Long update

Well it’s time for an update. It’s been an amazing couple of weeks and I feel that I need to update everyone on it.

I am back in Nebraska, and it feels so much like home that I traded in my Utah drivers license for a Nebraska one. I did that when I went to register my new (1995) car. The Saab, bless it’s poor little heart, was dying. It had a leak in the head gasket, and a broken radiator. Combine those two major problems with all of the minor ones and it was time for Neil to buy a mid life crisis car. At least that’s what my lab mates are calling it. After shopping around considerably and obsessing about it endlessly I narrowed my choice to either a Jag X-Type, a VW Passatt, or a Mitsubishi 3000GT. Silly me I chose the one without the heated seats. That’s right I have a sports car. 0-60 in 5 seconds flat quarter mile in 13.5 and 320 hp. But of course I still drive like Neil; 5 under and never in a hurry to get where I’m going.  Anyway I woke up this morning, the second morning since I bought the car, and there was snow on the ground. Did I mention that the GT is rear wheel drive? What’s more I needed to drive across town in that stuff to the DMV to register it. Anyway the car is in the best condition you can imagine. No scratches, only minimal wear; one tiny tear in the leather seat is all.

Ok on to more news. Kidney stones. Yes, they hurt. I hate them; but because of the first one I got to see Michelle for a weekend that made it worthwhile. My poor Adviser rushed me to the hospital and then made a new lab rule. Rule #1 which we’ve had for a while is “no dead students” we now have rule #2 “no sick students.” The poor man has been in need of some good news and that wasn’t it. More about him in a second.

When Michelle arrived she snuck up behind me and scared me. I had no idea who she was for about 2 seconds because she was so out of place. She had dropped everything and driven out to take care of me. Isn’t that sweet? Anyway I was already back in the lab because the kidney stone had passed and I was feeling fine. So I had to finish a couple of things while she went to the district office to check on her. She came back just as I was finishing typing a report and was sitting with me at my desk when my adviser walked in. He recognized her right away and was very relieved to have someone here to take care of me so that he didn’t have to. Michelle and I just spent the night and the next day together and then she had to return to the kids.

Anyway as you may recall I am an Inorganic chemist that means that I deal with metals and the like. But for some strange reason I am working on a project that makes me grow bacteria for the next little while. It seems like a strange combination and it is, but it’s kind of a break from some of the more difficult intense stuff I’ve been doing since I got here. Sadly because of funding issues the batteries aren’t getting nearly enough of my attention. I will get back to them however.

Well keep in touch. Remember that there is life in Nebraska, even when it’s not football season.

The red nicer photos are from when the car was first listed. Back in August.

The light wasn't good when I took this photo. I was filling it with gas right after buying it at night.

Isn't that a sweet looking engine?