3 Pipetmen, 2 Sticks, 1 Dog

Trench

2007-04-23T12:27:00.000-05:00

Well, it is Monday, the 23rd day of April, and I am still in Grad School. I have asked the Boss Lady to up the weekly meetings to two, as I am afraid I will never get the Fuck out of here.
This weekend I met TSB's father for the first time (mom is not in the picture). He has a slightly wonky eye, which immediately reminded me of Rodney Dangerfield. That likeness went away as the day wore on, and I realized just how much TSB and his father are alike. (TSB has never reminded me of R.D. That would be creepy) Same mannerisms, same quirks, all of the inside jokes one would expect. It was enlightening and offered me some further insight into TSB. Nothing Earth-shattering. Just more personal, intimate some how.
Also this weekend was some amazing sushi from Oishii with TNG and her boy. Alas, that may be the last of that kind of indulgence for a while, as the reality of the expense of moving is starting to dawn on me and TSB.
I have not yet made a final decision on where to go for the pd. As both places offered up a new home, it was simultaneously the best and worst of all possible worlds. Best, for who can complain with two offers? Worst, for now I must make a decision. I hates me some decisions. I decided to use this afternoon's session with the shrink to help me. I mean, that is why I pay her, isn't it?
Also, the brother is getting married this weekend. It is jam packed with other activities, so I am unsure of the logistics (Tri-state commitments and all) but I know they will include imbibing of some sort.

Ciao

a lot has happened in the last month

2007-04-12T13:29:00.000-05:00

Live, from Las Vegas, I blog. Seriously. McCarran Airport has free wifi, so I thought I would post a little update. Las Vegas is surrounded by mountains. For those of you that have never been here, they are big.
I was in Dallas this morning and Vegas is my pit stop on the way to Cali. SoCal. Irvine to be exact. The weather in Dallas was wonderful (TSB said there was ice in Waltham this morning! tee heee) and the people were even better. I was visiting UTSW on a job interview (POSTDOC!) and I have another interview at UC Irvine tomorrow. I am excited but starting to get tired. There was not a lot of sleep had the week before I left, and the time changes are wrecking a little havoc.
From what I hear (and see), the weather here is making it hard to land, so there are a bunch of planes circling overhead. It is really dark out, like thunderstorm clouds in NE, but there doesn't appear to be any rain, at least on the ground.
Anyway, our plane is not here yet, but we are supposed to be boarding in about now. Hrm. I will take pictures of the outside, but I can upload them, since I don't have that cable with me.
I can say that I lost $3 gambling in the airport this morning. I was up to $6.50, but then got greedy and lost it all.
OK kids, off to take some pictures of some casinos and some nasty thunderheads. This place is getting crowded, since no one is taking off right now. I think that as soon as I leave my seat, it will be gone. Along with the power outlet.

Ciao.

Baaaaah, sheepy

2007-03-12T14:08:00.000-05:00

What kind of yarn are you?

You are Merino Wool.You are very easygoing and sweet. People like to keep you close because you are so softhearted. You love to be comfortable and warm from your head to your toes.
Take this quiz!

Quizilla |
Join

| Make A Quiz | More Quizzes | Grab Code

bummer

2007-03-07T17:46:00.001-05:00

also, I forgot to mention that my necklace broke. I usually wear a diamond solitaire. Originally, I inherited a 1/4 carat diamond solitaire from my grandmother's estate, but I lost that when the chain broke at a Biochem/Biophys retreat several years ago. I was heartbroken.
Then, about three years ago, I came upon a simple necklace with a slide pendant with a diamond chip in the center. Not as flashy, but still, made of a metal that did not react with my skin and cause boils. I basically wore it 99% of the time, except when I needed to wear pearls.
Then on Monday night, while watching Heroes at Skeintilly Clad's, I reached up to play with the necklace and pendant and it fell into my hand. Well, really the necklace fell into my hand and the slide pendant fell right through my fingers. ACK!
My neck feels so naked! There is nothing for my left hand to play with while reading. I had been considering a gift for myself upon completion of grad school - this nifty bit o' bling - but that seems so far off. Also, I was considering adopting another one of these. Unfortunately, both cost money.
Feels. So. Naked. Exposed. Cold.....

long time, no post

2007-03-07T12:44:00.000-05:00

well, I could say that I was insanely busy, but that would be a stretch. Really I have just been apathetic. Life seems such a labor lately. In no order, I have applied for 12 positions and been rejected from 5 (so far, there is still time), have massive pains in my lower back constantly, causing my legs to be filled with pain and leading me to suspect I have developed the dreaded sciatica, friends have had babies and more friends are incubating, research is going really, really slowly (see apathy above) and it just doesn't seem to ever end.
I have been working on several projects. I have started knitting a hat/scarf/glove set out of the alpaca that I fell in love with last year. So far, I have about three inches of the top down hat done. Apparently, there is a pattern that beckons from the fabric. I am calling it fractal. It is a series of weaving single ribs that expand in a predictable, numeric way.
I have also been swearing at, er, working on TSB's sweater sleeves. Man those things are working up slowly. It is a simple k4p2 repeat, but as I am trying to do the two sleeves on two needles at the same time, that yarns get tangled all the dang time.
I started a blanket for Niece O - it really just needs a couple of hours this weekend and I will be able to knock it out. It is a very simple flannel based blanket, but since it has Dora on it, hopefully it will go over well.
Also, I have been a bit stalled on Squirt's (nee Snurt) quilt. I obtained additional fabric to finish out the borders. But the fabric has just sat. Next to the sewing machine. Not attaching itself to the 80% finished quilt sitting next to it. Stoopid fabric. I did have designs of finishing the border this past weekend at the 'Rent's House, but there was not enough time. I did have to spend the two hours watching the Carolina-Dook mauling, after all.
What else am I working on....
You know, it occurs to me that I really do need pictures of all these things.
I attended a Yarn Swap/Ditch this weekend. The intent was to unload yarns that I would never do anything with. Well, I was mostly successful, except that I came home with more yarns than I left with. This was not the intent. The intent was to reduce the stash. Umm, yeah, failed miserably on that one.
I have almost all of the fabrics for the Huskies' pup that is on the way and expected at the end of this month. I even have the pattern picked out and I have promised myself not to tweak it. At all. I will follow the directions and not modify them in any way. Well, I have made that promise to myself, but I have not yet actually started to put the thing together. We shall see how long that promise lasts.
This past year and a half was marked with multiple favored pets passing. October 2005 Gabi passed on. In my mother's arms. Then this past fall, Bruno fell. I loved the quiet gentle nature of Bruno. Something about him made me feel as if we understood each other. Then, quite unexpectedly, Bandit took a turn for the worse in January and was helped to the Rainbow bridge by my parents. Bandit was Mom and Dad's favorite. Not sure why, I always thought he was a bit thick in the head. He was a sweet loving companion though, and he is sorely missed. All of these events make me hug Halley just that much more intently, when ever she lets me. Bopp turned 10 years old on February 1st. She has transitioned into her golden years with grace, most of the time. But I am reminded constantly that she is not a spring chicken anymore and it makes me lament all the lost time that I have been in grad school. I am determined to go somewhere with nicer weather than New England so that she may enjoy the rest of her years without snow and cold.
So, that is the update on the work and the projects and the friends. Two close friends are getting married this weekend and I am terribly excited to see this. They are great people who make each other happy. Should be a swinging time.

Ciao

New Post for the New Year

2007-01-03T15:58:00.000-05:00

Hey - did you hear that it is the New Year?!?! Can't go more than two minutes without someone mentioning it. Well, I really enjoyed 2006. Seriously. I did lots of maintenance type things in 2006 to improve my quality of life. Now granted, I have not achieved my greatest goal to date - the Defending of the Ph. D. - but that will come.
Now, a list of things of which I am proud.
1. Treated my depression - terribly important as far as the quality of life issues
2. Got treatment for my OCD issues - see above
3. Successfully dated a man.
4. Maintained a relationship with said man - dealing with the first two issues allowed me to be more open to developing an intimate relationship.
5. Addressed my debt issues - not all, but this is a reasonably deep hole out from which I have to climb.
6. Cemented my relationship with my sister, her husband and their child - this one just keeps paying off, making me really happy.
7. Went to a professional conference - career development is always good.
8. Started the postdoc hunt.

Things that should have been accomplished in 2006 that have now been moved to the 2007 To Do List:
1. Defend the Damned Ph. D. - this needs no explanation
2. Transition into postdoc.
3. Start saving in earnest.
4. Take a vacation - Caribbean, Europe, Mediterranean...
5. Have Halley's teeth cleaned.
6. Take off the weight put on this past year and start triathlon training again
7. Practice more yoga and meditation.
8. Start paying back mom for all of the help these past years.

As a bonus, I am including a picture of me and TSB on New Year's Eve. Since we met one year ago on this night, we are taking it as our anniversary (no more monthaversaries!!!), though it was really some time in January that we started dating. I made my dress this year is just under a week, a mania that was sparked by SC. That's it - it was all her fault - blame her. Now, back to work on TSB's Boyfriend Sweater. Then again, it is supposed to be ~60 F by the end of the week - not like he is missing it.
Ciao

primer

2006-11-30T19:03:00.000-05:00

I was rereading my previous post and realized that the spellcheck went a little haywire and I did not pay enough attention.
so here is a primer
nest Christmas = next Christmas
Satiate was beautiful = Saturday was beautiful
SEC's = SC's (Skeintily Clad's)
tempos hitting the 60's F = temps hitting the 60's F (rumored to happen again this weekend!)

As far as I can tell, those are the corrections.

Well, now for a funny anecdote, an update on craftiness and, not sure what else.
Anecdote: Since I have had Evil Gutt for a couple of months now, everyone in the lab is familiar with my Butt Donut. Well, a second popped on me (even with the 10 year warranty!). I was massaging my aching butt and lower back while getting a drink of my vitamin water when my boss looked at me and asked "Anything new?" Now a smart person would put in something about science or the progress I am making on my postdoc packets or the like. But no, I decide to answer her rather open-ended question in the following way : "My second donut popped and now my butt is sore." Followed quickly with "You'd think my ass would be cushioned enough on its own!?!"

Craftiness: I went to SC's on Tuesday to knit a bit while watching House. toiling away on BF sweater, which progresses painfully slowly. While there, I offered to help SC with a project, so I took some felt home and sewed them into stars. I return them today so that she can needle felt some designs on them. But the bit of sewing I did reminede me how much I enjoy sewing. Cleaning off my craft table, which was covered in dirty clothes and magazines, so that I could access my sewing machine caused me to uncover many started-but-as-yet-unfinished projects.

And yet, my postdoc packets are not yet complete either.

Ciao

Hrm...

2006-11-27T12:39:00.000-05:00

The response from that last post was... deafening. Well, here is something way less interesting...

This past weekend was the four day Thanksgiving weekend-ishk. It started on Wednesday, when I really couldn't justify staying at work past 2:30. I wasn't getting anything done, and I needed to be doing other things. So I went home and began to bake (cupcakes for Thursday's feast) when I realized that I did not have cupcake tins and would, in fact, have to go to the market. Ugh - on the worstest day of the year. So off to the Hannaford I trotted. I picked up tins and some other things I can't remember, and then headed home. I baked up the cupcakes and then proceeded to decorate them like turkeys. TSB arrived quite late, after placing the bird in an overnight bath of salt and beer, and we ate some dinner.
We went to bed early, since we were expecting to leave my place by 9 AM!!! Thanksgiving dinner was hosted by some friends of TSB who live in Worcester. TSB was responsible for the Turkey prep and cooking - thus we had to be at their place quite early. I brought knitting - specifically a Boyfriend sweater for TSB. While the turkey cooked, I knit. I managed to cast on and knit up a good 2.5 inches.
Sidebar: the BF sweater is knit in the round. It is kind-a designed by me with heavy influence from Saranac and Lucky. TSB has also weighed in several times when I have been faced with too many options (like k:p ratio). We (he) decided on k4p2, which I think looks quite good. I am using Peruvian wool. I reminded myself of cable cast-on, managed to count to 252 after several tries and even managed to knit 2.5 inches. Go me! TSB is still teasing that he won't see the completed sweater until nest Christmas. Hey, it's a goal. end sidebar

Anywho, TG Dinner was great. We stayed very late and did not get back to my place until after 1. Which would not have been a problem, 'cept the Evil Gutt made an appearance. TSB and I had already promised each other that we would sleep in as long as our little hearts desired on Friday, so the two hours of pain and crying I experienced from 1 until 3 AM didn't really cut into our schedule too much. I am not sure what prompted this latest bout. I was this close to having TSB take me to the emergency room. I have been very conscious of what I have been eating and drinking lately, no caffeine, no liquor, no (little, much reduced) processed sugars, lots of fiber and veggies and water. I am at a loss. Hopefully the doc will have an answer for me next week.
Friday, TSB and I cycled between napping, sleeping and dozing for most of the day. I did not eat anything all day (like I would do for my dog if she had a bout of Gurgly Tummy or Messy Poopy Bottom) and drank a ton of water and gatorade. Finally we roused ourselves around 4 PM and headed out to SC's to take care of the felines.
satiate was beautiful and we were determined to be active during the daylight hours. We took a long leisurely walk to SEC's. While there, I spun while TSB played a silly game. The walk home was colder and the Evil Gutt was unhappy. Oh Well.
Sunday dawned just as beautiful as Saturday, and was warmer with tempos hitting the 60's F. TSB and I went for a hike for a couple of hours. It was beautiful and peaceful and I was sad we didn't think to take Halley, though again the late afternoon was cool and she would have been cold.
We got back home in time for the Bears-Patriots game, which I had wanted to watch. It was a good game. While that was on the boob tube, I cleaned the kitchen somewhat and make gallons and gallons of turkey soup from the carcass we snagged on Thursday. I also made some whole wheat rolls with herbs which smell remarkably like stuffing. They were yummy and the soup came out like Mom's, which made me really, really happy.
I am thankful for many things - among them, that I get to cook for TSB and me. In previous years, I would not even think of making turkey soup for just me. But since it is for someone else, I don't even hesitate. I like that.

Ciao

Thanksgiving day thots.

2006-11-22T11:24:00.000-05:00

While I was driving back from Boston this morning - having taken Skeintily Clad and her BF to South Station at 7:30 - I heard a story on NPR about a Waltham family whose husband/father is stationed in Iraq this year. I encourage all who read this blog (I know, there are scads of you) to take a minute and listen to the story WBUR page with link to audio.

This story got me to thinking - especially about the young girl who was so wanting the basketball net set up - are there any resources for the families of the men and women serving? Not monetary, but more like - who puts together the basketball net when dad is away? Who does the light maintenance or repair jobs around the house? I was thinking, hey, I could help out, go over and put the basketball net up. Then I heard the dad's admonishment to his daughter - 'mom's decision but it has to be safely constructed.' I thought to myself that I could probably do it, but my dad would be better at it - being all handy and such.

How strange it would be for my dad to just show up at these people's home and say "here to put up the basketball net." Or would it? I wonder if there is a way for people who want to help out can get connected with people who need help - specifically for these types of things. A way to connect families of service men and women who are down a whole family member with people who have skills and/ or motivation, and want to donate their services. I might not put a basketball net competently (nor have the necessary tools) but I could rake a yard. Or set up a computer. Or figure out a way for people to help the families who have to keep on keepin' on, even when they are down a player.

I am envisioning a transient thing - similar to the Helping Hands website we set up for QB, after the blood clot. Families would post what they need - help putting up a basketball net, raking the front yard and taking the leaves to the dump, one offs and such, and volunteers could request to take tasks - like a carpenter with two extra hours on a Sunday to put up a basketball net for a kid whose dad is in Iraq for another 9 months.

Anyway, I need feedback. Does this already exist? Are there places for volunteers to do such things in support of the families?

That was my Thanksgiving thot. Not sure what to do with it, other than write it out and beg for opinions or information.

Ciao

a good giggle

2006-11-14T12:54:00.000-05:00

a friend sent this to me in a Fwd. usually I hate fwds, but this one made me laugh out loud.

THE PENIS WANTS A RAISE

I, the Penis, hereby request a raise in
salary for the following reasons:

1-------- I do physical labor.

