Dead(ly) Week is just around the corner and finals loom in the distance. I'm actually more concerned about the projects than finals right now, however.

A few recent events:

Math club hike. I'm not sure where exactly we went, but it made for an enjoyable hike up a steep hill in very hot weather. To finish off the afternoon, we fired a cannon (huzzah for eccentric math professors).

Rock climbing. Mikey and I went out Sunday for a full day of climbing at Spring Mountain. The morning was a little drizzly which meant nobody else was out climbing. On the upside, we had unrestricted access to any climb we wanted. On the downside, the rock was mossy, damp and we had to be extra careful since we were far away from any help. Very scary climbing, but also quite good. I led a couple nice trad routes too :)
School. I found out I should get two big grants next year for school which takes off a bit of financial pressure. Chuck and I got our radio working this week which was a huge relief (the major project for Electronics 2). I'm also all geared up for my UK Tour! All the tickets are bought and we had our last meeting. Next time we are all together will be at Paddington station in 4 weeks!

Other news: I updated my links (removed some old ones and added new ones). Mum started a blog! Check out Musings by Melody under blogs to the right - expect pictures from Costa Rica soon. As long as you are looking over there, take a look at other blogs and sites. For example:
Black Heart Glitter Moments
Couch Surfing
Toothpaste for Dinner

Friends and family, I'm behind on blogging yet again. It seems rather common these days, unfortunately.

Several weeks ago, I had a surprise visit from Renee, Devon, and Shanna! She's an adorable little kid as you might guess from the picture below. Apparently she was rather docile after being awake for an unusually long time (not too unlike fellow classmates I know). Behind us, you can see the aftermath of some Putnam study sessions. Speaking of math, I added a math degree to my education which means I will graduate in December '09 if all goes well.

The BIGGEST news is that Michelle graduated from nursing school!! I was fortunate enough to fly out for the weekend and witness it all in person. We celebrated with family, ate out several times, and helped move her out of the dorm housing. I also got to say hi to some old friends as well as Claudia, Shelley, Jon, Chris, and a few others. I wasn't so keen on flying back to school - especially with a backlog of homework, grading, and projects.
Here is Michelle's awesome family (Jenny, Kris, Michelle, David, Michael) and the prized diploma. I'll get one too eventually, from what I'm told. Jenny is due in a few months which will be pretty exciting. Michelle and I will both have nieces it sounds like.
After the hectic day of ceremonies, family, and moving furniture, Michelle and I had a few hours to escape for a short ice cream date in Lincoln. We explored a nearby train station and got some photos near sunset. The shadows are a bit extreme, but I think the photo turned out well anyway.
We watched a movie and barely had time for a nap before leaving for the airport at 4ish AM. As usual, it was not pleasant saying goodbye but I'm thankful for the time I did get to celebrate a milestone with a great friend. Not just a great friend - an amazing girlfriend that I adore (and miss already)!