When things go flying, you have to laugh

I have decided to nickname the rotation student 'Apple' because I have recently learned she loves caramel apples. She made me and Fiance two. They were really good.

Last Friday I agreed to help Apple process blood. Even though we processed side-by-side two weeks earlier, she wanted to go through the procedure again. Since she is eager to learn, pays attention, and takes initiative (unlike PD) I agreed. Even though we had to start at 7am, meaning I had to get up at 5am, and I'm not a morning person. We had to be done before the samples from the necropsy were to be processed.

I wasn't going to do anything. She was going to do the entire procedure, I would only interrupt if I saw she needed correcting or advice, or if she asked a question. Most of the procedure went very well.

The last part of the procedure involves separating out cells that have incubated with beads using a column and a strong magnet. It is a very strong magnet. Well, when she went to remove the column from the magnet she wasn't prepared for the release. It popped right out of her fingers and flew across the hood. I couldn't help myself, I burst out laughing. It was hilarious. She was mortified and felt horrible because she probably just contaminated all of my cells but I couldn't stop laughing. Probably because I was so tired. I just put my arms around her shoulders and told her it was okay. That she should be glad I like her because if PD had done that I would be pissed. She said what I was thinking - thank God it didn't land in the bleach! I wiped the column with ethanol, since the cells were in the column there was a chance that the cells were still sterile, and had her push the cells out with the plunger. She needs to build her arm muscles because she didn't push hard enough to get all the cells out. While I was counting the cells I made her practice putting the column in and taking it out of the magnet. I told her to be prepared because this week she will have a pop quiz. I'm going to get out a column and make her do it again.

The cells looked a bit haggard today, but I don't think they are contaminated.

Postdoc update

Okay, so now Mo and I have to meet with the applicant together. You'd think our boss would be smarter than that. All we do when we are together is bitch about this place. FD, Mo, and I had a talk today about how we were going to be honest with all the incoming applicants. We don't want anyone wasting any of their life by being in this void of a lab. I think we already scared away the first applicant. He would have been very good for the lab. He had a good personality and seemed to have the ambition and skills necessary to be a good researcher. Kiwi would only ruin his spirit. The three of us told him how it was - the favoritism, the lack of motivation, the differences in ideas in how science should be done, the lack of collaboration, etc. Perhaps we shouldn't have done that but we hate this place and would never want anyone subjected to this atmosphere without warning.

Mo said it is her mission to have all postdoc applicants turn him down. She needs to be careful because that could backfire, we will waste our entire summer meeting with candidates and going to pointless seminars. Personally, I could care in the least who he hires once I'm gone, I am going to sever all ties with this place. But while we are here we will try to warn people off. I wonder how long before Kiwi realizes that having postdoc candidates meet with us is a bad idea. Knowing him - he won't.

FD is going to do the same thing with the rotation student in our lab. Warn him that he wouldn't join this lab if he could go back and do it again.