Brian has had his own lab for about a .... year? or more? I don't remember. Anyhow, when you're a scientist you get thrown into this land of managing people with very little experience. His first tech was okay, but he was only there for a few months before he followed his girlfriend when she moved away. It took a little while before he hired another person, but when he got his R01 funded he had the cash to do so. He hired a research analyst, which is a higher level position requiring a number of years of experience and thus gets paid more, because he had the funds and he didn't want to waste too much time training.
This girl was a piece of work. She was constantly suffering from 'migranes', and would sit at her desk wearing sunglasses and holding an ice pack to her head. When Brian would ask her to do something, she would sometimes say something like 'do you really think thats a good idea in my current condition?' I do understand that people have migranes. One of the girls in my lab in Boston did. I would say she got one every month or two, and when it happened she was completely laid up. However, I suspect that Brian's tech maybe was not having actual migranes. One incident that tipped me off was when she was sitting there in the lab doing the sunglasses/icepack/laying head on desk thing, and told Brian that she was waiting for the emergency room to call her back to let her know whether they had a bed available, so that she could come over and get treated for her terrible migrane. Okay. A migrane which is so bad that it requires an emergency room visit. Again, I've never had migranes, so I don't know whether this is really something you would do or not. A little while later she was still sitting there waiting and Brian came by and said he had just been to a product show. For you non-scientists out there who get wooed by companies with actually cool stuff, scientists are easy and we will flock to anywhere that there are a) free pens, b) free food or c) free t-shirts (the best). He mentioned that there had been free pizza at the product show. She immediately perked up and said 'Oh really? Free pizza? Well, maybe I'll just head over there while I'm waiting for the hospital to call me back.'
So - emergency-room-requiring migrane can instantly be cured upon the mention of free pizza. Hm.
There were loads of other indications that the illnesses were not always as bad as she made them out to be. One day she came into his office doing charades with a note that said she had laryngitis and couldn't talk. She spent the rest of the day trying to ask him questions by acting things out or writing them down. However, later that day he came into the lab unnoticed and she was talking on the phone. One day I had stopped by the lab to pick something up from Brian, and while we were sitting there talking I kept hearing this dinging noise. I thought she was playing computer games, but no - she was clicking around a pair of those worry balls that had chimes in them. I finally said 'What in the HELL is that noise??' and she was all 'oh! I have to do this all the time, for my wrist.' Uh huh. I had trouble with tendonitis or carpal tunnel in my wrists when I was in high school and college (from all the musical instruments) but you know, I did my physical therapy AT HOME.
This would all have been bad enough, but she was also really crap at lab work. She screwed everything up, all the time. Even very very simple things. It was really setting him back, both time-wise and money-wise.
Anyhow, after going through a long and arduous process, he fired her yesterday. She totally knew it was coming - she had already packed up her stuff. We went to the Mellow Mushroom to celebrate. I'm so very very happy, because now we don't have to deal with this crap anymore. Although the stories were always funny.
Brian has learned many things from this experience, most importantly: LISTEN TO WHAT THE REFERENCES SAY ABOUT A PROSPECTIVE EMPLOYEE. There were hints in her references that there had been some problems like these, but Brian didn't really pay that much attention to them (of course, the referees don't come right out and say it, so they were being a little vague, and he wasn't sure how much to believe them).
Wednesday, March 15, 2006
Thursday, March 09, 2006
Lost the go in the go-for-it
I'm having a really bad week this week, for reasons that are probably partially PMS related, but otherwise are unexplained. I mean, come on. I've had PMS like three other times since Ed died, eh? These did not result in four full days of all-crying-all-the-time. I don't know what is the deal this week, but I don't think my eyes can take it anymore! So sore! Also, really not getting much accomplished at work - a minimum.
I have been going to a bereavement counselor, my second visit was this week. I'm sure this is a good idea, but it feels a little strange talking about my feeeelings with this stranger. Duke has a bereavement center that is run through their hospice. Family of hospice patients go for free, everyone else is with donations. Its in Hillsborough, which is quiet and rural-y, and the center is really an old home which is located near the hospice (I think).
One thing we talked about this week was how I felt about how other people have handled things. Feeling abandoned by friends or relatives, etc. I have read that this is very common among people who have lost siblings. Support seems to flow in the direction of the parents, the spouse, the children of someone who has died, while people tend to think that grief felt by siblings is not as great. Or that you must be over it by now (surely, its been four months, aren't you over this yet?). I can't decide what I am most upset about this week: the fact that my brother has died, or the relationships with other people that I feel I have lost (or that never were what I thought they were in the first place). It does help to know that I'm not the only person who has felt this way.
My parents had a great support network around them in the weeks immediately following Ed's death. I assume it has stayed this way. I asked the counselor whether he thought it was just people of my age group who didn't know how to be supportive in this situation, because we have not experienced this as frequently as people of my parents age group? He thought that was probably true, and also mentioned that it might be because people of my age do not form the same kinds of communities as my parents generation did. He mentioned like church communities, neighborhoods, other things. This is probably true, and I never thought about it before. I don't even know my next-door neighbors. Also, my social group is generally the other scientists that I interact with, who end up moving around a lot (every couple of years, especially early in our careers). There are many people with whom I've been the best of friends when living in the same place, only to completely lose touch once one or both of us have moved. I guess thats just the way it is.
On a completely unrelated note, I also wanted to say that I totally tried to not find out who won Project Runway last night. We don't get Bravo in Durham (although our neighbors in Chapel Hill with the SAME FREAKING CABLE COMPANY do), so I had just been reading the recaps on TWoP and talking to my mom about it. Until, that is, iTunes started selling it. Hurrah! It hasn't come out yet on iTunes, so I didn't want to know. Then I was reading a totally non-PR related post on PerezHilton.com and IT TOTALLY SPOILED IT. Oh!! So so so so sad. Still can't wait to watch, but it just won't be the same. Sniffle.
