"Game"

New Mexico really has become a hot spot for Hollywood film crews. Nate's aunt was an extra in "3:10 to Yuma," "Wild Hogs" was filmed solely in NM, "Brothers" is currently being filmed in Los Alamos, and, unbeknownst to me as I walked amongst the film crews about an hour ago, "Game" is being filmed right here at UNM! Had I known, I would have dressed nicer - maybe I could have been an extra! I guess if real estate doesn't work out, I could always focus on extra-ing! Do I see a new career budding??

Yes Woman??

These last few days have been something of a roller coaster - mostly the first drop and very little airtime. In sad news, I found out that my boss's boss, whom I've never officially met and only knew vaguely, died on Tuesday from brain cancer. I guess we all knew it was coming, but it's still always a shock. He was a highly decorated man, recieving honors from all sorts of biology-related organizations. He was well known in the field, and his contributions have greatly impacted society.

I found out about this Tuesday night while having dinner with Scott, Sarah, Jim, and Nate. Scott assumed I'd heard about it, but it was news to me. Other than that, dinner was really nice - we ate at Yanni's, a fancy Greek place. Conversation flowed as we talked about Sarah and Jim's trip to Mexico and our friend Roberta's upcoming return from Alaska. The drive home was a bit distressing, though, as Nate and I talked about our usual dynamic in social situations (not including this evening, however). I'm already a wreck in most social situations, though I am better with my close friends. I've found a "comfortable" way of dealing with it, though, and tend to hide my shyness by being very friendly and apparently agreeing with everything that people say to the point of going overboard. Now, I guess this is something I never noticed, and that I must have picked up from watching late night talk show hosts or something. I like to ask questions and let the other person talk, responding with head nods and apparently eager agreement. Hearing this threw a wrench into my whole "easy" socializing demeanor. It's something I have to watch out for, and if I find myself doing it, I need to figure out how to get around it without clamming up or saying something that could potentially have me beating myself up all night for sounding "stupid" or "offensive." UGH!! Maybe I just shouldn't socialize at all anymore! This is who I've trained myself to be, and it's a rut I don't know how to get out of. It's spawned from me caring too much about what people think of me, and now I worry that people will think I'm a "yes woman." In fact, this isn't the first time I've been told that! Aurgh, maybe I just shouldn't care what people think, either way and just go with the flow...I wonder how star socializers (which I thought I had the illusion of being at times) work their stuff. Maybe I should just give up and be myself...but that's weird, too, because I'm vastly different with different people. I don't know WHO I am anymore. UGH! So that is the dilemma of the day.

So that evening we watched some indie film about a guy eating dinner with some friends (how apropo) and we drank half a bottle of wine. I hadn't yet felt buzzed, so I cracked open some Goldschlagger and drank quite a bit before I felt anything...and then WOW. I passed out, nauseous, and woke up with my first hangover ever (well, that wasn't falsely induced by non-alcoholic champagne)! I wound up taking the day off and sleeping, which was much needed. I'm back today, though, alone in the office again...I better force myself to do some work or it won't happen...

So...Weary...

It has been one heck of a tiresome couple of days. I had to work 13 hours on Sunday, and that about killed me! It really wasn't THAT bad, but it was exhausting. I, along with Gabor, Megan, Bob, and Cheryl, drove a number of EID conference attendees out to see the Valles Caldera National Preserve. I LOVE the Caldera. It's probably my favorite location in the state. But I really needed a weekend, and working on Sunday didn't help. Still, I was lucky enough to have the nicest people in my car: a math professor and his biology student from the University of Idaho (U of I??) and a masters student from Ft. Collins, CO where Jeanine works! Driving stresses me out, so that's probably why I was so exhausted, but being back on the Caldera was worth it. We stopped at some beautiful locations, listening to Bob's informative explanations. It wasn't without adventure, either. We came across a downed tree, and 15 of us helped move it as Bob chainsawed. We also had to contend with some slippery, muddy and icy roads on some precarious mountainsides! Sadly, we didn't see much in the way of wildlife initially, but at the end of our day, we spied a herd of about 100 elk, so we drove over to show them off.

