Merry Christmas

"Welcome Christmas, bring your cheer
Cheer to all the Whos far and near
Christmas day is in our grasp
So long as we have hands to clasp
Christmas day will always be
Just as long as we have we
Welcome Christmas, while we stand
Heart to heart and hand in hand"

-How the Grinch Stole Christmas

Rough and tumble but merry

It has been beyond a rough couple of days. As I mentioned my grandmother passed away which has created a very emotional two weeks. And then my car broke down on my way back from Ohio (about four hours from home). I had two interviews last week. On Wednesday, I had a on site interview with a company in Ashland (which is in Ohio). And then on Thursday, I had an interview with a small consulting firm in Columbia City (IN). Both interviews went pretty well and I think both positions (which are a little similar) will allow me to get more experience in regulatory toxicology. But due to the holidays, both companies will not get back to me about the positions until January. I set up an interview for a lab position at Purdue for Wednesday (but I have moved back to Thursday due my vehicle situation. ) The bright spot of the past two weeks is that all my sisters were home which made everything a little bit easier. And all my nephews were home, I forgot how small newborns are! I been having lots of fun with all three! And soon they will all be here to celebrate Christmas at the farm. Merry Christmas to all!

HANK: Now, I'm not gonna mention any names, but due to last year's unfortunate kissing incident, mistletoe is banned from this year's Christmas party.
(Everyone looks accusingly at Bill.)
BILL: Peppermint schnapps makes me sloppy.
DALE: Enough with your party, Hank. Help me figure out what to get Nancy for Christmas. I'll never top that oil painting I commissioned last Christmas: "Nude Dale In Repose." Tasteful, yet you can see everything.

On love, In Sadness

It has been a really long time since I have posted and I apologize. My grandmother passed away on Dec. 11th. She has been in poor health for a few years, but I still remember spending a lot of time with her when I started attending Purdue. On Mondays, I used to go to her house after class until my sorority meeting and we would have dinner together and work on the crossword (I admit that she knew way more of the clues than I did). And she taught me how to quilt, and I still have that quilt that we worked on together. I will always cherish those memories of spending time, and I know that I will think about her every time I start (or even finish) a quilt and how glad I was to be able to share something that she was so passionate about. I will miss her dearly.

Off on a turnaround

For most of September through November, my job search was highly unproductive. But in the past few days, it has been much better. I had my interview with the lab at Purdue on Tuesday, which went pretty well. The research sounded really interesting (though not in my area of expertise) but the PI stressed more about the personality and work style fitting with the rest of the lab personnel (there are about 6 people in the lab). She said that she would let me know about the position by the end of next week. And then yesterday I got not one but two calls about other position. One was for a job with a company in Des Moines for a toxicology position and I think that we will setting up an interviews in Des Moines sometime before the holidays. The other position in with a regulatory consulting firm in Columbia City (which is near Fort Wayne). I talked with the office manager (it is a small firm about 4 consultants and then the office manager) and she encourage me to visit the website and learn more about the projects that they work on and then we can set up an on-site interview (or phone interview if I wanted) before the holidays because they would like someone to start in January. So the past week (including the phone interview last Thursday) have been really encouraging! And more importantly Rachel and family will be here tonight, so that will be nice to see them all!

DALE: Pirate? Gondola operator? Waiter? Pirate waiter?
HANK: He's supposed to be gay, Dale.
DALE: Really? I don't see it.

I'm a what?

A good result

I had my phone interview with the head of the Study Analysis and Report Writing Department from the company in Ashland today. It went pretty well, the position sounds really interesting and would be a good starting off point for me since I am interested in regulatory toxicology. I would get to interact with study directors and the clients as well as gain some experience in FDA regulation submission. The interviewer said that he and HR would contact my references and then we would set up an on-site interview.

"That's good Bobby, keep throwing me those curve balls"- Hank Hill

The turning of tides

For once, I have good news about my job search. I am meeting with the people from one of the labs at Purdue next Tuesday. I went to the website for the lab and they seem to be researching really interesting stuff involving membrane transport (and they seem to be publishing about two papers a year including this year in Nature). And today, I set up a phone interview for Thursday with a company in Ashland in Ohio. I will let you all know the outcome of the phone interview on Thursday.

"Give me liberty or give me death! But only the kind of liberty you find in a controlled, well-regulated society." - Dale Gribble

I'm German, so I like rules

I just finished watching this really interesting documentary called "Helvetica" which is the most commonly used font in the world (think Target, the Gap, Crate and Barrel, street signs, your tax return forms, all that is Helvetica in different weights and spacing). Helvetica was created in the 1950s in Germany (Helvetica means the Swiss in Latin) to be clean and easy to read. But by the 1970s there was a rebellion against using Helvetica. Including a very outspoken German graphic designer that said Helvetica, with all its letters looking so very much alike, was an army (and he was the source of the title). There were lots of interviews with graphic designers and typographers, and I guess I never really thought about the fonts that I use everyday. One of the graphic designers was comparing how he and his wife remembered the location of a restaurant. She remembered it as down the street from the dry-cleaners and he remembered it as down the street from that sign with poor spacing.

"I'm going to teach you all a little dance. The avoid-dance. Who has a child who keeps a messy room? The next time you walk by Junior's room, shut the door. Don't look at what infuriates you. Just do this little dance. Shut the door. Shut the door. Shut the door..." - Anger Management Instructor

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone, I hope you all get to spend it with friends and family!


" 'Cause that turkey is so gosh darn moist."-Hank Hill

A sprinkling after a dry spell

I do mean to blog more than I have in the past month (but not blogging is preventing from complaining about searching for a job too much). The job search is going alright and I have learned with job sites are better. Hotjobs (through Yahoo!) is my favorite mostly because there are no solicitations on the websites (as there is on Monster). Plus the only emails I get are updated results from a job search unlike both Careerbuilder and Monster. I get stupid like reminders from both those sites including most job seekers apply for 3 jobs before landing a job (oh thanks Careerbuilder, I have been rejected from 3 jobs, thanks for your encouragement) and that a higher education can make it easier to land a job (um, Monster that hasn't really worked out for me yet). But I heard back about one of the lab jobs at Purdue asking for some references (it is for a molecular biology lab looking at ATP pumps in the cell).
In anticipation of company tomorrow night, I spent most of the day sweeping the entire downstairs (and I'm planning on sweeping once a week so the cleaning for Rachel, Bridget, and Lucy's homecoming won't be too bad). But the cleaning wasn't bad at all because mom bought a Dyson a few weeks ago (this is the model we have). I love this vacuum cleaner! It is really easy to clean out and the utilizing the attachments can be done quickly and you can use it on both carpet and bare floors. I always like to use stuff that has been well engineered and the user was actually taken into consideration during the design process.

"No, turn the other one!!"-Hank

A little delayed

I am a bad blogger, I know. I haven't had to much to write about for the past few weeks, but Lucy was home for a week (this past week) so that means time for a new post! While Lucy was here, she "helped" me work on Rachel's king size quilt (which I am still hoping to get done by this Christmas). We also made Christmas presents for family members while she was home (and some of those people read this blog so I won't say what it is) as well as weaned calves (more than once due to a fence problem.) I also finished another baby quilt for a friend of the family:
As as some of you may know, there is a writer's strike which means after next week there will be no new episodes of The Office (or anything else), so my Netflix account will be getting quite the work out until the strike is over.

