Well.... time to start writing I suppose! 

I don't know if it's because it's summertime, or if it's all this rain, if I'm just tired and overwhelmed... All I know is, I'm suffering from severe lack of motivation :(

While I'm procrastinating for one more night, I thought I might share one of my favorite Ph.D.-related antics...

(The following images/text is all taken from: http://matt.might.net/articles/phd-school-in-pictures/)

The Illustrated Guide to a Ph.D...

Imagine a circle that contains all of human knowledge:

By the time you finish elementary school, you know a little:

By the time you finish high school, you know a bit more:

With a bachelor's degree, you gain a specialty:

A master's degree deepens that specialty:

Reading research papers takes you to the edge of human knowledge:

Once you're at the boundary, you focus:

You push at the boundary for a few years:

Until one day, the boundary gives way:

And, that dent you've made is called a Ph.D.:

Of course, the world looks different to you now:

So, don't forget the bigger picture:

Keep pushing.

Pretty good, eh?  I'm not sure if it's encouraging or discouraging, to be honest... Probably a little of both?  It's a little discouraging to know that there's a pretty good chance I won't make a giant impact on the overall knowledge of the human race.  But at the same time, it will be just as big for anyone else looking at it from my perspective - in my field and specialty.  And if the Mouse and the Lion (you know... the one who pulled the thorn from his paw) taught us anything, it's that something very small can actually have a huge impact on the chain of events that follow.  So that's a little encouraging, after all!  Not to mention, it's nice to know that no matter what, I can't let my Ph.D. be my entire world - there is so much more beyond that, too.

Um... I mean... NO WAY Dr. Advisors and Funding Agencies!!! RESEARCH IS LIFE!!!!!

(Whew... that was a close one.... ok, back to work....)

There's nothing like a new pair of rain boots to add something bright and cheery to another rainy summer day! :)

This past weekend was graduation weekend!  Not for me... but for Krista and a bunch of other friends!  So still exciting... :)

it was cold an rainy (like the whole rest of the week, am I right??) and so graduation was moved inside.  The last time this is the first indoor RPI graduation since Mom's infamous 2002 oops-it-snowed-3-inches graduation!  Katie and I ended up finding Kaleigh and watching the ceremony via video screen in the ECAV gym.  

BUT!  Before that, we snapped a few photos of the girls while they were waiting outside under the tents:

I couldn't get my camera ready fast enough but luckily Katie was!  She snapped this photo Krista getting her diplomas! Well... a photo of the screen portraying the video... same difference!! 

Congratulations again to all of the wonderful graduates!!! xoxo

On Tuesday we had a little group get together and head up to Circle B Ranch in the Adirondacks for a trail ride!

It was a bunch of fun!! (Complete with an post-ride ice cream stop, of course...)  :)

So the back row is JP, Trick, Tyler, Katie, Shannon, Luc, and Steve, and then the four girls in the front would be me, Krista, Susan, and Yaroslava! 

Best part of the day?  My horse was named Forest!  (He's in the one in the middle...)  When I take lessons back at school (well... technically East Greenbush) I also ride a horse named Forest!  Crazy... My Forest is white with gray spots though... this Forest had honey highlights in his brown maine...)