2.------- I work at great depths.

3.------- I plunge head first into everything I do.

4.------- I do not get weekends or public holidays off.

5.--------I work in a damp environment.

6. -------I work in a dark area that has poor ventilation.

7.------- I work in high temperatures.

8. -------My work exposes me to diseases.

Reply:

Dear Penis,

After assessing your request, and considering the arguments you have raised, the management denies your request for the following reasons:

1. You do not work 8 hours straight.
2. You WORK IN SHORT SPURTS AND fall asleep after EACH brief work period.
3. You do not always follow the orders of the management team.
4. You do not stay in your designated area, and are often seen visiting other locations.
5. You do not take initiative - you need to be pressured and stimulated in order to start working.
6. You leave the workplace rather messy at the end of your shift.
7. You don't always observe necessary safety regulations, such as wearing the correct protective clothing.
8. You will retire LONG before you are 65.
9. You are unable to work double shifts.
10. You sometimes leave your designated work area before you have completed the assigned task.
11. And if that were not all, you have constantly been seen entering and exiting the workplace carrying two suspicious looking bags.
Sincerely,

The Management

and then this:

Five reasons not to be a penis ..

1. You're bald your whole life.
2. You have a hole in your head.
3. Your neighbors are nuts.
4. The guy behind you is an ass hole and...
5. Every time you get excited, you throw up and then faint

Honestly, I don't know why this has tickled my funny bone so.
ciao

Avoidance

2006-10-26T13:18:00.000-05:00

If there is one word to describe my intent recently, it is avoidance. I have avoided posting on my blog for a completely stupid reason.
>> I didn't have pictures of the yarn I am spinning to post.
Seriously. I haven't been writing my manuscript in the past three or so weeks because I am scared of the last round of my boss's comments of the craptastic nature of my latest effort. Literally avoiding opening the email with the attachment of corrections for the past three weeks. It just sits in my inbox. I am avoiding a couple of other things - dishes, laundry, cleaning my desk, repeating the experiment that failed the previous three times, the bill collector. But the funny thing is, I am feeling better. I am feeling like my depression is finally lifting. I am feeling urges to do things, not just thinking the thoughts that I *should* be doing things. But things for which I have urges are not the necessary things I need to be doing to advance my life at this point. So while I am feeling better, I've still not gotten around to that all important breaking point where I finally decide that enough is enough and I put my A back into G - (ass into gear). There is so much that needs to be done in the next six months that I can almost not catch my breath when I think of it. So what do I do? Not think about it. See how this avoidance thing works?
In other news, I am traveling to Houston next weekend to visit with sister's family and help celebrate my niece's first birthday. I am very excited about that. There must be other things going on?!? I sat here for a minute or two, got up to drink some coffee, and sat back down and now my mind is a blank. There simply must be more going on.
A quick glance at my calendar indicates that I am going to take part in a focus group tonight about how women view themselves physically and how those views color their perceptions of their periods. Really, the timing couldn't be more perfect.
I think I really need a vacation. Like a serious amount of time off - either 5 or 7 consecutive days. I was originally thinking of taking some time off around Thanksgiving and traveling, but certain elements did not come together for that. Now, I don't even have a break planned towards which I can look forward in anticipation. Ugh, to not even have anything to look forward to is demoralizing.
Maybe one of these days I will finally take pictures of the yarn I am spinning so I can share with all of you. I mean really, if I am on the science knitters webring, I must post about my fiber issues and keep the rest of my life crapola to a minimum.
Oh, and Husky just came back from the doc's and let us all kow that he and his wife are having a boy pup. Truly joyous news.

ciao

What not to do on a Wednesday night

2006-09-29T11:47:00.000-05:00

Don't work late on a Wednesday night, leave the lab close to 9:30, decide that it is too late to shop or cook, stop by Wendy's on the way home, order 2 Jr. Bacon Cheeseburgers with no mayo and a sour cream and chive baked potato, get home, walk the dog, feed the dog, sit down with Wendy's bag, turn on the boob tube and watch the last 20 minutes of The Biggest Loser on NBC. Just don't do it. It won't make you feel good. It will even go so far as to destroy your good feelings about working late and getting work done. Bye-bye, good vibes from productivity. Because.... here is what 234 pounds or 318 pounds or 256 pounds looks like. Um, yeah, I am really not that far off. Man, have I got to work on this.

Babies!

2006-09-25T12:06:00.001-05:00

Well, there seem to be a lot of them, lately.
Husky and his wifey are expecting! Yea!!! He brought in the sonogram last week and while we do not know whether it will be a boy pup or a girl pup, there is definitely a pup in the den! Due date: March 23rd. Right smack dab in the middle of March Madness. Wonder who will run the pool this year?
Also, got an email recently from college friend Mac, who is with child. WooooHooooo! Again, due date during the ACC championships. Well, nothing like the ACC to raise Mac's adrenaline; I don't think she will need any inducing on this labor.
QB's little one is growing fiercely. Due to make an appearance sometime in mid January. The baby room has been releaved of it's 1950's wallpaper and the built in desk has been removed. The room is actually a good size. TSB and I helped out with some of that last weekend. With four people in that space, it was hot as Hades.
I got to see my niece yesterday - in real time. I was in CT when the weekly webcam call was made. Man, that child is gorgeous! Not that I am biased or anything. And she walks, unassisted. Not even 11 months yet! And dances. I had ideas for the first birthday present, but I am thinking they might be revised.
And Halley had her annual visit to the vet in NH. She is well, though growing a couple of lipomas here and there. They are benign and purely a sign of her age. We made an appt for October to have her teeth cleaned and polished. Yea for not-potty-smelling-mouth dog!
And lastly, I got my period this morning.
ciao

Land of Chaos and Confusion

2006-09-21T13:05:00.000-05:00

Welcome. Admission isn't much. Just your soul. Perhaps your as-yet-unfertilized offspring.

Hurm. Life has been, shall we say, challenging, of late. Lab continues to frustrate me. I want a vacation, but money is tight. Halley has a growth on her leg that has been around for a while, but just this week started changing colors. Ugh. I am thinking all sorts of negative things associated with that one. Manuscript writing is going more slowly than either me or my boss would like, adding to the stress. See, I have the complex whereby I can't stand to let anybody down, especially not a person whom I hold in high esteem. Weekly visits to Cambridge to talk were under review. I was doing so well, no reason not to go twice or once monthly. Hah. In steps the Stress Monster and all of my good work is lost. Or at least buried under a pile of stinky, smelly, oozing, searing Stress Monster poop. Really.

Ok, now that the torrent of my consciousness has been reduced to a stream, maybe I can make some sense of all this for you, my precious reader.

After the wedding, after Glasgow, things were supposed to relax and slow back down. Time was to be taken for writing. Conscientiously, I told my boss that she needed to exert some external pressure, as I am losing my will on this project. So she does. And in the meantime, I realize that I cannot actually work here during the day, since most of my labmates cannot wipe their own asses and have found me to be rather sure handed with the towels. Thus, I was being constantly interrupted with menial, stoopid, if-you-gave-it-a-moment's-thought-you-could-figure-this-out questions. For many people this would not be at issue, but I have concentration issues to begin with, so this was just exacerbating the issue.

My solution was to switch to nights. I have worked closer to second shift hours for the past two weeks and there has been some progress. My idea of nights is coming into the lab at noon or so and staying until midnight or 1. Then on Thursdays, I pull all-nighters, as I have to bee here at 9 AM for weekly meetings and if I went home to sleep, I would never make it out of bed in time. The first week was brutal, the second more amenable. It has been a while since I have pulled all-nighters. I swore when I got this old, I would not be doing this. But it does mean I get more work done with less distraction. ugh.

This week changed. I decided to get some bench work done, putting aside the writing for a week. Thus I am trying my damnedest to get a purification done in three days. Plus I am trying to get to sleep at more normal (1 AM) hours. This has been thwarted by my love (addiction, really) of caffeine and my desire to escape my own reality. Best way to escape one's own reality: read a book.

I just finished my guilty pleasure book, Good in Bed by Jennifer Weiner, and am in the middle of The Fountainhead, by Rand. It is interesting. Though, since I can't read only one book at a time, I will start Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood, which has been next to my bedside since early last year when I purchased it shortly after traveling to MIT to hear her give a reading. I was enthralled, to say the least.

Still waiting on reimbursements for travel to Glasgow. I am slightly peeved by this. "They" know I am a graduate student (they being the people who have yet to reimburse me) and are quite familiar with the whole paucity-of-money thing.

And in knitting/spinning/sewing news: spinning has taken a backseat until the manuscript is finished; I am currently 90% with Tempting, 15% done with FMB that I am doing for myself, and am in possession of the yarn and have made up the pattern for The Boyfriend Sweater.

Yes, folks, there will be a Boyfriend Sweater this year. Perhaps not finished this year, but at the very least conceived of and, perchance, cast on. TSB knows about it and he has been explicitly warned about the ramifications of the BFS. We shall see how it goes. Sewing is a bit stalled. Maybe some pictures next time. Of the 50's style kitchen apron I designed. If you are lucky...

ciao

You spin me right 'round baby

2006-08-30T13:43:00.000-05:00

Yeah, so last Tuesday there was no spinning because of QB's ever-expanding waistline and the need for baby clothes.
Last night, all was put right with the world, as I made this:

out of this:

That is roving from corridale/ romney cross sheep. The color is natural and it is a dream to spin with. There were some dicey moments in the middle, but that will just add character to the yarn that eventually comes out of this endeavor.

Also, I was mistaken and my hopes were falsely raised. I thought last night was the season premiere of House, but alas, not yet.
sigh.
Ciao

in tequila, veritas

2006-08-25T15:23:00.000-05:00

Well, as promised, last night included tequila, bacardi limon and multiple cosmos. I was pissed and I got pissed. TSB came along and listened (quite patiently) for the first hour while I ranted about lost time and opportunities. I spewed most of my piss and vinegar and after an hour, the alcohol lull was starting to set in.
Then TSB and I got to have a semi important, semi sensitive discussion. My reserves were lowered by the alcohol, and I managed to say things with the frankness they deserved. There were no misunderstandings, there was no pussy-footing around subjects. Things were addressed and thrashed out and I feel much better.

A benefit of the alcohol is that I actually got to a deeper sleep level last night. My shoulder is not as sore. I am not as tired. I can focus for longer amounts of time today.
Perhaps I should drink more regularly. Not really reasonable on any level, but the short term therapeutic effects cannot be denied.
ciao

SEEEEETHIINNNNGGG!

2006-08-24T18:53:00.000-05:00

I just got done talking with (in reverse order) my boss, an organic chem faculty and my other boss, the head of the stoopid lab.
About an hour ago, The Other Boss comes to find me to tell me that he has just finished talking with his colleague, the Organic Chem Faculty in the chemistry department of this fine, esteemed institution. TOB explains that OCF has (possibly) solved a vexing problem pertinent to my research and that I should go talk to him myself.
>>> a little background... I am figuring out all I can about my enzymes, but that requires a substrate (fuel) for the enzymes to work on. Since my enzymes also use oxygen, I need to keep the fuel and the oxygen separate until I am ready to make my measurements. Otherwise, since my fuel is unstable, if there is oxygen around, it will just fall apart (react). It took me a year to figure out how to do this in a REPRODUCIBLE, MEASURABLE, CONTROLLED and QUANTITATIVE way. <<
I wander over to the chemistry building and chat with OCF. He and I are familiar with each other, but not friendly (he is a bit of an old-school chemist). He explains the basics of the synthesis and then says, “Well, we don’t know what to do next. You’re the biochemist. Tell us what to do next.” Really not a problem, I assure him. I just need to know what state my enzymes’ substrate is in. By this point, I have already thought of three experiments. And thought of some of the implications if this really did work. And by all appearances, it did.
We go to find his grad student, but can’t. I leave my email addy and lab phone and OCF promises to have the grad student call. I wander back towards the biochemistry building, dumbfounded at the implications of all that OCF has just told me. It’s a short journey between the buildings, about 2 minutes. By the time I get to my boss’s office, I am more pissed off than I have been in a long time.
I give my boss the headline news edition of all that I learned and she gets it right away. She is quiet for a bit and then we start discussing numbers.
Her, “so they knew about this structure when… ’83? No, not that early. 1987? Yeah. It took somebody 20 years!!?! before asking ‘OCF’ about this? Amazing”
Me, “yeah, I am a little bitter right now. Just thinking of all the time and effort and wasted experiments that were spent trying to optimize this system, and this just makes all that moot. Like, a year’s worth of work.”
Her, "yeah."
Really, it is more than a year's work. I could have been graduated several times over (read: years ago. Seriously) and not be in the throes of this current slump, slogging my way through the sludge that is grad school.
Muthafucka. This will only be aided by tequila. I am pissed. How in the hell can I concentrate on the manuscript revisions when all I am thinking about is wasted time? I thought writing all this out would help, but I am still seething.
ciao

mid week blues

2006-08-23T10:46:00.000-05:00

so BossLady came in yesterday to ask for additional written bits to my manuscript and I had to say no. then I had to ask for a deadline.
I have had the intention of writing at home, but there are so many distractions there that my procrastinating streak becomes dominant. So now I am back at work, trying to ignore all those around me while not becoming the ultimate in Hoary Bitchiness.
I did tell TSB that he should call me "HB" for the next couple of months, since that is what I am turning into.
I was going to spin last night as my cool down for not being uber-grad student, but the emergency call came for maternity clothes shopping. That's right, QB is preggers. SC and I saw the little bugger's ultrasounds and many is HE an alien. And while shopping was nice, it left me more cash strapped than I have been in a while, since I just HAD to get a dress for my niece AND some shark jammies for the mutant alien incubating in QB. I really need to not do that. I don't even have the cash to send off the dress to the niece until next week. The way I justify it is that none of it was for me.
I am now about to embark on another couple hours of frustration... er... writing. really, all I want is a really big coffee. maybe coffee before I start writing...
ciao

Science Made Stoopid

2006-08-18T16:24:00.000-05:00

I was scolded recently for not writing about my knitting enough. I have been writing too much about science, apparently. Well, foo on you. I just had to post this link to a funny website explaining why we do it.
In short:

What is Science?

Put most simply, science is a way of dealing with the world around us. It is a way of baffling the uninitiated with incomprehensible jargon. It is a way of obtaining fat government grants. It is a way of achieving mastery over the physical world by threatening it with destruction.
Science represents mankind's deepest aspirations - aspirations to power, to wealth, to the satisfaction of sheer animal lusts.
The cornerstone of modern science is the scientific method. Scientists first formulate hypotheses, or predictions, about nature. Then they perform experiments to test their hypotheses.

Really, go to the website. Read all about science for dummies. Then come back and ask me some salient questions.

In other news, I have taken up spinning yarn as my latest, greatest hobby. Seriously, somebody give me another hole in my head. I obviously need more of them. Nevertheless, I am spinning some roving that I bought at the New Hampshire Sheep and Wool Festival a couple of months ago. I am spinning this on Skeintilly Clad's workhorse wheel. (I was there when she bought her new, swanky one, but it has not been delivered yet.) I bought the roving which is a cross between two kinds of sheeps whose breeds I don't recall. But let me tell you, this wool is a dream. Dream. I had been practicing spinning on some of SC's undyed natural wool from some other sheepy, and I found the technique to require concentration and diligence. Not what I was looking for in another hobby. But then, after sufficient practice, I started in on my roving and Holy Sheep was it different!?! And easier! I am hoping to get in weekly spinning until the 2 lbs(!) is yarn. Still cruising for the perfect pattern to knit. I guess I need the yarn first, anyway.
For next time:
pictures and breed names of wools. Let's see if I can remember that...
Ciao

Epilogue 7 August 2006

2006-08-07T16:57:00.000-05:00

It has been a week since I arrived in the states. AA managed to squeeze me on a very full 6 PM flight on Monday night. I arrived in Boston at 8:30 local time (3:30 A my time). My bag never made it on the flight (for those of you keeping score, this makes twice) and I didn’t get it until Wednesday morning. The lock was gone, but everything else was intact. I guess my luggage just really did not want to leave the UK.
TSB met me at Logan. I forgot to remind him about immigration and customs. He showed up at 7, fearing traffic and construction because of the Big Dig collapse and didn’t see me until 10 PM. Of course, I had to stand in yet another line after going through immigration and customs to make a claim for my lost luggage.
He drove me home and took care of me the rest of the night and all of Tuesday. I convinced him that staying in bed, sleeping and snuggling, was much more desirable than going to work.
When we got to my place, he told me of the three mice he had killed, the fridge he had cleaned and stocked and the kitchen he had cleaned. On my bed were a dozen roses, a stuffed Emperor penguin, and a lovely card. A new CD was playing (Great ladies of Jazz) and after my shower, he presented me with a simple dinner. I was in heaven. I surprised myself with how much I missed him. We decided that one of the songs on the new CD would be our first dance whenever we tie the knot.