The first time I'd seen the Caldera, Nate drove me past on our way up to Los Alamos. I was pretty nervous, seeing as how it's a gigantic, 14 mile wide volcanic crater that could potentially explode at any time. I was so nervous the first time we went to trap there, too. But the place has grown on me so much that, while down in the crater letting the visitors explore, I just stood out in the grass, contemplating the humongous volcano below, and actually felt so at peace that I wouldn't have minded if the darned thing exploded right there. I was one with the earth, and that would have just made me a permanent fixture to this wonderful place.

So you can see I love the place...so wasn't it exciting when Bob (my current boss, through Dec.) offered me another job, based at the Caldera, starting in May and going through November. He said I'm at the top of his list, so that was really great to hear...we'll have to see, though. I'd have to live there 4 days a week, and I don't know how it's going to mesh with my real estate, much less a book, should I write one. Plus, the 10 hour days sound killer, but apparently I'd get to learn all the plants of the region, and I'd be doing radio telemetry on turkeys and coyotes, so that's awesome! It's definitely something to consider...

Other than that, I've been "working" at the EID (Ecology of Infectious Diseases) conference this week...it had to be the easiest conference to "work." It was so laid back that no one really needed any instruction, and the hotel took care of most of the details. Unfortunately, I was too exhausted to get much out of the presentations, but it was still interesting. It's nice to finally get invited to a conference or two...not that I'd have ever known from GRAD SCHOOL. *grumble, mumble*

Anyway, in sad news, my last rat Flash passed away today...he was so heartbroken after the loss of Geronimo that I think he lost the will to live. I'm just glad he's not suffering anymore. The house just won't be the same without a rat. :(

So that's life 'til now...I have lots of emailing to do and errands to run, but I think I'm just going to pass out!! G'night, all!

Commentary on Controversy

So I had a small conversation with someone today regarding a controversial presentation on some aspect of biological research. The person seemed extremely put off by the views presented, particularly taking umbrage with the mere fact that it was so controversial. That got me thinking...there are so many people out there who are so set in their image of reality that they aren't even willing to open their eyes to a new viewpoint or idea. Just because something is controversial doesn't mean it is something to overlook altogether. Our world is full of so many wonderous things that we are only beginning to understand, and it is very arrogant of us to assume that we know everything and that things are always as they appear. Were it not for controversial, forward thinkers, we could still believe the world was flat. We could still consider the idea that many illnesses are brought on by microorganisms to be unfathomable. We may never have begun to understand the workings of molecules and chemical processes. So many of the obvious facts of today, not to mention many of our modern conveniences and progresses would never have been realized. Just because we seem to think we're so advanced today doesn't mean that we've already discovered everything there is to know. What worries me most is that so many scientists subscribe to their pet paradigms and often go so far as to throw out data that may indicate that things are other than as they believe. There are many examples of such things in all fields including biology, archaeology, paleontology, physics, and so on. We need scientists, heck, everyone for that matter, to open their eyes and open their minds...there is an amazing world out there that we have yet to discover, and pooh poohing someone's potentially innovative idea outright may hinder the acquisition of such things. I'm not saying we should agree with everything and not question whatever is told to us...quite the contrary! ALWAYS question what is told to you! However, don't just disregard someone else's hypothoses without serious, honest testing yourself. Just because it may not fit into your world view doesn't mean that things aren't that way. We live in a mysterious world, and only by opening our minds will we facilitate paving the road to discovery.

Stargazing

It's been another productive couple of days, catching up on the usual drudgery, but also incorporating some fun. Yesterday, after an abnormally long absence, we returned to Putt Putt to partake in their Super Saturday Special. We played two exciting rounds of mini golf, indulged on our complimentary peanut butter M&Ms, and played in the arcade. As usual, I won Flaming Finger's jackpot on my first try, subsequent tries being much harder. I did manage to win a large jackpot on my last try of the day, however, thanks to the fact that some idiot slimed the screen with who knows what...it was absolutely disgusting, but I got a nice amount of tickets out of it. Still, thinking back on it really grosses me out. *shudder*

The day before that, I put together a lunch at the all-you-can-eat sushi restaurant near campus - it was a great turnout - mostly old Hanta crewers (Liz, Jewels, Scott, and Sarah), but Nate came, too! Not everyone knew each other, but everyone hit it off splendidly, and we all had a great time. Nate and I gorged ourselves on sushi while the others were a bit more discreet. Hopefully I can get us all together again for another fun luncheon.

