Sometimes It Actually Pays To Go Into the Office

I went in today for my Annual Review meeting with my Department Head. Before the meeting I overheard him speaking with the Department Secretary about the difficulty they were having spending money. One of the many nice things about my office location is that it is both out of the fray but also where the action is. I get to overhear some interesting tidbits now and again.

I, jokingly, offered to help them with this problem and now I'll be getting a new 23-inch monitor and a snazzy printer (I currently use the shared one out in the main office).

My review went very well. He didn't have much to say except "keep doing what you're doing" and then we discussed department politics. My DH is stepping down at the end of the month and he will be sorely missed in this role.

The day continued on a high note when I met a potential collaborator from a different department for coffee. I had contacted her because I thought our research interests might overlap in way that would be beneficial to both of us. Not only do they overlap quite nicely but I also really liked her and we ended up talking for several hours without even noticing the time.

I'm feeling very psyched about both my current and future research endeavors and totally enjoying the summer.