TSB and I traveled to CT on Tuesday night to pick up my dog. It was then that my dad told me about my grandmother, who had had a massive stroke the previous Thursday and passed away Tuesday morning. While this was a surprise, it was not a shock. She was a great lady who had lived 95 full years and I am very glad that she suffered minimally in the end. The funeral was scheduled for Saturday, and I will write about that at a later time.

Halley was very happy to see me and TSB for that matter. Having her home makes my place feel complete again. It was strange to lazed all day on Tuesday and not have her next to me.

The rest of the week was uneventful. TSB and I went out for sushi with a friend of his on Friday night. Saturday I was up at 5:30 to get ready and on the road to CT in time for the family viewing and wake. Friday night, while on my way to meet TSB, my exhaust system broke, so now my car sounds like a GTO until I can get another pipe. Sunday I headed over to Skeintilly Clad’s place for an impromptu get together before her big TV debut (more on that later, as well). TSB and I had planned to picnic on the Boston Common and taking in Shakespeare in the Park, but by the time all was said and done, we decided that next weekend would be a better fit. This weekend (and the past two weeks) has been tough physically and mentally. We packed some food, leashed the dog and went to the center of Waltham for a mini picnic/sudoku fest, with some sorbet from the new place on the corner as a nightcap.

That is all for now.
Ciao.

monday at heathrow

2006-08-07T16:56:00.000-05:00

1:30. I didn’t make the 10:55 A to Boston. Mine was the first name they called after the damn plane departed. I am confirmed on the 6 PM flight tomorrow and standby for the 6 PM flight tonight, though the chances of me getting on the 6 flight are nearly impossible, so says the desk agent. Problem is, if I try for the 6 PM flight, I will have to go through security again to get back into the airport if I don’t make it. Except they won’t let me through security until tomorrow, since that is when my next boarding pass is for.
Another call to National and I have an assurance that if I don’t get on the flight to Boston tonight that they will try to get me a hotel room and pay for it. Oh god. This can get worse, but I do not want to know how.

Sunday

2006-08-07T16:48:00.000-05:00

Sunday I slept in a bit and after cleaning up, a bit of toast and coffee, Paisano and I walked to the LMB at the MRC. The labs are surprisingly run down for being the flagship research institute for the British Government, but they are undergoing a major building frenzy to put up new research spaces, the benefits of which Paisano will not enjoy (he’ll be long gone.)
Sunday afternoon, after a quick change of clothes (because it was so damned hot!), we went to the house of Ian and Kate. Paisano works with Kate, and her husband works in the ‘iceberg’ building at the MRC. It was an international group, mostly scientists, and I felt right at home. I met Jan, Paisano’s boss, who revealed himself to be a bit of a pyro by the end of the night. As the evening grew darker, Jan and Kate were looking for more and more things to put on the grill cum campfire.
I tried Pimm’s, a traditional English drink, found I liked it and had several more.
Paisano and I walked back to his house, where I finalized my bags in preparation for the trip home and caught a taxi to the center of Cambridge. There I boarded a bus to Heathrow that was supposed to be direct, but we were asked to exchange coaches at Stanstead. All but two pieces of luggage, mine and another couple’s going on holiday to Spain, were transferred to the new bus. We arrived at Heathrow and didn’t have out bags. It took the company (National Express, again) 40 minutes to locate the luggage. Finally, at 4:30 AM, we got confirmation that our bags were on the bus that had been sent to the fueling station.
They put the bags on the next coach out, to arrive at 6 AM. My flight was at 6:40 and when I spoke with American Airlines, they suggested that if I did not want to leave without my bags, then I should go standby. I did not want to leave my bags with the coach company in a foreign country. So now it is 8:30 and I am standby on an overbooked flight to Boston to depart A 10:55. I may get out today and I may not.
All this cost me the original 25 pounds for the ticket and another $200 US to change my flight status. And I have a headache. And it is crowded here. Please let me get to on the plane to Boston.

29 July 2006

2006-08-07T16:41:00.000-05:00

Arrived at the Unicorn and had two ½ pints while waiting for Paisano. Unfortunately, he was waiting for me at the bus station. I met a nice couple who started up a conversation. I told them of my travels and they told me about life in Cambridge. Then Nigel introduced himself and we started talking. He was very friendly and it finally dawned on me that I was the object of his hitting. Well I made it very clear that I was taken and he backed off. He did allow me to make a phone call to Paisano off his mobile. That was nice. Paisano immediately called back and showed up 10 minutes later. Thankfully, he showed up soon. We transferred my bags into the house and headed back out, this time to a place called the Red Lion.
Saturday started early for me, but then I went back to sleep. Woke up later and had a great shower. Some coffee and some toast later, I was approximately human.
We headed down to Cambridge Central via bus. Cambridge was teeming with people. We went through one of the colleges – Clare college and I went over the River Cam by bridge (thus Cambridge!).
Paisano and I stopped for gelati after walking around town and sightseeing a bit.
Afterwards, we headed down to the River Cam for ‘punting.’ Punting is a time-honored tradition whereby flattened gondolas are taken up and down stream with a pole to propel you along. Paisano demonstrated the technique down river, and then I gave it a go on the way back. My form left something to be desired, to say the least. In all of the pictures, I am punting backwards.

After returning the boat, we had a pint at the Eagle, where Watson and Crick “worked out” the details of the DNA double helix. Then on to a tour of the original Cavendish labs, which made up the MRC in the beginning.
Dinner was a wonderful Turkish meal at Efe’s, on of Paisano’s favorite places, then on to the Pickerel Inn for several more pints. By the end of the night, I was beat.

28 July 2006

2006-08-07T16:38:00.000-05:00

You guessed it. Kids. Marauding, multiplying, maniacal boys, all of them. Swarmed onto the train to Prestwick right after I got on. UGH. What was that I was telling the boss about kids the other night?!?
I am on my way to Glasgow Prestwick Airport – the one in the news for refueling American planes carrying arms to Israel. I am hopping a plane to see Paisano in Cambridge.
I am sitting in the Unicorn Pub with a ½ pint of Stella, waiting for Paisano. I about missed the Prestwick stop on the train, which was why I had to so abruptly stop writing earlier.
I managed to catch my plane with hours to spare, but I screwed up the bus reservations to get back to Heathrow on Monday. I ended up at wit’s end and could feel myself falling into a bit of a panic. The Ryanair flight was less than an hour – up and down – but with a great number of advertisements. Ah, so that is how they make their money.
Got to Stanstead and found the National Express desk, straightened out the silliness on Monday and purchased a ticket to Cambridge. I managed to catch an earlier coach, though I had phoned Paisano and left him two messages (the first 30 p cut me off!) that I wouldn’t be in until 10ishk.
I caught a taxi to his address, but he’s not home, so I sit in the Unicorn, having a second ½ pint.
God I am homesick. I just may be tired, but I have been missing my life, my dog, TSB and my apartment (mice and all) something fierce.
TSB said there was one mouse caught. I can’t wait till I get home and get all the gory details.

Thursday evening

2006-08-07T16:35:00.000-05:00

OK, for some reason I did not book the hotel on Argyle St. Maybe that was the hostel and not the hotel. Anyway, I am on the Northern side of the city, on Great Western Rd. The Hotel Lomond in Glasgow’s Chinatown, I think. Tomorrow might demand some Chinese food.
Being on the north side is not bad. I think I am only a short walk to the world-renowned Botanical Gardens, which is on tomorrow’s agenda.

The hotel is nice, though lacking a lift. My room has a TV and a sink and coffee and tea, but no clock. OK, I brought my own. I was careful to set it so that I would not miss breakfast downstairs. I can’t wait to take a photo of the stairwell.
My room’s ceiling must be 15’ and I am on the backside of the hotel away from the street. I think my sleep will be much better tonight.

Thursday 27 July 2006

2006-08-07T16:27:00.000-05:00

I am in the Goat having a pint of Stella after a long afternoon of Kelvingrove Gallery.
I skipped out of the afternoon session and it felt a bit like skipping school. Nevertheless, it was a beautiful day in Glasgow – a bit cooler – still humid but with the breeze blowing a bit.
I feel I have a good taste of the West End and can move into the Central city now. I spoke with the nice postdoc from UTSW again at lunch. She is searching for jobs in academia but just told me she is 4.5 months pregnant. She is worried she will not be able to hide anymore and it will affect her job search. Alas, that may be me in four years. Today was her 4th wedding anniversary. Happy anniversary, Carolyn. And good luck.
The Kelvingrove was nice and surprising. Such an eclectic mix of Scottish and world history and culture. They had computers built into the tabletop so I was able to check email one last time. TSB is a sad beluga. I guess that makes me a blue penguin. Just without the waddle.
Cricket is on the tellie. I still do not get it and I have seen it every night. Many say it is just like baseball, but I have my doubts. I’ll take my NYY any day.
The sun’s come out while I have had my sit-down. Towing the luggage is going to be a bit of a pain. I have to go back to the convention center, get my luggage out of hock, head to the train station and go two stops to central. From there, I will have to check.

07.25.06 evening and 07.26.06

2006-08-07T16:23:00.000-05:00

And retire early I did. I took the long way home by the tall ship and made it back to the dorm around 9:30. I instantly fell asleep while I had a lie down, trying to figure out what I wanted for dinner. I awoke around midnight, took out my eyes, did five minutes of sudoku by streetlight and fell back asleep. Only to wake up again at 2 AM with a massive bout of insomnia. Not good since I wanted to be up at the convention center by 8 AM for the meeting/ breakfast with the executives of the Biochemical Society. I ran into the Sudanese student, who asked if he could come along. One coffee, one croissant and One Mohammed later, we joined the Brits for a sit down – talking about the conference, the perception in the eyes of the attendees, the future of science and biochemistry. Basically easy stuff.
I learned that this is the second to last large meeting, after which they will revert to smaller focused meetings.
Then on to the talks of the day, in which there were more that I was interested.
Lunch was with a Swedish Professor from the Karolinska who talked ad nauseum about the problem Sweden has with immigrants from Croatia, Serbia and Iraq. Apparently they all refuse to learn Swedish and demand Muslim holidays be observed in the schools. When she learned that I was from Brandeis, she started in on Israel’s bombing of Lebanon and how the Jews were the ones doing the persecuting now.
There was some interest in my poster. I had some walk throughs, not too busy but I was thankful for that because of the heat in the vendor room.

The boss came by and apologized for “abandoning” me this week. What?!? She was concerned about how I was fairing and offered me dinner. I said yes to the dinner but told her I not to worry; I was reveling in being single and independent again – if only for a week.
I rushed back to the dorm to deposit the posters and do a quick change – my shin splints were flaring and I managed to just miss the train that would get me to the boss’s hotel on time. Oops.
We went to a seafood/fish place called Gamba. It was a delicious, albeit pricey, meal.
We had ‘the Talk.’ What do I want to be when I grow up?
She wholeheartedly backs my having a lab, if that is what I want. I told her all about TSB. Her comment was that was everyone’s dream. I agreed, but with so much, there is so much to lose. Alas.
She dashed off after dinner for the Horror tour, sadly no tickets left for me. I am currently sitting in St. George Square in front of the statue of Robert Burns, who died at the tender age of 37.

06.07.25

2006-08-07T16:19:00.000-05:00

Today was a much more subdued day – the conference proper started. The first talk of the AM was a prized talk. Then on to the sessions. I was caught in an ubiquitin session and was bored to death. I was not all that excited about either morning or afternoon sessions today. Tomorrow will be better and much more tiring.
Today, however, the boss caught me first thing and said she had put the posters up. Was I supposed to help with that?
Also, since I didn’t sleep very well last night – blasted helicopters – I was tired. Hard not to fall asleep in some of the lectures.
I saw the boss lady nodding off in one of the lectures – must have been one hell of a party last night. Snark.

Right now, I am enjoying the pleasant night – sounds of the river Clyde – the mothers and daughters that just walked by (human and canine) and the odd bicyclist or jogger – making me feel a bit underachieving.
I made hotel reservations for Thursday night. I have all the reservations I nee, I think. Now I can just sit back and relax. I will take in a light meal tonight – I crave veggies and retiring early.

24 July Monday evening

2006-08-07T16:15:00.000-05:00

Well Day 1 of the conference is down.
Surprisingly I slept well last night and had no trouble waking up this morning. I slept with the window wide open – it never really got cold last night – maybe 65°F – and there were no bugs. Blessed.

I was off to register for the conference about 8:30. The SECC is about a 15-minute walk. I had meant to pick up a coffee along the way – but opted to get to the center before the first lecture.
Registration was remarkably easy – except that I was stuck with a safety pin for my nametag; by the time I picked up my badge they had run out of lanyards.
Into the first set of lectures and I remember that the ‘first’ day of the conference is a set of invited plenary lecturers- 8 in all – for the BJ 100th birthday. Since these are all the attendees in one lecture hall – I must disagree with my boss that this conference is as big as ASBMB. I remember ASBMB to be about 2000 in Boston last time; there were between 400 and 800 people at today’s lectures.
The boss met up with me at the first coffee break (well, D. Coke for her!) and I was dismayed to learn that the hotel had not passed on my message. She seemed quite anxious. Poor girl. I assured her of my presence intact and continued on to coffee.
Coffee and tea (of course) were served in cups with saucers and teeny tiny spoons. Milk was from pitchers; sugar came in the form of lumps (2, thank you). How quaint! I had coffee with a charming student from Sudan(!) who was in the UK for the first time. Not that I am world traveler, but at least I am from a first world country. Mohammed did his best to convey how overwhelmed he was. I was excited for him but almost sorry for him at the same time. I tried to convince him that the best part of conferences (besides the scientific discourse, obviously) was the free swag from vendors. I left him looking dubious and unbelieving.
Back to the lectures – two more before lunch – where they fed us! Veggie pasta or Chili con Carne with rice!
I ate lunch with a woman from UT Southwestern and her mother, visiting from Ireland. I manage to snag one of eight computers provided by Stratagene for some much needed internet time – namely email – after lunch. No messages from TSB – oh yeah, it is still before nine in Boston. He is not even up yet!
I had a bit of a time getting into email – the UK keyboard differs from the one in the US meaning that my password was not my password – frustrating until I managed to figure it out.
I got a message from my Paisano, whom I will be visiting in a few days and managed to make flight and bus plans for the rest of the week. Now all I need is a place to stay Thursday night.
Dinner tonight was in the west part of the West End, fish and chips and a pint. Quite good except for the fish bones.
I asked the bartender if he could explain cricket in two sentences or less. He replied, “Don’t watch.”

glasgow first night

2006-08-07T16:11:00.000-05:00

I slept through most of S. England. Amazingly, it looks exactly like New England. Rollingish hills, depressed towns and dirty cities with smatterings of drought stricken farms. And cows, lots of cows.
The train ride was a generous 6 hours – the first three of which I tried to rest. Getting to King’s Cross from Heathrow was much easier than I had anticipated, as was getting the rail ticket. So there I sat in King’s Cross with every walk-of-life going by.
Everyone smokes. Everywhere. I paid 20p(ence) to pee. At least I haven’t broken anything. It is rather nice traveling alone – only having to worry about me, and not doing a very good job at that – but at the same time I wish TSB of Mom or Skeintilly Clad was here – to point out the amazing engineering of the bridges, the ruins along the way, or the many MANY sheep – respectively.
There are gads of sheep everywhere, especially on the second three-hour leg of the train ride.
I took the GNER from London to Glasgow Central by way of Edinburgh. I didn’t realize the “direct” train actually went up the East Coast and then turned west to terminate in Glasgow. It was beautiful and scenic and everything I had hoped it would be – a chance to rest (the first three hours while revisiting all six states of NE) and a leisurely train ride through quaint villages and past picturesque countryside.
Glasgow Central was pure mayhem. Men – 20-30-somethings – openly drink everywhere. Usually while wearing football jerseys. Connected?
I found my boss’ hotel easier than I found the underground. Once in the underground, I was reminded of all of the parts of the blue line in Boston that are underground. I disembarked at the Kelvinhall station and my adventure continued.
The underground station was two blocks from the University of Glasgow – which was the listed address of the dorm – Kelvinhaugh Gate – in which I was registered.
First off, U. of G is a gated university with a fence the whole way around. And on a Sunday, the gates were all locked. I came upon the South Gate first and walked counter clockwise around the campus, hoping for an open door. In the end, the end coming an hour later and ¾ round the grounds – a very nice university policeman gave me a ride to the Kelvinhaugh Gate. This is of note for several reasons. The dorm is not on the campus; the car ride was ~5 minutes long. I never would have found this on my own. The gentleman had just gotten back from holiday in Toronto and NYC and wanted to talk about the states and driving on the “wrong” side of the road. I told him I was resisting the urge to reach out and correct the steering wheel.

