Grad School (copied from MySpace blog)

I love the Earth Sciences. I also love how heavy drinking is so implicit in almost any social aspect of this field. I hosted a prospective graduate student, and one of my semi-advisors was her faculty host. So I got invited along to the dinner/drinking time. We were at Big Time from 5:45-11:30. I completely lost track of time, too. My semi-advisor and another faculty member kept buying us pitcher after pitcher, which is nice becaause it didn't cost me anything but brain cells or liver cells or something.

Things I did:
Explained my field area and why it's interesting to the other faculty member. Drawing Alaska and glaciers on wax paper and napkins is really an experience everyone should have.
Went into a long diatribe and debate on issues of women in science with my semi-advisor
Totally geeked out over science stuff. I've never felt more like one of those people who eat, breathes, and sleeps science. It's amazing what actually being interested in your work does.
Went on a smaller diatribe on teaching issues, both related to college level and lower
Talked about WV (and Appalachia/Mid-Atlantic region in general) and how interesting it is that I'm from there and no one else is, apparently

Things I didn't do:
Talk about biking (holy crap, how did that happen?)
Feel like I was actually being coherent at any point.

And now my head feels close to explosion level. This is not necessarily the best way to be productive.