My Favorite Things

Good morning y'all! I'm going to get straight to the point - the last week or so has been freaking awesome. It first started with a trip back to Wisconsin and ended with finding a new pair of climbing shoes that fit perfectly. For my beautiful family members who have never jammed their feet into their first pair of new aggressive climbing shoes and had their toes cry because it felt like a torture chamber strapped to your feet, just know that when you find the right pair and there is a 'thwoop' sound when your foot slides in, it is music to your ears.

So let's start from the beginning. I somehow convinced my dear friend Alex to get up dark and early to get me to the airport for my 6a flight. Smooth flight to Detroit only to find out my connecting flight is cancelled. After mass confusion, quick change of plans, I was rebooked for a flight at the same time to the same destination from a different airline. I barely had time to run to the bathroom and fill up my water bottle before we boarded and took off like a bat out of hell. Once I landed in Madison, I realized how lucky I was. The majority of the other flights coming into the area were very very delayed or cancelled due to the weather. Anyways, I saw a cute guy in a Tacoma and hopped up into his truck. We went straight to Mickey's Dairy Bar for breakfast which was delicious as always. Then we went back to Aaron's and hung out for awhile so I could acclimate to the chilly weather (which wasn't even that cold yay!!). Later that afternoon we went to Boulders to get our climb on. As usual, we went to the Laos place for dinner. I think I have gotten the same thing every time we've gone there but that's not the point. It is delicious and I love it. When we got back to his place, I took a little nap because I'd been up for 19 hours and was getting sleepy. He had a few people over for drinks and games and I managed to wake up and drag myself out of the warm comfortable bed. Anyways, it was a lot of fun. We played countdown, which Angie won much to Aaron's dismay. After a bunch of laughs, a conversation about sleep cuddling, and Maddy confirming she had a concussion, we went to bed to rest up before a Devil's Lake adventure.

Okay, so it wasn't snow covered when I was there but this picture is pretty nonetheless.

On Saturday, we stocked up on crashpads and warm clothes and hit the road for DL. The weather was BEAUTIFUL. It was in the 40s and sunny. We worked Flat Iron (V4) for awhile, went and got a few V0s to keep me warm, did the Leaning Tower South Face which is a really tall thing that has a beautiful view from the top, and Tombstone Right Crack (I have a picture Aaron took). Then we went to go join the others who were working Fat Pants (V7). Aaron, AKA the Blue Bandit, sent it. Then him, Blair, and Austin worked Ivory Face (Vhardasshit). After we made it back, Austin hosted Climbsgiving where he cooked a bunch of delicious food and we watched some old school climbing video. Sunday we went to Monty's for breakfast and then went to Colectivo to do homework for awhile. We made a late lunch of green curry and rice before I had to get to the airport.

Courtesy of Aaron to make me look good.

So that is part 1 of Megan's awesome week. Then on Monday, I had tickets to go see Sufferfest 2 and Alex Honnold and Cedar Wright courtesy of TRC. Sufferfest 2 was hilarious. It was Honnold and Wright doing a massive bike tour and climbing 45 towers in the southwest. This was also called '34 Pieces of Choss and 5 Horrendous Life Experiences.' Please please please click the link and watch the trailer. 

http://www.climbing.com/video/trailer-sufferfest-2-starring-alex-honnold-and-cedar-wright/

So after watching Sufferfest 2, Honnold and Wright came on the stage and talked about the video. They covered everything from climbing 'mud towers' to getting pelted with rain while biking and everything in between. There was a rappel station that was made with wire and nails that Honnold easily pulled out of the rock. I don't even know how to describe the show - those two are quite comical. Wright was right about putting Sufferpup into the video that's for sure!! Anyways, i'm rambling and not making sense but I was very extremely happy I got to spend my evening staring at Honnold and Wright. Thank you Chance so much for the tickets!!! You are the best :)

I could do this to describe how I feel: dlkjf saoyfhsadkfh but I will stick with: Wow.

As for the rest of my week, I finished my finals, gave the final to the class I TA for, found a sublettor, started packing up my goodies, and tried on climbing shoes. OH MY GOSH I ALMOST FORGOT ABOUT CLIMBING SHOES!!! So, here is the story, Wednesday evening, there was a 5.10 demo and I tried on a few pink Blackwings of varying sizes (AKA Ladywings). Besides my toes not really appreciating being jammed up in the toe box, the heel cup was way to big :(  I also tried on Dragons, Hiangles, and Teams and much to my dismay, nothing fit the way I wanted them to. Have no fear, La Sportiva came the next day.  BUT THEY DIDN'T HAVE Muira to try on! So, I tried on all the other ones they had and didn't like how they fit. But... there was one shoe of Lady Muira VS that was exactly my size that he had to show the whole La Sportiva line. Sooooo, I put the one Lady Muira on and it FIT PERFECTLY!. My heel was hugged exactly how I wanted it to without an air pocket, my toes weren't getting crammed all sorts of ways but just the one way I wanted them to, and I made my feet sing joyful songs. Now it is safe to say I am going to buy some Muiras :)

So, yup, that was my week. Now I'm off to wrap up some lab work and write extension papers! I'll be back in Wisco in no time!! Later fools.