I have been going to a bereavement counselor, my second visit was this week. I'm sure this is a good idea, but it feels a little strange talking about my feeeelings with this stranger. Duke has a bereavement center that is run through their hospice. Family of hospice patients go for free, everyone else is with donations. Its in Hillsborough, which is quiet and rural-y, and the center is really an old home which is located near the hospice (I think).
One thing we talked about this week was how I felt about how other people have handled things. Feeling abandoned by friends or relatives, etc. I have read that this is very common among people who have lost siblings. Support seems to flow in the direction of the parents, the spouse, the children of someone who has died, while people tend to think that grief felt by siblings is not as great. Or that you must be over it by now (surely, its been four months, aren't you over this yet?). I can't decide what I am most upset about this week: the fact that my brother has died, or the relationships with other people that I feel I have lost (or that never were what I thought they were in the first place). It does help to know that I'm not the only person who has felt this way.
My parents had a great support network around them in the weeks immediately following Ed's death. I assume it has stayed this way. I asked the counselor whether he thought it was just people of my age group who didn't know how to be supportive in this situation, because we have not experienced this as frequently as people of my parents age group? He thought that was probably true, and also mentioned that it might be because people of my age do not form the same kinds of communities as my parents generation did. He mentioned like church communities, neighborhoods, other things. This is probably true, and I never thought about it before. I don't even know my next-door neighbors. Also, my social group is generally the other scientists that I interact with, who end up moving around a lot (every couple of years, especially early in our careers). There are many people with whom I've been the best of friends when living in the same place, only to completely lose touch once one or both of us have moved. I guess thats just the way it is.
On a completely unrelated note, I also wanted to say that I totally tried to not find out who won Project Runway last night. We don't get Bravo in Durham (although our neighbors in Chapel Hill with the SAME FREAKING CABLE COMPANY do), so I had just been reading the recaps on TWoP and talking to my mom about it. Until, that is, iTunes started selling it. Hurrah! It hasn't come out yet on iTunes, so I didn't want to know. Then I was reading a totally non-PR related post on PerezHilton.com and IT TOTALLY SPOILED IT. Oh!! So so so so sad. Still can't wait to watch, but it just won't be the same. Sniffle.
Friday, March 03, 2006
I can't believe I'm defending algebra, but I kind of am
As much as I have a well-documented hatred of bugs, I also have a well-documented hatred of math. I did a passable job at it in high school (because I worked hard at it), but I really never got algebra. I did sort of get geometry, but not algebra (I personally think you're either an algebra person or a geometry person), and certainly not calculus (which I got a C on first semester and failed second semester). What the hell is going on with calculus, I have no idea. And I certainly couldn't tell you if I ever required calculus skills in my daily life, because I have no idea what calculus even has to do with anymore.
Like me, my friend Karl has the tendency to 'not suffer fools gladly', but he rants even more than I do. Like, exponentially more (ooh! is that algebra-related? I think so!!). Some of my blog readers surfed over here from Karl's blog, so you already know him. But for those of you who don't, he's a biostatistics professor. So he likes the math. He insists that statistics is not math, but I still don't believe this, owing to its use of numbers and mathy symbols.
He has a post up on his blog today about a recent editorial in the Washington Post (which you can read here), in which the author discusses the uselessness of requiring algebra for high school students. His basic point, as far as I can tell, is that algebra is useless in your life, and students who just don't get it can get frustrated and just drop out of high school entirely, as did his example: a girl named Gabriela.
I totally can't even believe this article, as it seems to suggest to me that we should just eliminate the requirement for any "hard" classes in high school, just so the students don't get frustrated. I quote: " The LA school district now requires all students to pass a year of algebra and a year of geometry in order to graduate. This is something new for LA (although 17 states require it) and it is the sort of vaunted education reform that is suppossed to close the science and mat gap and make the US more competitive. All it seems to do, though, is ruin the lives of countless kids. In LA, more kids drop out of school on account of algebra than any other subject. I can hardly blame them."
How incredibly ridiculous is that? I hate algebra too, but this really seems to send the message that students really shouldn't have to challenge themselves. No one is saying you're going to need algebra in particular to survive in life, but what you DO need is the ability to face these kinds of challenges. I had to study way more for algebra than anything else. I had to get a tutor for calculus, just so I could pass it (because 2 semesters of it were required of anyone getting any degree at my college). It was hard, and I was miserable, but you don't just get to give up because something is hard. You're going to face many challenges in your life that aren't math-related, and you're not just going to be able to skip them because you don't know how to deal with them. You may as well learn that in high school.
Like me, my friend Karl has the tendency to 'not suffer fools gladly', but he rants even more than I do. Like, exponentially more (ooh! is that algebra-related? I think so!!). Some of my blog readers surfed over here from Karl's blog, so you already know him. But for those of you who don't, he's a biostatistics professor. So he likes the math. He insists that statistics is not math, but I still don't believe this, owing to its use of numbers and mathy symbols.
He has a post up on his blog today about a recent editorial in the Washington Post (which you can read here), in which the author discusses the uselessness of requiring algebra for high school students. His basic point, as far as I can tell, is that algebra is useless in your life, and students who just don't get it can get frustrated and just drop out of high school entirely, as did his example: a girl named Gabriela.
I totally can't even believe this article, as it seems to suggest to me that we should just eliminate the requirement for any "hard" classes in high school, just so the students don't get frustrated. I quote: " The LA school district now requires all students to pass a year of algebra and a year of geometry in order to graduate. This is something new for LA (although 17 states require it) and it is the sort of vaunted education reform that is suppossed to close the science and mat gap and make the US more competitive. All it seems to do, though, is ruin the lives of countless kids. In LA, more kids drop out of school on account of algebra than any other subject. I can hardly blame them."