The dorm is only slightly larger than my current apt.’s bathroom, with a full toilet to boot. I cannot imagine being a student here and living in one of these cubicles for any length of time. There are five single rooms off a main corridor with a common kitchen. The room was clean, the bed was saggy, and the shower was crazy.
I had high hopes of going to the convention center to check in for the conference, but once I got into the room, realized my clothes were drenched on account of my lugging my luggage all over the West End of Glasgow at 4 PM while it’s sunny and >85°F (24°C) AND I have had too little sleep – whew – I just stripped and fell asleep.
I awake at 3 PM my time – 8 PM Glasgow time and I realize I need to trek out. Shower, change and head down to the front desk for some much needed directions. I start out on Kelvinhaugh Rd. – I will be hard-pressed to lose track of it now that I have found it – out to Argyle and find a shop. A liter of water, two yogurts and some digestives (at 1.09 pounds!) later and I am walking again. Too late to go to the Convention Center, I head in the direction anyway. There are at least four coffee shops on the way – this bodes well for tomorrow morning. I don’t make it to the convention center though as it begins to rain. Not enough to be annoying, just enough to wash the streets and stain the building sides.
I am now in a place called the Firebird – eating trendy Italian. I think pasta will help soothe my traveling tummy. Not to self – do not eat NC-style BBQ and Texas chili the night before traveling 16 hours. Just don’t.
Eat. Then sleep. Sleep beckons.

Life, to a First Approximation

2006-06-19T17:53:00.000-05:00

Hi.
When I came to grad school, I learned about the 'first approximation.' Example, 18 is close to 20, and 23 is close to 20, so 18X23=400, to a first approximation (real value 414.) DNA is really a rod that bends and behaves in a certain way - to a first approximation. You get the idea, it's a fudginess that covers up the fact that we don't have all the answers, or at least the ability to conceive of all the answers in our puny little heads without writing it out on paper. This is something that was particularly difficult to synthesize, as I really like my numbers hard and fast. But after 6 years in grad school, I have come to accept the first approximation of my life.
It is good, to a first approximation.
This is evident to me today on several levels. Things are by no means perfect, but I can handle them. Go me! This is a big difference from this time last year, when I felt I couldn't handle anything anymore. Not a lot has changed, except for me. I have changed. Damn it was painful, and it is still going on, but it is for the better.
Man, I had envisioned this post as a frou frou here's-what-I'm-knitting-for-my-niece and all-about-my-dog and here's-what-is-up-with-The-Sweet-Beau, but I guess that was wrong. oh well...

This is the last picture of Bruno, taken one week before he passed quietly in his sleep. He was a gentle old soul and I will miss his presence. Here's hoping he found the cushiest sofa to take his naps on where ever he passed to. And bunnies. Lots of bunnies. And cheese. And cooked chicken breasts. He deserves them all.

TSB is well. He and I split up yesterday to visit with our respective fathers. Then at the end of the day, he came over to my place and it was very natural. Being with him is very natural. Sometimes it is effortless and sometimes it requires effort, but this relationship is totally worth it. I don't think TSB knows all that he means to me. Well, maybe to a first approximation...

On the needles Katja for my niece. I managed to get both 'cups' done and in the process of working the rest in the round. This will be done by Operation Invade Texas (my sister's wedding on July 1) I get to travel to Houston two days early, since Sister has asked for help. I am really excited about this. Also, it means that TSB will be shepherding the rest of my family to Houston all by his lonesome. As I explained to my sister when she asked if he was up to it - "Trial by Fire!"

Also on the needles is a partially finished Tempting in a Be-A-U-tiful Debbie Bliss cashmerino in #617. This has been affectionately nicknamed Aubergina (pronounced with a thick French accent). Ahh, blessed be, will it ever be done?

Additionally, I am *writing* a manuscript - hopefully to be submitted by Scotland. I put writing in asterisks, since really, what I seem to be doing is finding new and interesting ways to procrastinate. I must buckle down, though, as my second grade teacher Mrs Watts used to bellow to me.

There is more, but by writing that prior paragraph, I have just guilted myself into closing this and trying to write some more tonight.
If you are reading this, and think anyone who knows me might be interested in my blatherings on, by all means pass along the URL. I have not done too much shameless self promotion lately and I am unsure how many are really interested.

Halley is well - more about her later.
Ciao

Cingular woes

2006-05-26T10:47:00.000-05:00

my phone stopped having the ability to call out. I can still received calls. but yeah, no calling out.
compounding that, it is out of warranty. But, for the low low price of $65 I can do an exchange and get a new phone that will work. But my CC expires 05/06 and the charge will not go through on Cingular's end. But my bank says it sent me a replacement card in April. But I did not get it. So they will send out another card, but it will take 10 days (not to mention it is a holiday weekend). So I am a bit stymied right now. According to my bank, there is no problem with the card, except that it will expire in 5 days. According to Cingular, there is nothing they can do until they get an active card with a later expiration date. Arrrggghhh!
Not to mention that they just billed my account (I do the automatic prepaid thingy) and there is over $65 dollars that Cingular already has of my money. That can't be accessed either. it is in the nether world.
I feel like I am in the nether world. This is odd. For a long time I did not have a phone, and I did not mind the disconnectedness that went along with that. Times have changed, circumstances have changed. Now I miss having a functional phone. I am so annoyed.
And Garrett at Cingular is a piss-ant!

Three whole weeks

2006-05-12T14:20:00.000-05:00

Three whole weeks since my last post. Well, since I am not dead, I guess that means there will be a lot about which to write.
Poster got accepted to Bioscience2006 in Glasgow in July. This is exciting. Not so exciting is that I have to present a poster at the Biochem/Biophys retreat at the end of May here at school. Originally, I was to be exempt. But my big mouth got me into trouble. Fortunately, I took down Husky with me, so I am not alone.
Therapy is going well. I am working towards specific goals that seem attainable. My therapist and I seem to be communicating well, much better than the other guy, and I feel really positive about this experience. It makes me nervous about what will happen when she is not there as a resource, but I am trying to live more in the moment and less in the future, so that is a small worry, comparatively.
Things with TSB and I are still going well. Exceedingly well, I would say. Not sure what he would say. We have, in the past three weeks, encountered some 'real life' issues, which have buffeted up against our blissful existence of 'just us two plus the dog'. I say, 'Yea. Real life. Not everything is perfect and it is important to see how each of us reacts and acts in the face of adversity or even any situation that is less than perfect.' That is what I say. TSB has more experience with the type of adversity that results in catastrophe, and therefore has a fear that 'less than ideal'=catastrophe. I have been pleasantly surprised that even though this fear exists, he has enough faith in us to weather things out. And while we are really still *only* at four months joint time, it gives me hope that this might actually turn out to be a long term thing.
The plans for the sister's wedding at the beginning of July are coming together. Plane and rental car are taken care of. Now if I could just get my ass down to a size that does not look exceedingly unflattering in the dress that I want to wear, I would be happy. Not that I am not happy, but I don't want to buy another dress. Also, nota bene, I spoke with my sister TWICE this week for a total of TWENTY minutes and neither of our heads popped off. It was rather CIVILIZED and GENIAL. I think this qualifies as APOCALYPTIC, as such the reason for all the unnecessary capitalization. Just riding the good wave...
Let us see, I got sick a couple of weeks ago, with a raging infection just in my throat. Like two hedgehogs decided to take up residence. TSB was amazing and took v. good care of me. I am continually grateful and astounded.
Also i took up swing dancing, which has been put on hold these last two weeks. This is a bit of a bone of contention betwixt TSB and myself, but I am really enjoying it (the dancing, not the contention) and it turns out I might have some rhythm afterall. I still have a greater urge to be on the stage with a sax in my hands, but the dancing to live music is a bit of a substitute.
Bruno left my parents on April 20th, while the 'rents were on vacation. He will be sorely missed. I need to find a good picture of him and post it.
Ciao

OK honestly

2006-04-18T09:56:00.000-05:00

I tried and I tried and I tried to make the words in my last post match up with the pictures.

I failed.

Stoopid Blogger.

Made my 'puter crash more than once.

Well, there was that very loud pop yesterday - as if a lightbulb had blown out - emanating from under my left hand while I was typing yesterday.

Might be time for a new laptop.

Ciao

Cape Ann Weekend

2006-04-17T12:55:00.000-05:00

Howdy - long time/ no post. But hey - I been busy.
Abstract to BioScience2006 went out last week. Busily knitting up an overly ambitious lace project that needs to be done by July 1st - that will be a challenge.
This past weekend was a bbq at a friend's apt - which was a blast - and a day trip to Cape Ann - specifically Gloucester and Rockport - on Easter Sunday.

here are some pics - TSB's ear and the view from the quarry in Rockport:

and a v. cool sculpture:

We met Pi while we were out:

Here is a shot of humanitarian TSB, returning a stranded live clam to the ocean:

not that I follow the zodiac -

2006-04-03T20:37:00.000-05:00

I am a scientist, afterall.
And not that I put any credence whatsoevah in these on-line quizzes, because hey, since when did 4-5 questions nail my personality?
Good thing I am a Cancerian, though.

You Should Be A Cancer

What's good about you: you're incredibly kind, caring, and generous

What's bad about you: you can be too moody and impossible to understand

In love: you enjoy wining and dining the object of your affection

In friendship, you're: likely to depend on other friends for emotional support

Your ideal job: historian, marine biologist, or religious figure

Your sense of fashion: you dress to match your mood

You like to pig out on: classic home cooked meals, like mac and cheese

What Sign Should You Be?

Yours, in all my crabbiness (which, remarkably, perfectly described my mood this weekend, but that is a post for another day... )
Ciao

America Needs You

2006-03-23T11:27:00.000-05:00

Never have I been so happy that the Indian Nations are exempt from state and federal laws.
Please consider helping President Fire Thunder with a donation or email support.
Original Story

LiveJournal link with contact information.

tense, anxious and annoyed

2006-03-21T16:31:00.000-05:00

alternatively ta^2.
tense because I have to start writing a manuscript and I have literally got five lines in an outline format. I have started this paper twice before, but neither of those scribblings fits in with what my boss thinks we should focus on.
anxious because of the above, but also because an abstract is due in a couple of weeks for a conference in july in Scotland. It would be great to go to the conference, but the plane tix alone are 900 USD just to get to London. Then there is the train and the lodging and all that other stuff. I haven't been to a conference with this boss, I don't know how much she will cover, there is a travel stipend but with conversion it is only about 440 USD. Eek, and I owe Moms $600 for the tix to TX (also in July - hah!) I hate it when I get anxious about money, but let's face it, it's grad school. I managed to get rid of most of my debts while I was working - never managed to save very much but after 5.5 years of grad school have managed to dig that hole again. I am just not sure when I am going to have $1000 to drop on plane and train tix to Scotland and take care of all the other things I want to do. Of course, self restraint would work here, but really, self restraint and moderation are sooo over rated.
Annoyed because in preparation of manuscript writing I have been online at PubMed all day, making sure I am up to date with the literature. I found an absolutely fabulous (or so it would seem) article from Journal of Applied Physiology, which according to PubMed is published. But I can't get my grubby little hands on it! Not even through my jacked H*rvard login. I can get to the journal, but according to the search engine on the journal's website, the article simply does not exist. It is really really annoying when PubMed is more on the ball than the journal doing the actual publishing.
Good Lord, yoga can't come too soon today. Only one hour and fourteen minutes till relaxation. Until then, I wage war against publishing sites that do not readily yield their articles so that I may expand my brain ever so minutely much more.
Ciao

bad Bad BAD graduate student

2006-03-16T20:07:00.000-05:00

OK, I just spent 30 minutes with the Tasmanian Devil Undergrad (the one that leaves a wake of destruction where ever he goes) arguing about affinity purifications. He has NO experience in the lab. He has little experience in coupling chemistry. He does not believe in enzymes. He does not know the pKa of water. And yet, he argues with me about everything.
I know my stuff. I know how to do affinity purification. I have been doing affinity purification in some form or another for close to 12 years. I am good at it. I also know my way around coupling chemistry, since, you know, I was a tech doing synthesis for a couple of years before grad school. I also know my way around some enzymes since I have, you know, an B.S. in biochemistry from a swanky school and 5.5 years completed in my quest for the Ph.D. in biophysics from a swanky biochemistry graduate program and the last three of those years have been spent in the lab of a very reputable and highly esteemed enzymologist. AND, I know the pKa of WATER!!!
And yet he argues. And argues. And asks hazy, infuriatingly vague questions.
And my group meeting for the Stoopid group is not done yet. I don't even know what I want to talk about yet.

Fuck.

Ciao

second post from Houston

2006-03-05T13:06:00.000-05:00

This is the second post from Houston, since I just lost the first one I composed. Blasted Blogger!! this will learn me to save every now and again.
Anyway, we are about to head out to
Body Worlds, which should tickle my macabre bone just fine.
There was a bunch of stuff in here about being a yankee and ten gallon hats and the like, but I really can't be bothered with recreting it right now. The birds are singing, the Wee One is nursing with a grunt and a snort, Ginger the dog lies next to me on the couch, farting up a storm. Those are the sights, sounds and smells of Houston right now.
Breakfast was breakfast tacos. Must remember this. Fantabulous. I had three.
Last night, after navigating the traffic in town for The Rodeo, we headed over to a gathering of Big Papa's family.
More later - gots to go...
ciao

Really f-ing disgusting

2006-03-02T17:34:00.000-05:00

The Chinese are trying to improve their image in light of their hosting the Olympics in a couple of years:
Beijing puts the kibosh on spitting
but I don't think this is going to help.
Dine in or take out?

