Dr. Ben!
Dr. Beth!
Sunday, December 16, 2012
Wednesday, December 12, 2012
Penny-dog (1999ish-2012)
Friday, November 30, 2012
Bodily functions one must be comfortable with when teaching Human Physiology
1. Formation of urine
2. The defecation reflex
3. The menstrual cycle
We are covering the digestive system right now in my Physiology classes, and yes, today I told them about #2 (pun intended). While it is something we all do (as the saying goes, "everybody poops"), it is a little weird talking about pooping to a room full of 19-22 year olds.
2. The defecation reflex
3. The menstrual cycle
We are covering the digestive system right now in my Physiology classes, and yes, today I told them about #2 (pun intended). While it is something we all do (as the saying goes, "everybody poops"), it is a little weird talking about pooping to a room full of 19-22 year olds.
Monday, November 19, 2012
The 3 most important rules of graduate school...
As stated by my lab director:
1. Pick your advisor well.
2. Pick your advisor well.
3. Pick your advisor well.
I am now at the point where my own students, as well as younger graduate students in my lab, are coming to me for advice about pursuing education beyond the bachelors or masters degree. Often, the conversation turns to advisor-advisee dynamics.
Ben and I have both been through graduate school, as have the vast majority of our friends. We all come from diverse disciplines, although the majority are in the sciences. Most of us have had great relationships with our advisors. A couple of our friends have not. My relationship with my advisor is very good. Yes there have been times where we have not seen eye-to-eye or we have been angry with each other, but ultimately we are stronger for it. For the student just starting out on their own PhD journey, I would offer these tips on how to "Pick your advisor well." Some of these are tips that were passed down to me, and some are from my own experiences/observations. I list them in no particular order. I also recognize that not all disciplines operate the same way with regards to how much face time one might have with the advisor or how much of one's tuition/stipend the advisor would fund. Here they are nonetheless:
1. Does the prospective advisor have a definite means to fund your tuition/stipends for the duration of your PhD program?
In my field and at my university, the advisor is expected to bear the majority of the burden regarding funding a PhD student. You may have found the perfect advisor, but if they can't afford you, then you are likely out of luck.
2. Does the prospective advisor's line of research interest you?
This probably goes without saying, but if you're going to work with a particular faculty member, you should be interested in their research. For one thing, you will probably end up doing your dissertation on something that is related to their research line. Also, you will probably be expected to work on various projects with them throughout your time as a PhD student.
3. Where is the prospective advisor in his/her career?
For example, are they a tenured professor? Are they a pre-tenure assistant professor? Have they passed their third-year review This is an important consideration for a couple of reasons. First, pre-tenure faculty members are likely trying to maximize research productivity, so you may get the opportunity to work on several projects, which could bode well for getting your name on publications. On the other hand, if your advisor is pre-tenure, and for some reason they do not get tenure before you graduate, then you may also be out of luck unless another advisor is willing to take you on.
4. How much interaction will you have with the prospective advisor?
Will you get to have weekly meetings with your advisor? Does your advisor hold regular lab or group meetings? Or is your advisor too busy or too aloof to really interact with you much?
5. How many other graduate students are working under your prospective advisor?
Are you going to be the only PhD student under your advisor? Or will you be one of several? Both have their advantages and disadvantages. Going along with this, has your advisor mentored many PhD students prior to you? Or are you their first one? Similarly, what sorts of careers have your advisor's former PhD students gone on to have?
6. What is your prospective advisor's personality?
This one is pretty important. You may have found an advisor who has all kind of funding, does research that interested you, etc. But if this person is an absolute jerk to their students, then you should think twice before joining their group.
1. Pick your advisor well.
2. Pick your advisor well.
3. Pick your advisor well.
I am now at the point where my own students, as well as younger graduate students in my lab, are coming to me for advice about pursuing education beyond the bachelors or masters degree. Often, the conversation turns to advisor-advisee dynamics.
Ben and I have both been through graduate school, as have the vast majority of our friends. We all come from diverse disciplines, although the majority are in the sciences. Most of us have had great relationships with our advisors. A couple of our friends have not. My relationship with my advisor is very good. Yes there have been times where we have not seen eye-to-eye or we have been angry with each other, but ultimately we are stronger for it. For the student just starting out on their own PhD journey, I would offer these tips on how to "Pick your advisor well." Some of these are tips that were passed down to me, and some are from my own experiences/observations. I list them in no particular order. I also recognize that not all disciplines operate the same way with regards to how much face time one might have with the advisor or how much of one's tuition/stipend the advisor would fund. Here they are nonetheless:
1. Does the prospective advisor have a definite means to fund your tuition/stipends for the duration of your PhD program?
In my field and at my university, the advisor is expected to bear the majority of the burden regarding funding a PhD student. You may have found the perfect advisor, but if they can't afford you, then you are likely out of luck.
2. Does the prospective advisor's line of research interest you?
This probably goes without saying, but if you're going to work with a particular faculty member, you should be interested in their research. For one thing, you will probably end up doing your dissertation on something that is related to their research line. Also, you will probably be expected to work on various projects with them throughout your time as a PhD student.
3. Where is the prospective advisor in his/her career?
For example, are they a tenured professor? Are they a pre-tenure assistant professor? Have they passed their third-year review This is an important consideration for a couple of reasons. First, pre-tenure faculty members are likely trying to maximize research productivity, so you may get the opportunity to work on several projects, which could bode well for getting your name on publications. On the other hand, if your advisor is pre-tenure, and for some reason they do not get tenure before you graduate, then you may also be out of luck unless another advisor is willing to take you on.
4. How much interaction will you have with the prospective advisor?
Will you get to have weekly meetings with your advisor? Does your advisor hold regular lab or group meetings? Or is your advisor too busy or too aloof to really interact with you much?
5. How many other graduate students are working under your prospective advisor?
Are you going to be the only PhD student under your advisor? Or will you be one of several? Both have their advantages and disadvantages. Going along with this, has your advisor mentored many PhD students prior to you? Or are you their first one? Similarly, what sorts of careers have your advisor's former PhD students gone on to have?
6. What is your prospective advisor's personality?
This one is pretty important. You may have found an advisor who has all kind of funding, does research that interested you, etc. But if this person is an absolute jerk to their students, then you should think twice before joining their group.
Sunday, November 18, 2012
Ten characteristics of the Mommy, PhD
Now that I'm done with the graduate school chapter of my life (cue the Hallelujah Chorus), I can be all reflective about the whole experience. I made this list one day during data collection when I had some time to kill during an incubation. I'm sure that my fellow mom academics have experienced some or all of these, and I'm sure you ladies have a few you could add! So here's my top 10 list for Characteristics of the Mommy, PhD, as they might pertain to someone in a science field (order is not particularly significant).