The night before THAT, Scott, Sarah, Jim, Nate and I met up for dinner at the Standard Diner. I'd driven past the place several times before and just assumed it was a diner, and a standard one at that. I couldn't have been more wrong. It turned out it was another one of NM's signature trendy yuppie hangouts. The food was all pretty pricey, and each item featured a strange twist...there were burgers adorned with crabcakes, mac and cheese with green chile, chicken fried sashimi-grade tuna...even the water came with a cucumber instead of a lemon! Nate and I weren't that thrilled with our selections, but that's not to say other things might not have been good. Places like this like to experiment, and a lot of times what they concoct isn't the best...but I can't imagine you could go too wrong with crabcakes and burgers (though Scott said the crabcakes from Jinja were better). Still, for an unusual pseudo-diner experience, it's worth checking out.

Other than that, last night, Nate and I decided to drive out to the east side of the Sandia's in search of Comet Holmes, currently the largest single object in our solar system (the diameter of its coma is larger than the sun!). We finally found a pull off that was devoid of light and scanned the sky with our binoculars. Finally, Nate noticed a dim, fuzzy circle alongside a bright star - we don't know what else it could have been! So we watched it for a while...it's really not all that spectacular, but it was satisfying to know we were able to spot the thing. It's too bad we live amidst all the city lights - I wish we could just sit on our porch and stargaze sometimes - you never know what you might see!

So that's life 'til now...it's always an adventure!

Some Down Time

Yesterday was so productive! Our internet has been down for about a week, so I wound up staying home most of the day to wait on the repairman. While doing so, I was able to do some much-needed organizing in the kitchen - it's a whole new place in there! I found items I didn't even know we had. Before the repairman came, I was also able to swing over to the Coldwell Banker office I'll be working from in January - I attended their weekly meeting and was introduced to everyone. I felt rather out of place, being a full blooded biologist, but everyone seemed welcoming and kind, so that was wonderful. Hopefully I can be successful in my new endeavor!

Beyond that, I was also able to schedule a dentist appointment for the afternoon and had the cleaning I was long overdue for. From there, I got a haircut - it was such a productive day! I felt unbeatable.

That evening, Nate and I met Bob for dinner at Landry's - a seafood place that I usually love. For some reason, though, this evening's food seemed excessively greasy and I wound up feeling really off that night. Today I was afflicted with food poisoning and wound up staying home again. I just couldn't do anything without feeling nauseated, and I was completely out of energy to boot. I slept most of the day, and I really did need it. I did manage to (finally) compose my NYC narrative (three months after the fact), and I'm so glad it's done. I was also able to talk to my good friend Jenny on the phone for a while - it is always so nice to catch up with her!! I feel bad that it's so hard for us to get a hold of one another, though. :(

So that's life on this end. I should probably get back to resting...as much as I'd like to, I really shouldn't take any more days off if I can help it!

Random Ramblings...

So that last blog was rushed out, seeing as how a bunch of people converged on my office and it probably wouldn't look to good to have the star employee *blushes* pounding out a blog entry. I really am missing having coworkers these days - right now, it's just my supervisor, Megan (whom I rarely see), and me - the camaraderie is gone, and it's sad. Still, I love the independence! I wonder how it's going to be when I change jobs this January - hopefully the best of both worlds!

I'm still recovering from a huge lunch at the new Indian buffet across the street from campus. The food was just amazing, and it's really hard not to gorge yourself. It was good to catch up with Scott a while, too - we were sharing our respective stories of living in Utah today. What an experience!

Upon my return to DNA extractions, I came to realize that the serum we create looks an awful lot like the homemade stout beer Nate helped make at Ed and Kathy's house. Come this December, we'll be able to make our own, too! Anyway, working on the samples actually made me crave beer...I guess that's not as bad as those times in the arthropod collection at U of I when I'd think the insects suspended in ethanol resembled French onion soup and started craving THAT! Hah!

In other news, my last anger class was this past Tuesday...it covered how to deal with angry people, and I found it extremely useful. I couldn't help envisioning The Tyrant aka the Door Nazi throughout the session. I think I'll be better able to handler her in the future (although what I did in the first place was pretty much what was advocated...however I'll be able to deal with the situation in my own mind a bit better). It will take a lot of work, but I'm sure I'll eventually be able to overcome most of my anger issues. At least I don't take it out on people - that was the issue most of my classmates had (which made class rather frightening!). I just need to let go and not let it simmer.