Alex Honnold

Cedar Wright

Wrapping Up the Year

Hey y'all. How is the weather back home? We had a bunch of rain lately but today was a beautiful 70 and sunny. I'm not kidding :)  Also, I got that symposium out of the way, had a few meetings with my committee and advisors, and have been climbing until my fingertips are so raw it hurts to type!

Raindrops make me think of fall when the leaves are changing color and is a different kind of spring. The world awakens with colors so vivid and tempts us outside to cherish those last few beautiful warm days. Raindrops that are warm and make you want to play in the puddles like children. Raindrops that are rejuvenating and make you want to sing out loud.

So I thought I had something cool and brilliant to say, but I really don't. OH WAIT! YES I DO. I forgot there was a holiday called Thanksgiving and I went to Vale, NC to visit the Galloways. I got there Wednesday evening (traffic wasn't too terrible) and hung out with the boys. Myles came home from Savanna, GA for the holiday. I haven't seen Myles or his family for over 5 years so it was really nice to have friendly familiar faces surrounding me for Thanksgiving instead of spending it alone :)  Also, they have a black lab named Maybelle. Let me tell you this: I miss having a dog around and Dad won't let me have Tank down in Raleigh!! Anyways, it was a really good few days at the Galloways and I am very thankful they let me stay with them and cooked me delicious food!!

Besides that, I have been scouring for jobs in Seattle, looking at places to live, searching for sublettors, and trying to finish the school year in stride. I also bought all my christmas gifts already (even beat G-ma Meyers!) and even bought myself a little gift - AKA global vegetarian cookbook. I have yet to try it but I promise I will soon and I will report back.

There is just something about this photo that makes my heart long for Seattle. Yeah, so it rains a lot in winter but it rains pretty much everywhere. Yeah, so it's far from Wisconsin but so are a lot of other places. Yeah, so there are a lot of people that live there but that's probably because it is a really cool place to live. So yes, I am very excited to move out to Seattle.

Today, I went down to Fayetteville, NC to check out the newest TRC with my friends Peter, Alex, and Andrew. I had a lot of fun, tried a bunch of routes, fell quite a lot, lost a bunch of skin, and sent a really powerful V4. I felt very accomplished on that one mainly because my lats and delts are telling me they worked hard today. All in all, it was a good time with good friends. Now I just owe Peter a beer or two for driving me!!

Fayetteville, NC

Anyways, gonna go skype the man. I hope y'all have a lovely last few hours of November and a great start to December!

I never thought I'd say these words but I miss the snow. Look at how beautiful it is. Everybody in North Carolina complains how cold it is and how they could never live in Wisconsin. But they have never seen the beauty of a light snow fall reflecting a morning sunrise or how fairy lights twinkle against the icicles hanging from the roof. Yes, it is cold but I think the beauty of the world surrounding me as I'm curled up next to the fireplace with the ones I love in the room with a cup of hot apple cider totally makes the winter a spectacular season.

Symposium Symposium

Symposium. Symposium. Symposium. Abstract. Abstract. Abstract. Symposium. Symposium. Symposium. Presentation Title. Presentation Title. Presentation Title. Symposium. Symposium. Symposium. PowerPoint. PowerPoint. PowerPoint. Symposium. Doomsday. Symposium. MakesMegan'sLifeHellForDaysOnEnd. Symposium. MakeATwentyTwoYearOldStressOutLikeThereIsNoTomorrow. Symposium. I-think-if-I-hear-that-word-one-more-time-I-will-go-bat-shit-crazy-and-never-return-from-crazyland-and-just-lie-in-bed-forever-and-ever-and-just-watch-Netflix-until-there-is-nothing-else-to-watch-on-Netflix-and-then-cry-because-I-heard-the-word-symposium-and-I-remembered-the-time-where-I-did-nothing-but-symposium-which-brought-me-to-where-I-am. So hey guys! I will be out of that funk as of tomorrow morning!

I have been doing symposium duties for a month now and quite frankly I will be extremely happy when this darn symposium is over so I can get back to a normal life! Anyways, would y'all like to read my abstract? I bet y'all will understand the vast majority of it!! Too bad, you're going to read it anyways (unless you skip down to the fun part).

