By way of introduction

Hey all,

As some of you know, I am in fact, still alive and well, just belated in my chronicling of recent adventures. It's Saturday, not much is happening, and I'm settled down with some dark chocolate and tunes, so I think it's time to stretch the ol' fingers and type away. To break down what would be a cumbersomely long single post, I'm gonna write in a few installments.

First, for those wanting the quick version.... To recap - 3 weeks ago now (!) I left the biological station where I had spent the summer doing some theoretical research on a evolutionary/ecological model. A whirlwind week followed, returning to my home in the northeast, unpacking from the summer, sorting through a bunch of stuff (keepsakes, books, odds and ends, useful items, and a lot of junk) I'd stored in my parents' house, repacking, purchasing a car (!!!), and then setting off for my new job in the southeast. On the way I stopped by my "alma mater" for a day, visiting Eugenie, my sister, and friends/professors. Soooo good to be back there again - made me happy. The trip was painfully short though, restricted by having to head south. From there, we (my mother went along to help with the driving, and to provide advice as I was learning to drive a standard so I could operate my "new" car) spent the next two days travelling, spending the night with one of my former housemates and his girlfriend, and visiting another old school buddy for lunch, eventually arriving at what will be my "home" for the next three months. Mom left the next day, and I had Sunday to settle in, before starting work bright and early that monday. Two weeks of work later, I'm really enjoying my job (with a few caveats), have sat through a lot of training sessions, done a lot of field work, met some interesting and enjoyable new people, and have gotten to witness some of the differences of southern life...

Ok, that was the "spark notes" version of the last three weeks. Now for some more juicy stories for those who are interested (and/or trying to procrastinate about doing something else). Again, these are going to come in installments:

1) Changing jobs
2) Nothing stays the same?
3) Signs on a journey
4) "Working" with the government
5) Notes from the field
6) SHOES!

Hold on Transient fans, it's gonna be quite a ride...