The day has arrived

Thursday, March 29th 2012
Central Park East - 7:35am

Good morning!  Immunology day has arrived.  Today at 2pm marks the end of the most busy, challenging, exhausting month I think I've ever had.  I worked really hard - and I made it through (almost).  Even though Cell Bio didn't work out as I had hoped, I mastered that stuff.  I know an incredible amount more now than I did a month ago and, I've started to connect things all across the different disciplines.  I'm starting to see the ways that it all comes together.  In addition to that, my rotation finished off wonderfully.  My project tied together nicely at the end.  My PI told me he was impressed with my presentation and my work so he invited me to join the lab. 
I couldn't have done it without Brian.  He tirelessly came up with and cooked dinner, did dishes, did laundry, folded, and put away, cleaned up, and most importantly, tolerated long evenings of me with my headphones in staring at a computer.  He tolerated me spending every weekend of the last month working.  He tolerated my anxiety-induced moodiness & occasional snark (probably the worst bit).  For this, I am extremely grateful & appreciative.  It's hard to take care of more than your fair share of work around the house and get little companionship in return.  And, he did it with a smile on his face and encouraging, understanding words to me - never one complaint.  I'm definitely not that great of a person yet, but Brian inspires me to be better :) 

As for the exam today - it's the second to last one of the year.  1 more and I'm done!  Tomorrow at 8am, I board the flight for Oregon to relax for a week.  (I've already considered which papers I need to bring - and I'm definitely bringing my computer - I'm just not that good at relaxation). 

Have a wonderful day - I already am.

Wednesday, March 28th, 2012
Central Park East - 6:55am

Good morning!  A beautiful, quiet, clear morning in the Park today - about 15 degrees warmer than yesterday. There weren't many people over by the great lawn because they had put pesticides on the field.  Everybody was warning me not to go, but they had only put the pesticides on the inner grass that's fenced off from all of us.  I went over anyway and it was very nice and empty (sometimes it's nice when it's empty).  Sofie wasn't able to get near where they had laid down the bad stuff.  I'm a cautious dog owner but some people are stinkin' crazy.  Sofie has to go to the vet today because she's due for her rabies vaccine and some other type.  She'll probably make a big fuss about it, too.  When she was a puppy and I took her for her shots, she screamed/yelped like they were killing her for every single one.  She's such a drama-queen. I'm also happy to report that she is going much better now.  She's back on her regular dog food and everything is "normal." 

Today is the last day for me to study before my exam tomorrow.  I'm going to begin straight away after I finish this post.  One more day before I'm done and I can relax in Oregon!  Things are looking up! 

Tuesday, March 27th 2012
Central Park East - 7:00am

Good morning!  FREEZING today.  It was jarring and irritating after all of the nice weather we've been having.  It felt like mid-winter again.  Hat, gloves, coat weather.  Sofie loved it - she seems to like the cold.  It makes her extra-rambunctious.  Oregon in 3 days.  3 days. 3 days. 3 days. 

Have a great day!

Top: Sunday, March 25th, 2012
the Couch! 12:45pm
Bottom:  Monday, March 26th, 2012
Central Park East - 7:05am

Good morning!  Sofie is feeling much better, but I think I took her off of the rice too early.  We had a bit of a mishap this weekend.  She was on the mend, but then I started giving her dog food back and her digestive system was not happy.  The worst was on Saturday night Brian and I went out for his birthday with some friends.  When we returned at 3am, she had gone EVERYWHERE.  Scrubbing the floor is not exactly what you want to be doing at 3am after a night out drinking.  To make matters worse, at 6am later that morning, she woke me up again to go out.  After taking her out, I got up around 10 or so.  Making myself some breakfast, I walked out to the living room to see the scene from 3am in the act of being repeated - enter scrubbing the floor part 2, only this time with toilet paper since we'd used up all the paper towels.  She's better again now that she's on rice only, but I'm not making the same mistake twice.  She's on this for the next 2 days. 

Aside from the mishaps it was a very nice weekend.  I did a lot of studying, but also got in a great workout on Saturday, had a super fun time seeing everyone Saturday night, and went out for brunch with Brian's mom & sister on Sunday afternoon - which was equally great.  This afternoon I give my lab presentation - second to last thing to cross off before the break.  After this afternoon it's study study study and then Thursday exam and then off to Oregon on Friday! 