How incredibly ridiculous is that? I hate algebra too, but this really seems to send the message that students really shouldn't have to challenge themselves. No one is saying you're going to need algebra in particular to survive in life, but what you DO need is the ability to face these kinds of challenges. I had to study way more for algebra than anything else. I had to get a tutor for calculus, just so I could pass it (because 2 semesters of it were required of anyone getting any degree at my college). It was hard, and I was miserable, but you don't just get to give up because something is hard. You're going to face many challenges in your life that aren't math-related, and you're not just going to be able to skip them because you don't know how to deal with them. You may as well learn that in high school.
Terror on the highway
Yesterday it was almost 80 degrees here. Have I mentioned my love of North Carolina? Love. Okay. So, since it was so nice out, we were outside a lot yesterday. We ate lunch outside, and Sheri and I took a half-hour break later in the afternoon to go for a walk around the lake (where I saw what I think were ruddy ducks in their winter coloring). When I went to my car that evening, it was still really nice so I opened the windows a bit.
After I had just pulled onto the highway, something horrible happened: a huge beetle of some sort flew into the car and landed on the dash right in front of me. I am aware of course that I am a grown woman. However. I am majorly terrified of bugs. Majorly. Some highlights from my life of bug fear:
1. In Wisconsin, the summer brought June bugs. I hate June bugs. They fly all out-of-control and bang into things, and if you're unlucky and you get in the way, the thing will be you. Ugh. They congregate around lights at night, so each lit doorway was a minefield of June bugs. There was no way I was going to stand in the doorway trying to open the door when I could be barraged by June bugs. So I carried a garage door opener with me. That way, I could open the double garage door (which had lights at either end) and run in through the center, as far from each light as possible.
2. In a related story, one time in high school I took the cordless phone outside to sit in the car while I was talking. No, I have no idea why. We used to play with the electric seat adjustment controls in the car (we had 'chair races' where you had to take the seat through a predetermined course with the various controls), so maybe thats what I was doing. Anyhow. I'm sure I was talking to Kendra. I decided it was time to go back inside but there was no garage door opener in the car, and there was no frigging way I was going to the front door. So I had Kendra hang up the phone and then re-dial my house, let someone inside pick up and tell them to open the garage door.
3. In England, for whatever reason, it is not common to have screens on your windows. I think it is just to torture me. When the windows are open, any and every insect outside can fly right on in. I can't sleep then, because I'm terrified that something is going to get me in the night, and I end up taking some Tylenol PM just so I can go to sleep. I keep telling Brian that we need to get his parents screens for Christmas sometime.
Anyhow. There are more stories, but I think we've effectively established that bugs and I are not friends. So this bug is in the car and I know there is no way I can drive like a normal human being under these conditions, so I pull over to the side of the road. I get out and go to the other side of the car, so that I'm not on the highway side (and some moron doesn't hit me or something). I can see the stupid beetle overturned on the dashboard, trying to right itself. I'm panicking now, because I don't know what to do. Because obviously, I am not going to TOUCH it either. No way. My phone had fallen out of my bag onto the seat, which I hadn't noticed, so I thought I had left it at home. And I was like, crap. I can't even call anyone (although who would have gotten that phone call from me and not totally hung up on me?). I had some sort of newspaper type item in the backseat, and I grabbed that and tried to push the beetle out the open driver's side window while sitting in the passenger seat. Even when I pushed it, it didn't go far. And it was getting further and further in this narrow gap between the window and the dash, so it was harder and harder to reach. I'm really freaking out now, and kind of half hoping that someone will see me and think I have a flat tire, or engine trouble, or something, and stop and help me out (even thought I'd have to tell them that in fact, I needed assistance getting a bug out of my car). Finally, I got one good flick in and I thought it had gone out the window. Phew! I snuck back around to the drivers side of the car to get in. However. The lighting was rather poor, and thus I couldn't see the floor of the car all that well from the passenger side. When I got over there, I saw that the beetle was on the floor on the driver's side. I was afraid to spend too much time over there trying to get it out (again, not wanting to be killed by oncoming traffic) so I just furiously stamped on it. It was pretty well smashed, but even so, I kept worrying while I was driving that I hadn't killed it, and that it was going to crawl up my leg or fly into my face and then I was going to crash the car. So I kept stomping my foot and rubbing it around, just in case.
I did make it home safely, but totally adrenaline-charged. Now I've got to take the dustbuster out there and vacuum the bug up so that I can get back in the car to go to work.
After I had just pulled onto the highway, something horrible happened: a huge beetle of some sort flew into the car and landed on the dash right in front of me. I am aware of course that I am a grown woman. However. I am majorly terrified of bugs. Majorly. Some highlights from my life of bug fear:
1. In Wisconsin, the summer brought June bugs. I hate June bugs. They fly all out-of-control and bang into things, and if you're unlucky and you get in the way, the thing will be you. Ugh. They congregate around lights at night, so each lit doorway was a minefield of June bugs. There was no way I was going to stand in the doorway trying to open the door when I could be barraged by June bugs. So I carried a garage door opener with me. That way, I could open the double garage door (which had lights at either end) and run in through the center, as far from each light as possible.
2. In a related story, one time in high school I took the cordless phone outside to sit in the car while I was talking. No, I have no idea why. We used to play with the electric seat adjustment controls in the car (we had 'chair races' where you had to take the seat through a predetermined course with the various controls), so maybe thats what I was doing. Anyhow. I'm sure I was talking to Kendra. I decided it was time to go back inside but there was no garage door opener in the car, and there was no frigging way I was going to the front door. So I had Kendra hang up the phone and then re-dial my house, let someone inside pick up and tell them to open the garage door.
3. In England, for whatever reason, it is not common to have screens on your windows. I think it is just to torture me. When the windows are open, any and every insect outside can fly right on in. I can't sleep then, because I'm terrified that something is going to get me in the night, and I end up taking some Tylenol PM just so I can go to sleep. I keep telling Brian that we need to get his parents screens for Christmas sometime.
