Stress

Last week I was on beamtime, which I think I mentioned in the previous post. We had 24 hours of SAXS (well, actually, WAXS - wide-angle X-ray scattering as opposed to small-angle X-ray scattering) to look at structural changes in polymer samples as you heat and cool them. We observed changes; now we just have to figure out what it all means.

This beamtime will also be remembered as the first time I've ever played cards with my colleagues in the middle of it - usually things are too busy to do such things.

(Side note: I did get quite frustrated when it seemed every game we played, everyone had different rules. For example, we play that in 500 if someone calls misere, (a) it prevents any further bidding, and (b) that person leads every trick. We play that in Liverpool Rummy you can only put down however many sets or runs are said i.e. 3+3 = 2 sets and only 2 sets, you can't put down any extra sets but can only get rid of your cards by building on other players' cards that have been put down. Rickety Kate (MS Hearts) the queen of spades is worth 13 points and each heart 1 point (not face value). Funny 500 the score for each trick in each round increases as the number of cards decreases (10 cards = 10 points per trick, 9 cards = 20 points per trick, etc. if you win the number of tricks that you nominate). I wonder if, if we had played Snap, someone would have complained about the rules. I would be interested to know what versions of the above rules other people play... comments welcome!)

Upon arriving back at work on Monday this week, I've been swept up in a mass panic about the funding situation for the main project that I'm working on. We are scheduled to be reviewed by MBIE (formerly MSI, formerly FRST) in December, and I'm the most senior person on the project who is regularly at IRL. Cue a meeting with my boss and someone from the Industry Engagement team on Tues, a trip to Palmerston North to chat with my colleagues there on Weds, a meeting with the Industry Engagement person, our group administrator, my boss, and my boss's boss on Thurs. Oh and today I had a 4-hour teleconference with Australia for the SAXS PAC (proposal advisory committee) where we had 46 proposals to review for the next cycle.
Next week I'm participating in a mini-conference that we have every year, somewhere up near Kaitaia which means flying to Auckland then driving north for about 4 hrs. Then I have one more week at IRL before heading to Australia for 3 conferences in a row. Good news regarding those is that I have been allocated oral presentations at all of them; in fact for one I have been upgraded to being an invited speaker, and for another I have also been asked to chair a session. Unfortunately the MBIE review happens while I am away in Adelaide, but I might see if I can join via videoconference...

In other news Raewyn and her friend Jen and I have started making bookings to walk the Queen Charlotte track over Wellington Anniversary weekend next January. Should be fun :)