Month 1, and a retraction.

I'm beginning this during office hours. I don't think anyone else is coming, though there are a few who really should. But I have a real office now with a desk and a door and everything. And desks for the two other people that I share it with. So, far it's worked out pretty well. The lab is still in chaos. Moving to our new space is still being delayed until the countertops are replaced. With what, I do not know. I'll get to start my first round of experiments soon, once all the protocol paperwork has been approved. I will say that it's an immunohistochemical study of immediate early gene expression, mostly to impress you, but not to bore you with technical details. I helped get the outdoor owls ready for impending winter. They have new owl boxes and heat lamps, and they seem pretty please with the additions. The great part of this is that my role was holding the ladder, while my adviser climbed the ladder and maneuvered the owl boxes into place. This is funny when you realize that my adviser is about 5-feet tall and generally very tiny. The South African accent enhances this effect.

Classes are pleasant and helpful. It seems that I spend most my time reading for those classes and for lab.

Amazingly enough, I'm really enjoying the teaching aspect of my job. My students are, for the most part, smart and responsible and generally pleasant. There's a couple that need to get their acts together, but hopefully that will change.

One Andrea DenHoed graced me with her presence last week. That was probably the most exciting thing that's happened to me thus far.

The weather here is fantastic. It's been in the mid-60s to mid-70s.

I've acquired houseplants. They appear to be happy.

There are some very good possibilities for a permanent church home.

The quest for a non-Starbucks coffee shop is still floundering. There's one that's very promising, but it's being remodeled (after a fire, I believe). I have found a sweet bookshop though, and that does allay my distress a bit.

I learned a new word: tokogenesis. You should look it up.

I still feel like this is just an extended vacation some days.

I've uploaded some photos to thefacebook. Take a look. The stories will be visually enhanced.

Retraction: My classmates/colleagues are not as normal as I thought. Thank God. They're actually pretty great. And they (sometimes) laugh at my jokes.

Peace.