Thursday, December 7th

I have developed this talent for turning brick red in this country. It has been a slow development but I have fully mastered it the past few weeks. Luckily I know exactly when it is coming, so I can fully enjoy the experience. It's great, what do you want more than to turn red and blotchy when you are trying to be unconcerned and professional - such as when meeting a new student you would like to work for you. Even better, my talent manifests itself all the stronger the more people are around. Today there were 4 students + J watching, hooray, let's all enjoy this.
I have also started the "lasts", tonight was the last time I went to the bar, tomorrow is the last time I go out with all the grad students and the last time I have a content meeting with J. On Saturday is my goodbye and thank-you dinner for L and J and L and J (person renting me house + boyfriend and supervisor + wife). I feel tired even just thinking about it, how am I to survive all the lasts when I have also had so many firsts this week. First time buying a house, first time thinking about mortgages, first time having an enormous repair price for my car (which I thought I'd have to pay) . I'd love a day off with nothing to think about or figure out. Instead I will be up early to prepare the meeting I may have with J if he has time. Perhaps I should just cancel it and take it easy tomorrow, that would please him as much as me probably. Only thing is I am stuck, and I don't want to leave connecticut without some kind of concluding meeting.
Otherwise not much happening, got a whole set of silly jokes from someone who should know better today, that kept me busy. Then had to rush to the university because I made a complete mess of the credit assignment for participants who took part yesterday - and they fail if they don't get enough credits, but I was not sure which of 4 women had actually turned up for my study. Very pleased with myself I was, here I am telling my RAs off when they do things like this and I run one study and make a complete mess of it (I also ran out of questionnaires for men, so had to give someone one for women and tell him to read every 'woman' word as 'man'. Luckily I don't need the men anyway so it did not matter. But I again had 8 men and only 2 women, bit of a waste of time that is.
You know, I am really looking forward to getting home again, and then going off to Wengen!