Torrential Downpour

Ok, so this is a true story. Today, I rode my bike to work. It was a gorgeous morning and day despite the crazy thunderstorms that we had last night that started at around 3am and woke everyone and their mother up. But I digress… I had plans to meet up with my friends John and Marianne for dinner to celebrate John’s birthday, so I scooted out of lab to make sure I had time enough to shower and get ready to go. I get on my bike and 0.94 miles later the sky turns really really dark gray and the sky literally explodes. It felt like hail was coming down on me. I had on shorts and a T-shirt and was getting absolutely soaked. I started laughing… of course this would happen… and there was nothing I could do about it… so I laughed some more.

I made it to the part of Plantation Street where the Highway 290 crosses over… some relief from the rain. Under the bridge there is a steep incline, so there is really only about a foot and a half where you can stand. So, me and my bike hung out there. What I didn’t know was that all the water accumulated in the gutter areas under this bridge. The lane was very wide, so I don’t know why these TWO cars had to do this, but it was like a scene right out of a movie- you think it can’t get any worse then, whoosh, a car flies through the water on the side of the street and the person on the curb gets soaked. No joke… twice! Anyhow, eventually the hail-like-rain lightened up and I was able to bike the remaining 4.25 miles home in a light drizzle.

There is good and bad things that come from almost every experience. The bad experience for me today was the cars splashing icky street water all over me. But, there are several good things to glean from this experience.
1. I now know that my backpack is as waterproof as it claims
2. My windbreaker which does not claim to be wind-proof or water-proof is both
3. The insanely strong headwind going against me almost the entire way home made it a great workout
4. I now know that riding in a light-mild rain is really not all that bad (if you’re prepared)

Get a Life

Ok, last night at around 9 pm, when I was about half an hour from being done with work, I got a little bit down because I started thinking about when I would get a life… but how it's this vicious cycle that starts with me spending so much time at work, then not having time for other things… etc. etc. Going home gets these gears turning… especially when you go home for 2 weddings. Well, this morning (think 7:30 am) I was commiserating with a girl my age who is working on her PhD in a lab next to mine. She just got back from her hometown in Norway and I asked her about her trip. And she did it- she brought up the dreaded question all grad students ask- when will we actually get a life- outside of lab? We half-serious/ half-joking talked about the tragedy of- all at once- being 3,000 miles from home, being single, living in Worcester and being in grad school. She wants to be back in Norway. Tomorrow. Honestly, it was so comforting to know that I'm not the only one in my position thinking about these things. We agreed that there is more to life than just work but oppositely, there is more to life than getting married and having kids (although we snickered about how it would be nice to have it all- today).

It seems that most people want what they don't have. For me, I have a career that is just taking off with a lot of success… and I feel like I would instantly trade it for a family life. But then again- I know women who are married with kids and they see me and sometimes think about how good I've got it… because I can focus on a career before settling down. I love what I do. I really do. I think I was created to be a scientist and God gave me my talents and passions. So I will rest in that because He also gave me a strong desire to have a family… so it will happen. Just not on my timeline. Overall, I'm content with where my life is. Yesterday I wasn't and today I'm not either, but I'm hopeful for tomorrow… I've just got to shake it off.

Blueberry Pie

So, it is officially blueberry season in New England. They grow like crazy in Maine and they are very on sale these days. I really like blueberries and I like to bake, so I thought I’d give baking a pie a shot. I had never baked a pie before last night… so I was unsure about the results. The good news is, I brought the pie to lab meeting this morning so I could test my concoction on lab members. The crust was unique in that it called for cornmeal to be added. I liked this because it gave the crust a great texture. The filling was basically 5 cups of blueberries, ½ cup sugar, ½ cup lemon juice and ¼ cup corn starch. I served it with lemon cream to go on top of it… amazing. Lemon + blueberry = wonderful. Although I don’t much care for baked goods, I know that others do… I thought it was ok, but most of my co-workers thought it was a great pie. Which is amazing because I baked this during my 2.5 hour break that I had between 7:30 and 10pm in lab. :)

New England Summer Weekend #1

So, this past weekend was the first that actually felt like a summer weekend. It started on Friday night. My friend Michelle Harris had a shindig at her house in Billerica, MA which included a barbeque and a bonfire. It was a really good time. I saw a bunch of people that I haven't seen in a while which was great.