Case in point

2006-03-01T12:45:00.000-05:00

Motivation. Ah motivation. I had such high hopes for all the work I was going to complete last night after yoga, not to mention finishing my blog entry, and some how, none and I mean none of it happened.
Last night sucked and I think it affected my motivation. No man, no dog. The absence of both was what led me to originally think that I might get my work done, late into the evening. But when I got home after yoga, to have a quick bite and set the VCR to capture Boston Legal (screw American Idol, I want my House), I got all depressed that Halley was not there to greet me. It was not as prominent the night before, since I went to TSB's for the night. But last night, I was home, alone, and frankly a bit lost. I miss my dog. I miss griping about walking her at 11 PM in February in 4 degree weather. I miss her little paws raking at the covers, demanding I raise them so that she may burrow deep to the warmest part. I miss her sleepy eyes and her whole body shakes that can throw her off balance and after 9 years she still gets surprised by that. I even miss having to think that I have to pick up all of my clothes so that inquiring canines don't discover the nethergarments that dogs so famously fancy.
UGH.
But on to the more general, over arching reasons for my lack of motivation: namely 1.) TSB, 2.) projects for new niece, 3.) work being done in therapy, 4.) money.
Well, if last night is any indication, I have gotten really accustomed to TSB's presence. Not that I did not enjoy my alone time. I relish it. but I enjoy the company too.
2.) Projects for niece are almost complete in the short term, i.e. those to be delivered at the end of the week when I travel to Houston. I have not finished the penguin - did not even have the motivation to knit - because if I started knitting then it would be like I was accepting the fact that I was staying home and not going back to the lab. I even watched some TV with my coat still on. Sad, I know.
But realistically speaking, once I have finished the projects for the niece in the short term, I can go back to all the projects I had started before everyone I knew was pregnant - namely two dresses, a shirt, two sweaters, umpteen skirts, a kitchen apron in an old-timey style. There are so many projects on my table I am sure I am forgetting some. I miss doing things for me, selfish as that sounds, I like making nice things that I can then show off. F* it, I am selfish and vane. There, I admit it. It is just that the projects for me do not have time constraints. So there is no driving force other than my various yens for either knitting or sewing or what have you. Oh, pillow shams. There pillow shams in that pile as well. Just remembered.
3.) I have mentioned the therapy a couple of times, and I am not ready to discuss the why. But I just might talk about the what... The addressing of my various demons requires time. Time to recover after my Monday sessions. Turns out I am uber over achiever and I would just power through and not acknowledge my feelings of discomfort or anxiety. And that was adversely affecting my work. So, with much urging from my peoples, I *give* my self permission to not go back to work on Monday nights after my meetings. I have given my self permission to knit, or shop, or go to a movie, or just drive around for hours. Things that don't require higher level cognitive function and allow my brain and psyche to refocus. But I feel guilty about taking the afternoon off, especially since I haven't been working weekends lately. Grad students don't take this much time off.
Sidebar - The German Nicaraguan and I used to make fun of our labmate, UConn, while he was planning his wedding last year. Mostly because he was working so little and focusing so much on his wedding. In retrospect, his quality of life was good, he kept his now-wife happy and the wedding was superb. But we were superior, snarky, competitive grad students making these comments. Thank God TGN has graduated and is not here to see how little I am working and how distracted I have been lately.
Also, this whole therapy thing requires a journal, something I have been keeping intermittently (that takes time). Then I stress when I don't keep it (that takes time). Then I stress ahead of my session each week, thinking that I have been a bad patient, not keeping enough of the journal (that eats even more time). Arg - it is a vicious cycle.
4.) Money - well this is a perpetual issue especially in my grad school years. I don't see it going away anytime soon. It just requires bandwidth in my thought processes, and that eats up time and motivation.
5.) Undergrads in the lab and general lab duties/ responsibilities - I just thought of this one. It turns out that at one of the senior lab members I get asked a lot of questions. Apparently, I am in the know. Who knew? Anyway, the nature of my boss' management style is hands off. Which works well for me, since by and large I can plan my own experiments, can order my own chemicals, can figure out software and computer programs, or at least die surfing the web trying to find resources. In short, I am generally self sufficient.
This is not true of the newer lab members, namely the undergrads and one of the postdoc.
When I was being trained as an undergrad, I was *given* to the lab manager, who made sure I was proficient on instruments and with equipment and techniques before letting me run wild. But we have no lab manager here, and the young'uns are allowed to run free, with little to no supervision until they screw something up. Then I have to go in and fix it. Some days I wear my headphones but don't have anything on, just so they will leave me alone.
The new postdoc is different - she has experience asking for help - and sometimes (more often than not) asks for help before even trying to figure something out. Which means that on more than one occasion I have had to explain something really really basic. This breeds contempt on my part. It indicates to me that she is either lazy or timid - both cardinal sins in my book. I think it is more timid, though.
Yes, laziness is a cardinal sin, thus my current mood where I am down on myself since I myself am lazy lately.
Yesterday, one of the undergrads asked for help on the diode, which is my baby so I am obligated not only as senior grad student but also as keeper of the instrument to make sure he is trained. I stopped my procrastinating about my notebook and started to instruct on the diode and software. While we are doing this, he starts asking some basic questions that really should have been asked weeks ago. These are questions that are answered by experience but the answers meant that everything he had done two weeks ago were for naught. I felt bad, it is a shame no one thought to clue this kid in. It would have saved him some work. It would have saved me some work, too, because after I told him that it was all crap, he asked me how to get it not to be crap anymore. DNA has a 1/2 life of like 3.4 billion years - but cells die and E. coli don't last for more than a night or two in solution at 4 C. And minipreps don't always give you the yields they promise, especially if you are doing them for the first time. So, dude, you are stuck with three week old dead liquid cultures, infinitesimally small amounts of DNA for cloning and sequencing and you tossed your plates. Basically, fucked. If I were you, here is what I would do... but I am not you, I do not know your project, your goals, where you have been and where your next focus should be. Sorry.
Wow, just had a fabulous conversation with a rotation student about - of all things - face cream. It is so nice to have a girl around here again. Yeah, boobs!
ciao

Ah so

2006-02-28T17:38:00.000-05:00

I got chided by TSB for only posting at the beginning of the month, so
TTThhhhhhhhbbbbbtttttttsttsttt!

Now that I have that out of my system - I can write about something else. Lately, I have been experiencing a crisis of motivation. It rears it's ugly head at the most inopportune times. And my attentions have been diverted of late, with many distractions, so what is suffering is my work.
Well now, my work suffered this last summer with my ever so teensy bout of depression. I am reasonably sure I am not depressed right now. Drugs help. Different circumstances help. The annoying grad student in the Stoopid group left. New therapist helps - this one actually works for me. And while my life is far from perfect, it is manageable. Which means I should be rockin' on the data gathering and the manuscript writing and the job talk/ interviewing but... alas... no. Fuck.

Diversions in my attention - 1.) TSB, 2.) projects for new niece, 3.) work being done in therapy, 4.) money. I am sure there are others and I will think of them while I break down the aforementioned items in the list.
1.) TSB. I cannot complain. I have been single for a very long time. I could be single again and get through just fine. But he fits. Evil. He fits, he's sweet, kind, considerate, caring, smart, hysterical, sexy, witty, tall, hairy, great with Halley and a damned fine excuse to sleep in on Sundays. Only problem is that we tend to sleep in on Fridays, and Mondays, and Wednesdays... Well you get the picture. I had a very full life before - now it just seems to be busting at the seams. But I am being completely stubborn and outrageously selfish and actually taking that time for me. It's been years of coming in on Saturdays and Sundays and getting the lab work done. Staying late and not having the social/ dating life. I think I deserve it.
2.) It seems as it I have been making things for my niece ever since I first found out that my sister was pregnant last May. This is on top of the other projects that I do for my own self, friends and/or sanity. Most of these projects have been doable, and would be better if I didn't double or treble up on them. Stupid over-achiever. ok, off to yoga...
ciao

Monday really could have gone better

2006-02-13T21:13:00.000-05:00

I found out this weekend that blizzards are more fun with company. The weekend was spectacular, from the first insistent kiss on Friday night to the more assured smooch in the car this morning, dropping off TSB at his car stowed in the parking lot down the street. This weekend surprised me in a whole bunch of ways - I was obsessed with cooking and cleaning. I get this way right before I start my period - unable to leave dirty dishes, wanting to whip up gourmet meals, being super creative. I scratched all of those itches this weekend.
Friday we got takeout and watched the Opening Ceremonies of the Olympics. There were some seriously comical moments - waltzing cow couples comes to mind - and the really hot Italian dancer that stripped to a body suit complete with vasculature halfway through his performance. Mostly it was a relaxing evening, spent with my "boyfriend" TSB and my dog and some really yummy crazy noodles.
Saturday was pure and utter bliss. Neither of us had anything planned - we just lazed and relaxed. I drank coffee and read. TSB slept, a lot. We took the dog to the Paine Estate and let her run with the other dogs and get high on sniffing butt. It was a really beautiful day out, clear skies and cold but not windy. I walked the pooch a couple of times that day in boxers and a T-shirt and was fine. That evening, I got the huge urge to cook and cook I did. After the dishes of course. I threw together an herb encrusted cod filet and a spinach salad and herb Brittany veggie mix from Trader Joe's. And then I taught TSB some basics of baking (he cooks like a dream, a little chaotic, but it tastes damn good - but has an irrational fear of baking) by making a batch of the pumpkin spice cookies. That recipe is sure fire fabulous and pretty much idiot proof.
Saturday night, after dinner but before the dishes, TSB and I had a bit of a serious discussion, fueled by my unceasing curiosity. I am not sure how the whole conversation got started, but I learned some things along the way about which I am not quite sure how I feel, yet. I really don't expect anybody my age who has had any semblance of a life to be saintly - Lord knows I am not. But some of the choices that TSB has made have caused me to pause, and I wanted to know more about those decisions in context, what the other options (if any) were there, state of mind... extenuating circumstances, yadda yadda yadda. The conversation went on for a long time, I didn't freak out and withdraw, which I find a huge milestone. The dishes didn't get done that night and yes, I was still thinking of them at points during our talk, but they did not get done.
They were there to greet me in the morning, along with 10 inches of blinding snow and 35 mph wind gusts - YEA NOR'EASTER!!!!! I got up and did some shoveling and tried to entice TSB to come outside and play in the snow with me. No luck.
We postponed the impromptu quilting/ B+S until later in the afternoon, when the conditions had improved ever so slightly. QB hosted, offering up some yummy foods and a tabletop upon which we could lay out the ugly squares for the hodgepodge quilt. We ran a bunch of seams, did some knitting, watched last week's House - all while the dog and TSB were snowed in, together, at my place. I made it back later than I thought I might - the roads were hell to drive on - and TSB had done the dishes and coexisted peaceably with my dog. Wow.
Dinner that night was another want to create something from scratch. I swear, I was Martha-fucking-Stewart this weekend - nesting. Don't know what came over me. As I sat on the couch with the dog on my hip and TSB rubbing my feet while watching Grey's Anatomy I had this sudden and intense feeling that this was not my life. This was someone else's life and I was just visiting. It is remarkable how different things are now than, say... the second weekend in December - the one when we had 9 inches of snow. I am actually happy. It seems strange to think it; I haven't quite accepted it. I am quite dubious and I am waiting for the other shoe or the gauntlet or the whole house of cards to come crashing down. Until then, it is a fun ride.
This morning I bid Adieu to TSB and headed to work. I was pulled out of a seminar by the postdoc saying the police needed me to move my car. I walked down to the lot to find my windshield completely smashed in by falling snow and ice. ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!?!?! Smashed. Not Cracked. Not Chipped. Shards o'Glass - sha-do-bi- shattered. Most of the afternoon was consumed with getting my ins company on the line, making the claim and then getting the windshield people to come by 5 PM. It is taken care of now - I have a brand spanking new windshield and a new found appreciation for my insurance company. Now it is late, I will head home to watch last week's Boston Legal, knit some and try to figure out what the 'surprise' is from TSB tomorrow. Frankly, he doesn't get that he is the surprise - I don't need anything else.
Ciao

No posts of substance lately

2006-02-08T19:11:00.000-05:00

Shame on me, I see to be too busy to update my online life. Seems like things have been moving at the speed of sound lately. Not quite ludicrous speed, but quickly, nonetheless.
I got an out-of-the-Carolina-blue email from an old college friend. From what I can gather, he's tons more successful than me right now, at least professionally. I can only hope we can actually stay in touch. I have wondered about him over the years but didn't know how to get in touch. Harder now that I am not in Carolina anymore, too.
Things with TSB are proceeding nicely, if somewhat jerkily. Fits and starts. Mostly from me. Apparently my last serious relationship left me more scarred than I would like to admit, and poor TSB is having to deal with this. I am trying like Hell not to subject him to my particular brand of crazy, but it just pops up at the darndest of times. Case in point:
We spent an absolutely delicious weekend together. It began Saturday night, as both of us were trying to keep in touch with our Other friends on Friday night and Saturday. But we met up Saturday night, we made dinner and watched a movie and tried to go to bed early. Ha, likely story. Yet another marathon night, which was fine, since the only thing we had to get up and do on Sunday was go to QB and DD's for Superbowl at 6 PM. Sleeping in was definitely an option. So we did. Spent a langorous day, doing nothing but playing with the dog and giving each other massages. A perfect way to spend a Sunday in my book. We headed over to QB's for the game, which was great because TSB fits in well with the other mens attached to my female friends. This is very good because I do not have to hold his hand all night long and play chaperone. This was my 6th S-bowl party at QB's and it is populated with some of my oldest friends at Brandeis. This is my adult family, and it was nice to see TSB interact with them. Plus there were fun stories from wild and crazy escapades of the past - can't have TSB thinking he is the only cuckoo one around. All in all it was a great night, even though the Seahawks couldn't pull it out.
We get back to my place after the game and TSB is going to spend the night, even though it is a work night. We put on some music and I laze on the couch while he gives me an ab fab foot rub (I am so a sucker for a good foot rub). We start getting a little heated, he tells me he loves me (not the first time) and I contemplate telling him that I am developing feelings for him. Well, this pretty much put me into an emotional tailspin, the likes of which even took me by surprise. The idea of expressing those sentiments and actually having something behind them scared the ever loving shit out of me and I ended up shutting down and shutting him out. Totally unfair of me and left him dazed and confused. I apologized and began to think that the only way to get out of this is to talk it out (as in therapy) but I am 1.) scared to share that much info so early on, 2.) scared to expose myself that much to anyone in whom I have a vested interest, for fear of driving him away with my Crazy Emotional State and 3.) not sure how to voice my emotions, since this sort of took me by surprise too. Who knew, when faced with the opportunity, this would happen? Not moi! I couldn't deal with his attempts to hug me (we are in the bed by this time) for about 4 hours. Mind you both of us have to go to work at 9 AM, so the fact that it took me that long to work through it and try to find the words to talk but not expose too much was not trivial. I really wish these things would not happen, but in the absence of that, couldn't they at least happen at a more opportune time (not 1 AM!!!)??? Quite honestly, though, he did say the sweetest thing when I said, "If you ever run into X, feel free to punch him for me," he replied with, "Trust me I want to do so much more than that." I don't know, I just feel comforted by such a sentiment.
I felt horrible about Sunday night into Monday morning and in an effort to make up for it broke my own rule of 'no weekdays' and invited him over last night. So much better.
On the protein front, the Akta is still down. I am getting seriously pissed with GE right now. Their incompetence is impinging on my thesis right now, and I am not pleased. Hopefully, this will get resolved this week. The boss is out of town on study section for the rest of the week, so at least I do not have to report nonexistent results. I have managed to prepare two samples for additional ICP-MS analysis, as the chick at UGA said my initial samples were not good. Bullocks. Anyway, the samples, upon concentration are not as pure as I had originally thought. But further purification requires a functional FPLC. AAARRRGGGGH.
I am more broke than usual this week. An unexpected bill from Brandeis set me back and now I am surviving on shoestrings until next payday. I am so ready to not be a student anymore. When I don't have the money to buy TP or do my laundry, then something is seriously wrong. OK, enough bitching.
Carolina lost to Dook last night in a nail biter. They're young and they have a lot of growing to do, but it looks like they just might be able to hold their own aginst more experienced teams. Go Heels!
I am sure there is more - like El Cubano Americano's citizenship party and poker and dinner at TSB's place. If the Akta doesn't get finished tomorrow and I am still this bored, I will write about all that.
Ciao

I have an avatar

2006-02-08T16:59:00.000-05:00

random rant 1677365

2006-02-02T18:02:00.000-05:00

so I skipped the reception in favor of getting more work done - age old adage that the more time you put into the middle of your thesis the less time it takes to finish, or something like that.
so really, only had to finish up a dialysis - should be easy - at 4 C. Except that the stirplate I used was unplugged, so I plugged it in and walked away for five minutes while I did the sample prep. I come back and the plate is smoking in the coldroom and the plastic beaker I am using is collapsing. Can't use glass, metalloproteins. I check the heat setting but it is at zero. Apparently the heating mechanism does not turn off. Which might explain why this particular stir plate was unplugged, but not why there wasn't a note saying 'I'm broken', or even removal of said stir plate to RT where it might have a better opportunity of getting fixed. Seriously. WTF?
ciao

Yum, Italian sports cars. Ima likin' the red.

2006-01-25T18:23:00.000-05:00

I'm a Ferrari 360 Modena!

