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I generally go to bed later than Kathryn, so I don't turn the light on when I come in. But last night, when I heard something definately alive rustling around, I hit the switch. A possum was sitting on our windowsill! I tried to pull the curtain closed, but my movement freaked it out and it jumped over my outstretched arm ONTO KATHRYN! She naturally screamed and leapt out of the covers, and the possum vaulted off the bed, scampered under my bed, and sought refuge behind our closet. Since we couldn't just go to bed with a possum in the room, and Kathryn was half-awake, that left me to deal with it. I chased it out of my side of the room, but it kept running into the wall and then finally under Kathryn's bed. At last, it tried to creep by the door, but I forced it out.
Well, I know that I already put up a wishlist, but something I would really really like is a donation in my name to savedarfur.org, or one of their long-sleeved t-shirts.
Thanksgiving was a success, despite drunk cooking the night before.
We all dressed up nice and originally set up outside, though a spattering of rain forced us to move everything back inside. Dhyana and Gem tried to teach us some funky kind of dancing, and unfortunately I managed to totally scratch Lauren up when we were spinning in two concentric circles the opposite direction.
Then last night, over dinner, a couple of us were having an intense conversation about how opposable thumbs preceded and partially caused the onset of human intelligence, then decided to tape our thumbs to our hands for the rest of the night to appreciate the importance of opposable thumbs. It seemed like a good idea at the time.
Then we went over to the bus to watch the sunset, and had some difficulty climbing up. Then people tried to pull me up at the end, which didn't work because they couldn't grab me without opposable thumbs. When the wind compelled us to climb down, Laura slipped and threw Lauren, who was partially lowering her, over her head onto the ground. It obviously wasn't such a good couple days for Lauren.
Lately I've been walking on the beach a lot because it's very pretty and a two minute stroll from anywhere on campus.
We all dressed up nice and originally set up outside, though a spattering of rain forced us to move everything back inside. Dhyana and Gem tried to teach us some funky kind of dancing, and unfortunately I managed to totally scratch Lauren up when we were spinning in two concentric circles the opposite direction.
Then last night, over dinner, a couple of us were having an intense conversation about how opposable thumbs preceded and partially caused the onset of human intelligence, then decided to tape our thumbs to our hands for the rest of the night to appreciate the importance of opposable thumbs. It seemed like a good idea at the time.
Then we went over to the bus to watch the sunset, and had some difficulty climbing up. Then people tried to pull me up at the end, which didn't work because they couldn't grab me without opposable thumbs. When the wind compelled us to climb down, Laura slipped and threw Lauren, who was partially lowering her, over her head onto the ground. It obviously wasn't such a good couple days for Lauren.
Lately I've been walking on the beach a lot because it's very pretty and a two minute stroll from anywhere on campus.
Happy Thanksgiving to the U.S. folks!
Wow, hell is Excel.
So, the night before last, I had a ten minute meeting set for 7:45. Ten minutes stretched to an hour as we realized something was not quite right with our data--our 5760 cell data sheet--and then into five and a half hours as we frantically searched for raw data and started re-entering data into the computer.
We collected data twice, so we were supposed to have two data sheets for every transect, but we found three for one, and one each for six transects. It turned out when we were typing them into the computer originally, we mis-entered the transect names, so we had to sort through all 80 sheets of paper and organize them, matching the ridiculously illegible original data sheets with their typed components. I am not explaining the full horror of this well. This was two days of work, absolutely, fatally, flawed. At last we found matches for all but 2 of the data sheets, so then we went to look for the vials of invertebrates (that we saved just in case) so we could recount. But the vials weren't there, so either that data never existed, or we somehow lost the vials, the handwritten data sheets, and the typed data sheets.
But now we're back to slightly ahead of where we were two days ago, so that's good.
So, the night before last, I had a ten minute meeting set for 7:45. Ten minutes stretched to an hour as we realized something was not quite right with our data--our 5760 cell data sheet--and then into five and a half hours as we frantically searched for raw data and started re-entering data into the computer.
