This blog is dedicated to Ana (aka anablu), who was my first friend on the site and helped me come out of my shell.

Okay, I would have posted this blog on Ana's birthday (which is a week from today, November 15), but I'll be in New South Wales (Australia), 300 k's from Sydney, with no internet access or mobile phone reception (this will actually happen tomorrow afternoon/evening, which means I'm going to be MIA from tv.com for over a week )

Seeing as I won't be around, I decided I'd post this blog early (and hopefully be the 1st one to help celebrate Ana's birthday )

This birthday is also extra special as Ana will be 21! (and I know she's been waiting all year for it to arrive )

So let's get this party started!

Hmm, what to get Ana for her 21st...

Here's a few people who would like to wish you a very happy birthday Ana

And we can't have a party without cake, so here's a couple to keep you busy Ana

Hope you had a fantastic day Ana

Love Penny

Okay, I told mscraftee that I'd wait a bit to blog about my research, because I'm going on a field trip for a week from the 9th of November, and I was going to wait till I got back, cause hopefully I'll find my insects while I'm away. Funny, how a simple little email can change your reasoning.

Anyway, there I was, checking my uni email account and noticed an email from the Australian Geographic Society. A few months ago, when I first started Honours, I did put in an application to the Australian Geographic Society about receiving sponsorship for my project. Because I hadn't heard for months, I began to think my application hadn't been successful.

I was a little reluctant to open the email at first, as I was expecting it to say that my application hadn't been successful (you know, expect the worst, hope for the best). So I was pleasantly surprised when I did open the email and it told me that I had been successful! It wasn't for the amount I had originally asked for (because that amount was a little ambitious), but nonetheless, it is enough that it should cover my DNA sequencing expenses (as long as I don't find too many of my bugs on the field trip).

I will be sent a sponsorship contract that I'll have to sign, and I did promise in my application to name one of my species after the society (lucky it looks like Apiomorpha minor is in fact multiple species, at least four, possibly 6 or even more.)

I'm quite excited about receiving my first sponsorship, as I'll be able to put it on my CV, and hopefully it'll help me move onto bigger and better things (like research on cetaceans), although I have grown quite fond of my scale insects, I must admit.

Happy Halloween to everyone, though it's already November in Australia!

Hope you all have a great weekend.