No promises

The pressure is on peeps. There is a slight but real possibility that I could graduate this semester, and as such, I am spending my days all consumed with, dun dun dun -(insert looming melody)-,

Dissertation LaFleur. 

Well, I have also been reading the Hunger Games trilogy, but that is mostly just cutting into my sleep time. Anyhow, I am not likely going to be posting much on BLOG LaFleur in the next couple of months, since I will be busy working/thinking/writing/revising and the like. I will be sure to pick back up by the time a) my work levels off, or b) something interesting happens.

Right now, my routine is very boring, though functional. I go to school and work here:

Yes, that is a torso in the background.

And then I go "home" to my empty apartment and work here:

Note lack of torso(s).

I do enjoy being alone sometimes, but living alone is not for me. Out of desperation, I drew a face on my humidifier and named him "Stanley."  The mustache is supposed to make him look manly, but I'm not sure it working for him. I may need to go with a full beard.

Stanley, the manly humidifier, and my only companion.

Alright, I'm now going back to Dissertation LaFleur, and look forward to having a life again, when she is done. At some point. I'll let you know, but can make no promises...

Marn-face

You know how most people know when a photo is about to be taken and they make a nice face? Somehow, I struggle with that. I try, but as soon as the trying starts, its all over and I end up looking like I'm experiencing significant bowel pain and a mini-stroke. If Ron is trying to take my picture, he has to say something funny and/or stupid in order to get me to look like a normal I-know-how-to-smile-for-a-photo type human. Anyhow the "Marn-face" was dubbed by some very astute field school students, after picking up on my near inability to make a normal smiley face for a photo. The Marn-face is neither flattering, nor something that I am proud of. It just is. Marn-face.

A good example of Marn-face, with a coconut.

The holotype Marn-face, with a coconut. I don't know why I have so many chins. 

Demonstrations of Marn-face.
I only look normal because I had no idea of what was going on.

More demonstrations of Marn-face.

New Year's Eve, sneaky, Marn-face.

NO Marn-face! If I am genuinely smiling, Marni-face stays at bay.

Thanks to MacKenzie Smith for the horrible pics.

Later.

Home again

Keeping Sweetie happy. 

Ahh... I am back in San Diego again. My time in Costa Rica was good, albeit super busy and mostly without internet. The last few days were "field trip" and I don't mind saying that they were pure awesome. I went on a boat ride to an animal rehab/sanctuary where I got to groom a spider monkey and hold a baby sloth. The spider monkey, aka "Sweetie," had a monkey group but was low ranking and preferred to solicit humans for grooming. Sweetie would grab your hand, point to a spot, and expect you to get cracking. Adorable. There were lots of other animals such as scarlet macaws, kinkajous, and peccaries, but once you've groomed a spider monkey and held a 3 week old sloth, meh. There was a flowering tree that was littering all these pink petals and the ground below was carpeted in hot pink loveliness. I had to sit for a few minutes to just enjoy the pink. And the beach was unreal. It felt like a movie set or something. Crystal clear water, white sand, palm trees and rain forest. WOW. I'd like to go back next christmas and volunteer for a month. We'll just keep that under wraps for now though, as my sweet husband might actually murder me. In the boat on the way back, we encountered and watched spotted dolphins frolick and work on bait balls. Not too shabby.

Pink flower petals.

Chillin in the petals.

Sweetie.

A little dolphin action.

We then traveled to Drake Bay for an entire day of relaxation and beach/alone time. Ahh... I normally spend a fair amount of time alone and so some down time after nearly 3 weeks with others was great. The next day was yet another boat ride, but this time we were snorkeling. I don't know what to say other than it was amazing and the best snorkeling I've ever seen. Crystal clear blue-green water, every kind of tropical fishy, sharks, and beautiful corals. Bathwater warm. There were some stinging jellyfish which weren't that kind to my backside, but what's a few nematocysts in the big picture? After that I went to Isla del Cano, which in case you didn't know, is where Jurrasic park was filmed. I didn't see any dinosaurs, but I am pretty sure I heard one. For certain. Following snorkel and beach time, it was time for more snorkeling, which was again, fantastic. At one point, I was surrounded by hundreds of  iridescent rainbow striped fish and could see nothing but them and the clear blue sea. I love it!

Snorkel monster.

The boat ride out went through Cental America's largest magrove forest, which included sightings of crocodiles, scarlet macaws (yawn, those were totally on my front porch daily at forest camp), howler monkeys, and got to chill and watch a large group of capuchin monkeys play. Seriously. I was like, "is this for shiz?" They were flipping and chasing and hanging and biting. Oh and running for an ultra quick dip in the crocodile infested waters, so that they could grab a drink. A great end to a fantastic day.

mmm...

Right, well if you are currently nauseated by my idealic adventures, wait a day. I will be back to being crotchedy and complaining tomorrow, when I fly to Colorado. FML.

I have very few pics of my own (recall the robbery and my lack of camera equipment), but I will post a few of my own, and some from others as I get them. Oh, and I'll have to introduce "Marnface" eventually.


Later.