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So much...so much...
Dec. 16th, 2010 10:19 amThe conference wrapped up well. Tuesday night, one of the members of the social insect community hosted a gathering for social insect researchers at his house, which was a wonderful chance to informally interact with a lot of the people who are doing work related to my research program. Then, on Wednesday morning, there was a symposium on the nutritional ecology of social insects, the very thing that I study. The coolest part of the symposium was that it gave me a chance to meet a number of the biologists whose papers I have read, but who I have not met up until now. I chatted very briefly with them, but that was exactly what I needed to do to be able to send them e-mails in the future (you know, because those brief chats ensure that these people are not strange scary mutant aliens, my greatest fear in life).
After that, there was a big break during which there weren't any talks that were particularly relevant to me. So I decided to sit down in a patio area to catch up a bit on e-mail and think for a few minutes. Shortly thereafter, a group of the nutritional ecologists descended because they needed a table for sitting and drinking their coffee. Again, it was a chance to talk to a lot of the people doing research related to my research, and I got to ask a couple of the questions I'd had during their presentations. I also got to meet and talk to a couple more of the key players who I hadn't had a chance to talk to during the morning's symposium. It was serendipitous and very encouraging.
Now, with all of that, I have a lot of work to buckle down and finish up before the holidays. Plus, my cousin is going to come and stay with me for a few days before![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
scrottie and I depart for Seattle - she will be here to visit her son. In the meantime, I need to get my teaching and research statements together for an application in Texas (talked to my committee member there, and he was quite encouraging and helpful, though he pointed out that the application is likely to be highly competitive). I also need to contact a few other people there to talk about research resources, and I need to put together an application for a program in Panama. There's also a manuscript we need to submit, Diss Chap 1 to revise, a pile of branches in the backyard to shred up, some additional erg meters to complete, and, as always, ants to care for.
Busy, busy, busy. But the conference has left me with good energy, overall, which will hopefully carry me through.
After that, there was a big break during which there weren't any talks that were particularly relevant to me. So I decided to sit down in a patio area to catch up a bit on e-mail and think for a few minutes. Shortly thereafter, a group of the nutritional ecologists descended because they needed a table for sitting and drinking their coffee. Again, it was a chance to talk to a lot of the people doing research related to my research, and I got to ask a couple of the questions I'd had during their presentations. I also got to meet and talk to a couple more of the key players who I hadn't had a chance to talk to during the morning's symposium. It was serendipitous and very encouraging.
Now, with all of that, I have a lot of work to buckle down and finish up before the holidays. Plus, my cousin is going to come and stay with me for a few days before
scrottie and I depart for Seattle - she will be here to visit her son. In the meantime, I need to get my teaching and research statements together for an application in Texas (talked to my committee member there, and he was quite encouraging and helpful, though he pointed out that the application is likely to be highly competitive). I also need to contact a few other people there to talk about research resources, and I need to put together an application for a program in Panama. There's also a manuscript we need to submit, Diss Chap 1 to revise, a pile of branches in the backyard to shred up, some additional erg meters to complete, and, as always, ants to care for.Busy, busy, busy. But the conference has left me with good energy, overall, which will hopefully carry me through.
