Failures and New Starts

Well - I was due yesterday to have recieved my data from the ICP-MS lab on the samples I submitted. Dispite the assurence of Joel, the head researcher of the lab, that they would run the samples night and day and weekends, there's not a single data set for me to use, not to mention the fact that I still have another needed 100 samples waiting to turn in to them...


So I missed the AAA meeting deadline for presenting my paper, and it looks like I'll have to cancle the URC meeting presentation too. Oh well. Less stress, right? I'll still hopefully have a paper by the end of the quarter to submit for publishing, I just miss out on the whole dog and pony show of presenting the paper to all the you-ha's of archaeology.





Sad. Ah well.





Better news? ANZA is coming up! That's right, I have exactly TWO WEEKS to gear up for it! I'm going up to Chico tomorrow to pick up my musket and leathers, as well as my trousers, pack, and sundry items. The most exciting part is this: I ordered some wool from Burnley and Trowbridge (http://www.burnleyandtrowbridge.com/) almost a month ago, and it FINALLY arrived at the beginning of this week. Since then I whipped out a prototype of an 1806 pattern French Grenadier's habit, cut into my looooovely new broadcloth and am madly sewing to get this beast done.

That's the idea - we'll see how close I get. It's really a lovely coat, and I'm growing more and more fond of it as I work on it. Having nice materials always helps to.

I ordered a large portion of madder red broadcloth not only for the trim you see there but also to whip out a British line infantry jacket (which are much easier to construct, at least theoretically) if this habit doesn't work out. For a base pattern, I'm useing my ripped pattern from my custom Steve Able 1840's NY jacket. The sleaves especially are the correct tight style that is usually overlooked by generic patterns. I haven't had a lot of trouble with the theoretical modeling of the jacket, but you never know until it's all put together... here's crossing fingers!

It's Bring you French Press to Work Day

It really isn't, I just didn't have time to make coffee at home this morning.
I really like coffee. Sometimes I drink too much of it. Then I go back to tea, which I really like as well. I'm currently working on a bag of coffee made by the Jack Daniels company... so you know it's gonna have a kick to it ;)

It's funny when I think about the fact that no one is really going to read this blog. I don't know why anyone should - I don't really advertise it. And there's only one other blog I read and comment on, so no one is bound to come accross it...

Maybe that's a good thing ;-) I can relax on here!

I'm currently in my lab, eating breakfast in the "clean" room, the front public part where we have our beer and meetings and don't have to worry about contamination unlike the back lab. Later on I'll be running over to our FWARG lab allies to get some obsidian samples, then back to campus to drop them off at the mass spectrometer lab (yay for LA-ICP-MS! Yay for jargon!). Do you like jargon? I do... it makes complicated words and phrases much easier to say. It's linguistic evolution, streamlining for efficiency in this modern world. It's a lovely thing. hahaha...

I twisted my ankle bad going over the jumps yesterday. And continued to jog the quarter mile back home anyway... there's currently an ACU camo tool wrap around it 'cos I don't have an ace bandage... haha, funny me!

Looking around with nothing to see...

Well - here I am again, back in Davis, continueing my "education". Actually wrapping up would be the best term - my last classes consist of those lame ones every grad puts off until the last quarter: the writing program requirement class, the "cultural breadth" class to teach me that yes, there are other people in the world. Oh and I'm retaking my Farrier Science class to raise my GPA to a happy level for CSUC.

Some things remain the same: like my job. Once again, I successfully herded the cats and put together a work schedule for everyone at the lab. I spent this morning cleaning out all the machines so they should be ready for today's afternoon shift. Which I have to leave for in... erm... 30 min? Sure. About that. Maybe later. Dr Bob walked all the way into the Float room where I was covered in silty sand just to say "howdy". That was nice.

I'm struggling with general feelings of dicontentment. Perhaps a lot of this has to do with classes: the only writing section I could get in was "writting for elementary school teachers", and my Cultural class consists of "hey kids, let's teach you what a paradigm means! Can you say paradigm?" The professor is very immature... and I hate classes that focus on paradigms as a buzzword for life..
Part of it might be my job: being in a bright white room with no windows for 6 hours at a time can probably drive one insane. I just make sure to bring beer and keep it in the fridge.
Dave says this discontent might stem from the still fairly recent relationship break up. I'm thinking it isn't. Most of that is because I had a good friend who for some reason decided we couldn't be friends, not more than a day after my ex broke up with me. I get more saddened when I see this old friend now from accross the way than I do when I think about my ex. I guess a lot of that is not knowing why - it sucks loosing a friend and not having any idea why...

But I personally think my discontent rises from an unsatiated wander-lust. It's been quite a while since I've been anywhere that wasn't work or relationship related! Fortunately I have two big events that I'm ultra excited about coming up next month. I get absolutely giddy when I think of them!

1: ANZA - first weekend in May, it's THE Napoleanic event here in California! I'm making the long long drive down with Jean, Jay, and Mrs Jean, the French contingent. Normally I would go British, but I've decided for a change and an excuse to use my French skills again. I'm eagerly awaiting my shipment of French royal blue broadcloth and madder red facing for my 1803 pattern coat! It shall be an exquisite pain to try and create, that's for sure!

2): Lionclaws - memorial day weekend! THE airsoft game to go to in California! over 800 players, strict authenticity and uniform codes, military unit structure, camping, PE, and 48 hours of engagement. All under the command of real military officers, it's the Army's big recruiting gig...

I'm going to have a hard time not enlisting...

That's another thing - part of my wanderlust has sprung up the old Army Reserves plan in the back of my brain. I've always plained on going to OCS and joining the reserves following graduate work (probably post MA), but I'm getting impatient. Of course it's stupid to join now, what with CSUC applications and etc, but... still... dang it... I can't deny the fact that I feel like I want in on the deal now...

There's some other little strange things going on too, but they are not worth commenting on publicly or whatever.
You know what's nice? 40% off on Tuesday nights at Woodstocks! They usually have a great seasonal selection on tap... mmm... and you keep the pint glass, which has a nifty brewery logo on it. It's the little things like that which keep me going ;-)