Anyhow. There are more stories, but I think we've effectively established that bugs and I are not friends. So this bug is in the car and I know there is no way I can drive like a normal human being under these conditions, so I pull over to the side of the road. I get out and go to the other side of the car, so that I'm not on the highway side (and some moron doesn't hit me or something). I can see the stupid beetle overturned on the dashboard, trying to right itself. I'm panicking now, because I don't know what to do. Because obviously, I am not going to TOUCH it either. No way. My phone had fallen out of my bag onto the seat, which I hadn't noticed, so I thought I had left it at home. And I was like, crap. I can't even call anyone (although who would have gotten that phone call from me and not totally hung up on me?). I had some sort of newspaper type item in the backseat, and I grabbed that and tried to push the beetle out the open driver's side window while sitting in the passenger seat. Even when I pushed it, it didn't go far. And it was getting further and further in this narrow gap between the window and the dash, so it was harder and harder to reach. I'm really freaking out now, and kind of half hoping that someone will see me and think I have a flat tire, or engine trouble, or something, and stop and help me out (even thought I'd have to tell them that in fact, I needed assistance getting a bug out of my car). Finally, I got one good flick in and I thought it had gone out the window. Phew! I snuck back around to the drivers side of the car to get in. However. The lighting was rather poor, and thus I couldn't see the floor of the car all that well from the passenger side. When I got over there, I saw that the beetle was on the floor on the driver's side. I was afraid to spend too much time over there trying to get it out (again, not wanting to be killed by oncoming traffic) so I just furiously stamped on it. It was pretty well smashed, but even so, I kept worrying while I was driving that I hadn't killed it, and that it was going to crawl up my leg or fly into my face and then I was going to crash the car. So I kept stomping my foot and rubbing it around, just in case.
I did make it home safely, but totally adrenaline-charged. Now I've got to take the dustbuster out there and vacuum the bug up so that I can get back in the car to go to work.
Thursday, March 02, 2006
Some links
These ads are pretty hilarious. (from The Consumerist)
Why in the hell did anyone marry this guy in the first place? Shouldn't this contract have been a bit of a red flag? I'm just sayin'.
(And by the way? This is totally for reals, lest you question the authenticity.)
A really crazy landlady.
Why in the hell did anyone marry this guy in the first place? Shouldn't this contract have been a bit of a red flag? I'm just sayin'.
(And by the way? This is totally for reals, lest you question the authenticity.)
A really crazy landlady.
Saturday, February 25, 2006
Where are you?
Where are you in the Geek Hierarchy? Lets all answer this question honestly today, shall we?
I fit in here a few times, actually. I'm definately a 'video gamer' who ABSOLUTELY considers myself less geeky than Brian, who is a (gasp) war gamer. There is no spot for war gaming, so I'm going to have to call it 'role-playing gamer'. However, I am also a 'Pokemon fan older than six', which puts me down pretty low. I didn't even know what Furries were, does that somehow make me cooler?
(Found this link in the hilarious archives of Brian's blog. I don't care if you don't know him. I don't either. Ooh. Like this entry.)
Ok, really have to get out of the parentheses here. That reminded me of 4th grade, when I had a mad crush on Steve Studley (I am totally serious, this was his name. He was indeed Studley). He was the president of the student council, which I was also on. I always tried to sit directly opposite him in case he noticed that I was alive. I also always wore the same outfit on student council days, because it was my favorite and I thought he might like it. It was a pink shirt with white overalls that had various color paint splashes on them. One day someone told a joke or something while I was drinking my wild berry punch Hi-C (the absolute most dark purple Hi-C flavor ever!) and it all came out my nose onto my white pants, right in front of Steve Studley. Mortified! You might be surprised to learn that he never wanted to be my boyfriend.
I fit in here a few times, actually. I'm definately a 'video gamer' who ABSOLUTELY considers myself less geeky than Brian, who is a (gasp) war gamer. There is no spot for war gaming, so I'm going to have to call it 'role-playing gamer'. However, I am also a 'Pokemon fan older than six', which puts me down pretty low. I didn't even know what Furries were, does that somehow make me cooler?
(Found this link in the hilarious archives of Brian's blog. I don't care if you don't know him. I don't either. Ooh. Like this entry.)
Ok, really have to get out of the parentheses here. That reminded me of 4th grade, when I had a mad crush on Steve Studley (I am totally serious, this was his name. He was indeed Studley). He was the president of the student council, which I was also on. I always tried to sit directly opposite him in case he noticed that I was alive. I also always wore the same outfit on student council days, because it was my favorite and I thought he might like it. It was a pink shirt with white overalls that had various color paint splashes on them. One day someone told a joke or something while I was drinking my wild berry punch Hi-C (the absolute most dark purple Hi-C flavor ever!) and it all came out my nose onto my white pants, right in front of Steve Studley. Mortified! You might be surprised to learn that he never wanted to be my boyfriend.
A little too much spice
Last night we went to City Beverage in Durham for a postdoc happy hour. We had never been there before, but were excited because they had Old Speckled Hen on draft. Hurrah!
I got there really late because I was doing a timecourse experiment, and needed to take a sample at 7pm and process it, which took about 45 more minutes. Then I got lost on the way there, so I didn't make it until about 8:15. Brian had been waiting there for me with another postdoc from the lab. They had just gotten the table after a long wait.
There wasn't a whole lot on the menu for vegetarians, practically nothing really. I got the only thing they offered, which was a vegetarian chili. Oh my god. It was so spicy, I could barely eat it. Lets review here. I order extra hot pepper flakes in bulk from Penzey's. I often carry a small container of peppers with me in my purse. I buy hot sauce by the case. I eat my food VERY spicy. I put hot sauce on BAGELS for gods sake. But this was so hot that even I was having trouble. I told the waitress that she might want to clue the kitchen in on the fact that the stuff was so spicy that it was practically inedible, and for anyone else it probably WAS inedible. I don't know if she did or not, but I hope no one else ordered it.
