"Things are the way they are because they were the way they were."

Apparently, this a week of accomplishments. Surpassing yesterday's achievement, today, Wednesday, three days before I pack up all my gear and leave France, I successfully managed to boot up field equipment that has been obstinately refusing to work properly for our entire time here. Even more, is the fact that I spent a reserve of funds replacing the faulty equipment, when nothing was really wrong with it in the first place. Yeah, kind of disappointing.

My other accomplishment for the day, is that I successfully, only hours ago, gave the worst presentation of my life. Most would not think it an accomplishment, but I feel I need to be a tad bit more enthusiastic about it, to make myself feel better. I mean, I was speaking in French and about something that I didn't really know much about (because it was forced upon me at the last second) and halfway through there were some major technical issues . . . so, I had to perform from memory thereon after.

I'm going to go and stew for now. Field work is over, for me at least. So I get to run figures and data sets (woot) . . . which basically is code for: I'm going to put on a pot of tea, some tunes, and take a long bath before everyone comes in from the field an starts up another . . . ruckus.