Have a wonderful day!!

Happy Friday!

Top: Friday, March 23rd, 2012
Central Park East - 6:55am
 Bottom: Thursday, March 22nd, 2012
the HOUSE - 9pm

Good morning!  Sofie is much better today.  She was getting quite lethargic yesterday before she finally made a turn for the better and started drinking some chicken broth and eating some rice.  This morning she was almost back to her old self - romping around Central Park.  She was not thrilled about rice breakfast, but she'll have to live with it until I can actually pick up after her (gross)!  It is full-on Spring in Central Park.  The trees are all out - Magnolia, Cherry, Dogwood, etc...  It's absolutely beautiful (as you can see).  Canopies of flowers to walk though and great smells everywhere.  A fantastic reward for the bitter cold & wind of the winter walks. 

In other news, Happy 26th Birthday to Brian!!!!  I made him peanut butter blossoms last night - probably the first time I've baked anything in months.  Needless to say, they were delicious.  He'll get the birthday present when he gets home from work today :)  He couldn't have gotten a much better day for a birthday.  High of 73!! and sunny!

Have a wonderful day!!

Sick doggie

Good morning - there will be no pictures this morning.  No long walk in the Park for Sofie.  She's been sick (I won't go into the details - you could probably guess) since yesterday.  She got Brian up in the middle of the night (1ish) last night and me up at 5:30 this morning.  Just in case she has some sort of enteropathogen (unlikely - probably she ate too many table scraps) I've decided not to take her to Central Park.  She's also not on top of her game right now so I don't know how happy she'd be to go there.  She's currently curled up sleeping beside me on the couch.

I'm only going to give her water and take her off any food for the rest of the day while her system recovers.  Sorry Sofie!  We humans just can't resist your cuteness and are compelled to give you table scraps!  We won't let it happen again. 

Have a wonderful day, everyone :)

Wednesday, March 21st, 2012
Central Park East - 7:20am

Good morning!  The top picture was taken this morning and Brian took the bottom one last night after dinner.  Sofie kind of likes to sit in laps :)  It's Brian's birthday this Friday.  My plan for him is 1/3 of the way complete.  There are a few other things to finish up - 26 is a big one, right?  You're now closer to 30 than you are to 20.  In other exciting news in 9 days I'll be in OR drinkin coffee w/ mama, reading the entire rest of the Hunger Games trilogy, sleeping in, running, hangin' with Dad & Sarah, and skiing! CAN'T WAIT!!

Have a great day!

Tuesday, March 20th, 2012
Central Park East - 7:15am

Good morning - another beautiful 60 degree morning in the Park.  Contrary to yesterday, there were tons of people out with their dogs.  Lots of puppies, too :)  Hopefully soon we'll have another one running around with us at the Park in the morning. 

Have a great day!

Monday, March 19th, 2012
Central Park East - 7:05am

Good morning!  It was a fantastic weekend here in NYC.  Warm, sunny, and care-free for me.  I did go into work for both days, but not for too long.  My test last week didn't go quite as well as I would have hoped, but there are more important things to worry about in life besides a test.  To quote Zoolander:

Maury:  "Derek, what do we do when we fall off the horse?"
Derek: ".....fall...off....the horse........"
Maury: "We get back on, Derek!" 
Derek: "I'm not a gymnast, Maury."

I'm getting back on the horse this week because I have a rotation presentation to give at the start of next week and an Immunology exam to begin studying for.  Life is short - better spend it in a lab studying.

Brian's birthday is this Friday so I can console myself with the fact that we can sit back and celebrate soon enough.

Have a wonderful day, everyone!

Happy FRIDAY!

Friday, March 16th, 2012
Central Park East - 6:50am

Good morning!  It was so dark and rainy this morning that this was the only picture I could take.  I always like little outcroppings of mushrooms.  They remind me of little miniature forests.  Test today!  I'm gonna be one happy girl by the end of today :)

Have a great one!

