Post ESA-INTECOL Short Update

Ever since ESA-INTECOL back in August, the following things have happened:
-- Got a major case of food poisoning over Labour Day weekend that left me feeling really weak and depressed to the point where I was ready to either go to the doctor for help or take a trip away from LA. I chose the latter.
-- Took a journey northwards (Vancouver) to both scout schools and to find some inner healing froman unusually rough academic year followed by a restless summer. Suffice to say, I'm one of those people who will literally pine away and go crazy without some time here and there alone in the wilderness, and there are few places that can re-energize me as well as a trip to the Pacific Northwest. Possibly more on that later.
-- Getting hit with a major urge to write more stories, which is going to make a mess of my academic situation unless I can find another good block of time to just sit there in private and let it all out.