The End in Windsor

So I posted twice in August. Oh well. Sue me.

My last three weeks in Windsor were a complete whirlwind of activity. I finished my research paper, did my research talk, spent five days in Muncie, Indiana, packed up a lab and flew home.

My paper with a supposed three thousand word limit is now complete at around 7500 words. Again, they can't fail me for doing more work than necessary. I assure you it is quality as much as it is quantity. Sharonna edited my paper about three times with a nit comb. In fact, she did so much editing she began to correct herself. A typical conversation on the third edit:
"I don't like this sentence."
"Alright...I'm pretty sure you added that one last time."
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah."
"Well, it's crap. Throw it out. I like this better."
It's always good when your editor starts editing herself. I love Sharonna. She's cool.

My talk went well. My supervisor said my work is almost publishable. Sharonna will gather some more data in a few weeks and if that checks out...I could be a published author sometime early next year! It's kind of exciting. Although I prefer my chicks alive before I count them.

The Germans and I spent five days in Muncie, Indiana eating, sleeping, reading and partying. We arrived just in time for frosh week at Ball State University. It makes sense that these kids party a lot because there is even less to do in Muncie than in Windsor. I never knew such feats were even possible. The highlight was tracking down BSU t-shitrs that read "Ball U" on the front in giant block letters. The endless Indiana corn fields were truly inspiring as well.

Returning to Windsor found me saying goodbyes and helping pack up my lab. I also had to fit all of the stuff I brought in Windsor, plus some, into the same luggage I arrived with. A small feat of Newtonian physics, I managed to fit it all in. I thought I had defeated the Law of Conservation of Mass until I tried to lift my bag and it weighed as much as me. I definitely didn't lose any mass while packing despite my contrary analysis by eyeball spectroscopy. OK I'm done with the exceedingly lame science puns.

I had a really good time in Windsor this summer, all around. I made some really amazing friends, learned a ton, and escaped my old routine for a precious few weeks. I'm happy to be back home, but I certainly will miss my labmates most of all as evidenced by the acknowledgments section of my research report, included here in it's entirety:

Both this summer research project and my time in the Stephan Group have been extremely rewarding for me. For this, I am indebted to a number of people.

First and foremost I would like to thank Professor Doug for welcoming me into his lab at a point when, to me, a glovebox and Schlenk line were merely photographs in a textbook. Thank you also to Diane, UVic Chemistry Co-op Coordinator, without whom I would have been too intimidated to apply to Doug’s group in the first place.

For me, people make the place, and the Stephan Group has a number of good ones. Thanks to everyone in office 375-5 for the good laughs and education into what being a chemistry grad student is actually like. Thank you’s to Jenny and “KY” Yadav for helping me find my chemical way while Sharonna was on vacation and to Thorsten, Andreas, Matthias, and Meghan for all the Wednesday night futbol games, insightful chemistry discussions, awesome road trips, and the weekend goof-offs with invariable Sunday morning hangovers. A big thank you as well to Shamola, Alberto (OK, I’ll postdoc in Spain!) and Sharonna for the awesome Spanish lessons and to fellow undergrads Laura, for always making me smile even when I don’t want to, and Titel, for the trips to the Tigers games! Thank you to Greg, whose “discussions” with Jenny provided limitless entertainment and Preston for his all-around wisdom and irreplaceable sense of humour. I would be remiss in not mentioning Ian, Raj, and Anjan for letting me into the office every morning because I was too lazy to get my own keys, and Osama who shuts off the purge valve on my glovebox whenever I leave it on overnight!

Last, but certainly not least, I must mention again my supervisor, colleague, and friend Sharonna, who has taught me more about doing chemistry in four months than I learned in three years. For teaching me to keep a notebook, Schlenk technique, to maintain the glovebox, run the NMR machine, stay organized in the lab, and for editing this paper, answering all my questions and always having time for random chemistry and non-chemistry chats and walks home, thank you. She is much too smart and works much too hard to not be successful! I am extremely grateful to have had the opportunity to work with her.

A final parting shot to my Stephanite labmates:
One day a Spanish man with an Italian accent went to Malta and said,
"Sometimes I ask myself, What Would Jesus Do? Then I do the opposite, because I don't want to get myself crucified."

Thanks to all who kept up with my blog over the summer. It has been a joy to write and have people respond. A reputation clearly has preceeded me home and reached people I have never even met. Apparently I will be spending the next semester correcting this impression some may have of me....

I plan to keep writing the blog now that I'm home. Those of you non-Victorians, and Victorians alike please continue to tune in. If you have any content suggestions please let me know. I like to write and I hope all of you will continue to read, faithfully as ever.