I don't think we'll go back. The food was not that great, and it was REALLY pricey, considering the quality. I was not impressed.
I got there really late because I was doing a timecourse experiment, and needed to take a sample at 7pm and process it, which took about 45 more minutes. Then I got lost on the way there, so I didn't make it until about 8:15. Brian had been waiting there for me with another postdoc from the lab. They had just gotten the table after a long wait.
There wasn't a whole lot on the menu for vegetarians, practically nothing really. I got the only thing they offered, which was a vegetarian chili. Oh my god. It was so spicy, I could barely eat it. Lets review here. I order extra hot pepper flakes in bulk from Penzey's. I often carry a small container of peppers with me in my purse. I buy hot sauce by the case. I eat my food VERY spicy. I put hot sauce on BAGELS for gods sake. But this was so hot that even I was having trouble. I told the waitress that she might want to clue the kitchen in on the fact that the stuff was so spicy that it was practically inedible, and for anyone else it probably WAS inedible. I don't know if she did or not, but I hope no one else ordered it.
I don't think we'll go back. The food was not that great, and it was REALLY pricey, considering the quality. I was not impressed.
Friday, February 24, 2006
Muffin hata
I'm blogging from home right now before going into work. I am making muffins for lab meeting this morning. I really hate baking. Hate it. But I need to bake periodically, just to remind myself of that. So: muffins.
I made the batter and the strusel topping and doled the batter out into the muffin cups. Once I had FINISHED, I realized that I had forgotten to put the fruit in. Duh. So I've got a bunch of plain muffins on my hands. I tried to stick frozen raspberries into them, but I didn't think that was going to work so great because the cups were then a little too full, so I ended up spooning them all back out into the bowl, stirring it back up and dishing it back out. Awesome. Definately remembering why I hate baking. And if this wasn't enough, when I get to the part where I try to take the muffins out and, even though I've used a non-stick pan sprayed with Pam the tops come off, I'm going to be SURE that I hate baking.
While I'm sitting here right now waiting for the muffins to cool, I'm watching episodes of 'General Hospital' that I recorded on the DVR (my absolute favorite device EVAH!). Oh, GH. I love you so. In college, we planned our schedules around it. Yes, I am that sad (but you already knew that). Its not as ridiculous as 'Days of Our Lives', so give me a break.
Anyhow, another woman I work with also watches GH, and has for MUCH longer than me. Right now on GH there is this outbreak of some monkey virus that has infected practically everyone on the show. Yes, a monkey virus. Luke brought it back from Africa (actually, I'm not sure where he was, but it looked like it was suppossed to be Africa) with him when he brought a monkey with him. As you do. The virus quickly infected everyone, and I think its suppossed to be transmitted in the air. Yet, all these doctors on the show are running around not wearing masks. Um, duh! This really bothers us, because we're entirely too much of dorky scientists. One of the doctors already died (Amee, if you're reading this and not watching it, it was Tony!) from it, one other one has gotten sick (Robin! She's back!) and a nurse seems to be getting sick (Elizabeth Webber!). Come ON you people!
DVR really is the best thing ever, and if you don't have it, you'd better get it. Now.
I made the batter and the strusel topping and doled the batter out into the muffin cups. Once I had FINISHED, I realized that I had forgotten to put the fruit in. Duh. So I've got a bunch of plain muffins on my hands. I tried to stick frozen raspberries into them, but I didn't think that was going to work so great because the cups were then a little too full, so I ended up spooning them all back out into the bowl, stirring it back up and dishing it back out. Awesome. Definately remembering why I hate baking. And if this wasn't enough, when I get to the part where I try to take the muffins out and, even though I've used a non-stick pan sprayed with Pam the tops come off, I'm going to be SURE that I hate baking.
While I'm sitting here right now waiting for the muffins to cool, I'm watching episodes of 'General Hospital' that I recorded on the DVR (my absolute favorite device EVAH!). Oh, GH. I love you so. In college, we planned our schedules around it. Yes, I am that sad (but you already knew that). Its not as ridiculous as 'Days of Our Lives', so give me a break.
Anyhow, another woman I work with also watches GH, and has for MUCH longer than me. Right now on GH there is this outbreak of some monkey virus that has infected practically everyone on the show. Yes, a monkey virus. Luke brought it back from Africa (actually, I'm not sure where he was, but it looked like it was suppossed to be Africa) with him when he brought a monkey with him. As you do. The virus quickly infected everyone, and I think its suppossed to be transmitted in the air. Yet, all these doctors on the show are running around not wearing masks. Um, duh! This really bothers us, because we're entirely too much of dorky scientists. One of the doctors already died (Amee, if you're reading this and not watching it, it was Tony!) from it, one other one has gotten sick (Robin! She's back!) and a nurse seems to be getting sick (Elizabeth Webber!). Come ON you people!
DVR really is the best thing ever, and if you don't have it, you'd better get it. Now.
Tuesday, February 21, 2006
knitting
Matt and Melissa were here for a visit this weekend and we had lots of fun, mostly involving eating, drinking, shopping and playing of Trivial Pursuit or Karaoke Revolution. One additional bit of excitement was that Mel was able to teach me how to knit - finally! I had totally wanted to learn. I have all these delusions of making beautiful hand-knitted items that I can wear and give as gifts, and everyone will say 'Gosh. That Lisa? She's so cool.' Well, or something like that. Mel showed me something new she had made (a scarf) which you can see if you scroll down to the bottom of this post.
So we started knitting! We went out and bought some needles and some yarn and started up. I started doing just a garter stitch, which is where you knit (or purl) each row. Then I learned the stockinette stitch, which is where you alternate with knitting and purling to make a knit that is flat one one side (like what you'd picture when you think of a kint sweater or whatever) and bumpy on the opposite side. You can see examples of both of those stitches in my first ever knitted item, pictured here!
