Close ... but not quite

OK, one more day. Departure is Friday, 5 am. And that is final. (Note: the previous entry only claimed "some finality" re leaving tomorrow!) But now my bags are pretty much packed, the bike is set up, and so on. I'm ready, or at least I would be with a couple more hours of prep. But I'm planning a long ride the first day, and I want a full night's sleep before it. So: one more day.

STILL in Cambridge!

But I can say with some finality: the departure date is Thursday, September 6, at roughly 5:00 am. I decided that I am on vacation, so I am not rushing anything, not even vacation.

Plus, I got bogged down in a morass of electronics, trying to rig up a digital camera to take a picture every 6 seconds of my trip. So that I could create a time-lapsed video. It would have been very cool. Might still be. But I'm having problems with the camera giving me "low battery warnings." (Despite the fact that it expects 3.7 V and I've given it anywhere between that and 4.5 V. Stupid camera.) So that might not happen. But I bumped it from the priority list, so I'll leave Thursday morning regardless.

Still in Cambridge

Ahhh, so, about the previous post. You see, "thesis is done" is a complicated statement. There's finishing the thesis, but there's also the minor business of defending, making revisions, and getting out a paper before the trip so it doesn't get scooped by a competitor. Also: applying for postdocs. And don't forget trip preparation.

So I am still in Cambridge. Departure date has been rolled back to Sept. 1. And I've finally conceded that this is now the "fall of freedom" tour. And I've cut out the Florida bit, instead choosing to concentrate mostly on the dirt roads of Canada. I've seen the Eisenhower highway system before, thank you very much.

But trip preparation is well on its way. More details shortly.

Thesis is DONE!!!

THESIS IS DONE, MY FRIENDS, done Done DONE i SAY!!!

YEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

ok, still a bit of minor editing and fun stuff like writing the acknowledgements, but practically speaking it is .......

wait for it .........

DONE !!!!!!!!!!!!

Almost ... done ...

... the thesis. It will be finished in less than 24 hours.

More importantly, I will be on the road in 1 month. And counting....

Notes from the thesis cave...

I have sealed myself off from all civilization. There are roommates out there, I'm sure. Right now I do believe that they are cooking bacon. Maple flavored, if my nose serves me well. Or perhaps they also made pancakes. No matter! The outside world is of no use to me now.

For right now, it is just me and the thesis. 95 pages of astrophysical lore, and likely to be 110 by the week's end. Seven chapters. Two appendices — or perhaps three, should the inspiration strike. The shades are drawn, and the air conditioner maintains a steady temperature of 75 degrees Fahrenheit. Its quiet hum my only companion.

At times, I am driven to seek sustenance; as much as I try to concentrate without pause or interruption, my mortal needs cannot go unmet. At those times — and those times alone! — I venture forth from my thesis cave. Nearby, there is a friendly trader from the land of Syria, in the far-off Middle East, from whom I often order exotic falafel or lamb shwarma sandwiches. Farther, there is an establishment run by Mexicanos. I fancy their bean burritos, and the route to their shop carries me past a 7-11, at which I can procure milk at low expense.

But I waste too much time! I must return to my astrophysical lucubrations.

Summer of freedom begins ... NOW!

It's the solstice, the official beginning of the summer. Funny, I don't feel any free-er. I feel like I should be working on my thesis instead of procrastinating with this silly blog. In light of the rescheduled trip, I probably should rename this thing the "Fall of Freedom" blog, but that sounds far too ominous.

Returning to work ... NOW!