visiting Indiana - part 1

It was a fun weekend shadowed by unhappy news for me.  Like it or not, I’m going to 4^th year residency.  After many unanswered phone calls and emails, my academic advisor finally returned my call Friday afternoon.  The good news is that she agreed that I’ve been waiting way too long for a decision from IRB regarding my proposal change request (it's been since July 5th)!  She sent an email to the IRB liaison and he responded late Friday that he will expedite the matter.  We’ll see if that happens.  The bad news is that because I can’t get chapters 4 and 5 written and approved by October 3^rd, I have to go to residency.



 My advisor said to discuss residency with my chairman – let him help me decide when is the best time to go (one is held every month and they are in various parts of the country – the closest location being an 8 hour drive for me).  I emailed Dr. Chairman and asked him if I can phone him to discuss it.  He replied that he knows nothing about 4^th year residency, and to go at my convenience.  Helpful guy.     

This weekend, Erin and I went to Lake Tippicanoe where my dad and his wife have a small summer home on the shore of the lake, boats, and jetskis.  Tippi is a large private lake surrounded by homes and camps.  Emily had committed to a pet-sitting job here in town and Someone preferred to stay home.  That worked out best for  me because I didn’t have to find a pet sitter for Gracie and cats.  The lake is a fun place to go, but the nights are cold in Northern Indiana now, so we didn’t get in the water for skiing, tubing, or swimming.  We did go for a boat ride late late Saturday afternoon and that was wonderful.  The lake is actually two lakes connected by a channel.  There are some  multi-million dollar houses built around the lakefront and my dad’s wife knows all the gossip about people who live in them.  Interesting tales.   

 

Dad's lake house (yellow one)

some drug company CEO's 7.5 million dollar house

 

I used to have a boat when I was married to my first husband.  We had a lot of fun with it – skiing and taking friends out with us occasionally.  It was our party boat for sure -  we had some crazy fun on that boat, lots of booze and "whatnot" back in the coves of Grayson Lake.  After we divorced, I sold it to him real cheap.  As much as I loved it and wanted to keep it (the boat, not the  husband), I had no expertise with engine work and it needed work all the time.  Not only was it too much trouble for me, I had a baby to take care of and no time for boating.  I convinced him that having a boat would help him attract women :)   (I'm smiling as I type that). 

Miss Erin watching birds





beautiful swans on the lake (but they can be mean)

sunset over Lake Tippicanoe, view from my dad's yard