1. You read scientific literature by day and children's literature by night.
2. You pump breast milk during assay incubations.*
3. Your 3-year old talks about experiments and knows the word "dissertation."
4. You talk about keeping pumped breast milk at "4 degrees C" rather than "in the fridge."
5. While waiting for samples to centrifuge, you pass the time by humming children's songs.
6. You hide milk let-down stains by wearing a lab coat.
7. You do a lot of your work after your kids are in bed.**
8. Your kids have been to at least one lab or department meeting.
9. You have a play area set up in your office, or you've had another labmate watch or hold your kid while you do an experiment.***
10. You'd rather be with your family at home than working in the lab.
*I got really good at pumping in a bathroom stall while standing.
**There was one time recently I worked 8-5. And it wasn't 8am-5pm either!
***I have not actually done this, but Ben (a "Daddy, PhD") did this once with Amelia.
1. You read scientific literature by day and children's literature by night.
2. You pump breast milk during assay incubations.*
3. Your 3-year old talks about experiments and knows the word "dissertation."
4. You talk about keeping pumped breast milk at "4 degrees C" rather than "in the fridge."
5. While waiting for samples to centrifuge, you pass the time by humming children's songs.
6. You hide milk let-down stains by wearing a lab coat.
7. You do a lot of your work after your kids are in bed.**
8. Your kids have been to at least one lab or department meeting.
9. You have a play area set up in your office, or you've had another labmate watch or hold your kid while you do an experiment.***
10. You'd rather be with your family at home than working in the lab.
*I got really good at pumping in a bathroom stall while standing.
**There was one time recently I worked 8-5. And it wasn't 8am-5pm either!
***I have not actually done this, but Ben (a "Daddy, PhD") did this once with Amelia.
Friday, November 9, 2012
Successful defense!
It is done! Passed! Committee signed important forms! Now to make some revisions and submit to the Graduate School. Not tonight though, I am tired!
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Thursday, November 8, 2012
Double D-Day is approaching!
Dissertation defense day is tomorrow! Yikes!
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Sunday, November 4, 2012
For next Halloween...
This year, Ally dressed up as a ghost for Halloween (pics to come later). She has already started thinking about what she wants to be next year. Here's what she's got so far:
1. Clown
2. Baby
3. Cookie Monster
4. God
When asked how she would dress up as God, Ally said she would dress up as Jesus. Ben and I thought that was a pretty good answer.
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1. Clown
2. Baby
3. Cookie Monster
4. God
When asked how she would dress up as God, Ally said she would dress up as Jesus. Ben and I thought that was a pretty good answer.
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Sunday, October 28, 2012
More observations from the last two presidential debates
1. I would not have been surprised if Mitt Romney and President Obama had challenged each other to a fist fight during the town hall debate.
2. At one point, Mitt Romney basically told the President to shut up and sit down during the town hall debate. The President did sit down. I was kind of like, "Dude, you do NOT speak that way to the President!"
3. I am still curious as to whether or not the Republican ticket understands math. Or why they would seriously want to repeal Obamacare (hello, it's giving everyone access to health insurance and no, it does not strip you of your already-existing plan!). Or why they think we are so gullible that we wouldn't notice that they aren't giving details about their tax plans that involve "closing loopholes and deductions."
4. President Obama really brought his game on the last debate. Of course, being that it was on foreign policy, he actually has the experience to back himself up.
5. I think I much prefer the debate formats where the candidates and the moderator are all sitting around a table in close proximity to each other.
6. My favorite sound bites (loose quotations):
a. "Binders full of women..."
b. "The 1980s called and they want their foreign policy back..."
c. The bit about horses and bayonets.
7. Michelle Obama wears some really cool dresses.
Can't wait until November 6th!
2. At one point, Mitt Romney basically told the President to shut up and sit down during the town hall debate. The President did sit down. I was kind of like, "Dude, you do NOT speak that way to the President!"
3. I am still curious as to whether or not the Republican ticket understands math. Or why they would seriously want to repeal Obamacare (hello, it's giving everyone access to health insurance and no, it does not strip you of your already-existing plan!). Or why they think we are so gullible that we wouldn't notice that they aren't giving details about their tax plans that involve "closing loopholes and deductions."
4. President Obama really brought his game on the last debate. Of course, being that it was on foreign policy, he actually has the experience to back himself up.
5. I think I much prefer the debate formats where the candidates and the moderator are all sitting around a table in close proximity to each other.
6. My favorite sound bites (loose quotations):
a. "Binders full of women..."
b. "The 1980s called and they want their foreign policy back..."
c. The bit about horses and bayonets.
7. Michelle Obama wears some really cool dresses.
Can't wait until November 6th!
Saturday, October 27, 2012
Dissertation complete!
It's done! Sent to the committee last night! Defense in 2 weeks! Yes!
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Friday, October 12, 2012
What I observed from last night's VP debate
I was particularly excited to watch last night's debate, mostly because of the historic first being that both VP candidates are Catholic (as am I). Of course, we had to wait until almost the end of the debate before the moderator asked the really juicy questions! Here are some things I observed.
1. Joe Biden is old enough to be Paul Ryan's dad.
2. Joe Biden still has that flashy smile.
3. Joe Biden is definitely not afraid to speak his mind and say it like it is.
4. The dynamic between the candidates and the moderator was way better than it was for last week's debate.
5. Both candidates were energetic in discussing their points, unlike last week's debate. I wonder if they both drank caffeinated beverages beforehand.
6. I'm still not sure the Republican ticket understands math.
7. I still think a talent segment or silly costume segment would be fun.
Looking forward to the next one!
1. Joe Biden is old enough to be Paul Ryan's dad.
2. Joe Biden still has that flashy smile.
3. Joe Biden is definitely not afraid to speak his mind and say it like it is.
4. The dynamic between the candidates and the moderator was way better than it was for last week's debate.
5. Both candidates were energetic in discussing their points, unlike last week's debate. I wonder if they both drank caffeinated beverages beforehand.
6. I'm still not sure the Republican ticket understands math.
7. I still think a talent segment or silly costume segment would be fun.
Looking forward to the next one!
Monday, October 8, 2012
A sight for sore eyes
Post-eye doctor appointment, my pupils were dilated and my eyes were bloodshot and crusty from the 3 different drops they put in. Not to mention that I think Amelia is giving me her runny nose.
I swear I am not stoned.
I swear I am not stoned.
