Preparation continues...

ETD: 4.5 days.

Keith and I have moved most of our earthly possessions into Kristine's two-bedroom townhouse. One bedroom is now designated as storage and the couch in the living room still theoretically exists under the huge pile of backpacking miscellanea. We would like to take Aspen (Kristine's dog) as a pack animal, but she refused (the dog, not Kristine).

I have given word to the Colorado School of Mines that I will attend in the Fall! Actually, I should be able to start ramping up on research topics almost as soon as I get back. No rest for the wicked. I must have an attraction to the Oredigger mascot. I will be working with Dr. Tissa Illangasekare:

http://www.mines.edu/fs_home/tillanga/

and Dr. Tom Russell:

http://www-math.cudenver.edu/~trussell/

to try to do some useful mathematical and computational modeling for a problem in Environmental Engineering. Dr. Illangasekare is eager to have me collaborate with other researchers around the world as well. The clincher was when he promised me whatever computing equipment I needed. I was unable to wipe the drool away from my lips fast enough.

Kristine has been very busy getting things squared away (things I probably should be doing as well...) so that nobody sends a debt collector down to South America to find us. Still, these last 108 hours will quite probably still be frantic.