Not sure what to say

I've been gone a really long time. So much has happened. I've been trying to prioritize things in my life, so I put blogging on hold for a while. I have always had a procrastination problem and everything has been so chaotic for so long, that I needed to hold off on blogging while I dealt with more important things. Not to say blogging isn't important, it's a healthy way to vent and talk to others who are going through or have gone through the same experiences as I have. However, I had to defend, edit and finalize my dissertation, look for a job, write my manuscript, among other personal goals. Now I feel that I can gradually get back into writing. Honestly, I miss it. And I miss reading everyone's blogs. It's going to take me a while to catch up. Hopefully I haven't completely lost my blogging friends because it has been so long. Part of the problem has also been reliable computer access, as I can only write at home for now. But next week my new desktop should arrive. My current one lasted 8 years but it can't handle all the new software coming out. And little-by-little it seems to be dying. The same with my 5-year old laptop.

Enough rambling, eventually everyone will catch up with what I'm doing and I'll catch up with them (you). I even contemplated starting a new blog at this new time in my life but didn't want to let this one go. No matter what I end up doing, I'll always be "female scientist."

Time flies

I've been neglectfull of my blog. I've been a bad blogger. I've actually been working all day with no breaks, i.e., no blogging at work, but I haven't been bringing my laptop home so even though I thought about writing it never actually happened. I didn't realize how long it had been until my dad mentioned it last night. I can't beleive the last entry was last month. It's also been that long since I've read any blogs. I have alot to catch up on!! Starting now.

What benedryl does to me . .

This is how I was last night after benedryl:

• Unwrapped two pipette boxes in the same time it took FD to unwrap about 10.
• Put autoclave tape on three boxes, which FD had to go back over on the second side.
• Weaved while walking

Here's the big one:

• Stood in front of my apartment door, pointed my key chain at it, hit the unlock door key. Didn't realize why the house door wasn't opening until I heard my car beep behind me.

In a haze

I finally have a little bit of time to write. It's been hard to find time lately. However, I'm going to wait until tomorrow. I was forced to take benedryl because I was having a reaction to something. My eyes and lips were itchy and my face was hot and all red. It has taken me way too long to type this much. It took me five tries before I even spelled the title correctly.

Worth reading

For those of you who don't frequent her site, I think Jenny F. Scientist's post "Dear First-Year Grad Students" is worth reading. I want to print it out and give it to all the rotation students visiting our lab. But I will resist the urge, I hate to be the one to dull their enthusiasm.

Rugby, a new sport for me to watch?

I have been exposed to more comments on rugby in the past week than I have my entire life. I love football. I love the NFL network where there are football things 24/7. I love how physical it is, the pounding of bodies, the athletic feats, the passion of the players and fans. But I've never watched rugby.

StyleyGeek recently had a couple posts talking about rugby. And cluelesslee has talked about rugby and enlightened me to the fact that the US is in the Rugby World Cup. Wow. I had no idea. Rugby is never in the news here. I'd like to watch it on television but I'm not even sure it would be on a channel that I would get. Is it even broadcast in the U.S.? It has to be, I'll have to look because I haven't yet.

I know nothing about the rules of rugby, it looks similar to football, but just without padding, but is it really? For those of you who know rugby you'll have to excuse my ignorance but I'm out to learn more now.

I also find it interesting that sports which are very popular in the rest of the world, like rugby and soccer, get very little notice here in the U.S. - just an observation.

Back to blogging

I've been absent for awhile. Not for lack of having things to talk about. In fact, things happened at our departmental retreat that I feel compelled to talk about because they're just too strange and disturbing, but I'll get to that at another time.

I've been very busy at lab lately. I've been at work early, around my normal time, but I've been working later than usual. I've been getting home after dark and I either eat and go to bed, or just go to bed. Therein lies the problem, even though it really isn't a problem.

I realized that when I look at my favorite blogs or write posts on my blog at work I tend to get sucked in and don't accomplish what I should in lab. I have papers I could be reading, data I could be analyzing, planning experiments, working on my dissertation, looking for jobs - the list goes on and on. And I realize that even if I didn't get lost in the blogs the list would still never really disappear because new things always develop.

Anyway, I decided that I wouldn't do blogging at work. During incubation times I would try to be productive. Yes, productive. But as a result, I didn't blog at all. By the time I got home I was too tired and there was no way I was going to turn on a computer and do anything.

