Found out last week I have passed my qualifying exams. I guess now I can call myself a Doctoral Candidate and I am officially in the program. Hope to have my Interdisciplinary Doctoral Committee together by the end of June 06. The class on nonlinear continuum mechanics is going well, and I hope to take a good controls class in the fall. Research is coming along, although I need to spend more time on it. I have been working too much at the family business, ISO certification. Not Fun, but the brunt of it is getting done, and then I will be able to focus more on finishing up my research. 645 days and counting!