It's been awhile...

So, it's been awhile since I've posted anything here...no good excuse aside from, well, I just haven't been posting anything. I started a separate knitting blog and I've been a bit better about updating that, but blogger and I aren't getting on right now for posting photos, so it's a bit lacking in interesting content.

What is new? Dave and I moved in together, in a 2-bedroom apartment in the building I was living in before, and we got a cat (well, back in September, so that is very old news). His name is Oliver and he is adorable, although he's getting a bit large in the tummy...I've been working hard in lab and getting nowhere, which makes it difficult to keep working hard. We've been going downhill skiing a bit this winter as we've had great snow in Seattle (well, not in Seattle, but in the mountains). That is a great thing about Seattle actually, that it can be in the 40s in the city but snowing like crazy just 50 miles away. I'm constantly blown away by this since where I'm from it's either snowing at home and at the ski areas or it's 40. No significant elevation change to improve the odds of good snow. Dave is an excellent skier, and I am, well, not a bad skier so much as incredibly concerned about injuring myself and thus overly cautious for my abilities. Basically what I mean is that I have the competence to ski much harder stuff than I do, but lack the confidence.

Alright, I must away back to do some science. Most of today has been spent not accomplishing anything, but that's really nothing new. Kind of the going theme around the lab lately - work hard, get nowhere. Work harder, get there with less sleep...

Camping in the Great Pacific Northwest, or Why I Love My New Sleeping Bag...

This past weekend saw an expedition to the Washington coast, just south of Westport. I went with my lunchtime knitting buddies (the fiberphiles) and our respective significant others. Rachel doesn't have a tent, so her and Paul borrowed mine and Dave and I slept in his little backpacking tent, which was fine for sleeping but a bit cramped (vertically) for much of anything else, including sitting up straight or changing clothes. But, we made due. The initial plan was that we would all go surfing, or do something at the beach. In my case, I planned to sit on the beach with my knitting and a book. What we did, because it was overcast and a bit chilly, was sit around the campfire all day, which was lovely, although my almost finished ivory tank top is still just almost finished. We roasted meat and marshmellows on sticks and much beer was consumed. Sunday saw Paul, Rachel, and Kristen actually playing gleefully (what, I ask, is wrong with them? That water is freezing) in the Pacific. Dave and I left early, but we understand that Pam was in the water sans wetsuit and gave herself a nice case of mild hypothermia, which she was bragging copiously about this afternoon...plans are in progress for another trip to the coast, and next time I intend to suck it up and go in the water (hahaha).
An aside - It gets cold at night in Seattle and its environs. Not just a little chilly, but more of a good drop from, say 80 to 50 when the sun goes down. Not that we experienced the sun this past camping expedition, but in general. I remember camping in Wisconsin and Illinois as being more of a struggle to keep cool; now I figure out how many layers I can wear inside my nice new +10F sleeping bag (thank you Dad).
In other news, Dave and I picked 2.5 gallons (yes, gallons) of blueberries yesterday at a secret abandoned patch near Rem's house in Olympia. It was great fun, but how we'll eat all those berries I have no idea. Yes, of course they can be frozen, but they're SO much better fresh...

Happy Birthday to Me!!!

So, today I turned 26. 26!?! How is that possible? I quite liked being 25, so I think I should've been allowed to stay there - as far as I can tell there aren't any perks to being 26. At 25 at least I could rent a car cheaply...In celebration of my birthday, I drank a regular Coke. I don't remember the last time I had a regular soda (and not because I'm getting senile in my old age, but because it was that long ago). I saw it in the lab fridge and thought, "Hey, someone should drink that, and I might as well go for it." And I enjoyed it, but it's too sweet to make a habit of it.
Yesterday I had my topics exam (finally), which I passed (thankfully). So, now I don't know what to do with myself, now that I'm not going to be reading/typing/fighting with Powerpoint/feeling quilty for not doing those things/etc...I guess I have no excuse but to whip myself back into running shape, something I've been using topics as an excuse to neglect for some time now...

Random Tidbits

Did you know that the average well-fed cow produces 115 pounds of manure a day? A DAY! That's a pile as big as me every single day. That's a lot of shit, to put it mildly...

Also, scientists are now suggesting that the contrails from airplanes may be contributing to global warming, because the cirrus clouds made from their ice crystals can trap infrared radiation. Of course, they can also deflect the sun's rays back to space, so I'm not sure I buy this one. But, the photo in National Geographic of the southeastern US covered in little white lines was pretty cool.

Old School Tech

This morning I saw someone on the bus listening to a walkman. A walkman! I didn't know tapes still existed, let alone were listened to in public and not in the privacy of the cars of those unfortunate enough not to have upgraded to a cd player. It's funny though, because just last week I was noticing that at least 50% of the people I see on the bus who have headphones on have the nifty telltale iPod ones. Myself included, of course : ) I was only marginally behind on that trend...speaking of trends though, what I want now is the new Motorola Razr phone, although I would have to switch cell phone companies to get one (and I don't have the $$$).

On Being a Klutz

I fell down the stairs at Allen Library today. It was only a couple of stairs, and thankfully I'm pretty sure I was not observed, but still. And they were cement stairs, and I landed really hard on my right knee, and it's all swollen, and it hurts like hell. Now, this isn't remarkable on its own, except that I am forever tripping over my own feet. Last quarter, in the middle of teaching a class, I spun around and my feet flew out from under me and I ended up on, yes, that same poor right knee. Now, that was embarrassing. I had almost forgotten about it until today, when I was discussing my stairwell excursion and one of my students said, "Hey, didn't you do something like that in class last quarter?" Too bad they don't have such good memories when it comes to exams...

Sore Throats

I hate sore throats. Today I woke up with a twinge and am going to sleep with something that should be illegal...that is all.

Sweet new skills!

I learned how to crochet! My aunt Susan's friend Becky taught me while they were in Seattle this week - I've been needing a new method of procrastination...
I also successfully completed my first immunofluorescence experiment today - I can make cells glow in lovely shades of green! Does it make me a science geek to be excited about this? Whatever.

I'm also pretty good with a bowstaff, should it come up.