So, to heck with that idea. I enjoy blogging. It's a way for me to release stress and share the craziness that occurs around here. It's a way for my mind to take a break because I can't work all day long without stopping. I have a tendency to go and go and go and I often don't even fit lunch in until after 3pm or 4pm, if at all.

What I decided: I'm going to blog whenever I darn well feel like it. I just need set time limits on my browsing and not get sucked in.

So the mystery picture is. . . .

I'm very impressed with mrswhatsit's guess. The mystery picture is actually a chandelier made of glow sticks in a tent. Since it was pouring when we were camping she decided to break open the glow stick and make a chandelier. And we were in different tents so she sent the picture to my phone. A memento to remember the evening by.

Espresso machine

I recently remembered that I had an espresso machine. It's been sitting on my kitchen counter collecting dust. I haven't used it because I couldn't find the instruction manual and I didn't want to blow it up.

Last week I went online and after some searching found a manual for an espresso machine similar to mine. That's all I've been drinking since then. I haven't made regular coffee in awhile. I'm assuming that the number 4 on the glass container means 4 shots? If so, I've been having 4 shots of espresso every morning. It's been a good jump start since I've been so tired lately. But nooot necessarily good for me. Has anyone ever heard of people developing tolerance to caffeine?

To Steamed Puddings

Kelly,

I think I'm doing something wrong on your site. When I leave comments I do it under the anonymous setting since I don't have an account with any of the ones where you can log in. I don't think you've been getting them. Let me know what to do to leave comments. I replied to that wonderful post that mentions all the different websites you found.

Thanks!

Time to get serious

I've had a lot of trouble getting motivated lately. Not that this is something new, but it's been worse than usual. I'm sleeping later and later (today I didn't get up until 12:30pm.) And I'm accomplishing less and less. I'm pretty sure I know why I've been this way but that's for another post.

Today I've decided to "kick myself in the pants." The only way I will ever change my situation is to get moving. Otherwise I'll never get out of this hell hole. So to help motivate myself I'm making a list in a post. This will make me aware that other people know my plans so it will push me to do it. Even though I don't know most of you and will never see you, I think it will still help. So,

1. I will stick to Weight Watchers all the time, not just now and then.
2. I will get up when my alarm clock goes off. I will not turn it off, reset it, or hit snooze for three hours.
3. I will go to bed before midnight, as close to 10pm as possible.
4. I will stick to my planner, meaning I will do experiments I have planned and not put them off until later because I don't feel like doing them.
5. I will not come in on the weekends unless I absolutely have to. I need to make me-time and fiance-time.
6. I will work on my bioterrorism journal article and get it to my true mentor.
7. I will work on my CV and start looking for a job.

Wish me luck. I may not succeed right away on everything but I will do it. Soon.

My new camera

I want to thank everyone for their advice on a digital camera. I wanted to let you know what I got and give my 'official review.' I got the Cannon SD85o IS.

Here are the major good points:

• very fast shutter speed
• excellent pictures in dim indoor lighting
• nice design, small but still easy to hold
• good manual controls
• several scene modes

Here are the major bad points:

• having trouble getting the software for the camera on the computer to work properly
• can't use macro mode, wide angle with flash, the barrel of the camera creates a shadow

Conclusion: I'm going to keep it. The macro mode thing really, really annoys me. But I'm very critical of digital images. I have to take into account what I bought the camera for. An everyday use camera to carry around in my purse to use at social functions, vacations, and stuff like that. I have to remember that I didn't buy it for flash macro images - how often would I do that anyway.

So, Image Goddess rating: four out of five stars

Made it to work

I did make it to work today to process my blood so I have cells to work with next week. It almost wasn't worth it though because my yield was terrible. I got enough for about 1 1/2 experiments. Which I guess is better than nothing.

I'm finally starting to feel a slight improvement. My appetite is good, I'm not coughing as much, and I can talk now, even if I sound like a frog. I just wish I wasn't so tired. It's still giving me problems with my asthma, though. I've been wheezing a bit which is why I'm coughing now. I couldn't get my allergy shots this week because they won't give them to me if I'm wheezing.

My fiance cooked on the grill this evening. It was beautiful outside. The sun was setting, we were in the shade, and a breeze was blowing. The only thing that would have made it better would have been if we were out in the countryside, not on the edge of the city.

I'm looking forward to this weekend, the weather is supposed to be nice and I'm going to rest a lot. Tomorrow my cousin is having a graduation party back home but I decided just to send a card. I need to rest and the drive is about 2 hours each way. He won't mind. I'll still send him money in a card!