Three Great Days

We're home after a whirlwind three day cross-country adventure.

At the post-acceptance party yesterday afternoon they said some really nice things about Dr. BZ's dissertation, including how well written it was and how she had raised the bar for everyone studying this discipline. Her advisor commented on how she had brought a fresh ear and eye to the department, since her background had been so different, and how the field of study she had carved out for herself had seemed improbable at first, but now made perfect sense.

They commented on what a good writer she is. Well, duh, thought her dad, who has known this for a long time.   

Then she, her parents and her lab group all drove across the world's shortest bridge and met at her advisor's house to swim in his pool and have dinner. There were mosquitoes but these are scientists so there were all manner of repellants, including both "Hippie Repellant" and the one favored by Advisor Jim's wife, the archeologist, who knows what works for her in the jungle. We may have brain loss but nothing itches this morning.

There were delicious fish tacos and a crumble made from local plums and cherries. BZWZ is fortunate to have been mentored by such graceful people.

There was a trip afterwards to the Grad Students'  bar, where all the students appear to be well known by the bartenders. It reminded someone of the verse from the Ray Charles song "I've Got News For You"  that says

"You said before we met

Your life was awful tame

But I took you to a night club

And the whole band knew your name...."

One of the grad students brought Dr. BZ a Bullitt Whiskey with one precisely chosen ice cube, that he said he hand-selected, though he himself works with dirt, not ice. Chris arrived. He's a really nice guy who studies magma and makes homemade bread and has one more year to go before he goes through this whole process himself.

What an interesting community. They study in really obscure places, like the Arctic and the Antarctic and on top of mountains and in the jungle and out in the middle of the ocean, and then they come home, publish their findings, and after that they have to scrabble to find someone who will pay them anything at all to continue their research and teach others.

They sound like musicians.

Next up for BZWZ is sleep, lots of it, and hopefully a nice vacation somewhere, then packing up her house and heading to Atlanta/Boulder for a year or two as the saga continues. Some day, Pops hopes, she'll find a spot she loves, and plunk herself down in it, unpack her suitcase, reclaim her rugs and artwork off our walls, take out her banjo and guitars and write some more songs. 

Until then there are more stories to write, more Delta D to analyze, more isotopes to discover and, looming above it all happiness to find and a planet to help save.

As for us, Isabella and PD met us at the airport and threw herself into our arms. Wow, what a week.