Mary and Robyn trying to figure out how to do a conference call

So the climate fair is now over.  It was a HUGE success.  We were expecting maybe 400 on a sunny day.  We got 600 on a rainy day.  Super exciting to know that so many people were interested in what we were doing and about climate change.

The week leading up to it was super chaotic.  I ended up not getting back until the 3rd of November because I missed my flight.  That was unbelievably stressful.

I had looked at my ticket to check flight time the night before and knew I wanted to be at the airport by 10, so I just forgot about what time my flight was actually at.  There was no need, as long as I was at the airport by 10 to get through security and stuff.  So when my brother asked me what time my flight was I remembered all that I could... one very important digit off.  I told him 12:10 when in reality my flight was at 11:10.

The next morning when I printed my boarding pass, I freaked.  We dashed out the door and Ian drove like a bat out of hell to get me there.  I gave him a quick goodbye hug and sprinted to the check in desk to drop my luggage off.  When I got to the counter, though the woman told me I'd missed the luggage check by 5 minutes.  Mortifying.  I started to freak a bit, but then the woman said, if I got rid of my liquids and took it through TSA with me, they could check it at the gate.  So quick as a wink I chucked all my liquids--all except my jar of vacuum sealed Bama Red Plum Jam.  I'd purchased a number of liquidy things while I was there, and they all went down the trash, but I was NOT giving up my jam.  And why should they take it? Clearly I didn't open it.

So I took off towards TSA with all my stuff in tow and of COURSE there's a huuuuuuuuuge queue.  Desperate, I start asking the people in front of me if I can cut in line since my flight is now leaving in... 20 minutes! Everyone was really nice and let me cut, so I started asking people across the retractable fabric barrier thingies and then the TSA woman yells at me "Ma'am, you have to ask EVERYONE in line."

Just a quick nervy-b.

Back to my place in line before and I quickly ask everyone and they let me go.  Mind you, there's very little space and I'm tripping over my bags trying to get past people.

I finally make it to the front, shove my bag through and the same pissy woman stops me and asks me if I have any liquids in my bag.  All I can think of is the Jam.  So I pull it out and chuck it and she inspects the rest of my bag, taking another minute.  Once it goes through the xray again, I grab my stuff and sprint through the terminal.  Of course my gate is the one at the verrrrry end.

Huffing, I round the corner to the gate and BOOM.  The door is closed.  I drop all my stuff, run up to the window and start knocking furiously.  The women turn and look at me and make the cut-off signal and say they can't let me in.

That was it.

I burst into tears.

Like...bitter, hyperventilating, bawling.

After a very public 3 minute meltdown, I try and collect myself, and call Ian.  He was still only half way back to Galveston.  He'd stopped, thinking I probably wouldn't make it.  Through my choked rambling, Ian says to me, "Caitlin! I can't understand you" in a tone of voice, thick with the smile of chagrin that was plastered across his face, I'm sure.  "This isn't the end of the world," he says.

As I tearfully explain to him why it most certainly IS the end of the world, one of the gate employees mousily walks up to me and proffers a new ticket.  She was so sweet.  I told Ian I'd call him back and after some negotiation and a very skilled, very kind supervisor's help, I got a flight the next day at 5am for free.

Now it's up to me to send this generosity back into the world.

Perhaps a little nearsightedly, I spent it on Ian.  I'd stressed him out to the max with all this and he still had a long day of teaching ahead.

I took his car after dropping him at school, filled his gas tank and cleaned up his car.  Then I went into the apartment and cleaned the kitchen.

Honestly, I was happy to have a little more time with him and Lori.

A few days ago Ian texted me, "Mittens says she misses you."

Silly boy.

So now it's back to work and applications.  They're coming nicely, by the way.  I'm meeting with Sabine Frühstück on Monday to see if she can't give me some pointers on narrowing down my thesis ideas.  Based on my GRE scores, it's not looking like I'll get any funding, but I don't really mind, as long as I get in.  I've come to terms with the fact that I'll have to work and take out loans to get through this.  Which is not ideal, but acceptable.

And there you have it.  My life so far. I should probably stop wasting time at work now.  Ta ta!