Thursday, March 15th, 2012
Home - 7:35am

Good morning!  No Central Park picture.  It was just too dark and overcast to get anything good.  Sofie disobeyed this morning and wouldn't come to me when I called - when I got to her, she was eating a big pile of bird seed.  She got a smack on the butt for not coming to me.  She yelped like I was abusing her.  1 day until the big exam :) 

have a great day!

Wednesday, March 14th, 2012
Central Park East - 6:45am

Good morning!  Another 60 degree morning that followed a beautiful night last night.  Sofie and I went running 4 miles in the Park yesterday night and got up extra early to do 2 loops of our walk this morning.  I just can't get enough of the nice weather.  EVERYBODY was out.  It felt like we were running a race b/c the streets were so packed with people (not in a bad way, though).  At the end of our run we went and layed in the grass to cool off and there were people everywhere having picnics and playing frisbee and football.  It was a glorious evening.  Here's to another great day. 

Have a good one, everyone!

Tuesday, March 13th, 2012
Central Park East - 6:45am

Good morning!  Today was one of those dark/rainy mornings, despite being 60 degrees.  Because of this I didn't get the best of pictures, but you get the point.  LOTS of daffodils in bloom now!  Hopefully I'll get a better shot for you this week but you may have to bear with me for a few weeks of darkness again :(  No time for a long blog post today.  Have to be in to lab in roughly 15 minutes since there is studying to be done.  Cell Bio exam is in T- 4 days.  (Friday evening).  I have 13 lectures each with about 125 slides to be memorized and about 5 review publications to read.  Of that, I've worked through about 9 lectures and 3 of the 5 papers.  (I've been studying 4-6 hours a day since last Wednesday).  WHEW!  I'll be happy when it's over.  Then I get 2 weeks to start the same thing over for Immunology.  Then I get to leave for Oregon!! 

Have a wonderful day.

Good morning, Monday

Monday, March 12th, 2012
Central Park East, top: 6:14am, bottom: 7:07am

Back to pitch black mornings!  Boy, was it hard to drag myself out of bed when the clock ticked 6.  I was definitely deep in sleep having a grand time in dream-world.  What's getting me upright & out of bed consistently is the fact that I have Cell Bio and I use the mornings (8:15-10:30 or so) to get a lot of studying done.  I just hate coming home after a long day and studying - I'd rather work out and spend time with Sofie and Brian. 

It was actually a bit creepy this morning - NOBODY was out.  Now my hypothesis is validated - people choose cold over dark.  It was a stunning morning, though.  I was a little concerned about letting Sofie off leash until it became a little lighter - she becomes invisible in the dark.  I trust her, though, so off she went.  She surprised me by staying closer than usual.  I'm not sure why, since she should be able to see better in the dark than I can.  Maybe she sensed my worry.  It was dark for almost the entire walk.  Then when I rounded the bend at the Great Lawn, the sun started to come up.  Now, it was warm this morning (see below).  When the sky started turning all different colors - pink, red, blue, white, I was thinking about the warm-ish air on my skin and the birds chirping noisily.  I was alone with my little rambunctious dog - her joy (are dogs joyful, or is that just how they are?) and energy are infectious.  I stopped for a moment and watched the sunrise and I was filled with elation.  I was having all sorts of sensory memories of childhood.  The day that Dad would sing "Tar ar ar boom de ay, we can wear our shorts today," was a favorite of Spring.

I also was remembering Easter when we would run around and search for chocolate eggs and bunnies that the Easter bunny (blessed be the Lord ;), would leave for us to find.  I also remember the feeling of thinking "only a few more months til summer!" 

So standing there - I was filled with the elation that keeps me seeking the sunrises - keeps me searching for the special, different, sort-of sacred times of the day.  If we only experience work - even if we like that work- and the obligatory parts of the day, very little remains that is our choice or only for our pleasure and contemplation.  The sunrise is my choice - my time alone in a big park with a little dog. 

Thursday, March, 8th, 2012
Central Park East - 6:19am

Good morning!  We were treated with an incredible morning today.  I'll let the weather speak for itself.  I was so happy I could have spent the entire morning there - but unfortunately had to be in lab by now :(

55 degrees for my morning walk!  I still just can't believe it.  WONDERFUL.  As you can see, the crocus like it as well. 