You've got it all. Power, passion, precision, and style. You're sensuous, exotic, and temperamental. Sure, you're expensive and high-maintenance, but you're worth it.

Take the Which Sports Car Are You? quiz.

Masters and slaves and jumpers, oh my

2006-01-25T15:42:00.000-05:00

The new zippy CPU has been installed and this morning I learned how to transfer data from one hard drive to another. Jumpers tell the old hard drive whether it is to master or slave (slave in this case) and one plugs it into the slave cable of the DVD drive though and IDE thingy. And then when you turn on the computer, it automatically detects that there is another hard drive and one can easily transfer data to the main, master 160 GB hard drive. Grrrr! Granted, I will have forgotten all of this tomorrow, but it was a bit of fun this morning.
To offset all of the other fun.
I managed to get up really early this AM and make it to the post office to send off the pieced quilt for machine quilting. I am very excited, as this will mark my first to completion quilt. It is in a ladybug pattern and I hope to hand deliver it when I visit the wee niece in March. If all goes well, I will post pictures when completed and advertise this lady's business. So far, she is super nice and reasonably priced. I only hope that the end product turns out well.
Part of my getting up super early was to make it to the post office before I came into work at ***8 AM*** (gasp) to help an undergrad who had needed my help. Now, I was late, by about 15 minutes. But I called, twice. No one answered. And it is my perrogative as senior grad student. Young Eager Pup claims to have been here himself and waited until 8:30 AM (I'm gonna call bullshit on that one!). So, I got here really early and still had to deal with him later on in the day. Ugh.
And on TSB front - things are going, well, fantabulous. Scary, really. We spent the entire weekend together last, save about 6 hours where I went to work and shopped with my Nicuaraguan/ German friend and he went home to !nap!. Much is to be said about the N/G friend and the shopping that day, but I will hold off.
Nevertheless, TSB came over Saturday night, took me out on a proper date (dinner and a movie - yea Crazy Noodles!) and then we headed back to my place for a little nookie. That's right, you read correct. Nookie. Yum. I hadn't planned it (though was prepared) but the decision came easily enough and so far there are no regrets.
There's more, but I have to get back to the assays.
The assays, Jim. My God, The Assays!
ciao

OK, so tired

2006-01-20T18:31:00.000-05:00

Maybe I should rename The Sweet Boy to The Sweet Beau. Still TSB so it is easy on me.
Yes, still sweet. And I am exhausted. Not from that, but from trying to accommodate a whole 'nother person into my already full and tight schedule. Right now, sleep time seems to be taking a hit. This is not a good situation, because when I get overtired, I turn into a crabby abby. Any other time this would be acceptable, but tonight I am supposed to meet TSB for dinner with a group of his friends. Not an opportune time to be cranky. I have to snap out of this.
The department is not helping, or rather the life sciences and the university as a whole is not helping. On the department level, there are faculty candidates coming at the rate of 2/week. This is in addition to all of the other talks that we must attend. The life sciences as a whole are looking for four new faculty - that's a lot of talks. There were three today alone. And then the University pitched in the other day and evacuated the whole of the 'Science Center' because of an anonymous email threat against a liberal arts department. I guess if there are threats against any of the departments, the default is to clear the sciences. On one level, this seems prudent. On another, I needed to get enzyme assays done and we had the service guy here for the defunct FPLC. Me: "Uh, hi, we have to leave. Now. Mandatory evacuation." Him: "Why?" Me: "I dunno. We gotta go, apparently. When can you come back?" Him: "Not any time soon. Sorry."
So the machine is still down and my assays had to be done yesterday. And like an idiot, I volunteered to cook for TSB. Really did not need the extra stress, but hey, it's me. I thrive on stress. And here I just told one of my therapists that I felt more in control and was getting better on assessing my limits. Hah!
OK, gotta go shine. There is more to each of these stories, but no time to regale them now.
ciao

There is a boy

2006-01-14T18:30:00.000-05:00

Hmm, so part of my craziness lately has been the introduction of a new presence in my daily routine - The Sweet Boy.
I met him at a New Year's party - the first one I haven't boycotted in years for myriad reasons. While at the party I met a bunch of new interesting people. I knew only two people at this part - the hosts - and as Queen Barkms reminded me that day, considering my track record with New Year's disappointments, maybe not knowing anyone would be a good thing.
So The Sweet Boy was one of the people I met. Very attentive and... well... sweet. I really do need to think up a new adjective - I have been overusing that one these past two weeks.
So, it's New Year's, it's me - I get drunk. Not too bad, but definitely jolly. Not out of control spastic, but definitely pushing my own limits. Part of pushing those limits was jumping this poor boy after midnight (again out of *recent* character). Not soon after that I wandered upstairs, where I proceeded to nod off (pass out) in D+D's craft room. Sooo comfy - and I had worked all day. I was tired.
When they woke me so I could move down to the pull out, I got a little nauseous. A teensy bit. TSB was very sweet and held my hair and took care of me. When I had suitably purged my system, we moved down to the pull out. I must say, considering the circumstances, I had a very restful sleep that night. TSB offered up his arm the entire night, and I slept so well.
Now in the AM, there was much contrition on my part (I do so hate being a burden on friends) and a definite need for coffee. It had snowed overnight, and the plows were out early. The scraping of the roads just intensified the scraping in my head, which I justly deserved. I can take my hangovers, so long as there is coffee. As is true with all instances of drinking, I awoke the following morning REALLY early.
TSB helped sweep of the snow from my car. And in another uncharacteristic move, I gave him my mobile number and told him we should go out when I am not excessively inebriated.
And he called - That Night! We spoke on the phone a couple more times that week, all leading up to a date last Sunday that went on for ~10 hours. TSB was true to his name, very sweet. We went out again last night for sushi (of which, of course, I ate too much) and then headed back to my apt. We talked long into the night, snogged a little, talked some more. Apparently, he wants to date me - I got this when he asked me to go to dinner with him and a bagillion of his friends next Friday - eek! I argued (of course, you would expect no less) that he doesn't really know me, nor I him, making all this a bit of a crap shoot. I can handle the dating part; it makes me nervous to make plans so far in advance and to bring in other variables, i.e. our respective friend pools. It is hard enough getting to know someone new, but to add friends into the mix. And I suck at remembering names. And I always feel like I am performing, or on display. It is a bit of a self conscious position. And like a dolt, I said sure I'll meet your friends. Better lay off the bottle or there is no telling what will come out of my mouth.
Anywho, I think I made a deal whereby I go to his friends thing in return for coming with me to the superbowl party at QB and DrD's. So now, like the true hypocrite that I am, I bring my friends into the mix. Ugh.
I am trying really hard to keep my head about me and not get too carried away or project too much. Challenging, given my predilections, but still I try.
He spent last night. I was very clear that nothing was going to happen 'cept sleep and he seemed to accept this. Halley was very very put out. He took up her side of the bed, and she was not happy. Poor girl, it's been her domain for so long without having to share. I warned TSB that while I guessed he was accustomed to sleeping with women, sleeping with an IG is a whole 'nother experience entirely. And it was. Halley made here presence and displeasure with her displacement well known. This included several bouts of scraping at the covers, getting up several times in the night just to shake and climbing everywhere like the part mountain goat she is. In return, we go to M+D's tomorrow, so Halley will be pampered and cooed over by her 'grandma.' Maybe this will take away some of the sting.

Anyway, we are getting together again tonight. Not sure what is on the docket. I didn't really sleep very much last night, and I am finishing up an 8 hour day in the lab. I might not be up for another late evening. God, I am getting old.

So we shall see...
ciao

hah! this we already knew...

2006-01-12T00:43:00.000-05:00

You're an Expert Kisser

You're a kissing pro, but it's all about quality and not quantity
You've perfected your kissing technique and can knock anyone's socks off
And you're adaptable, giving each partner what they crave
When it comes down to it, your kisses are truly unforgettable

What Kind of Kisser Are You?

last one, I promise. goD I am bored

can...not...resist...

2006-01-12T00:20:00.000-05:00

results for Halley - girl

Your Superhero Profile

Your Superhero Name is The Dream Midget
Your Superpower is Super Strength
Your Weakness is Atomic Explosions
Your Weapon is Your Magic Torch
Your Mode of Transportation is Helicopter

What's your Superhero Name?

she really is a dream midget. I'm sure that is just a coincidence.

seriously, this has got to stop

2006-01-12T00:10:00.000-05:00

You Are Somewhat Machiavellian

You're not going to mow over everyone to get ahead...
But you're also powerful enough to make things happen for yourself.
You understand how the world works, even when it's an ugly place.
You just don't get ugly yourself - unless you have to!

How Machiavellian Are You?

and this

2006-01-12T00:08:00.000-05:00

so I am rummaging through other people's blogs and coming up with stupid quiz links. Hey, it's late, my column's runing slowly. Shoot me.

You Are an Appletini

Most of the time, you're a typical party girl / guy.
But when you get super sauced, you really up your sex appeal.

What Mixed Drink Are You?

giggles

2006-01-12T00:05:00.000-05:00

Your Hidden Talent

You have the power to persuade and influence others.
You're the type of person who can turn a whole room around.
The potential for great leadership is there, as long as you don't abuse it.
Always remember, you have a lot more power over people than you might think!

What's Your Hidden Talent?

eBay is brilliant

2006-01-11T15:20:00.000-05:00

I found out recently (Friday PM) that much of my displeasure with my enzyme assays derives from the fact that the CPU running the diode is a Pentium II 256 MHz with 192MB RAM. No, really. Not being technically inclined, it took somebody to actually point out that these were the exact reasons my computer and consequently the programs it was attempting to run were so slow. Now it is clear.
I talked to my boss on Monday and got the go ahead to get a new CPU. I have a budget - I set out to find my new computer.
Now my University has a special deal with Dell for the purchase of PCs, so I head there first. I find the exact PC I want - Celeron D 533MHz, 1G RAM DDR blah blah blah with an 80 G harddrive. And most importantly it has three expansion busses, one of which will be used for a PCI card so that the 'puter can talk to the spec, and vice versa. And it is $60 below my budget limit. Sweet! I talk to our biology sys admin, who says go forth and purchase. I talk to LTS, who parrots the sentiment.
I call Dell, and they say I cannot have the CPU I want, because it is not under agreement with my University. Ha! If I were to purchase that computer, then it would be considered a personal purchase, and even though they have all of our info on file, the purchase would not be tax exempt. Well, if one is to buy equipment with NIH funds, one cannot pay tax. Also, this CPU would not be subject to the institutional discount, so there goes the budget limit.
I ask the gentleman a Dell whatever am I to do?!? He says, Let me give you a quote for a CPU that would be under the institutional agreement. All the same parts - different skeleton - $200 more than what I had wanted and way over my budget. This is stupid.
I give all of the info to my boss and let it be known that it is her money and her decision. I leave her with the specs of what I desire.
15 minutes later I am walking in the hallway with a refreshed ice bucket when I am called into her office. On her computer is a computer that would satisfy my needs - on eBay. The reserve is way below my original budget limit. After some discussion and much warning, she decides to place a bid. We will know at mindnight (last night) whether we were successful bidders or not.
First thing this AM I ask and she congratulates me by saying we get a new computer. Yea! But still, it is off of eBay. Fresh in the box, supposedly brand new, but off of the back of a truck somewhere??!? Don't ask, don't tell.
so now I am anxiously awaiting the arrival of my new processor. Hopefully the data will be infinitely easier to handle and process, and as a result I will be a happier camper. Assuming the damned thing works.
Also, I got this outrageous urge to cook last night. Based on another blog Chocolate and Zucchini, I made a spinach and cheese over whole wheat pasta dish. Tasty last night and even better for lunch, where I could share it with my labmates and have it be suitably complimented.
1-2 shallots thinly sliced
1-2 cloves crushed garlic
evoo
spinach sauteed in the shallot/evoo/garlic mix with the two liquids below
vegetable stock
red wine (merlot)
whole wheat pasta
feta
gruyere
diced proscuitto
pignolli nuts
olives
ground pepper

no need for salt, b/c of the proscuitto, gruyere and olives. The cheeses are understated, there is a lot of spinach. with the proscuitto and pignolli and olives, the presentation is brilliant. Great color and even better flavor. Yum.
Make this again.
ciao

Hmmm, a title

2006-01-07T17:58:00.000-05:00

Just thought I would type a quick note to remind myself that I am utterly crazy. Really. Clinically.
I am finishing up a work (writing this) and thinking about how I made plans for tomorrow but I really need to be working - and how I have to clean my apartment and especially the dishes in the sink - which have become an experiment in unto themselves. I seem to be writing a bunch of run-ons lately. Apparently I can't be bothered to construct proper sentences with the appropriate punctuation. Hmmm. I have fallen behind this week from where I want to be and I have yet to catch up. Mondays are always shot for me; Tuesday has GM. That means that the next three days are effectively null and void as far as progress on my project. Shit. I don't see how I am ever going to get everything done to actually graduate when I want to. ciao

need to vent

2006-01-06T15:30:00.000-05:00

So, my goal to be more blase and less annoyed by everything around me in 2006 has lasted exactly 6 days. This is a PR.
Got sick this week, which wasn't so bad except for the fact that it happened when I needed to be purifying protein - a draining process in itself - as well as when both of my bosses are actually taking an active interest in my thesis. Where did this sudden interest come from, you ask? No earthly idea. Shocked the living daylights out of me. So the illness manifested itself in an itchy nose first - the kind where the itch isn't on the skin or in the nose but IN the skin of the nose. I thought I was going to have the bugger off. As it stands, I only managed to abrade the top layer of skin. Becoming, really.
That same night (midweek? sometime) I could not sleep. At all. Read. No luck. Drank sleepy tea. No luck. Took antihistamines. Nothing. Practiced shavasana. Nada. Tossed and turned and maybe slept fitfully 1.5 - 2 hours. Not nearly enough if you have to purify prots and have multiple bosses breathing down your neck.
Next day I was miserable. I managed to fry my gut on a cocktail of Vit. C, zinc, antihistamines and caffeine. After that, the only thing that I could stomach was vanilla chai.
Met up with Queen Barkms at the end of the day for an abbreviated SnB. it was just what I needed. Stella Artois and tea - sitting in the bar, knitting and regaling stories of New Year's. Tired me out so that I actually got a wonderful night's sleep and can get back on track to get some serious work wrapped up and get some manuscripts out so I can go on job talks and get a postdoc in another part of the US so I can write and defend my thesis and FINALLY graduate and get the F out of here. Yea. Best laid plans.
The undergrads in my lab are pissing me off. but not in the traditional sense, where I stomp around like lord of the manor. Unfortunately, we have a crop of really sweet, earnest undergrads who are all a little clueless in their individual ways. One of my favorites has just finished a full year in the lab and is really great. Still inexperienced, but is very bright and eager to catch on. And willing to take the lead and be the 'senior undergrad', setting the standard for the others to follow. OK. He's great.
But the others. Young, young and more young. I don't begrudge inexperience and I am more than willing to teach and train. In fact I excel at it. I rock. but I am getting increasingly annoyed with having to make the same statements over and over again - individually and in group meeting. Whatever happened to public humiliation as a training device. Why don't they catch on? Two things in particular have got my feathers in a huff - not cleaning up common areas (balances, pH meters, SDS-PAGE, etc.) and not reporting broken instruments or equipment. There is no excuse for either. Really, it doesn't take experience to think - 'Hmm, this is broken, I should tell someone instead of just placing it back in the drawer for someone else to discover.' Really! It doesn't.
One of the other things that annoys me of late is that very few people in the lab are doing protein work right now, besides me. So there aren't any other grad students or postdocs that have to deal with these things. As a consequence, I am the only one complaining, and that makes me feel like a shit. Good lab citizenship is an acquired skill, but only with the reinforcement of the whole village. OK, not sure what I meant there. Anyway. I think I am done. Just needed to get it all out.
Sumptin's happening this weekend. More later... ciao

