I'm a lazy blogger

Well, lazy may not be the best descriptor since I am, in fact, keeping fairly busy with school, lab, and all that good stuff. What's new, you ask?

I've joined the graduate school a cappella group, "the Catatonics." We've had a rehearsal or two so far, and it's low-key and fun. It's just one night a week, which is apparently just about right for my schedule. Oh, and I've already been made assistant VP and - get this - assistant webmaster. I haven't even seen the website yet, but hopefully it's got a good template I can work off of. (Tim, expect an email if I'm in over my head...)

The Fundamentals class has a homework set every week for the first unit. We've had two so far, and they're fairly intense... like, Itagaki take-home exam intense. (Kenyon neurobio/cell bio survivors know what I'm talking about, right? "Try to do the whole thing in one sitting." Ha!) The good news is that the powers-that-be are fine with credited group work, so the new tradition is a Monday night group. The first iteration consisted of a quick dinner at a restaurant in Evanston followed by hard-core work at a local coffee shop, which was fun. The second meeting, though, was awesome. I decided to take a cue from my Kiel friends' fabulous dinners and invited everybody over to my (handily central) place for a fajita fiesta, with fresh salsa and all the trimmings. I didn't make my own tortillas or guacamole from scratch like the amazing Mikey and Leslie, but I must credit that historic, nay, epic meal as my inspiration, particularly where the joys of fresh cilantro are concerned. I hope that I've started a regular tradition. Not everybody has the space to cook for 5 or so people, but maybe if we make it a potluck next time...

Mike and I have also started an alternating weekend visit between Chicago and DeKalb, which is simply lovely. Running errands together, cooking and doing dishes, watching movies and going to church together may seem rather quaint, but it's the together part that makes it special, particularly after last year. I love the fact that he can be a part of my regular life, even once a week. My current task is to get used to the new pattern... I need to titrate my emotional response to hellos and goodbyes down to an acceptable level, now that they happen just about every single week. Five years is a whole lot of pent-up missing someone to tap into, but thankfully it's already getting easier now that that chapter is finally coming to an end, however slowly.

Weather has been stormy this week, but I'm hoping for a few more chances to get out on my new bike before it gets too nasty out. I've already made one ride from my apartment all the way downtown, about an hour's ride, with someone from my program, and I want to try to learn the safest street route to Evanston and make that trip as well. I don't know that I'll ever regain the amazing biking muscles I developed in Göttingen with that city's ubiquitous dedicated bike lanes and trails, but I'd rather not lose them altogether sitting on buses and the El!

Class starts in half an hour and then I have to get up to Evanston for Catatonics rehearsal, but I still intend to complete my online photo collection from Germany and take (and post) some shots of my apartment, Chicago, and DeKalb. Expect that soon!