Well, it is nearing the end of the day, and it's FRIDAY!! Thank goodness. I just remembered Nate and I will be going to see his aunt and cousins perform in a Thai dance and music routine this weekend, so that should be fun. As for me, I better get the heck outa here before it gets too dark - I have enough trouble seeing in day light! Have a good weekend, everyone!

At a Distance

It's been a grueling week, mostly because my home internet has been spotty, and I can only do my web-based activities from work. I've meant to write in my blog, but at day's end, I just want to go home. I've also been giving this whole "blog" thing a lot of thought. I meant to use this as a form of journal so I can document my experiences, but then I realized that the multitude of emails I write are essentially doing the same thing...I write some of the most vivid accounts of my life in email form, so why do I even need a blog? Well, those emails are only shared with a select few, but this blog allows me to share with everyone who has an interest. Granted, I probably won't go into all the details here as I might to a good friend, but I intend to recount and recreate all I can for my dear readers...

Not too much has been happening this past week, actually. I finally finished up my extraction plates yesterday, leaving only 90 stragglers to go. I prefer doing the individual ones as it is, since I can settle in the back of the lab and be lost in my own world for a while. Then there's the hour and a half breaks I love, during which I can retreat to my office and play on the internet. Good times.

Another good thing about being done with plates is not having to strain my eyes. After looking at things up-close for hours on end, it's been doing a job on my vision. Yesterday, walking back to the car, I saw something that looked like a UFO - it was saucer shaped and charcoal grey, mostly stationary, but occasionally bobbing around like a kite. I couldn't make it out for the life of me, but I figured that when I drove past it in a couple of minutes (I'd watched it for five minutes already) I could see it better. Of course it was gone by the time I went over there, so who knows what I might have seen. Between missing out on cool sightings and accidentally ignoring people I know because I don't recognize them, this eye strain has got to stop. I've spent enough money getting my eyes fixed in the first place that I don't need to have them ruined again.

Thank goodness it's Friday, too! I've got a pretty chill weekend planned for once. No madcap adventures this time, thank you! Just a vet appointment for Jolene and lots of errands to run. Hopefully I'll have more interesting things to yak about next time! As for now, it's back to work!

Pumpkin Pi

What a weekend! We decided to head up to Los Alamos to visit Nate's mom for a little while. It had been quite some time since we'd been up, so it would be good to visit again. Los Alamos is such a neat town - you'd be hard pressed to find another one as unique. It's jam-packed with quirky scientist-types...in fact, most everyone in town is affiliated with the labs in some manner. Add to this unusual demography the breathtaking mountain setting and it just feels like my ideal place. Now if only they had a roller coaster...

We headed up on Saturday, meeting Nate's mom in Santa Fe for lunch. Unfortunately on her way to meet us, she got rear-ended by a distracted twenty-something. His car was in much worse shape than hers, though, so she really lucked out. After a mediocre lunch at the Blue Corn Cafe, we headed over to the mall to do some shopping. As I'd discovered last weekend when we were in Chicago, Nate is the most incredible shopper! Personally, I really hate clothes shopping (as is evidenced by my glut of jeans and coaster shirts), but Nate goes around picking out just the right outfits with a discerning eye, and he always seems to know what looks just right (whereas I usually don't have an opinion...if it fits, I'm happy). Have I mentioned he also likes to cook and do laundry? I really have a gem in Nate! Well, we eventually found a suit for my real estate endeavors and a nice sweater. Then we went to Lens Crafters and got Nate a new pair of glasses - hopefully he'll like them!

That night, we headed over to Fuller Lodge (where we were married!) and saw the annual pumpkin glow. There were so many amazing designs, and many were so intricate I was convinced people from the lab had taken a laser to them. There were a few with a simple "pi" symbol etched into them, indicating pumpkin pie. Haha. I just love this geeky town! Inside the lodge, a band of scientists were rocking out to music of the 60's, and people in costumes gallavanted around. We stuck around for the costume contest, watching some pharaohs, a family of plants, and Miss Piggy (whom I am convinced was merely making a statement about the Red Hat Ladies - she was wearing one such hat and had a pig nose on) all won prizes. It was quite a scene! Next year, we're definitely going as Hans and Franz...maybe we'll even throw an SNL party and require people to dress up as their favorite characters! Good times!