Aspergillus flavus and Fusarium verticillioides are pathogens that cause ear rot of maize in North Carolina (NC) and produce the mycotoxins aflatoxin and fumonisin, respectively. The activity of these fungi during drought conditions before and during silking can contribute to the occurrence of mycotoxin contamination in maize seeds. High levels of mycotoxin contamination can render the seed unsellable for human and animal consumption. The FDA regulates the maximum level of contamination for aflatoxin, but not for fumonisin, allowed in food for consumption. In 2013 and 2014, we conducted three field experiments in Rocky Mount, NC to evaluate management practices for reducing mycotoxin contamination in maize. The management practices evaluated were; 1) Syngenta hybrids: N78S-3111 (Viptera), N78S-GT (non-Bt hybrid) and N74R-3000GT (Yield Guard), 2) biological control agents Afla-Guard® and AF36 applied at different rates and times during the growing season; and 3) application of fungicides: Stratego YDL, Headline, and Quilt Xcel used alone or in combination with Afla-Guard®. In 2013, Viptera had the lowest levels of aflatoxin contamination, whereas in 2014, Yield Guard had the lowest. In 2013, Quilt Xcel was the most effective in reducing aflatoxin contamination. In 2014, there was more mycotoxin contamination when Stratego YDL was applied. In both years there was no significant difference when Afla-guard® was applied in combination with fungicides. Biological control efficacy was highest when 10lb/A was applied to the fields at growth stages V5 and VT. Afla-guard® and AF36 performed equally well in fields in reducing aflatoxin contamination; neither significantly reduced fumonisin contamination.

So the fun part. I had my favorite kind of visitor last weekend. Aaron braved the heat and headed south. Unfortunately, it wasn't all that warm; he brought the Wisconsin weather with him! We had a nice, relaxing weekend. He flew in Thursday night so we had a full 2.5 days together. Friday, I showed off my amazing breakfast cooking skills, took a short walk around Lake Johnson, went climbing at TRC-MV with Dane, and had dinner at a Himalayan/Tibetan restaurant. YES! I found a Tibetan restaurant in Raleigh. I am now a very happy North Carolinian. Anyways, we had delicious food for dinner and then played a card game I am apparently very good at. (No worries, he got me back later).

Saturday, once again I charmed him with my chef skills for breakfast and we went to go see Interstellar. It was pretty darn good!! Then we bouldered at TRC-NR with Patrick! After climbing we went on the hunt for a place to eat. We ended up at Brio Tuscan Grille and played chess while waiting for our food. IT WAS DELICIOUS. We went home and he taught he a card game he is very good at so he got me back. I learned that he has incredible reaction skills and mine are just not as fast as his. After I got schooled multiple times, we cuddled up to watch a movie. I am incredibly skilled at falling asleep during movies as I discovered. I believe we were watching Stardust which I proceeded to finish Sunday after he left.

I could live here.

Sunday, we went to Hillsborough Street to get cookies and coffee. We hung out by the BellTower for awhile. Then we had a late lunch/early dinner of Farro with veggies before I had to drop him off at the airport. I think I only like airports when they are dropping off people to me or delivering me to someone. Isn't that what airports are designed for? Haha, anyways, I'm going to go practice my presentation a few more times until I can discuss it in my sleep. Joy. Enjoy the cold!

Home Sweet Red River Gorge

Hey hey hey! Sorry for being so late at posting this and basically being nonexistent! There is this thing called research and I'm preparing for a Master's Symposium where I present my work. That ought to go just great. At least all my data is collected and analyzed :)  Now, I just need to get it into a presentation and talk to my peers and then start writing a thesis. I know I sound calm while typing but I'M FREAKING OUT GUYS!!!

So there, that's the non-climbing part of my life: AKA the sucky part. 

Guys, something really cool and exciting happened last weekend. Last Thursday, after I got done with TA duties, I picked up my friend Dane and left Raleigh. I then proceeded to stop in Wytheville, VA (actually, I missed the exit and had to drive 10 miles to the next one to turn around) to pick up Alex Cummins. That's right, Mr. Alex Cummins, Aaron's friend from Amazon. Anyways, we jammed my trunk full of climbing gear and turned towards Slade, KY. Guess who was there waiting for me? You guessed it. The one and only Aaron Wait! Thankfully, Aaron had gotten there way earlier with his roommates and had set up camp so all I had to do was show up, hand him my sleeping pad and bag and curl up next to him - what that really means is still his body heat :)

The Solarium in Muir Valley

 Friday morning came around and Angie, Aaron, Alex and I (yes, I was the only one whose name didn't begin wit an A. Sad times) went to Muir Valley. We started in the Boneyard and warmed up on two 9s: Cindarella & One-Armed Bandit. As we were up on the climbs, we heard some sending yells from across the way and we eyed up two beautiful huecos. We decided we needed to over there and climb. To the Arsenal Wall we went!

