I'm happy to report I'm feeling much better!

Joel and I even ventured to the gym this morning, something which I've been unwilling and somewhat unable to participate in the past few weeks.  Last week my ear infection was resolved, only to find out that I still had fluid retained in the ear, which was making irritating popping sounds and made one side of my head feel heavy.  It also made me feel dizzy and somewhat off-balance.

This week, I am back to normal and high-functioning.

Yesterday I started the day by delivering my dissertation prospectus document (bound and beautiful!) to my committee.  On Monday, May 10 at 9am, I will prospect the dissertation and move on to the next phase.  Throughout the rest of the day, I was busy making phone calls, grading my students' last homework assignment for the semester, celebrating our research lab's hard work with a pizza party, and then more work in the afternoon.  Afterward, we came back at 4pm and took the dogs to the lake behind our house for some awesome water retrieving.  Trooper has grown like a tall weed, and those tall, luxuriously long legs propel him off the dock and through the water like a pro.  Cosette has her work cut out for her now!

Then I cooked dinner, and Joel sat out in the front cleaning his wine bottles for his bottling this week.  I'm still waiting on my wine to finish on the oak, and then I'll rack it several more times and we should be good to go. 

In other news, I've started working at a local winery that I love!  I work in the tasting room on the weekends, and last weekend I helped bottle a batch of wine.  So much fun.  One of the best things about this job is the hands-on learning.  I'm pretty familiar with the wine-making process, but I'm far from an expert on the topic.  This allows me to learn - very quickly - what it takes to succeed in the business.  Maybe someday I'll be in a position to direct energy to my own winery.

For now, though...dissertation.



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