AbsolutBlog

New pictures added.  I will make a new border this weekend (hopefully).

Sorry about the down time.  For some reason, the config files for PHP wigged out and would no longer work.  I had to modify some stuff.  Everything is back up now though.  Thanks to Phil for noticing and letting me know.

On to other news, the conference in Orlando went great!  But when I got back, a string of bad luck hit.  I am just now recovering.  The dishwasher died, then the Saturn died, then the icemaker in my fridge died.  The Saturn is now on it’s fourth alternator in it’s 10 year life span (can you believe it has 150,000 miles).  The dishwasher wasn’t so lucky in the repairs department and will be chucked.  We are replacing it with something that doesn’t sound like a prop plane taking off in our kitchen.  The icemaker will just have to wait.  I can get some ice trays and save a few bucks for the time being.  If only I knew something about appliances instead of computers and biology…

Maddy is growing up faster than we would like.  She loves to rhyme and will say things like "Crinkle and Tinkle sound similar!"  I have been REALLY bad about pictures, but will try to get some new ones up this weekend when we are down in San Marcos.  We have a busy spring/summer shaping up and will certainly be taking pictures while on various vacations to Hilton Head, Toronto, New Jersey, Indiana, Michigan, and while people are down here (Krysten, Dad and Connie, Tim and Shelley) and at various weddings (Tim and Shelley, Gabe and Rachel).

Cheers for now…I have procrastinated long enogh from my ___________ (homework, grading, planing, job searching, cleaning, house maintenance, etc).

I’m still alive!  It has been a while since my last post.  Of course the reason is that we’ve been busy, but that is never a good excuse because everyone is always busy.  So, I’m lazy or just too busy.  But I have a few minutes and wanted to update you all on the past month.  Maddy and I had a father daughter time last weekend.  We biked in and around the Zilker kite festival with our good buddy Bryant and his kids Madison and Colton.  It was a blast with beautiful weather and a great workout.  I think we biked upwards of 10 miles pulling kid trailers.

Dad was in town a month back and his visit lit a fire under my butt to do things around the house.  The nice weather didn’t hurt either.  It’s been in the 80s recently, which only makes me dread the upcoming summer.  So, for around the house projects: We finished the touches on Madison’s bed to make it great.  Dad helped me recreate a new top for the desk and install a light above for working.  We have built Maddy a computer so that she can play her games and write e-mails.  If you would like to write her, the address is maddyrose.hall AT gmail DOT com.  Obviously restructure to a normal address.  She loves getting e-mail and asks me nightly to check for her and read her anything new.  We try to keep up with the replies even if it’s just her pounding the keyboard.  Last weekend I installed rope lighting underneath her bed so she could see to read a book.  It is quite a cozy little play area for her (we obvioulsy have to duck).  In this whole process Alisha rearranged Madisons room to make it more toddler friendly including moving the changing table and crib out.  She now has a couple desks, fish tank (a must for the Hall family), storage bins, stereo, book shelf, and racks for her growing collection of shoes (I think this is just a girl thing).  It’s great.

As for the rest of the house, we finally finished the corner seat.  For a year it has needed paint and polyurethane.  Well now it has both.  I’ll take a picture some time.  And for a year, I have had brick sitting next to my driveway patiently waiting to be set into the ground.  Well that is finally done.  My future Spring home projects include replacing our failed dishwasher and pressure washing and sealing the deck and deck furniture.  I would also like to install screen doors in the garage since it is normally open.  I would like to plan another tree in the back yard and some flowers in the front pots.  Alisha is going to repaint Maddy’s old dresser so that we may sell it on CraigsList.

My woodshop/garage is finally shaping up.  I installed a fluorescent light over the spare garage door for more lighting.  I also finished the table top for my radial arm saw that has gotten much use since January.  I’ve built some domino holders for Phil and Jackie with recently aquired wobble washers that mimic a dado blade.  I also built a keg tap stand out of 2 in thick cedar for my brewing buddy Gabe.  The table mentioned above was crafted on my saw and I plan to make a cornice board for the living room when my dad returns in April.

Work is going great.  Next week I am headed to Orlando for the Pittcon conference.  Myself and another lab mate have a poster presentation there.  I was also accepted to present a poster at Biosensors in Toronto in May.  The research is going great too.  I am in the home stretch as far as research goes for my dissertation and am working on two publications from research over the last couple years.  I am also TAing this semester for a new research endeavor UT has begun teaching freshman what "real" research is like.  It has been fun starting up a new lab.  As far as classes go, I am taking a biostats class that I’ve put off the whole time I’ve been here.  I realize now, it should have been taken long ago because so much of it would have been useful for data presentation.

Well, enough is enough.  I will try to comment on my experience at Pittcon next week and post some new pictures of