Repetitive-task and organizational fiesta

Man, titles don't get much sexier than THAT, do they? This has been the first full week back in Madison, and hasn't it been full of adventures?

On the workfront, well, I haven't made any good discoveries, other than I need to backtrack and check the guy's work I'm basing my work on more. A very classic grad-school lesson: always cover your ass before you start running around trying new stuff. I'm learning. I counted bacterial colonies on over 200 plates I think this week. This is an extremely boring task, but I am finishing up my work from before the break and getting it presentable, and that feels good.

On the financial front. . . oh jesus is this going to be a bad month. Christmas debt, 300 dollars of student fees, car insurance, rent, and who knows what else. Between just student fees and rent, we're talking about 700 dollars. I'm working on eating dinner at home more, and not buying random random stuff (except comic books, because I need SOMETHING to indulge in).

On a meteorological(?)front: Wisconsin has been host to not only a tremendous ice storm on New Year's Day, but also a significant amount of snowfall last night. Ironically, I feel like I get more exercise now in the winter than I did in the summer. I have a well-situated neighborhood, so that I can walk to get groceries or to Borders or to visit several friends in vicinity. Sure, I can't drive, and I had a hell of a time extracting my car from the plowed-in side of the street to move it to the other side so that the plowed-in side could be plowed-out, but really it is magical and sparkly and sunny during the days. Even if your face is frozen and wants to fall off.

On a personal front: I'm enjoying the calmness that is the time before classes start again. Everyone, though working hard, is coping and not going utterly batshit. That will change shortly. I will be TA-ing a lab course, and taking a difficult 3-credit class. And of course, it's Friday, so I hopefully will go out dancing with my crew. And maybe a spot of sleeping in on Saturday, if I'm good.