taking a break...

i have been practicing my defense. i've got most of it in the powerpoint and now it's just a matter of repetition to ensure that it comes off flawlessly. i don't want anyone to accuse me of having my committee go easy on me or, worse, be slaughtered during the Q&A after the presentation. i just need to keep going over it. i don't know if powerpoint on a PC has this, but my version of powerpoint (you know, the better MAC version) has a "presenter's tools" which shows the slide, the upcoming slide(s), and the notes underneath, so you get everything right in front of you as you present. OH! and the timer as well. the timer is the best feature because it's hard to keep track of your time as your speaking and i need to keep my talk under 20 minutes. i'm trying to get it closer to 17-18 minutes, but it's really hard and i'm winded afterwards.

i had a BBQ with my dear friend sylvia and her daughter yesterday. it was fun. they've been so kind to me while i've lived up here. sylvia and i stopped by a farm stand on the way back from bernardston and we ran into a few of her friends. it was nice to meet them and she bragged about me.

i can't believe it's been two years. i remember when i packed up for massachusetts. it was so scary and i was so nervous. the two years just flew by. i know that this move prepared me to be able to move to FL, which is a much bigger move in many respects. it's further from my family, i'll be in a new role, i'm starting a real job (with good people, but a lot of work!), and going to a new church (which is very different than any of the churches i've gone to). the best thing about this scary new step is having my best friend in the world be part of it. :-)


(sorry for the cheese)