Bottleneck

Lately, it seems that I'm fairly harried. I've been teaching lately, and since it's the dreaded U word (undergrads!) there's homework and grading involved. It's a nice bit of income, and it hasn't gone as horrible as I've thought it would. Though I've had one or two problem students. But between everything, and writing grants, and dealing with three (count 'em, three) independent government agencies, it feels like I never get any work done. I did get one (2nd author) paper off to Proc.Ro.So., which for those of you in the know, is a big deal™, but I had to send in my edits while I as high on pain killers after some oral surgery. I advise against that. I've got a paper that's 99% to be sent to PLOS One, just as soon as I get outside review on it. Any population ecologists want to read over a molecular paper?

Between all this, I've not had much of a personal life. When I have some spare time I've been playing bits and pieces of a computer game. Hockey will slowly increase to fill that gap as the regular season grinds on. Right now the games just don't matter. Now that I'm back in the Goldstream valley, it'll be nice to pop over to the valley bar on the odd night. But things have been depressingly un-social. Yet another bunch of people I knew moved out of town while I was in the field; I guess that's the nature of a transient town like Fairbanks. I guess I need more career-professional-adult friends who have some stability to them. Where do you find those?

I actually like Google Plus more than facebook. But no one is on it. What's with that?

I've got some seriously bad Karma. I must have punched out the pope in a previous life. That's about the only explanation that makes sense at this point. Because the shit keeps coming.

The most recent issues started with my house. I was starting to get into bed, when I noticed something was a bit funny. A few moments later, I realized it's because my bed was covered with ice. You see, the roof is a hot roof (that is, there's no air gap between the inside of the cabin and the snow), and keeping the cabin above freezing resulted in some meltage. This moved through the roof, which was improperly installed (even for a hot roof) and ran down the wall, where it pooled. There, it mixed with the cold air from the many air leaks I have in the cabin, to freeze. I had to sleep on the couch (and I still am). My landlord was less than helpful. He informed me that a) that sounds like a personal problem, and b) he's raising my rent. I told him I was moving. It was all I could not to punch him. Even now, thinking about it, it makes me angry.

So, I went cabin shopping. I transfered some money into my checking account to cover the usual 1st+last+deposit that most landlords want. And all was well. I had a lead on a really nice cabin, you see. But then, this morning, while I'm enjoying my day off, I do my usual check into my banking account. And it was looted. Someone made two huge purchase at some stores, and made off with the rest. So, instead of skiing today, I've spent the day fighting with the bank to get the stuff closed, and the police report filed.

I'm ready to just give up. I can't keep a truck running - it keeps dying on me. I had to deal with being unemployed for several months. A friend and mentor died. I seriously injured my foot. I hit a moose, and total my truck. I get the shittiest landlord known to man. I get robbed. And the depressing thing? I know I'm actually missing a thing or two from this list of never-ending shit. The last year and change have been so rotten than I literally can't remember all the shitty things that have happened.

I'm some sort of idiot, for letting my friends talk me into going south for the Alaskan Beer and Barleywine Festival. I recognize that now, and I've come to terms with my own cognitive shortcomings. Anywhere else in the world, 400 miles is a bit far to go for a fun weekend, especially by car, but I drove on down to spend time with friends and try new beers - Somewhere, I have a piece of papers with my ratings on them, if I can find it. It was a good time time.

The problems started on the way home, when a pair of moose decided to step into the road that I was trying to use, on the way home the next day. I swerved to avoid one moose, only to smash into the second. The airbags didn't deploy, but I think I saved my own neck (literally) when I put my head in a brace position. The poor moose died on impact, and my truck was clearly totalled. I'm not sure how long it was before I got help, but it didn't feel that long. The troopers were responding to something else, though, and couldn't get to me. The wrecker was 2 hours out, also. So I hitched a ride to Healy after telling the troopers, because it was -35°F. Natively, not because of wussy wind chill (Yes, I'm watching comments about the 'snowpocolypse' with some amusement, here). 

Anyhow, enter the insurance company. I informed them the day of, and got the forms all signed, and waited. And waited... more waiting... at this point I'm starting to get a bit pissed off. I call back in week 2, and they inform me tersely that things are moving along. And I do some more waiting. Not having a truck is a major PITA out here. I'm down to eating hotdogs and canned beans, and I'd run out of water for a while there. I got so tired of drinking beer with dinner, but lacked any alternative short of coffee (which is what you need before bed!). On top of that, I have a permit to go hunt moose, but that's been thrown out of whack because I can't get to the trailhead in a timely fashion. Oh, and I started the new job, which means I have somewhere to be on a regular basis.

I'd negotiated a good deal on a new truck, but got caught waiting for the effing insurance to catch up. Someone else bought the vehicle while I was waiting, go figure. I'll console myself with the knowledge that one of the blower motors was going to go in the truck, but it doesn't help me much. Right now, I'm waiting for folks to update their inventory lists so I can begin my search anew. This thursday, I'll finally get to pick up a cheque for the vehicle.