J306

2006-01-03T18:03:00.000-05:00

So it is January - named for the Roman god Janus - a god who looked both forward and back on account of his having two faces. Thus it is fitting that I look forward and backward, in the tradition of great Roman gods.
Hmmm, backward. Well, 2005 was not particularly a banner year for me. The year started off innocuously enough, with me grinding away at various rat body parts and cow brains in the ever exhaustive search for my enzyme. That was gruesome. My favorite word in that period was macabre - I used it for every occasion. There was the T9 Mother's Day race in Boulder CO, that was brilliant. It was a 9K - the first for my mother. My sister joined us and we managed to actually... get along for three days. It just about blew me away. And the mountains - ah mountains. Not like the little ant farms of the Appalachians, these were truly purple mountain majesty.
I dumped my old therapist - that was a positive. But then I got really depressed - that was a negative. Then I got a new therapist and I am slowly making my way back to the land of the living. That is a positive.
The hPD has not really progressed at the rate I expected. This is a negative. My bosses still have blind faith in me, though. Not sure if that one is a positive or a negative - we'll say yea.
I finally reigned in some of my bad habits, quitting several for good. That's positive. Unfortunately, during the depressed summer I let go of some good habits and revisited other old bad habits. That's bad.
Then there was the fall, the arrival of my niece YEA!!!!! Nothing but good there. Gabi died this fall - I still haven't reconciled whether that is a positive or negative - it just is. At least she suffers no more.
I made it through the holidays without losing my head or going on a major bender, so that's good.
Now I get to look forward. I have set additional goals for myself. A formal (if mental) graduation deadline. A trip to Scotland for a meeting and another trip or two to SF for a meeting and to get a postdoc. A manuscript or two - I think that's reasonable. Perhaps trying to remain happy and positive and productive. I have additional projects to finish in 2006 - I am looking forward to getting my hands on those.
As an aside - I finished cleaves in time for New Year's. I had to make a couple of modifications - my bust needed a bit more than 8 inches of the cowl for it to look appropriate - plus I added a 3-way cable down both arms. Anyway - I showed up at a party where I hardly knew anyone and within 5 minutes was being poked and admired for my handiwork. Go Me.
Maybe I will get around to posting a picture of it here. I really like it.
felice anno nuovo
ciao

Jesus' birthday and knitted things

2005-12-25T15:54:00.000-05:00

As a recovering Catholic, I feel a bit silly celebrating the birthday of 'Our savior', but it is expected of me by the family. This day has turned into a food smorgasborg in our family, with a tinge of capitalist consumerism for seasoning. I swear, my parents were more excited about the gifts this morning and we were decades ago as kids. Today did have some benefits. For example, the best thing about not getting along with my siblings and not having a boyfriend is that I had very little shopping to do this year - thus, my stress level was about non-existent. I have a bit of a tummy ache right now - and a very sated IG asleep on my lap. She got one of the bones from the side of beef my parents decided to cook up. I anticipate vomit tonight. From her, though I won't rule out the possibility that it may could come from me.
I finally took pictures of a bunch of projects. I will post them and briefly describe them.
Here is the Duck that started all of this crazy business of knitted gifts for my new niece. I started the duck soon after finding out my sister was pregnant. Considering this is the first time I am an aunt by blood, I kind of went overboard. Well, so did the Duck. Here it is after a little sumptin'sumptin'.
The duck is done in Plymouth Yarn Dreambaby. Notice the eyelashes, and the heart on the ass! The head and the legs are stuffed with a polyfil and the body and wings have polypropylene pellets to give a bit of weight and movement.

Then there was the... PIG. Pig is done in Stylecraft Baby Velvet DK in a very delicate pink. I set aside my lifelong crusade against this particular shade of pink for this Pig. The yarn is textured, which knits up to a really cute fabric.
The pig has eyelashes and a heart, too, as well as a super cute curly tail. What a cute behind, don'tcha agree? Here is the Pig, stopping to smell the roses - though the picture looks a bit dark - you can just about make out the fabric of the knit.

Then there is the French Market bag, from knitty.com. I think the hyperlink is too long to fit next to the pic of the pig, so basically I am just typing to take up room. The FMB was my first taste of felting. I received a bunch of really good advice, including not being impatient, adding several pairs of jeans to add agitation and checking the process obsessively to make sure that the bag got to the consistency I wanted.
knitty.com-ISSUEwinter03-frenchmarketbag
There, now I can bring up the bag. Unfortunately, I forgot to take a picture of the before bag. I was aiming this size post felting - I guess the bag reduced in size about half.

Can I just say I love felting?!? The yarn for this project was Reynolds Lite-Lopi, which is a 100% virgin wool from Iceland. OK, one more picture of the FMB, this time stuffed with my latest project - Cleaves, also from knitty.com. The yarn is from handpaintedyarn.com handspun bulky in paris night. OH Oh oh, I do love this yarn. More pictures of that later.

I almost forgot - I did a basketball, in honor of Papa's profession. This is also in the Plymouth Dream Baby. The pattern is an inverted beachball pattern, with the 'ws' out mimicking the pebbled texture of the basketball. Now that I have taken pictures, I can send along the first set of gifts. I still have the last dinosaur to stuff, and the penguin to finish. More about that later...

What in goD's name was Steinbrenner thinking?!?

2005-12-21T12:35:00.000-05:00

OK Seriously, Johnny Damon in pinstripes? I am thoroughly disgusted. Johnny - dumb as a brick - Damon as a Yankee. Well as I live and breathe.
It was particularly hard to get over the whole A-tool thing. I have absolutely no respect for A-rod. I really can't see what everybody else sees, apparently. And I know that Bernie Williams is tired and aged and really disserves to relax in the last year of his contract. He's stepped up everytime the Yankees have needed him, and done so in a truly gentlemanly, unassuming manner. But to get him Johnny Damon as the replacement is so freakin' absurd.
I just don't know if I can go on being a yankees fan. I just may have to jump ship. After 31 years of true, blind Yankees faith, it seems heretical to me to even consider rooting for another team. It may come down to that though.
Here's hoping Damon fails the physical.

Blasted New England.

2005-12-15T19:00:00.000-05:00

Sun setting on the castle after 9(!!) inches of snow fell that day (in 12 hours) I rushed to get the camera, but by the time I took this picture, the brilliant orange-red had begun to fade. I am so done with New England. This really has to be my last winter. This storm was followed by several days of truly bone chilling cold. The kind that takes 20 minutes indoors to recover from. And Halley is so over snow, too. It ain't even winter proper yet - I think we are doomed.
Here is another view of the snow on the ledge outside our building. There're nine whole inches there, folks!

So, I have been a bad beaner and not posted recently. I always do so hate the holiday period. I have often said that it would be ideal if one could be continuously asleep or drunk from Thanksgiving to MLK, Jr day. This year I have made a conscious effort to not be a bitch, and I think it is working. I found out that several people in my building have noticed my detente with the holidays and have been talking behind my back. I am reasonably sure this talk is not malicious, but one never knows. One of the benefits of not really getting along with my siblings and not having a boyfriend is that my shopping list with quite abbreviated. I am reasonably sure that I will be able to get it all done in a day or two, and that I will have enough dinero left over to fix the exhaust on my car. Finally! I think I am going deaf because of it. Seriously, I keep missing really pertinent words. Case in point:
I went to lunch with the invited speaker in the chem department on Monday. We were talking about mentors (she has had two really prominent bosses) and she said of her PhD advisor that she "was his first graduate student. He didn't know what he was doing yet." Of course, I heard "worst graduate student" and looked way too perplexed for her not to ask me why. This woman is known as a ball-buster, and I just asked if she was the worst grad student?!? She took me down a bit for that one. Damned MIT accent.
Well, hells bells - there was more to this post, but it is gone now. Hoops.
more later... ciao

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow

2005-12-04T18:31:00.000-05:00

So I haven't posted (blogged?!?) in a while. Lo and behold, I been busy. Last week was of course Thanksgiving. I am still struggling with the whole getting my ass into work thing, so I gave myself permission to take off 5 days - no reading, no papers - just knitting, quilting, and cooking.
I spent the Tuesday before T-day running around the lab, trying to get things to an OK stopping point. That night the Stitch N Bitch ladies met for dinner at the Skellig and after dinner tea and ice cream at Lizzie's. Something so satisfying about knitting with beer. That was a fun evening - I hadn't planned to stay out as late as we did. It meant that Wednesday AM was spent running errands and packing all of my crafties for the trip to CT. I stopped off at the lab with Halley, who strutted her stuff in her pretty red capelet. The drive to CT was not too bad, considering I didn't get on the Pike until noon.
Halley and I stopped off at mom's work, where again Halley was admired for her poise and beauty. Many of the elderly in the home had pets before they lived there. Halley is a perfect lady when we visit, allowing everyone to pet her, being very gentle, and not getting spooked by all the wheel chairs and walkers.
Thanksgiving was white in CT; we had about 2.5 inches when all was said and done. It started before I woke on Thursday and continued for much of the day. I am really glad I opted not to run in a T-day road race.
Mom and I cooked most of the day Thursday. Dinner was at 3 PM; Lil Brother joined. After dinner Mom and I had planed to quilt but our plans were disrupted. I had let the dogs out for about 5 minutes for an after dinner run and constitutional. When I went back out, I found Bruno in the front yard! What a good boy for coming back when I called. Sometimes greyhounds can get one-track minded and not hear a thing. Turns out there were two other dogs running loose in the neighborhood. I snagged them and we called the animal warden. All this before pie!
I did not get very much quilting done after that. I did spend all day Friday on the machine, turning out ladybugs for my latest quilt. Saturday was spent in the kitchen, cooking pignoli cookies, pumpkin spice cookies and zucchini bread.
The zucchini bread is part of a challenge. Two post docs upstairs shared some z. bread they received as part of a thank you for some training they provided. I think the bread was from a student from MIT. I accepted a slice of the bread, and then proceeded to boast how my bread was better. Well, the Two Post Docs said, "Prove it." When I returned back to work on the Monday after T-day, I was dismayed to find that one of the Two Post Docs was in Taiwan. I put the bread in the freezer for the week. I will pull it out tonight and tomorrow they will experience the brilliance that is my zucchini bread.
Then this week happened - a double protein prep week. Has made my evenings in the lab run late - 1 and 2 PM a couple of nights. And I have to give GM on Tuesday. I should really get cracking on that paper. Hopefully, I will get too nice protein preps out of all the hard work. dunno yet.
My gel should be done destaining now.
ciao

1900 miles, 11 days, 10 states, 0 tickets

2005-11-15T17:29:00.000-05:00

The Great East Coast Migration of 2005 is over. Fini. I am back to work today and Halley has been left at the apartment, blissfully and uninterruptedly sleeping her puppy cares away. The final tally of miles is just above 1900, round trip. The tale end of my trip was spent in PA with Snoop and the family. The wee ones were a joy and made my ovaries ache. I told Snoop and HDH Dr. J that if I was assured as good a partner and dad as Dr. J is, I would not hesitate to have kids. Halley was very well behaved and tolerated the kids grabbing at her and general kid play. The wee boy is 3 years old and constantly testing his boundaries; it was a learning experience for him to be around a little dog. Clairebean is a beautiful 6.5 month old, so aware, so happy! I did hear her cry twice, when she was over-tired, but oddly enough it did not grate on my nerves as do most wailing tots.
It has been difficult to regain momentum and get back to work. A new rotation student was erroneously sent to me; the diode was broken. Both of these things took up my time, and now I have but 15 minutes to waste before yoga tonight.
After 1900 miles in the car, my back is anxiously awaiting yoga, craving twists and bends to work out the kinks.
and House is on tonight. Brilliant. Then Boston Legal. Even more Brilliant.
ciao

last post from SC

2005-11-11T15:31:00.000-05:00

Alas, the week is over. Tomorrow I embark to Philly to hang with the Snoop, her hubby and the two wee ones. I am very excited; I visited them briefly after Mac's wedding last year. Hopefully I will get to see Dr. Snoop's lab I have heard so much about.
The weather has taken a turn for the colder, but not by much, today's high is ~65F. The sky is clear as far as the eye can see.
Halley did her sunbathing indoors this morning. here is the pic... apparently at the top. go figure.

greetings from SC

2005-11-10T11:54:00.000-05:00

well, big news big news. I am finally an aunt. Olivia Ina, 8 lb 3 oz, 20 in, was born on November 2. Cute little bugger.
This is my first and alas only post from South Carolina. I am on vacation in a little spot just south of Myrtle Beach - Surfside, or something like that. I was going to blog the other day, but didn't get a free moment. I am sitting here on a swanky couch in Caffe Dolce (3100-B Hwy 17 S Business, Murrells Inlet, SC 843.651.9370). Seriously, if you find yourself in the neighborhood, they have some of the BEST gelato I have had. Ever. And the pignola cookies are quite tasty as well. Chat with Paula while you are here - she is a card.
The sun has been shining non stop since my arrival. It was a marathon car ride down (16 hours) from CT (I went from Waltham to CT the night before). We stopped several times, since Halley was in the kennel in the back seat. This is the first time halley rode in the kennel, not on her booster seat, and she was quite unhappy. And I felt guilty for keeping her cooped up - so we stopped and ran around often. We fianlly arrived in MB, and after a few turn arounds, made it to the condo. It is quite literally on the beach, and the surf is loud. Lulling into some wonderful sleeps and naps though.
We have been to the beach everyday, swimming and frolicking in the surf and sand. Halley chases the birds. the ocean temp is 65 F, not too bad - like New England in August.
OK, Caffe Dolce makes canolli to order. Fresh!! I just ordered three!
Gotta go. I tried to upload some of the pictures from the beach, but for some reason i can't get it to work. They will have to wait.

More later...

updates and more updates

2005-11-02T14:24:00.000-05:00

Wow, terribly long time since I last posted - not that any of you care.
Hmm, lots have happened and I am not sure where to begin.
I participated in the Hartford Marathon, after running in the Huck Finn 5 K with the broken toe. The 5 K was the wettest race I have ever run. The rains were torrential at times. It was not too cold, but since the rain did not let up not even for a moment, by the end of the day I felt like an ice cube. My participation in the marathon was as a 'hugger' at the end of the races (marathon and 1/2 marathon). People crossing the finish line were assailed by many of us offering medals, water and mylar blankets. I was a mylar blanket girl, hence the hug squad designation. I did a lot of cheering and was picked to hold the winner's banner across the finish line for the women's marathon. It means my foot and hands made it onto the 6 o'clock news that night. I was volunteering with my friend Cake, whose husband was completing his first marathon. Outside of a great many blisters, everyone made it through the day unharmed.
That same weekend, Gabriella the Cat decided to leave this realm and passed into the next. It was very sad. I was thankful to have my mom there, since it was originally her cat. Gabi was quite sick for more than 2 years, and it finally over took her. Gabi did have great green eyes, and was amazingly annoying, but both Halley and I miss her.
The following weekend I managed finally to drive out to my friends' new house in Bolton. Not a bad drive, but this was at the end of a 10 day straight rain and the roads were a bit flooded. I have serious house envy and I am looking forward to a time when I can visit and see the outside, too. I went with a former lab member and by the time we left, the sun finally poked through the clouds. As our friend exclaimed, it had been raining so long, seeing the sun 'was like an orgasm.' Pretty much sums up just how desperate we were.
I went a little mad and made three apple pies in one evening. I proposed this to my lady friends as a yankee swap of sorts - I would make them a pie in exchange for the use of their kitchens, which are both much bigger than mine. Well, both ladies bit and we decided to do this at Cali and the Cuban Exile's place. Queen Barkms and Cali quilted that evening, while I toiled away in the kitchen. The impetus was to make pie to bring into the lab for a birthday. That was the first pie I put together. that was baking in the oven while I worked on the other two - making the house smell delicious. Since I was in Cali's kitchen, I made her and the CE a USA pie, in honor of the CE having his citizenship interview the next day. What is more American than apple pie?!? Little did I know it was his irst taste of homemade apple pie - thankfully they turned out great. And, since QB had offered up her kitchen as well, I made her a pie. After cleaning up, I drove QB home with her pie on her lap, transfering all those yummy scents to my car. Ultimately, pie was had by all, though I was exhausted by the end of it.
that brings us to this past weekend, which brought pumpkin carving and Halloween. Pumpkin carving at QB and DrD's house has become a much anticipated event. Both QB and DrD hold Halloween in high regard and it is in their presence a very fun holiday. The pumpkins were for the annual party on Monday night. Halley went as a Chia Pet; I went as a girls gone wild girl. Halley was by far cuter. If the picture of Halley as Chia does not appear, I may have to figure out another way to post it.
Now I am preparing for my vacation - a much needed break from the lab and New England. But more about that later. I have to get some work done.

in all it's glory

2005-10-07T09:13:00.000-05:00

This is the toe about 20 minutes after my not so graceful fall. I taped it and went for a run.
I iced it last night, which was not so easy with ice, but much better once I switched to the bag of frozen cranberries.
This morning, the discoloration has extended down to the foot and the whole toe has swollen to the size of a snausage. Oh joy. Should make the 5 K this weekend quite fun.
Plus I hear it is supposed to downpour all weekend long.

