Gratitude, Part 10 (Oct. 19 - 25)

  1. Officially admitted to NOvA (Oct. 19, 2013)
  2. Was able to restore my phone contacts from my Gmail contacts
  3. Remembered by water bottle in time to return to the lab and retrieve it
  4. Listened to a good and encouraging sermon that was recommended by a good friend on the drive from Batavia to Fort Wayne
  5. Steelers defeat Ravens (Oct. 20, 2013)
  6. Packers win, and I was able to listen to part of the game on my drive from Batavia to Fort Wayne.
  7. Safe drive to Fort Wayne
  8. I was able to correct for my wrong turn quickly and easily
  9. My hosts were generous and hospitable
  10. My hosts' three cats were friendly
  11. My hosts let me sleep in their guest room.
  12. I was able to follow my host from his house to the physics building without much trouble
  13. I was able to get my presentation into an acceptable form before I gave it.
  14. My rental car (Kia Soul) had good fuel efficiency (30.8 MPG)
  15. I have the mathematical ability to make the previous calculation
  16. My presentation was well received by the students
  17. I was asked several questions by the students and was able to answer them all
  18. One student even expressed some interest in applying to SDSM&T.
  19. My host asked me if he could have a copy of my slides
  20. A Subway restaurant in the basement of the physics building allowed me to have lunch with enough time to call into a phone meeting one hour after my presentation was finished
  21. My host institution, Indiana University Purdue University - Fort Wayne (IPFW), bought lunch for me.
  22. My host allowed me to use his office for the phone meeting
  23. My presentation at the phone meeting was well received and called "useful."
  24. Despite being lost on campus, I was able to find my rental car
  25. While being lost, I got some needed exercise in the form of walking
  26. The creativity of the painted mastodon mascots at IPFW
  27. The actual mastodon skeleton in the physics building
  28. Safe drive from Fort Wayne to Batavia
  29. Listened to an interested radio program on "tough topics in the Bible" during the drive
  30. Encouraging music for the rest of the drive
  31. Had dinner and good conversation with my hosts in Batavia (Oct. 21, 2013)
  32. I was able to fit everything I wanted to in my luggage
  33. Remembered to retrieve items from my hosts' freezer
  34. My hosts in Batavia allowed me to use their freezer to store groceries I am taking back to Rapid City
  35. Safe drive to the rental car return location
  36. Arrived at the airport in plenty of time for my flight
  37. Checking in with my mobile phone worked
  38. Found a security line without an operational body scanner thanks to tsastatus.net
  39. Informed other passengers of this line via tsastatus.net
  40. Water bottle filling stations at O'Hare
  41. I was able to help my hosts by letting their dogs out (Oct. 19, 2013)
  42. Departed on time from O'Hare
  43. Since I was not really hungry, by God's grace I resisted the temptation to buy unnecessary food in the airport
  44. My laptop's long battery life allows me to work while on the airplane
  45. Important time in prayer before going to bed (Oct. 21, 2013)
  46. Time and quite enough environment to read in the airport before boarding
  47. The end of the federal spending gap removes a great deal of uncertainty about the next few months at Fermilab and for NOvA
  48. Time to rest when I returned home
  49. My wife came to pick me up and take me home from the airport
  50. Ability to drive my wife to the airport
  51. My wife's safe journey from Rapid City to Minneapolis
  52. My wife making her connection to in Minneapolis
  53. My wife's safe journey from Minneapolis to Columbus
  54. Her catching up with friends in Columbus
  55. The opportunity to help a friend move on Friday (Oct. 25, 2013)

Total: 356

Gratitude, Part 9 (Oct. 12 - 18)

  1. Watching Futurama together
  2. Buying chocolates at the Chubby Chipmunk, which is the best restaurant in Deadwood according to tripadvisor.com
  3. Eating at the Lee Street Station Cafe, which is the second best restaurant in Deadwood according to tripadvisor.com
  4. Found the third best restaurant in Deadwood, according to trip advisor.com, and learned valuable lessons
  5. Learned that restaurants will give away one's reservations if you are late
  6. Learned more about the nature and navigation of Deadwood
  7. Learned about being confident in difficult situations
  8. Great small group planning session and potluck dinner with Project Church (Oct. 15, 2013)
  9. Drove home from the cabin before another winter storm hit
  10. Rubber ducks in Harley-Davidson outfits
  11. My wife drove me to the airport (Oct. 16, 2013)
  12. I was able to quickly find the papers in my office that I had forgotten to pack
  13. "For we know that if the tent that is our earthly home is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this tent we groan, longing to put on our heavenly dwelling, if indeed by putting it on we may not be found naked. For while we are still in this tent, we groan, being burdened—not that we would be unclothed, but that we would be further clothed, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who has given us the Spirit as a guarantee." - II Corinthians 5:1-5
  14. "On this mountain the Lord of hosts will make for all peoples
    a feast of rich food, a feast of well-aged wine,
    of rich food full of marrow, of aged wine well refined.
And he will swallow up on this mountain
    the covering that is cast over all peoples,
    the veil that is spread over all nations.
He will swallow up death forever;
and the Lord God will wipe away tears from all faces,
    and the reproach of his people he will take away from all the earth,
    for the Lord has spoken." -  Isaiah 25:6-8
  15. Safe flight from Rapid City, SD to O'Hare
  16. Safe and easy drive from O'Hare to friends' house
  17. Wonderful hospitality of friends who are hosting me in Batavia
  18. My first talk of the collaboration meeting went well and led to some clear action items
  19. My second talk, officially requesting admission of SDSM&T to NOvA, was well received
  20. Found my water bottle, which had been hiding under the bed
  21. Had lunch with Eric & Emily at Daddio's in Batavia (Oct. 17, 2013)
  22. Had dinner with Daniel at Panda Restaurant in Batavia (Oct. 17, 2013)
  23. Had dessert with Daniel at Batavia Creamery (Oct. 17, 2013)
  24. Had lunch with Peter at the Fermilab cafeteria (Oct. 18, 2013)
  25. Had a good time at the Collaboration Dinner (Oct. 18, 2013)
  26. At the Collaboration Dinner, I met several collaborators whom I had not met in person previously.
  27. Had a fun time talking with my hosts after the dinner (Oct. 18, 2013)
  28. My wife sent an e-mail describing our proposed small group
  29. The ability to speak with and see my wife while I am in Batavia and she is in Rapid City