We collected data twice, so we were supposed to have two data sheets for every transect, but we found three for one, and one each for six transects. It turned out when we were typing them into the computer originally, we mis-entered the transect names, so we had to sort through all 80 sheets of paper and organize them, matching the ridiculously illegible original data sheets with their typed components. I am not explaining the full horror of this well. This was two days of work, absolutely, fatally, flawed. At last we found matches for all but 2 of the data sheets, so then we went to look for the vials of invertebrates (that we saved just in case) so we could recount. But the vials weren't there, so either that data never existed, or we somehow lost the vials, the handwritten data sheets, and the typed data sheets.
But now we're back to slightly ahead of where we were two days ago, so that's good.
Yesterday I rode my bike to Waharau park, 20-30 minute ride away, then went for an hour plus hike during which Jen K and I encountered the Auckland Catholic Tramping Club (those JAFAs--"just another fucking aucklander") and a massive swarm of bees.
In the evening, four of us walked along the beach, searching for shells.
In the evening, four of us walked along the beach, searching for shells.
The internet has been down at EQ for the past week, though it is working on one solitary computer.
The barn was cool.
The invert team combined our 4 field days into 2 because we were supposed to go to each transect twice, but that was unnecessary. The 2 days we gained, we spent sifting bugs.
We had one day off at the barn, and John (remember, the super cool field leader who has done absolutely everything and is known here for being a possum-trapper) took us all climbing.
Even I tried, and I'm afraid of heights!
Now I'm back at EQ. I spent two solid days this week in the lab sorting bugs, and when I say solid, I mean in the lab from 11 am to 12:30 am with an hour off.
The Hunua invert team was a lot behind us and was sifting while we were sorting.
Fortunately, that's over now. On to Excel!
Yesterday, Leo and I baked a chocolate cake, but we didn't have half the ingredients, so we substituted sour cream for butter, baking soda for baking powder, and whole wheat flour for white flour. It tasted pretty damn good, though we put in so much baking soda that it over-rose and fell and the icing made out of sour cream didn't really set and the cake took twice as long to cook as it said it would. But all's well that ends with cake in our bellies!
The barn was cool.
The invert team combined our 4 field days into 2 because we were supposed to go to each transect twice, but that was unnecessary. The 2 days we gained, we spent sifting bugs.
We had one day off at the barn, and John (remember, the super cool field leader who has done absolutely everything and is known here for being a possum-trapper) took us all climbing.
Even I tried, and I'm afraid of heights!
Now I'm back at EQ. I spent two solid days this week in the lab sorting bugs, and when I say solid, I mean in the lab from 11 am to 12:30 am with an hour off.
The Hunua invert team was a lot behind us and was sifting while we were sorting.
Fortunately, that's over now. On to Excel!
Yesterday, Leo and I baked a chocolate cake, but we didn't have half the ingredients, so we substituted sour cream for butter, baking soda for baking powder, and whole wheat flour for white flour. It tasted pretty damn good, though we put in so much baking soda that it over-rose and fell and the icing made out of sour cream didn't really set and the cake took twice as long to cook as it said it would. But all's well that ends with cake in our bellies!
Well, today I leave for the Barn for a week. Till then!
Hot diggity, am I beat!
Today was our first day of "Directed Research Projects," or DRPs. Remember what fun I had collecting pitfall traps a couple weeks ago? Well, today the invertibrate group started in on the actual work part--identifying all the bugs in each sample. Problem: the only person who knows how to identify any of them is Dr. Pete, who's old and mumbles the names so fast and quietly we can't write them down.
In just over three hours, we sorted three samples. There are six samples per transect, and 16 transects total. That works out to 96 samples--at our current pace, 100 hours. Holy fucking fuck.
Then we had a break for dinner, but immediately after had a meeting to discuss whether we should record canopy cover in percentages or in relative terms--for half an hour. Then we had another meeting to discuss Maungatautari.
