This is really the first time that I have lived alone. After moving out from my parents house, I lived with Chris for a year, then with the campers all summer, and then with Dan. It is a little bit weird having everything to myself. If I don't feel like cleaning up, I don't have to (not that I was very good when I lived with Dan or Chris, but it was at least a nagging idea in the back of my mind). I buy what I want at the store and eat it straight out of the container (well... Dan can attest that I did that anyway when I lived with him, but I did it less frequently and much more discreetly). This has shown me a problem that I have: Jelly. I bought one of the large jars of it a last Tuesday, and I have eaten almost all of it now. I don't mean that I have been eating a lot of PB&J sandwiches; I mean that I will grab a spoon and have a helping of strawberry jelly as my afternoon snack. Sigh... I really am a lost cause.

Good new on the work front: I am about to really get started tomorrow. I already have been immersed in the workings on the Military Aircraft Protection System (MAPS) project (is classified, so I actually can't discuss it on here). There is another project that requires writing a "script" for some Office applications (I have never thought of VBA as a script, unless they are talking about some other type of a project). Further, there is the lab proposal that I was originally brought on to support (which will also afford me a day or two trip into the Mohave Desert, and the government’s generous travel stipends including $64 per day for food, plus hotel and other costs covered). That is the benefit of being the first intern here... I get to get my hands dirty in a little bit of everything, and just enough that I become somewhat required for the project as well. I am working on being indispensable :D.

Last weekend I went up to Santa Barbara, which was a fun day trip. The 101 was jam packed because apparently everyone around here decides to drive away from the beaches that are right next to them so that they can fight traffic to the beaches farther north. It makes no sense. Either way, SB was pretty nice except that there were 50-60 mph winds, and I suck at being a tourist. I walked around a bit... and then realized that it was just a bit boring doing this alone. I mean there was some nice stuff, like the beach and a pier and some nice restaurants, but it just seems so lame to go to a restaurant alone (other than fast food). Oh well, the Pacific Coast Highway (PCH) is everything that it is cracked up to be... a highway with an awesome view of the ocean right below you. Makes the drive (and the frequent stopping) all worthwhile.

On Sunday, I met a guy named John that has worked at Point Mugu for almost 25 years, and just happened to go to high school with my mom. Small world, eh? Anyway, he took me for a hike. I was thinking that it would be short... like 3-4 miles, but it ended up being 7.5 miles. Needless to say I got a good night's sleep that night. But it is amazing how similar this area is to Southern Idaho. Even though we are right on the beach, this is a desert area (like Boise). The main difference is that it doesn't get over 100 degrees and below freezing in the same year here.

Anyway, I put up a few pictures that I took while I was driving on the PCH, and from the beach at SB. Ciao.