"You got to pitch some woo at her, see what sticks."-Dale Gribble

Those Natural Highs and Lows

This post is very delayed, my sincere apologies. I had my interviews with Pace Anaylitical and 3M in Minneapolis last Tuesday. I took the shuttle from Merriville to O'Hare (I stayed with friends the night before so there was less driving the day of), which was actully very nice. Traffic was kind of bad so I was there only an hour before my flight was to leave (remember back in the day when you needed to be there only an hour before your flight). Fortunately, I got my boarding pass and through security in about 15 minutes. Everyone boarded at the right time but then we got to wait for more than an hour on the runway. So I was about an hour late so the first interview got cut short by the rest of the day was fine. I interviewed with 3 different people, the Toxicology group, the Environmental Assessment Group, and the Regulatory Affairs Liaison. Out of all these, the last group was the most interesting to me. My flight back was alright, but delayed (again) but I wasn't to bad, I got a sandwich and a copy of Discover magazine. I had to rush to catch the shuttle back to Merriville (I would have to wait another hour if I missed it) and then went home.
Last Friday, I heard back about the extension job (about a week later than they thought). Despite all the work I put into the presentation, I didn't get the position. According to the email, they hired someone with a more technical background (and the main guy complimented me on my excellent publication and presentation, um thanks for nothing). So I'm kinda of mad because of all the work I put into it and it went nowhere. And I suspect that it is possible that I was passed over because I am a woman, but that could not be true.
On Sunday, I joined an online recruiter network (so basically you fill out your profile and post your resume, and the website matches you with appropriate recruiters). I heard from one recruiter on Monday morning and then from another position I applied for on Monday afternoon. So after the slight disappointment about the extension job, my job search is still going okay. I applied for another position at Purdue in a lab as a more temporary position. So hopefully I will find a job soon.

"The only person I ever showed my toes to was my ex-wife. She used them against me in the divorce." - Bill

In which I rant about the postal service

I really like Netflix, it was one way that I survived my time at Iowa. I always try to send a movie back on Thursday so that I have movies for the weekend. Or I would get a disc of a TV show on DVD that I could spread out over the weekend. This week I was thwarted on both attempts. I was supposed to get a disc from a show on Thursday that I haven't gotten yet. And then I rushed to finish a movie so I could mail it back on Thursday and get a new movie on Saturday. Netflix hasn't received the movie either. Stupid postal service.

"You must be thinking of Hank Hill in West Arlen. Hold on, I've got some of his mail here." - Hank Hill

So maybe it was worth it

I heard from my adviser today, and the paper based on my thesis project was accepted by the journal Environmental Toxicology and Pharmacology. It will be published in a special PCB issue in early next year. I'm really excited about it getting published, and it feels like finally the two years (and late nights) was worth it.

Also congrats to Elizabeth and Rob on the arrival of Robert Kyle!

" First, this is not the plastic head you were issued. Second, just look at the way you shaved against the grain here, here, and here. And these are the worst sideburns I've seen since chair three, which makes me suspect you cheated. F. That means you fail." - Miss Krenzer

I'm not sure if I feel better or worse

I'm catching up on some "This American Life"(TAL) podcasts, and the episode I'm listening to is about amateurs meeting professionals (or become semi-professional). (By the way, you can listen to the show on the website as well as your local NPR station). The first "act" of the show is about a high-school basketball player that was featured in a Nike Freestyle commercial in 2001 (which is when the show originally aired). The reporter interviewing the player went on and on about how cool the commercial was (and the fact that he watched lots of play-off games just to see the commercial). He commented that it was the coolest thing ever on TV, claiming "This commercial kicks the moon-landing's ass." Naturally, I wanted to see the commercial so I went to the TAL website and followed the link provided. And in the comment section, 12 of the 13 comments referenced This American Life. If you want to see this commercial click here. There is also a 30-second spot featuring only the high-schooler, Luis da Silva, here.

"Sometimes you have to enjoy life for all it's mellow, rich flavor." - Hank Hill

I guess I should have known bettter

For most of August and part September, I was really bummed about the lack of progress of my job search. But it has really been looking up in the past two weeks. My interview at Purdue went pretty well on Thursday and the head of the committee said they would have a decision by the end of next week. And then I have the two interviews in Minneapolis in two weeks (I pushed it back for a week). My aunt Emily was in town again and while she was on campus for an event, she met someone from Lilly and passed along her contact information (and I sent an email Friday night). Then today one of the people that Emily sent my resume to emailed (and called) me with some really good information (including a consulting company that might be a good fit for me). I guess I was surprised the Emily knew people in the field of toxicology but I guess I never realized how wide her network of contacts was!

"I feel so alive with pleasure!"- Peggy Hill

Grey skies are going to clear up

I heard from Pace Analytical today about setting up an interview with not one by two of the company's clients for next week. I really looking forward to the interview because all the people who I have talked with are really nice and knowledgeable (and the HR person is really good about keeping me informed and keeping in contact with me). Next Friday, I am meeting with my old boss from LifePlus LCC, where I interned last summer (and really learned a lot and got really interested in regulatory toxicology which is the position at Pace). This plus my interview on Thursday, means my job search is finally looking up.

" I followed you. Every twist and every turn. By the way, I'm going to need to follow you home."-Dale

Lost and Found

Our goat Rosalee was missing for a 2 days (and by missing it means she didn't come up to the barn in the evening). I did a very thorough search of the ditch in our front pasture because I figured that she must have gotten stuck in the mud down there, but alas she wasn't there. I was convinced that she was killed by coyotes (as we had lost a kid within the last two months to coyotes). Then yesterday mom was out in the pasture on the ATV and heard goat bleating. Turns out Rosalee got stuck under the hay feeder in the back pasture (or the ten acres for those familiar with our farm lexicon). Mom said it was a bit of a struggle to get her un-stuck but Rosalee seems alright, just a little hungry and thirsty.

"Mama's in jail. She was savin' a quart of beer for before bed, and Daddy threw it out, and she went after him with a fork. And the trailer tipped over, and everything turned upside down, and it's all gonna be on Real Stories of the Highway Patrol. And the wig I styled for beauty school is ruined. What am I going to do uncle Hank?"-Luanne

Finally

After about a week of trying to arrange an interview for the extension position, I finally arranged one for next Thursday at 9am. I finished my sample publication and had my mom and Rachel look over it. Once the publication is done, I will work on my presentation for Thursday. So I will let everyone know the outcome of the interview. And today Purdue plays Notre Dame so I will be watching the game and cheering on Purdue (and hopefully they will win!).

" A $100? For a pair of cotton short pants?"-Hank

Clafouti

I made a desert for diner with my aunts, cousins, grandma, and parents on Friday night. Emily made a delicious meal and I made a desert called clafouti. It is sort of like a custard, I sliced peaches (or whole cherries) and then I made the batter which was mostly eggs and milk with a little bit of flour and sugar. Then the batter gets poured over the fruit and the whole thing gets baked. And here are some pictures.
Before:






























And After:






























HANK: Oh, my God, that cat has soiled in my shoes! Where is he?
BOBBY: He's in my room! If I stop petting him, he'll bite me! ... It's like having a bomb strapped to my lap!

I'm jonesing for a fix

I know I haven't posted in a while so now there will be a super long (ish) post. I had a nice visit with Rachel and Lucy (and Ellis of course) and I was sad to see them go (even with Rachel's nagging). But things are settling down at the farm again just in time for harvest to start soon. I'm continuing my work at the Purdue extension office (if you would like to part of my work you can go here. I am the author of the short write-ups of advancements in nanotechnology). I had an phone interview with NSF International last Friday and sent them an sample of my technical writing. And then on Saturday I heard back about an extension specialist position at Purdue in the College of Agricultural and Biological Engineering. The position is doing outreach in the area of alternative fuels (including both chemical and biological production of fuels). I am required to write a two pages sample extension pamphlet and then do a 15-20 minutes presentation on my topic. The topic I chose (one of three options) is using anaerobic digesters for on-farm methane-to-electricity production. I will keep you all updated about my progress (for those who are interested, and for those who aren't I am very sorry that this will bore you!).

"Joseph's a good kid, I'm thinking about taking him under my wing"- Bobby Hill

A good weekend?

