Lab, lab, lab...

Well sorry it's been so long since I've posted an update. Things have been insanely busy the past few weeks. To give you an idea...besides staying in the lab for 11 hours at a time some days, I have a sore muscle in my hand where my thumb attaches from repeated pipetting.


I have gotten a lot of work done, had some really frustrating days where absolutely nothing works, and have had a few successes. I'll be meeting Monday morning with Dr. Edwards and Louisa to finalize my experimental design for the Fall. I also might have an opportunity to help out one of the vets here at UTCVM with one of his projects doing similar lab techniques I'll be using for my project. So things are still moving forward, but just very very   s l o w l y. That seems to be a common trend in grad school. Things always take longer than you think they will. Lovely.


Jessy defended her thesis on Tuesday. I can't believe it! She did a great job and after a few hours of brutal questioning by her committee, passed! It doesn't really feel real to me, though I'm sure no where near as unreal as it feels to her to be finished. Kim will be defending in a few weeks and then once they turn in their theses, I'll be the only grad student in this lab until January when Megan Goodwin starts. It's hard to believe enough time has gone by for Jessy and Kim to have finished, but thankfully time is still flying. Before I know it, it will be me about to defend and turn in my thesis.

I've been enjoying our Tuesday night book studies at Barley's.  Kim has been joining me as our Sunday school class reads One.Life.  We usually end up discussing all sorts of interesting things with no limits for the topic.  I think most people might feel a bit awkward in our group discussing the things we do, but we all have a blast and enjoy the honesty and openness of the discussions. 

Justin and I finished The Five Love Languages and really, really enjoyed it.  I HIGHLY recommend that everyone read that book.  It not only helps you figure out the ways in which you like to receive love, but it makes you become more aware of others and their needs.  Just by the actions that we do, the things we say, and the requests we make, someone who knows what they are looking for can tell what kind of love we need in order to keep our "love tank" full.  Words of affirmation, quality time, physical touch, receiving gifts, and acts of service are the 5 languages that we use to express love to each other.  This knowledge not only helps in personal relationships, but also with children.  Again, it is a must read, especially if you are married or in a serious relationship. 

I am almost finished with The Host, written by Stephanie Meyer (who wrote the Twilight series) and it is incredible!  I have a few other books that Louisa has lent me (some of her favorites) that I will eventually get to.  My next audio book series will definitely be The Hunger Games because I have heard nothing but incredible reviews about them.

Well, that's all for now.  Essau is good.  Asher is good.  I'm busy, but good.  Justin is wrapping up work with USDA and will be in Knoxville next weekend for a few days before he starts his 3rd and final year of classes!  This next year is going to be the most hectic one yet and I am ready to face it head on.

Fin

Well I did it.  I finished all 4 books!  So, so good.  I'll be reading Stephanie Meyer's other book, The Host, over the next few weeks.  I got a Knox county library card and am borrowing the CD audiobook for my trip to Raleigh this coming weekend.  It's 20 CDs...so it'll take me more than the trip there and back to finish it. 

This 3-day weekend has been very enjoyable.  I spent it reading, cleaning, working out with Herald, and hanging out with the Erwin family.  I took three of the four kids to the barn today and they watched me bathe Essau and then we grazed him while he dried off.  They seemed to enjoy that, especially little Sophia who called him seesaw :)  I am going to a 4th of July cookout this evening at Jessy's house.  Providing the storms we just had stay away, it should be a fun evening outside eating and making s'mores. 

I really hope this 4-day week goes by quickly.  I had a really rough Thursday and Friday last week where absolutely nothing worked in the lab.  That was funny at first, and then extremely frustrating.  I hope that we can figure out what is going on this week so that I am not as frustrated and so I can move forward instead of spinning in circles.  Friday can't come soon enough!  I'll be heading home that afternoon, getting in late Friday night.  Saturday we have our cake testing/consultation and will be visiting the fairgrounds to watch the girls in the State 4-H horse show.  Other exciting things to look forward to include seeing my new apartment, eating cheesecake from cheesecake factory, eating a cookout milkshake, and of course seeing friends, family, and Justin.  :)  It will be a short trip, but I am very glad I get to go home at all.  This summer is zipping by so fast!  We hit the 11 month mark two days ago and it is finally starting to feel like it's getting close.  I'm really excited to see how the next 11 months go...