Unless something else goes wrong. At the rate this last year's been going...

I'm starting to get back to work (start new job next week). Luckily, I know how long this will last.

I sewed a new hat. This one is made of otter, and I've been wearing it around town. I've got a ton of compliments on it.

I pulled a Minto Flat moose permit. We scouted the north side of the area on Monday, but saw little moose sign. I snowshoed a short distance, only to be totally winded after a quarter mile. I am completely out of shape.

Doctor said the foot looks good, and that the pain I'm feeling comes from nerve damage. Saw the X-rays, and most of the sharp pointy bits are blunt. Lots of good healing. Won't do any surgery. The difference between this and the last X-rays is like night and day.

However, I've also checked my weight. Holy mackerel, I've packed some weight on. Did I mention I'm out of shape?

In that case, I'd turn the horse around and use it as a flamethrower.

That's from QI. I explain nooothing.

I'm feeling kind of worn down and generally blue - S.A.D. no doubt. I've found out my desk lamp that I've had for ages is not actually a desk-lamp, but a full spectrum light for S.A.D. That's helping a bit, but I'm looking forward to going to the deep south (Anchorage) for a vacation. I'm looking forward to seeing various and sundry friends, and getting some culture. But tomorrow we have a Masters' defence, and an early solstice party. I'm not looking forward to post-vacation, since most of the friends will be out of fairbanks yet again this winter. :p

As part of the rehabilitation from the injury, I was encouraged to pick up something safe that would get me out and being active. After all, bone growth is stimulated by mechanical loading. I've decided that I want to try and learn how to ski, to get back into shape and to encourage the bone to finally heal already. I asked both my doctor, and my PT, and they were both supportive of the idea. In particular, my friend suggested I join the little Biathlon team they're putting together.

Today was the first race of the club, and we were definitely feeling things out. I had decided based off my skiing yesterday that I wouldn't do the full course, but go for a bit and then call it good. The total course was around 15 km, and I did around 5 km skiiing to the range and doing the warm up loop. I only did one shooting bout, where I was 0 for 5 at 50 m. This isn't surprising, since I need to get used to shooting open sights again - I took off my scope when I realized the scope rails were so loose that I had 3 inches deviation at 25 m. Crazy! I'm back to iron sights on my 10/22 now. I might get peep sights. Or I might re-mount the scope and use some loctite on the screws. I'm fairly indifferent to which way I go at this point. Most of the hunting I do is under 25 m anyhow. The skiing went dang well, though, and aside from me being out of shape (undeniable; I am worn out!), nothing really held me back. Not even the skiing, and I can still count the number of times I've x-country skied before.

I feel pretty good about this. Skiing is something I can do over lunch, since campus is loaded with ski trails. In addition, there's these little races to encourage me to keep at it. And it was fun. I looked into buying my own skis at the ski swap, but the race ran so late that by the time I got to the ski swap, all the good stuff was gone. C' est la vie. There's always Craigslist. In the interim, I've rented a pair of skis, and I can periodically borrow some from friends. Obviously, I should get some of my own preferably on the cheap.

In addition, I need to be on the lookout for moose. There's an archery season from 21st to the 25th, and while I can't shoot one myself (no bow, nor bow permit), I know someone who can and would like to. And I'm sure I can get some meat in the mix if I help him out. ;)

Anyhow, the plus side of all this is I've now met my exercise recommendations for two weeks running, now. I hope this gets me back into shape after 3 months of taking it easy. Oh, and I hope it gets my foot knitted back together by Jan!

I think I might use some of my vacation time for its god given purpose - namely, vacating. Apparently, most people don't use vacation to work even more. How weird is that?

Of course, there's the minor issue of 'anywhere from Fairbanks is pricey.' I need to figure out where I can vacate to on the super cheap.

Of course, I'm using writing this post as a way to stall on writing the two grants, two reviews, and respond to reviewer comments like I'm supposed to this weekend. It doesn't help that someone is playing the feed to the AFN conference so dang loud I can hear the songs inside my cabin, but I'm sure I'd be just as distractable if it wasn't annoying me.

I'm convinced that Physical Therapists are actually closeted torturers. I've been going x2 times a week to get the ol' foot back into fighting shape, and besides yelling at me for limping (it feels less bad.) they do this massage thing that is not at all comfortable, and have me do exercises that hurt more than the actual axe-in-the-foot bit. Today, they reinforced my foot with a wad of tape which only makes new parts of my foot ache instead of the old ones.

I think PTs are sekritly evil people. Oh, sure, they claim that it hurts now so I don't hurt later, but that's what an evil person would say!