So this past week was pretty good. Lucy was home for a week which meant we experimented with making liquid soap (which turned out pretty well), but then she went back to CO. But Rachel and Ellis are still here for a more than a week. And college football started this past weekend, which was great because Michigan and Notre Dame lost and Purdue won! On Sunday my cousins from Brownsburg came up for Labor Day. They brought with them a football which led to this adorable picture of Ellis:


"Get in the three point stance. From football Bobby"- Hank Hill

One more thing

Yesterday, I heard back from an HR person at Pace Analytical (located in the Twin Cities) who told me the managers are very excited to talk to me. And then today I set-up a second phone interview on Friday morning. What I really like about this company is that they do both human based toxicology and environmental toxicology (which means those four years of undergrad would not be wasted!). The HR person I spoke to was really nice and personable (isn't that what she should be?). Plus she was apologetic at the delay in the response from her. I will be sure to put an update after I talk with the managers on Friday.

BOBBY: Please, Dad, can we please pay paintball?
HANK: Now, hold on a minute -- let's see, they give you kids guns and let you shoot at each other? Yeah, okay.

Only a few days away

In two days, two of my three sisters will be here on the farm (unfortunately Bridget will not be here to partake in the craziness!). Lucy will be here for a week and Rachel (and Ellis) for even longer. So what's on the agenda? Well honey harvesting, peach picking, tomato canning, quilting Rachel's king size quilt (and possibly be close to finishing it, I am about a fourth of the way done with it), and making lots of soap. I'm really excited about seeing my sisters in two days!

BOBBY: Why does my potato have skin on it? I hate skin!
PEGGY: I will not sit here and listen to you criticize my work! What, do you think the potatoes just fly into the bowl and mash themselves?
LUANNE: I know y'all don't mean none of those harsh words. It's just the nicotine withdrawal.
HANK: Why is she still talking?

All I need is a needle and thread

This is one of three quilts I want to finish before November (and this is one of two baby quilts). For all you quilters out there, any quilting pattern suggestions?

HANK: Who is calling me a liar, you or the machine? 'Cause I need to know whose ass to kick.
CLERK: I'm not calling you a liar, sir.
HANK: Fine. Where's the ass on this thing?

Green and black

I admitted to my mother a few days ago, that I always get Green River by Creedence Clearwater Revival and Long Cool Woman in a Black Dress by the Hollies confused. Every time I hear the intro from Green River I was get excited because I love Long Cool Woman in a Black Dress and then I wonder when are we going to get to the good chorus ( I do like Green River but the other song is far superior!).

"It's a Shirley Hack, that's like getting a Shemp." - Cotton Hill

And this is what is passes for posts

You're Watership Down!

by Richard Adams

Though many think of you as a bit young, even childish, you're
actually incredibly deep and complex. You show people the need to rethink their
assumptions, and confront them on everything from how they think to where they
build their houses. You might be one of the greatest people of all time. You'd
be recognized as such if you weren't always talking about talking rabbits.


Take the Book Quiz
at the Blue Pyramid.

You're NPR Science Friday!

While you would put most people to sleep, you still are better
known than most of your counterparts. You can afford to hire help, and you
have even met publicly known figures. Very little of this goes to your head,
though, and you try to pride yourself on keeping a solid, practical
perspective. While most people look forward to Fridays, these are the days
you do most of your work.


Take the Podcast Quiz
at The Mep Report Podcast.

I promise that tomorrow there will be a real post with pictures and everything!

"Yep. Bobby's gonna be wearing sweat pants for the right reasons." - Hank

The Buck Witch Project

I often joke to Rachel that talking to her on Skype can be a little like watching a horror movies because there are times when the camera is not pointed at a person and you can hear Ellis screaming/crying in the background (a la the end of The Blair Witch Project). For the past few days, our buck (male goat) has been finding a way out of the barn and then comes up around the house. Yesterday he was outside in the yard again and mom said we could let him eat some weeds for a little while. When I opened the side door, he came running over to the door (which freaked me out because I have already been rammed by our last buck), so I shut the door. About ten minutes later mom and I were were taking in the kitchen and Scout started barking. We looked out of the door of the sun porch and there was the buck peeking in the window (like some crazed killer!). Mom then walked him back to barn and shut the door to the alley so he won't get out again (hopefully).

"Bobby red alert! Run to Dale's house and lock the door!"-Hank

A year older

Yesterday, I turned 24. Mom, Dad, and I went out to dinner with my aunt Emily and cousins Lindy and Greg to celebrate (fortunately the wait staff did not sing to me despite Lindy's best attempts). Mom and Dad gave me some quilting supplies and the first 3 Harry Potter books (in hardback to match the two that I already own). And Lucy and Rachel got me a really nice CD player that will also sync with my iPod. I have already listened to "This American Life" podcast using it. Overall I had a very nice birthday and thanks to everyone who made the day so enjoyable!

HANK: Excuse me, are you with the cult?
CULT MEMBER: We're not a cult. We're an organization that promotes love, and --
HANK: Yeah, this is it.

Bee Balm

My (and Lucy's) first venture in creating herbal remedies seems to be a success! A bee balm ointment we made 3 years ago was used for the first time today on my mom's bug bites. She said that it actually made the bites less itchy. Lucy, we are on our way!


"But I told you where the leg was."-Cotton Hill

A paper contains facts

Since I have been home, one of my jobs is to run downtown to the grocery store to get anything that mom has forgotten (or get the paper). As a result I have been able to see the headlines for Weekly World News for the past two weeks. The headline last week was "Quit smoking forever by having your lung stapled." But this week was even better : "Special Report from the Gates of Hell! Avoid Damnation! Learn Tricks Even the Devil Doesn't Know! ( if there is a Special Report from the Gates Hell don't you think that Devil would read it?)". It must be so fun to work at Weekly World News. You can basically write whatever you want without worrying about credible sources.

"You know I don't sign any document issued by a government institution." - Dale (who else?)

It's time to embrace the contraction

I know I haven't posted in more than a week, but I haven't really been in the mood. Plus on Monday and Tuesday I was busy reading the last Harry Potter book (which was good except for the unnecessary epilogue!). I haven't heard from the companies I interviewed with last week yet, so I am still waiting and continuing to search for jobs. I have a part-time job at Purdue with makes me less anxious about finding a job immediately. My mom is out of town for a reunion with her friends from high school so Scout( my sister's dog) is sleeping upstairs with me while my mom is gone. Scout usually has to go outside at about 6am and usually she will start barking when she needs to go. This morning she tried a different tactic which was staring me awake. It was quite a shock to wake up and have her nose about 6 inches from my face.

"Luanne, you have a weakness for a certain type of man. You are drawn magnetically back to the trailer, back to the sticky ooze you escaped from." -Peggy

Don't be a giant snapping turtle

I had two job interviews this week, one in Madison on Wednesday and then one today in Michigan. My interview on Wednesday was for Covance, which is a huge company that does a variety of biological and analytical work. I interviewed for an assistant study director. The company is building a new lab out in Arizona and so there will be hiring more people. I would really like to work Covance because the people that I met were really nice, there is a good possibility for advancement and there are labs all over the world (including England!). My other interview today was okay, but I was less interested in the company especially compared to Covance. It was smaller and less organized (plus it was a little scary because I walked past all the animal rooms and it felt like I was in a World War II bunker). I should be hearing from both companies in the next two weeks as well as looking for other positions.

"Aliens impregnated mom, that's a given."-Joseph Gribble

Accepted

I submitted my final thesis to the graduate college on Friday and then spent most of the weekend either packing or worrying that I forgot to format something correctly on my thesis. My mom came over to Iowa City on Sunday afternoon. We went out to dinner at Bob's Your Uncle Pizza Cafe (which is actually where Rachel, Mom and I went when they moved me in two years ago, so it bookended nicely). I had this really good Buffalo Chicken wrap, which I took half of back to my apartment and Mom made it her snack during Miss Marple. Then on Monday we packed the truck and my blazer (in the pouring rain) and drove back to the farm. And there waiting in my inbox was the email that proclaimed my final thesis has been accepted by the graduate college.

