June 25

I'm pretty glad that I was able to get the reaction finished today, even with a decent yield.  It has been the most difficult one that I've ever done, but on the third try, it went!  I start another one on Monday, which I prepared for this afternoon.  At work I was able to get caught up on procedures and things like that, in preparation for my project next week as well, so that is good.  Perhaps even more notable, is that at work I bought a plane ticket to Rome with Marc and Joe.  We will be flying there (somewhat cheaply at €63 there and back) for a long weekend.  I really hope that my debit card works with this, because it definitely did not work so well buying books with it over the internet from China.  I am really looking forward to this, it should be fun.  We are also rather concretely looking at a trip to München in July.  Hopefully we can put the Castle Neuschwanstein (Disney castle), Dachau and the Eagle's Nest into that trip.  Berlin will also probably be in July, which will be fun as well.  It is about time, but our travel plans are finally coming together.  Hopefully I can also visit Petra and Edward in July.  This weekend however I will be much closer to home, in Mainz, with Dirk his girlfriend and two other friends for Johannisfest there.  Of course it will be full of soccer-watching, as every day has been here (also, Wimbledon), and some geocaching on Saturday (I have been pushing it back).  It is a wonder that I do anything but some running and watching soccer.  I actually have learned some legitimate German from watching soccer on German television though.  Anyway, this afternoon I ran for a bit and of course watched soccer.