Aaron and Angie hopped on Bullfighter (12b) and Alex and I did Bathtub Mary (11a). Aaron hid out in the hueco for awhile, came out, went back in, out again, back inside, and then finally continued the climb. Alex chilled out in his hueco for awhile too. Alex made it to the top so I followed his lead. Once I unclipped the draw next to the hueco, I hauled myself inside. Only then did I realize why Alex and Aaron stayed in theirs for so long. I could work out the pump in my arms, shed a few layers, crack my knuckles, stretch, take a nap, talk to the guy next to me. There was this awesome undercling on top of the hueco (which I could stand up in and barely touch the top) to get back onto the climb. To the anchors I went.

Bathtub Mary!! To the right of him is the hueco Aaron and Angie hid out in for awhile.

Next Alex put up Sacriledge (10d) which I'm pretty sure was harder than the 11a. Anyways, he made it to the last bolt, came down and then put me on the climb. I can see exactly why he stopped there - you're tired and don't really want to go any higher. Anyways, I chilled out at that bolt for awhile and then went to go conquer the anchors.  There was a mini-roof and i found a sweet toe-heel cam. When I got close to the anchors, I struggled to get a draw into the hanging chains. I tried multiple different techniques and decided I wasn't going to be able to do it. So I had Alex take up the slack and I let go. The only thing was I didn't realize how high above the bolt I still was. In my head I was much closer to the bolt than reality. But don't worry, I like to fall :)

After that, I convinced them to go to Bruise Brothers Wall so I could work on my project: Critters on the Cliff (10d). Aaron hung the draws and then it was my turn. The last time I worked this climb, I top-roped it and took a few times. This time, I cruised through the first 4 bolts, got to the crux, did a layback with two fingers in a crack and hauled myself up to the 'thank god' hold. Then it was cruise control to the anchors. DANG did that feel good to completely crush my project! Then Aaron and I did Rat Stew (10a) and then Workin' for the Weekend (10c). Poor Alex finished his climb in the dark (forgot his headlamp too) and then we went home and had delicious Miguels Pizza. 

How can you not fall in love with a place like this?

Saturday we went to the Gallery. I hopped on 27 Years of Climbing (a fantastic 8!) and then Murano (10b). Then I had the pleasure of belaying Aaron on 'Zen and the Art of Masturbation'. How does heinous crimping and mellow pockets on an overhang sound? Just lovely. For some reason, he managed to convince all of us to try it on top-rope. Poor, dearest Alex got the short end of the stick and had to clean it :(  I attempted a techy balancey 11b: Random Precision but that didn't go so well. They did a 10c somewhere along the way and then we went back and made veggie chili. And by we, I mean Angie and Aaron doing all the cooking while Alex and I drank beer. 

Sunday, the worst day ever, we went to warm up at Tectonic Wall. We did Getting Lucky in Kentucky (10b) and Fifth Bolt Faith (10c). Then Aaron and I headed over to The Sanctuary so he could work his project: Prometheus Unbound (13a). Someone was climbing the route next to him and me and the belayer were nice and close. Aaron fell, I got lifted into the air and I thought I was going to kick her in the head on accident. I've never been so scared that I'd hurt someone while climbing. Thankfully she saw me, ducked a little and we didn't collide :)  Just as Aaron was finishing the climb, Angie, Alex, and Dane came on over. We packed up and then went back to Miguel's. Aaron realized he left his climbing shoes at the crag so he went back to go get them. Alex Dane and I went to eat at Subway (slash Megan wait for Aaron to get back...) and thankfully Aaron made it there before we rolled out! So therefore, Sundays are the worst because they steal my man away from me.

Someone asked me the other day, 'What would you be doing if there was no such thing as rock climbing?' I managed to come up with an answer but what they were really asking is "What would you do if part of you never existed? What would your passion be? How would you breathe? Where would you be in life?" The answer is something I can't even imagine. I wouldn't know what to do with my spare hours each week. What the heck would I do 20 hours a week? Would I ever have gone to all the beautiful places I have? What would I have done there instead of climbing.? It's what I am.

So yup, that was my climbing weekend at Red River Gorge. Two last things:

1. This trip is also called: The Trip Patrick Didn't Come On and Should Have  (It's okay Patrick, we still love you).

2. Dane: 

Beautiful Boone

I don't know what the weather is like in Wisconsin but it is hella nice in Raleigh! I can fully enjoy a sunny 80 degrees in early October! The only problem is that I am stuck inside doing my duty as a TA. How about a lecture outside? I'm pretty sure the students would like that. I mean, it is a plant pathology class after all so let's go sit by some fungi!