Have a fantastic day!!!!!!!

Wednesday, March, 7th, 2012
Central Park East - 6"45am

Good morning!  I have a new set of goals for the rest of the month.  I'm usually extremely ritualized in my daily activities and this is good for my psyche.  I do the same thing every morning - get up early (~6-6:30am), walk Sofie on the same Park route, make coffee & eat breakfast, blog :), check my email, go to work, check my email, other blogs, and Facebook all day long, and then go home, walk Sofie, work out (5-6 days per week), and eat dinner.  I think my daily life is pretty healthy and I try to get all my grocery shopping done on Sundays so that I can have good food to eat during the week.  Either Brian or I makes the bed every morning, because it's nicer to climb into a made bed than a messy one.  I also try and do the dishes every night so that they aren't there to bog me down the next day (I hate this task more than any other task - if only I could train Sofie to do the dishes).  One of the things that I need to work on, however, is my "plugged-in-ness." 

I'll be honest here.  I check my email accounts probably around 10-12 times per day.  I check Facebook equally often.  I also read other blogs in the evening and mornings.  I think all of this causes me to lose focus more easily because I pay mild attention to multiple things at once, rather than putting all my energy into one thing at a time.  It also obviously makes me less productive.  My new goal is to check my email 3 times daily MAX (once in the morning, once at lunch, and once in the evening).  I won't check Facebook more than once daily (the morning).  I'll allow myself to read blogs before 9am and only when I don't have as many exams coming up as I do now.  There you have it!  Now is time for me to work on it :)

Have a great day! 

SICK!

Tuesday, March 6th, 2012
Central Park East - 7:25am

Good morning!  Another sick day :(  Yesterday this 3 week cold evolved straight up into my head (does that sentence even make any sense?).  I left work at 3pm, scrapped getting anything else done for the day and spent the rest of the day laying on the couch watching Kill Bill Vol. 1 and 2.  Those movies are pretty awesome.  My favorite part is when she has to make it out of the coffin when she gets buried alive. I'm soldiering through today, though.  The last 3 weeks of March are going to be a bear.  I have 2 midterms, a lab rotation report, and a lab rotation presentation.  ugh.  At least I'll be in Oregon by the end of March 30th!  I'm just taking it one day at a time, one hour at a time, one minute at a time.  That's all you can do, right?

In other news, I saw a guy rollerblading this morning in shorts and a T-shirt.

It's 26 degrees outside and honestly felt even colder.  Is he out of his goddamn mind?  Oh man it's supposed to be 60 tomorrow?  That is beautiful.  Hopefully I'll feel good enough for either spin class or a run with Sof.

Good morning, Monday!

Monday, March 5th, 2012
Central Park East - 6:05am

Good morning!  I had a strange bout of insomnia this morning.  Woke up at 4:15am and couldn't fall back asleep - was just laying there wide awake.  I was feeling antsy and like I wanted the day to start but I had to wait until it would be non-creepy in the Park to take Sofie (i.e. past 5:30am).  So, I got up, made coffee, ate breakfast, tried to keep Sofie quiet (unfortunately we woke Brian up anyway - SORRY, Bri!).  Then I started reading on Livestrong.com

I have a problem with Lance Armstrong and the whole Livestrong thing.  I know everybody is totally up his ass and all, but i just take issue with him.  I think he's fake.  He writes this book called "It's Not About the Bike," all about his inspirational battle with cancer.  I mean...come on...it kinda seems like it's a little about the bike.  How can he write a book about how it's not about the bike when he had a fairly rare form of cancer at a young age, while in perfect health, in a sport known for doping.  Doping greatly increases your risk for developing cancer, and I just find it a little suspicious.  If you were willing to dope (I know, I know...you've denied it all along), then it's a little bit about the bike.  I don't believe for one second that he didn't take performance enhancing drugs and that his cancer was at least in part caused by that choice.  I digress.