The sound of Brother Bear's air conditioning and the smell of kitty poo

So I'm in Texas for the next couple of weeks!

I decided it was time I came to visit the brother at this place.  He and Lori have a really nice apartment.  They have two cats named OJ and Mittens and a gerbil named Lutris (Lutrice?).  Mittens is a riot.  OJ is grumpy.  Lutris is dirty.  They may be cats, but just like humans, their shit stinks too.

I've been here for a day now.  My flight in wasn't bad.  A bit on the boring side, but I'm not complaining. I'd rather have a boring flight than an overly interesting one, if you know what I mean.

We don't have too many plans so far, but the list of what we do have is something like this:

• carve pumpkins
• go to the Ren. fair
• dress up for Halloween (and find something to do hahaha)

Like I said, not a long list.

Texas is... Texas.  A little bit stereotypical.  Lots of trucks and hamburgers and twangy accents.  I think if I lived here I might pick up an accent.  It's a problem I have.  After watching Doctor Who for 2 weeks I had a bit of a british accent that sneaked into my pronunciation every so often.  It's seriously involuntary.

Really friendly helpful people here though.  Mind you, I've been to all of about 4 stores so far, but that's 4 out of 4 for nice people.

On a random side tangent, I've always thought that land-o-lakes butter tastes odd.

Back on track, I might put up pictures.... maybe.  I'm lazy, you see.  Very much so.

Off to take a shower now to wash the kitty poo smell that's wafting through the living room out of my nostrils.  It's a bit pungent.

Talk to y'all later!

Wide Eyes- Local Natives

So I'm headed off to Texas this Thursday.  I'll be visiting my brother for a couple of weeks.  I'm really quite excited.  This will be the first Halloween I've spent with him in quite a few years.  I've got my costume all in order and he's already promised pumpkin carving.
Apparently the Renaissance fair is also in town, so we might do that too.
it's not going to be all play, though.  He and Lori still have class and teaching to take care of, but that's all fine.  I'll be working on my application essay while they're busy.  I need to get it squared away in the next two weeks.  I also need to update my CV.  Then I can send it off to the recommenders.  I need to get one more person to write me a letter, as well.
Lots to do.
As for the GREs yesterday, they went alright.  Verbal up, quant down.  We'll see what kind of shape I'm in come November when my full scores come in.
I've still got an odd feeling-- that kind of out of step feel-- but that's alright.  I think going to Texas might help.  I came home on Saturday after sitting the exam and was a bit stir crazy.  It's the itch to travel starting up again.

The stagnation I'm feeling at the moment demands a new layout for The Journey.  It feels appropriate.

Also! For all you looking for some music to play but are tired of the ads in online radio stations, this is for you: 8tracks.  It's really rather brilliant.  I'm stuck on this particular playlist of late.  I like rainy day music.  It makes me consider everything.

Enjoy!

Out of time and place

Do you ever feel like you're somehow out of place; out of sync with the rest of the world? I close my eyes and picture myself in another time and I feel the same as I always feel-out of pace with the rest of the world. There's an unrest in my mind and I can't seem to make it quiet. It blurs my peripheral vision. Not in the literal sense, but in the way one would consider the vision used to forge one's path to the future. I can't take in all the angles. I take a step, make a decision, and suddenly I'm blindsided by a dozen other thing coming at me sideways. But maybe that's life. The world is just too vast for us to calculate all the angles. Maybe I should take a more buddhist perspective to it all. I'm trying so hard to make a plan, find goals, gather the things that I want, that I'm losing missing the point all together. Tunnel vision. That's it. Tunnel vision. I'm so focused on the blip off in the distance that I'm missing the beauty all around me. It may not be my ideal spot, but maybe that's a problem with me and not the location. Perhaps it's time I start turning outwards to admire the universal aesthetics of life instead of judging everything by my personal standards of beauty. GREs tomorrow. Maybe I can stop being so anxious now. Maybe I can relax and take in the peripheries of this moment. Good luck.

Futile Devices- Sufjan Stevens

New goal: UCSB's PhD program.
New backup: JET
New distraction (in the best way ever): Kenji

Ready?!


Ready.