Merry Christmas, one and all! Does anyone still read this thing?

It sounds like you're all off doing far more exciting things than me...I'm pretty much doing exactly the same as this time last year, the only differences being that I now volunteer in Biology at Bristol Museum (which is fun) since Tim Ewin abandoned us for the NHM (but can't say I blame him!).
My trip to Oz in January/February was amazing, even though I didn't discover anything mind-blowing on the dig...a few scrappy pieces of dino and turtle bone mostly. But it was still pretty damn cool! (even though it was about 35 degrees in the shade!).

Me breaking up some rock. We found a nice big ornithopod femur in this block!

Anyone going to SVP next year? It's being held in our own fair Bristol! Maybe I'll see a few of you there! In the meantime, everyone have a very merry Christmas and a happy new year!

Rach

Well hello there!

It's been a while since I've put in any sort of update, so I thought I'd bung in a quick post to let you all know what I've been up to. I had a couple of weeks of fieldwork out on the U.S. Gulf Coast in May, and I've spent most of my time since processing samples and doing microscope work. Which has been dull, quite frankly, but the data is now starting to trickle in. I'll be doing a poster at Palass on what I've done so far. And while we're on the subject, who else is going this year? I've taken a room at the Kelvin Hotel, is anyone else going to be staying there?

Other exciting news: for those who aren't aware, next year's Progressive Palaeontology will be in Birmingham. You are all of course cordially invited, although I understand that those in a different timezone may not be able to make the trip. Preparations are going well, but I do find all this teamwork rather challenging. Palass will also be in Birmingham next year, so 2009 will be a bit of a Brummie double-whammy.

My first paper will also be out in December, in the very fine journal Palynology. It's not the most groundbreaking paper ever written, but I'm still quite pleased with it. Has anyone else got any publications in the pipeline? I've enjoyed reading Luke's, Rob's and Koen's papers from their MSc projects, and I'd very much like to read any more papers that get published.

Time to get back to the lab.

Cheerio!

Neil and Cheryl tie the knot

T'was a lovely day and the bride looked radiant. There are a few pics on facebook for all to see. Hope you're all well

SVP

I was just sending in my abstract for the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology meeting this year (in scenic Cleveland...ugh...) and was curious whether any of the rest of you had plans to be there. It should be a good time; those of us that were there last year got to see Mike Benton get drunk at the afterparty, which in and of itself was worth the trip (I might also mention that Lara gave an excellent talk and I presented a much less excellent poster). If any of you are going, let me know if you might be interested in working out shared rooms (this seems very early, I know, but I'm told all the double rooms at the host hotel are already booked, and I'm betting that affordable rooms in downtown Cleveland are going fast).
While I'm writing here, how is everybody these days? People so rarely post here anymore, which is a shame, since I always enjoy hearing what people are up to. For my part, I'm getting ready to spend the summer helping to write a grant to fund our university museum and traveling to California to measure horse, dog, and squirrel teeth for my dissertation research. I hope everyone else's life lately has been equally or more exciting (though, really, I'm not sure how anything could be more exciting than fossil squirrel teeth...) and that I'll get to see at least a few of you in Ohio this October!

The demise of Chantry Court.

I thought this might be of interest to some of you who suffered at the hands of Unite Student Housing during your brief but eventful time in the fair town of Bristol. Chantry Court has been struck off Bristol's accommodation list for next year. This is NOT due to the flooding fiasco, the ventilation vexation, the postal palaver or the raucous residents (although the office was staffed by some highly admirable sorts!) No this was due to the infestation of maggots they had all throughout the back entrance because of the overflowing refuse tip outside. Aren't you glad you all moved Koen, Lys, Rob, Ben? I am!!!!

Anyway, I'm utterly bored at work and this was the last procrastination tool at my disposal before giving a resigned sigh and heading off to Borders for 20 minutes. I hope that you are all well and having plenty of success at whatever you're all turing your hands to. I think a reunion might be in order at some point no?

Well, until we meet again (don't know where, don't know when) fare thee well comrades and palaopadwans in arms.

xxx

Merry Christmas and junk

Hi everybody,

Since there is only one post so far for december, I thought I shear up the numbers a bit. Although I'm far from religious in any way (perhaps only when worshiping divine female curves), I do love the whole christmas atmosphere. It is supposed to be the birthday celebration of Jesus Christus, but that was just a smart move of the Catholic Church to absorb the pagan celebrations around that time of year. I like to think of Christmas more as a fertility celebration. The tree is obviously a phallussymbol, and the presents underneath, well I don't think I need to explain what they represent. It's the celebration of the winter solstice, which is actually on the 22nd, and means the beginning of the lengthening of the days. In short, I wish you all a Merry Solstice and a very Happy New Year.

And don't let my obscene thoughts ruine your fun when opening those balls... I mean presents.

Best wishes,

Koen

Stuff and nonsense

Ugh. I had to look at Braddy's smug face on the local news blathering on about his bloody giant eurypterid. That news story was even a question on Have I Got News For You that week. Braddy's practically famous! Though his name wasn't actually mentioned!

Anyway, that wasn't the purpose of this post. Just thought I should say hello, I haven't been here for a while. So hello! Hope you're all doing well with your PhD's or whatever. I'm still working part-time, and volunteering at Bristol museum. Which is fun! Kinda. More excitingly, I'm going to Australia in January! I'm joining a university-run dig near Melbourne for a couple of weeks, and I'm gonna dig up dinosaurs! Hopefully. I went digging in Westbury one day last week with a collector, looking for a plesiosaur skull in the clay pit, and found bugger all! Well, we found a fish, and some fossilised wood, but that's it. The chap had already found the plesiosaur's mandible, a paddle and all of the cervical vertebrae, and all quite well articulated, so he was hopeful that the skull was still there...but no such luck.

So, yeah...digging is the plan at the moment. I'm just trying to get some field experience, really. It was Remmert who recommended the Australia trip to me, 'cause I asked him how one gets into doing what he does for a living, and the advice was basically to get out in the field. So into the field I shall go! Even if that field happens to be an Australian beach, at the height of their summer and the depths of the glorious British winter! It's a hard life!

Hope everyone's OK, enjoy Palass those of you who are going, and see you sometime!


Rach