This was a longass month! Well, more like 10 days. First, my trip to Naples, Florida for grow-out evaluations then immediately after, headed to Skokie, Illinois for the AOSA/SCST Annual meeting. Sunday, I took my so dreaded exam, which, unfortunately, and not to my surprise, did not pass.

Numerous interesting talks and information about the seed industry, new connections, and “friends”. Overall, a good experience. But right by last Tuesday, I was so ready to go home. It had already been a long time away, and it gets old and exhausting pretty quickly.

Today is the last day of conferences, most people are either flying or driving back home. Some of us don’t fly out until tomorrow.

Again, it has been a good experience, next year’s conference is in Canada 🍁. As an associate member of the Society of Commercial Seed Technologists, it is important for me in my career development, to partake in these events. That being said, I will not, if at all possible, combine two trips into one.

And just like that, it’s done. I am finally done with it. No more exam’s related stress, well, now I’ll be anxiously waiting for the results but that’s the least of my worries — now.

Four different tests, four different subjects. Molecular, Genetic Purity, herbicide assays, and AP/LLP testing. I feel like two out of the four I did pretty well, the other two, well I had some troubles.

Although, I was surprised at how much I knew and was able to complete by just real work experience. Studying also helped a lot, obviously. About three hours total, for all four. I should find out about the results for user 22002 sometime this week. My hopes of passing are slim but there’s a chance.

Worst case scenario, I know what to concentrate on or tackle more in my next round.

Now if you’d excuse me, I need a beer and lunch.

Well, this is it, I’m in Skokie, Illinois. Tomorrow’s the day, the day I have been dreading, the RGT exam.

I am not going to lie, I don’t want to do it, I don’t think I am prepared enough. I feel in my heart that I’m going to fail. There’s a little bit of pressure about me passing this exam on the first try. And because of that expectation, I fear that if I do fail, I’m going to disappoint a lot of people, not just me.

I’m also a little spent, I just want to go home.

Funny story

This morning, I woke up, showered, and got dressed, as you do, ready to go out and about in the field. When something strange happened. I got to my rental car, turn it on, and then the sound…

My brand new Mitsubishi Outlander Sport rental sounded like a mustang!!! Super-loud exhaust! A loud broken one. I’ve heard this before, and it clicked in my mind but I didn’t want to accept what was happening. I knew something was “broken” or, missing.

Immediately I called the car rental company and they patched me to this nice lady on the phone. After explaining what had happened she says.

“Sir, you have been a victim of a stolen catalytic converter”

I was baffled, that did confirm what I thought it was but not that it was actually stolen. Stolen, overnight, right at the hotel’s parking lot. Apparently, this is a thing, people do steal, these parts, they, apparently, get a good deal of money for them, precious metals.

So, they exchanged my vehicle but not before I had to drive it all the way to my closest car rental location. It was like driving an old broken Cadillac all over town. So much fun.

I’ve got two more nights down here in Naples fkn Florida, and there’s a tropical storm watch!

Good times, good times.

It is somewhat baffling to me that about two weeks ago, I was in a very nice chill not-so humid place, with lots and lots of pine trees and Deer crossings signs. Now, I find myself in a hot, hot place, extremely humid, and lots of diverse vegetation but mostly palm trees. And rather than Deer crossing signs, Panther’s crossing signs. And you could add alligators and who knows what. No alligators crossing signs, though.

It seems to me like Florida is USA’s mini Australia.