A Few Thoughts

I know, I know, it has been a week or so since I lasted posted. But because my 15 minute nap this evening lasted 1.5 hours, I have to go to bed for real very soon. Today was long day, very long - I left the house at 6:45, got to work at 7:15am and didn't leave until 6:01pm and finally arrived home at 6:50 pm. This is not my normal day length, but today I wanted to use a machine called a Scanning Electron Microscope (or SEM for short) and it was booked by other people from 8 am to 6pm. Not thinking that I would be around past 5, I aimed for the morning. Well...I didn't actually write my name on the sheet because no one gets here earlier than 8am, and only before 10am if their young and you get lucky. Much to my surprise, however, the person was already on the machine! So here I was, at work ridiculously early, with practically nothing to do. Oh well, c'est la vive, n'est pas? 

Days are also kind of slow right now because I am in a transition part of the project, which requires new chemicals, and thus wait time. It means I am back in the literature, researching and reading things that often go over my head. But, I did recently discover that Ames has a few libraries on base, and the one in my building is great! It is a much better place to read my literature than either my lab or my semi-desk space 5 minutes away. And almost no one uses it, so it is quiet...and warm...and comfortable. And the old guy who walks by my lab all the time is pretty much the only other person in there, and he sits and responds to emails for hours. Literally. I watched him type emails from 1-4 today, and he was still there when I left. I snuck a picture of him with my Photobooth and built in computer camera, but all I got was a back shot. I also found out his name is Joseph. Soon, I might even try striking up a conversation with him...

I really was holding off posting another blog entry because I was marathoning through both my TV show seasons that I missed this last year and through the finishing steps of a sweater I am knitting. I didn't really stop to do much else this last weekend and really wanted to post pictures of the final project. But, alas, doing things the right way takes more time than I thought, I will not be finished for a while yet. (Also, the needles I need to completely finish it are currently in use with another project that I started without thinking that I might need the needles for the sweater). This particular sweater was started during Christmas break of my freshman year, in 2007. Don't think I am a slow knitter though, I just could not justify taking the time to knit this school year because of the amount of homework I had, as much as I wanted to do nothing more than sit, chat, sip some tea and knit my sweater. 

Fun new thing coming up: my family is coming down on Sunday and will be here for about a week!! We are going to go to Bakersfield, CA, for the 4th (don't worry, if you don't know where that is or are wondering why I am going to that part of Cali, I understand). Bakersfield is where my great-Aunt and Uncle live, and we have gone down there a few times during the summer breaks. Alas, we generally go during the hottest week of the year, where I distinctly remember reading '117 degrees F' on the thermometer for a few days.... I am so much more a winter weather kind of girl... But, it will be fun to see my family and relatives, as I will have a grand total of 8 days in WA before heading back to school. However, once there, Elizabeth my sister will be joining me, so that will be fun to have her at school with me. We've gone to the same schools since preschool. I think she will like SPU, it definitely was her first choice for college. 

I hate to always sign off with this, but it is past my bedtime now (it is 10:42 pm) and I have to get up so early to go to work. I'll post pictures tomorrow. Bon nuit!