tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26977752634963850112024-03-05T01:11:48.312-08:00Microbiologist XXRamblings of a female microbiologist.microbiologist xxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07578078880223116616noreply@blogger.comBlogger201125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2697775263496385011.post-89286287938079908872012-05-31T13:02:00.003-07:002012-05-31T13:02:51.044-07:00RustySo, I think I might try to get back to blogging.
Do I shake the dust off this old blog or start from scratch?
It's been so long, it probably wouldn't make a difference and starting over can be exciting (unless we are talking about cloning.) Not to mention, the blogger interface is so different that I could barely figure out how to post.
Well, whatever I decide, it's likely to be a slow start. microbiologist xxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07578078880223116616noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2697775263496385011.post-72935818820163594542011-02-10T08:30:00.000-08:002011-02-10T09:09:06.983-08:00Five more daysIn five more days I am presenting my data to the department. It's not really that big of a deal as far as presentations go, but I don't want to embarrass myself in front of people I see on a daily basis. Not to mention, having a seminar looming has many positive side effects. 1. Extra motivation. I try to keep myself moving at a steady pace in the lab, but despite my best efforts, sometimes microbiologist xxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07578078880223116616noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2697775263496385011.post-4245947103010461972011-02-01T14:16:00.001-08:002011-02-01T14:53:55.558-08:00Yep, it's been that kind of day.I started the day off well enough. I woke up on time, I made myself some coffee (bonus) so that I wouldn't need to stop on the way. I get in the car and proceed to work, quite proud of the $1.50 I am saving. However, about 30 seconds later, the universe decided that today, I would provide it with comic relief or something.Here is a break down of the events - and I'm just hitting the easy-to blog microbiologist xxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07578078880223116616noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2697775263496385011.post-77709165761174574462011-01-26T12:29:00.000-08:002011-01-26T12:32:38.050-08:00Dumb F**king Donkeys Strike Back<!--StartFragment--> I’m sure this is common in many labs, departments and offices: Some dumb fucking donkey (DFD) takes advantage of a good situation and everyone suffers because the people in charge prefer punishing everyone instead of confronting the person who is actually causing the problem. These instances might include, but are not limited to the following examples. DFD situation #1:DFD microbiologist xxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07578078880223116616noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2697775263496385011.post-76921831896262966962011-01-20T07:47:00.000-08:002011-01-28T11:56:45.192-08:00Friday Funny: F**k you and your f**cking cheeseburgerI don't know if I've mentioned this before or not, but I am from Texas. Although I don't share many of the opinions and views expressed by the inhabitants of my home state, I do love the Texas fast food burger joint know as Whataburger (when I was little I thought it was water burger). Like any establishment open 24h, drunk idiots tend to congregate at Whataburger just about the time the bars microbiologist xxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07578078880223116616noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2697775263496385011.post-75367675444113073772011-01-14T06:26:00.000-08:002011-01-14T06:38:43.628-08:00I can't say I'm too surprised.I am not big on making resolutions. That's not to say that I don't make any, but they are usually the same and I tend to make them multiple times of year. Two of my on-going work resolutions are: (1) stay up to date on freezer stocks and (2) keep the lab notebook current.I fail miserably at both of these on a regular bases because I hate making freezer stocks and am always putting off my lab microbiologist xxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07578078880223116616noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2697775263496385011.post-5005521784132094592011-01-12T15:24:00.000-08:002011-01-12T16:28:27.136-08:00More time please?!?<!--StartFragment--> Magnum, PI is very supportive and has no problems with his post-docs starting families. In fact, he was quite excited when I told him I was expecting and immediately told me not to worry about any decreased productivity that I might experience during the time before and after I gave birth. He went on to tell me about several other female post-docs that started families whilemicrobiologist xxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07578078880223116616noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2697775263496385011.post-90229106207163586192011-01-10T13:33:00.000-08:002011-01-10T14:00:04.446-08:00Good riddance 2010Although 2010 brought great enjoyment to my life; the birth of my first child in April and submitting a successful post-doctoral fellowship application, Thanksgiving to Christmas sucked some serious ass. First of all mini-xx got sick and then my husband and I got mildly sick. Not that big of a deal. Just sore throats and