Hey all,
Well, have I got myself into a doozy of a spot. Nothing intensely serious, I've got all my limbs and am otherwise intact.
This morning I got an email asking me to talk at "Queer Collaboration 2000", a conference being held in Bathurst (a city in Australia). Not a problem, this is something I've always wanted to do.
The problem is, that apart from the conference starting on Monday i.e. yes, less than 7 days, in that time I have to
a) move my entire room on the weekend,
b) prepare for a group meeting for my research group on Friday,
c) get my parents to come over and take my couch, comfy chair, boxes of crap etc home,
d) be at a chemistry B.B.Q., which I promised to attend,
e) actually get to the conference (several hundred km's) between Sunday afternoon and Monday morning. Oh and
f) prepare samples to be couriered to Belgium for analysis (these samples have eluded preparation for almost 2 years).
Suffice to say, I feel somewhat stressed but otherwise rather alive.
Anyway, just though I'd share that with you and indicate that I'll probably be on holiday between now and an indeterminate point in the future. Those of you who wish, can contact me via email (perhaps) or keep up (somewhat) with my travails through my online diary at
www.geocities.com/WestHollywood/4399/
Though of course, I can't guarantee that this will be updated much over the next week or so.
Hugs to you all, happy Pride week too.
Steph
(About to go and stock up on Diet Coke)
I volunteered for this conference, and I really happy to be going, the talk is coming along Ok, I just don't want it to be too short.
12:50 pm - The conference organizer Rachel just called. We have just hashed a few things out, the talk will apparently be on Monday which unfortunately doesn't give me much time to practice, but that can't be helped. Thankfully they are paying for the accommodation, registration, lunch and travelling costs.
Ok, have to get back to the lab.
7:00 pm - Home. A long day at work, pizza as reward.
Yesterday was my appointment with Dr S**** to get the psych referral. That was fine, not a problem, dropped into the Psych place which happens to be on my way back to University, organized an appointment with Dr R**** (Couldn't get Dr E**** as she had a full book of patients). The cost is somewhat sickening, even after my experience with dermatology. Initial consultation is $200! (Eeek!) Of which I get back about $115 or so, but still a big sting.
Subsequent consultation $90 for less than 30 minutes, and $190 for greater than 45 minutes, getting about 50% back from Medicare.
Anyway, my first appointment is set up for Wednesday 12th July at 12 noon. Suffice to say I'm look forward to it, mostly out of curiosity. Suffice to say, that for about $60 (unrecoverable) a session, I hope this doesn't have to go on for too long.
I want to go and buy a nice suit for this talk, I don't haven't anything "nice" to wear, so this must be the time to spend with all the sales now on. I remember seeing something in that vein I really liked a while back, but it's long gone now. Oh well.
At the moment, the talk is taking shape, I want to run it by Peta G because she is much better at doing this sort of thing than I, and also understands the issues underlying what I'm trying to say. Hopefully tomorrow.
9:45 pm - Yay! Things seem to be going Ok at the lab. :) Put an overnight NMR on, and checked a tediously made material which is just what I want and really clean to boot! *big smile*
10:15 pm - Still fiddling with the presentation, removing redundant material, making notes on areas I think need clarification and so on.