under the gun

crazy crazy weeks. but hopefully that will end this coming week and i can actually just stop and breathe and maybe do a load of laundry...or two...

on tuesday i submit my grant proposal and then i just have to let it go and make my research trip plans. i have three different sets of plans right now which are:

i get the grant, i get the collecting permit: i go to mexico for six months and finish in spring of 2007

i don't get the grant but i get the collecting permit: i go to mexico for 3 months in summer and finish in the winter of 2007

i don't get the grant and i don't get the permit: i go to mexico for 3 months in spring and finish the end of fall 2006

i haven't explored the "i get the grant but i don't get the permit" scenario because i don't think i could handle it emotionally lol

and i'm toying with the possibility of going for six months anyway if i get the permit but not the grant...i mean i'm already dead broke what's a little more broke gonna do? besides, like i always say, i have so much credit card debt from school and research, if i die now, i win!

just kidding...

so, tonight, monday and tuesday are my last chances to polish this grant and turn it in. THEN i'm heading to Monterey Thursday for a conference and i'm soooo stoked. it's the Western Society of Naturalists (http://www.wsn-online.org/) and it's one of my favorites. most of the talks are marine talks A LOT of them are fish talks. i'm just hella sad because last time the conference was held in monterey they had one of their social events inside of the aquarium after hours. it rocked. well, what i could remember of it...lol. it was awesome because it was one of those nights you would NEVER plan for but it just goes all night with the non-stop spontaneity and drinking and walking and being lost and laughing and a PHAT 4 am breakfast with an 7 o'clock wake up call in the morning and a looooooong drive home.

totally worth it