I decided to make a scarf. Its certainly not going to be a perfect scarf. I messed up some stitches along the way and I also didn't count rows very well, so the stripey sections are not all the same size. But whatever! Its my first time! Next I will buy some yarn to make samples of different patterns which I can practice with. I got two books to help me now that Mel is gone and cannot fix every mistake I make and tell me what to do. I would like to make a scarf like the one that she just made. We found the yarn somewhere so I can give it a try when I feel more comfortable. Its fun though, and I'm getting better at it. For example, I'm not making my loops so tight that I can't knit onto them. I don't know what I'm doing differently, but it is working better. I'll post more pictures when I have something interesting to show.
So we started knitting! We went out and bought some needles and some yarn and started up. I started doing just a garter stitch, which is where you knit (or purl) each row. Then I learned the stockinette stitch, which is where you alternate with knitting and purling to make a knit that is flat one one side (like what you'd picture when you think of a kint sweater or whatever) and bumpy on the opposite side. You can see examples of both of those stitches in my first ever knitted item, pictured here!
I decided to make a scarf. Its certainly not going to be a perfect scarf. I messed up some stitches along the way and I also didn't count rows very well, so the stripey sections are not all the same size. But whatever! Its my first time! Next I will buy some yarn to make samples of different patterns which I can practice with. I got two books to help me now that Mel is gone and cannot fix every mistake I make and tell me what to do. I would like to make a scarf like the one that she just made. We found the yarn somewhere so I can give it a try when I feel more comfortable. Its fun though, and I'm getting better at it. For example, I'm not making my loops so tight that I can't knit onto them. I don't know what I'm doing differently, but it is working better. I'll post more pictures when I have something interesting to show.
Monday, February 20, 2006
The S is for Sucks
You can now add to your list of podcasts the Strong Bad E-mail podcast, which can be downloaded here, or through iTunes.
Sunday, February 19, 2006
Goodbye Smokey
Among the three vet visits last week was taking Smokey in for her annual senior wellness exam. Smokey is our old cat who I've had since I was in... middle school? I think so. She's about 18, I think.
Deep down I knew Smokes wasn't doing well. She has been blind for about two years now, so she had really stopped leaving our bonus room - she sat on the couch practically 24 hours a day. But when I'd feed the cats each morning and night she would hop down to her bowl and eat. The last week or so she hadn't, she had actually been sleeping under one of the beds in a room nearby. I took her in on Thursday and told the vet that I didn't think she had been eating or drinking much, that her behavior had changed, and some other things. The vet wanted to do blood work, but said it could be something treatable, like her kidneys or her thyroid, or diabetes, or something. On Friday (right after Matt and Melissa arrived for their weekend visit, of course!) the vet called back with the blood worl. Smokey's liver is failing, and we're going to have to put her to sleep tomorrow (Monday) afternoon.
Even though I know this is whats best, I can't help feeling horrible. I'm dreading tomorrow. Every day this weekend has been bad because every day I think 'In one more day Smokey won't be here anymore'. And even though its a pet, and nowhere near on the same lines as say... a brother, its bringing up all the same feelings, and I don't think I was particularly ready to deal with them again.
Smokey's had a good, long life though. We rescued her as a stray and she was terrified of us for a long time. After a while, she would sleep on my pillow at night and sit on the back of the couch behind your head. When I married Brian I think she started to like him better, which was always a sore point. She enjoyed living with Wendy and I in Boston, with us in Cleveland, and then in Durham. She always was a prima donna and loved to be the only cat, so she was pretty disappointed when we got Alton (and then Cherry and then Beamish). But she loved to sit with us when we watched TV upstairs and to eat any of my leftover ice cream.
Right now she's hiding under our bed, where she's been almost all weekend. Tomorrow I'm going to take Matt and Melissa to the airport, stop in at work for a while, and then come back home to spend some time with her before we take her to the vet.
And then totally cry my eyes out for the fiftieth time this week.
Will write more uplifting posts later. We finally have internet access at home (!) so I can blog whenever I want!
Deep down I knew Smokes wasn't doing well. She has been blind for about two years now, so she had really stopped leaving our bonus room - she sat on the couch practically 24 hours a day. But when I'd feed the cats each morning and night she would hop down to her bowl and eat. The last week or so she hadn't, she had actually been sleeping under one of the beds in a room nearby. I took her in on Thursday and told the vet that I didn't think she had been eating or drinking much, that her behavior had changed, and some other things. The vet wanted to do blood work, but said it could be something treatable, like her kidneys or her thyroid, or diabetes, or something. On Friday (right after Matt and Melissa arrived for their weekend visit, of course!) the vet called back with the blood worl. Smokey's liver is failing, and we're going to have to put her to sleep tomorrow (Monday) afternoon.
Even though I know this is whats best, I can't help feeling horrible. I'm dreading tomorrow. Every day this weekend has been bad because every day I think 'In one more day Smokey won't be here anymore'. And even though its a pet, and nowhere near on the same lines as say... a brother, its bringing up all the same feelings, and I don't think I was particularly ready to deal with them again.
Smokey's had a good, long life though. We rescued her as a stray and she was terrified of us for a long time. After a while, she would sleep on my pillow at night and sit on the back of the couch behind your head. When I married Brian I think she started to like him better, which was always a sore point. She enjoyed living with Wendy and I in Boston, with us in Cleveland, and then in Durham. She always was a prima donna and loved to be the only cat, so she was pretty disappointed when we got Alton (and then Cherry and then Beamish). But she loved to sit with us when we watched TV upstairs and to eat any of my leftover ice cream.
Right now she's hiding under our bed, where she's been almost all weekend. Tomorrow I'm going to take Matt and Melissa to the airport, stop in at work for a while, and then come back home to spend some time with her before we take her to the vet.
