my defense is in THREE DAYS. really, more like two, because it's sunday evening now, and my defense is wednesday morning. i'm so excited and nervous. i'm thrilled to finally be done, but to be honest, i mostly just feel ill over the thought of being closed off in a room with my committee and questioned for two hours after i give my presentation. i've worked so hard for this, and i know it'll all be alright in the end (though i certainly expect that i'll have some revisions to make)...but i can't help but be nervous.

i got rid of my couch yesterday, and i've packed a few boxes. this whole moving thing is suddenly becoming very real. we're not sure where we'll be living yet, but we're looking...and i have a pretty good job prospect, which i'll go into more detail on in the next few days hopefully. three weeks. that's crazy. time is flying by so incredibly quickly...

okay. enough of that. i need to practice my presentation, and study for the question session. off to make those open channel flow hydraulics equations nice and fresh in my brain...

i've started up a flickr photo set of lukin pictures. because i am becoming That Dog Owner. well, not quite...i'm not going to dress him up in sweaters or anything. and he's got a tough act to follow (chester, my supremely well behaved kitty cat). but i'm pretty sure he might be the cutest puppy ever.

:)

lukin2

lukin2
Originally uploaded by kristaleigh.

meet my new puppy :)

his name is lukin, and he's a 6 (almost 7) month old welsh pembroke corgi. he's so incredibly sweet and adorable and smart, and when i call him he comes running and his big corgi ears flop all over the place. seriously, you could pass out from that much cute.

i can't have a puppy in my apartment, so he's going to be living at the breeder's until i leave. luckily, that's only a few minutes away, and i can go and pick him up whenever. my plan is to have him days and bring him back in the evenings, but i might try keeping him here overnight. he's not much of a barker, so i might be able to get away with it. we shall see.

i feel like maybe this wasn't worth the effort...

i got a CALL about a JOB!!!!

and it's a really interesting-sounding job!!!

okay, no more. i don't want to jinx anything. nothing's definite yet...

...but i got a CALL about a JOB!!!

things i learned this weekend:
~cd's look really neat when you heat them up in the microwave
~lightbulbs look even cooler. then they explode.
~it is possible to kill a microwave by cooking a lot of things inside of it that, according to generally accepted protocols, should not be cooked in a microwave.
~it is possible to drive a jeep on top of a microwave and have said microwave support its weight.
~rhode island's highest elevation is its landfill
~you can fit four people, two twelve packs, a saws-all, and various other miscellaneous tools in a mini cooper, all at the same time.
~a "coney island dog" has beef and onions on it, but no cheese.

...that's all i can think of right now. it was an interesting weekend :).

three reasons today is good:

the second draft of my thesis is done!

i bought my cap and gown yesterday and got my graduation tickets (and i only had to pay for half of the total regalia price, b/c i had a $25 gift certificate from speaking at a career services event)!

hanging out with dan and eating yummy indian food*

*not until next weekend...i lost my wallet and couldn't drive down to new haven. but i've got it back now.

my advisor left me a voicemail this evening telling me that he's bringing me a pigeon feces-covered piece of linoleum tomorrow.

i just thought that might make someone laugh out of context...

i woke up to snow this morning. what the heck? look, weather, if you know what's good for you... *shakes fist threateningly*.

i think they put crack in diet coke. for real. i don't even *like* soda.

i find out in a week and a half or so if i'm getting my dog!

i got my first issue of "southwest hydrology" in the mail the other day. i'm excited. you're probably not.

thesis is coming along...what with the new pigeon related data, it's going to be changing condsiderably (because hey, why not tack on extra analysis with three weeks to go?), but i'm doing what i can with what i've got right now.

i am going to need SO MUCH BEER when this is over. and a really good backrub. and a pony. and maybe a cookie.

check him out! i made this little octopus for a friend's baby. he took about half a skein of lion brand thick and quick (a little less maybe). i stitched on the eyes and mouth with some wool ease scraps. he was inspired by an octopus that april was making a while ago, but i didn't have a pattern, so i just made him up as i went along. it was a nice, fairly quick "i-can't-stand-my-thesis-anymore" project.
fairly low-key weekend...went out and saw stand play for jim's birthday, got to meet his girlfriend (finally!), and found out that they're playing three more times before i leave (i thought it was going to be my last show). spent yesterday in the office, last night had dinner with the family then stayed over erika and rich's, and i'm back in the office today. hoping to get the first round of thesis edits all tidied up by wednesday...so i probably ought to get back to that. later gators...