Catching Up

Reading status:  almost done with book 3!!  Stephanie Meyer is an amazing author.  She writes so that the reader feels like they're living in the story.  I feel like Bella and that I'm experiencing all of her emotions.  It has been pretty cool living her love story throughout the books and I am excited to see what happens in the end.  I haven't read the 4th book and the first of two movies for that book comes out in November so I really have no idea where the story goes or how it ends!!  I should know in a week or two :)

Mom and Dad got back from the Caymans on Saturday.  It sounds like they had a nice, quiet time with lots of relaxing, reading, and snorkeling.  Justin also took a little trip to Delaware to help load a bunch of Holstein heifers onto the world's largest livestock ship to be sent to Turkey.  He seems to have enjoyed it a lot! 

My last week was SUPER busy in the lab (extending into Saturday...ugh).  I am now finished optimizing my primers and am ready to start testing real samples as preliminary data.  So that's good!  Jessy and Kim are working really hard to finish up their theses so they can defend and graduate by August.  It's nice to be able to watch them in this stage because that is where I'll be next Spring. 

Kim and I went to Scott's for dinner last night (my Sunday school teacher) where we had fresh hamburgers (from his uncle's cows) and all the fixings.  That was one of the best burgers I've ever had (sorry Dad)!  We had a great time talking to Scott and Wendy, her grandparents, and all of their kids.  It was very relaxing and comforting being around such a loving family.  It's nice not to spend the evening alone in the apartment. 

Justin and I started a new book for our video chat book dates.  The Five Love Languages by Gary Chapman had been recommended to me by many different people, so we decided to try it out.  We took the assessment and figured out our top three love languages (which happen to be the same, just in different rankings).  I love these books because they create conversations that we would not otherwise have and allow us to discuss things we've never even thought about.  I feel so comfortable talking to him about everything and it is a great way to enjoy time together even though we're apart.  It's at these times that I feel closest to him despite the distance, when we're sharing our deepest thoughts, feelings, and experiences. 

This week should be pretty busy in the lab again, but next Monday is the 4th of July (meaning a 4-day week) and the following weekend I'll be in Raleigh!!!!!  Not that I'm excited or anything...

Ok, I'm hooked

Just as an update...I finished Twilight tonight :)  I'm going to Books-A-Million tomorrow to buy them all because I am hooked!  I can't believe I finished it so fast, which tells you it must be amazing considering my lack of enthusiasm for reading...until recently.  I also bought the DVDs from Walmart :)  I saw the trailer for the new one (first of two for the last book, like in Harry Potter) which comes out November 18th.  I will not be one of the crazies who watches it at 12:01 AM on opening day, but I am very excited about seeing it.  I will have them all read by then for sure :)

Kim and I had a girls' night tonight.  We went to dinner at Jason's Deli, had milkshakes from Chic-fil-A, and then went and saw Something Borrowed.  It was really good! 

Justin went home today to spend some time with his family.  Louise posted pictures of him, Amber, and Erica with their dad as well as all their kids.  It was really great to see everybody together in the pictures, but I was a little bummed I wasn't there with them.  But I am glad Justin will get to spend Father's Day with his dad! 

Also, Mom and Dad arrived safely in Grand Cayman today (sigh).  I know they'll enjoy their week and everyone here who knows what we're missing will be wishing we were with them.  Justin and I have been talking more about honeymoon destinations and Grand Cayman currently sits at the top of our list :)

120 boxes of floss...really?

