Erin's Blog

I turned in all the required paperwork this morning to make my graduation official. The next step is to get at least one journal article ready for submission in the next few weeks and get that going. It will probably be next year before the article is published but at least the process will have been started.

I am currently working on getting my thesis paper turned into a PDF and available for upload for anyone who wants to read it. Since this has my blood, sweat, and tears in it there will hopefully be a password to download. All that information will be sent out later.

I AM OFFICIALLY GRADUATED!!!!!!!

Posted by Erin at 12:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I know it has been a long time since I have updated this nad most everyone who readys this get an update every couple of weeks when we talk to them on the phone, but for everyone else this is going to be a long one!!

So school first...I have finished the first final draft of my thesis and submitted it for review with two of my fellow graduate students. I am waiting on the last review today and making necessary changes. Today I will have the second final draft ready for submission to my advisor first thing tomorrow morning so it doesn't get lost in her inbox. She will review my thesis over Thanksgiving break and get her comments to me on November 26th. I will then have until November 28th to make changes and submit the third final draft to my advisor and my committee members for their comments. Hopefully during the meetings already set up on December 10th, my committee will be happy enough to sign off on my graduation and I can submit that paperwork to the Graduate office (by December 13th) so I don't have to register for the Spring 2008 semester; however, I will technically be a May 2008 graduate. There may be some small revisions still necessary as my thesis is going to eventually be submitted for publication in a science journal.

For the friends and family update...Dave's mom is flying in late Wednesday night (really Thursday morning) for Thanksgiving and to visit and flies out on the following Sunday. We have also invited Megan and Will over for Thanksgiving. So that all should be fun. We are doing a traditional dinner, with grilled (yes as in on the BBQ) turkey, mashed potatoes, cresent rolls, carrots, gravy, cranberry sauce, the works, and cherry and apple pie (both homemade, crust and all!!) for dessert.

For Christmas/Graduation...we are going to my parent's for two weeks, Dave will be there for the joint graduation party on December 16, and then flies back to work for a week and will be in Alabama for the week of Chrsitmas with the rest of us. There is going to be a big group of people at the graduation party for my and my sister's graduations. The grandparent's are staying for the two weeks I will be there that encompasses Christmas. I think I will even be roped in to playing bells at midnight mass Christmas Eve.

So, for those that still want more details feel free to email/IM/call.

For those interested in reading my thesis...email me for that as it is a large file (lots of pretty pictures!!) but I warn you that it is not in it's final form as of right now, however, it is pretty darn close

Posted by Erin at 11:26 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Hi all!!

Some of you are up-to-date and others are partially, while others still are in the dark. So pay attention...

Yesterday our apartment got brand new white vinyl windows. The installation is almost complete, the exterior trim was being cut yesterday afternoon in the shop and will be installed today or tomorrow.

Dave has ordered a new cell phone that is going to be delivered today that he is so excited about. The phone is a black motorola krazr.

I got my model working and am grinding through the several hundred runs. I am also working with Shannon on getting the last piece of the puzzle for a more accurate model. Once the last piece is calculated, I will go back and insert the one value, re-solve the existing models, and re-save them. I have also been told by my advisor, Penny, that I will be done and graduated by December.

Also yesterday Dave found out that his supervisor has approved his leave request for the week of Christmas. We purchased plane tickets yesterday to complete the planning process.

The plane ticket information will be sent out in an email at a later date.

Zack has been neutered and is going for a follow up on thursday. He is doing fine and healing well. He also has almost all his adult teeth in and is no longer shredding all of his toys.

We are doing fine. They are healthy and trying to stay cool in the hotness that is the southwest.

That is it for now. Hope everyone is doing well.

Posted by Erin at 10:32 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Zack has officially been converted to the computer side!!! AAAAAHHHH!!!!!!!!

Posted by Erin at 06:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

This past Saturday Dave and I adopted a puppy!! He is a white mini schnauzer, his name is Zack. His website can be found here.

We will try our best to post new pictures on a regular basis. We (cough *Dave* cough) are working on getting video posted

He hasn't figured out the concept of a tail, so he chases his around making himself dizzy on a regular basis. It's too cute!! He also doesn't have perfect balance yet either so he falls down and slides across the floor pretty regularly as well.

We are in the process of crate training and housebreaking so Zack spends lots of time sleeping in his kennel, if he isn't there, he is outside taking care of business or playing with Dave or/and I. He has started to figure out the routine and goes in his kennel looking for his respective treat once back in from outside.

He is getting better at sleeping through the night without having to go out also. Last night was the first night he didn't wake us up at some early hour needing to go out. Hopefully this will keep up so we can routinely get a good nights sleep.

So far so good!! He has definitely bonded to both of us. At his first vet appt. on Monday he was looking to me for protection from the scary docs and staff who were poking and proding him. He also was trying to hide in his carrier, the only time all day he went in voluntarily...figures!! :)

So, again, go here for pictures of Zack.

Posted by Erin at 07:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

So travel plans for spring break have changed. Under the current situation Dave and I need to go to New England to see family and friends and to be around for support. I don't know exactly what the general public is allowed to know at this point, that is why information here is cryptic.

The trip to the Grand Canyon has been postponed until the summer months. After some research we discovered that during the spring months it's just down right cold at the top of the canyon, so we have decided to wait until the weather is a little bit warmer to experience the Grand Canyon. Waiting will also allow more people to plan for the trip.

An email was sent out to those directly affected by our travel plans but if you would like to know what/when/where/etc. send an email/comment/call for more information.

Posted by Erin at 10:05 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Happy New Year!!!

Hope everyone had a happy and safe New Years celebration!!!

Posted by Erin at 12:01 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Dave and I would love to go to the Grand Canyon and camp for a week while we are in the western US of A and we would love to have friends and family join us. If there is anyone interested let us know and we can get the ball rolling.

We are thinking of going during my Spring Break in March. From our house (~40 miles south of Albuquerque, NM) it's an 8-12 hour drive to the Southern Rim. There are lots of State Parks and privately run camping areas available and reservations are usually necessary depending on the time of year. I imagine in mid-March reservations may not be necessary since the weather will still be somewhat cool but not cold enough for the tourist season to be in full swing.

Posted by Erin at 11:05 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

So, it's been awhile since I have updated this site. As you probably know I got the NM Space Grant for the spring and fall semesters of 2007. With that money I am planning on getting a Mac Book Pro laptop, just don't know when that will happen. I am also spending the spring semester focusing solely on my thesis work and computer model.

Dave and I also received money for Christmas to use toward getting a real couch and living room set. We found what we really liked at Pottery Barn and then found out the sofas are more expensive than we originally thought. After doing some searching online, we concluded Pottery Barn is currently the one place we can get what we want, so we are starting the process of saving for the sofa/sofa set. So, when some of you come to visit we may actually have real furniture rather than a broken futon and pair of bean bag chairs.

Posted by Erin at 10:53 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Merry Christmas everyone!!

Spending some quality time with my family while they are visiting for a few days, hope everyone is doing the same.

Posted by Erin at 02:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)