Jennifer’s California Adventures

It’s been a rough week already. Someone I know from college lost a child and has another fighting for his life, while a man from my church was also taken from this world in a tragic accident. I can’t even begin to summarize my thoughts on this, but I am thankful for a post here about that man. Hug your loved ones today.

I had 17 things on my work/research to-do list for today as of 1:37pm.

At least I have a job.

I had to cancel dinner with a dear friend in order to attend to that to-do list.

I’m blessed with understanding friends.

I broke a glass bowl yesterday evening as I was leaving work and already late to meet a friend for dinner. It slipped out of my hands, fell to the concrete floor and shattered into a gazillion tiny pieces.

Patient friends, too, who value my friendship enough to wait for me when my day has fallen to pieces… literally.

After weeks of waiting for stuff to be ready for me to test, everything’s ready this week… right when I have a giant presentation due soon.

I have interesting stuff to do… and stuff that is working! (Experiments that work are NOT the norm in research.)

I ordered the wrong supply/chemical two weeks ago and just realized it yesterday.

The company’s nearby, and I had the new supply before lunchtime today.

It’s been one of those weeks already — completely back and forth between frustrations/ disappointments/despair and thankfulness for God’s provision and mercy. I’m trying to see the blessings, even if they are hidden amidst the brokenness.

My mom’s computer crashed yesterday. It can’t even be started to recover the files.

Which reminded me that I should back up all my files. I did this today, backing up the files on my work computer first (research, data, graphs, pretty much everything that is vital to my one day hopefully getting a PhD) and then moving on to my home computer (music, pictures, etc).

No more than 10 minutes after I finished with my work computer and started on my home computer, this happened to my work computer:

Phew. At least I didn’t lose anything.

(It re-started just fine, but I’m taking it to the IT department at work ASAP!)

If I have one suggestion for you today, it is to back-up your files. Please… don’t lose them.

I know that I’m behind, but I finally update the “Books” page with the rest of my 2008 list (and started my 2009 list). What is the best book you read in 2008?

Hot chocolate is the antidote to a rainy day. =)

I have a like/dislike relationship with rain right now. On one hand, I know that we desperately need 30 days of monsoon-like weather to escape the current draught. However, as someone whose main mode of transportation to and from work is my own two feet, rain can really be frustrating sometimes. I do appreciate that the “rain” here is often just a steady mist, but I really don’t like being cold and wet. I am looking forward to curling up (inside) and reading this weekend, though. What about you? Do you like or dislike rain?

A fun article.

(hat tip to Boomama)

Being a graduate student means that most of the time, I feel like I have a job. I need to be in to work at a reasonable hour, work hard while I’m there, and stay until late enough that I have enough done but still have time to myself at night so that I don’t go crazy. Every now and then, though, I actually feel like a student. The boss is having a party today that starts mid-afternoon. I thus found myself walking across the campus this afternoon, enjoying the sunshine, and I felt like a student for one of the first times since I’ve been at this school. It was nice. It made me a little bit nostalgic for my undergrad alma mater, but overall it was just enjoyable. If only I could be in student-mode more often, but the real world beckons…

(as does the party… happy Inauguration day to all.)

1. I am alive despite a recent absence from the blog.

2. Motivating to learn information for a class that you have to take and will almost certainly never use is difficult.

3. This is my current favorite song and video. (Just a warning: it sticks in your head).

4. Murphy’s law of research: if you need results quickly, get ready for everything to fail.

5. Working on a holiday when your significant other is off is not too fun. I was productive, though, which made it a lot more worthwhile.

6. Planning a wedding takes way more time than I thought it would.

My friend Ed entered a contest to record with Yo-Yo Ma, and he needs your vote for his original composition. All you have to do is enter your email address (there’s no spam post-vote, I promise). Go here to vote. THANKS!!!