What a crazy past two months!

Since the last post, I traveled to Vienna and back for the European Geophysical Conference -- a meeting of the science geeks of the world. This was a quick trip, with 2 days of travel and 3 days of hanging out in Vienna, 1 of which I was pretty loopy on Tylenol Flu from a bug I picked up somewhere en route to Austria. The "low" of the trip was accidentally stepping in a large amount of puke (sorry if I just ruined your appetite!) in the Charles De Gaulle airport bathroom...and then trying to do gymnastics of rinsing off my foot in the sink and then walking around dragging my right foot with every step. The "high" of the trip was seeing some good friends and meeting some new cool folks! Here's Steve and I hanging out one afternoon. He's a fellow snow junky, having done stints at both Summit, Greenland and Antarctica...

And here's a completely random picture from the trip -- where's Gayle? Hahaha

After Vienna, I had about a week to get my act together for the thesis defense. On April 30th, I defended! I gave an hour-long talk, had about 2 hours of questioning by my committee, and then crashed in a lawn chair while Ty grilled up shish-kabobs. Oh, and got matching tattoos (a 3-eyed yellow alien) with my advisor's daughter...we're sitting on a motorcycle here, being tough biker chicks:

During my first post-thesis weekend, Ty took Michael, Courtney, Katie, Jen, and I out touring around Lake Lanier (thanks to my in-laws for the borrowed boat!) What a cute boat captain...

Michael and Courtney...
The kayaking chicks, Ty's sister Katie and Jen...
I pretty much stayed in a "crashed" state for the next 2 weeks, watching bad TV shows (I watched every episode of this season's "The Bachelor", much to Ty's chagrin) and finding it extremely taxing to do chores like, say, making the bed. I then went the completely other direction, making elaborate spreadsheets to rank and sort apartments in North Carolina and car ratings. We found an apartment and a car! Ty's well-used truck died...to the point where it has now been physically pushed into a parking place and we're hoping to donate it. After searching for a car based on 3 criteria - high fuel economy, good for putting kayaks on the roof, and price -- we settled on a snazzy blue Subaru Forester. Ty is now tooting around in it, enjoying novelties like air conditioning and reliable headlights! Our other vehicle, a Subaru Legacy that is up to about 185,000 miles, has come to a state that you have to pop the hood and poke at the connectors to the headlights to get them to come on at night. We are enthralled with the new car's headlights -- Ty enjoys just turning them off and on, off and on.

Now, I have just started my summer of bouncing all over the place. I just returned from New Jersey, at the wedding of grad buddy Dave and his lovely bride, Denise! I'll be making 2 trips to New Hampshire, 1 to Florida, and 1 to Texas in June-July, to bother family/friends and see Laura and Craig marry! Ty will be coming along for a few of the trips.

For really cool travel news, check out Suzanne's blog. Suzanne is having a wild summer touring around southeast Asia! I believe she's in Thailand right now, about to head off on a 10-day "meditation retreat". And, tomorrow is her b-day -- HAPPY BIRTHDAY, SUZIE-Q!

Wow, it has been a long stretch without a posting -- I apologize to the few loyal buddies who keep checking this blog! BUT, I have a good reason...

Duh duh duh DA...I just FINISHED writing my thesis! 246 pages called "Measurement and analysis of ambient atmospheric particulate matter in urban and remote environments". How does that sound for a page-turner? If anyone wants an autographed copy, just let me know. :-) So, now that is in my advisor's hands, here are the next few steps:
1. Get edits back from my advisor and make corrections
2. Send corrected-thesis draft to my committee (5 faculty members)
3. Go through the thesis defense (1 hr talk, 2 hrs of questioning by my committee)
4. Make any corrections requested to the thesis
5. Turn in the thesis and a ton of exit paperwork...and...
6. GRADUATE! WHOOHOO!

And, my list of random news:
-- We're moving to North Carolina! I'm taking a job with these folks and Ty's going to be keeping up with product design from up there. We'll be getting an apartment soon...and maybe a doggy.
-- Speaking of my new job coming up, I just read that the Supreme Court ruled that the EPA is going to have the ability to regulate carbon dioxide. I wonder what that is going to bring to my plate in the next few years! It is definitely going to be an interesting time to be an air researcher with the EPA. I'm really excited about it!
-- My favorite procrastination of late - reading "No Impact Man's" blog. This guy is living in Manhattan with his wife, toddler, and dog, and is trying to live a zero-waste lifestyle. I've been starting to threaten Ty that I'm going to take away his refrigerator shelf of smoothies in plastic bottles and force him to use some kind of permanent drinking bottle. He's nervous about what's going to happen when you combine "Gayle with free time" and my reading the no impact dude's blog.
-- Speaking of Gayle with free time, I'm coming up with my list of "things I'm going to do this summer". Actually, it's becoming more a list of "books I'm going to read"...any good book suggestions?

