We adopted a dog for 3hrs

Wednesday afternoon we drove to Austin to pick up a new part of our family.  His name was Rocky, and we though he was perfect.

First thing we did was take give him a good bath, he smell like the pound and had crap on him.  Then we took him over to my parents house so he could meet Stricker, my parents' Golden Retriever.  Well it didn't work out so well.  He attack and bit Stricker, multiple times.  Ray's parents have a Golden.  And our roommate has a dog as well.  We could not adopt a dog that didn't like another dogs.  Also he attacked his refection in the mirror, multiple times.

So three hours after getting, we dropped him back off at the pound.  Had to lock him up in a cage and leave him whimpering.  It wasn't easy, of course I cried.  But we can't have a dog that doesn't like other dogs :(.  So now we have all this dog shit and no dog!  We have decided we are going to adopt a rescue Golden Retriever that is between 2 and 3 year old, he better like car rides to Austin.

To get a dog or not to get a dog, that is the question.

I know it may seem a little impulsive that Ray and I might have a dog by the middle of this week. But that is how we do things.

Ray and I have talked about getting a pet especially since our roommate who has a dog will be moving in May, but it was never serious. We considered a cat, but I am not a real fan of them, I want something that actually pays attention to me and knows its name. And I am pretty sure I am allergic to cats. A dog is really what we wanted. Both of our parents have Golden Retrievers, which is what Ray and I always thought we would get and of course it would be a puppy. But in the stage of our life I don't think we could handle a Golden Retriever, let alone a Golden Retriever puppy. So when ever I would seriously consider getting a dog I would talk myself out of it.

Once I started considering a dog that wasn't a Golden Retriever or a puppy, it made me realize maybe we could handle this. Financially Ray and I are a lot better than 3 months ago, the wedding is over with and paid for and we have finished paying my parents back. Also I started noticing a lot of our friends with full time jobs have dogs and some even live in apartments. So on Saturday morning I decided we were doing this!

We went looking at the Town Lake Animal Shelter on Sunday, this was not serious looking just seeing what they had. We had looked at all the dogs except for like the last 10 and there he was! His name is Rocky, he is about 5 years old, and he is a corgi mix. He has nice longish hair, which I noticed not too many dogs in the pound have. He is owner surrendered, his past owners were too old and sick to take care of him so he should be pretty laid back. Ray and I need a laid back dog, we are laid back people. So Monday morning we called to confirm that we will adopt him! We still have a few days to back out, but I don't think we will be.

Crunching Numbers

So I am back to working during the day. I actually have been waking up early these past few days, it is really weird. When I say early, I mean before 9 which is early for me. Today I actually woke up at 6:45 and started taking care of things around the house. I am really excited about going to Austin this weekend, finally a break for this hell hole called Aggieville. I really need a massive amount of alcohol ASAP based on how this past couple of weeks have been going.

At work I have been crunching numbers trying to understand what the heck is going on with my groups experiment. I just sit looking at excel spreadsheets doing nothing for half an hour, then an idea pops into my head I work for like 15 minutes and then it just repeats. Nothing is really working the way we expected, but whatever I guess that is science for you.

The Olympics have been interesting. For someone who really isn't that physically coordinated it is amazing to see what people can do with their bodies. Especially the skiers considering I have never gotten past the bunny slopes.

Trying to Fix my Sleep Schedule

So it is about 4 in the morning and I am in up sitting in bed trying to switch my sleep schedule back.

Today I was at the cyclotron until about 10:30am, the experiment is over. I came home and was asleep by noon. My PI promised the whole group and significant others a steak dinner at Texas Roadhouse when the experiment was over. It was at 6pm, which is really too early in my mind to be eating dinner but whatever. So waking up after only 5ish hours of sleep was not easy. Ray really wanted us to bail and I am so glad we didn't. Of course we ran late getting to the restaurant, but really only by 10 minutes. So we were 2 minutes away from the restaurant and I get a text from my PI asking if I forgot about the dinner. I responded "Sorry, running a little late". When we got there he is waiting all by himself. The other two group member really did FORGET! So our table for six turned into a table for three, I felt so bad. What graduate student forgets about a free meal, let alone one that your boss invites you to. Overall the dinner was nice, there really wasn't too much awkward silence once I started drinking my margarita. My PI really hates ice, he got his margarita on the rocks without rocks.

Came home at passed out before 10 watching TV.

Last Day of Beam Time

Back at the cyclotron for one last day of beam time. This experiment has overall been going alright. We should have enough good data to write an article. Finally I would be a published scientist. Just thinking about this makes me so excited!

So how did my Valentine's Day go, well it started off with leaving the cyclotron from my Saturday night over night shift at 9am. Ray and I decided to celebrate Valentine's Day in the morning by having a yummy breakfast at Denny's. Then the crazy scientist in me wanted to go back to the cyclotron to talk to my PI about the experiment. This also gave Ray a chance to buy me flowers and white chocolate covered strawberries, which was very sweet. I love being married! I feel bad saying this and I love white chocolate, but regular chocolate covered strawberries are better. After all that we finally got into bed around one to get some sleep for our night shifts.

Woke up around 9pm and it was cyclotron time.

Stuck at the Cyclotron

I have decided to start writing a blog. Mainly because I have gotten somewhat addicted to reading other peoples' blog and I think it is unfair to read blogs without having one of my own for other people to read. Hopefully this will give me something to do, Ray says I don't have enough hobbies.

So where am I on a Saturday night at 12:50am? Sitting in the cyclotron babysitting an experiment. Where was I Friday night? Sitting in the cyclotron babysitting an experiment. I have been working on the night schedule since Monday of this week, and I can't stand it. I don't know how Ray does it week after week at his job. I am supposed to be in Austin right now having fun, but graduate school got in my way.

A couple of days ago Ray and I drove about 30 minutes to see snow in Hearne, TX. I didn't realize I was driving in snow until turned back into rain. We ended up eating at a Pizza Hut in Hearne before turning back. There was snow on the ground, so it was worth it. I am still very jealous of the people in Dallas with their foot of snow and the 3 inches Houston got in December. Winter is not over yet, so I can still hope. Snow still makes me feel as excited as it did when I was a kid, but thats what you get with you live in the south your whole life.