COACH SAUERS: Eat mud! I said eat it! Eat it!
BOBBY: Coach, I think I swallowed too much mud.
COACH SAUERS: Take a salt tablet.

On a roll

I have another interview in the next two weeks in Madison. Now that I have two interviews lined up, I feel a little bit better about finding a job. I had an hour long phone interview with the company this morning and then the interviewer decided to recommend me for a longer interview with 2 managers and a human resources person (that should last for about three hours). And now I am working on writing a paper to be published. I am almost done with formatting my thesis. I should be submitting my final thesis on Friday.


" I use my survival training every day. Being alone in the woods prepared me for being alone everywhere else." - Bill

At last

Today I took my last test as a graduate student. Finally! So now, all I have to do is finish the formatting changes on my thesis and prepare a paper to be submitted to a journal (and move out, show some a slide staining technique, and have a phone interview) all in about 3 days.

Hank: Bobby, the Blue Flame of Valour Award is the highest honor that the Texas Propane Association can bestow on a living member in peacetime. Show some respect.

Make-up

I meant to write this post a week ago, believe me! Last Monday, I had my thesis defense. It went better then I imagined (and I imagined the worst!). The defense lasted about an hour and half, with about an hour's worth of questions. After I was done I drove to the farm immediately to celebrate with my mom and dad. They took me out to dinner (where I had a good pear pomegranate martini in celebration). And then on Tuesday, I went over to Newton County to do some 4-H judging. The Fourth of July was very low key but it did include watching the director's cut of "1776" on Turner Classic Movies (although I could only get through about 2/3 of it, it started at 10pm. ) More about my second visit with Silas, my first time canoing, and making bug cakes in the next few days! By the way, it is official hot in Iowa, the temperature today: 100.

BOBBY: Why do we need toilet seat covers?
PEGGY: One word: Tennessee.

Those crazy kids

So I am getting really stressed and nervous about my defense on Monday and finishing everything up here in Iowa City over the next two weeks. But what arrived from Netflix today? Why season 1 of Kids in the Hall, of course. Now I too busy laughing to be really stressed. I love the Kids in the Hall so much (I saw them in Chicago with my sisters in 2000) ( but poor Kevin McDonald, portraying a girl without a wig, just his little fro). Here is are some funny little gems from the Kids:

Husband: Did you happen to drop the ham in some salt on the way home?

Doctor: Is that pie I smell?
Frank Jr. : No, that's the smell of my daddy dying.

Eradicator!!!!

She said it was still a little early to say, but I might not be stupid.


"Bobby, I know we've never talked about this, but someday I'm going to die. And when that happens, then you can go to cooking school." - Hank

Collide

Tonight on PBS, a concert of Paul Simon being honored with Gershwin Prize for Popular Song. The concert was so fantastic. Firstly James Taylor sang not one but two songs (Slip Slidin' Away (a personal favorite) and Still Crazy After All These Years. ) Both were really good versions because he blended his own style with Paul Simon's style (and I like to think that two of my favorite artists like James Taylor and Paul Simon are pals). Secondly, Alison Krauss performed this nice folky slower version of "Graceland" (again one of my favorites!) with a steel guitar. Art Garfunkel showed up to sing "Bridge Over Troubled Water" with Paul as well as Ladysmith Black Mambazo to sing "Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes" which made me cry because I remember riding in the red Suburban listening to the Graceland album on tape. I love Paul Simon because he integrates different music style into his songs to seamlessly.

CONNIE: You know, Bobby, there are some days of the month I don't like to ride a bike either.
BOBBY: You mean because you got your period?
CONNIE: I chose not to use that word.
BOBBY: Why? It's a natural, beautiful thing.
CONNIE: You don't understand. You're not there yet.
BOBBY: You better check the map, honey, because I am living in downtown there!

Last day

My last day at the lab will be lucky July 13th. All I have to do before then is do my defense, finish my guided independent study, make changes to my thesis, show two grad students where all the important stuff is, transfer my files to the server, turn in my lab book, turn in my keys, and move out. And I got a nice dress today for my defense on the 2nd.

"Let's see... I told you about the sperm-count-lowering soft drinks... I told you about Supercuts cataloging DNA... I'm running dry here, people... oh! Is there any concrete evidence that Hawaii actually exists? No, I covered that." -Dale

plain Jane walls

I will be going home to the farm for the 1st time in a more than a month and it being close to my final move out, I am packing some of my stuff to take home. This includes taking down most of my posters and other wall decorations (leaving plain walls). Rachel kindly emailed my edited thesis today, so I passed that along to my adviser so she can look it over and I can submit it to the graduate college on Thursday. And Wednesday night, I am going to do all sorts of fun stuff with my cousin Lindy. Then Thursday I will be driving to Michigan to pick up my sister and nephew. And my parents will be back from CO on Thursday night.

SHERIFF MUMFORD: Oh, who in the hell called in the Texas Rangers?
RANGER PAYTON: A Mrs. Peggy Hill, restauranteur.
PEGGY: I love your show! I love that Walker!

Done!

So I finished writing my thesis today. And now begins the anxiety of how much editing I need to do, (i.e. is my thesis 64 pages of crap?) as well as the worry of my defense. I sent my thesis to my lovely sister Rachel, so when I hear back from her, I will probably less anxious mostly because then I will know how bad (or maybe decent) it is so then I know how to prepare for my defense. I am actually a month away from being done with school completely. I am looking for jobs as well which hasn't stressed me out to much yet, mostly because I am so stressed about my thesis (although the Chinese grad student that helped me finish my research commented that I seemed very calm about my thesis. The key word being "seemed" here). I have applied for about 15 to 20 jobs so know I just have to wait (and wait and wait) to hear back from companies. The good news is that I will be going home to the farm on Wednesday for a few days (after I submit my initial thesis to the Graduate College). So it will give me a little chance to relax and work on my thesis defense (let me just say this, after my presentation at the end of my internship the past summer, presentations don't freak me out too much.) So everyone keep their fingers crossed that my thesis is alright.

"I just think if you don't read the papers and the only TV you watch is the MTV, you shouldn't be allowed to vote." -Hank Hill

Happy Birthday!

Happy birthday to my mamsis and my aunt Emily. You both share birthdays with Nelson Mandela, Vince Lombardi, William Styron (who wrote Sophie's Choice), Gene Wilder, and Joe Montana. And today is National Impressionists Day.

"Because of you, I'm propless."-Bobby Hill

Thesis update

Progress: a little less than 3/4 done
Number of pages: 37 (plus 6 pages of references)
Confidence: Medium, I talk to the stats guy on Friday and I think I can do all the test he recommended. I have a final plate to submit, so I will have the last little bit of data by Tuesday.
Stress Level: Medium to High, talk to me next Monday when I am giving it to my committee members.
Looking forward to: Going home for a little R and R in two weeks (which is when I will be working on my thesis presentation and homework for my guided independent study class (that I will be taking a test for on Friday).
What I really want to be doing: Reading or sleeping.

HANK: Dangit, lately my scalp's been itching like crazy.
DALE: You too? I thought my spider-senses were tingling to warn me of danger. Unless we both have spider-sense.

A new goal

My new goal is to get "Centennial Summer" released on DVD. So please go to TCM's website to vote for a DVD release by clicking here. Vote once and tell your friends!

"You're not even trying."-Bobby Hill

And now the demon wants to move to Minnesota

Work on my thesis is going pretty well. I have submitted 3 plates to the sequencing facility since Friday and I have four more plates to submit. I will be meeting with the stats guy later this week so I can start analyzing some of the my data. And I this past weekend I finished half of my background and started formating my thesis for initial submission in the next few weeks. So tonight I will be taking a little break from writing (but organizing the papers I want to use in my background section). And I am making a semi-fancy dinner (meaning making a dinner that will take 30 minutes to make) of fettucini alfredo with chicken and broccoli. Monday is now my favorite day because my two favorite podcasts This American Life (source of the title, from a sad/funny episode about a man trying to help his alcoholic mother and troubled half-brother) and Wait Wait Don't Tell Me get updated on Sunday night so I listen to them Monday. Today I donated some money to WBEZ Chicago (which produces This American Life) to help pay for the free podcasts for all. Bring on my "merch". (Which is a poster from the summer tour last year.)

