back from texas

actually I am writing this from the plane and will post it when I truly am back, but whatever...


The meeting was good. I learned some new things about the Moon and Mars and a few other things too. The meeting seems bigger all the time, but it is a good chance to see friends and colleagues spread around the country (and world) for that matter. Other than talking directly about research, I basically engaged in two types of conversations with people (1) budget cuts for science at our funding source of choice... an age-old problem, I know but not always pleasant - especially to those of us that didn't live through the really lean times... and (2) the baby-to-be-named-later.... a number of friends have recently had kids or also have them on the way... so advice abounded, mainly along the lines of "sleep in now, 'cuz it won't happen again
", which is probably true. One friend, known for not sugar-coating things said something along the lines that, basically it is like all the horror stories you've heard, only worse - but completely worth it.... the most disturbing realization, though, came when my friend and former officemate Becky and I realized that we have now been out of grad school as long as we were in it...

All-in-all it was a good work meeting and fun to see people too... I got to see Matt and Michelle's daughter at her first conference (even had her own name tag)... and I picked up a few more gifts for the baby, including a true highlight - a Hug-a-Mars! Yes, the kid now has their first stuffed, geologic map of Mars.... Baby Einstein beat that!


Now it is time to get back to work and do some more writing...

Postscript: I should note that those gifts for the baby were from friends, not me going shoppin' at the local western wear store down in Houston...