So, having netflix, I have an oppertunity to finally see the end of Battlestar Galatica season 4. Heck, I even avoided spoilers all this time. Yet somehow, I can't be brought to give a damn about Battlestar.

Sound I bother? Did it end on an semi-okay note? Or should I just start with Dexter Season 2?

Oh, hi, is this thing on? Tap tap. Hello! It's been a while since I updated this, so it might be a good time to give a general update about what's been going on. Let's go back... 2 months? Sure!

Well, I got out in the field twice this year, the first time was a while ago, in August. It involved me getting on a 30ish foot landing craft in Glacier Bay National Park and zooming around to collect bear hair, record tracks, and do physical observation of bear. Wow, was it fun. NPS has a very different management culture than I'm used to, and they have a different philosophy on a couple of issues. I also found myself in the strange position of having to justify Intensive Management, when I'm don't work for state Fish and Game. Still, we got past all that, and I had a great time! I took a few hundred photos, and I've been posting them periodically to my other blog.

When I got back to Fairbanks, I was told my budget has more budgetary issues - the bane of my existence. It seems my grant will run out sooner than expected, so to cover some of the in-between time, I got loaned out to another professor to help with smolt surveys in Eagle, Alaska. It was pretty neat - the project was in the News Miner and everything. Work consisted of waking up at Oh-My-God in the morning and setting Fyke Nets in the Yukon. We'd repeat that 3 times a day, motoring up and down the Yukon to do so. I spent a good chunk of time driving a jet boat, and wow driving a boat with a helm is different! It took a while to get used to.

Part of the problem I had in Eagle was that the waders I was using weren't mine, and were full of holes. That'd mean I got pretty wet each time I went to drop the gear in the river. Not fun, especially how cold the air and water was getting. We were patching holes up with ducttape, which worked pretty good. But it was like a game of wak-a-mole, where you sealed up 2 holes, to find you missed a 3rd. And applying ducttape to gortex or neoprene requires the material to be dry. So, there I was, chopping wood to dry out my gear and seal up the holes so I wasn't lugging water around in my waders. 95% of the wood was wet and sappy, and I whaled on it forever without making progress. I then grabbed one of the 5% that was dry, and I put far too much swing into it. My axe went straight through, off a knot, and straight into my right foot. D'oh! >.<

Well, I got "Medical Care" in Eagle, and I was trying to walk off the injury so I could get back into the River ASAP. However, my foot was getting more and more swollen, bits were getting black, and the "Medic" was not thrilled about how things were looking. Two days later, with things looking worse, I got on a plane and went back to Fairbanks to see a proper Doctor. There, they told me that in addition to the cut, I had smashed up some bones pretty badly, and I needed surgery. Now. So, I got sent to a Orthopaedic surgeon who re-arranged his schedule for me. However, I found out the surgery he wanted to do was to fight an infection we didn't know was there. Normally what happens when someone hits themselves with an axe is they wash out the wound with antibiotics heavily, then stitch the wound closed, and then give more IV antibiotics. Bone infections suck, and smashing your bones to lots of tiny pieces with a dirty axe is a great way to get a bone infection. However, the normal situation involves people getting treated the very day they hit themselves, not 3 days out.

We talked it over for a bit, and given the risks of surgery, and the fact that I was 3 days out without sign of infection yet, we decided to instead put me on a constant stream of IV antibiotics, do some blood work and make sure I wasn't infected. After I was given the all-clear, I got sent back to work with the order to take it easy. Well, let me tell you, not being able to drive in Fairbanks gets really old, really fast. I have to beg favours for all the mundane bullcrap of like such as doing laundry (can't carry the basket), groceries (can't push the cart), hauling water (ever try to haul water on crutches? It ain't pretty).

Since then I've been fairly laid up. I'm off the narcotics except for bad days, mostly using OTC stuff to manage pain. And there's a ton of pain. Everything aches, constantly. No matter how loose I get the Cam Boot, my foot swells up to the point where it's too tight. It feels like I'm fighting off a mild virus constantly, which may actually just be one of the bugs going around campus right now. When I don't have to beg rides to do mundane crap, I've been laying around watching netflix instant play - thank god for that and YouTube! I'm sick of it though - I want to get out and do stuff. Or at least be mobile again. Last Thursday, some chickenshit asshole stole my lunch from the counter before I could get over to get it. The asshole was so brazen that for a moment, I thought it wasn't my lunch and I had been mistaken. Who the fuck steals from a guy on crutches, anyhow?

So between the health issues, and the fact that in all likelihood I'm not going to have employment for a few months, I'm in a bit of a funk. It's hard to get motivated for anything. I've put my feelers out there for a more stable job, one where I don't have to worry about getting laid off constantly. I'm pretty sure I'll have a job come January, but it'll be back at the University, with all the constant budget worries that come there.

On the plus side, hockey is going again.