Then, on Saturday, I went with some friends to Salisbury Beach. http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&q=Salisbury+Beach,+Salisbury,+MA,+USA&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=X&oi=geocode_result&resnum=1&ct=title I went with some of those friends who I hadn't seen in a while… it was a lot of fun. It was a perfect day, the water was warm and the company was good. After relaxing in the sun with a book for a few hours we headed over to Brown's http://www.brownslobster.com/ in Seabrook Beach, NH. One of the girls that was with us is moving to PA to get married soon. She grew up eating at this place, so we went. I was weary at first. Mostly because there was an insane line to order food and an even more ridiculous wait to get the food that you ordered. The way this place worked was that you line up outside and order the food… like at a Dairy Queen or taco shop that you can't walk into. Then, there is an inside where you sit and eat (think cafeteria) which is also where you order steamers or lobster. I had baked stuffed scallops… my favorite! The food was impressive despite my skepticism… incredibly fresh and just plain good. The place was packed, and now I know why the line was so long to order food. It was good we went here because across the street there was an ice cream shop with a sign in front that said "order your Father's day cake here". Dominic saw the sign and said "is Father's day this Sunday?" We looked at each other with the look that said 'huh' and then decided that it must be… thank goodness we saw that sign, because I had no clue… After I got home and showered, I caught up with my friend Whitney and we went to go see Made of Honor (with the incredibly good-looking Patrick Dempsey). We both really liked it, so if you get the chance, see it.

Sunday I worked. Need I say more? (After I called dad of course- but he wasn't home.) I had errands to run, work to do and people to see. I was too exhausted to watch the Celtics (barely) loose to the Lakers… but I have high hopes that they do well tonight… go Celtics! The week has started with a bang! I'm super busy this week with some lab work, but it's exciting stuff, so it's worth the effort.

Crazy Crazy

This week has been absolutely nuts. I'm super busy in lab. Translation: I have way more to do than is humanly possible and I'm doing my best to not let that paralyze me. But to be honest, I kinda like it this way, I hate being bored. I got some really exciting data (nerdy, I know) so things are changing and moving quickly. The only problem is that TB doesn't move quickly... vertically at least. I do an experiment and I have to wait around 3 weeks to find out if it works because it grows so slowly. The dilemma: what do I do in those 3 weeks? This is very troubling... I don't want to spin my wheels on something that may turn out to be a waste, but oppositely, I don't want to lose any time.

My solution to this problem is the following: Starting this past Monday, I will do a different experiment each week (1 experiment takes about 1-1.5 weeks) for 3 weeks. Then, before I repeat any single experiment I should know if it worked the first time. This way, I’ve started 3 different things thus regardless of how things turn out, I will not have wasted any time. Of course, in between all of these big week-long experiments I’ve got cloning to do, a virus to make, data to analyze and papers to read. So, if it takes me a while to get back to you, whether e-mail or phone, please don’t be offended. These days, time to check and/or respond to e-mails is scarce.

The experiment that I designed for this coming Monday is pretty intense and requires me to work all next weekend. But, it’s an important experiment and will hopefully give me some solid data. Next week is way worse than this week… so hopefully it won’t be so hot I can’t sleep because that really made this week rough.

My mantra: work hard so you can graduate!

To Craig and Ana: The Arboleda and Hartman Wedding

Ok, so I am going to start by saying that this was an absolutely fabulous event. Exactly one week ago, on May 31, 2008 my brother Craig married his high school sweetheart Ana Arboleda. They had been dating since their junior year in high school and living together since they graduated in 2001. Craig is totally 100% committed to Ana and Matthew and has been for a long time. It was so great to see them tie the knot.

The rehearsal dinner was at a restaurant called Bucca di Beppo’s in Mira Mesa. We packed in with 50 or so people into one of the biggest rooms they have there. There was the bridal party and lots of family. It was so fun! Now, as some of you may know, my mom’s side of the family (the Riel’s) are an interesting bunch… some would say that is an understatement if you know anything about our New Years Day celebration. But anyways, my Uncle Bob and Aunt Listy like to write songs for major occasions… like Grandma and Grandpa’s 60’th wedding anniversary and now for us kids when we get married. These songs are usually to the tune of a well know song but with the lyrics changed up a bit. The song that they wrote for Craig and Ana was to the tune of “Yo Ho, Yo Ho a Pirate’s life for Me”. We wore pirate eye patches and sang along. (See below). It was so clever and everyone was laughing and singing along. So now, Craig and Ana officially have their own custom-made song!