Thursday, October 4, 2012
What I observed from last night's debate
1. Things Mitt Romney likes:
a. PBS
b. Big Bird
c. Jim Lehrer
d. Coal
e. Green Energy
2. Things Mitt Romney might not like:
a. Math
b. Scientific gobblety-gook
3. Mitt Romney was on his game. I wonder if he drank a caffeinated beverage beforehand.
4. President Obama did not seem to be completely on his game.
5. Jim Lehrer got trampled on. I felt sorry for the guy. Ben suggested that they cut off the candidates' mikes after their allotted speaking time. Other suggestions I have seen have included opening a trap door or having the mikes emit a flatulence sound if the candidates go over time.
6. Okay, this isn't an observation, but I sure think it would be fun. I think there should be a talent segment in the debates. Or there could be a "So You Think You Can Dance?" segment where the Obamas dance together and then the Romneys dance together and they get critiqued by judges. Or maybe Mitt Romney and President Obama play some 1-on-1 hoops on stage. Or maybe they could do the debates dressed up in chicken costumes.
Can't wait for the next one!
a. PBS
b. Big Bird
c. Jim Lehrer
d. Coal
e. Green Energy
2. Things Mitt Romney might not like:
a. Math
b. Scientific gobblety-gook
3. Mitt Romney was on his game. I wonder if he drank a caffeinated beverage beforehand.
4. President Obama did not seem to be completely on his game.
5. Jim Lehrer got trampled on. I felt sorry for the guy. Ben suggested that they cut off the candidates' mikes after their allotted speaking time. Other suggestions I have seen have included opening a trap door or having the mikes emit a flatulence sound if the candidates go over time.
6. Okay, this isn't an observation, but I sure think it would be fun. I think there should be a talent segment in the debates. Or there could be a "So You Think You Can Dance?" segment where the Obamas dance together and then the Romneys dance together and they get critiqued by judges. Or maybe Mitt Romney and President Obama play some 1-on-1 hoops on stage. Or maybe they could do the debates dressed up in chicken costumes.
Can't wait for the next one!
Monday, October 1, 2012
Encounter with the flying cockroach
I do not detest much in this life, but I do hate large bugs. Actually, I only hate them when they enter my house. Bugs do not belong in people's houses; they belong outside, far away from civilization. But I digress.
We don't often get bugs in our house, but one or two will show up every once in a while, like about once every couple months or so I don't think this is a reflection on my tidyness because my next door neighbor also gets bugs in her house at about the same frequency, and she is neater than I am. I guess what these bugs don't have in quantity they make for in quality because the bugs we get are these abnormally huge black roaches. I mean, they are HUGE!!! It should not be physiologically possible for a bug to be this big. And they scare the you-know-what out of me.
Now, I had often heard about flying cockroaches, mostly from my family and friends who live in the states on the bottom row of the map (Louisiana, Florida, Alabama, Texas, etc.). The very idea has always made my skin crawl, so luckily I had never personally seen a flying cockroach.
Until last week.
I was up late collating exams to hand back to my Physiology students. Everyone else in the house was already in bed and asleep, so it was just me downstairs in the kitchen. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw this black thing crawling up the wall. So I stepped back, and sure enough, it was a huge black roach. So gross! I watched it crawl along the crown molding for a few seconds, contemplating how I was going to handle this situation (my designated bug-killer, aka Ben, was already asleep). And then, it happened. The thing took flight! Right towards the fridge! Yikes! I called it a night right then and there; I ran up the stairs and headed to bed, hoping that the thing would just crawl back into whatever hole it came from and never reveal itself again.
I have not seen the huge beast since. But still, it makes me wonder what giant jointed-legged chitinous-exoskeletoned beasts are roaming my house at night. *shudder*
We don't often get bugs in our house, but one or two will show up every once in a while, like about once every couple months or so I don't think this is a reflection on my tidyness because my next door neighbor also gets bugs in her house at about the same frequency, and she is neater than I am. I guess what these bugs don't have in quantity they make for in quality because the bugs we get are these abnormally huge black roaches. I mean, they are HUGE!!! It should not be physiologically possible for a bug to be this big. And they scare the you-know-what out of me.
Now, I had often heard about flying cockroaches, mostly from my family and friends who live in the states on the bottom row of the map (Louisiana, Florida, Alabama, Texas, etc.). The very idea has always made my skin crawl, so luckily I had never personally seen a flying cockroach.
Until last week.
I was up late collating exams to hand back to my Physiology students. Everyone else in the house was already in bed and asleep, so it was just me downstairs in the kitchen. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw this black thing crawling up the wall. So I stepped back, and sure enough, it was a huge black roach. So gross! I watched it crawl along the crown molding for a few seconds, contemplating how I was going to handle this situation (my designated bug-killer, aka Ben, was already asleep). And then, it happened. The thing took flight! Right towards the fridge! Yikes! I called it a night right then and there; I ran up the stairs and headed to bed, hoping that the thing would just crawl back into whatever hole it came from and never reveal itself again.
I have not seen the huge beast since. But still, it makes me wonder what giant jointed-legged chitinous-exoskeletoned beasts are roaming my house at night. *shudder*
Sunday, September 23, 2012
We have a date!
Yes folks, it exists. The dissertation defense date! First week of November! Say it with me now! "DE-FENSE! DE-FENSE! DE-FENSE!"
I haven't written much about my dissertation experience since before Amelia was born. Suffice it to say, I did resume data collection in early June, finished a few weeks later, and got all the hormone assays completed by the start of school. Now I am in the final writing stage, which includes separating everything into a three-manuscript format, plus the already-written introduction and literature review. It was not easy getting to this stage. I wanted to quit multiple times, and felt pretty strongly about it too. But I'm glad I pushed through, and it feels really good to just be writing. Plus, there is no way in heck that Ben or my advisor would have let me quit anyway!
Besides defending my dissertation, other important details of the day will include providing Subway lunch items for the committee and other attendees, as well as wearing my very professional-looking suit.
I haven't written much about my dissertation experience since before Amelia was born. Suffice it to say, I did resume data collection in early June, finished a few weeks later, and got all the hormone assays completed by the start of school. Now I am in the final writing stage, which includes separating everything into a three-manuscript format, plus the already-written introduction and literature review. It was not easy getting to this stage. I wanted to quit multiple times, and felt pretty strongly about it too. But I'm glad I pushed through, and it feels really good to just be writing. Plus, there is no way in heck that Ben or my advisor would have let me quit anyway!
Besides defending my dissertation, other important details of the day will include providing Subway lunch items for the committee and other attendees, as well as wearing my very professional-looking suit.
Wednesday, September 12, 2012
You know you've reached a new level in Q&A when...
your already very inquisitive 3-year old asks, "What does 'why' mean?"
Sigh.
Sigh.