Ok, so I just don't get that Extreme Couponing show.  I mean yes, I understand that coupons can save you money and I know many people who take advantage of "double days" to save them even more.  What I don't understand is why these people have to buy HUNDREDS of items?  Is it just to impress the world enough to land a starring role on the show?  Or is there some rule that the coupons only work when you buy large quantities?  It just blows my mind that these people have literally stock-piled any non-perishable item (many of which they don't need or use).  I mean these people build rooms onto their homes to store all of their stuff.  I saw one lady who built a room to store her COUPONS!  And they devote at least 35 hours per week getting things in order and figuring out exactly how their shopping splurge will go.  That just seems insane to me.  I think I use a coupon here and there when it is for something that I am already going to buy.  I don't have the rule where I only buy things that are on sale.  Why would you go the grocery store multiple times a week to buy just the things that are on sale?  Seems like a waste of time to me. 

Well, in Uther news...I have been infected with the bookworm...Perhaps I am finally turning on the gene that my mother expresses so abundantly, but whatever the case, I am really into reading lately!  I "read" The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown on the way to and from Charleston for Chris and Sam's wedding and LOVED it!  I really love all of Dan Brown's books!!  Then, after seeing the movie and loving it, I read Water for Elephants in...get this...THREE DAYS!  That is completely unheard of for me!  Jessy lent me that book and just gave me the first in the Twilight series.  I opened it today and 128 pages later realized it was getting late!  It is such a peaceful feeling to get lost in a story, in another world for a bit.  It is a very cleansing feeling and really helps me to "escape" from the stresses and busyness of grad school.  So I'll probably have this one finished by next week :)  Luckily there are 3 more after it, so I should have plenty to read over the next few months!  Any other really awesome book suggestions would be gladly accepted :)

On another note, Justin and Tim moved into their new apartment last weekend (what will be Justin and my first "home" once we're married).  I have been given the tour through video chat and it looks nice.  Definitely a mansion compared to my little bitty abode :)  Justin also ordered a new bed which should arrive on Thursday.  It is the exact same as the one I have been sleeping on the past 8 years or so.  It is a premier pillow top orthopedic mattress and my back and I are in love with it :)  I'm glad Justin will get to enjoy the wonders of that mattress now too! 

Things are INCREDIBLY busy in the lab.  I have been going 100 mph all week doing all kinds of lab work.  I don't really see things slowing down much either.  The most annoying part about the recent weeks has been my dreams, which consist of exactly what my days entail.  I spend the whole night dreaming about doing lab work and wake up thinking I am actually doing it. I have to constantly remind myself that I am not actually in the lab and that whatever I am doing can wait until I get to the lab.  I thought dreams were supposed to be the ultimate escape!  Someone needs to have a serious conversation with Mr. Sandman...

Even when the rain falls

The past week has gone by very quickly, though the days themselves seemed to drag on.  Last weekend, Jessy and I went to Cookeville, TN to teach at the TN 4-H Sheep Conference.  We taught high schoolers on Friday night for a few hours, going more in depth into sheep reproduction: estrous cycles, hormones, male and female anatomy (with heifer tracts for them to dissect), embryonic development, gestation, parturition, and advances in reproductive technologies.  They seemed to enjoy it.  Saturday morning, we had younger kids (middle school) that came in 3 rotations.  I led the discussion for that, with a little less detail and a little more general stuff.  Jessy and I then cleaned up, got in the truck and headed back to Knoxville to go to Becca's baby shower.  That was fun and there were a good number of people there (mostly from the lab).  That took place at Kim's house and once everyone left, she and I cleaned up a bit before getting ready for the rodeo.

The rodeo was in Blaine, TN which is right on the way to Bean Station (where I frequent to visit the slaughter house).  Kim had a great time, but it was definitely a culture shock to her.  I was under-impressed with the performance of the exhibitors.  My mom would say "the cows won".  It was a good rodeo though, with plenty of events and a hilarious clown guy who provided many laughs and tears at one point from laughing so hard. 

Memorial day was pretty enjoyable.  I got to go ride Essau in the morning which was so pleasant!  I went into work for a little bit to get some stuff done and then relaxed the rest of the day.  The rest of the week was full of slaughter house trips, reading papers, lab work, and staying busy. 

