Memorial Day Weekend

For Memorial Day weekend.. well, Saturday, we went to Muir Woods! There are Redwoods there and lots of hiking trails. Overall a good trip. This picture is hilarious. It looks like I'm picking a wedgie and trying to look inconspicuous but I'm really trying to hide the bag of trail mix I'm holding while getting distracted by a couple walking by.
Here is Derrick being eaten by a Redwood!..
So anyway, about 2 more weeks of classes, 7 things remaining on my to-do list for the quarter and I am done! I always say that like I'm really done when in reality it just starts all over again, but you gotta have short term goals or everything will get overwhelming.

Garden Update: There are flowers on my tomato bushes!! flowers = future tomatoes!! Last week I had a slight emergency - cucumber beetles were eating up my cucumbers, beans and sunflowers. It was kinda depressing b/c I didn't have time to deal with it until Friday and everytime I came to water there was more and more damage. But I got some row covers on everything Friday morning and things seem to be recovering. My salad greens seem to especially like the row cover. They have been growing like crazy. I tried to eat some tonight but they were way bitter. I think I need to pick younger leaves or something. Maybe they get to hot under the cover..?

PhD

Oh man, I found this really funny comic strip. Its called Piled Higher and Deeper (PhD) - about graduate student life. Here is one of my favorites.

And here is a cool picture (I think its cool at least):

Today I had a soil microbiology test and I think I did well! I definitely should have taken this class before I took the micro 200 class last quarter. I got all the details in 200 and had know idea what they really meant. Now I am getting the big picture and putting all the details together- lots of 'oohh thats what that is' moments.

It saddens me to think that everyone else (non-CA) is already done with classes and I am only 1/2 way through the quarter! booo!

Time for lab cleaning!

Metric Century

This past weekend was the Wine Country Century Bike ride! Derrick and I left for Santa Rosa Friday evening, checked in for the ride and arrived at our campground around sun down. We set up our tent real quick, ate dinner and then went to sleep. We are old and boring ;). And we also had a 62 mile bike ride in the morning.
We overslept but still managed to get to the ride on time. It was absolutely beautiful. Mountains and vineyards, woods, cool old bridges...
The ride wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. My legs held up surprisingly well. My neck and my butt were definitely in the most pain at the end of the ride. At around 9 miles from the end there is a huge hill. Well, it seemed huge at that point. You go up and see a curve so you think - maybe its over at the curve! Nope. I got around the curve and there was just more hill :) But I made it all the way up without stopping or dying! The rest stops were my favorite part :) There was fruit and cookies and chocolate and sandwiches, water and gatorade - very well supported.

On a deeper note, I'm so lonely! I am having such a hard time making friends out here on another planet (as my mom calls it ;) ). I have lab people but they are either 1-male 2-married 3- both 4-already have there established set of friends. Not that I have anything against being friends with male married people but I live with a male married person and he is plenty for me thanks :) I am trying to get Derrick convinced on going to a young couples sunday school class but he is not convinced yet. Maybe I should just start asking random people "will you be my friend?" ;) So anyway, for you praying people out there, pray that I will find some female, christian friends! please :)