Wednesday, December 30, 2009

Back in Memphis

And already missing home.  This past week was so nice.  I got to relax and spend some much needed Q.T. with the family.  Especially Sarah.  I think I gained about 35 lbs for 8 days.  Literally she would not leave my side.  But I must admit, its nice to be loved that much.  I got home about 11 this morning and took a very long nap.  Family time was nice, but I stayed up late a lot and woke up early a lot.  A long nap was necessary.  Not much work to do in the lab the rest of the week so I'll be taking it easy for the next 5 days.
Not sure what exactly my plans are for tomorrow night, but I know I'll be hanging out with some of the girls.

Here are some of pics of my time at home.

Sarah and mine's annual Christmas cooking day.



Family portraite with Great Grandma Doll.  Not the best pic of me, but oh well.



Sarah and I.



Sarah opening her gift from me on Christmas morning.  Who would have thought a 6 year old would love a science kit so much?  I'm training her early.

Monday, December 21, 2009

Merry Christmas!

I'm heading home to the family tomorrow so I probably won't be posting much.  And I was so terrible this year and didn't get any Christmas cards out.  So, here is my Christmas card to you.  I love you all and wish you the very best Christmas and a wonderfully happy New Year!



PS I love Straight No Chaser.  They are so good!

Friday, December 18, 2009

Dog Snuggies

Ok, so I am not sure how I feel about the whole snuggie thing.  I mean it seems like a good idea but I just can't get into it.  Then not too long ago I learned that they make them for dogs as well.  This I just thought was silly.  Who would ever buy their dog a snuggie?  And then about 10 minutes ago I received this from my mom.


You see, Molly (the dog) loves to go for car rides.  But it gets cold in the car while mom is in the stores and what not, so she bought her a snuggie.  Apparently Molly loves it.  And I guess I can be ok with that.  I mean she does look pretty cute.  But don't expect to see me in one any time soon.

Thursday, December 17, 2009

I'm dreaming of a long vacation...

Seriously.  Its all I can think about.  At least when I have a chance to think.  This past month has been absolutely crazy and I cannot wait to have some serious R&R.  A whole week of it!  Granted its not 2 weeks like some of my classmates are getting but then again they are not already getting published.  Got work hard to make a name for yourself I guess.  4 more days.  Only 4 more days until....


Wednesday, December 16, 2009

As we approach the next decade...

I was listening to the radio this morning and they were talking about things that have become obsolete in the last 10 years.  I thought it was pretty entertaining so I decided to share.  Some are more fun than others. You can read more here.

1. PDA.
  Palm Pilots are now Smart Phones
2. Email accounts you have to pay for (AOL)
  Thank you Gmail!!
3. Dial-up
  So don't miss that!
4. Getting film developed.
  We're so digital these days.
5. Movie rental stores.
  NETFLIX!!
6. Maps (as in the kind you fold and put in your glove box)
  Now we all have a GPS
7. Newspaper classifieds
 Thank you Craigslist
8. Land lines.
9. Long distance charges.
10. Public payphones.
11.VCRs
  I'm kind of sad about that one.  I have some VHS tapes that I miss watching.
12.  Fax Machines.
13. Phone books, dictionaries, encyclopedias.
  So much easier to look things up online.
14.  Calling 411.
  So true.  No one calls 411 anymore.
15. CDs
  Not sure I believe this one quite yet.  People still buy CDs.
16. Using floppy disks to back up your data.
  Flash drives are so much more convenient.
17. Getting bills in the mail.
18. Buttons.
 Think touch screen.
19. Losing touch and along with that boundries.
  Thank you facebook, myspace, twitter.....
20. Paper.
  Again, not sure I agree.  I use lots of paper every day.  I mean people still print stuff out all the time.

Tuesday, December 15, 2009

Arise, Your Light Has Come

 We sang this song during our Lessons and Carols performance a couple weekends ago and I cannot seem to get it out of my head.  Its really good.  And I really enjoyed sing it.