Monday, September 3, 2012
Amelia's Baptism
Amelia was baptized yesterday at St. Thomas More. Here are a few pics from throughout the Mass (thanks Drew for being our photographer!)
Standing at the font at the beginning of Mass
Fr. Scott traces the cross on Amelia's forehead
Getting ready to be baptized
Fr. Scott baptizing Amelia (unfortunately someone else was taking a flash photo at the same time, hence the glare)
Receiving the Light of Christ
Receiving a blessing at the end of Mass
Our family plus my parents
Mmm, tasty baptismal gown!
Sweet baby Amelia
Sunday, August 26, 2012
A random smattering of summer pics
Ally and Uncle Paul meet Hooper the horse at Nana and Gran-Gran's farm
Ally walks Penny the chocolate lab on Nana and Gran-Gran's back porch
Amelia has discovered that she has hair on her head, and often has a chunk of it in her right hand
In the mountains of NC
The dead tree stump that Ben dug up in our front yard. It has now been replaced by a young Japanese maple tree.
Dancing Queen
We went to Ben's cousin's wedding last weekend up at Virginia Tech. This was Ally's first wedding experience, and she had a blast. She and her cousin Rachel danced for almost the entire time at the reception. Here is a video capturing some of their moves. A little while in, you will see me and my father-in-law also enter the dance floor. However, I have to say that our moves are not quite as cool as Ally's and Rachel's.
Picnic!
Saturday, August 25, 2012
Small breakthrough
Amelia. Last night. Slept 7:30pm-5:30am.
Hopefully this is not an isolated incident.
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Hopefully this is not an isolated incident.
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Monday, August 20, 2012
Ally soundbites
(Note that all conversation transcribed here is a rough quotation)
First, a conversation between Ben and Ally, where Ally is asking Ben how we transformed the office into her current room.
Ally: "Daddy, what did you do to my room?"
Ben (apparently a little tired of being asked this question repeatedly): "Nothing, Ally. Absolutely nothing."
Ally (speaking with an incredulous tone): "Seriously?"
Second, a conversation between Ben and Ally last week, while I was working late in the lab.
Ben: "Ally, Mommy won't be home tonight because she has to work in the lab."
Ally: "Daddy, why won't Mommy be home?"
Ben: "Because she is doing a long experiment today."
Ally (after a brief silence): "Daddy, is Mommy getting too old to be doing this?"
First, a conversation between Ben and Ally, where Ally is asking Ben how we transformed the office into her current room.
Ally: "Daddy, what did you do to my room?"
Ben (apparently a little tired of being asked this question repeatedly): "Nothing, Ally. Absolutely nothing."
Ally (speaking with an incredulous tone): "Seriously?"
Second, a conversation between Ben and Ally last week, while I was working late in the lab.
Ben: "Ally, Mommy won't be home tonight because she has to work in the lab."
Ally: "Daddy, why won't Mommy be home?"
Ben: "Because she is doing a long experiment today."
Ally (after a brief silence): "Daddy, is Mommy getting too old to be doing this?"
Wednesday, August 15, 2012
Nerdy joke for the day
What do you get when you cross a sheep with a goat?
Sheep Goat Sine Theta!
(I had not thought about this joke for probably 10 years until one of Ben's former physics students started a blog with this name to chronicle her first year as a teacher. Ah, takes me back!)
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Sheep Goat Sine Theta!
(I had not thought about this joke for probably 10 years until one of Ben's former physics students started a blog with this name to chronicle her first year as a teacher. Ah, takes me back!)
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Monday, August 13, 2012
Funny exchange
The doorbell rings. I answer it.
Julius the tree man: "Hi. Is your mom home?"
Me, after a couple seconds of silence: "Um, I am the mom."
Julius, the tree man: "Oh I am so sorry! You just look so young!"
Me: "Thanks!"
It might have had something to do with the fact that I was still wearing my candy-cane pajama pants and a t-shirt when I answered the door, and I wasn't holding Amelia at the time. I guess I was dressed like a teenager who had slept in until mid-morning. Still though, I was flattered.
Julius the tree man: "Hi. Is your mom home?"
Me, after a couple seconds of silence: "Um, I am the mom."
Julius, the tree man: "Oh I am so sorry! You just look so young!"
Me: "Thanks!"
It might have had something to do with the fact that I was still wearing my candy-cane pajama pants and a t-shirt when I answered the door, and I wasn't holding Amelia at the time. I guess I was dressed like a teenager who had slept in until mid-morning. Still though, I was flattered.
Friday, August 3, 2012
Finding my Olympic team calling
I love the Olympics. I love watching the Olympics. I think it would be so cool to be in the Olympics. If I could do any Olympic sport, I think I'd either be a gymnast or a springboard diver. Of course, both would require me to be about 10-15 years younger than I currently am and I'd actually have to know how to flip and dive at the elite level, but hey, one can dream. But consider this question, is there any sport that you could do right now, at your current age and physical fitness and go to the Olympics?
I think I've found it! The coxwain of a rowing team!
Check it out. The coxwain has to be petite, able to keep everyone in time, yell loud, and be motivational. They don't actually do any of the rowing, although they do have to steer the boat. I think I could do that! I'm about the same size as the coxwain of the 8-woman US boat that won the gold yesterday. I am a musician, so I can keep time. I can yell. And I've had lots of practice motivating people during VO2peak tests, which are pretty physically grueling. Now, I've never actually tried to steer a boat, so that would definitely take practice. And I'm not saying that being a coxwain is easy, as I've never done it before so I can't make that claim. But I think I could give it a go for sure.
Changing gears slightly, I've been watching all the Olympic gymnastics. It was so cool to see the women's team get the gold medal, 16 years after the Mag 7 did it in Atlanta. Those girls are tough, but so cute! It was unfortunate that Jordyn Wieber (the reigning all around World Champion) didn't get to compete in the all around finals because of the two-per-country rule. And it was also unfortunate that Aly Raisman lost the tie-breaker for the all around bronze. Gymnastics sure does have some odd rules. But hats off to Gabby for winning the all around gold medal, making this the third Olympics in a row that an American woman has seized that crown. It is crazy to think that she is only 16 years old and is now the idol of dozens of little girls. It's like one day you're an athlete and the next day you are Olympic royalty. I can only imagine. But anyway, I was watching some of the videos on the NBC Olympics website and there was one of Nastia Liukin (the 2008 all around gold medalist) talking about her performance at this year's Olympic Trials, and how she could have withdrawn after crashing on bars. But she didn't because she has always been taught to finish what she starts, even if things aren't going well. That phrase really struck a chord with me, as I am at the end of my dissertation experience (and therefore my PhD), and many times recently, I have felt tempted to quit, to pass my data off to someone else, to clean out my office and never set foot in my lab again. But I too am not a quitter, and I know that leaving now would only be the easy way out. After all these years of school and hard work, I too must finish what I've started. So thanks Nastia for giving me a little Olympic inspiration to keep the dream alive.