Student: Our schedule says tomorrow's a "Writing Day"?
Teacher: Yeah, pretty much every waking hour from here on out should be spent writing. You should probably get started writing tomorrow, though if you need to finish up your readings, that'd be OK too.
Tracy: bursts out in hysterical laughter thinking of 5 inch thick stack of papers that needs reading that she hasn't started due to having two essays, a final worth ten percent of each of my three classes, and a quiz to work on the past week
Then I thought she started talking about damp water, and laughed hysterically at that too until I realized she said "dammed".
Student: So there's no phone or internet at "The Barn", but there is TV with a VCR we have no tapes for?
Teacher: Yup, but you won't need entertainment because Tracy will be there.
Tracy: laughs hysterically more
As you can tell, I was having a difficult time.
Today was our first day of "Directed Research Projects," or DRPs. Remember what fun I had collecting pitfall traps a couple weeks ago? Well, today the invertibrate group started in on the actual work part--identifying all the bugs in each sample. Problem: the only person who knows how to identify any of them is Dr. Pete, who's old and mumbles the names so fast and quietly we can't write them down.
In just over three hours, we sorted three samples. There are six samples per transect, and 16 transects total. That works out to 96 samples--at our current pace, 100 hours. Holy fucking fuck.
Then we had a break for dinner, but immediately after had a meeting to discuss whether we should record canopy cover in percentages or in relative terms--for half an hour. Then we had another meeting to discuss Maungatautari.
Student: Our schedule says tomorrow's a "Writing Day"?
Teacher: Yeah, pretty much every waking hour from here on out should be spent writing. You should probably get started writing tomorrow, though if you need to finish up your readings, that'd be OK too.
Tracy: bursts out in hysterical laughter thinking of 5 inch thick stack of papers that needs reading that she hasn't started due to having two essays, a final worth ten percent of each of my three classes, and a quiz to work on the past week
Then I thought she started talking about damp water, and laughed hysterically at that too until I realized she said "dammed".
Student: So there's no phone or internet at "The Barn", but there is TV with a VCR we have no tapes for?
Teacher: Yup, but you won't need entertainment because Tracy will be there.
Tracy: laughs hysterically more
As you can tell, I was having a difficult time.
For anyone who's interested, here is my 20th birthday mix. I'll try to upload some songs, but the internet here is very s l o w.
Today's excitement was a three hour final exam, followed up by a thrilling two and a half hours of lecture.
Today I helped in the garden, what a good girl am I, took a "quiz", and rode my bike to the pub with two other people to get $150 worth of alcohol that will be drunk in celebration of someone's 21st birthday.
My T-shirt design won our mini contest--yay! Hopefully it won't come out blah when it's printed.
My T-shirt design won our mini contest--yay! Hopefully it won't come out blah when it's printed.
On Monday, we motored up to Leigh Marine Laboratory, stopping at this beach along the way. At the lab, we spent 3 days snorkeling and doing marine fieldwork exercises. We wore wetsuits so we could stay in the water long enough, but they added so much buouyancy that we had to wear weight belts of 15+ pounds to allow us to dive down.
One night we went down to the ocean to look at the bioluminescent phytoplankton--they light up whenever you disturb them. We were throwing sand in the water and stirring it up with our hands, then someone said, "Why don't we all just jump in the water?" So eight or so of us ripped off our clothes and jumped into the ocean with the glowing plankton, which surrounded us like "Disney magic" or little stars sticking to our arms. Then we convinced everyone else to get in too, so there were 20 naked people swimming in the light of the ocean. When we finally got out, none of us could find our clothes because it was a new moon and we didn't have flashlights, but finally we figured it out. No, I have no photos.
On our last day in the Far North, we went snorkeling at the Poor Knights, apparently one of the top ten dive sites in the world (according to Jacques Cousteau). We went through archways and into spooky dark caves, and floated with schools of fish. It's incredible how much life is in a temperate ocean.