So, as y'all can imagine I've been in the grind of research. No guys, I literally mean in the grind. After processing the ears, I have to grind each sample and then do all the prep work for toxin analysis. Well, unfortunately not enough supplies were ordered so I could only run toxin analysis on 50 plots. But that's okay because now I can catch up on archiving other cultures for my labmate's portion of the project. Also, I've had to dilute all my samples because aflatoxin contamination was super high. Now I'm just crossing my fingers that this year's data results line up with last year's results so I have something solid to discuss at the Master's Symposium in late November!!

MMM....made my day better :)

On a way more fun note, I was in Boone this past weekend for Hound Ears! Dane, Patrick, and I drove out Friday afternoon, registered, and gathered our swag. We watched a movie called "Asgard Project" which made me very happy I wasn't there. Anyways, we set up camp and went to bed. Then Saturday morning came around. That was a cold morning (thanks mom for the jacket!). Anyways, I had Cheerios for breakfast (which was delicious by the way!), then bundled up and waited in line for the buses to transport us to the actual boulder grounds. Well, we got there, found Dane's crashpad and sat there freezing. Sat some more and froze some more. By the time we were allowed to go climb and compete, it was 11am. So Patrick, Dane, Geoff, Kate, and I meandered to the boulder we wanted to start out. Well, it turns out that 20 other people also wanted that boulder and were not very friendly about it. Oh, I'm sorry that I was about to climb and reaching out to the starting holds! Why don't you just wedge yourself between me and the rock and innocently look at me and say 'oh I didn't see you' and continue to climb. Mmm mmm mmm. That is a sure-fire way to get me mad and lose psyche. But, now I can say that I discovered I do not like climbing with a bunch of people and I like small groups way better. So thank you, mean girl, for bringing me to this realization.

What a great welcome to the NC mountains

This is were it got cold and rained at night and I FORGOT MY PILLOW ONCE AGAIN!!! I need a tent like Aaron's

Anyways, after the comp was filled with not-the-best-chili-I've-ever-had, beer, finding crashpads, crashpad stacking competition, awards, and hanging out with friends who shall be named - Peter, Alex, Pinney, Kate, Geoff, Dane, Patrick, some random dude in a Peru hat, and some other chick. But yeah, that night was really really cold. Then we packed up in the morning, at breakfast at a bagel place, took a tour of the Blue Ridge Parkway and then made our way back to Raleigh. Monday came and back to the swing of research and all those joyful things. 

Bah! So pretty. Why don't I live in Boone?

My climbing buddies!

Anyways, I need to go climb. Climbing makes me happy.

Sconnie Shenanigans

Well hello cutie-patuties! I am currently sitting on a Coach bus on my way to the lovely Chicago O'Hare International Airport. I've been on this bus for over 2.5 hours and I'm tired of sitting on my buttocks. Another 30 minutes to go, cruise through security, wait around to board the plane, and then sit for another 2 hours. My favorite. What makes it even better is leaving my Aaron and the beautiful Madison behind. <-- LIES.

September 11. Never Forget.

The only reason why waking up at the @$$ crack of dawn for research is acceptable.

So, a quick overview of my life the past two weeks. September 11, 2014 brought visitors of the nice variety. Ma and Cheryl came to visit. Have no fear, I took them rock-climbing. Thursday was filled with picking them up, a walk around the lake, checking into the hotel, taking them to class, Cheryl falling asleep in class, dinner at Jasmin's, and rock-climbing at TRC-NR. I managed to get a really good workout after I got them going on the blocs. I have two V4 projects to work on yay! Friday, what did Friday bring? Oh, I know! Segway tour. No, no, no, I did NOT join them on the Segway tour. They did that as I finished up some protocol writing downtown. We walked around downtown, grabbed a beer and snacks at Raleigh Times, proceeded to go to TRC-MV with Patrick, had dinner at Mellow Mushroom and had a drink by the pool. To be honest, I don't really remember what we all did on Saturday and Sunday but I do know this: I bought a pair of interview shoes on the cheap and I convinced Ma to buy me my Christmas gift already :)  I believe an 850-down Arc'teryx puffy in sea-green is a lovely choice. Don't worry, I had a 25% off coupon so I didn't completely empty her wallet :D  So on Monday, we drove out to Kersey Valley for some zip-lining! After that, we went to Durham to check out Duke University since my cousin Ryan in a huge Blue Devil basketball fan. We played canasta at the hotel, slept, got up early, and I transported them to the airport.

Even Nature finds her way in a cement jungle

Duke University has a beautiful campus!

