The good thing about living in a complex with kids

someone gets to enjoy a snow day:

The little red things are roses.

"Mr. Hill, it's Hugh Jimmerson. My heat's gone out. I've tried wearing turtlenecks, but they make me look French."

Happy Bicentennial!

This is the 200th post to this blog! I can't believe that I have made that many posts and there are people who read it! I thought that for this post I would talk about two of my favorite things, my family and Jane Austen. As some of you may know, PBS has been airing the complete Jane Austen on Masterpiece every Sunday. In my opinion, the series got off to a rocky start with a poor adaptation of Persuasion, but improve greatly with a stellar Northanger Abbey (but I didn't see Mansfield Park but I heard it was not so good). But now the series in the best section with the great A&E/BBC version of Pride and Prejudice airing the last three weeks and next up will be the delightful Emma (also from A&E/BBC). So even though I have seen this version of P and P too many times to count, I watched it again. Watching it is bittersweet, because although I enjoy the movie a great deal, it makes me miss my mom and sisters. Of all the times that I have seen P and P, only once have I seen it without one member of my immediate family watching it with me. And being alone here in Ohio (and feeling a little lonely), I was happy to watch it, but I teared up more that once (including at the end, when I was also sad that it was over).

""I didn't know it was loaded" is not an acceptable excuse. "I wasn't there" or "I never met those people" are better excuses. When I was your age, I used to get so excited about hitting the target that I'd run right out onto the range. That's how I lost this thumb, and later, this eye. If it weren't for the NRA safety guidelines which I eventually accepted, I'd be a stub standing here before you."- NRA INSTRUCTOR

This is what I think about at work

Every time I read a protocol that has a section about resorptions (in terms of fetuses) all I can think about it the episode of "The Office" when Dwight talks about resorbing his twin in the womb (and now having the power of both a full grown man and a baby).

PEGGY: Hank, do you think I'll turn into one of those women you see at the Mega Lo Mart who wears white stretch pants and doesn't tuck in her shirt any more?
HANK: Not for many, many years.
PEGGY: Oh, so you've thought about this.

Gimme Six!

So my first week at the new job went pretty well. Reading the SOPs is boring, but I have been doing more relevant work. And next week I am attending 3 pre-study meetings (including one for a study I will be analyzing/writing the report). So that is exciting but kind of nerve wracking because I have no idea what I am supposed to do beyond having the study protocol read for the pre-study meeting. The department supervisor said I did a good job with the formatting test that I finished on Friday. I must say it is so strange to not have something to work on in the evening (homework, reading etc.). But now I have plenty of time to quilt and read for pleasure (right now I am rereading Northanger Abbey). And I read a little bit during my lunch break (I bring my lunch to work everyday, it reminds me of elementary school). Another nice thing about work is is that I can listen to my iPod often (so I get to keep listening to podcasts). And while I was listening to an NPR books podcast, I heard about this really interesting book about a six word memoir (for example "Like Charlie Brown, not as popular."). SMITH magazine collected six word memoirs from lots of people (both famous and not) . And you can read some of these submission by clicking here. My favorites are "brush with death, comb with life" and from Stephen Colbert: Well, I thought it was funny.

(From Hank's permanent record)
- Fourth grade: Kicked out of chorus for refusing to sing "Where Have All the Flowers Gone?"
- Ninth grade: Told debate team to "shut the hell up."

Happy Valentine's Day!

Happy Valentine's Day! And Happy James Taylor Day!!!

DALE (to his turtle): C'mon, I'm not leaving without my kiss. I can wait. I can destroy you.

First Impressions

So yesterday was my first day at work. It went pretty well, I got to meet all the people in my department, who all seemed nice. And it met my direct supervisor (who interviewed me) and she is very nice and helpful (and she is slowly easing me into the work). The past two days I have been reading SOPs (standard operating procedures) and putting together my training manual (including organizing it, my favorite section title "Guidelines for Describing Anomalies") I'm in the Developmental and Reproductive Toxicology group (DART for short). And the company has lots of toxicology related seminars that I can attend (and many that look really interesting). I do get President's Day off next Monday so that is good. Well, I'll keep you all updated as the weeks progress.

LUANNE: Okay, we wave this sign around, and Jeff Gordon sees it. He comes up to us in the stands and is so taken by our charms that he asks one of us to marry him.
PEGGY: Well, honey, it probably won't be me. I have got a ring on my finger.
LUANNE: Yeah, and big feet.
PEGGY: I'm only ignoring that because a man is on fire.

Dispatches from Ohio

Yesterday, mom and dad moved me into me new apartment in Ashland. I have a nice sized two-bedroom apartment in a complex about 5 mins from work (and not to far from the university and downtown). I got internet installed (obviously). I plan on exploring Ashland (and a little bit of nearby Mansfield) at little bit this weekend (mostly finding the post office, the library etc.). My apartment is nicely furnished (all I really need is a sewing table). I will have some pictures posted soon.

PEGGY: The Thai food was Tammi's idea. The notion of taking it out was mine.
LUANNE: You know, someday I would like to travel through Thairabia and see those pyramids.

Each Brand New Arrival

Here is my surprise from the barn tonight!
Frappie had two little kids today, both female. Here is a picture of them nursing:

(The black one is in the back, so you might not be able to see her) They are not named yet, but we are open to suggestions.

PRINCIPAL MOSS: Teacher's statement...response from the parents...okay, looks like all our ducks are in a row. Peggy, you're fired.
PEGGY: But the Dooleys forgave me!
PRINCIPAL MOSS: Let's see -- there's nothing in here about forgiveness. There are procedures for administering legal spankings, which you violated at every turn, and there are procedures for terminating a teacher, which I followed to a T.