Post 9: Wednesday

Today was spent mostly reading and building up to being able to do the work that I need to do. 
I spent many hours reading today.  The day started early (7:40 there) and I started with evaluating some data that Tim sent to me.  Around 8:20-8:50 Tim and I were sitting at my computer trying to get a program installed while on the phone with one of the computer administrators.  Eventually we got it to work, and I spent a while getting to know the program and to be able to work with it to more accurately evaluate the data that Tim sent to me.  After lunch, I read some more before my 14:15 doctor's follow-up appointment.  The doctor told me that I was healthy, and that a 3 hour drive from my home to "Michigansee" (lake michigan) is a really long way to a German and that Americans don't want to learn a language other than American, and that for Americans the world ends at the coasts.  He then told me that my German was quite good. 
Tim came down around 14:40 and we went over and prepared and ran a test program with the Rheometer.  That took just a little bit trying to find everything; he mostly let me try to figure it out myself.  After this, I got the data and tried analyzing it on my computer station which worked out pretty well.  I pulled out the Rheology book that I was loaned and flipped through it until I found what I needed. 
I had a nice conversation with Bionca about the differences in the German-American education systems.  They don't have to do the homework that they are assigned unless they need to.  They don't really have an equivalent to the FE exam that we have to be a Professional Engineer.  They have what is termed Diplomarbeit.  In other words, 6 months of them working in their field, and at the end they submit at 60-120+ page paper on the topic. 
I wound up staying quite late at work, but eventually came home and chilled for the rest of the evening.