Well on Saturday, the wedding went off without a hitch. It was a beautiful day. The ceremony was in the garden of the Marston House in Balboa Park. http://www.balboapark.org/in-the-park/detail.php?OrgID=9 It was a quiet area with a really amazing garden. My Uncle Bob did the ceremony and it was just the right amount of heartfelt sentiment and laughter. It really was great. Ana had her two sisters and a law school friend as her bridesmaids. Craig had Matthew as the best man and some other friends as his groomsmen. And everyone who loves them came!








The reception was in the Spanish Village in Balboa Park http://www.spanishvillageart.com/ This is where we literally danced the night away. It was a really nice night. Not too hot or too cold. If you weren’t dancing, then it might have been chilly, but everyone was dancing so it was a non-issue. Like I had said, Matthew was the best man. He had a speech and everything... for a 9 year-old, that's pretty impressive. He said that his dad is his best friend and that he can’t wait to have more brothers and sisters. I think almost everyone was a little teary. Even Craig and Ana’s first dance ended up with him in it… it was so awesome! I can’t wait to watch their family grow! Ana is my first sister!! So that is exciting on so many levels. Now all Ana has to do is take the bar exam (she graduated law school about 2 weeks before the wedding) and then they are off on their honeymoon. Which I believe includes Greece. Lucky them! Here’s some more pictures:

I Love the Beach

So, as I've been back in MA... with a little bit of rainy weather, i am reminded of how much I love the beach. When I was at home, I had the good fortune of spending one afternoon at Coronado beach. I love it there... there's lots of space to spread out and it's just quieter than other beaches. I also like it because there's a naval base right next to the beach and so i get to watch all the jets coming and going. There's something very comforting about knowing that there's a Navy base right near by. The shortcoming of this beach is there really aren't very good waves. For that you've got to go to PB or La Jolla. But the water was warm (~65)and waves are still better than what you'd find on the Cape. Here's a picture of that. I'm really not as far from the water as I may appear. But two days later, my cousin Annie and I went up to La Jolla for a few hours before my brother's wedding rehersal. We soaked up the sun and bonded and I got to enjoy the water again.

When I was at home, I got to see a bunch of people that I don't normally get to. I saw grandparents and cousins and Aunt's and Uncle's. And Bonus- my brother Curtis who is stationed in Korea in the Army even came out for the wedding... he's in the picture of me and my Grandma and Dad. He looks great don't you think?!? I saw my friend Christy which was a treat because she and her husband live in Uganda. I also got to catch up with my friends Dilenna and Chad. They just had a 2nd baby girl on April 1st and she is just so cute. We had dinner one night and then we met up one morning to go walking around our long-time favorite hang out spot Lake Murray. We can't make it all the way around anymore because 2 year old's don't last long in the stroller. :) All in all, it was a good trip. I really enjoyed spending time with friends I hadn't seen in a while and just hanging out.



Many more details from my brother Craig's wedding is next... but it's so hard to choose pictures!!

Back to the Real World

So today I am back in the lab. I got home last night around 6:40 pm and totally exhausted. I had danced the night away at my brothers wedding this past Saturday and only got 4 hours of sleep before I had to catch a plane. I was in bed by 9:30 EST/6:30 PST. I woke up this morning around 10am. Hopefully since I got so much sleep last night, the jet lag won’t hit tomorrow like it usually does. But today was a very good day in lab. I let the little bugs grow while I was on vacation, so today I counted them and made graphs that I am very excited about. It is not usual for me to be this productive on the first day back since I’m usually just getting stuff ready to use later in the week, but fortunately, I’ve got a variety of projects that I’m working on that don’t require living cells. Yay for genetics! I’m getting ready to leave because tonight I’ve got volleyball which will be a good time… it always is! More vacation stories soon… I’ve got to upload the pictures onto my computer first!