All in a weekend of work ...

Last weekend, I attended a local symposium to give a little talk about some of my research. This was my 4th time presenting at this and I look forward to it every year, because it is just a few local folks, mostly some professors and some undergrads.

This year's highlight's included:

• RyGuy came for the day to hang out with me (his 3rd appearance at this symposium that is totally NOT related to any of his research interests)


• An old labmate came back to give a talk about her field research and brought a student who did a little poster (and she won Best Undergrad Poster!)


• My advisor actually came .... for half the day ....


• The final speaker of the day gave a 1.5 hour talk on field work on insects in a foreign Asian country ... in which he included many videos ... one of cattle crossing his field site ... one of his colleagues dancing to "Who let the dogs out?" ... and TWO of his van driver singing in a foreign Asian language that none of us know. And I almost lost it near the end when he said something about something "going on and on and on and on and on" (it was like trying not to laugh at a funeral!!!)


• 6 slides into my 15 minute talk I realized ... I was giving the WRONG TALK!!!! (as in, an old version of the talk that still contained many slides that I thought I had deleted and planned to not talk about ....)


• Despite giving the WRONG TALK ... I still managed to be awarded "Best Graduate Student Talk" (Sorry Joe, but 2nd place ain't bad!)


• Best part of the day ... the most awesomely horrible hairclip I have ever seen a female professor wear. I only wish I had a good photo of it. Here is my attempt below. I know it is hard to make out ... but there is (in order) a bunch of bananas, an eggplant, an artichoke, an orange thing (squash?), asparagus and a tomato (or apple?). So amazing ... in the truest sense of the word.

Two life lessons learned:

1. Always, always, always check the PowerPoint presentation after it is loaded to be sure the right one is waiting for you!
2. Accessorize like nobody's watching!