And then totally cry my eyes out for the fiftieth time this week.
Will write more uplifting posts later. We finally have internet access at home (!) so I can blog whenever I want!
Tuesday, February 14, 2006
Lisa v. Beamish
The victor? Lisa. One ripped shirt and several scratches later anyhow.
This morning Brian hung around a bit longer than normal to help me catch Beamish. Even though her appt. wasn't for like, another hour at that point, I thought it was better to have some help and let her sit in the cat carrier for a while than to try to do it myself. I explained the plan to Brian in detail: I would get Beamish into the bathroom (somehow) and close the door, pick her up, and then Brian would be outside with the cat carrier ready for her. Then I'd stuff her in. Most of this plan worked very well. She came into the bathroom, I threw one of her mice over into the corner so she was far enough away from the door that I could close it without her making a break for it. I picked her up, and opened the door.... and no Brian. I called him, still no Brian. Then I heard him say 'I'm coming!' at which point I realized that he was DOWNSTAIRS. The cat was going nuts by this point trying to get away and finally she did, before he got the cat carrier fully into action. Of course, I was a little ticked off, and I told Brian to shove off and go to work, since he wasn't being much help to me.... which he did.
Next Beamish is off hiding under the bed in one of the spare rooms. Actually hiding IN the boxspring, which was nice. I didn't know how to get her out, and I decided that the best way was to remove the mattress and boxspring from the bed entirely, which I managed to do. Then she was totally freaked out, and tried to hide behind the mattress, between it and the wall. All of the pillows were over there, as well as a small bedside table, which she hid underneath. I crawled in there to get her and she escaped through a gap between the end of the mattress and the wall, which I hadn't noticed. I crawled back out and went around to the other side, and of course she was right back under the table. I managed to push the mattress up against the wall so she was trapped - and I crawled back in there and got her! I carried her into the room with the carrier and got her in, and made it to the vet on time. I totally rule.
Of course, my shirt had multiple holes in it by this point, my arms are scratched and so is my chest, which is nice. But Beamish is done for another year.
Also, Happy Valentines Day, everyone!!
Monday, February 13, 2006
Taking Beamish to the vet
This week, pretty much all the cats (except Cherry) are going to the vet for one check-up or another. Tomorrow is sure to be the most exciting of these vet visits, as we have to take Beamish in. Beamish is very cute and everything, but the one problem is that she is terrified of everyone and everything - primarily the dog, and Brian and I. I remember the first time we had to take her in for something, it was a major ordeal getting her into the cat carrier. We had to try to coax her out from under the bed, first of all. This involved some dangling of toys next to the bed, and then throwing them into our adjacent bathroom in hopes that she would follow. She didn't, and I think we finally had to accomplish this by Brian lifting up the mattress and me crawling underneath to get her. She isn't as bad now as she was then, and she does come out regularly and even sits in the same room as us. She just doesn't want us to touch her. So I imagine this will be somewhat of a challenge.
In case we're not able to get her, I have another appointment on Thursday which I am bringing Alton and Smokey to. I told the vet that if I couldn't get Beamish on Tuesday, I'd bring those two and try again on Thursday.
Should be exciting!
In case we're not able to get her, I have another appointment on Thursday which I am bringing Alton and Smokey to. I told the vet that if I couldn't get Beamish on Tuesday, I'd bring those two and try again on Thursday.
Should be exciting!
Saturday, February 11, 2006
And I thought a few mice were bad...
You might recall, if you knew me then, that I had pet mice in college. I stole a couple from the lab that I worked in. One of the ones I stole was pregnant (which I, of course, didn't know) and she had babies. In three weeks, when I weaned the babies, I had to find something to do with them. I kept some of the females, and gave the rest to other people. I gave a few to one of my sorority sisters that I did not particularly care for - but I made sure to give her males. They're much smellier pee-wise than females. All of my other sisters living on the floor thought I was a wonderful mouse caretaker and she was a terrible one, because her room (and the whole quad) always smelled horrible, and mine never did. Hee. My little secret.
Anyhow, some of the other ones sadly found their way to another sorority sister who had a pet snake. I was really devastated by this, but I didn't know what else to do with the poor mousies.
Today I read this post on Karl's friend Brian's blog. I laughed so hard I could barely breathe. First of all, where the hell do you get a cayman in the first place? Snakes, ok. And what do you do with it when it gets too big and tries to eat you? Is that where all the alligators in the sewers come from? Second, there are snakes that eat chickens??? Oh my god.
Ok, even besides these two revelations, that post is hilarious.
Anyhow, some of the other ones sadly found their way to another sorority sister who had a pet snake. I was really devastated by this, but I didn't know what else to do with the poor mousies.
Today I read this post on Karl's friend Brian's blog. I laughed so hard I could barely breathe. First of all, where the hell do you get a cayman in the first place? Snakes, ok. And what do you do with it when it gets too big and tries to eat you? Is that where all the alligators in the sewers come from? Second, there are snakes that eat chickens??? Oh my god.
Ok, even besides these two revelations, that post is hilarious.
Friday, February 10, 2006
Fug, fug, and more fug.
Lots of post-Grammy's fug over on Go Fug Yourself, including ol' Teri Hatcher and her whore dress.
Speaking of fug, Melissa and her alter ego Heidi Ellis pointed out this fun blog, You Knit What?? It was totally my New Years Resolution to learn to knit, especially after Mel made me the cute felted bag, but alas - I have not gotten so much as a ball of yarn into this yet.
Also, I know that you're jealous, but I'm going to see Franz Ferdinand and Death Cab for Cutie when they come to Duke in April! Yippee. Right before my birthday too, so I can feel extra old when surrounded by all the Barbie-like undergrads.