Sunday we headed over to Bandelier National Monument. We were going to take one of the campground trails, but it was washed out, so instead we took the falls trail. Nate and I had attempted this one before I moved out here, and I was huffing and puffing by the half way mark. It was too dark at the time to make it to the end, and I was SO grateful. Either I was horribly out of shape or, as I suspect, I was suffering from the altitude, as per usual. This time, however, we hiked the whole way down to the Rio Grande, which was 2.5 miles one way and a 700 foot descent, and back again and I felt no impact whatsoever! It was awesome! I know I need to get out and hike more, but I was so glad my sedentary workstyle these days hasn't hindered my ability. There are so many great hikes out here, and I should really start doing them!

That brings us to today...back to work again! Luckily it's been a rather cush day of prepping nobutos for DNA extractions. (What language was that?) I guess I should get back to some data entry, though, before it gets too late!

Rescue Story

Well, today was mostly another blase day at work. Megan was in for a little while, so it was nice to chat with her a bit. My social awkwardness was at bay for most of the day, too, and I got to thinking that maybe a lot of my awkwardness isn't due to me, but due to the fact that people are strange...especially biologists. I guess a lot of people got into the field for the same reason I did - to avoid people! That would explain why lots of biologists seem so weird. And then they act weird, which gets me thinking that it was something *I* did...and then I DO act weird in response. I can't tell you how happy I am when I'm in the back of the lab, deep in concentration, and I can just ignore everything else around me.

So after another busy day without a lunch, I retreated back to the solace of my office to do some data entry. Upon my return, I ran into Gabor who was telling me about this mouse he borrowed from the lab in Castetter Hall to bleed for a bartonella control sample. I spied the mouse sitting on the spare desk - it was a gorgeous champagne satin female. It turned out that he was going to put it to sleep, as is the protocol. I would have none of that and asked if I could just keep her. Gabor was pretty agreeable about it, and I was able to save the life of one lowly lab mouse that day. Once I got her home and really inspected her, though, I've noticed she may be pregnant. I don't really know how that's going to go over - I really didn't expect a pregnant mouse! Still, it's been a long time since I've raised up a litter of mouse kits! What fun! We'll see what happens...

In other news, I just got back from a nice trip back home for my friend Monica's wedding. It was an unusual affair with a rabbi and a priest, taking customs from both denominations. The reception was great fun, especially seeing lots of old friends and getting my grandmother out on the dance floor again. The highlight, though I blush to admit it, was when my pals and I were all whisked onto the dance floor by Monica to dance and sing to the Spice Girls. Good times. Beyond that, we had a relaxing time of Hala Kahiki (the local tiki bar - we're regulars even though we live 1000 miles away!), Illinois Beach State Park, hiking the forest preserves, and seeing family and friends. There's never enough time for it all!

Well, I best wrap this up - it's getting late and I need to be at work EARLY tomorrow.

What a Week!

It's been a busy few days, hence my absence. Jeanine came down to visit this past weekend, new kitty in tow. Her name is Jolene (so far...we may change it), and she is an adorable rescue from Wyoming. She's a tabby who's missing a few teeth so she appears snarly at times. She has six toes on each of her front paws. And she is very vocal, having long conversations with her old-ladyish meows. She is the sweetest thing, and I just adore her! I have been wondering, though, if it was too soon after the loss of my wonderful Dot...Jolene is just so affectionate, and it really reminds me of her, which usually sets me off sobbing. I could never replace Dot...but I'm not trying to. I loved Jolene when I met her back in Colorado, and I knew she needed a good home. She's another older kitty who needs a warm place to sleep. I was also thrilled to find out that the donation I made to get her went to rescuing six more cats from the shelter in Cheyenne, so that makes everything worthwhile. I am so thrilled to add her to our family.

Jeanine's main reason for visiting, however, was to attend this year's Balloon Fiesta. Damp weather made last year's a dud, so she wanted to give it another go. Jeanine, Nate, and I were at the park and ride depot by 5:30am, and met up with Scott briefly before heading down to the grounds. We enjoyed the balloon glow and dawn patrol before they really started in with the mass assention. This year's weather was fabulous, and they were able to get almost every balloon off the ground, even the special shapes. My favorite one, the Creamland cow, was back this year - it's the most elaborate balloon, and its legs stretch lower than the basket - I'd love to see how they land that thing!

