parade of hats

For your viewing pleasure, this week I will entertain you with a new hat everyday.  Bear in mind, these are actually hats I wear in public.  Some are cool.  Some are not.  But mostly, they exist solely to keep my freeze-baby head warm.  I'm totally copying Sloth, as her parade of shoes/"it's HAT DAY" post has inspired me.

 

So um yeah.  Be prepared for some hairy pictures.  Haha.  Get it?  No?  Nevermind.  In any event, these... are the hats of my week.  The first one worn this week will be posted later this evening.  So come back.  Later.  Or tomorrow.  Or not.

 

GRUMPY mc grumpy pants

that was me this weekend.  For no good reason.  Well, the was a good reason... but it was totally biological and not an acceptable "good reason" for being mean to the Boyfriend and the Sister.  Thankfully, after extra sleep, I am better.  Not totally recovered, but Sane enough to bite my tongue as need be.

 

One of the main reasons I was grumpy was that I was at work most of the day Saturday and Sunday.  Now, normally, this is not a huge problem.  Except this weekend, I was here in the mornings and early afternoons... then had to COME BACK in the evening to finish up late time points/gels.  Which sucks, because whatever free time you do have in the afternoon is spent fretting over whether you will remember to leave On Time for the latter lab ventures to not get screwed up.  So I couldn't nap really, which was the plan.  I've edited the plan to include earlier bedtimes all this week in attempts to make up lost sleep.

 

In other news, I have a talk... at a conference at the end of the month.  My slides are almost done, except for one which I am still getting the data for this week.  I have a "practice" on Friday at 3 PM with my lab and our neighbors.  Which reminds me... I have to go book that room...too much to do in too little time with too little sleep makes Nicole a grumpy girl...

Thursday minis of scary stuff

 

1- I am convinced I will glow in the dark soon.  I've been radioactive three of the four days in the lab this week.

 

2- Apparently, elopement is not a societally acceptable option (according to the "wedding industry" at least... which makes sense because elopement is the financially sane option of the two and no economic industry wants consumers to be sane with their money... they just want you to spend it.).  JUST out of curiousity, I was perusing the wedding reference section at B&N the other evening (because I always peruse all the sections when I go in there, just in case something jumps out at me as useful.  SHUT UP I am NOT turning girly-planning-my-wedding-before-the-groom!).  One book on elopement.  ONE.  Out of a WALL of wedding planners, references, etiquette books, and "how to have a perfect wedding on next to no money (except not really)".  Sort of makes the idea more tantalizing, that it's not something everyone does.  Oh, wait.  Now that I said that, EVERYONE will want to do it to have the "unique" wedding.  So I take that back.  Back off wedding copy cats!  This idea's MINE.  Now I just have to find that pesky-as-of-yet-undetermined-who groom...okay, maybe I DO need to cut back on the wedding cake...

 

3- October.  86 deg. F.  In OHIO.  Need I say more?

 

4- I ache.  All over.  I am going to go home and have a nice hot toddy and read in bed with the door closed and soft jazz playing.  After I finish this last thing at work, which will take about... another hour.  Yea.  Gonna start something else to keep busy... just cross your knees I get home before 9 tonight.

 

 

 

 

blogging whilst working

Really... I have things running at the bench, and am breaking briefly.

 

Ack ack... papers in progress stress me out.  I'm just trying to work as efficiently as possible to get the experiments I need.  Rushing does not help me to get quality data, I have found.  I just take my time and get it as I do my work.

 

How does one dress for a horse show?  I am going to one (The New Albany Classic) this Sunday, and am not sure what apparel is appropriate.  Should I do "Columbus Suburban Casual" or "Dublin 20Something Who is Too Cool for Flip Flops"?  I think this may entail some shopping today... as a reward for a hard summers work.  And to see if I can fit into a smaller size shorts/crops, as I am already losing weight from my South Beach diet adventures (see above).

 

By the way, for all you football fans out there... GO BUCKS... BEAT IOWA!!

ch-cha-changes...

