible. |
| Find Your Character @ BrainFall.com | |
My foot and a baby cardigan-to-be
Here are a couple of pix of the baby cardigan I'm working on. They're taken with my phone camera on the walkway around my house (remember, the walkway whose bricks are slowly being "harvested" by some unidentified tenants... I wonder if they think there is such a thing as brick growing season... *muhahahahahahhaaha*):
A close-up of the cardigan shows the texture, a moss stitch for the bottom and a ribbed stitch for the body:
It's knitting up faster than I thought it would (with 2.25 mm needles, which is just insanely small!!) so I might make a cap and booties to match. Yum!
P.S. I finished Harry Potter!
A close-up of the cardigan shows the texture, a moss stitch for the bottom and a ribbed stitch for the body:
It's knitting up faster than I thought it would (with 2.25 mm needles, which is just insanely small!!) so I might make a cap and booties to match. Yum!
P.S. I finished Harry Potter!
þriðjudagur, júlí 24, 2007
Tales from the back yard, cont.
I haven't updated you on the situation in the backyard recently.
So, no more dead pets since last time. Only one cigarette butt or two. No candle wax either. Nice enough. Problems over?
Not quite. Now bricks are disappearing. Not just the ones forming a division in the flower beds and which I excavated from under years of neglect earlier this summer, but also the ones forming the walkway into the house. Yes, you are right - the "sidewalk" around the house is disappearing. The maintenance staff seems to think that some of the (former) tenants are harvesting the bricks for... something...
Any idea from my loyal readers as to what might be ailing those poor morons' souls??
So, no more dead pets since last time. Only one cigarette butt or two. No candle wax either. Nice enough. Problems over?
Not quite. Now bricks are disappearing. Not just the ones forming a division in the flower beds and which I excavated from under years of neglect earlier this summer, but also the ones forming the walkway into the house. Yes, you are right - the "sidewalk" around the house is disappearing. The maintenance staff seems to think that some of the (former) tenants are harvesting the bricks for... something...
Any idea from my loyal readers as to what might be ailing those poor morons' souls??
Spreeeeeeee
Sometimes when I go to amazon.com, I cannot contain myself.
Today I have placed three separate orders there. Yes, I know, I'm insane.
The first two are for work stuff. An Atlas of Hawaii, of which I have already purchased a copy, which disappeared. There used to be at least 2 if not 3 copies available in my lab; now all are gone. I'm going to put a trace on this thing when it gets here. You know, like they put on underage wizards.
I don't think people will be as keen to "borrow" the other work-related book I ordered: Core Python Programming. I need to learn some real programming if I want to skip over insanity on my way to a Ph.D. There's just no way around it.
And then the yummi stuff: Knitted Fits... smuff, no, it's Fitted Knits... hard to get that one straight. This book's knit-along (you're entirely forgiven for not having a clue here) is a great ad for the book, I wasn't really interested in it until I saw what knitters out there are doing with/for the designs. And, for good measure, I threw in a book about the history of Islam...
Today I have placed three separate orders there. Yes, I know, I'm insane.
The first two are for work stuff. An Atlas of Hawaii, of which I have already purchased a copy, which disappeared. There used to be at least 2 if not 3 copies available in my lab; now all are gone. I'm going to put a trace on this thing when it gets here. You know, like they put on underage wizards.
I don't think people will be as keen to "borrow" the other work-related book I ordered: Core Python Programming. I need to learn some real programming if I want to skip over insanity on my way to a Ph.D. There's just no way around it.
And then the yummi stuff: Knitted Fits... smuff, no, it's Fitted Knits... hard to get that one straight. This book's knit-along (you're entirely forgiven for not having a clue here) is a great ad for the book, I wasn't really interested in it until I saw what knitters out there are doing with/for the designs. And, for good measure, I threw in a book about the history of Islam...
mánudagur, júlí 23, 2007
Potter
Of course I was part of this record. I haven't finished the book yet (had to read the Half-Blood Prince first!) but so far it's not letting me down.
miðvikudagur, júlí 18, 2007
þriðjudagur, júlí 17, 2007
Interview
For the first time in my humble life, today I interviewed someone who's looking for a job. The search is on for a replacement for the graduate/undergraduate coordinator job in my department and I represent the grad students on the selection committee (see, our insistence on being taken seriously by the faculty seems to be paying off). It was an interesting experience, not to mention what a relief it was to be at my side of the table :)
fimmtudagur, júlí 12, 2007
Las Islas Filipinas - again?