Awake, my spirit, Awake lute and harp;
I will awake at the dawn of day.Arise,
I will confess You, O Lord among the nations.
I will raise a psalm to You, for Your love, is wide as the heavens,
And Your truth reaches to the skies!

Wake, awake, for night is flying,
The watchmen on the hieghts are crying;
Awake, Jerusalem at last.

Midnight hears the welcome voices,
And at the thrilling cry rejoices:
"Come forth you maidens! Night is past.

The bridegroom comes, awake; Your lamps with gladness take!"
Alleluia! Prepare yourselves to meet the Lord,
Whose light has stirred the waiting guard..

Now let all the heavens adore you,
And saints and angels sing before You.
The harps and cymbals all unite.

Of one pearl each shining portal,
Where, dwelling with the choir immortal
We gather around Your dazzling light.
No eye has seen nor ear has yet been trained to hear.
What joy is ours!
Crescendos rise; Your halls resound Hosannas blend in cosmic sound.

Arise, O Jerusalem! Arise clothed in light! Your light has come, and the glory of God upon your hearts will shine.
Alleluia!

Monday, December 14, 2009

Duh

This past Saturday my roommate and I had a Holiday party at our place for our class.  Everyone brought a dish and we had a very nice dinner.  Then after dinner we exchanged White Elephant gifts.  My roommate wrapped up some pumpkins we had left over from Halloween.  I wrapped up some hideous lipsticks left over from all my Mary Kay stuff.  I was hoping one of the guys would pick it, but the Chinese girl of the group did instead.  It was still pretty funny.  I seemed to have lucked out.  While kind of ridiculous, my gift is actually pretty entertaining.  I ended up with DUH! The Stupid History of the Human Race.  Its a random compilation of the stupid things people have said and done throughout history.  As well as old customs and social traditions.  Here are a couple excertps from the book that I find particularily entertaining.

Vice President Dan Quayle: "It isn't pollution that's harming the environment.  It's the impurities in our air and water that are doing it."
Um, Duh.

The post office printed a batch of international stamps in 1999 featuring a picture of the Grand Canyon and this message across the stamp: "Grand Canyon, Colorado."  The Grand Canyon is located in Arizona.

In Colonial America people thought they could cure stomach aches by placing big boots on their stomachs.

Turkish scientists conducted a study in 1981 to determine if disco music turned mice homosexual.  It does, they concluded.

Saturday, December 12, 2009

Its Beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

Especially in my house.  I LOVE Christmas.

I really love decorating for Christmas.

Half of my living room all gussied up!

Pretty Christmas tree. 


And making Christmas cookies.



Only a small part of the aftermath of my roommate and mines baking day.


Getting ready to frost sugar cookies.  Lots of frosting colors?  Check!

And being a friendly neighbor and sharing my cookies.



Our pretty cookie gift bags for our most favorite neighbors.

We even made little goody bags for the dogs!

And tonight my roommate and I are hosting a little Holiday party for all of our classmates.  Should be fun!

Shopping time is running out

I know we still have like 13 days until Christmas, but I am starting to stress out about my gift buying.  The only person I actually have a gift for is my dad.  Granted it is a pretty good one.  But I am usually so on top of my gift buying and this year I am totally not.   I have absolutely no idea what to get my mom.  And suggestions??  I am pretty sure my brothers will just be getting gift cards which is so lame and unoriginal, but I know they are both really low on cash and there is nothing else they particullarly need.  And Sarah, well there are a ton of things I can get her.  She's the easy one.  And my Great Grandma is spending Christmas with us so I need to get her a little something.  She loves to write and send cards to people so my mom is making her a box full of homemade cards.  She's so crafty like that.  I might try to wedge my way into that gift.  I could make some fun cards.  I mean my grandma is well into her 80's.  She's not looking for a big extravegant gift.  Maybe I could make her a little lap blanket.  Anyway.  Even if I did know what I want to get everyone, I have no idea when I would actually get it.  My weekdays are packed full at work and working late so I don't really have any time in the evening.  And on the weekends, in between holiday parties and gatherings, I have to come into work to finish up some experiments before I leave for the holidays.  So how exactly I am supposed to get shopping done, I have no idea.  I might end up being one of those last minute shoppers this year.