I think I've found it! The coxwain of a rowing team!
Check it out. The coxwain has to be petite, able to keep everyone in time, yell loud, and be motivational. They don't actually do any of the rowing, although they do have to steer the boat. I think I could do that! I'm about the same size as the coxwain of the 8-woman US boat that won the gold yesterday. I am a musician, so I can keep time. I can yell. And I've had lots of practice motivating people during VO2peak tests, which are pretty physically grueling. Now, I've never actually tried to steer a boat, so that would definitely take practice. And I'm not saying that being a coxwain is easy, as I've never done it before so I can't make that claim. But I think I could give it a go for sure.
Changing gears slightly, I've been watching all the Olympic gymnastics. It was so cool to see the women's team get the gold medal, 16 years after the Mag 7 did it in Atlanta. Those girls are tough, but so cute! It was unfortunate that Jordyn Wieber (the reigning all around World Champion) didn't get to compete in the all around finals because of the two-per-country rule. And it was also unfortunate that Aly Raisman lost the tie-breaker for the all around bronze. Gymnastics sure does have some odd rules. But hats off to Gabby for winning the all around gold medal, making this the third Olympics in a row that an American woman has seized that crown. It is crazy to think that she is only 16 years old and is now the idol of dozens of little girls. It's like one day you're an athlete and the next day you are Olympic royalty. I can only imagine. But anyway, I was watching some of the videos on the NBC Olympics website and there was one of Nastia Liukin (the 2008 all around gold medalist) talking about her performance at this year's Olympic Trials, and how she could have withdrawn after crashing on bars. But she didn't because she has always been taught to finish what she starts, even if things aren't going well. That phrase really struck a chord with me, as I am at the end of my dissertation experience (and therefore my PhD), and many times recently, I have felt tempted to quit, to pass my data off to someone else, to clean out my office and never set foot in my lab again. But I too am not a quitter, and I know that leaving now would only be the easy way out. After all these years of school and hard work, I too must finish what I've started. So thanks Nastia for giving me a little Olympic inspiration to keep the dream alive.
Thursday, August 2, 2012
The accidental pottymounth: When rhyming goes awry
Ally is big into rhyming words these days. She is also big into making up her own songs. Sounds innocent enough. Well, consider the following scenario:
We were recently in Kentucky for a visit with Ben's family. Ben's dad took all the grandkids in the truck one evening to ride up the road to get the mail. One of Ally's favorite TV shows is a show on PBS called Caillou, and there is a song that starts out, "We're driving in a car, car, car. We're going very far, far, far, " or something like it. So Ally decides to adapt the song to the current vehicle she was in, and here's what came out:
"We're driving in a truck, truck, truck. We're going very f**k, f**k, f**k."
I am not joking.
Now, let me be clear. I don't cuss in front of my kids. So Ally has never heard me or anyone else use that particular 4-letter word. I think this was just an instance where her creativity accidentally led her to stumble upon a particularly bad cuss word. I didn't hear her directly, but when Ben told me about it (out of Ally's earshot), I will admit, I couldn't help but laugh pretty hard (although small part of me felt a little horrified too). Luckily she has abandoned that particular song version, but if it comes up again, we may need to have a conversation.
We were recently in Kentucky for a visit with Ben's family. Ben's dad took all the grandkids in the truck one evening to ride up the road to get the mail. One of Ally's favorite TV shows is a show on PBS called Caillou, and there is a song that starts out, "We're driving in a car, car, car. We're going very far, far, far, " or something like it. So Ally decides to adapt the song to the current vehicle she was in, and here's what came out:
"We're driving in a truck, truck, truck. We're going very f**k, f**k, f**k."
I am not joking.
Now, let me be clear. I don't cuss in front of my kids. So Ally has never heard me or anyone else use that particular 4-letter word. I think this was just an instance where her creativity accidentally led her to stumble upon a particularly bad cuss word. I didn't hear her directly, but when Ben told me about it (out of Ally's earshot), I will admit, I couldn't help but laugh pretty hard (although small part of me felt a little horrified too). Luckily she has abandoned that particular song version, but if it comes up again, we may need to have a conversation.
Friday, July 27, 2012
Tuesday, July 10, 2012
One of life's little pleasures
A well-stocked K-cup supply. Thank you Bed Bath & Beyond for your coupons and vast selection of coffees.
As long as I can have my morning coffee, I am a happy person.
As long as I can have my morning coffee, I am a happy person.
Sunday, July 8, 2012
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
Wednesday, June 13, 2012
Wednesday, May 23, 2012
Thursday, May 17, 2012
Funny dog video!
This is super funny! Thanks to Ben's veterinarian brother for sending this on! The end is the best!
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
Two weeks in, and all is well
Okay, I'm back! I hope everyone has enjoyed the last two posts by Ben regarding Amelia's arrival. We're now about 2 and a half weeks into our new life as a family of 4, and I must say, things are pretty good. I remember that when Ally was born, I felt like I had been run over by an 18-wheeler, I was experiencing sleep deprivation like never before (i..e, like pulling repeat all-nighters for weeks on end), and I was thinking to myself, "what the heck did we get ourselves into???!!! I want my old life back!" But with round 2, things have seemed much more easy going and natural. Even the nights haven't been that bad. I don't think it is necessarily that Amelia is a better baby than Ally was, but probably more a function of the fact that we've "been there, done that" so we knew what to expect with a new baby. Even so, I think we are all still in a period of some adjustment, especially Ally. But to be fair, in addition to getting a new baby sister, Ally has completely potty trained, moved into a bigger bedroom, had a birthday, and had both sets of grandparents visiting, all within a span of about 3 weeks. So a lot has changed in her life, and being that she is 3 years old (and a 3 year old's mind is not the most rational of entities), she is sometimes a bit more emotional and clingy than normal. But now that all the visitors are gone, and it's just us, I think life is calming down and we are settling into our new normal. And to Ally's credit, she is a very loving big sister, giving Amelia lots of hugs and kisses.
