When "annual" means nine months

I walked into the building today, and haven't seen a single person since. Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. Bliss.

I spent the morning chunking away on the first annual report of the REU program. This is the first time I've had to submit an annual report to the NSF, and it's a bit weird on a few counts. First, the annual report is due 90 days before the end of the award year. So I'm not actually reporting on a full year's worth of work. Plus, the reporting system is very structured and slightly finicky, about what kind of information you have to present in what order. Still, I think that now that I've gone through it once, it'll be much easier the second time around.

I'm also doing another kind of report -- on student short essays. I'm also grading today, and hope to finish that up before I go home today.

Also on the agenda during this break before classes start again next Monday: animal care, recommendation letters, student research project planning, and maybe some science blogging.