CONNIE: Maybe your dad is one of those rich misers. A lot of rich people are crazy. They hang onto every penny. Howard Hughes wore Kleenex boxes on his feet, and he wrote an instruction manual on the exact way his staff should serve him a peach.
BOBBY: My dad wrote a 13-step system for putting away groceries.

He proved he could talk fluent human

This is a comment made by a Guardian Unlimited commentator about Gordon Brown, future prime minister of Britain.

HANK (to Larry): Look, you seem like a nice guy, so I'm telling you this for your own good: judging by the two times I've met you, your life has been a waste so far. Forget these chorus guys and find a nice girl, or at least something productive to do like a stamp collection. Your local postmaster can help you. Here's his number.

Who knows where words come from...

So yesterday marked two milestones: I am done writing the Materials and Methods section of my thesis and I applied for my first jobs (about 10) for after graduation. I have been fretting over what statistical methods to use in my thesis but my adviser told me that there is a biostatistician that I can talk to that would help me (thank goodness). I have one more paper that I want to get and read and then I am done with all my background reading. But best of all I heard the best word today. It was on an episode of this American Life and there was a little section about pledging to NPR and Ira Glass used the allure of the rewards of various "merch" to encourage donations. I will be using this word when ever appropriate now.

BOBBY: What we need is a class full of girls who don't know us very well.
JOSEPH: Yeah! We could pretend we're from the future, and we need to experiment on 'em!... Wait, this is why girls don't like me, right?

A 45 second minute

The title comes from a description I made of the power supply I am using to run gels for the past week. Either the internal clock on the power supply is off (and running fast) or I have lost the ability to tell time. I am really close to setting a defense date for my thesis, either July 2nd or 3rd. My third committee member will be leaving town on the fourth and be gone until August so that kind of made the first few days of the July the best days. I don't really mind have my defense early in the month, that means that I can leave Iowa earlier. I am so close to being done with my research. I have already prepared about 56 of my samples to be sequenced. I also have maybe four more papers that I want to get and then I can start really writing my background (instead of just organizing it my head). I am planning on making a rough outline this weekend. So for the first time in a while, I actually feel confident that I am going to graduate in the foreseeable future (so please don't rain on my parade!). I got to expand my baking repertoire yesterday when I made a devil's food cake for a labmate's birthday. I meant to take a picture of the cake to post but I forgot.

" Oh, dang, someone's coming! Lie back and think of England. Hugh Grant. Spice Girls. Paddington!" - Bobby Hill

When life gives you the short end of the stick

make shortbread (with dried cranberries). I took a picture of my fancy shortbread but the picture didn't turn out very well, and you can't see the United Kingdom related impression (a thistle for Scotland, a dragon for Wales, and a Tudor rose for Britain). But it is really good shortbread!

ANNOUNCER: Up next: "History's Mysteries, with Nazi Hidden Gold," followed by "Building the Nazi War Machine" and "Nazis of the Desert, Nazis of the Sea."
LUANNE: Wow, the Nazis did a lot.

Satellites Lost

It has almost been two weeks since I have posted (and I sure lots of people are sitting at home wondering what has happened to me!). This is mostly due to the fact that I had to replace the hard drive on my laptop last week and I usually write my posts in the evening between reading papers and writing parts of my thesis. I've been pretty busy in the lab but I was able to make time to go home to the farm for Mother's Day which was quite nice. I got to spend lots of time with my parents and was the least stressed that I have been for a month. And my mom made me delicious ribs for dinner on Sunday. It would not be a trip home if I didn't have some car trouble driving back to school (okay this is just the third problem out of multiple trips). This time I had a leak in my radiator so after 100 miles all the antifreeze had leaked out so my dad loaded up the trailer and picked me up outside of Gridley (on the bright side I did get some papers read while waiting and thought about how I wanted to organize sections of my background in my thesis). After replacing the radiator, we also replaced the shocks and the muffler. So I drove back Tuesday morning and worked in the lab for six hours. The extra day at home hasn't affected my lab work too much. I also have my laptop back so hopefully I will better about posting.

"I know it's you Dale. You're smoking the same brand of cigarettes you did in third grade" - Rusty Shackleford (the real one!)

"I didn't die in third grade Dale, I just moved away."- Rusty Shackleford

One piece at a time

For once I have good news, I am half-way done with my research in the lab. Thank goodness, because the pace I have been going has been tough but I think that it will slow down a little to a less exhausting pace. But I have some bad news, which is that my laptop is acting up a little bit so I haven't been able to work on my thesis in evening so I have been reading lots of papers. I have made a significant dent in the materials/methods. But now time for more papers and reading!

RAY: You ever hear of a guy named Jack?
HANK: Well, I went to high school with a guy named --
RAY: No, no, this guy never went to school, he grew up in the hills. But he wrote the book on homemade bait. 'Course it's just a bunch of scribbles 'cause he never went to school.

Who ever invented rope is a total a-hole

What do you do when you been spending every day for the past two weeks in the lab (for 4-9 hours a day)? Well if you are me, you go see the movie "Blades of Glory" with Will Ferrell and Jon Heder. I knew that the movie was going to be really silly but honestly it was totally what I needed. It was nice to just relax and not really think about anything for two hours. It was pretty enjoyable and a good break (also the source of the title). And I am feeling pretty good because I figured out the NPR Sunday Morning puzzle almost right after I heard it (unlike usual where I have no idea what the answer is). There are also two episodes of "King of the Hill" tonight making today one pretty good Sunday.

"Wait a minute. Every time I leave, you call John Redcorn. I know what's going on here. Your headaches are a desperate bid for my attention. But what do I do? I pawn you off on some Indian healer so I can have my Dale time at the gun club, or breeding show turtles, or on the Internet investigating unexplained phenomenona. God, I am so selfish!" - Dale Gribble

Slowly collapse like a flan in the cupboard

Things in the lab have been going pretty well, but very busy. I went in for about 8 hours over the weekend, which actually wasn't that bad because there wasn't as many people in the lab so fewer people asking me about 30 questions each and trying to share equipment. Which was one of the problems that I had today. There is a labmate that I mentioned previously who is difficult to work with mostly because she feels that her work takes precedence over everyone else's work. Everyone else that I share lab space with tries to work together so everyone can use the equipment and space with as few problems as possible. The equipment that everyone was sharing (about 5 people) today was the centrifuge. At about 3 pm, the bitchy girl comes in and claims that everyone using the centrifuge was getting in the way because her experiment is time sensitive. It would be logically for her to tell us in the lab that she would need the centrifuge at regular intervals so we could plan around it (since we were already planning around 5 people). By the way, the girl never comes in on the weekend and leaves without fail at 5pm. So it is any wonder that working on the weekend is more enjoyable?

DALE: I have more pressures than any of you. You ever try replacing a cockroach's blood with root beer?
HANK: You know I haven't.
DALE: Then don't judge me.

Mmm... lung tissue

Today was another day of DNA isolation from lung tissue. I am teaching the Big Blue Assay to two people so they can do it after I am long gone! Today, I taught Bingxuan (a Chinese grad student that I worked on the a PCR project with and I like a great deal) how to do the isolation. Part of the process involves using a tissue grinder to break down the tissue and then lyse the cells. And today I broke the tissue grinder while I was grinding some lung tissue. So as the homogenate is spilling all over my gloves and the paper towels, I attempted to calmly open the package with the cell strainer (Bingxuan had gone to get the next tissue to grind) and then rinse the cells off my gloves with lysis buffer and scrape some of the tissue off the paper towel. As a result I can't imagine that I will get good DNA from the tissue but on the bright side the lung lobe from the rat was pretty large so I will be able to do a second isolation. And for the first time in about two weeks, I will be leaving before 4 pm (but coming in the weekend, so it really evens out) to watch some Hetty Wainthropp.