One thing that has been completely different is my labor/delivery experience with Amelia compared to the one with Ally. So with Ally, I was induced at 41 weeks, and the whole ordeal took over 20 hours. But it was a very slow experience, and even when it came time to push, that was pretty low-key as well (I was completely numb to the pain thanks to the epidural). I felt like the recovery from Ally's L&D was pretty slow as well, as I think my butt was pretty much glued to the couch for the first 3 weeks. Also, I think it took like 4 days for my milk to come in and a full 2 months to really get the hang of nursing. But with Amelia, everything has been in fast forward. I started feeling contractions at about 11:15pm on Friday the 27th (1 week before my due date), and after letting a few go by, we realized that they were consistently about 5 minutes apart. So we got out of bed and started packing our bags, as we had not even gotten around to that yet! We got our next door neighbor to come over to stay with Ally, and headed to the hospital. When we got to the hospital, I was about 5 cm dilated and definitely having contractions. I promptly asked for the epidural, and while it definitely helped, I could still feel quite a bit of pain. Shortly thereafter, my water broke, and like three EXTREMELY PAINFUL contractions/pushes later, Amelia popped out. Total time of L&D: approximately 4 hours. My recovery has been faster this time too, no more maternity clothes, and I am even entertaining ideas of going for a run sometime soon! My milk came in really fast this time, and nursing seems so much easier this time too. So all in all, things are going quite well, and I am truly enjoying having this time to take a step back, spend time at home, and get acquainted with this new phase of life.
One thing that has been completely different is my labor/delivery experience with Amelia compared to the one with Ally. So with Ally, I was induced at 41 weeks, and the whole ordeal took over 20 hours. But it was a very slow experience, and even when it came time to push, that was pretty low-key as well (I was completely numb to the pain thanks to the epidural). I felt like the recovery from Ally's L&D was pretty slow as well, as I think my butt was pretty much glued to the couch for the first 3 weeks. Also, I think it took like 4 days for my milk to come in and a full 2 months to really get the hang of nursing. But with Amelia, everything has been in fast forward. I started feeling contractions at about 11:15pm on Friday the 27th (1 week before my due date), and after letting a few go by, we realized that they were consistently about 5 minutes apart. So we got out of bed and started packing our bags, as we had not even gotten around to that yet! We got our next door neighbor to come over to stay with Ally, and headed to the hospital. When we got to the hospital, I was about 5 cm dilated and definitely having contractions. I promptly asked for the epidural, and while it definitely helped, I could still feel quite a bit of pain. Shortly thereafter, my water broke, and like three EXTREMELY PAINFUL contractions/pushes later, Amelia popped out. Total time of L&D: approximately 4 hours. My recovery has been faster this time too, no more maternity clothes, and I am even entertaining ideas of going for a run sometime soon! My milk came in really fast this time, and nursing seems so much easier this time too. So all in all, things are going quite well, and I am truly enjoying having this time to take a step back, spend time at home, and get acquainted with this new phase of life.
Tuesday, May 1, 2012
Saturday, April 28, 2012
Amelia's Here!
Our little bundle of joy arrived a week early and without much warning! We left for the hospital at about 12:30 this morning, and met Amelia at 3:15. I'll let Beth fill in all the fun details later -- the primary purpose of this first-ever Singing Scientist guest post is to put up a few much-anticipated pictures before the eastern seaboard goes night-night. Here they are!
Hopefully we'll be taking Amelia home tomorrow morning!
UPDATE: If you were curious (I was), Ally clearly wins the hair contest. From nearly three years ago:
...and here's a real blast from the past, from December 1979:
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| Amelia at t + 5 minutes. She has Ally's (and Mommy's) hair! |
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| She has feet!! (Note: we double checked. She has all five on the left as well as the right, prints notwithstanding) |
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| Big sister meets little for the first time. |
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| Don't think the Tootsie-Roll Pop is insignificant. We're hoping this 'gift' from Amelia goes a long way toward sibling harmony. So far so good. |
The video version, so you can feel like you're here.
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| Amelia looks great in this one... |
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| ...and Ally looks great in this one. A job for Photoshop? |
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| Nurse leaves behind a stethoscope. Super-cuteness ensues. |
UPDATE: If you were curious (I was), Ally clearly wins the hair contest. From nearly three years ago:
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| Take THAT, little sis! |
...and here's a real blast from the past, from December 1979:
Tuesday, April 24, 2012
Employment!
At the moment, it doesn't seem possible that there could be life after the PhD because it feels like this process is never going to end. But in reality, there is life on the other side, and it comes in the form of employment for next school year. I have signed a contract to stay at UNC next year and teach part time as a Lecturer in my department. I am really excited about this opportunity, because I'll get to keep teaching Physiology and working with the undergrads and masters students in our lab, I'll get to be part of the faculty, and I will be honest, I am really looking forward to the change of pace, professionally speaking.
But until then, so much work still to be done!
But until then, so much work still to be done!
Friday, April 20, 2012
The dissertation and the five stages of grief
I am nearing the end of my dissertation data collection and I must say, I feel like I have been running a marathon that just won't end. Right now, I feel like I've hit the wall at mile 20; I know I just have a 10K to go, but man I really really don't want to run those last 6.2 miles! With 5 subjects to go and 2 weeks until my due date, it has become pretty apparent that I won't be finishing my data collection before I give birth. The exceptions might be either a) the baby comes 1 or 2 weeks late and/or b) we decide not to go all the way to 20 subjects. In any case, I'm not holding my breath.
As I have trudged through this process, I came to realize that the dissertation process makes you feel a lot of things, including the 5 stages of grief. I have definitely made the rounds through these 5 stages multiple times (see below).
DENIAL
I'm not sure I've spent a lot of time here, although recently my denial has been about the fact that I'm having a baby potentially any day now. I keep thinking to myself, "Oh I have lots of time before she comes," but in reality it could be tomorrow or it could be after Mother's Day. But as far as the dissertation goes, I think that denial could take the form of dragging your feet on getting your data collected because you think that you have all the time in the world, when in reality, you have to remember that it takes a lot of time to analyze the data, write up the results, get it to your committee, actually find a time when all 5 of your committee members can congregate for your defense, and then make the corrections to your document before getting it to the Graduate School by their deadline for graduation.
BARGAINING
I have spent a bit of time here. It usually goes something like, "Okay, if so-and-so helps me out here, and maybe if I can get all 6 of these subjects scheduled in the next 2 weeks, and if the baby wouldn't mind staying in utero for 2 weeks past her due date, then I can finish my data collection by Mother's Day." Although now that I think about it, that probably overlaps with denial, haha!
ANGER
Oh yes, I have definitely spend a good bit of time here. It is usually when I feel like the people who are supposed to be helping me out with data collection aren't stepping up, or when I put in an order for supplies and the order gets lost. Or worse, when someone tells me they are going to help me out in any way they can, and then they end up not being true to their word, or they seem to have all kinds of time to help out another student with data collection but when it comes to me, they are all booked up. Or sometimes I get a little angry at myself for choosing a project that is so time intensive with the data collection. But then I also get angry when I start to think about other people who did their dissertations before me from our department, and how their advisors seemed to go really easy on them in terms of the type of projects they did and how it only took them a fraction of the time to complete their dissertations compared to mine. And yet, they have still come away with a PhD. This last point really makes my blood boil, so I try not to think about it too much.