Most of the rest of the weekend involved eating and shopping, but on Sunday we managed to enjoy some time in Madrid (where they filmed "Wild Hogs" - there were more movie souvenirs than you can imagine) before heading up to the Black Mesa Winery to try their signature chocolate wine. I'd never done a wine tasting before, but light weight that I am, those six tiny sips did me in. From there, we headed down to Tent Rocks National Monument where we did the main hike. It was much nicer than our last trip, as the temperatures were much cooler. Sadly, we didn't run into my old tae kwon do instructor from U of I this time! Hehe.

So it was a nice weekend, and it was sad that Jeanine had to go, but at least I had a new cat to occupy my time. Luckily Dash seems to be handling the new addition pretty well. Only a few minor scuffles have occurred. I can tell they will be pals before long.

In other news, work is work...I have a short week coming up, so that should be nice. Nate and I are off to a wedding this weekend, so that should be exciting. It will be good to get out of town for a bit. Speaking of which, I had dinner with Scott and Sarah last night, and we've been tossing around the idea of doing a camping trip downstate sometime soon...AND getting a bunch of us and going down to Juarez!! I've never been to Mexico, nor do I speak Spanish, so it'll be good to go in a group...AND I hear they have a ROLLER COASTER!! Whee!!

Hmmm, what else...well, I started my anger management class today! "Anger management," you say? Why ever are you taking that? Well, I get to take free classes since I work at UNM, and, as my friends say, I'm working my way through continuing ed. If you've ever been in the car with me, you know I have a few, um, issues with other drivers. :P Plus, I thought it'd be good to know in general, since, as everyone, I get a bit miffed about things every now and again. So my first class was really relaxing...it's taught by a Buddhist nun, and she has the most calming voice. We meditated twice, and I left there feeling nearly as good as I did during my first hypnosis session. I just hope I can hold on to that feeling this time (that time I felt like a new person for about a year!). Here's to overcoming negative emotions!

Well, that about sums up my life these days. More work tomorrow, and then a nice weekend! Woo hoo!!

Dreams and Memories

Getting up this morning was even more difficult than usual thanks to a series of increasingly better dreams I was having. The first involved going on a trip with some friends I don't often get to see, followed by visiting Nate at his job on base where his coworkers expressed their respect for me as a world reknowned dragon expert. :) The last dream was one I didn't want to wake up from, however. In July of 2006, Aslan, my gray tortoise shell cat of 17 or 18 years, passed away, and it bothered me greatly not to have been there. And last month, my wonderful cat Dot, whom I only had for two years but who meant the world to me, also died. It's been a really tough time, and I miss them both very much. Well, my final dream involved coming home to my mom's and seeing Aslan getting sick much like Dot did, but when I went to comfort her and gave her catnip, she snapped right out of it, and she recovered, expressing the looks of Aslan and a mixture of both cats' personalities. I never wanted to wake up from that - I'd give anything to be able to hug them both again.

Getting up today also means going back to the drudgery of work again. I wish there were a bit more variety in what I'm doing these days, but at least sitting there gives me some time to think. For some reason, all my thoughts seem to bring me back to Utah. I keep visualizing all of the places I used to frequent, from Zion National Park to Snow Canyon State Park to mundane places like the Walgreens down the street. I'm almost longing to go back, which is weird because I really didn't have the best time out there. I wonder if it's my memories of Dot that keep bringing me back for some reason. I first met her when I was out there, after all. It also may a remnant of a weird longing I used to get as a child. I'd always think back two years and start to miss whatever happened then, even though I usually didn't have much of a good time. Still, there would be some aspect I felt I'd want to re-experience. Looking back, I had a great time out in Cedar City working with the prairie dogs, and my weekend adventures were not too shabby, either. I wouldn't mind hopping in the car and driving 35 miles to see some of the most spectacular scenery the world has to offer!

