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Kat Volk

@katvolk.bsky.social
1.4K followers 366 following 3.5K posts

Planetary scientist, equestrian, and cat herder. Cat posts at: bsky.app/profile/katskitties.bsky.s…

PostsRepliesMedia
Reposted by Kat Volk
Dr. Jessie Christiansen @aussiastronomer.bsky.social · 9h
Ummm until yesterday there were actual deadlines listed here 👀 (Maybe this is just the previously discussed move to rolling deadlines, but it seems ominous when bundled with all the rest of the new "The Astro-Core program is anticipated to be especially competitive in Fiscal Year 2027" guidelines.)
Screenshot of the NSF MPS Astro core program solicitation page, which has, under 'Full Proposal Deadlines', the highlighted text 'Proposals Accepted Anytime'.
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Kat Volk @katvolk.bsky.social · 10h
Packing to go visit my family. Since they bought my niece’s lease horse, I can finally put a training ride or two on him and give her some lessons. But my style conscious niece is probably going to be horrified at my attire 😂 (least fave shirts/breeches, worn out half chaps, ugly back brace)
A suitcase with neon bright sports shirts and big black back brace on top
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Kat Volk @katvolk.bsky.social · 14h
I question the point of being able to specify food pickup time when ordering in a fast food place’s app, getting a text message confirming it’s ready 5 minutes early, then arriving at the pickup time to find out lol, it’s not. It’ll be another 10+ minutes
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Kat Volk @katvolk.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
I picked a terrible time to drive over to the office 😂 guess I’m going to sit in my car and listen to my podcast a bit longer
View out of my parked car into the pouring rain. Water is gushing out the gutters of the office roof
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Kat Volk @katvolk.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
My officemate is a little sassy this morning
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Kat Volk @katvolk.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
I am being held hostage. I can neither go shower nor make lunch 
Echo very happily laying across me as I sit on the sunroom couch. She is very comfy and has no intention of giving up
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Kat Volk @katvolk.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
Slightly freezer burned frozen chicken tamales plus leftover enchilada sauce means cheese smothered dinner!
A small blue casserole dish with two tamales in it covered with enchilada sauce and browned cheese
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Kat Volk @katvolk.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
Andor is way too far down. Granted I've only seen 6 of the shows ranked above it, but it's better than all 6 of those
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Reposted by Kat Volk
Claire Willett @clairewillett.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
all I’m gonna say about this as a woman who inhabits nerd spaces is that if you believe “Game of Thrones” is the best (not most culturally impactful or biggest influence, but BEST) speculative fiction show of the century by this staggering a margin, you are a man I would not let my girlfriends date
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Kat Volk @katvolk.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
Really annoyed that I just had to spend $600 on a new external hard drive and that that was a good price at the moment. (I had price alerts set because it’s time to rotate out two of my work data drives. Not going to do both, but one is a start)
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Kat Volk @katvolk.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
Tasty lunch courtesy of dumping frozen stuff into the toaster oven because over the weekend I did not get to my usual meal planning or grocery shopping for the week. This is why I love having a chest freezer!
A plate with roasted broccoli, tater tots, a chicken strip, and some dipping sauce
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Kat Volk @katvolk.bsky.social · 20/09/2026
Echo snuggles are the best snuggles
Echo blissfully asleep on my chest. She is purring away in her sleep
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Reposted by Kat Volk
John Scalzi @scalzi.com · 19/09/2026
Nope, that's accurate. I started making myself reach for the handrails when I turned 40 so it would be muscle memory when I got older, and it's already saved my ass a couple of times when I've slipped on the stairs.
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Kat Volk @katvolk.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
My usual post barn Saturday chores are delayed due to echo snuggles 
Echo is laying across my lap as I sit on the couch. She is very comfy
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Reposted by Kat Volk
Dr. SkySkull @drskyskull.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
"Well, sure our food is poison now, but at least I can do my best to avoid contamination by washing my hands--"
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Kat Volk @katvolk.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
oh fuck off with this BS @adobe.com. No, I will *not* be using AI to read the dissertation that I'm evaluating.
