Hump Day

Well, I guess it's after midnight, so technically Hump Day is over already.

I managed to get a good chunk of my thesis done for today (12 pages) and my advisor wants me to look into more secondary sources. Which is absolutely necessary, because I have a grand total of two for this chapter. Also, anecdotes are more fun than thinking for yourself.

In other nerdy news, the New York Times reported today that the mystery of the Pueblo Bonito cylinder jars has been solved. This is so freaking cool, although I'm finding the reporting a bit lacking. It looks like they tested a few shards of broken jars and found the biomarker for cocoa, indicating the jars were used to serve hot chocolate. However. There were over 100 jars found (in one room) at Pueblo Bonito. A vast majority (I don't remember the actual number, but I'm thinking it's something like all but 8 or 10) are at the AMNH, and have been there for decades. One of the first things that happens when AMNH gets artifacts is that the artifacts are blasted with cyanide and other poisons to kill and molds, insects, fungus, and anything else living that might work against preservation. As a result, it's impossible (or so the guy at AMNH told us) to test the inside of the jars to see what they might have held. I'm really excited about the possibility of an answer, but I'm not sure I'm 100% convinced.

On the knitting front, my Leyburn socks are sort of stalled - I've been so busy with work the first sock has been just past the heel for nearly a week, now. The yoke cardigan is, however, making steady progress. I've got about 8 1/2 in. of the body finished (so a little more than halfway done) and I just finished the last of the waist shaping decreases. I'm doing the increases (slightly) closer together (every 8th row instead of every 9th) so hopefully the second half will go faster than the first. Then I have to do some math with the chart, so the motifs are centered on the back of the sweater, and it's time for color. Huzzah!

I'm also getting back to the gym this week, which is a huge plus. I got so out of shape over the break, and I almost killed myself in the sculpting class Monday. My left arm still doesn't bend all the way.