RBOC: Rainy Day Edition

• Its a rainy chilly Saturday here at SouthLite and b has to work. I'm wearing old sweatpants, a fleece and some flipflops (soon to be replaced with socks). I'm planning a full day of writing and grading papers with a big pot of coffee by my side.
• I'm such a nerd that the above bullet sounds exciting to me. I don't know why I love my work so much but I often plan whole days with it the way others might plan to slip away with a lover.
• NIH has issued "challenge grants" as part of the economic stimulus package. Last week I decided I'd write one. They are due on April 27th. I may be insane.
• I've pulled a great team together for the grant. This was actually pretty easy since everyone knew they should be writing one but no one wanted to take the lead.
• Writing NIH grants was a huge part of my life for many years but I've yet to do one in SouthLite. I definitely have a love-hate relationship with them.
• Camping was great. We went right after I decided to write the grant and that gave me some quiet time to collect my thoughts on it.
• This was my first kayak camping expedition. We only went for one night but are planning a longer trip after the semester. We paddled to an island in the middle of a lake. No one was there but a mess of deer.
• I really prefer the ocean.
• Angel spent the week on his first backpacking trip. He's not back yet so I don't know how it went but I remember my backpacking days in my late teens. It was my first experience of truly getting away to nature and I loved it. I loved hefting a weight on my back. I loved making it to the top of a climb; taking it off and enjoying the view. I loved having to be efficient with all that you do. I hope he loved it too.
• b has slowly been getting bad news about his brother. We found out he has colon cancer a few weeks ago. Surgery was successful but now tumors have been found in his brain. Information is still coming out piecemeal and he appears to be refusing any aggressive treatment. b is being a wonderful brother and son (I do feel the worst for his mother) but would like to be able to do something. It is hard to come to grips with the fact that all you can really do is be there when someone needs you.