I have spent the last few weeks traveling and am just now getting caught back up on stuff, like this blog. The worst part about vacations is having to come back to work; it almost makes me think it isn't worth leaving in the first place. Or perhaps I am a bit of a grumpy bear today because I think that New York is making me sick. Either I have allergies or I am catching a cold. Who catches a cold in the summer, you ask? People who spend a long time in 90 degree and humid tropical weather and then come home to 56 degrees and rain. Yup! Everyone thought that the winter would be the hardest part about me adjusting to New York climate, but it turns out that it is the summers that pain me even more. I have been patiently waiting for some heat and it is time, dagnammit!
Anyway, the other reason why jumping back into work sucks is that I have a research student working for me this summer. Normally this is a nice thing, but since I was out of town I didn't have things all set up for him, so I've spent the last two days trying to set up computers and software for him while he watches over my shoulder. He is a little too eager (he's a freshman) and keeps asking me when we are going to meet (as in I say "see you tomorrow" and he says "what time?" and I say "see you after lunch" and he says "what time?"). It makes it very hard for me to enjoy the summer and be lazy and sleep in. By the end of the summer I should have all of those overeager good habits unlearned. So I have been spending all of my time working with him and have barely even been able to check email, which has backed up over the vacations. Finally I just set him up with the IRAF tutorial and have spent the last hour playing with my blog layout. Definitely a good use of free time, don't you think?
Vacation updates to come!
I love the new layout, although not the same can be said for IRAF - good luck to him with that!
ReplyDeletePretty new layout-- I like. And living here in Texas I find that I resent the fall the most, even though it is actually cooler then. It's just that it's not what autumn is supposed to be, you know, like what you're saying with summer up there. I would love to get some cool 50-degree days right now, though...
ReplyDeleteBoo for cold, rainy summers! We've been too hot here, but it's finally cooled down to much more tolerable this week.
ReplyDeleteI once wrote an introduction to IRAF when I taught the undergrad major's observing course at UT. It's nice because it's intro IRAF in normal people terms. Let me know if you want a copy for your student! As long as my name stays on it, I'm happy to distribute it. If you want it, I can dig it up! No worries if you don't need/want it, just thought I'd offer!
I can only pity the poor guy that has to learn IRAF. I hope that doesn't put him off astronomy or research forever (if we survived, he should be able to do it too).
ReplyDeleteIt is crazy hot around here, I am slightly jealous of your more temperate weather at this moment.