So today I'll be flying through another batch of extractions. At least I'll be treated to a barrage of hot air balloons on my way to work. Balloon Fiesta is going on, so there is always something cool to see. Jeanine is coming in to see it this weekend, so that should be fun. She's also bringing me another kitty, Jolene, a huge, elderly brown cat that I met when I visited her last time. She is such a sweetheart, and I can't wait to give her a warm, loving home.

Well, it's back to the lab for me!

Missing Time??

Well, so much for my daily updates! I just couldn't find anything profound to discuss in the past few days. Work has been hectic, and when I get home, I just want to wind down and relax. Hours upon hours in a DNA lab will do that to a person. It doesn't help that I have been introduced to the evil world of Webkinz - my black cat Eclipse (named after my cat Dash's shelter name) has been taking up way too much of my time! Plus I'm trying to win an X-Box on club.live.com. So really, I have no good excuses. :)

This weekend was nice, but it flew by as usual. I didn't get nearly as much done as I'd have liked, but we finally did manage to make it out to see the newest Harry Potter movie. We also went to McCall's pumpkin farm and did the three open corn mazes, which were fun, but not quite as cool as the huge one from the last few years. We also scavenged for gems in the mill, roped us some calves, and played on the new giant air trampoline before getting our pumpkins. A good time was had by all.

That brings us to today...I had my monthly "salon" - an informal gathering of people with like-interests, set at the home of one of the participants. This is what our attempt at starting a MUFON chapter has turned into. By not affiliating ourselves with the club, we're a bit freer to discuss more things. I've been involved with MUFON since I was a teenager, if not earlier (I really do need to dig up my membership card to figure out when I first started with it). Since turning 18, I've been a field investigator in training, too lazy to complete the exam and graduate to full blown investigator...one day, perhaps. Anyway, these salons are fascinating, as we have some really interesting people with amazing stories attending, but they last forever!! I was fine until about 5 hours in, but then I just got so antsy it wasn't fun anymore. It lasted about 6 hours, but most of the time did fly by - we discussed all sorts of interesting paranormal phenomenon, but the most fascinating thing was footage of George Knapp's presentation at the MUFON symposium discussing the Skinwalker Ranch in the Uintah Basin in NE Utah. Talk about some eerie things going on! I won't discuss all the details here, but let's just say it's a hotbed for everything from cattle mutilations to supposed interdimensional portals.

As an aside, before everyone thinks I'm a complete kook, I don't necessarily buy everything I hear on the paranormal side of things, but I think this world is full of a lot of things we have yet to discover and don't really understand, and I like to keep an open mind. MUFON is an organization of scientists and engineers dedicated to researching the unexplained, particularly UFOs, and one day when I'm less lazy I'd like to take my biological credentials and really do some research of my own. Some day...

So I haven't fallen off the planet, and I haven't forgotten my blog...hopefully I'll be more apt to keep up with it, if I actually have something to say! For now, I best get some rest - DNA crunching starts again tomorrow!

New Beginnings

Wow, this is so weird! I've been chomping at the bit all day to start my blog, and now that I'm sitting in front of the screen, I'm actually nervous! This whole blog thing is rather daunting...I mean, you're putting yourself out for the world to read! Who knows what might be said...who knows how you may react...who knows just what sorts of craziness will spew forth from these fingers??



People have been expressing their surprise that I hadn't yet started a blog for some time. I'd thought about it, and I figured people wouldn't really be big on reading one - rather, I should email everyone my long adventure stories so they become a captive audience. Who would remember to come back and read my blog on a regular basis? Likely no one. I know I'm not the type to frequent anyone's blog, so why should mine be any different? Still, as a quiet listener who doesn't really get her voice heard, I needed some sort of outlet. The thought that someone, somewhere, may be reading what I have to say is a huge help. I think I'm an interesting person with a wealth of thoughts and experiences, it's just that few people really listen. Plus, it would help if I could actually manage talk once in a while...hehe. But I'm a writer, and that is how I best express myself. Hopefully this blog will be an adequate medium for whatever I'm trying to say.



Speaking of writing, I would love to write professionally. I hope to update this blog regularly as my daily writing exercise. I have been pretty lazy about keeping up with it, so perhaps this will spur me on.



So yeah, it's about time this great listener was listened to...don't worry, though...I'll still send out my adventure emails, and perhaps post links to them on this site - they're likely too long to post as it is!



So welcome, and enjoy your stay!! Please come back often and post a comment, too!