Wow, a lot has happened since my last post from back in July when I got a speeding ticket on the way to Corning. About two weeks ago I finally finished my thesis proposal and gave my proposal presentation. It seemed like everything that could have possibly prevented me from finishing the thing during the last few weeks of summer happened – a large bedbug infestation in my apartment building, professors not responding to emails for weeks, fracturing a toe on a hiking trip, classes starting, organizing fall rowing, getting a new girlfriend, etc.  I’m not sure if anyone actually reads the thesis proposal, and I’m still not really sure what the point of writing it was, but I spent a lot of time stressing about it.