So I started the South Beach Diet this week.  Yah...I know "but you don't need to lose weight!"  "you're a stick already!"  Whatever.  My BMI is over 30.  I get winded when I have to go up more than 3 steps.  I have underarm jiggle and I'm only 25.  I NEED to lose weight.

The other reason, and the BIG one, is that I have a history of diabetes in my family... not to mention various cancers.  I am trying to a) reduce my risk for future illness; b) get my outside appearance to help reflect the inside beauty there is in me; and c) I feel pudgy.  I don't like feeling pudgy.  I've been overweight all my life.  I have accepted the fact that I have curves (which I love) and that I will never be a size 0 (I'm big boned, and darn it, I like being able to haul my own heavy suitcase, reach the top shelf with out a stool, and not having to worry about being blown away by a stiff wind.)  All my life, I've loved myself for myself, extra curves and all.  But when I feel pudgy, I have trouble doing that.  And I realized the other day that the short term satisfaction I get from downing a WHOLE bag of potato chips isn't worth a future of always wishing I didn't have this little belly roll of mine.

So far, the diet goes well... the first day was easy, the second was not.  Third was easier.  I'm eating well, and have yet to be hungry (except when dinner has to wait til 8 PM, which is a BAD idea...).  I think I've dropped about 5 pounds already.  I'd know for sure if I had weighed myself before the first day... I waited til day 3 to do that.

I'm also trying to clean my house of clutter.  At least my clutter.  And I'm trying to convince the Boyfriend to work with me to clean the Boyfriend's house of his clutter, as it has taken over and I can't stand it any more.  Stacks upon stacks is deemed a proper filing system at both our houses, to the effect that when I or he needs to find something, it is nearly impossible.  And we both end up cleaning like mad before anyone can actually come over.  I'm on a mission, and flylady.net is helping.  What's funny, is that I am the opposite of that at work.  All my data is meticulously kept in color coded notebooks with dividers, read papers are filed, I keep a computer file of all references, and I label/colorcode the bejeebers out of all experiments.  I think by the time I get home I'm so exhausted from it that I blow off cleaning/laundry/bills, etc. 

Here's to the babysteps to turn this life o'mine around.

sucker bet

I bet my boyfriend of a year and 5 months that his mom will ask me, with in the next two months, about us getting engaged.  I only bet him a quarter, but I think I'm going to win.  Ahahahah... Sucker!  :-)

flickr

Long time no blog. Quickie updates since last post:

Back from NYC.

Started Flickr account (I love it! But will not post all pics as public, so if you want the good stuff, sign me up as a contact).

Have posted NYC pics.

Have large plans to scrapbook all existing pictures that are not scrapbooked. That's a lot of pictures.

At standstill on experiments. Darn cells don't want to expand!

Have started working on review article(s). Wrote outlines for two different topics, am exploring both to get started filling in the outlines.

And that's all folks...

From far above

IMG_0003
Originally uploaded by LadyNicole.

Where am I?

Reason no. 2 I shouldn't complain

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Originally uploaded by LadyNicole.

Why sleep deprivation is worth it

IMG_0037
Originally uploaded by LadyNicole.

cookies to the person who can name the city...

fun at the conference -- four minis

I'm at the conference. I am tired. I am overwhelmed. I have spent the past two days -- save sleeping and showering and about two hours this morning -- straight on work, with my boss and the most gungho member of our lab. I need a break. Please send support vibes and hug vibes my way.

In more positive news, several of the people I've talked to have expressed interest in my work. Which is cool. :-) Makes it worth it. And my boss is talking about review articles... so I'm on the hunt for a good idea this week here at the conference to get a focus area for it. Wish me luck.

They have freakin' swans on the harbor. How cool is that?

Did you know you can by DNA jeans? Hahahahahahah... Go to http://www.cshl.edu and find the DNA Stuff Store for the link. I'm too lazy.

Monday mini

Don't you love it when you have a big project... just... about... done... and the computer decides to chomp on your Zip drive (SHUT up... the stupid printing service here requires you save your file to a Zip... I know they are outdated, but so are all the computers at work with any equipment on them because we are all too cheap to replace a PC that only has a stupid scanner we use for JUST ABOUT EVERY EXPERIMENT...).  Blea.  Luckily it was also saved on the network drive and the computer hard drive.

