an honor. an honor? another honor.

DISCLAIMER: i'm drunk and tired. i didn't spell check this. deal with it.

today was another day full of dread. most of it was dampened, however, by a sharply stabbing proud feeling that budded when i was called into the dept head's office -- not to be reprimanded (indeed!) but to be given an envelope with some serious nervously proud overtones attached to it. i started with the "congratulations, [jim]," and quickly decided that i was being given some honor, but didn't know the name of it, so i smiled at the dept head and said, in my best sally field impression: "you LIKE me! you REALLY LIKE ME!" at which point he tried to pull the door to his office to with him on the other side muttering something about "when she's done in there..."

anyway, i briskly sidestepped his efforts to conceal the newly bristling-with-pride me and jumped out into Anna's office exclaiming my excellence and worthiness. Apparently, i am worthy of being awarded the Dean's Outstanding Scholar award for the geosciences department. I beat out something like 30 of my peers, some of whom are frighteningly esteem-worthy. drunken neighbor blames it on the knee-high boots. i recounted that it was more likely my possession of boobs (in a sardonic manner), but he was too drunk to get the point and so that conversation descended into a sexiness ranking of the various types of hermaphrodites, somehow. i'm really going to miss neighbor when he moves.

at any rate, people are apparently noticing that i am fucking awesome, which is a real head-rush. i spent a large part of the day shirking my academic duties and running up and down the halls asking people "what has two thumbs and wins at everything?" (spoiler: the answer is "this guy.") but enough about my glory.

the undergrad expo went surprisingly well, and not just because they had surprise free food. i only had to spend about 10 minutes listening to douchers in bowties drone on, and even though husband was too busy fishing to show his support, a lot of friends came out and were really enthusiastic about my awesome poster, which made me feel great, but i also got to rap with the dept head and dan jones the mineral man about the poster. it's always good to get input -- i think i'll be starving for it in about 24 hours, sitting alone in a puddle of panic in a hotel room.

that brings me to now. the bags are packed, i had only a brief moment of utter doubt about my packing choices -- a briefness aided by an abundance of alcohol in the system (thank you neighbor!), and though i'll probably wake up in a cold sweat around first light tomorrow, i'm looking forward to the solo drive, scouting out a good pizza joint in walking distance of my hotel, and soaking for a long damn time and trying not to think at all about my impending academic fate.

this post is getting as tired as i am. it's almost 1. getting up at 9. driving for 7 hours...

i feel like it's christmas eve, and i'm eagerly anticipating unwrapping my academic awesomeness.

fuck yeah.