"Pittman, firing people can give you a pretty good buzz, but it's a poor substitute for killing. I realize that now." - Dale

Need some motivation?

See more Star Trek posters by clicking here

And more cat related poster by clicking here

"I don't know, Hank. Cotton working as a cop? He has a terrible human rights record." - Peggy Hill

Let's tune out by turning on the radio

After spending lots of time in the lab in the last few days, I was looking forward to unwinding a little bit tonight. I was really in the mood to watching the movie "Strictly Ballroom". Unfortunately, I sent the movie over to Rachel in Germany last July. So I did the next best thing, which was to download the soundtrack. Almost as good as watching the movie.

"To be honest, we're more into the invasion of privacy business, not the creation of privacy business." - Dale Gribble

Transpacking all day long

I am finally going to talk about the next step in the Big Blue assay which is called the Transpack reaction. The basic idea is to "package" the DNA into to a phage (a virus that infects bacteria) to infect the E. coli and insert the DNA into the E. coli DNA; the phage will kill the E. coli within a few growth cycle. Any mutation in the rat DNA is then put into to the E. coli and so I can identify the mutant. The E. coli is grown on a huge plate and creates a lawn of bacteria on the agar. Any E. coli that has been infected with the phage with die creating a clear spot on the lawn of bacteria. Mutant are identified by a clear spot with a ring a blue (basically the E. coli can breakdown the X-gal due the mutation for a few growth cycles and then dies). The basics of the Transpack reaction is this: I add the isolated DNA to a red tube (this is how what it is called in the manual, you have to buy the tubes from Stratagene) and then incubate it for 90 minutes. Then I add some of solution for a blue tube (again the official name in the manual) and then incubate it for 90 minutes. I forgot to mention that there are two different agar that I use a top agar and a bottom agar (the composition varies slightly between the two). Before I start the Transpack reaction, I make petri dishes that have bottom agar in them. After the second incubation is over I infect diluted E. coli with the Transpack reaction and incubate the mix for 15 minutes in a 5ml tube. Once the 15 minutes are up, I add 3-4 ml of cooled top agar to the mix, pour it on top on the bottom agar in the petri dishes, invert it and incubate it over night. The next day, I count the number of plaques (clear spots) and that determines the efficiency of the transpack reaction and also the number of big plates I need to pour to identify the mutants.


"Yeah, yeah, everything is one way then it's the other." -Hank Hill

Nobody puts baby in the corner

I saw an ad for Dirty Dancing and the fact that it will be shown in theaters in May (for 2 days) to celebrate the 20th anniversary. I'm not sure why it is being shown in theaters again. It's not like the viewing of the movie is enhanced by showing it on the big screen (and let's all admit the best thing about that movie is the soundtrack minus the weird Patrick Swayze song.) Maybe Patrick Swayze it trying to restart his career by reminding the American public that there was a five year period where he was on fire.

"I hear what you are saying. And I believe you believe it's important." - Hank Hill

Completion!

Here are some picture of my completed quilt top without any borders.












And here it is with the borders added:


"I have a new relaxation tape of me making ocean sounds." - Yogi Victor

I wish it was a musical number

So two of my sisters have asked for an explanation of the big blue assay that I am working on. I've decided to break it up into 3 parts. This assay is used to determine genetic changes in transgenic rats (you can also use mice or cells) following exposure to a substance. The rats have the LacI and LacZ gene incorporated on the 4th chromosomes which allows for you to determine genetic changes. The LacI is a genetic region that is control the ability of a cell to breakdown lactose, its acts as a repressor. If there is a change sequence in the area of the LacI (a region of about 1300 bp in length) it will generate beta-galactosidase. Beta-galactosidase will breakdown a substrate called X-gal which turns blue. And this is why it is called the Big Blue Assay. Although the company Stratagene has also created the same assay using a temperature sensitive based mutations but still gets called the big blue assay. The tissue that I am using is from a 28- repeat dose exposure study using PCB 3 and a PCB metabolite. I am using the lung from the male exposure for my particular experiment although last year I was helping Jim do the big blue using the liver from female exposure group. So the first thing that I do is isolate the DNA from the tissue. This involves pulverizing the tissue then adding enzymes that will digest the proteins, lipids, and RNA. Then I apply the DNA to a dialysis cup that will allow for small molecules to be separated from the DNA (the dialysis cup sits on the surface of buffer). The DNA will dialyze for about 48 hours and as a result will be very viscous. And then I use this DNA for the next step.

"How embarrassing! I thought I had removed the laces from this shoes." - Bill Dauterive

past and pending

Here are the other two blocks from my quilt:











BOBBY (shopping for a wallet): This one's pretty snazzy, and it looks like it could hold a ton of money. That way, if I wanted to impress someone, I could pull out a really big wad of cash -- bam! Dad, gimme a big wad of cash!
HANK: What are you trying to do, get us mugged?

one by one all day long ....

Here is one block (that is not completely pieced yet) of the quilt I am working on.



HANK: What kind of sick bastard runs a water-pipe through a stud without installing a nail-guard?
BOBBY: I don't know!

To the public at large, you are a regular a-hole

I have discovered another reason to love public radio. I have discovered two new musical artists that I love. The first is LCD Soundsystem which is an electronica band that I heard on Fresh Air. The other is William Elliot Whitmore who is one the other end of the musical spectrum. He sings folk music that is heavy on the banjo (which I love).
Work in the lab is going well for once. I've cleared two big hurdles, namely making sure that things that I need to run the big blue assay haven't been destroyed due freezer melting down last month, in the past week. So I can start doing the big blue assay in earnest.
In other interesting news, an recent study found that African women infected with AIDS can actually cut the rate of transmission to their children by breast-feeding. Read the whole article here . I guess this is just one more reason to breast-feed.

HANK: I'm just so frustrated with Bobby. He thinks insurance is some magic fairy who just waves her wand and makes teenage jackassery disappear.
PEGGY: "Her" wand? I always think of insurance as a boy.

You all know why you're here, you're rich and famous and you can't keep your piehole shut

I mentioned that I have been listening to podcasts at work. I have mostly been listening to science and literature based podcasts, but today I found the best podcast. There is an NPR podcast called the Unger Report that is completely hilarious (which I get from iTunes). It is a 5 minute "satire" report about different topics (like celebs going to rehab which is the source of the quote to the upcoming election). Another podcast that I recommend is EatFeed (which you can get from EatFeed.com). There are two podcasts that I listen to, EatFeed In Season which they discuss what foods are in season and then EatFeed Midwest which discusses the cuisine of the Midwest.

"You could get your arm ripped off and there is no one to sue." - Lucky

That is why God created March, so that people who have never had a hangover will know what it feels like

So for past week or so I have been in kinda of a crappy mood mostly due my ever-lasting cold and work at the lab stretching on for days with no end in sight. But now, I'm in a much better mood. My cold is finally gone (so I can stop blowing my nose every ten minutes!). And work in the lab is going much better. I was finally able to start work on the Big Blue Assay and find out if the freezer meltdown from earlier in the month has really messed eveything up. So far the tissue seems to be OK (which I found out after isolating DNA last week) and the E. coli is still viable. There is really only one more thing that I have to test tomorrow. I've also been listening to all sorts of Podcasts while I work. I'm half way through a lecture series about Medieval England (given at Oxford) as well as NPR books and various Garrison Keillor shows (the title is from a recent "News from Lake Wobegon" airing).
And I have been watching the BBC show "All Creatures Great and Small" which has made me miss home and at also relieved that I decided that I wouldn't want to be a vet (specifically when James doesn't use gloves!). My mom's post about the vets working four hours also made me happy about ruling out that career. I think I would have given up after two hours! I also love that the James and Siegfried wear nice shirts and blazer and then bring work clothes, seems that they should just wear their work clothes. I'm also excited because pledge time on PBS is finally over so I can watch FRONTLINE tonight!

