I can't get in sync

So my adviser and the other grad student in the "lab" are excited about a new grant application we are working on. Today we had a meeting about it. The result was that we came up with an almost identical research plan to the proposal that I couldn't get my adviser to pay any attention to six month ago. Six months ago when I was trying to come up with a research plan for my thesis they weren't interested and now that I really need to be concentrating on writing my thesis they want to plan for new research. I'm so frustrated! I should be happy, but I have mentally moved on.

On the positive side I have made quite a bit of progress in getting the current data set into a usable form. That process has really helped to clarify for me what it is possible to say with this data and what just isn't there.

Also, my new "super boss" and another grad student at my new job are working on a conference panel to do with the data collection method for my current project. They seem really interested in having me submit something for the panel. The conference is in August in a big east coast city and sounds really fun. I spent over two hours yesterday talking about research methods with the other grad student. Her dissertation topic is related to my current thesis project, especially in terms of data collection methods. She has been collecting data this year so she had lots of interesting stories.

Yesterday made me realize what a truly scholarly, collegial environment would feel like (at least occasionally.)