DEPRESSION
Along with anger, I have spent a good bit of time here too. It usually takes the form of, "I feel like I am never going to finish this stinking degree, and I'm not sure my committee really cares if or when I finish either." Or also, "what I am going to do if I can't find those last 3 cancer survivor subjects?" Or also, "if I can't get this activity assay data to look right, I don't know what I'm going to do."
ACCEPTANCE
There are a few occasions when I have some waves of clarity about the whole process. Intellectually, I do know that this chapter of my life will come to a close, and that everything will work out the way it is supposed to. I also know there are certain things about the process that are not in my control, but as long as the ball is in my court, I just have to keep plugging away.
As I have trudged through this process, I came to realize that the dissertation process makes you feel a lot of things, including the 5 stages of grief. I have definitely made the rounds through these 5 stages multiple times (see below).
DENIAL
I'm not sure I've spent a lot of time here, although recently my denial has been about the fact that I'm having a baby potentially any day now. I keep thinking to myself, "Oh I have lots of time before she comes," but in reality it could be tomorrow or it could be after Mother's Day. But as far as the dissertation goes, I think that denial could take the form of dragging your feet on getting your data collected because you think that you have all the time in the world, when in reality, you have to remember that it takes a lot of time to analyze the data, write up the results, get it to your committee, actually find a time when all 5 of your committee members can congregate for your defense, and then make the corrections to your document before getting it to the Graduate School by their deadline for graduation.
BARGAINING
I have spent a bit of time here. It usually goes something like, "Okay, if so-and-so helps me out here, and maybe if I can get all 6 of these subjects scheduled in the next 2 weeks, and if the baby wouldn't mind staying in utero for 2 weeks past her due date, then I can finish my data collection by Mother's Day." Although now that I think about it, that probably overlaps with denial, haha!
ANGER
Oh yes, I have definitely spend a good bit of time here. It is usually when I feel like the people who are supposed to be helping me out with data collection aren't stepping up, or when I put in an order for supplies and the order gets lost. Or worse, when someone tells me they are going to help me out in any way they can, and then they end up not being true to their word, or they seem to have all kinds of time to help out another student with data collection but when it comes to me, they are all booked up. Or sometimes I get a little angry at myself for choosing a project that is so time intensive with the data collection. But then I also get angry when I start to think about other people who did their dissertations before me from our department, and how their advisors seemed to go really easy on them in terms of the type of projects they did and how it only took them a fraction of the time to complete their dissertations compared to mine. And yet, they have still come away with a PhD. This last point really makes my blood boil, so I try not to think about it too much.
DEPRESSION
Along with anger, I have spent a good bit of time here too. It usually takes the form of, "I feel like I am never going to finish this stinking degree, and I'm not sure my committee really cares if or when I finish either." Or also, "what I am going to do if I can't find those last 3 cancer survivor subjects?" Or also, "if I can't get this activity assay data to look right, I don't know what I'm going to do."
ACCEPTANCE
There are a few occasions when I have some waves of clarity about the whole process. Intellectually, I do know that this chapter of my life will come to a close, and that everything will work out the way it is supposed to. I also know there are certain things about the process that are not in my control, but as long as the ball is in my court, I just have to keep plugging away.
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
Lab flood #5
No, this is not a joke. Our lab flooded again this past weekend. 5th time since the end of last May. Well, really, I guess this might actually be flood #4.5, because the 4th flood was more like minor water seepage rather than an actual flood. Luckily we did not have to shut things down for renovations again like we did last summer and fall, as it seems it wasn't as bad as before during floods 1-3. But some of the baseboards have been stripped away, and we have big fans going to dry out the walls and floors, so there is some degree of mess. Let's just hope they get whatever is broken in our building fixed soon, because the spring and summer showers have only just begun.
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
Adventures in planting blueberries
I have been all talk about this for about a year, but I finally decided to take action and plant some blueberry bushes in our backyard. Now, I must disclose that I am not a gardener. In fact, my ability to keep houseplants alive is really not good. But I really wanted to give this a go because I think it would be really cool to have some sort of fruit-bearing plant right there in my yard. Plus, I think Ally would get a kick out of picking berries. So I took the plunge and purchased a set of 3 blueberry plants from Burpee.com.
Now, I will admit, I kind of thought that the plants we were going to get in the mail would be fairly substantial looking, like this:
I had found something online that said we were supposed to dig holes 2 ft across by 2 ft deep. So last Saturday, Ben and I went to work digging 3 holes in our yard 2ft across by 2 ft deep. Well, actually Ben did most of the digging as I am 7.5 months pregnant and not exactly in the best physical shape right now. It took a pretty good chunk of time to do this, and we ended up with holes looking something like this:
But what came in the mail looked something like this:
As you can imagine, I felt a little silly having had Ben spend a greater part of our Saturday morning digging 3 ginormous holes for tiny seedlings. Also, I came to the realization that we probably wouldn't have a blueberry crop until next summer. So last night, we back-filled our 3 holes with dirt and peat moss and planted the little seedlings in the backyard. Now they look something like this:
My next task is to construct some wire cages to put around the plants so that the deer and rabbits don't get to them. I guess in about 14 months, we'll be swimming in blueberries! I did find something at Lowe's yesterday that might give me a little more instant gratification though: hanging potted strawberry plants. I'm going to get one today and try it out.
Now, I will admit, I kind of thought that the plants we were going to get in the mail would be fairly substantial looking, like this:
I had found something online that said we were supposed to dig holes 2 ft across by 2 ft deep. So last Saturday, Ben and I went to work digging 3 holes in our yard 2ft across by 2 ft deep. Well, actually Ben did most of the digging as I am 7.5 months pregnant and not exactly in the best physical shape right now. It took a pretty good chunk of time to do this, and we ended up with holes looking something like this:
But what came in the mail looked something like this:
As you can imagine, I felt a little silly having had Ben spend a greater part of our Saturday morning digging 3 ginormous holes for tiny seedlings. Also, I came to the realization that we probably wouldn't have a blueberry crop until next summer. So last night, we back-filled our 3 holes with dirt and peat moss and planted the little seedlings in the backyard. Now they look something like this:
My next task is to construct some wire cages to put around the plants so that the deer and rabbits don't get to them. I guess in about 14 months, we'll be swimming in blueberries! I did find something at Lowe's yesterday that might give me a little more instant gratification though: hanging potted strawberry plants. I'm going to get one today and try it out.
