Job Hunting... Again.

So DS has this dream of becoming a research professor at some big university.   And I totally support that.  But DEAR GOD it's a slow process...

There was this thought in my brain that I wouldn't live in Wisconsin all that long.  And then graduating took longer than expected.  

So in December he graduates, and I think, sweet, we're like five or six months away from two real paychecks and possibly buying a house!

And then that didn't happen.

So he's applying for second post doc positions now.  Salt Lake City actually seems really interested in him.  Which is really exciting for the both of us, but especially for him.  He has friends there, and there are mountains, and I think he's started drooling in his sleep at the thought of living there.

This is only a temporary solution however.  So he's also going to be applying for professorships again this fall.  This leaves a small potential of moving around January (God willing the Salt Lake City thing keeps going as well as it has), and then again in the summer to whatever school wants him to teach.  He keeps telling me this is a remote possibility, as most schools will allow him to finish his post doc before moving.  I think if moving twice in one year means getting into a permanent home that much faster, bring it on.  But we'll see.

Personally, the glossy finish of my job is starting to fade, so I'm looking forward to moving (though I will sincerely miss Wisconsin; it is a seriously cool place with seriously cool people).  Mostly though, I'm counting the days until I have my dream job of pursuing my hobbies all day (and I don't mean sleeping, though not needing an alarm clock is certainly part of said dream job).  This dream is near impossible until DS lands a teaching position, because living off my hobbies isn't exactly going to make ends meet until then.

So everyone cross your fingers!  Because we'd both love this Utah thing, and I really believe it will make the next step that much easier to reach.

Memorial Day Weekend

This image is actually from St. Louis.  It would seem that even gas station attendants are trying to cope with the high price of gas.  (No idea what's up with the gray streak...  my camera has been acting funny recently)

This weekend was the annual Brat Fest.  A group of us went for lunch on Friday, and did our part to contribute to the world record numbers.  Jim here is on number 6.  It was quite impressive.  I only had one, and that was more than enough.

On Saturday, I went to the Henry Vilas Zoo with Graham and Renae.  Have you ever seen a white peacock before?  I hadn't until this one.  She sort of looks like a chicken without her coloring.

This was my first time being at the zoo when the prairie dogs were out.  The exhibit is a recent addition to the zoo.  They were very lively (two were even.. enjoying each other's company!)

On Sunday, DS and I went to the Milwaukee Public Museum to see the Body Worlds exhibit.  It was pretty amazing, you're not allowed to take pictures.  Afterwards we checked out the rest of the museum.  This diorama reminded me of this movie I always watched as a kid.  It starred Fred Savage when he was really little, and I swear this image was in it.

Picture Update! (Now with text)

April 27th: Felix wants to know why the hell it's snowing

St. Louis Zoo, May 18 - Hippos are HUGE

But they have tiny tiny ears

Baby Elephant!!

This Grizzly was hot, and decided to hang out in the pool

Prairie Dogs are so cute!! Like little squirrels with shorter tails.

I was trying to take a picture of the Lion yawning, but caught the tail end instead. He looks like he's going to kill someone.

Always have to support the Lemonade Stand

Athens, Part 3

Everything is an archaeological site.  

For example, in preparation for the Olympics, and even still, the city began adding subway stops.  Except everywhere they started digging, they found old crap.

But what can you do in a city where you really can't dig anywhere without finding something?  

Simple.  Build over it and have glass walls and floors!

Other things are just nestled in regular areas.  Like these old columns in the National Gardens.  (I think that guy is doing Tai Chi.  We thought he looked like he was just pushing the air in front of him over and over.)

Or even better, this tiny church in the patio area of a Starbucks.

A similar thing happened when they started building the New Acropolis Museum (which wasn't open yet).  So it also has a glass floor.

In this picture you can see Hadrian's Library and the Temple of the Winds (and probably other stuff too).  Everything is completely built up around them as if they were just another building on the street.

The cool thing about it is you can eat outside and view awesome things, like the Acropolis.  Free of charge!

And in a city this big and densely populated, the archaeological sites are some of the few places to experience open space.

Though be careful!  If an earthquake hits, you could have gigantic columns falling on you.  DS and I made sure we studied the length of this one so we knew how far to run if things got shaky.

Things You probably don't know about Athens, Part 2

Athens is all about the strays.  We found adorable kitties everywhere.  And nearly all of them were snuggly and soft and very sweet.

These three little guys were hanging around the little zoo inside the National Gardens.

This one was particularly sweet.  She was in the Agora, and made little biscuits with her feet like Felix does.

This little cutie was in the Roman Forum.

Athens has dogs too.  Lots of stray dogs.  But they don't euthanize there, they just sterilize.  I have a theory that all the dogs we saw with the same blue collars were the ones the animal people had gotten already.  They just laid around and didn't bother anyone.  They didn't beg, or sniff you, or bark.  It was amazing really.  They also looked well fed, so maybe those weren't strays?  Who knows.  Regardless, there were dogs everywhere too.