Speaking of fug, Melissa and her alter ego Heidi Ellis pointed out this fun blog, You Knit What?? It was totally my New Years Resolution to learn to knit, especially after Mel made me the cute felted bag, but alas - I have not gotten so much as a ball of yarn into this yet.
Also, I know that you're jealous, but I'm going to see Franz Ferdinand and Death Cab for Cutie when they come to Duke in April! Yippee. Right before my birthday too, so I can feel extra old when surrounded by all the Barbie-like undergrads.
Thursday, February 09, 2006
Lisa does the experiment: Going to the bathroom
Wait!!! Come back!!
Don't worry. There is no experiment involving my actual bathroom activities. This post is safe for your virginal ears.
Ok. So last night? I was just about to leave work but I had to avail myself of the facilities first, because I have the smallest bladder in recorded history. I'm in there. I'm doing my thing. All of a sudden the toilet goes 'cha-chunk!' and drops an inch or so. In total fear of my life, I leap off of the toilet! Something that connects the bowl part to the wall had broken (there was a broken metal ring underneath the toilet, and I'm assuming that was the critical component) so that the bowl was no longer anchored firmly to the wall. Holy crap. I was a little nervous about flushing, but I did it anyhow. As the bowl was refilling, water did leak out of the top flusher part. But not a ton, so not really a huge deal - except for the whole broken toilet aspect.
I had to call the Troubleshooter (this seems like such a funny title to me - this is the person who you call when things break. I always think of the person on the evening news who tackles consumer complaints in a sensational manner), who of course wasn't at work anymore, given that it was 6:30 or so and after the normal employees work hours. So I had to leave a message detailing my problem:
"Hi. So, its 6:30 on Wednesday night and I'm calling because one of the toilets in the 4th floor womens restroom just broke off the wall. I was just sitting there and something broke. Its leaking a little bit, but not too much. I put a sign on the door so that no one else would use it. So, please come up and take a look at it tomorrow morning. And also, apparently I need to go on a diet!".
I'm sure she enjoyed THAT message this morning! And now I will be famous as the Girl Who Broke a Toilet. The line for autographs forms to the left.
Don't worry. There is no experiment involving my actual bathroom activities. This post is safe for your virginal ears.
Ok. So last night? I was just about to leave work but I had to avail myself of the facilities first, because I have the smallest bladder in recorded history. I'm in there. I'm doing my thing. All of a sudden the toilet goes 'cha-chunk!' and drops an inch or so. In total fear of my life, I leap off of the toilet! Something that connects the bowl part to the wall had broken (there was a broken metal ring underneath the toilet, and I'm assuming that was the critical component) so that the bowl was no longer anchored firmly to the wall. Holy crap. I was a little nervous about flushing, but I did it anyhow. As the bowl was refilling, water did leak out of the top flusher part. But not a ton, so not really a huge deal - except for the whole broken toilet aspect.
I had to call the Troubleshooter (this seems like such a funny title to me - this is the person who you call when things break. I always think of the person on the evening news who tackles consumer complaints in a sensational manner), who of course wasn't at work anymore, given that it was 6:30 or so and after the normal employees work hours. So I had to leave a message detailing my problem:
"Hi. So, its 6:30 on Wednesday night and I'm calling because one of the toilets in the 4th floor womens restroom just broke off the wall. I was just sitting there and something broke. Its leaking a little bit, but not too much. I put a sign on the door so that no one else would use it. So, please come up and take a look at it tomorrow morning. And also, apparently I need to go on a diet!".
I'm sure she enjoyed THAT message this morning! And now I will be famous as the Girl Who Broke a Toilet. The line for autographs forms to the left.
Monday, February 06, 2006
A little math never killed anyone...yet
In lab meeting this morning, our department head mentioned an upcoming seminar sponsored by the biostatisics department that he thought we might be interested. He said "Now, I know it will be a little math-heavy" (also known as mathy). "It might be a little painful, but as far as I'm aware no one has ever died from math."
I say: No one has ever died from math... YET. I'm sure there's still a chance, as I've felt like I was nearly dead after certain very mathy lectures. I'm sure that one more incomprehensible slide about MCMC would have done the trick. I was just LUCKY to escape with my life. But next time, I might not be so lucky, so I think I'll skip it. Just to be safe.
I say: No one has ever died from math... YET. I'm sure there's still a chance, as I've felt like I was nearly dead after certain very mathy lectures. I'm sure that one more incomprehensible slide about MCMC would have done the trick. I was just LUCKY to escape with my life. But next time, I might not be so lucky, so I think I'll skip it. Just to be safe.
more podcasts
Its a little late in the cycle for me to be finally blogging about this, but if you like podcasts and you like British accents and the men who bring you The Office, you will like the Ricky Gervais podcast. The series of 12 podcasts is almost over, but if you subscribe to it, you should be able to download all the previous ones.
I like all three of those things, so I'm a fan.
I also enjoy the Cycling Insight podcast, even though I do not watch nor perform any cycling-related activities. Its just funny, funny, funny! I know that some of you blog readers do enjoy cycling-related activities, so you will like it for sure.
I sometimes listen to these podcasts on my iPod while I'm in the lab. Usually I am totally cracking up, and no one can figure out why, so they think I'm crazy (crazier, I mean). Just now I was analyzing sequences on my computer while listening, and everyone was trying to figure out what could be so freaking hilarious about DNA sequences.
I like all three of those things, so I'm a fan.
I also enjoy the Cycling Insight podcast, even though I do not watch nor perform any cycling-related activities. Its just funny, funny, funny! I know that some of you blog readers do enjoy cycling-related activities, so you will like it for sure.
I sometimes listen to these podcasts on my iPod while I'm in the lab. Usually I am totally cracking up, and no one can figure out why, so they think I'm crazy (crazier, I mean). Just now I was analyzing sequences on my computer while listening, and everyone was trying to figure out what could be so freaking hilarious about DNA sequences.
Friday, January 27, 2006
When to think twice about auto-fill-in
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