My adviser popped into the lab today to tell me that we are 99% sure to get the grant to go to the Philippines this summer. Erm... I know what you are thinking... isn't the summer half over? Well, yes.
So, getting a grant is always excellent, and sometimes even sprexellent, as in this particular case. It's not a lot of money, but enough for what it's intended for, and coming out of a pool that sees stiff competition, I think we can be pretty pleased with ourselves. The only problem is that... well, now that the summer is almost over and The Conference looming ahead, there's just no TIME to go! But we'll figure something out. I'll keep you posted.
So, getting a grant is always excellent, and sometimes even sprexellent, as in this particular case. It's not a lot of money, but enough for what it's intended for, and coming out of a pool that sees stiff competition, I think we can be pretty pleased with ourselves. The only problem is that... well, now that the summer is almost over and The Conference looming ahead, there's just no TIME to go! But we'll figure something out. I'll keep you posted.
Hard drive woes over
Yes, you read that title right: My worries about backing up my hard drive have been firmly put to rest. My brand-spanking new Western Digital 60GB external hard drive arrived today and now all my invaluable junk has been backed up on it. Nice!
Other than that, life's pretty much the same. I had a bizarre dream last night, that I was chasing a bus around a rugged countryside... similar to Iceland... and the driver was a total psycho, toppling the bus over into gullies and driving it up insanely steep mountainsides... and I was trying to save the passengers, all bloody and injured, from the wreck before it fell off into the abyss.
I had cold mango soup with coconut and mint for lunch. Delicious, but left me just as hungry as I was before eating it.
Other than that, life's pretty much the same. I had a bizarre dream last night, that I was chasing a bus around a rugged countryside... similar to Iceland... and the driver was a total psycho, toppling the bus over into gullies and driving it up insanely steep mountainsides... and I was trying to save the passengers, all bloody and injured, from the wreck before it fell off into the abyss.
I had cold mango soup with coconut and mint for lunch. Delicious, but left me just as hungry as I was before eating it.
miðvikudagur, júlí 11, 2007
Aimless
I just don't know what to work on. It's all in a big tangle in my head.
The Goldschmidt conference in Germany is coming up in a month's time. I have to have at least 12 minutes of at least decent science ready by then to present. I can't even put some blurb on a poster and make myself disappear, no, I'm giving a talk. So, it better be good. And here I am, sitting at my desk for nearly 4 hours straight, and all I accomplished was to open a couple of Excel files. I seriously need more structure in this endeavour of mine. Or motivation. Or both.
The funny thing is, I think that what I do is really interesting. As far as I can analyze things myself, my lack of progress is mainly caused by two factors: 1) It feels like my project is so gargantuan that I will never be able to finish it in the allotted time, and not being able to finish it, what's the point in even starting... and 2) I hate working alone. I am alone at my desk all day, my thesis adviser is never here (and even if he were, it wouldn't change a whole lot since we hardly ever talk about science anyway... at least not on a peer level) and I don't get a chance to interact with other scientists in my field on a regular basis.
The good news: I had a meeting with my stats adviser this morning and it was excellent. He gave me lots of good research-related advice and was really interested in hearing and discussing my future plans. Very encouraging.
The Goldschmidt conference in Germany is coming up in a month's time. I have to have at least 12 minutes of at least decent science ready by then to present. I can't even put some blurb on a poster and make myself disappear, no, I'm giving a talk. So, it better be good. And here I am, sitting at my desk for nearly 4 hours straight, and all I accomplished was to open a couple of Excel files. I seriously need more structure in this endeavour of mine. Or motivation. Or both.
The funny thing is, I think that what I do is really interesting. As far as I can analyze things myself, my lack of progress is mainly caused by two factors: 1) It feels like my project is so gargantuan that I will never be able to finish it in the allotted time, and not being able to finish it, what's the point in even starting... and 2) I hate working alone. I am alone at my desk all day, my thesis adviser is never here (and even if he were, it wouldn't change a whole lot since we hardly ever talk about science anyway... at least not on a peer level) and I don't get a chance to interact with other scientists in my field on a regular basis.
The good news: I had a meeting with my stats adviser this morning and it was excellent. He gave me lots of good research-related advice and was really interested in hearing and discussing my future plans. Very encouraging.