Farmer's Market goodies <3

The Painted Bird by the Paperhand Puppet Intervention was an amazing show!!

The Painted Bird.

After I dropped them off at the airport, it was crunch time. I listened to my final PP 590 lectures, did the homework, took the exam for that class, went into lab until I had to TA, went to TA, ate dinner way too quickly, boogied on over to TRC-MV for some climbing, climbed for a few hours, left without all my stuff, had to backtrack to MV to get my stuff, go home, eat a second dinner, and crash on my bed. Wake up in 4 hours. Make coffee, kind of but not really have breakfast, get in my car, go find my work truck, hop in a brand-spanking new F150 with too many buttons, drive to Plymouth, process 64 plots worth of corn, somehow get back to Raleigh still awake, eat a late dinner, go climb, shower (maybe?), crash. Wake up in 7 hours to finish packing my bags because I kinda, sorta forgot to do that before...eat, drink coffee, have Dane drive me to the airport, book it through security, find more food, read a book, burn my tongue on coffee, board airplane, realize I have to pee, wait until cruising altitude, crawl over elderly woman, wait forever for dude in front of me, squeeze into the tiniest airplane bathroom known to man, awkwardly sidestep past people in the aisle, crawl over lady again, turn on music, flip open laptop, read a book.

Here is a really good reason to go through what I mentioned above and below. A blue-jean sky, a comfortable 65F, a stunning view of Lake Mendota, a gentle breeze that isn't chilly, and the feeling of being back in Madison after months of being gone. It doesn't matter that I had hours of research ahead of me or protocols to write. I was back in Madison.

Now, here comes the best part of my journey. I landed at 10:43. The bus to Madison left at precisely 11:00. We deboard the plane quickly but then I have to wait for my carry-on bag to come up the the breezeway thingy. Grab it at 10:53. Realize I have to run across the whole stupid airport to get to the bus terminal. Thank the travelling goddess I wore my old running shoes because I was about to set a new world record for racing in airports. Thankfully, O'Hare wasn't too busy at that time and people were kind enough to move out of the way or off to the side on those walking strip thingys. I also thanked the walking strip thingy goddess that those were on and people let me through. I somehow hauled my suitcase into my arms while running down stairs (screw the escalators, too slow), chucked it back on its wheels fluidly, kept sprinting like there was a really hungry lion behind me, found the bus terminal, had to wait for the crazy slow elevator, got on, ran through a few lines of people boarding buses and caught my bus a few seconds before he was about to close doors and leave. I handed the dude proof that I bought a ticket for the bus ride, found an open seat, and caught my breath. As we left the airport, I realized I didn't have anything for lunch and wouldn't be able to eat until I got to Madison at 2-something pm. So that sucked but I knew I would be seeing Aaron in just a few hours so it was okay. I did research on the bus, found a whole of 6 references for my thesis, watched the clock tick a little too slowly, then found myself in Madison. Holy moly I forgot how insanely beautiful Madison is. And the students there are mighty attractive. I will have y'all know Madison was ranked the best town to live in, has the prettiest student body, third most lovely campus in the USA, and has really good vegetarian food.

Seriously?! How can a view like this exist in real life?! This is just a few steps away from Aaron's front porch. What I would do to be in Madison for the autumn season....I can analyze corn samples in WI for my thesis right?

Anyways, Aaron picked me up,, had a late lunch, he went to class as I went out to do my research and chat with other Plant Pathologists. I also met his roommates, Maddie Angie and Caitlin all of whom are climbers. We grabbed pasta and subs nearby and ate at James Madison Park. Then we went to the Union for the Hoofer's meeting, had a few drinks on the lake, and had a relaxing night at his place. Friday, I had more lovely research to deal with when Aaron was in class and before my dad and brother came to visit. I got really good feedback on my research findings (nice to hear before a relaxing weekend)! Aaron and I played frisbee whilst waiting for the family to arrive. I got my watch from Gma and Granddad - it is b-e-a-u-tiful. We went out to dinner at the Old Fashioned on Capitol Square. They left after dinner and Aaron, Angie, and I went grocery shopping for the Hoofer's Welcome Weekend trip to Devil's Lake. We had an early night since we were getting up nice and early to go set up top-ropes for the rest of the crew.

Sometimes the simplest things catch your heart and refuse to let go. Like this sailboat. Somehow seeing this sailboat between the trees, above the flowers, and below that perfect autumn sky made me homesick for Madison. It reminded me of my runs along Lakeshore Path in the early weekend morning hours, of watching sunsets with Anna from the boathouse dock, of enjoying a drink with my friends at Memorial Union, of my summers in Madison when I had nothing to worry about, of finding my passion for plants, and of the leaves changing color around the lake. Simple things.