My Left Foot.

2005-10-06T18:18:00.000-05:00

I swear, just when I feel like I might gather enough momentum to get out of whatever rut I am in at present, something happens. Two months ago it was the throwing out of the back. Truly unpleasant.
Today I broke my toe. Right before I was to go running with my training partner, Cake. I tripped on some steps in my building, wearing open toed shoes (GASP!) and took out the toe next to the big one on the left foot. Two things are out of the ordinary in this scenario.
First, the wearing of the open toed shoes after Labor Day. In my defense, it has been unseasonably warm and I have such a pretty pedi right now. This is Karma smiting me for throwing caution to the wind and disregarding the fashion rules.
Second, I was to meet Cake for a run not 15 minutes later. This is odd because I have not been running this summer. But we signed up for the Huck Finn 5 K in Hartford, which is being run concurrently with the Hartford Marathon. This is significant only in that Cake's husband will run his first ever marathon in Hartford this weekend. We are doing the 5 K for moral support and swag. I figured that if I signed up to do a race, that might be the motivation I needed to get back into my running routine. Nice thought, until I broke my toe!
Cake took a picture. Hopefully she will email it and I can post it here and share it in all of its bluepurplegreen glory!
This brings the total number of bones ever broken in my body to TWO! The first one occurred at an equally inopportune time, but I will save that story for a rainy day.
Ugh. This might make the 5 K that much more challenging.

fits and starts

2005-10-03T18:30:00.000-05:00

I seem to start posts to the blog, and then not finish them. Unfortunately this is my modus operandi often. I really should get that looked at.
Yesterday was quite the full day. I drove into Boston and spent a couple of hours volunteering at the Boston Knitout and Crochet, too 2005 at the Common. This was great fun. I was helping out with the fashion show and the show and share, a more informal sharing of projects. Everyone I met was so nice and I learned a lot, too.
Then, on a lark, I headed to Fenway, where the Red Sox were playing their final game of the regular season against the Yankees. Go Yanks. I have a friend who works in the area. He had mentioned that if I ever wanted to go to a game, he could get me in. So I got to watch about 6 innings of baseball. Curt Schilling was pitching. A-Rod was in the game, but not my favorite Derek Jeter. Sigh. The Yanks couldn't get a hit off of Schilling; I left in the 7 inning with the score 7-1 infavor of the RS. They ultimately won 10-1. Here's a picture of the famed Green Monster in left field.
Then I walked the city, up and down. From Fenway back to the Financial District, where I had parked, by way of the Pru and the Hancock Towers. It was such a beautiful day - mild, 70 F, clear skies - for the first weekend in October absolutely brilliant. Too nice to go underground and take the T.
My feet did take a beating with all of the walking. When I left the house I hadn't planned on all that and I wore my clogs. Great support for standing but not so good for extensive city walking.
I got home and continued to work on my projects for my new niece. I now have a deadline - mom and I will ship the box this weekend. I only hope I can get everythiing done this week. only have two hands...
Once the box of goodies has been received, I will post pictures.

buzz buzz

2005-09-16T10:40:00.000-05:00

this week has been amazingly busy. I have had commitments, time has been short - thus I do not post.
Monday started off tame enough, except for that heinous smell. Easy enough to recover from.
Tuesday was busy busy, trying to get protein stuff done in a timely manner. Tuesday night was spent with Queen Barkms and Mrs. Omar, at QB's house. Ostensibly we were supposed to be quilting, but we were not so motivated this time. The Fabric Place, where we are taking quilting classes, has pissed us off royally and this is reflected in our lack of driving force to finish the quilt. This Saturday is the last class, when the last square pattern will be distributed. I have been nominated to go to the class (in the beginning we all attended the class and spent the rest of the morning brainstorming and shopping for projects). I am the most likely to let the management of FP know just what has pissed us off. So I get to go. But the actual act of quilting on Tuesday night yielded a really cool square. Cooler than what we were supposed to get in the end.
Wednesday was more rushing around to get work (shock!) done, in time for dinner at my friends' new house. It was also the first joint departmental seminar and a CSA day, so there was a lot to pack into 8 hours. Finally made it out to Wayland and had a wonderful dinner with the friends. It included a tour of the new house, which is so darned cute I have house envy. halley came along for the evening and there was a bit of a scare with the wooden stairs. IGs don't do bare floors as a rule, and bare wooden stairs pose a whole 'nother challenge. Halley was determined to follow me up the stairs, made it half way - hesitated - and then fell/slid back down. No iggy death scream, no obvious bruises and after a good shake, no limps. All in all one of the best falls My Little Graceful One has ever done. It did scare the bejeezus out of my hostess though. Poor girl, I think she lost a year or two.
Thursday slowed down a little, but not much. Time to catch up on the work. And I had this annoying encounter and reencounter with my fellow biophizzy grad student from upstairs. He and I are generally thick as thieves, but he started off yesterday on my last nerve and did not relent. Any other day, more than likely I would play along. Yesterday was different, though. I am still not sleeping well, so I am overtired. I am feeling like I am behind on my protein stuff, so I am feeling stress about that as well. Most of this I can brush off and usually play along with whatever (we are great debaters and have some of the best irrelevant discussions). Yesterday he starts in with the Sanctimony. And if there is one way to start on my last nerve it is with Sanctimony.
Ugh, what a pain in the ass. And all of this builds up to the grand finale of every week - Stoopid Group Meeting. SGM is just as it's name implies. A huge waste of time and energy. This week, the graduate students in the lab had to be reminded of some fundamentals of thermodynamics. Fundamentals that 6th year grad students should not have to be reminded of. Then we had to debate those same fundamental principles. People, the best part about thermo is that there exist these rules that are not ever violated and make our lives (and research) that much more straightforward to predict and interpret. Period. There is no debate. And yet, somehow in this void of reason and intellect, there is debate. It is truly exhasperating.
Friday's capper is lunch with the Italian Post-doc. He will describe the circumstances of his recent engagement. Holy shit, I didn't realize he had a girlfriend. First, there's gossip I missed?!?! And second, I know this girl. Now she's a shocker!
Oh joy.

The ID "debate"

2005-09-13T13:46:00.000-05:00

http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v436/n7052/full/436753a.html
http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/reprint/309/5732/221.pdf

for those of you not up on the debate, there is a sizable fraction of the US populous (or at least those elected to legislative office) that wants to redefine what the word science means. This would ultimately result in a redefinition of what I do for a living - hopefully it will not get that far. I find this to be so distressing words fail me.
ugh.

Monday morning in my building

2005-09-12T10:33:00.000-05:00

This was the first Monday of the semester, as last Monday was Labor Day. The parking lots are all full by 9:30, the kids are all scurrying to their classes. Today is forecasted to hit well above 90 F, so I drove in, opting not to bike in that heat. I walked up from the carpark at a leisurely pace, stopping off at the health center to return their cane - a remnant of my back throwing out occasion a couple of weeks ago. I complete the walk up the hill in blazing sunlight, thinking to myself how wonderful that airconditioning is going to feel once I step inside. And when I do finally walk into my building, ready to tackle the week head on, I am accosted by the most God awful, nose burning odious smell... ever. Rank and rotting... something. Could it have once been dairy? Surely fruit doesn't ever smell that bad. What could it possibly be? Or more importantly, where in the hell is it coming from and how do we get rid of it? Now!
Like bloodhounds, my labmates and I pace the hallways, trying to pinpoint Ground Zero. Over here? No, more here... maybe, yea. Is it the recycling? How do old soda cans and beer bottles ever get this bad?
All possible sources of stank were removed to outdoors, and yet the odor persists. I had such high and lofty goals for the amount of work I was going to get done today, and now I don't want to venture outside of my room, because the smell in the hallways is nausea inducing. I already have a headache; spontaneous vomiting would just be the capper.
This weekend I took a bit of a rest from work. I popped my head in on Saturday to make sure some plates did not overgrow and then went about my errands. I did some food shopping in prep for hosting the stitch and bitch ladies on Sunday. Then Sunday was consumed with food prep. I went a bit overboard, but I was not sure if there were going to be 3 or 6 of us. I prepared for 6. Besides, it was high time I cleaned the kitchen, and what better reason to clean the kitchen than to make everything dirty again by cooking.
I made an eggplant and tomato frittata, which came out particularly well. Recipe was from my Tuscan cookbook. A reasonable amount of prep work, but it tasted wonderful. It is just as good cold at it was warm. The remainder of it is my lunch for today. After the ladies left, I watched a little bit more of the USOpen men's final, until it became clear that Agassi would not pull it out. I just couldn't watch the decline. Federer is a great athlete, but he's just not compelling. At least not enough for me to watch.
The insomnia has not broken, and I am still waking before my alarm. Unfortunately, this means about 10 or 11 days of 4-5 hours of sleep a night. Something I could have pulled off without breaking a sweat ten years ago, but now, I am wearing thin. Ugh.

My goals for this unedited portal:

2005-09-08T13:14:00.000-05:00

As the title implies, I mean to vent/gab/wax philosophical on three topics nearest and dearest to my heart - work, fiber arts and dog. This by no means limits my subject choices to just this, but it serves as a launching off point for all things ME.
Work is, well, work. I have been stymied the last two days in my purification. The column I am using has unexpectedly started to act up. No one to whom I describe the symptoms can diagnose what is wrong. This means that I am in a bit of a foul mood as I try to rectify this. Meanwhile, protein is wasting away, awaiting further purification steps that I cannot yet get to b/c of aforementioned column issues.
Add to my latest bit of foul mood my insomnia. This week it has been particularly difficult to get to sleep before 2. Insomniacs last night were treated to a wonderful show of tennis in the Agassi-Blake q-final at the USOpen. Holy cow, those two guys battled like gladiators to the death, neither relenting. They each raised the level of play of the other, and it was spectacular. Got the adrenaline pumping.
I opted not to knit last night, giving myself a break for an evening. Queen Barkms and I got together yesterday afternoon to divide veggies from the CSA, and afterwards got into one of our 'What's it all for?' conversations. Protein issues plus wide-eyed newbies plus insufferable elder grad students that still don't know their asses from their pipet tips plus insomnia plus what have you have gotten me into this funk which then manifests itself in the life defining question - do I really want to do this for the rest of my life? There, I wrote it. Up 'til now, only QB and my therapist have knowledge of that question. So I gave myself this night off from knitting.
But not from taking pictures of my dog. Here is another cutie with her silly ears and all.

And another from the other day when she accompanied me to work:

Java

2005-09-07T09:55:00.000-05:00

I realize in these modern times that java means two things. But to the purists, such as myself, it will always and forever be coffee. Black gold. Lately I can't get enough. Multiple cups during the day and when the opportunity arrises - in ice cream form.
Monday, after working with half assed intensity, I rewarded myself with a trip to Lizzie's for a cup of their coffee ice cream, which is literally coffee mixed with cream and sugar. No fanciness. It is like the perfect latte - not too sweet but creamy goodness - with chocolate jimmies, of course. Afterward I finally caught a showing of The March of the Penguins that everyone has been buzzing about. First off, what great birds! They were hysterical and tragic; it was epic. Secondly, I am glad I paid $9 to see it in a theatre, for two reasons. The continent of Antartica is one I will probably never see in person. Seeing this movie on my little 20 in TV would not have done the cinematography justice. The grand scale of A, the vastness would have been lost. Then there are the movie makers, who deserve whatever cut of my $9 they get. To stand out there in -80 with howling winds, freezing what God gave them off, well, my hat is off to them. So go see the movie. And stay for the credits.

At the left is the penguin I made for my friend, the pos- doc upstairs, and his lovely wife's first born. The bird made it just before the kid was born. It is all cotton, which worked up really well, quick and easy and hard to split stitches. The body and feet are stuffed with polyfil and the wings and belly have beads, for that little bit extra. I wish I could remember the name of the book that has this pattern in it. I will try to remember to make a note for future reference.

Today, I am off to Drumlin Farms to pick up this weeks CSA (community supported agriculture) shares. It is a really pleasant drive from here, the weather is immaculate and I just might stop at that little lunch hut on the side of the road. The last time I was there I had a fabulous cone of coffee soft serve dipped in chocolate. Ahhh, java.
The sad part of all this coffee is that my sleep patterns are way off. I am not getting to sleep until 1:30 or 2. Bad girl. Will have to remedy this.

2005-09-05T15:01:00.000-05:00

workin' my fingers to the bone

2005-09-05T13:44:00.000-05:00

This is my latest fantasy yarn. It is a handspun, kettle dyed superbulky wool from Uruguay - handpaintedyarn.com. Color is Cognac and it is divine, in my opinion. I am going to us this to make the Cape May capelet on knitty.com. A little math was required, since this is 65 yds/ 100 g and biggy print from Rowan is 33 yds/ 100 g. I will order the same number of skeins - I might just have to use two threads to get the desired thickness. I am salivating just waiting for this yarn to come. Of course, I have plenty of unfinished project that need my direct attention. I have finished the Pig, and will post pictures as soon as I take them. I am finishing the basketball - I managed to finish the second hemisphere, joined them and filled it with polypropylene beads. The weight of the ball is a little bit more than I expected, but the tension and squishiness is right on. Now I will embroider the ribbing on with the deep purple to make it look like a BB. Not sure which stitch I will use yet. I think it will require a bit of trial and error.

Skipped out of work yesterday, but am here today (Labor Day, how appropriate), purifying yet another prep of protein. It took me about three days to convince myself that my last prep was crap, especially after it sat in the fridge for four days while I recovered from throwing out my back. There is little to no motivation to be here today. My mind is very distracted and I guess I should be grateful that I am doing a mindless prep and not something more mentally taxing.

I am still learning my way around the blogger website. I have yet to figure out how to get a pic into my profile area. I click all of the requisite buttons, but I am convinced they are just taking me in an electronic circle.

There is only a skeleton crew in here today. My Husky friend ( a UConn grad ) is here. Unusual for him to work a holiday. I guess he is getting more motivated to get work done and graduate. Time marching on and all. Also, our Wonderfully Talented Undergrad is in. No sign of the Boss, though B was in on Saturday, when I had Halley with me. I was impressed this time she remembered Halley's name - first time I think in about 3 years?!?

So I am going to start knitting the third dinosaur and need to finish stuffing and sewing them up. There is a deadline. The niece is expected sometime near the end of November. So crunch time is here - need to get the projects finished so they can be sent out.

Off to prep the protein...

first contact

2005-09-03T16:45:00.000-05:00

Well, since this is my first entry into this new-to-me medium, I probably should have thought of something witty, urbane and erudite to write ahead of time. Well, tough. No such forethought here.

Halley is with me in the lab. The cells are hopefully proliferating. It is a beautiful day so why not spend it with my dog at work? At work, yes. More truthfully, on the computer on the internet at work. And growing cells don't really need me to babysit for them.

So, I have been reading a ton of other people's thoughts promulgated through this here trend called blogging. Maybe this can help me overcome one of my most retched and loathsome traits - not staying in touch with my friends. I am absolutely horrid when it comes to communication. They go off to foreign lands, or move to distant cities, and try as I might, resolving every year to 'do bet-ter', as my old band director used to say, ... yeah, it just never happens. I have letters and cards and pix going back years that have not been sent. Remedy du jour: I will put bits of my life out there, as it were, and if they come, they will see it. I shall try not to over edit. It just not fun if everything is peaches and cream. Yummy, yes, but not fun.

And hey, it's the internet! You all get to see it, too. In all it's technicolor glory. Bon Voyage!