Thursday, December 10, 2009

O_O

That is me.  Trying to keep my eyes open at all costs.  I had my final exam yesterday (!!!) of the last class I officially have to take (!!!!!!).  I got about oh, 4 hours of sleep between Monday and Tuesday nights.  See not only was my exam Wednesday morning, but a paper that I have been working on with my mentor was due for submission by 5:00 yesterday as well.  So while I spent my entire days in the lab running around like a mad scientist, I had no choice but to spend my entire nights studying.  My plan was to go to bed early last night.  But then I decided that I just had to frost the sugar cookies I made Saturday and then I had to make the mint chocolate covered pretzels I've been wanting to make.  And then, stupid me, I started trying to fix the burnt out Christmas lights on my tree.  However after about 20 minutes of that, I gave up and went to bed.  And for most the night I slept like a baby, until I woke up freezing!  The temp outside dropped so low I am pretty sure I could see my breath when I breathed...In my bedroom!!  I put on an extra blanket and turned on my little heater but of course I couldn't get warm the rest of the night.  And to top it all off I had to get up early to be trained on how to use a machine I will need for new experiments I will be doing. 
Now I am sitting at my desk and trying my hardest not to fall asleep while typing.
Note to all of you who found good jobs without having to go to Grad School....I am jealous.

On a happy note, my choir performed our big Christmas concert this past weekend.  (the reason I was busy this weekend and didn't get a lot of studying done).  It was soooo magical.  I am so glad I got to be a part of it.  Here is a pic of our awesome choir!!

Saturday, December 5, 2009

Kitty Surprise

Too cute!  Couldn't stop laughing and had to share.

Thursday, December 3, 2009

All Christmas, all the time

I found the all Christmas music channel on the radio on my way home from work last night.  It was great.  Totally got me excited for the season.  Not that I need any help in that department.  I already have out all my Christmas decorations.  There is one large tree (in need of some new lights, half the strands are burnt out), one small tree, and LOTS of penguine stuff.  Although by the time I got all of the fall decorations put away and all the boxes of Christmas stuff out and unloaded I was pretty tired.  So while about half the decorations are put around the house, the other half are in a nice little pile on the couch and coffee table waiting for a permanent home for the season.  Hopefully I will have time this weekend to get that taken care of in the midst Christmas cookie baking and studying for a final.  Oh and I put my flanal Christmas sheets on my bed last night.  And seeing as how my room seems to be about 5 degrees colder than the temperature outside, flanal sheets are quite magical!

Wednesday, December 2, 2009

Today I am a Surgeon

And exhausted and wet and headachy and stuffy.  Yes I am complaining.  This past weekend was so wonderful with my family in town and I had such a great time with them.  Then I hit a brick wall and I am still looking for a way around.  Apparently keeping up with a 6 year old is very exhausting.  We had a lot of fun though. 
She visited me in the lab and LOVED it.  As soon as I showed her how to handle the pipets and tubes, she was all about it.  She saved all the tubes she filled and referred to them all weekend as her "experiments for her research".  It was too cute.





She helped me get the turkey ready.  How many 6 year old girls do you know that willingly stick their hands into gooey stuff and then rub it all over a cold turkey?  She loved it.




We made homemade gingerbread for our gingerbread house.  The construction was a little iffy, and looked like it was about to fall over, but it was still standing this morning.



We went to Zoo Lights at the Memphis Zoo.  It was a lot of fun.  The weather was perfect for walking around outside.  We didn't get to see as many animals as we wanted though.



We went to the dog park and met one of my friends and his dog there.  She had a great time with the dog.  I keep telling my mom she needs a real dog, not some little fluffy thing.


It really was a great 5 days. 
But now its back to reality and I have 36 mice to operate on.