Surprises, disappointments

The nerd show was less of a spectacle than I was anticipating. The science students partied respectably -- way to go nerds! High five! I did come up with a new category of nerd: the smelly nerd. Which sometimes overlaps with other types, but deserves its own category because it is so easy to classify. In fact, this classification can be done from several feet away with one's eyes closed, as I have discovered at some lectures. Should I be flattered or offended that instead of wanting to talk about my work, one professor would rather discuss breasts? Not mine specifically, but just in general? I wasn't even really sure how to direct attention back to my poster, short of pointing toward it with my nipples. I wonder how many male students had professors discuss penises at their posters. I'm guessing none. I didn't get into either summer intensive course that I applied to, even the one that I have applied to for three years in a row. A little confused about that one since last year I was placed on the waitlist. This year: Flat out rejected. How did I get LESS qualified in a year's time? Not exactly a confidence booster. I am so close to having enough data to finish this dissertation that I can taste it. Oh wait, what I'm tasting is my 14th cup of coffee today. But if I could taste it, I'm pretty sure it would taste like victory. MMmmm sweet victory. You will be mine. Oh yes. You will be mine. (The annoying part is that I really can't do a hell of a lot of work until I have enough subjects because the results would be meaningless. Until then I just gaze at my half-full spreadsheets the way I imagine women long ago gazed at the open sea while waiting for their husbands to return from some voyage to god knows where.) Meanwhile, sweaters are being knit. Gloves are being knit. The Lucy in the Sky cardigan is going faster than I expected! A trip to San Francisco, a trip to Philadelphia, and multiple trips back and forth and back and forth to the lab... all that time seems to have added up. The body is almost up to the armpits, one sleeve is done up to the armpit, and the other is about a quarter done. It'll be nice to join it all up and see it coming together into a garment at the very end. Doing sweaters from the top down is nice, but I always poop out finishing the sleeves and the bottom of the body because it gets boring and you have an entire sweater hanging from your needles the whole time. (Hello, Glee sweater that has been mocking me for months now. I see you over there, laughing at me.) I'm also changing this glove pattern to use sock yarn because why not -- everyone has sock yarn lying around anyway and I like thinner, fitted gloves better. For some reason my hands have been aching lately though, and the size 1 needles in the round aren't helping matters. I think I need to play around with different ways of holding the yarn in order to let my hands relax more. I hope I'm not getting arthritis -- You'd think I would be too young but that would TOTALLY be my luck. I saw some videos of Portuguese style knitting and purling. Kind of like a magic trick. I might give it a go. SPSS is beckoning to me from the minimized window (I'm coming, my love...) so I believe this particular bout of procrastination must come to an end. Starting....Right........ now.