 

p.s.  Sunday felt like Monday, so in honor of it being honorary Tuesday, I am doing two minis today...

 

I leave for a trip this week!!!  Going to a conference for work.  Should be interesting as, we are also going to stay a few extra days here, and bum around here, and then fly home.  I mean, what more do you need for fun than a wild and crazy Chinese guy and Google to help find stuff to do?

Friday afternoon aperitif

I don't know what the last word is really... it just sounding good with the alliteration for a mini post title...

 

1.  I'm frantically trying to pull my poster together for this meeting next week.  Have to have it to my boss today.  Yikes.  :-|

 

2.  I have my life back... except I have no life.  Last night, the high point was making french onion dip and being a couch potato.

 

3.  My car is becoming a waste dump.  You know its bad when strange smells start.   Eew.

 

4.  New underwear rocks.  Need I say more?  = )

 

5.  It's FRIDAY... again, need I say more?

 

 

Ack ack!

Oh ... my ... you have to go read EvilScienceChick's most recent post.  Go ... go now!  Now you will know the depths that we graduate students must sink to in order to appease the great and powerful dissertation requirements!

What I have learned since finishing my candidacy exam...

1.  Ignoring your friends for four months and then waking up to realize you have no friends and no one to celebrate with is a very, very bad thing.

 

2.  You CANNOT just pick up where you left off when you cut yourself out for four months.

 

3.  Break, what break?  You don't get a break!  Sleep... who told you that you'd get to sleep now?  It only gets worse honey!

4.  The idea of not having classes or seminars is a good one.  The reality of it is a different story.

 

5.  Paperwork is bad.  Red tape is bad.  Graduate school is really a test to see how well you handle both.

 

6.  Writing a paper is good.  Posters are even better.

 

7.  The weather of the real world is not to be considered comfortable.  Not after spending your existence cooped up in airconditioning continuously for four months.  I have switched from being a freeze baby to being continuously hot.  I can't get enough AC.  Good bye normal body functions... hello freezer!

 

and the last and my personal favorite...courtesy of a friend

 

8.  Finishing your candidacy is like getting out of prison... it's great, except now you have to start over again!

big day minis

1. Today is the wrap up of my candidacy. 9-11 AM. Two hours... as of now, it's T-minus 3 hours and 24 minutes til its over. I want to get started to get it over faster. Please send good vibes my way if you read this before the 11 o'clock hour is done!

2. My boyfriend is wonderful, but he is messy and sneaky about it. I came in through the front door for the first time in several weeks and saw the mess I HAD missed by coming in through the garage. He decided perhaps it is a good idea that I keep coming in through the garage.

3. How is it that nervous stomach makes you productive? I was awake at 5 AM, but stayed in bed til the alarm at 6:30. I'm now at work at ... 7:37 AM as of now... and rip raring to go. I guarantee however, that I will have crashed by 4:30 PM today.

::UPDATE:: I passed my general exam. Yay! ***POP*** Blogsville champagne for everyone! (Even me, even though I'm working with radioactivity today).

Thursday morning mini

Since it is the fourth day of the week (by my Catholic-trained count)...Here's four lovely mini's for you.

 

1.  I read the other day, in a great book at Borders that I can't remember the name of, that Jaqueline Kennedy popularized the miniskirt by beeing seen in one at lunch.  How cool is that?  I already loved her style... who knew she was funky too?

 

2.  Thursday is one day away from the weekend.  [le sigh]  I am super tired and ready for a weekend free from lab work...

 

3.  An orange fusion new Pontiac G6 GT with panoramic sunroof is my new favorite ride.

 

4.  My mom's birthday is this Saturday.  ::: waves madly ::: HI MOM!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

 

limbo ending

I'm scheduling my re-evaluation for my candidacy. Wish me luck as I enter the "review everything I know and ever ever learned or think I should/might know" phase of limbo. Prayers, thoughts, general good vibes, and, of course, any free food as brain sustenance are greatly appreciated.

