I never got any work done over the weekend, and when I woke up it was a rainy and cold disgusting kind of morning. I started out annoyed and listless, but the day got better. Work was very low-key today. I got some stuff done with respect to grad school applications. The lab meeting was oddly jovial. Sure, I didn't get home until after 7pm, but I had a delicious dinner, and I took
two showers today. If it wasn't for how exhausted I've felt lately, I'd probably consider this a really nice day.
Dr. Calhoun and I spent a while talking about my grad school plans. I formally asked him for a letter of recommendation today, even though we'd talked about it before. He said he'd be delighted to write me a letter and to have me as a grad student if I make it past admissions. He showered the praise pretty heavily, actually. I'm not sure what that was all about, but he keeps telling me what a hard worker I am. Dr. Roundface agreed to write me a letter, and Dr. Calhoun thinks I should have Gustavo write my third. I asked him if it would make a difference that Gustavo isn't a professor, but he said that since we've worked so closely, it shouldn't matter. He said that everyone in the department respects Gustavo, and he
is a Dr. now, officially, even if he isn't a professor. So, that makes things quite a bit easier on me, assuming Gustavo agrees to write for me. In fact, if he does, my first application will be officially done! I finished my statement of purpose and polished up my resume, since Dr. Roundface requested a copy of it. All that's left to do is submit the application online (we have to include the names and addresses of our recommenders, or else I would have done it already), pay the fee, and then get my transcripts and GRE scores mailed. Dr. Calhoun suggested that I also apply to a few other schools as a precaution, which makes me feel better because I was planning to do that anyway. I would have felt awkward asking him to send letters to more schools when we've talked so much about me staying in his lab.
I got the chance to chat with the girls in my office for a while today as well, and Katie pointed something out that I didn't know. Apparently most of the other labs in our department are relatively small, the average being about 3 members. In our lab there's myself (the undergrad), Katie and Trina (first year grads), Ben and Rhoda (second year grads), Beth (ABD), and Gustavo (basically finished). Apparently seven people is quite a few around here. Gustavo and I are leaving soon, but I'm coming back in the fall and there's another girl who might be joining. She came to the lab meeting today to give us a presentation on her undergrad thesis in progress. She was nice, but she had a very wispy kind of voice. Katie thinks she isn't assertive enough to thrive in our group, mostly because Katie thinks Dr. Calhoun is more authoritarian than I believe he actually is. I think she got off to a rocky start with him, but I like her (and she's chatty) so hopefully she'll choose to stay.
I found out today that my favorite band from two years ago is playing a club show here in Big City next week. This band sells out arena tours, but the venue they're playing has a maximum capacity of like 300. The catch is that tickets are only available the day of the show, and you have to buy them in person at the box office at noon. I'm pretty sure kids from all over the state will be trying to get in, and they'll start lining up at some crazy hour like 6am. I just don't have the dedication necessary to get tickets, but this is also something of a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Me from two years ago would slap myself in the face for not trying, but I've let my fannishness slip since getting involved in all this work and research in the last year. The boyfriend offered to wait in line FOR me as long as I don't try to make him go to the actual show with me (he has a strong dislike for this band), but I don't want to make him do that. I don't know. We'll see.
Despite my exhaustion, I've been having this weird insomnia lately. No matter how tired I am, I can't seem to get into bed and make myself sleep. I'm not even doing anything productive, just reading blogs. I suppose I should try to force myself, but after I post this I'll probably wind up drinking tea and watching
Whose Line Is It Anyway? for another hour.