movie date?

Another option for possible movie date night tonight, UCSF is showing Transamerica . For $3. Near our house, cheap, good movie, perfect time.. maybe a winner!!

Online Shopping

After a completely overwhelming trip to Macy's last week, I realized I don't really enjoy shopping. Which is difficult, as I am determined to be a sassy and stylish scientist. So the natural progression should lead me to internet shopping. But I just can't seem to embrace it. But this week, I had a breakthrough. I not only stocked up on some sweet and insanely cheap products at EyesLipsFace, I found the answer to my ongoing search for another bird necklace at TrunkShop. Very successful. However, I still haven't fully incorporated online shopping into my life. Even though I am pretty sure I love this handbag, I just can't commit. And after LaRedoute had a perfect denim skirt, it was sold out, thus enforcing my idea that online shopping is a big hassle. Baby steps, baby steps...

One more thing..

I really want to go to the San Francisco Film Festival. I gotta get all the arts and culture I can while out here. There are some good looking shows. And most of them are at the Kabuki theather, near our Hamilton pool (a little post swim lesson date, bubs?). Plus I just listened to a cool overview of it on Forum on NPR. So now.. I am totally convinced. Darn you NPR.. soo good. Especially now it is Talk of the Nation: Science Friday. A methanol based fuel economy? Hmmm.. interesting. Now they are discussing nanoparticles. I love science.

New things I love:

So in a quick recap, here are some of the highlights of the last couple weeks:
1. I got new sneaks. Except mine are purple. SO comfy. So begins my slippery slide down in to the grad student jeans and tee's uniform.

2. I got a new phone. And even better.. wayyy cheaper than that website makes it seem. Which I feel redeems my coolness against the purple sneaks. So, I guess I am about even.

3. I got a new haircut. Well, not really a new haircut, but more of a touch up. And I love my stylist, Nikki. And I am very glad all my recruits to her like her as well. And I got some sweet glossing stuff for recruiting, which makes it alllll worth it. Even though I get very nervous that she is going to dye their hair orange or something and they will hate it. Except she did dye Emily's hair orange.. but she seems to like it. J/K, your hair looks awesome Em!

4. T-monster and I have begun volunteering at Hamilton Pool, giving swim lessons (which roughly translates into attempting to thwart the 20 kids out of 100 trying to drown themselves at any given time). Challenging definitely, but it feels great to give back. Bonus: free swimming whenever we want! Hooray.

5. This swim stuff is good, cuz next weekend is Wildflower Triathlon. And that scares me a WHOLE lot. Definitely looking forward to getting that done with, and then laughing at the crazy people who do this insane sport when we volunteer at Escape from Alcatraz. Up next on the race schedule for me is the Lake Tahoe Relay which will be a lovely 8-10 mile jaunt, at altitude with some old Davis friends, and then San Jose International Tri. I am excited about being Trent's race crew while he does the Olympic distance, and then kicking butt (of the maybe three other girls in my race) on the Mountain bike race. We are switching places from last year!

6. Enough sporty stuff. This Saturday, T is gonna be my buddy (since Em is ditching me) at the latest Feria Urbana. Gotta stock up on cute little goodies for upcoming birthdays, mother's day, and all the freaking weddings this September!

7. I've become obsessed with growing my hair long. Maybe not that long.. but it has been like.. 10 years (geeze, i am getting old) since I have had hair longer than barely shoulder. I know it isn't the most flattering look on me, but for some reason I am totally determined. Any hints? Ken?? Haha. Sorry.

8. Picnic Day was awesome. I love being an Aggie. But I am very excited about being a Tarheel in the frighteningly near future. I just got an email today asking what class I would like to TA. I am not ready!!! But very excited. We are planning a long weekend out there to find a sweet huge apartment.. for $700. You are so jealous.

Um, ya.. that was good wrap up. I will probably think of other stuff, but the French guys showed up again so I am starting to feel guilty about sitting on my behind while I probably should be working. Ahhhh, right. Time to feed the cells then meet up with Bubs for 3pm margarita's at his office. Fabulous! Then swim lessons. Nothing like a little Jose Cuervo to take the edge off the screaming children! Ciao

what happened?

I swear.. every day this week, I've been like.. damn.. that would be a good blog post. Cuz crazy stuff has been happening. Which is not that rare here at the General. But still.. I really have wanted to. But instead, I have been crazy busy at work and then when I do get a break I play Farm Hustle. Click on "Product Cuteness" under Categories on the left side after a bit of a scroll down. Caution: The adorable creatures combined with the relative lack of skill needed makes this game unbelievably time wasting. You've been warned. I have only gotten to level 7.. any one care to challenge me?

WAKA-MADNESS

News flash: Our kickball team, the combined forces of Scared Kickless and Bus Drivers.. is goiong to be awesome!! Trent and I met up with a few of the folks from the Bus Drivers last night for some kickball practice and they were all really friendly and ready to have a good time. And they weren't half bad!! I am definitely looking forward to meeting the rest of the team and kicking that big red ball.

ps. I am totally out of kickball practice. I kept kicking it with my shin instead. Fattie bruise now. No good.

Oh right!