Jordan came into town yesterday (Saturday) morning since she was at a workshop in Gatlinburg all week.  We went to the barn to ride Essau, toured the campus, had Menchie's, watched Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1, and ate at Dead End BBQ.  I think she enjoyed her time here.  She left early this morning to head back to Raleigh. 

Justin and I just finished our book this afternoon, Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus.  I really enjoyed it and recommend that everyone read it.  It can help relationships whether you are single, engaged, or married.  It has brought up so many things that people never think about, but are absolutely true.  There are lots of examples that help explain the concepts and there wasn't a chapter we read where one of us didn't relate to what was being discussed.  We both have a copy, so feel free to borrow it!! 

I've been thinking a lot lately about this time next year.  With everyone finishing school and so many people moving in and out of my apartment complex, it just makes me think about when I will get to finish and move.  Justin and Tim are moving into their new apartment this Friday, which will be the apartment Justin and I live in once we're married!!  I am so excited to get to see it in July when I head home for a 3-day weekend.  Even with so much more ahead of me, I catch small glimpses of light at the end of the tunnel and can get a little bit excited about graduating, moving back home, getting married, honeymooning, and settling into my new life!!  Justin and I have been looking at/talking about furniture lately which also adds to the excitement.  I found a table I love and we've looked at a few different beds and couches.  It's crazy to think we're actually going to get married one of these days!  For SO long it has been something that was so far down the road, but now we are less than a year out!!!  I guess now I can really start booking things and getting a little more serious about wedding planning since I'm in the "normal" time range.  There's a countdown on this blog now that will keep you up to date, but I will still just be counting down the months until it's less than 1 month away :) 

This Tuesday starts a Bible study/book reading group with my Sunday school class.  We'll be meeting at Barley's Taproom, a local pizzeria/pub where we'll discuss a chapter from a book each week (whichever one we decide to read).  I'm pretty excited about it! 

On a random note, here are two incredible songs that I have been playing over and over.  Enjoy!

Science is Cool

It's crazy to think about the things that are going on in these little bitty tubes when I'm in the lab.  I can grind up a piece of tissue, add some stuff, spin it through a filter and voila!  I have RNA!   Then, I can mix that with some other ingredients and make DNA!  I can then add a little of this and a pinch of that and amplify one particular piece of that DNA.  It all makes perfect sense in a book, drawn out with figures and I understand how everything works.  What blows my mind is that it actually happens in those teeny amounts of liquid right before my eyes.  We're talking about 25 microliters of stuff (equivalent of perhaps a drop of water).  I can't tell the difference in the three different clear liquids, but they are completely distinct!  And we've created machines that can tell the difference. 

These processes remind me a lot of faith.  I know that this stuff is really in this little drop of water.  I can't see it, but I know it's there.  This also adds some fuel to the creation/evolution debate.  I believe science.  I know it is there.  I know how some of it works and I know that a lot of it is still a mystery.  But you cannot tell me that all of those intricate little processes were not divinely created.  There's no way that all of the different aspects of science just happened to be.  They are way too cool, way too programmed, and way too detailed not to be created by God.  How cool is it that we started out clueless about how we work, how things on Earth work, and how life exists and then slowly but surely began to figure it out?  Science has itself evolved just in its understanding of the world.  It's so funny to look back at some of scientists' speculations about why things worked the way they did.  But if they didn't ask those questions, we never would have figured out how things really work!  I just think science is really cool in that regard because we're always learning new things and expanding our knowledge. 

There's my spiel for the day.  I'm going to Cookeville, TN tomorrow with Jessy to lead the TN 4-H Sheep Conference.  We'll be heading back to Knoxville Saturday around lunch time to go to Becca's baby shower.  Then I'm taking Kim to her very first rodeo.  It's in Blaine, TN which is on the way to Bean Station.  It'll probably be pretty red, but should be a good time.  She's going all out and I let her borrow a pair of my boots for her to wear.  She's pretty excited to play dress up :)