I'm late!

Ok, ok, I know this is late, and I know that Kim likely set that deadline especially for me, but you should all know that this is how I roll. A deadline is set, and then I pass something in two or three days late, pleading forgiveness and leniency, promising that the aforementioned late thing is of the highest possible caliber... Well, 2 out of 3 ain't bad - it is late, and I am pleading :)

Here goes:

1a) I'm a PhD student now. I'm still undecided about this latest endeavor, but I've made a promise to myself to give it a shot. Here are the details. In January, I started a PhD with Rick Cunjak at UNB - Fredericton. Rick is a member of the Canadian Rivers Institute and studies several aspects of fluvial systems, including overwintering behaviour and ecology of juvenile Atlantic salmon. I'm hoping to answer some questions regarding differential survival among young-of-the-year parr using a combined behavioural and physiological approach. I'm not entirely sure what those questions will be right now, but hopefully I'll have a better idea within the next month or two. Most importantly, Rick is a super nice guy - funny, supportive, laid back - and has a great group of students who have been really welcoming. To help me with the physiological aspects of the study - and to maintain a presence in Sackville - I'm going to be co-supervised by a great friend and mentor at Mount Allison, Suzie Currie.

1b) Rick felt that it might be a good idea for me to spend as much time as possible in Fredericton for the first year, so I've been splitting my time between Freddie and Sackville, a week here, a week there. It's been a little difficult, but I do enjoy spending time in they city. In order to do that though, I needed a place, and so I now have an apartment!!


This is my first apartment ever. Prior to Tyson and I moving to Edmonton, I had lived with my parents. And when we got to AB we moved into a house. That's actually pretty exciting. :) I hadn't really thought of it like that before. Anyways, it's nothing super special, but its safe and I'm starting to fill it with stuff. Like that bed. and that couch. Prior to Saturday, I had been sleeping, sitting, eating, and living on a futon mattress. NOT FUN. You can't even believe how much I'm in love with the bed. Head over heals.

Anyways, hopefully over the next little while I'll be able to put some stuff on the walls and make it feel a little less sterile. (By the way, I don't know what's up with the picture, but the print over the couch isn't nearly as small/high as it looks in that photo. odd.)

2) Just call me four eyes - I now wear glasses! After years of steadily declining vision, I finally went to get my eyes checked. Ladies. It wasn't pretty. I couldn't believe what the doctor was telling me (in fact, I'm still not convinced!). Anyways, the take home message was that I had some crazy strong astigmatism and that technically, I shouldn't be driving without corrective lenses. oops. oh well! Here are the new specs:


They're orange on the inside! I totally surprised myself when I picked this pair. Typically, I don't dig orange, but somehow it makes everything bright and happy when I'm looking through these glasses, and I don't see how that could be a bad thing.


3) This is the only thing I've crafted in 4 months.

Super sad. I'm just not feeling it lately. Hopefully that will change soon. Initially, this was going to be a box bag for Tyson's mom. We were headed to Antigonish one weekend right after her birthday and I thought I would craft her a little gift. I was supposed to finish it in a night. It never happened. I had this pattern in my head, and I just couldn't make it happen. I think I cut the fabric too small but I was too stubborn to modify my design. So instead it sat in a pile in my sewing room. Finally about 6 weeks ago I felt I HAD to FINISH something, so I turned it into a little envelope bag.

Complete with contrast stitching,...


... and a zipper. I use it to hold my laptop power cords, memory keys, and external hard drive. Now that it's finished, I'm pretty happy. And, between you and me, secretly delighted that I didn't have to give it away. ;)

4) One perk of 'living' in the city is that I get to do city-like things,.. like go to the gym, eat at more than one restaurant, and go see concerts! (truthfully, Sackville is actually pretty good as far as the live music scene goes,.. for a town of 4500). Last week I went to the Hey Rosetta! show. As I think you all know, I'm a big supporter. Lead singer and primary song writer Tim Baker is an old friend from my youth choral music days and I think he's solid gold. The real deal. And not one bit hard to look at.

The show was off the hook. Buy the album (Seeds). See the show (www.heyrosetta.com). Embrace your inner Newfie poetic indie rocker and love life just a little bit more. Come on b'y. Do it for me.

They closed the show with this cover (filmed and posted by friend and labmate, Heather).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4eiWriwwkVw
Yes b'y. Don't mind missus. She was part of the opening act.

5) This has likely been pretty well broadcast by now, but Dr. Tyson MacCormack, TERM Assistant Professor, Dept. Chemistry & Biochemistry, is now officially Dr. Tyson MacCormack PERMANENT TENURE-TRACK Assistant Professor, Dept. Chemistry & Biochemistry, Mount Allison University.

Which essentially means that, since receiving the official offer, I've spent the bulk of my time here:

http://www.realtor.ca/

... the more things change, the more they stay the same,..

much love,
m.
xo.