tech-withdrawal and other stuff
So, I'm fully back into civilization now. Now, to type about it.
About half a day into my trip, I started to feel the effects of cell phone/'net withdrawal. It was really bad. Like, I felt itchy! I thought I was going to break into HIVES! I didn't realize how habitually I had been talking, texting, and email-checking until I was completely cut off out there in the wilderness. I'd keep on checking my phone, thinking I might step into a pocket of precious cell tower radiation... but alas, there was none. During the meeting, one attendee apparently did have txt msg access, as she hammered away on her crackberry like a rat lever-pressing for cocaine self-administration. (Uhm, that's really not a very relatable analogy probably, but I don't feel like self editing.) Anyway, I was insanely jealous. As I watched her from time to time I thought maybe if I sat RIGHT THERE, I could somehow get a signal...
The symptoms gradually waned by the middle of day two as I accepted the fact that that there were no secret pockets of Sprintitude in the woods, and I got used to it. Very used to it. I started feeling different -- slightly less edgy, and better able to read and focus... it was weird! And it felt good. I'm thinking that when the time comes to write my thesis, I need to just pack my laptop full o' the neccessary data, figures, references, etc, then head to the woods. At least to start it. Get all Walden on that thesis's ass!
(err...)
By the end of my trip, it was like I almost didn't want to get back in range. Once we crossed into the service area, backlogged text messages started rolling in, and at the first beep-vibrate of my phone I literally jumped off the car seat. I got a call, and the ringtone just seemed so LOUD and OBNOXIOUS. Surely I didn't *use* this thing *regularly*, did I? I just wanted to chuck the damn thing out the window of the car, (like that Corona commercial... but not on the beach, and not drinking cheap beer.) When I got home and checked email, I just stared at the inbox, then closed it. It made me feel uneasy. I finally started sifting through messages later that night, but couldn't handle opening more than a few at a time.
So, it was an enlightening experience... seeing firsthand how horribly dependent I was on this instacontact shit. I'm considering making an effort to turn my cell phone off for blocks of time. Just so you know.
As for the actual conference, it was good although slightly underattended compared to what they normally expect. I had a pretty meager audience (15ish?.) Oh well. There was a pre-talk debacle resulting from my tweaking my presentation 30 minutes before my talk, then resaving it while powerpoint decided to burp or hiccup... and as a result, all of my data (the jpgs) turned into large red Xs. I, of course, freaked the fuck out. But I was able to switch to the 2nd speaker slot (I was slated for the 1st one,) and manually replace all the pictures in just about 30 minutes. Whew.
And my talk went very, very well.
So that would be the most monumental event of this week. Tonight I'm hanging out with a new professor visiting town. Do you think a burlesque show and a KISS cover band comprised of midgets is an appropriate way to say "Welcome to our biomedical research community!"?
(This was my other idea, but holy chain-restaurants! I know it's for a good cause but Applebee's? TGIF? WTF?)
About half a day into my trip, I started to feel the effects of cell phone/'net withdrawal. It was really bad. Like, I felt itchy! I thought I was going to break into HIVES! I didn't realize how habitually I had been talking, texting, and email-checking until I was completely cut off out there in the wilderness. I'd keep on checking my phone, thinking I might step into a pocket of precious cell tower radiation... but alas, there was none. During the meeting, one attendee apparently did have txt msg access, as she hammered away on her crackberry like a rat lever-pressing for cocaine self-administration. (Uhm, that's really not a very relatable analogy probably, but I don't feel like self editing.) Anyway, I was insanely jealous. As I watched her from time to time I thought maybe if I sat RIGHT THERE, I could somehow get a signal...
The symptoms gradually waned by the middle of day two as I accepted the fact that that there were no secret pockets of Sprintitude in the woods, and I got used to it. Very used to it. I started feeling different -- slightly less edgy, and better able to read and focus... it was weird! And it felt good. I'm thinking that when the time comes to write my thesis, I need to just pack my laptop full o' the neccessary data, figures, references, etc, then head to the woods. At least to start it. Get all Walden on that thesis's ass!
(err...)
By the end of my trip, it was like I almost didn't want to get back in range. Once we crossed into the service area, backlogged text messages started rolling in, and at the first beep-vibrate of my phone I literally jumped off the car seat. I got a call, and the ringtone just seemed so LOUD and OBNOXIOUS. Surely I didn't *use* this thing *regularly*, did I? I just wanted to chuck the damn thing out the window of the car, (like that Corona commercial... but not on the beach, and not drinking cheap beer.) When I got home and checked email, I just stared at the inbox, then closed it. It made me feel uneasy. I finally started sifting through messages later that night, but couldn't handle opening more than a few at a time.
So, it was an enlightening experience... seeing firsthand how horribly dependent I was on this instacontact shit. I'm considering making an effort to turn my cell phone off for blocks of time. Just so you know.
As for the actual conference, it was good although slightly underattended compared to what they normally expect. I had a pretty meager audience (15ish?.) Oh well. There was a pre-talk debacle resulting from my tweaking my presentation 30 minutes before my talk, then resaving it while powerpoint decided to burp or hiccup... and as a result, all of my data (the jpgs) turned into large red Xs. I, of course, freaked the fuck out. But I was able to switch to the 2nd speaker slot (I was slated for the 1st one,) and manually replace all the pictures in just about 30 minutes. Whew.
And my talk went very, very well.
So that would be the most monumental event of this week. Tonight I'm hanging out with a new professor visiting town. Do you think a burlesque show and a KISS cover band comprised of midgets is an appropriate way to say "Welcome to our biomedical research community!"?
(This was my other idea, but holy chain-restaurants! I know it's for a good cause but Applebee's? TGIF? WTF?)
posted by Nicole at Saturday, June 25, 2005
4 Comments:
You forgot Denny! And if the plan was for him to think "why did I accept this position again?" you might could have accomplished it. :)
For the record, minikiss was not so hot. They didn't really sing/play their own instruments the entire time. The best part was calling/txting people and telling them "I'm watching midgets in KISS makeup!" And that would be it.
So, what did the New Guy think?
I think he enjoyed our input!
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