Welcome Weekend went really well considering the weather on Saturday. We set up 13 top-ropes, climbed a few routes, got rained on, went bouldering on wet rock, then set up camp. Megs and Angie cooked us dinner, I attempted to slack-line (which was more of Aaron putting me on the slackline and me not really slacklining), we had a few beers around the fire, and had to make a beeline for the tent when it started raining. Branches were falling around us and it rained a fair amount but we stayed nice and dry in his 4-season tent. Sunday was filled with tearing down camp, another wonderful meal cooked by Megs, a few trad routes I followed Aaron up on, a sketchy down-climb, a few top-rope climbs, and a car drive back to Madison, After a shower and dinner at Monty's Blue Plate Diner, we laid around and watched Netflix until we went to sleep. Then came Monday.

I think I have a new dislike for Mondays. Not only is it the start of another long week of insanely long days but they also signify the end of seeing Aaron. Boo Mondays. Anyways, we had breakfast at a coffee so we could do homework/research/writingabunchofshitforresearchthatiamreallysickofwritingabout. He made us a delicious vegetarian chili with a glass of red wine to complete it. Then it was the dreaded packupyourbagsandtrynottoforgetanythinglikeyourtoothbrushbutitsokayifyoudoforgetbecauseyoualreadyhaveplansforwhenyouwillbeseeingeachothernextbutimuchrathernotforgetanythinglikemyclimbinggearbecauseiclimbalthetimeandnothavingaharnessforamonthwouldreallysuckalotandidontwantthat time. So yup, on the bus I went, to the airport I went, through security I went, to terminal C7 I went, on the plane I went, into the sky I went, and to Raleigh I went. And tomorrow is a joy-filled day of online classes, lab research, and being a TA! 8 more months...8 more months...

There is just something about these chairs. It's so perfectly Madison.

A sunset over the lake with a view from the Union...I was one lucky gal.

Sleep is a Beautiful Thing

Good morning my beautifuls! Do you wake up and remind yourself that 'human life is precious and meaningful'? It's a great way to start the day! Instead of waking up stressed about what you have to do during the day, give yourself a moment to observe the peacefulness of just waking up. Gently wake yourself, smile softly at the world, and remind yourself that you had enough good karma to have another day on this beautiful planet (not everyone is this lucky you know!) Feel better? I thought so.

We are interdependent not independent.

 Since I'm on a roll here, I'm going to continue with honorable/right intentions. It's something I have been practicing but it is extremely hard!! I guess I can add patience/not getting angry which people love to test! A perfect example is my research. I wake up at 4:45a (the birds aren't evening awake yet!) so I'm out of the house by  5:15a. I'm getting really good at multi-tasking like making my lunch while brushing my teeth while trying to wiggle into my field boots. Or like making coffee and staring at the machine wishing it would just hurry up already.Then I hop in my car to go pick up my research truck. By the way, I feel invincible in that baby! A big F350-Super Duty Trition V10 dually. You wouldn't believe the looks I get :) So now here comes the patience/right intentions/patience/not angry stuff. I'm pretty much on only 3 roads to get me to Plymouth, NC but traffic at 5:30a is slow moving. I'm wanting to put the cruise at 77 and get out there as quickly as possible with nobody getting in my way. As you can guess, that never happens. I try merging onto 40 and everyone is being a butt-head and won't let me in when I'm in an exit only lane. So I practice my not-angry mindset because anger only hurts yourself. The drivers next to me have no idea I'm angry! I also practice right intentions - I tell myself that they may be in a bigger rush than me and that their life is just as important as mine and I let them not let me because I don't want them to be late. BUT.... I am driving a huge truck so if I just slightly merge over, they clear out of the way pretty darn quickly. Another way I practice this is when I'm in the passing lane and someone is stuff behind a slow-moving semi and is trying to change lanes. I slow down enough to let them in (because I know nobody else will and I'm trying to minimize the suffering in their life) so they can go on their merry way. Yes, I'm not booking along at 77 anymore but guess what? I still make it to Plymouth, I'm still alive and breathing, and I'm fortunate enough that I am able to use a vehicle free of charge and not pay $100/day in gas.

Holding hands is the most open display of affection.