snot. He chose to stay home for a few days, while I stayed home for one day.microbiologist xxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07578078880223116616noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2697775263496385011.post-67633631958086287592010-12-09T11:25:00.000-08:002010-12-09T11:40:34.241-08:00In the spirit of giving...I firmly believe that change is good. While I have already experienced quite a few changes in my life this year, I thought I needed at least one more. In this case, my change translates into a hefty donation to Locks of Love. In case it's not obvious, I have a lot of hair, both in thickness and length, so this should go a long way toward making a complete wig for someone. End result. (Sorry, microbiologist xxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07578078880223116616noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2697775263496385011.post-6183893729829277702010-12-02T10:11:00.000-08:002010-12-02T14:38:38.532-08:00Turkey to TurkeyEach year the time between Turkey-centered holiday 1 (Thanksgiving) and turkey-centered holiday 2 (X-mas) is different, ranging from extremely unproductive to insanely busy. This year seems like it is leaning toward the busy end of the scale and I am not sure I have the health or energy to keep up this year. Anyone who shares their home with a baby or young child can probably relate to the lack microbiologist xxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07578078880223116616noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2697775263496385011.post-47254774305506857632010-11-18T07:52:00.000-08:002010-11-18T07:56:13.214-08:00ZzzzzzzzSorry for the blog silence. I'm exhausted.Coherent posts just aren't possible at this time.For example, I spent 10 minutes staring at my sock drawer this morning. Just now, I had to use spellcheck because I couldn't remember how to spell staring. microbiologist xxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07578078880223116616noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2697775263496385011.post-92173248709199354372010-11-02T15:06:00.000-07:002010-11-02T18:13:07.768-07:00Serenity Now!<!--StartFragment--> Recently, I went from sharing an office with an insanely disgruntled grad student to sharing an office with an over-emotional post-doc (OEP) and all I can say is, I want the disgruntled grad student back.OEP is working on a project that includes elements that are out of Magnum, PI’s (and the rest of the labs) expertise. However, I happen to know a shit-ton about this subjectmicrobiologist xxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07578078880223116616noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2697775263496385011.post-79765466728050447622010-10-29T09:38:00.000-07:002010-10-29T12:16:26.710-07:00Week in reviewIn the lab:Like everyone, my week in the lab featured it's fair share of ups and downs. Unfortunately, it also featured some stupid.The ups:Successfully electroporated notoriously difficult strain after being told it couldn't be done. (Yeah, don't tell me that if you want me to stop.)Purified six proteins (of 12) for final replicate. This means my paper will likely be out by the end of the year. microbiologist xxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07578078880223116616noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2697775263496385011.post-57553633400470066942010-10-27T13:09:00.000-07:002010-10-27T15:51:15.251-07:00When pedestrians scare meRecently, I encountered an individual who I thought seemed like your average everyday pedestrian, although dressed a little on the warm side. About 3o seconds later, I was worried I was going to end up a head line on the evening news: Mental health patient escapes from hospital, kills woman sitting at red light.Here is how it went down:I pulled up to a stoplight to make a right turn. While microbiologist xxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07578078880223116616noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2697775263496385011.post-31939938298332524602010-10-25T16:40:00.000-07:002010-10-25T18:38:58.538-07:00Microbe Monday: O/OREOS, Microbes in SpaceMicrobes are going to orbit the Earth's atmosphere for six months, the first mission since the 1970s to test how a life form handles the conditions outside the protection of the earth's magnetic field, according to Space Daily. The O/OREOS (Organism/Organic Exposure to Orbital Stresses) astrobiology nanosatellite mission goal is to demonstrate the capability to do low-cost science experiments on microbiologist xxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07578078880223116616noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2697775263496385011.post-16400133807885559662010-10-22T09:45:00.000-07:002010-10-22T09:50:48.604-07:00Friday Funny: Heaven and SquagelsI freaking love David Cross. His comedy is exactly my sense of humor.