"I've always wanted to see walnut in the wild."- Hank Hill

On the bright side...

As a public health student, I try to stay abreast of public health situations around the world (also because I have always been interested in infectious diseases). Anyway, the United Nations announced yesterday, that a highly virulent strain of tuberculosis known as XDR-TB (Extremely Drug Resistant TB) has been detected in France, Ireland, Israel, Canada, portion of the former Soviet Union, and the United States. This strain has been commonly found in parts of Africa especially due the increased susceptibility of AIDS patients to TB. The expected morality rate of an outbreak of XDR -TB in South Africa is 85% A less virulent strain of TB known as Multiple Drug Resistant TB (MDR-TB). TB is also a major problems in parts of Asia, specifically China and Indonesia. Yesterday was World TB day (read the article here) But the good news is that Eli Lilly has donated $50 million dollars to help supply treatments and enhance surveillance in South Africa. TB is very difficult to track so providing funding for surveillance is key to control/contain epidemics (read the whole article here).

"Oh man. What kind of lefty hootenanny is this?" - Dale Gribble

World Water Day

Today is World Water Day! Did you know that a ten minute shower uses 20 gallons of water? To celebrate World Water Day, I am going to think about ways that I can use less water including taking shorter showers. And I encourage you all to visit WaterPartners International. This organization works to make safe drinking water possible for everyone in the world (and creating sustainable drinking water sources).

"Stage 1 water rationing wasn't too bad -- I just cut out Peggy's Crystal Light. When we hit stage 2, I took away Bobby's bath. But stage 3 is killing my lawn. And that affects everyone." -Hank Hill

"Have it your way, you do-gooding phonies! I hope you all rot in hell! See you next Tuesday." -Nate, Arlen City Councilman

Here is my stress relief

Here are some pictures from the quilt I am working on. This is just one of three blocks completed.










"Bobby, I need you to do two things I pray you'll never have to do again: tape the Cowboys game and get me an apron." - Hank Hill

He was living in a cave, like you do

Today was a very long and slightly frustrating day in the lab. I was there from 9:30 to 7:30pm. I had to prepare syringes for the rat kill tomorrow. Making the syringes took a long time because I couldn't just fill the syringes with anti-coagulant, I had to weigh the syringe with and without the anti-coagulant. I had to do this because this girl who uses the blood plasma prefers to know the differences in mass and not volume (which is what my adviser uses). And as I mentioned to Rachel, she is not particularly nice (or thoughtful) to other people in the lab. I try to be nice to her mostly just so I don't have the deal with her crappy attitude. Doing that was annoying as well as spending about 4 more hours that I planned trying to count cell numbers. I was so frustrated I almost cried (but I didn't). Fortunately, Lucy called tonight so she made me feel much better. And I worked on a quilt that I am making for my Thai friend. I will try to post some pictures of my progress.

"Yep, kids are growing up way too fast, and we have no one to blame but the Dairy Council. They're shooting our milk up with hormones. Your Christina Ag-u-a-leras and your Shakiras are their prototypes." - Dale

Be well, do good work and keep in touch

In Friday's post, I mentioned that I have an exposure experiment that will keep in the lab for most of Saturday and part of Sunday. It actully wasn't too bad mostly because I had decided to download some podcasts to my ipod. So on Saturday morning while I was exposing some blood cells and setting the whole experiment up, I got to listen to Garrison Keillor's News from Lake Wobegon and his Writer's Almanac (source of the title). And then for the rest of the time that I spent in the lab (including when I was there from 9:45 to 11:30pm) I listen to NPR books. This program is basically a collection of book reviews from various NPR shows like "Fresh Air" and "All Things Considered". So my weekend in the lab was quite enjoyable. And I found out about a couple really interesting books that I want to check out.

"I don't think I can ever go back to cocoa!" - Bobby Hill (after drinking coffee)

I knew, the way you know a good melon

I met with my adviser today. Before Spring Break, we decided that I would continue working on the Big Blue assay and stop working on a in vitro blood exposure experiment. Or so I thought. Today she completely blindsided me by saying that on Saturday morning, we (mostly me) are going to start this experiment. As a result, I was in the lab until 7:30pm making the PCBs that I need for the experiment (which wasn't too bad because Jim (the PhD student I work with a lot) was nice enough to help me before he left for the day). So now I have to spend my weekend on this stupid experiment (that will mostly likely not even be in my thesis) instead of trying to actual get completely over my cold. And then there is another rat kill on Wednesday as well as starting to isolate DNA from rat lungs for my Big Blue assay. Tonight, to help me maintain my sanity, I am watching "When Harry Met Sally" . Then I will try to get through the weekend (as Jim told me before he left "One day at a time"). I think Jim has had very similar problems that I have with my adviser (basically she takes forever to make a decision, and even then she may continue to modify that decision) so he is the person who is most helpful to me. I will update about this situation more later.

" I am shocked by your behavior! Can't you see we are here to heal?" - Bobby Hill

Ok I believe you

I went home to surprise my parents (and sister who was surprising my dad for his birthday) last weekend. I was planning on returning back to school on Monday afternoon. Unfortunately, I think the stress and lack of sleep during the previous week finally got to me and I got a really bad cold. I was able to rearrange my meeting with my PI and was able to stay at home until Thursday which was really nice. I got to make soap and check bees with my sister Lucy (ah... just like old times). After she returned to CO, I got to spend lots of time with my mom and dad. I went to the movies with my mom on Sunday night after spending most of the day working on the Sunday crossword. And I got to watch "Cash in the Attic" on BBC America. I don't get BBC America at my apartment and I have been going through serious withdrawal! Even though I was sick, I had a very nice and relaxing time at home, which was exactly what I needed.

"I will take care of it, Hank. Luanne scares easily. That plays into my strengths." - Peggy Hill

I am so ill, I can hardly speak

Replace "ill" with "tired" and that I how I feel. Yesterday was a really long day. We had a rat kill in the morning, which actually went pretty smoothly. Then I spent the rest of the day working on the rat blood including making slides and taking the plasma. Fortunately, I had help so I wasn't at the lab until 8pm. Instead I was finished by 6:30 so I worked on some sequence analysis when I got back to my apartment. The good news is that I don't have lab meeting tomorrow so that almost makes yesterday completely worth it.


"I can't go back home -- my dad's already armed the perimeter." -Joseph Gribble

I could not possibly comment

Here are the top 12 Masterpiece Theater shows:
12. Jeeves and Wooster ( Man oh man do I love Hugh Laurie! And Stephen Fry!)
11. Wives and Daughters (I love this movie so much!)
10. The Fortunes and Misfortunes of Moll Flanders
9. Reckless (I can't even begin to describe how much I love Robson Green)
8. House of Cards (source of the title)
7. Poldark
6. The Jewel in the Crown
5. Prime Suspect
4. Bleak House
3. I, Claudius
2. The Forsythe Saga
1. Upstairs Downstairs
I would like to note that Andrew Davies was the screenwriter for about half of these shows, which makes him my hero (in addition to doing the screenplay for the BBC/A&E version of "Pride and Prejudice").

How to tell if you have watched to much Law and Order? While watching Prime Suspect you yell out: "Don't do that! Anything that you find with be inadmissible in court!"


COACH PALMER: You've tasted chocolate, and now you've tasted failure. Which is more bitter?
KID: Um... I like chocolate more than failure, so that means I should eat more chocolate? I don't understand.

COACH PALMER: Understand this. Any time I think anyone is dogging it, it'll be Bobby Hill. Victory is the carrot and Bobby Hill is the stick.