So here's a cool story. After 20 hours of hand-harvesting my plots, I am finally finished. Why did it take so long? Because I way busy dodging rain and trying to keep my harvested ears dry so they won't rot before I can do my data analysis. So last week Friday, it was miraculously not raining, although it was a beautiful scorcher at 97 and no clouds. Naturally, my sunscreen didn't work and I was every shade of red you can imagine. Never fear, I had vinegar and it healed pretty quickly! So I managed to harvest all of my Bt trial and part of the fungicide trial on Friday. On Monday, I stopped at my fields to see if I could finish the harvesting. I managed to finish the fungicide trials before it started to rain like it was trying to drown me. So I packed up the truck and drove out to Plymouth to start processing my harvested ears. Tuesday decided it didn't feel like letting me harvest, so I took a drive out to Plymouth again. But Wednesday was nice. Wednesday let me finish harvesting my biocontrol timing x rate plots. I was going to harvest my labmate Megan's plots for her but her field had standing water in it :(  That made me sad because I was out there ready to harvest her plots to save her some time since she is insanely busy in the lab. 

Okay, it's obvious I feel very connected to elephants. We feel big and mighty but compared to an elephant we are tiny and weak. Elephants may be large in size by they are graceful and gentle. We may be small in size but we are harsh and destructive. To me, elephants represent wisdom, kindness, a gentle strength, and respect. I want to incorporate those qualities into my life every second, every opportunity I get. Elephants are a beautiful form of life.

Lesson learned this week: sleep is a beautiful thing. After getting a total of 9 hours of sleep in 3 nights time, I think I'm ready for a good night's rest. But did that happen? Nope. I was up at 4:45 ready to go. I somehow convinced my body it would be a splendid idea if we could get another REM cycle in and it happend! WOOOOOO! As much as it sucks to get very little sleep and then work 18 hours straight...I wouldn't change it for the world. I love my project. I love spending time in my field alone (even though it's pretty creepy out there in the dark)! I love touching plants. I love being outside. I love hopping in my work truck and getting in touch with my inner farmer. I love putting on jeans with a button-down top and some sturdy boots. I love getting sweaty, having corn silks and husks in my hair, grasshoppers and little critters buzzing around my head, and hand harvesting. I love filling up my truck with my harvest. I love the feeling of accomplishment when I look at how much I've done during a day's work in the field. I know there's always more to do and my job is never done, but one day's work beating the rain is something special. I love my advisor Dr. Ron Heiniger and his field tech Leah Boerema. Agronomists and Crop Scientists are great people and I am fortunate enough to be working with two of the most amazing people I could ask for. 

I love how they are both kneeling towards each other as if they both have so much to learn from the other one. I love how they both look so peaceful as if there are no tragedies in the world. I love how they are both beautiful. 

Oh don't get me wrong. Some days I just want to cry in a corner and yell 'I quit' over and over but then I remember why I love my job so much and why I want to continue it in the future. I want to see growers smile after him/her and I figure out what is going on and solve the problem. I want to see growers be successful and harvest a bountiful crop. I want to see growers get excited about what they do and listen to their stories. That is what I want. And if that means working 100 hours a week, getting stuck in traffic, getting sunburned and getting a mouthful gnats, I'm in. You won't ever see me in a bad mood after a day in the field. I mean, how can I be when I'm living my dream? I know for some of you living the dream is winning the lottery and never having to work a day in your life as you sip on mimosas on the beach where the weather is a perfect sunny and 75 everyday. But for me? Winning the lottery is being in the fields, connecting with growers, being in touch with nature, solving the puzzle of how to reduce this pathogen and its toxins. All I need is some climbing and mountains and I'm the richest woman to ever walk this planet.

By the waaaaaaaaaay, Mom and Cheryl will be here in 5 hours. Don't worry the weather is being nice! Just a comfortable 91 and humid :)

Smart is Beautiful

Well howdy folks! I got sick of doing my online classes so I thought I'd take a break and write one of these blog things. You know, because I don't have anything else to do or anything productive like research I should be doing. But that's what evenings are for. I have the lab to myself, I can autoclave whatever I want whenever I want, and can play my music at whichever volume I feel like. So lab and I are having a hot date tonight. Actually, just kidding! It's freezing in lab. I will be dressed up like it's a Wisconsin winter.

Anyways, it's the same old same old with research and being a TA. I sneak out to TRC pretty much every day and climb until my muscles ache. Which means no climbing for Megan tonight. Holding my arms out like a 'T' makes my shoulders scream in agony. I'm guessing that means my last two sessions were awesome. And yes, I sang awesome with jazz hands.

So that's that. Now here comes the cool stuff. Yesterday I was reading a plant pathology journal article on the bus (like the cool kids do) and someone sits next to me. He awkwardly peers over my shoulder to see what I'm reading. He snickers to himself (probably because he couldn't read any of the words). Then he taps my arm to get my attention. I turn to look at him and he tells me 'YOU ARE TOO SMART FOR YOUR OWN GOOD!' Oh jeez, thanks for the insult? So yes, he thought he was being a jerk but he just gave me a big compliment instead :) In honor of that random guy, here are some quotes and pictures of intelligence or intelligent people.