Hello

Being a dedicated SiteMeter addict, I very much appreciate the influx of new visitors. Yesterday I learned all about the beginnings of the breakfast cereal industry when someone searched for whether or not stamping a lizard was a sin. (I'm the top result! Do you think it's a euphemism or am I missing something?)

Anyway, it does not escape my attention that some of you are new and the quality of stories here is either depressing or, in general, not so high. It's just that I'm actually doing work lately and the mental energy that I used to give to blog posts is being spent elsewhere. After almost 2 years of general screwing around, it's probably fair to work a bit harder than normal of late. But I will endeavor to come up with some stories that are fun for me to write and you to read soon.

It is with grim determination that I am searching any post-doctorally-related posts. I asked if I could host the next What's Up, Postdoc? carnival, but then freaked out when Propter Doc agreed. What if I do a bad job?! So I am reading and searching and bookmarking my little heart out. I don't have a theme (what if I came up with a lame theme? Or if nobody had anything to say about my theme? Oh, the embarrassment...), unless it's "Try not to screw this up, Katie." But that's more of a personal theme than an overall carnival one.

So if you've written or will write anything you'd like included in the May 23 carnival, please let me know between now and then. Otherwise I will sacrifice sleep and work to click all over the internet, searching desperately for posts that will enlighten and entertain. Thank you for your support in this difficult time.

Also, I've been trying to keep up with new links in my sidebar. I do it by hand and have been adding people over the last week or so. If I missed you and you'd like to be included, I'm more than happy to do that. It shouldn't surprise you that I visit blogs and search for my link, feeling a bit sad when it's not there. (I'm a bit insecure, aren't I? Never fear - I see Dr. Counselor again today.) Though I sincerely hope you're more balanced than I am, if you'd like to see your link, please let me know.

I think that's all the housekeeping stuff. I think it's a bad sign when I'm dreading going to work this much. I don't want to know if Dawn is really gone for good - I'd rather stay away and believe she'll be back soon. I don't want to hear that my collaborators screwed up their part of the experiment, rendering my work relatively useless. I'd rather remain ignorant and hope everything worked out. I'd rather not discuss my life with Dr. Counselor, bringing up problems I'd be more comfortable ignoring. I'd really prefer to skip a meeting this afternoon as those people have historically been less than nice to me. My life is really not so great right now. Good blog posts must be forthcoming.