Before I forget.. the great unveiling of what is perhaps the coolest thing in the city!
Last night, after an awesome and tiring swim, the bubster and I went to Alamo Square for dinner. Right on Fillmore and Grove, where we have passed it a million times on the 22.. we only discovered how insanely awesome it was on Monday when we ended up walking home from the pool. Now, there are a lot of great restaurants in the city, I will admit. But so far.. this might be my favorite. Tons of incredible dishes, all SO reasonably priced tucked into a cute little place that could only be called a "neighborhood gem." They have a prix fix every night, for only $12.50 or something outrageously affordable like that, but on Wednesday if you do that, you lose the chance to bring your own wine.. with no corkage fee! As discussed in today's Chro nicle the ability to byob and not get slammed by outrageous fees is dissapearing rapidly in the city. So last night, while we waited for a table (the place is pretty small, and surprisingly popular) Trent popped down to the corner liquor store to pick up a bottle of wine, for like $7 or so. The waiter gladly opened it and recommended a sauce for my blackened salmon (you get to pick the fish, the preparation, and the sauce). Trent opted for the steak, which was an excellent choice. All in all, a lovely evening, sure to be repeated soon.

Caution: Drinking after swimming. I probably only had.. mayyyybe 2 glasses of wine, and I was one drunky skunky. And may have been a bit obnoxious to the group sitting next to us. Though I don't really recall. But it was a fun walk home!

Today

My mother always said that men have a wonderfully one tracked mind. They have the ability to block out everything else and focus all their attention on the task at hand. I believe this is an evolutionary scheme.. unless full focus was given to hunting that deer.. the family would starve. Women, on the other hand, have evolved an amazing capacity to multitask. Save family from cougars, pick acorns for dinner, clean cave.. we can keep several tasks going, yet tend to not dedicate ourselves fully to one activity. I had a classic example of that today.
Currently, in my lab, there are two Ph.D's and one M.D./Ph.D. All very smart.. all men. The two Ph.D's are some french dudes who are supposed experts on a complicated machine called an Ussing chamber, that measures electric potential across a cell and can measure changes in that potential relative to drugs opening and closing chloride channels, like in CF treatment. I digress. Anyways, they are the experts. And they are very french. Very. Everything we think of french people.. they are. But it is kind of fun, I feel like I am in Amelie. The MD/Ph.D is my homie/boss man. Ok, scene set.
Today I started working on the final analysis of a project that my "intern" and I have been working on.. pretty much since I started. So this is a big day for me. One that requires my full, undivided, attention. Not too hard, but there are a bizillion samples all begging to be mixed up and completely ruin all our hard work. So I am trying to focus.
Then the questions start. "Um, Jean, sorry to bother you.. may we borrow a beaker?" "Where is the ATP kept?" "Could you get me a 10 blade scalpal?" Like I have nothing better to do. Of course I help out, especially with the boss man around. I just find it funny. Then the phone starts ringing. I delivered a ton of different cells to different labs yesterday. And apparently they all decided to call me today, in the middle of my experiment. "What medium were they grown in?" "Did they have cilia?" Just tons of random questions.
But in my evolutionary prowess as a female, I managed to get all the samples done, without any mixing up (crosses fingers), helped out the dudes to have a very successful Ussing chamber day, and got all the cell questions answered. In science, I know a dedicated mind is quite necessary. But it seems to me that a flexible mind is perhaps more critical than once thought!

Man, I >do love the city sometimes. And those sometimes are only when it is sunny and gorgeous and my boss gives me the afternoon off, and I really needed the afternoon off. I just wandered around the neighborhood around UCSF and have to say I am going to miss this crazy city. Here are some of my favorite things-
1. An amazing abundance of coffee shops. I love just ducking into one and having a cup of tea..So far my favorite is Atlas Cafe. Off by my work and just on the way to the climbing gym, this place is always happening and full of life. And dogs. And the only place thus far that makes a mean coconut latte.
2. Wishbone. The best place for perfect birthday and thank you gifts. I was just there and found an awesome little something for April's 23rd coming up soon!
3. Public transportation. A dog took the N Judah train home with me. To the dog park. How urban and perfect!
4. The crazies who talk to me. Too bad they have to be crazy, but I love chatting it up with the folks on the bus.
5. If all goes well on our date tonight.. I will have a new favorite place tomorrow.. stay tuned!! All signs lead to awesomeness, but I don't want to let the cat out of the bag quite yet.
6. Being able to have lunch with Emily at the drop of a hat. Going to miss this a lot.

Anyways, just a sampling. Tomorrow when the rain returns and threatens to drown our little 7x7 slice of life, I probably won't be as cheery. But for today, I hope everyone got out and enjoyed the nice weather and realized how lucky we all are. Ciao!

monday shopping

This weather is sure helping my decision to go to North Carolina. It has been 70 degrees out there all week.. while here.. some sort of torrential mist all the time! I am having a great time imagining all the fun summery clothes I can wear out there and have stumbled on a trend I really like. The whole canvas and leather thing. It started with the shoes, but could be expanded to watches, purses, even coats. Imagine, it could be one fantastic outfit!!