7:07 pm - Tuesday 8th November 2005

The view from the middle.

The feeling that is really frustrating me at the moment, is being so close to so many things, and yet just out of reach. Knowing that I am just a short flight away from some of the best universities in the world, and yet not able to take advantage of them. Of being so close to some amazing social events, close enough to read about them before they happen, but far enough away to not be there. It's as if I am at the final camp on Mt. Everest, and I can see the top, but I'm stranded just short of the summit. So many exciting jobs and employment opportunities, few of which I can take advantage of.

Well, today I woke up at 3 am in the morning and couldn't get back to sleep. I called my parents back in Australia, and chatted to them for a while. I had been missing them, so I was happy to have talked with them. It started snowing at about 4 am, just before I went back to bed.

I got up at 7 am, and the snow had really started blowing in. I made it to work, and then to class, and got a little wetter with each excursion outside. I had a blood test done, as part of the regular University health plan, but they did not have any flu shots. I did some more work on my start up budget, and then went home at lunch to grab some food. Afterwards I dropped by a store to get some passport photos. I then scanned these into the computer so that I could fill out my Diversity Visa entry. I've had no luck with it yet, but since it's free, it's worthwhile giving it a shot.

In the afternoon I didn't have any students in the lab, but I did have my other class. That was ok, and I then went back to work and put some reactions on. I wasn't very happy because my gold solution had some contaminant in it, which I later discovered to be copper. Apparently the gold coin was only ~92% gold (22 karat), with copper for hardness. That was annoying, because it means more cleaning up to do. In the end I just put the reaction on over night so I could avoid dealing with it.

Bonnie called, and I talked to her for a long while. Our conversation covered (amongst other things) her sore shoulder, my list of start up needs, socially conservative homosexuals, my job search, and a very liberal church close to her that she found online. She'll be here in about two weeks, which will be nice, although I think I will be busy running around. She has an exam on Thursday, followed by a Queer grad's social that should be fun.

I've started calling the universities to which I applied back in mid-September. They've had enough time to accept, reject or sit on my application, so now I want to know their decision. North Dakota State has me on a short list, but not for an interview. CSU Northridge is going to get back to me, I already interviewed on the phone with Northern Arizona, and Indiana is up in the air. Next Monday I'll be calling the slew of colleges that had closing 1st October closing dates, as that will have been 6 weeks for them to come to a decision.

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