What a week!

And it's only Monday.

On Wednesday I got some very bad news - that US Fish and Wildlife don't keep the records necessary for me to do the semester projects I planned.  So I need to figure out two new semester projects ASAP...ugh.  I'm planning on examining water levels and vegetation at Lake Mead for remote sensing (I need to download imagery to see the viability of that, but I've been so busy I'll do that tonight after class and tomorrow before class)...and was thinking some kind of criminal hotspot thing for GIS since Long Beach has a really good crime log on the internet.

On Thursday I got some VERY wonderful news - I got accepted to Texas A&M for my PhD!!!!  I am SO excited, and overwhelmed.  I don't need to finish my MA before I go, but I need to finish it soon, because I can't start my PhD work without having my MA signed, sealed, and delivered.  So once the conference is over I'm going to have to kick into overdrive between my classes (read: semester projects) and my thesis.

So that's super exciting!

I have spent this whole weekend fussing about my poster - my plan was to find this paper that Dr. Fraser Neiman recommended to me at the last conference, and adjust my statistical analysis on it, but I couldn't find the title of the paper (or his email address) so I spent ages on JSTOR and EBSCO searching keywords and found a paper that I THOUGHT was it, but turned out not to be.  So I gave that up and just did a poster based on the two lots of data collection I've done so far.  I really wish Dr. Lipo would email me back about those sites he wants me to add into my research design, because I really can't write up a research design if I don't have one of the puzzle pieces, can I?  Of course, he's preparing for the SAAs too - the book he wrote with Dr. Hunt about Easter Island (it's called The Statues that Walked) won an award and I imagine he'll have to give a speech or something.

I finally finished it last night, got Jake to check it for me, and prettied it up this morning.  I walked to campus so that I could print it at the geography lab (for the bargain price of $30) - but their printer was broken. 
So I went to the campus copy center (where it would've cost about $45) - but THEIR printer doesn't print 36"X48"...
So I walked to FedEX and ordered it there and it cost NINETY-FIVE DOLLARS!!  I am definitely claiming it as a conference cost, and they had better refund me.  It is NOT my fault that Geography can't keep their printer working, and it IS their fault, so CSULB, I'm putting you on notice - I want that covered in my travel reimbursement!
(Getting reimbursed for travel costs is such a pain in the ass.  But I'm beyond broke so I'm going to push and push and push until I get everything I can back.)

I got home and spent over an hour on the phone making sure the bank knows I'm going to Memphis this week, and that both my debit and credit card will work when I get there.  I've been assured that my cards (both of them) have been "travel-flagged" and will work for the entire state of Tennessee for those dates I'll be out there.

Around 2 pm I got a call from Fedex saying my poster is ready (at least they're prompt, you gotta give them that), so I schlepped out there again, picked it up, and came home, only to find out that neither of my suitcases are 3 feet long, so I'm going to have to fold my precious poster in half and then roll it up like that so it'll fit.  So. Frustrating. 
Fortunately the poster tube I got is extendable (thank you Aaron Brothers Art & Framing!! I LOVE that store so much!) so I can squish it down to fit in the suitcase with my folded & rolled poster.  I really need to start packing, but I don't even know what I'm going to wear.  I think I need to do laundry tomorrow, but I'd need quarters...blaaaah maybe I'll just wear dresses the whole time.

Anyway I need to go lie down before class.  I'm exhausted.  Please let class be easy tonight!!!!!