cautiously optimistic
So... late last night (early this morning?), I finally met with my advisor to discuss the current status of my research. At midnight. Just as I was starting to fall asleep at my desk, just outside her office. I'd been sitting on standby since at least eight. On a Friday night. The job comes first.
Whatever it takes.
The good news is that I have convinced her that at least two of the major planks of my project are well underway and producing interesting and publishable data. I can say a thing or two about when a chili thrips might decide to fly, and suggest the environmental factors that might be necessary to satisfy their internal air-traffic controller, and which members of the population appear to be more prone to flight under particular conditions. Now I just need a third stable plank to complete the story, and we both suspect that experiments I have already launched looking at the reproductive biology of the thrips might be enough to satisfy the conditions set for my Master's.
Time will tell, but until then I will remain guardedly and cautiously optimistic.