Back to the routine. I was getting back into running and was actually up and ready to head out the door this morning when I heard peeps coming across the monitor. I peek in and sure enough, Leif was wide awake and very happy to see mommy. So there went the run. It was probably the best thing for Winny though, she has an awful abcess where we missed a blade a cheet grass in her paws. We got it out, but it is a gapping hole now, ripe for another 15 pieces to embed themselves back in. (Or at least all of this is what I am telling myself so I don't feel quite so guilty about missing the morning run.)
Let's see, I had a meeting with my team lead this morning. I had scheduled a meeting with him and my mentor for us to discuss the path forward on my big proposal I wrote. More of a "what's next" thing since my PLM has been of NO help. And my mentor is tired of her being NO help to him as well. So I mostly sat while he complained and our team lead attempted to calm him.
What finally was said by my team lead was that he planned to use this as the perfect example, "junior staff member writes an excellent technical proposal, the PLM is too busy and then the staff member doesn't know what to do with it when there aren't resources to help". He praised me that I didn't just "drop it", but said many junior staff would. So where does that get me? A lot of work on my hands. I need to start work with contracts and start pushing the proposal out the door myself. He gave me a few warnings like, "this type of call is a fishing expedition, they likely just want to see what's out there". Frankly, I am really close to just dropping it and hoping for an appropriate call to come out soon. And therefore being "the average junior scientist". Average isn't bad...
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I have been e-mailing with a former fellow grad student recently. It has been interesting seeing what he and his wife's lives are like in a different industry. His former advisor gave him strict orders to tell me to call him when I am in town. This made me happy. While I am excited to go back to Reno, I am getting a touch nervous. I will be in very different company and as a section chair among my former professors who are also section chairs, I am feeling a little intimidated. I keep telling myself that they are my peers now. (I can tell myself this 100 times over and I still don't believe it!)
I am looking forward to the conference and then spending time each evening shopping at all my favorite haunts (Cost Plus, Wild Oats Market, Sierra Trading Post...) and eating at the best places in town. Here I come Kyoto Restaurant for all you can eat sushi! I must pack light so that I can have one full bag to bring back with goodies. Yes, I am completely abused with regards to shopping here.
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Tonight is book club. I am bummed about this only in the fact that I did not finish my book. It is such a good book too, I am not looking forward to having the end ruined. But no way I can plow through 120 pages between now and 7pm. Ugh. V is hosting and I am looking forward to sparkling wine and lava cakes. Yum.
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After numerous phone calls I finally have an appointment to have a car seat technician look at Leif's car seat in AB's car. The thing just doesn't tighten down. If you tighten it, the front flies up. It is completely ridiculous and we are so unhappy with it. Nothing fits right with it. AB took it out last night to adjust the straps and we couldn't get it back in properly.
Finally I told him to forget it, I was going to find a tech to install it properly and show us how. You would think that this would not be a difficult proposition considering that some 90% of car seats are supposidly installed incorrectly. Wrong. It was nearly fricking impossible.
The NHTSA list is not up to date for my region. About 1/3 no longer have car seat techs. Another 1/3 merged with the WA State Troopers to provide services by appointment. And the next appointment? July 12th. I explained the situation that we can't get it installed, isn't there someone we can go to? "Sorry this is how we do our inspections," was the response.
So I was left with the last 1/3 of the list. Some (the two hospitals) had car seat techs but their services are only for patients. I finally got someone who could look at it and help tomorrow. I know, it probably wasn't that wrong. And once I get on a kick, my obsessive nature sets in and Leif was NOT going to sit in that carseat until it was installed properly.
Frankly, I am more just shocked at how dismissive the State Troopers were with my concerns. It really ticked me off.
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