In case you needed more proof that I am a nerd

Here are my plans for tonight:
6pm: Finish Prime Suspect 2
8pm: Watch The Best of Masterpiece Theater (hosted by Derek Jacobi aka Brother Cadfael)
11:30pm: A Look Back at Lovin' Spoonful with John Sebastian
I have no problem admitting that I am probably addicted to PBS/Masterpiece Theater (although I have to take issue with their recent movie of "Jane Eyre", which I didn't like mostly because they cut too much of what I thought was important in the novel from the movie). I can't help it. And I am really looking forward to the Lovin' Spoonful thing. I love John Sebastian, you have to admire a man who can write "Nashville Cats"(which is my favorite Lovin' Spoonful song) and music for Strawberry Shortcake and the Care Bears. And I'm in a much better mood (mostly due to talking to members of my family). Now I will go back to finishing my sequencing work and listen to "Ramblin Man" (one of my mom's favorite songs!).

"Why don't you have the girl turtle fall in love with a boy turtle? See then the song is about something"- Hank Hill

Why are you not crying?

So I have had kind of a crappy week due mostly to the fact that my adviser decided that I won't be finished with my thesis work by May. Meaning I get to spend 3 extra months in Iowa City. Which isn't really a tragedy, but I am more frustrated than anything due to the fact that I am behind mostly because it takes forever for my adviser to make a decision about anything. And we have a rat kill next week which I will be involved in (and then another one two weeks later). As a result, I have been tired and crabby for the whole week. So hopefully, I can de-stress a little over the weekend. Now time to watch "Awakenings" on TCM.

"I know your mother shields me from some of the things that you do, so I'm returning the favor." -Hank Hill

NASCAR and FOX you are on my list!

Tonight there was supposed to be a re-airing of the hilarious season premiere of "King of the Hill". Instead the stupid NASCAR race ran long and FOX pre-empted "King of the Hill" to show an entire hour of The Simpsons and Family Guy (both reruns). And after the race was finally over, the announcers had to recap the race for 20 minutes. I am really mad a FOX because I know other stations (like CBS) does not pre-empt shows (they will show all of "60 minutes" no matter what!)

"He has A.D.D., Luanne, he wasn't hit on the head with a coconut." - Hank Hill

Towards the cliff of insantity

So I get an email update from the United Nation Foundation called the UN wire. It has articles about public health, economics, and environmental issues from all over the world. Anyway, I have been following this crazy story about the president of Gambia (Yahya Jammeh). He has claimed that he is curing people of HIV/AIDS with a natural herbal cure. Apparently he goes around to hospitals and give patients herbal potions and rubbing them with and herbal paste. And now he has dismissed the UN official from Gambia ( Fadzai Gwaradzimba) for being criticizing the cure. (You can read the whole article here ). She also warned that this claim may encourage people of West Africa to engage in "risky behaviors". In my opinion the validity of his claims is about equal to saying there is no such thing as a chemical imbalance and that mental illness can be cured with exercise and vitamins.

"And I ask you, Lord, to take this man's hiccups to heal him!" - TV Evangelist

Intrigue in the lab

As I mentioned in my last post, the freezer melted down. Now there is this question of how it happened. Jim (the PhD student that I work with) thinks that someone was rearranging stuff in the freezer (which was packed to the gills) and then overworked the compressor when the freezer was trying to cool it down. I am inclined to believe this specifically because I could tell that things have been moved around. One of my fellow grad student (Ian) joked that he was going to collect forensic evidence to determine what happened (I'm not sure what evidence there would be). So this whole catastrophe has at least made it more interesting in the lab.

"Do it, you monkey boy! I'm the boss of you!" - Jimmy

In case I missed chopping away at a glacier

This morning, I went to the lab to start doing PCR and found that the -80 freezer was not working. Not only did I get to move all the boxes and samples but I got wipe out the entire freezer as well as do my PCR and purification. So my day was pretty busy. And the rest of my week will be busy as well. I have two plates I need to make to send for sequencing this week. I also will be collecting rat blood and preparing to my in vitro exposure experiment this week as well. So wish me luck that I won't go crazy this week.

"Explode Bobby! Stick of dynamite!" - Hank Hill

Just because I'm going for a record number of posts in one day

You Are a Life Blogger!

Your blog is the story of your life - a living diary. If it happens, you blog it. And make it as entertaining as possible.

What Kind of Blogger Are You?

BOBBY: I hope Grandpa treats the baby better than he treats you.
DIDI: Oh, he will, Bobby. Until the baby crosses him.

Just In Case You Didn't Know

What Catherine Means

C is for Calm A is for Abstract T is for Tame H is for Hip E is for Extraordinary R is for Romantic I is for Influential N is for Natural E is for Energetic

What Does Your Name Mean?

"Don't buy inferior Arrow Girl cookies! What are they offering? Oatmeal? That's for breakfast. Mint? What are you, sixty? Dog poop? What kind of flavor is that for a cookie? Oh, my mistake, that's their peanut butter."- Bobby Hill

A New Theory

In music there is a thing called a sophomore slump in which the second album is not as good as the first album. I think there is a similar thing in television but it a junior slump (the third season). There are three shows that I watched that had or are having a poor third season. The show "Alias" had two really strong season and then everything went to pot in the third season due to mismanagement of situations put forward at the end of the second season. "Lost" had such a phenomenal TV-altering first season. It really helped create a resurgence in serial dramas that are highly character driven (compared to procedural dramas like "CSI:" and "Law and Order"). But the third season just isn't as good (and it seemed like the writers don't seem to have a larger picture in mind). And the last show is "Veronica Mars". The first season featured a spunky of main character and was funny and highly enjoyable. And know in the third season the show has not only lost its spark, but the main character is coming off as a judgmental bitch. All I know is that if I ever create a TV show, I am only going to have two seasons. It just seems like some shows start to run out of gas after a couple years.

For all of you that has tried to learn to drive a stick shift:
"The left brake's not working!"-Dale Gribble

Money is so wasted on the wealthy

So I just finished watching the most amazing film on "Independent Lens" called "Motherland Afghanistan" (click here to go to the website for the film). Afghanistan has one of the highest rate of maternal mortality during childbirth in the world and the second highest rate of infant mortality. In the film, the filmmaker's two doctor parents return to Afghanistan to help improve conditions in the hospitals, specifically for women's hospital (the husband is an OB/GYN and the wife was a GP). The couple visits two hospitals in the film. The first one is Rabia Balkhi, which is located in Kabul and receiving assistance from the the US department of Health and Human Services (in what was renamed the Laura Bush Maternity Ward). Before they left for Kabul, the doctor submitted a list of needs to care for the patients and help train the doctors (he never received any of the supplies he asked for). I could not believe the conditions of the hospital. The patients have to bring some of the needed supplies with them to the hospital (and there was one seen when the doctors had to sort through the suture material to find some that was not rotten and would break when they were stitching someone up). The doctor eventually left because he was convinced that he wasn't making a difference (plus not having supplies didn't help). He return two years later to another hospital run by the Shuhada Organization which was much cleaner and better run than the Kabul hospital. The Shudada Organization is run by Afghans specifically and is working to educate women and girls about their rights and how to protect themselves. So watching this film made me really think about what women face all over the world. I feel privileged to not only live in a country that recognizes women's rights but to be part of a family that really appreciates strength in women. And of course, the film made me want to donate money to help the work done by this organization. Which brings me to the title of this blog. With some exceptions ( like the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation), most rich people do not donate enough money to charity (in my opinion). Why can't someone like Donald Trump or Paris Hilton donate half of their money to charity? I know that if I had the means I would donate a lot of money to charity (especially considering that one of my dreams is to create a foundation like the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation and fund lots of programs on PBS). I guess I just don't understand owning lots of buildings and homes; you can't live in 3 houses at once.

"All I see is a crying drunk and a mean sissy."- Hank Hill