Getting my rocks off . . .

This past Saturday I said goodbye to dear old State for the last time. After four wonderful years in Happy Valley (and $28,000 in debt), I am officially a college graduate with a Bachelor of Science in Geosciences. While some of my peers are off to reap the benefits of their new college degrees via high-paying jobs, I am joining the ranks of the poor and the sleepless - I will be a graduate student.

I will be heading down to Virginia Tech (insert gasp) June 14th to begin research on my thesis. As of right now, I know that it will a) be in Alaska, b) have something to do tectonics, and c) will include fluvial geomorphology (the study of surface processes). I am currently planning on going straight into a Ph.D program, which means I will be in the Blacksburg area for the next 5 years. Here's hoping I can pass the comprehensive exams!

I spent this past Memorial Day weekend at Rouse's Roost with my grandma, Cherie, Kathy, and Sean. Sean and I transported the fire pit from the front to the backyard, and it now sits happily where the original Roost fire pit once stood. Kathy ran a blood pressure clinic Sunday, and I found out my blood pressure was 140/90 - not good! I'll be calling the Dr.'s office later in the week to check on this. Markus and Hannah came to visit Monday for a quick hike at Chapman's Dam. We were blessed on our Memorial Day hike by the presence of both a bald eagle and a real live US soldier, which I consider to be equivalent to seeing Jesus on Christmas (or at least a passing satellite that looks like Rudolph).