I did an absolutely terrible job of prepping last week for my planned absence. I knew I was going to a conference from Tuesday through Friday and just… ran out of time to write blogs in my epic lack of preparation. So what I did do was go to a primate people conference in Bend, Oregon which was an amazing choice because it’s delicious and full of good beer and beautiful.
Our road trip there was made a teeeennnsy weensy bit (approximately 20%) longer due to Google Maps/navigator error (depending on if you ask the navigator) and I ended up driving through some absolutely beautiful alpine meadows and high Sierra and national forests and it was gorgeous.
It must be so unpleasant to live near Mt Shasta….
Bend itself was also gorgeous — green and lush and riverine and full of promising beer menus. I got to hang out with my friends from grad school who have since departed, and attend a bunch of talks related to my research interests. I’m super pumped to work on my thesis again now! Hanging out around scientists and going to talks always gets me stoked on science again. So that is awesome.
I left the conference early to head to one of my best friends’ weddings in Monterey which was amazing and beautiful in and of itself. This is one of my first friends to get married and it’s so awesome to see your friends so happy. And seriously, the bride was gorgeous. And the groom was super handsome. The ceremony was perfect — light and cheerful and full of love. And the party. Oh my god. I danced so much my calves are killing me today. I’ve never had sore calves from riding but yet jumping up and down for hours on end will, apparently, make them sore.
I’m a little freaked out that Murray had such a big vacation right before the show, but he did get a couple of rides from friends. This week is my last week to do any prep, so that will be, uh… interesting. Well, what I really hope is that it’s not interesting and just goes really smoothly.
Zen and the Art of Baby Horse Management 