Friday, February 24, 2012
A pregnancy brain moment
I think it was last week sometime, I had fixed myself a mug of ice cream for dessert after putting Ally to bed. Now, we all know that ice cream belongs in the freezer, right? Well, not this particular night. The next morning when I opened the fridge to get some orange juice, there was the carton of ice cream. Apparently, in a moment of pregnancy-induced absentmindedness, I had put the ice cream in the fridge instead of the freezer. Of course, it was completely melted. Ultimately no harm was done, as I put it back in the freezer and that night, I once again had a mug of frozen, albeit slightly icy, ice cream.
Monday, February 13, 2012
Third trimester already???!!!
Man, this pregnancy is going so fast! Friday, I ushered in the last trimester of my pregnancy by going to the doctor and taking the oral glucose tolerance test. At least I did not have to exercise afterwards! At least the sick-to-my-stomach feeling passed pretty quickly this time; no one should ever ingest that much sugar at one time. It is just gross.
Of course, there are still things that need to get done in these next 12 weeks, and the one that is in my mind's forefront is to finish my dissertation data collection. I have 14 subjects left to complete, and as long as no one gets sick, decides to drop out, cancels their sessions, or gets disqualified from the study, I think I can get all my subjects through before May. But my dissertation has thrown me curve balls in the past, and babies do come earlier than their due date, so I guess I just have to be prepared for anything at this point.
In other news, I went on an interview a couple weeks ago for a faculty position at another area institution. It was a really good experience, and we'll just have to see what comes of it. There is another employment opportunity in the works around here as well that seems promising, but as nothing is official yet, I need to speak in vague terms. And I should also give a shout out to my friend Michelle who successfully defended her dissertation a couple weeks ago at Duke. So I guess there really is a light at the end of this PhD tunnel!
Of course, there are still things that need to get done in these next 12 weeks, and the one that is in my mind's forefront is to finish my dissertation data collection. I have 14 subjects left to complete, and as long as no one gets sick, decides to drop out, cancels their sessions, or gets disqualified from the study, I think I can get all my subjects through before May. But my dissertation has thrown me curve balls in the past, and babies do come earlier than their due date, so I guess I just have to be prepared for anything at this point.
In other news, I went on an interview a couple weeks ago for a faculty position at another area institution. It was a really good experience, and we'll just have to see what comes of it. There is another employment opportunity in the works around here as well that seems promising, but as nothing is official yet, I need to speak in vague terms. And I should also give a shout out to my friend Michelle who successfully defended her dissertation a couple weeks ago at Duke. So I guess there really is a light at the end of this PhD tunnel!
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
Family cold
It is no secret that toddlers stink at keep their germs to themselves. Ally has had a couple colds this winter, and of course, I have caught all of them too. The three of us are just now getting over one. Ally had the runny nose first and sure enough, Ben and I had runny noses a couple days later. I will not lie, the mucus output in our house was quite plentiful. Ally's and Ben's upper respiratory tracts have now cleared up, but mine is not quite there yet. I don't know if these sorts of infections hit you harder when you're pregnant, but I sure am looking forward to being able to smell and hear normally again.
Actually, I did find one positive aspect of having a cold. In my Physiology class last week, I was teaching my students about the parts of the brain, and I brought in a cadaver brain for show and tell. Of course, the thing had been preserved in formaldehyde, or whatever similar chemical they use these days, and so it had a pretty strong preservative smell. I am not a fan of that smell, and in my pregnant state, my gag reflex is a lot more sensitive than usual. But because I had a completely stuffed up nose, I couldn't smell a thing!
And in case you are wondering, yes, it is a little weird to hold a former person's brain in your hands. And yep, it is pretty squishy.
Actually, I did find one positive aspect of having a cold. In my Physiology class last week, I was teaching my students about the parts of the brain, and I brought in a cadaver brain for show and tell. Of course, the thing had been preserved in formaldehyde, or whatever similar chemical they use these days, and so it had a pretty strong preservative smell. I am not a fan of that smell, and in my pregnant state, my gag reflex is a lot more sensitive than usual. But because I had a completely stuffed up nose, I couldn't smell a thing!
And in case you are wondering, yes, it is a little weird to hold a former person's brain in your hands. And yep, it is pretty squishy.
Thursday, January 19, 2012
The data collection plugs along
Not much excitement in the lab except that I keep plugging along with my data collection. It is at times tiring and stressful. Well, the actual data collecting part isn't bad, it's the part afterwards that can be a little tricky. I run all my blood samples on a flow cytometer to measure my NK cell proportions, and I'm never 100% sure if the machine will cooperate with me. Last Friday, the flow cytometer was not nice to me; maybe it sensed that it was Friday the 13th. But this morning, everything seemed to work fine. Maybe it was because my advisor tagged along (he was not familiar with flow cytometry), and so the machine sensed there was a guest and decided to behave.
I am definitely experiencing whatever version of "senioritis" corresponds with the final year of a PhD program. I am so ready to be done with this data collection because I really want to see the results. But I know that patience is the key here. Also, I think I am ready for a change, meaning that I am really looking forward to transitioning from Beth the doc student to Dr. Evans the faculty member. I hope to know something more on that front in the next month or so.
In the meantime, we keep plugging along. . .
I am definitely experiencing whatever version of "senioritis" corresponds with the final year of a PhD program. I am so ready to be done with this data collection because I really want to see the results. But I know that patience is the key here. Also, I think I am ready for a change, meaning that I am really looking forward to transitioning from Beth the doc student to Dr. Evans the faculty member. I hope to know something more on that front in the next month or so.
In the meantime, we keep plugging along. . .
Friday, January 6, 2012
The colon is a funny organ
Last week, Ben's family came to visit. We had bunches of fun with a total of 13 people and 1 large dog in our house. Of course, the food was plentiful, and we took turns cooking meals. Ben's brother Paul made this really good bean dish that was kind of like baked beans with sausage and peppers in it. I do want to emphasize though that is was pretty heavy on the beans, and I'm not going to lie, several members of the family experienced some "outgassing" shall we say. You can't really talk about lower digestive system issues without it getting pretty funny, which brought to mind a column written by the humorist Dave Berry. It first appeared in 2008, and is about his experience getting his first colonoscopy. I have re-read it several times, and each time, I can't help but laugh. I am posting the link to his colonoscopy column here. Enjoy!
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
Major things I'm looking forward to this year
In no particular order:
1. Graduating with my PhD
2. The arrival of Baby #2
3. The transition from graduate student to some sort of faculty-ish employment
4. The Olympics
5. The presidential election
Happy New Year!
1. Graduating with my PhD
2. The arrival of Baby #2
3. The transition from graduate student to some sort of faculty-ish employment
4. The Olympics
5. The presidential election
Happy New Year!
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