I was reading about trans fats, otherwise known as partially hydrogenated oils.  My mother is the trans fat Nazi.  "Never, EVER eat a trans-fat...you will get sick...and you will die.  They are like eating rat poison."  That's what she sounds like - I'm not kidding.  So the other day I wanted some jello pudding - I don't know why.  I was reading the label at the grocery store and discovered ..... Partially hydrogenated cottonseed oil!  NO WAY!  I can't buy this!  I then caught myself thinking about why they're bad for you.  I don't know why they're bad for you - I just know they are.  So I went on Livestrong.com (ah it comes full circle) to read about them.  The problem with them is that because people think they're from a plant source rather than an animal source, that they're not as bad.  They are made by heating up vegetable oils and adding hydrogen so that they become hydrogenated.  They also taste good because they are smooth and creamy rather than fatty or oily-tasting. 

Hydrogenated oils are at least partially responsible for tens to hundreds of thousands of premature deaths due to heart attack and stroke.  That's from a 2006 study published in the Journal of Nutrition in Clinical Practice.  They are FAR worse for you than actually consuming animal fats (which I have also stopped consuming since I have been eating a vegetarian diet).  They dramatically increase your level of low density lipids (LDL), otherwise known as bad cholesterol (high density lipids are the good cholesterol).  I don't actually know the molecular mechanism by which these fats cause plaque buildup, but they do.  I plan to read about this later today because I'm curious. 

I also don't know why Omega-3 fatty acids are good for you.  (Molecular mechanisms).  I feel like I should know this...I'm a scientist after all.  Read those labels!  That's one habit instilled in me by my Dad, who always reads the labels at the grocery store.  I now never buy anything with more than 10% of the calories from fat and breakfast cereal has to have at least 5g of fiber per serving.  I think I am pretty lucky that I had parents who instilled good eating habits early on in life.  Thanks Mom, & Dad

Also a HAPPY BIRTHDAY to SARAH!  She is 24 today but still my little sister!

This was a bit of a random post...sorry about that - it's the sleeplessness.

Have a great day!!! 

HAPPY FRIDAY!

Friday, March 2, 2012
Central Park East - 7:40am

Good morning!  Sadly, the famous hawk that lived in Central Park has passed away.  Fortunately he died of old age rather than any terrible things happening to him.  Unfortunately he didn't leave any other little hawks around to take his place.  He lived above Mary Tyler Moore's picture window and had a life of celebrity.  Hopefully there will be a new hawk some day to take his place! 

This morning I'm going to go to Cafe Fresco for breakfast instead of eating at my house.  I always eat here but now I'm out of breakfast foods for the week so I'm treating myself to an everything bagel toasted w/ vegetable cream cheese and a large coffee....sometimes you gotta treat yo'self!  I'm pretty glad it's Friday even though I have to work this weekend (both days!).  Ah the life of a scientist.  I'm looking forward to sleeping in, hangin' with Brian and Sofie, and reading my favorite blogs.  

What are you looking forward to most about the weekend?

Have a great Friday!

Thursday, March 1st, 2012
Central Park East - 6:45am

Good morning!  Due to computer mishaps I can't upload my photo until I get to work this morning.  I wouldn't be too excited if I were you, it wasn't much of a photo.  It pretty much depicts the rainstorm sitting over NYC this morning.  It is a wet and gloomy day here and not many people were out.  We saw our die-hard friends, though.  Asian girl with pointers, Susan with her dog Logan, the flat coated retriever.  Sofie was a bit mischevious since it was wet.  She doesn't initially like the rain, but once we get walking, she starts to go crazy.  Seriously the rain makes her completely rambunctious and she doesn't mind me as well.  She did a fair amount of jumping up.  People generally don't like small, wet, muddy dogs clawing at their legs, but they should have thought of that before they fed them all treats on another, much nicer day.  Now I've got to work on re-training her.  I've been starting to tell people to please not give her a treat unless she is in lie-down or sit. 

Aside from that the only excitement we had was that Logan stole my ziploc bag of treats out of my pocket this morning.  I keep the bag open so I can grab more easily, and he just stuck his nose in their and ran off with it stuck round the end of his mouth.  His lady Susan ran after him yelling him to "stop!" and "drop it!" but he had gotten too delicious of a treat.  He had eaten most of them before we got them back.  Logan is a sneaky one - you've got to watch him.  He also likes to pull your doggie-waste bags out from wherever you've got them tucked away and run off with them. 

Anyway, enjoy a wonderful day!