Sins
Stína tagged me, and so I have to tell you about 8 sins I have committed. Is it a problem that I don't believe in the concept? Oh, whatever, here are the most gruesome things I've ever done:
1. When I was 11, I kicked my cousin in the balls because he preferred playing with my brother.
2. I've been known to put stones into my hiking partners' backpacks, just for fun.
3. I cheated on an exam once... no wait, twice!
4. I am a sloth by nature
5. I read too many non-work related books
6. My fascination for exaggeration sometimes carries me away, leading people to believe that yes, I did climb a HUNDRED MILLION stairs or that it was really a THOUSAND degrees out.
7. I'm not as driven as most academic advisers think you should be.
8. And lastly, the ultimate sin: I don't believe in a personal God.
See, you probably never guessed I was THAT evil ;)
1. When I was 11, I kicked my cousin in the balls because he preferred playing with my brother.
2. I've been known to put stones into my hiking partners' backpacks, just for fun.
3. I cheated on an exam once... no wait, twice!
4. I am a sloth by nature
5. I read too many non-work related books
6. My fascination for exaggeration sometimes carries me away, leading people to believe that yes, I did climb a HUNDRED MILLION stairs or that it was really a THOUSAND degrees out.
7. I'm not as driven as most academic advisers think you should be.
8. And lastly, the ultimate sin: I don't believe in a personal God.
See, you probably never guessed I was THAT evil ;)
föstudagur, júlí 06, 2007
Ka-rasj!!
My external hard drive has been giving me some headache recently, since it won't imbibe more than ~10GB of data (although it is a 60GB drive). This started happening after I reformatted the drive and changed it from 2 partitions to one. My computer tells me that the drive is healthy and well, but obviously my computer doesn't know the first thing about hard drives.
Usually what happens is that when 10GBs have been copied to the hard drive, the back-up software freezes. If I then try to close it or terminate the process, the computer freezes. If I then unplug the external drive, the computer freezes. If I then go and paint my toenails pink, my computer freezes.
I talked to a tech at the manufacturer's who suggested it might be the USB cable. I suggested in return he/she was a moron. No, of course I didn't do that but it is a moronic suggestion. I'm sure you agree. Why would a USB cable refuse to transfer more than 10GB in a setting? Please let me know if you figure that out.
However, having nothing better to do (such as working on my Ph.D.) I did try to use another cable. Lo and behold, this one managed to ferry 5GB over before all hell broke loose. Not only did my computer crash spectacularly; when I restarted the poor wounded thing all my Firefox/Thunderbird profiles and accounts had been WIPED OUT. Is this the great IOGEAR anti-Mozilla crusade??
A few S**T and F**Ks later, I found that all the data is still on my hard drive or (God (a convenient time to assume such a being exists) thank them!!) on the Firefox servers. I had to reconnect my browser to the Foxmark server and I have to somehow retrieve my Thunderbird account and get all the mail to show up again.
All this, and I still haven't gotten my hard drive backed up. ARG!
What a pain. If it weren't for my fabulous optimism in the face of adversity and stunningly positive personality (ehem...) I would probably be crying by now.
Usually what happens is that when 10GBs have been copied to the hard drive, the back-up software freezes. If I then try to close it or terminate the process, the computer freezes. If I then unplug the external drive, the computer freezes. If I then go and paint my toenails pink, my computer freezes.
I talked to a tech at the manufacturer's who suggested it might be the USB cable. I suggested in return he/she was a moron. No, of course I didn't do that but it is a moronic suggestion. I'm sure you agree. Why would a USB cable refuse to transfer more than 10GB in a setting? Please let me know if you figure that out.
However, having nothing better to do (such as working on my Ph.D.) I did try to use another cable. Lo and behold, this one managed to ferry 5GB over before all hell broke loose. Not only did my computer crash spectacularly; when I restarted the poor wounded thing all my Firefox/Thunderbird profiles and accounts had been WIPED OUT. Is this the great IOGEAR anti-Mozilla crusade??
A few S**T and F**Ks later, I found that all the data is still on my hard drive or (God (a convenient time to assume such a being exists) thank them!!) on the Firefox servers. I had to reconnect my browser to the Foxmark server and I have to somehow retrieve my Thunderbird account and get all the mail to show up again.
All this, and I still haven't gotten my hard drive backed up. ARG!
What a pain. If it weren't for my fabulous optimism in the face of adversity and stunningly positive personality (ehem...) I would probably be crying by now.
miðvikudagur, júlí 04, 2007
I hope they don't have a dog!!
Can you find the dead goldfish in the picture??
Update: Honorable mention will go to the one who can find the second dead goldfish too!
Gerast áskrifandi að:
Færslur (Atom)