screenshot of a pop up in adobe reader that says "This appears to be a long document. Save time by reading a summary using AI Assistant"
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Reposted by Kat Volk
Emily Rauscher @astronemly.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
Yes! It’s an amazing group of cross-disciplinary experts we’ve assembled. Come work with us on some really cool projects! 😎😶‍🌫️🤩
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Kat Volk @katvolk.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
I’m being judged rather harshly today by my officemate 
Gus, a tabby cat, in my arms on my desk. His facial expression makes it clear he is unimpressed with me right now
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Kat Volk @katvolk.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
Got this on managers special a week or two ago. It is extremely meh. It’s perfectly edible, and $3 for two very quick dinners is fine. But “flavorful” is not how I would describe it
The box from a container of Kevin’s Thai-style coconut chicken
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Kat Volk @katvolk.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
Just love when a random large, warm red blotch shows up on my arm. I didn’t touch anything I’m allergic to today and that’s not where any of my vaccines were injected. Stupid body doing stupid things. Hoping it goes away overnight because I’m supposed to do allergy shots tomorrow
The inside of my arm showing a fist sized irregular red blotch on the inside of my upper arm
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Reposted by Kat Volk
James Davenport @jradavenport.com · 14/09/2026
The *best* science journals in the world (@aas.org) have announced an unbelievable pick for the next Editor in Chief: my very esteemed colleague @emsque.bsky.social! aas.org/press/emily-...
aas.org
Emily Levesque Named Next Editor in Chief of AAS Journals | American Astronomical Society
Emily Levesque (University of Washington) has been named the next Editor in Chief of the prestigious suite of AAS journals, beginning her term in August 2027.
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Kat Volk @katvolk.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
I still have a headache and my officemate is not helping me get my work done this morning
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Kat Volk @katvolk.bsky.social · 12/09/2026
About to enjoy some delicious Walmart pumpkin cake roll as a reward for getting three vaccines today (flu, covid, and pneumonia shots)
A slice of pumpkin cake roll on a plate
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Reposted by Kat Volk
Sarah Tuttle @niais.cryptoanarchy.network · 05/09/2026
Tell me more about this "cancel culture" again.👀 🫠
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Kat Volk @katvolk.bsky.social · 04/09/2026
Rewarding myself for doing annoying errands today with this monstrosity of a second lunch (had some cereal before I left the house) while I wait for my car to get its tires rotated
Nacho cheese and bacon smothered crinkle fries from eegees
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Kat Volk @katvolk.bsky.social · 04/09/2026
She is not as cuddly as her brother, but Roxie is kind of still my favorite outside kitty. Love a smart girl with high standards who firmly establishes boundaries 😂
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Kat Volk @katvolk.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
Yum! Managers specials (mushrooms, Parmesan and gnocchi all on clearance) resulted in a delicious dinner. I love when those discount stickers answer the “what should I make for dinner?” debate
Niche with mushrooms and spinach in cream sauce with Parmesan cheese
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Reposted by Kat Volk
Dr. Adeene Denton @spacewhalerider.com · 02/09/2026
Obsessed with this interview. This is indeed what big athletic efforts are like: www.cbc.ca/radio/asitha...
cbc.ca
B.C. swimmer crosses the Strait of Georgia in under nine hours | CBC Radio
When it comes to crossing the Strait of Georgia, most people would choose to do so in a boat, a ship — any kind of a marine vessel, really. But not Melanie Buggey. She chose to swim.
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Kat Volk @katvolk.bsky.social · 02/09/2026
The first one of the season is always the best
A bag of candy corn pumpkins with one pulled out
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Kat Volk @katvolk.bsky.social · 02/09/2026
Sigh. The bad place is still the only good place to lodge customer service complaints in a way they get acknowledged. But damn it took about 2 minutes to get a man-splainey reply from some rando. It’s so toxic over there
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Kat Volk @katvolk.bsky.social · 02/09/2026
My office mate is not enthusiastic about work today
Gus, a tabby cat, is sprawled across my desk in front of my keyboard. He doesn’t look happy about it
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Kat Volk @katvolk.bsky.social · 02/09/2026
Torturing Finn again. (it’s too wet to do more active work with the horses today so I’m making him do his least favorite thing which is picking his feet up over raised poles )
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Reposted by Kat Volk
Dr. Adeene Denton @spacewhalerider.com · 01/09/2026
New way to form the Moon just dropped, featuring new modelling by yours truly: iopscience.iop.org/article/10.3...
swri.org
SwRI-led modeling identifies new scenarios for Moon formation | Southwest Research Institute
Geologically realistic modeling changes how a giant collision forms the Earth-Moon system
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Kat Volk @katvolk.bsky.social · 01/09/2026
I know *exactly* which asshole bird this was in the still immediately before my back yard camera was knocked to the ground. I keep telling the outside kitties to eat this specific bird but they never do!