Total: 301

Gratitude, Part 8 (Oct. 5-11)

  1. Warm weather to melt the snow after the blizzard
  2. We had electricity for almost the entire blizzard
  3. After the blizzard, we met two neighbors and got to know others better
  4. Falling tree limbs missed our house and garage
  5. I was able to bike from home to campus on the first day it was open after the blizzard
  6. My standing work station arrived
  7. Meet with the man who may be my first graduate student
  8. Opportunity to meet with the local IV staff member today (Oct. 11, 2013)
  9. New rain pants are working well
  10. Remember to bring Kelly's instruments before I left the yard (Oct. 9, 2013)
  11. Successfully installed new light fixture without shocking, burning, or breaking anything or myself.
  12. My wife successfully installed new light switches in the bathroom and bedroom.
  13. Installed TV mount and mounted TV on it.
  14. Figured out how to lock up my bike in a way that allowed me to still put the rain cover on.
  15. After my bike blew over, Neal recognized it, let me know, and gave me a good idea for where to store it.
  16. Excellent relaxing weekend getaway in a cabin near Deadwood.
  17. Taught my first class as a professor, and it went fairly well
  18. Safe trip to the cabin
  19. Gas fireplace in the cabin
  20. Basket of snacks provided by the owners of the cabin
  21. Beautiful stars the first night in the cabin (Oct. 11, 2013)

Total: 272

Gratitude, Part 7 (Sep. 28 - Oct. 4)

  1. Watched Star Trek II, thus washing the disappointment out of my mind from Star Trek Into Darkness.

  2. Beautiful weather for the Rapid City Pumpkin Festival

  3. Signed petition to legalize chickens in the city limits of Rapid City.

  4. Watched the giant pumpkin weigh-off at the Rapid City Pumpkin Festival

  5. Read chapter 2 of The Gift of Being Yourself

  6. Meditation on Matt. 6:9-13 and Mark 10:17-22

  7. Participated in the church forum after service (Sep. 29, 2013)

  8. Made "ants on a  log" for the first time since childhood

  9. Met the University President today (Sep. 30, 2013)

  10. My wife had a good time at the wedding, after the wedding, and at the reception.

  11. My wife saw a giant rubber duck in its first American appearance.

  12. My wife's safe journey from Pittsburgh to Minneapolis

  13. My wife's safe journey from Minneapolis to Rapid City

  14. Picked her up at the airport

  15. Successfully set up TV, DVD player, and antenna

  16. Finished lining shelves in the kitchen

  17. Closed on our house

  18. Celebrated closing with sushi lunch

  19. Made dinner reservation for romantic getaway this weekend

  20. Use my 20% off coupon to buy gifts for my wife and parents at bookstore

  21. Discovered I had a coupon for a free lunch under the bookstore coupon

  22. Interesting seminar by the Mines Medal winner

  23. Free food at the seminar by the Mines Medal winner

  24. Met another new faculty member at the Faculty & Staff Lounge

  25. The technology and infrastructure to be warned of the coming blizzard this weekend (Oct. 3, 2013)

  26. Ease of rescheduling reservations to avoid the forecast blizzard

  27. Extra time to plan for what we had reserved for this weekend

  28. WNIU matching funds for pledge drive

  29. Opportunity to teach (and learn) about dark matter at the graduate level next semester

  30. Connie's help in setting up the class for next semester

  31. Good shelter from the blizzard (Oct. 4, 2013)

  32. The blizzard revealing bad seals on some of our windows

  33. Getting to know colleagues better at the Mines Medal Dinner

  34. Good food at the Mines Medal Dinner

  35. Surprise inauguration at the  Mines Medal Dinner

  36. Encouraging words from the governor at the Mines Medal Dinner

Total: 251