Hope all's well in your corner of the world. Drop us a note sometime to say hey.

Merry Christmas 2006 and welcome 2007!

What a year 2006 was...here is our year summary of crazy things that have happened!

January 2006: Gayle spends 2 weeks cross-country skiing in the Colorado mountains and taking air pollution samples. Ty and Gayle decide to take the plunge and have Ty "go for it!" and move to San Diego to train full-time in sprint kayaking with the national team.

February 2006: Ty and Gayle drive across the country to deliver him to San Diego. Ty begins training at the US Olympic Center at Chula Vista, San Diego.

March 2006: Ty and Gayle invest in a webcam to keep in closer touch being a good distance apart. Gayle accepts a 10-week stint on the Greenland Ice Sheet for the summer and decides to sell furniture and move in with family for the time period before the trip. Furniture sales begin!

April 2006: Gayle is living with Ty's grandparents in north Atlanta and a tornado strikes! A tree limb falls through the roof into the kitchen and a number of large trees fell on the property. Luckily, no one was hurt! Ty, meanwhile, is in California and beginning to feel that full-time kayaking is less fun than part-time kayaking.

May 2006: Ty decides to retire from competitive kayaking, packs up, and drives back across the country. 10 days later, Gayle hops on an Air National Guard plane heading off to Greenland!

June 2006: Ty finds a new apartment in Atlanta and begins a job working as a designer for Home Depot. Gayle is camping in a tent and measuring air pollution on the Greenland Ice Sheet.

July 2006: More of the same...

August 2006: Gayle returns and deals with a 100 degree increase in temperature. Very cranky. Ty and Gayle begin wedding season, enjoying a NH buddy's wedding that involved bonfires, yoga, and a blow-up bouncy castle!

September 2006: A month of semi-normalcy! We do exciting things like bbq and go to the movies!

October 2006: Gayle says "hey, let's train for a half-marathon!" Running, very slowly, begins. We attend 3 weddings in Texas, North Carolina, and New Jersey -- 2 cousins and one good friend from Georgia Tech.

November 2006: Thanksgiving in New Hampshire! Gayle begins to think about jobs after graduation (August 2007 maybe??) and writes the title page of her thesis. Ty and Gayle continue running and get up to 12-mile runs - yikes!

December 2006: Half-marathon plans are post-poned as Ty's family mourns the loss of his grandmother, Dr. Mary Anne Tyler Hagler. A strong, wonderful woman that we miss greatly. We celebrate Christmas with Ty's family in Gainesville, GA and New Year's Eve at a good friend's wedding!

Merry Christmas, Happy Hannukah, Happy New Year to all!

Location: HOME!

Hi everyone! Just a quick posting from Atlanta where I have now been sweating in 100F temperatures for about a week! Ty and I have moved into our new apartment, which is adorable, near the park, and I love it.

It has been an interesting adjustment being back in the USA. After nearly 3 months up in Greenland, camping on an ice sheet became "normal" and anything different seems a little strange. Ty's been teasing me for being unable to stay awake when the sun sets...I think my body now goes into hibernation mode with darkness at night.

When I download my camera photos, I'll put up another post with pictures!

"Medical scenario victim and climbing the tower"
Time on the ice: 10 weeks!
Time left: it is my last night!

So, I've ended up staying for a few days longer than originally planned, in order to help set up a few samplers that are going to be run throughout the winter! BUT, staying a little longer also had a couple fun side activities...

Today I was the "victim of electrocution" in Nick's medical practice run. He did an amazing job with my stage makeup...here I am right before I ran into the room holding a motor and then collapsed in front of everyone. My hands are my "electrical burns" and I've been made pale with blue lips...pretty gross, eh? Nick made my wounds with a combination of toilet paper, burned paper, vaseline, fake blood, stage make up, and soap.

And here is me being saved by some of the emergency rescue team...

And, before my major electrical fake accident, Nick and I had a great time climbing the "Swiss Tower" which is about 150 ft high. It definitely was a workout and a little tough when the tower was shaking near the top!

And making it to the top!

And to top it off...here is Gene demonstrating the true meaning of "toast"...a special state you get into after living on the ice for a little too long. Hee hee hee. You get a little craaaaazy.

Off to go hang with everyone for our last night here!