17 days to go.

Only 17 day still Pete gets back! He has been gone nearly eight weeks and I'm a bit sick of it now.

Steve's wife Tracy has left for Mississippi for two months so we are bach-ing together. Last Tuesday I cooked dinner for him and tomorrow he is cooking ribs (not something I normally get at home.)

Happy hour at work has become a weekly Wednesday event here which saves cooking one night a week. Last week we went to a great sushi place that does weird stuff. You can get sushi rolls with fillings like banana, cream cheese, brocolli, cranberry, all sorts of unexpected things. The week before was free burittos and half price margaritas and next week we are going to a museum opening related to the geology department with free food and wine. Its just like being a student all over again.

My PhD supervisor Stuart and his wife Trish are coming in a couple of days. I'm really looking forward to it, and hopefully we will clear up a few issues on some of my papers so I can get them published - Finally - I'm so sick of them.

Next weekend Steve is going to give me driving lessons in preparation for my driving test. I'm pretty nervous about it. What if I fail???

Then the next weekend Billy Kessler is coming to visit. And then the next day Pete will be back!

Hmmm, what else is news? I'm slowly getting the hang of the US so not as many dramas to report.

I'm proud to report that my electricity is coming from hydro, wind or nuclear. Well actually I think I may be getting duped, but I pay more on my electricity bill which I think subsidises the cost of alternative energy sources.

Did I tell you that the president of China was here a few weeks ago? It was pretty exciting. Protests etc. I learnt all about the Falun gong and went to a really good discussion panel on the problems facing China.

There are so many talks on. I went to one last week from Sir some-or-other about how scientific discoveries are made. Unfortanately I missed one at the same time from the Chief of BP's science division. There was even one by the guy who invented the Dyson vaccuum cleaner.

Talking to Liss on MSN now, bye!