Black and white striped tail feathers blocking part of the camera view of my back porch
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Kat Volk @katvolk.bsky.social · 01/09/2026
I think this dummy literally forgot that he likes me and the scritches I give him a lot. I finally spotted him yesterday evening and made him let me pet him and today he’s been hounding me all day for scritches. We just had our maybe 5th petting session where he purrs and talks to me. Dumbass
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Micah @rincewind.run · 31/08/2026
canada: "fuck you, americans!" americans: "yeah, that's fair, fuck us up"
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Kat Volk @katvolk.bsky.social · 31/08/2026
Gotta start the week on the right note.
A plate with pancakes, chicken sausages, syrup, next to a bowl of blueberries a Halloween themed mug of coffee and a black cat napkin
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Kat Volk @katvolk.bsky.social · 29/08/2026
Love how 2 minutes ago my weather app didn’t have chance of rain in the next hour. But now that there’s thunder it suddenly is like, yeah, 80% chance. Real useful forecasting there 😂
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Kat Volk @katvolk.bsky.social · 28/08/2026
Was feeling sleepy, crawled into bed thinking maybe tonight I’ll fall asleep quickly for once. And then Echo decided to try an ill-advised stunt: leaping onto the top of the bedroom door from the dresser. I had jump up to rescue her as she scrambled not to fall. Got a nice scratch too
A red scratch from Echo’s claws running along the top of my chest
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Kat Volk @katvolk.bsky.social · 28/08/2026
Damn. Huge thunderstorm popped up really fast and the wind gusts have tossed everything on my back porch around (can’t open the door because it’s now blocked with knocked over stuff). Poor Roxie is hiding in the bushes because she was here for dinner when the wind suddenly exploded
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Kat Volk @katvolk.bsky.social · 27/08/2026
I had to go out in the ridiculous 109 heat for an eye appointment so I rewarded myself with Wendy’s
A plate with a double stack, fries, chicken nuggets. And a frosty
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Kat Volk @katvolk.bsky.social · 26/08/2026
The frittata is delicious. I do not taste any difference with the pasture raised eggs 🤷‍♀️ (but they were dirt cheap, so yay several days of cheap breakfast/linch!)
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Kat Volk @katvolk.bsky.social · 26/08/2026
The fancy eggs were on manager special this morning at sprouts, so it’s frittata time for lunch!
A mushroom, broccoli, and cheese frittata cooling on the stovetop in a cast iron skillet
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Reposted by Kat Volk
Matthew Buckley @physicsmatt.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
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Kat Volk @katvolk.bsky.social · 24/08/2026
My sister: “well, I own a horse now” Me: “condolences” (This is how you know we are horse people 😂😂 my niece’s barn is closing and they had the option to buy the horse they were leasing there. My sister and I do both really like the horse so it’s not a bad outcome. Leasing is just better…)
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Kat Volk @katvolk.bsky.social · 24/08/2026
A side effect of how many and which teeth poor Gus has had pulled over the years (stupid resorptive lesions…) is that he drools more than most cats. Just got sprinkled on via Gus head shake and he doesn’t feel sorry at all 😂
My shorts showing several wet spots from droplets of Gus droolAn unrepentant Gus sitting on my desk
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Kat Volk @katvolk.bsky.social · 24/08/2026
Finally got annoyed enough to find the global setting in overleaf that disables the "project activity" emails that suddenly started popping up recently. Who thought that was a good idea to opt everyone into by default!? (I know I hate email more than most people, but god dammit I hate email)
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Matthew R Francis @bowlerhatscience.org · 24/08/2026
my officemate is not contributing anything today, I'm filing a complaint with HR
a small gray cat sleeping on a bench by a sunny window, one eye half open and her back feet sticking over the edge of the bench in a particularly ridiculous way. Just a ridiculous cat all around.
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Kat Volk @katvolk.bsky.social · 23/08/2026
I decided it’s Halloween mug season because I got my annual new mug yesterday. But early, but whatever. I like my kitty Halloween mugs.
Cereal and toast for breakfast next to a black and orange mug with a ghost and the ghost’s ghost kitty in various poses
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Kat Volk @katvolk.bsky.social · 23/08/2026
The freezer giveth a tasty Saturday night treat. (Thanks past me!)
A square of lemon cookie bar with strawberry buttercream icing on a plate next to a glass of milk
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