In other news... my body has finally decided I need to stop and take a break. After general back "compression" and discomfort, I woke up Monday morning (after a weekend of laziness/study) not being able to move my head. At all. Well, that's an exaggeration. This is my range of movement without pain as of Monday morning (let me tell you, driving in rush hour while having to actually turn my whole body to check my blindspot was a TREAT)....and below is my range of movement now... after 1 visit to the chiropractor.


I go back to the chiropractor today... in about a hour. She's going to adjust my cervical spine and thoracic spine to help correct some of the problem. Initial evaluation is that I have bad posture (duh). I like this doc... she's young, she knows her stuff, and I wonder why I didn't go to a chiropractor before. She's a chiropractor/nutritional counsultant, which means she's all about the holistic medicine and supplements. Appropriately, the practice is called "Healing from Within". Right up my alley. So I feel better today, just knowing I went to the right place. This feeling is after realizing my last physical was four years ago... all the doc visits as of late have been for specific things, not general check ups. After answering all the "general health" questions, I realized I do have a lot of abnormal things going on ... But not having my standard doc at the health center actually ASK me about them, I fail to think about them hence me not bringing them up. In any event.... I feel better. Which is good, considering my body has got to carry me through about two more weeks of stress yet and support my brain function yet!

Science...Whee!!!

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making time...

So I'm finally getting in the habit of taking 10 minutes or so in the morning... just for me.  I make my coffee, sit down with an inspirational book/bible study, and focus on myself and my spiritual/emotional growth.

This is a big step for me, because my days are usually filled with work to meet someone else's deadline, errands to get something or other done, going places, making sure to do such and such for so and so.  Taking 10 minutes in the morning starts me off on the right, non-flustered foot.

Today's inspirational question was: What practical choices will you make today that will bring you deeper intimacy with God?  This is the first out of 11 questions in this book (that I've read so far, there are more...) that I've been stumped on.  I mean, I usually don't associate "practical decisions" and "spiritual growth".  I don't consider faith a "practical" choice per se... it's a "rational" choice, in that it makes sense to me with regards to my everyday emotional health and eternal destination, but "practical"?

It isn't "practical" to have to take an extra ten minutes for prayer and contemplation when I could be sleeping.  It isn't "practical" for someone living on a fixed income to donate to her parish/local charities.  It isn't "practical" for someone who has no free time to cram even more activity into her day to help others, to contribute her talents, to be a good and kind and semi-altruistic* person.  *I say semi-altruistic because true altruism is a myth... even if you don't "get" something out of your behavior, you get a good feeling and that counts as something...*

It is, however, rational to do all of those things, if you live a faith-based existence.  I have faith that living a life modeled after Christ will ultimately do me good.  That I will end up at "home" as many Christians say.  At the very least, taking Pasquale's wager will give you a shot at heaven, and if there isn't anything past this life, then you lived as a good and kind person who will be remembered fondly and leave a positive legacy and mark upon this world after you are gone.

I firmly believe in God the Father, maker of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ, His only son, our Lord... and I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Catholic Church, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting (e.g. heaven).  (If you want more information on what a Catholic believes go read the Catechism, the teachings of the Catholic Church, online.  You can't say we're not technologically with the times!)

In any event, trying to reconcile my faith as a "practical" decision is a challenge.  I suppose, if it is concerning my everlasting end, that any choice I make towards that end is a practical choice, irregardless of its practicality in the here and now.  So today I make the practical decision to incorporate prayer and contemplation into my daily routine.  I make the practical decision to SLOW down and enjoy the rehearsal that is life, so that I don't miss the moments when God makes His presence known.

Here's to Pascal...

little things...

You know you're really hot when:

you can go to the Starbucks drive-through in your dirty car, with yesterday's makeup still on your face, on a Monday morning, with semi-bad hair, and STILL the following happens...

as the barista guy hands you your refilled mug and he says with a hopeful and very nice smile "don't worry about it, it's on me today."

[blush]  Thanks Starbucks Guy... I'm not ashamed to say that you made my week.  ;-)