(I recommend starting at the 35s mark.)Have a happy weekend!microbiologist xxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07578078880223116616noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2697775263496385011.post-10710014378251914612010-10-21T06:22:00.000-07:002010-10-21T07:02:08.558-07:00Working Late and Loving ItSince going back to work post-baby, my time in the lab is much shorter in duration. On the one hand, I get to the lab about 2 hours earlier, but I leave by 4:00, 4:30 at the latest. This is due to the fact that my husband gets mini-xx ready in the morning (minus the feeding) while I pick her up in the afternoon. There is no more staying late because something didn't work the first time or becausemicrobiologist xxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07578078880223116616noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2697775263496385011.post-52482322343962017922010-10-18T18:37:00.001-07:002010-10-18T20:13:51.568-07:00Microbe Monday: 1/2 lesson, 1/2 rantLast week at the International Conference on Gram-positive Pathogens, there were talks (and posters) on Bacillus anthracis and Clostridium difficile. While listening to some of these talks and poster presentations, I was forced to endure a phrase that grinds my nerves. What is that you ask? It's the phrase: "The dormant spore." It bugs me because it's (1) incorrect and (2) redundant. (1) Why the microbiologist xxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07578078880223116616noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2697775263496385011.post-74290243041227155402010-10-10T18:43:00.000-07:002010-10-10T19:05:05.606-07:00A few states awayI'm out of town this week attending the International Conference on Gram-positive Pathogens in Omaha, Nebraska. The conference started tonight with a dinner buffer and the first of four featured presentations. This talk was given by Olaf Schneewind, who also works on Gram-negative organisms. This is the first conference I have attended all by myself and it's a little strange, a little microbiologist xxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07578078880223116616noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2697775263496385011.post-32480215816762511292010-10-08T08:46:00.001-07:002010-10-08T09:25:33.968-07:00Friday Funny: The best light switch evah!A family member of mine has a very dark bathroom and as a result, you don't see the above light switch plate until you've turned the light on. My husband was the first to use the restroom and discover Jesus and is junk. After leaving the restroom he informed my Aunt of his finding and she asked him if he had switched the light off after his "discovery." He replied that he had. My Aunt then microbiologist xxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07578078880223116616noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2697775263496385011.post-52942887420240506112010-10-06T16:22:00.000-07:002010-10-06T17:25:14.906-07:00Advice Wanted, Please HelpI recently received this email and I think it would be great if anyone with an opinion would give their two cents.This past winter I took a microbiology class for the first time and I fell in love. Now I am currently doing my doctorate in public health in an area that has nothing to do with microbes but I've felt this pull to the sciences since I started. (I must mention that the last time I saw microbiologist xxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07578078880223116616noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2697775263496385011.post-85657898910265061512010-10-05T06:05:00.000-07:002010-10-05T06:25:04.229-07:00It just might work this time \o/The situation: I'm slated to present a poster (blech, I hate posters) at an upcoming meeting. When the meeting is two weeks away, the clouds part, the sun shines and all my cloning problems are resolved. The question: Now that the constructs are complete, can I get the strains made in enough time to do experiments and include the results on the poster? (I've wanted these results on the poster allmicrobiologist xxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07578078880223116616noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2697775263496385011.post-45984344376504332342010-09-30T13:51:00.000-07:002010-09-30T14:07:32.416-07:00The lambs are still screamingHoly. Motherfucking. Crap. I don't know if I mentioned this before; I am claustrophobic. As a result, I don't particularly care for small spaces like elevators, closets, etc. I tolerate them because I know that I can leave. However, if you want me to freak right the fuck out, just make it so that I cannot get out. Today, I got stuck on the 37 degree room. I went in to put some cultures on a microbiologist xxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07578078880223116616noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2697775263496385011.post-13185371204108919282010-09-28T12:35:00.001-07:002010-09-28T18:24:41.644-07:00Seminars, meetings and clubs...just kill me nowI know that, at least in theory, journal clubs, group meetings, lab meetings and that fancy seminar given by a speaker from out of town are for my own scientific good. However, the fact that all of these things occur on a weekly basis is wearing me right the fuck out. My days are already a study in multi-tasking. I need to be productive. Just like everyone else I have deadlines and expectations microbiologist xxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07578078880223116616noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2697775263496385011.post-59976565420882817672010-09-26T07:27:00.000-07:002010-09-26T07:29:27.380-07:00Here goes...nothin'I've noticed a lot of my bloggy friends are twittering and I couldn't resist getting involved. I'm trying to find everyone, but if you find me first, let me know.microbiologist xxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07578078880223116616noreply@blogger.com1