Tuesday, March 19th, 2013

No offense March B-day people whom I love (Brian, Sarah, Bear), but your month totally sucks.  I woke up this morning at 6, and it was just raining, slushy from all the snow last night, windy, just terrible weather.  The minute I opened the door to go outside Sofie put on the breaks.  She looked at me with the biggest puss 'n boots eyes I've ever seen. 

The message was clear - "I have no desire to walk around in this mess.  I'm hardly even awake and you're going to drag me around in the slush? I think not." 

We walked around a few blocks.  Once I was really out, I was very glad I was not on my way to the Park.  There was about an inch of melty snow everywhere.   Raining pretty steadily.  Dark.  Cold.  Wind.  I brought them back in where they ate their breakfast and then settled down to sleep again.  You can never sleep enough when you're a dog.  I, on the other hand, trudged off to the gym to run 4 miles on the treadmill + some pushups and plank. 

I think the above picture is kind of sweet.  Every morning when Brian leaves for work.  Sofie lays patiently next to the door pretty much until I leave.  She likes to listen for who is outside the door.  Bear likes to watch me while I'm in the kitchen fixing breakfast for myself.  You never know, a grain of oatmeal could get dropped on the floor. 

I'm very excited for this weekend.  You know why?  Because it's Brian's BIRTHDAY!  We're going to go to Cold Spring and hike Breakneck Ridge and eat burgers (veggie for me ;-)) and drink beer with some friends.  I'm counting down days to the weekend. 

Carpe diem,

J

Monday, March 18th, 2013

Good morning!  In last night's post, I promised I'd tell your more about my weekend.  I ended with the party + pizza 2am on Saturday night. 

Sunday morning we slept in - *shocker*  Brian suggested we trek up to 86th street to go to the Bagel Mill (awesome egg sandwiches) and take the dogs to Carl Shurz Park dog run.  I always check the weather before I go places because I don't mind really cold or rainy weather, I just like to dress appropriately and be prepared.  Well Sunday I did not.  It was freeeeeezing out.  We trekked the whole way up there, let the dogs play.  Then went to the Bagel Mill, where I became numbingly cold waiting outside with the dogs.  It was a bit painful - we suffered.  Then we made out way all the way back to 71st street where we devoured our egg sandwiches & warmed the cockles of our souls.  I made some of the vegetables in the bottom photo  - roasted cauliflower, brussels sprouts, and broccoli in coconut oil drizzled with tahini and shaken with salt, pepper, and smoked paprika.  Delicious. 

Then I went to the gym and ran 11 miles on a treadmill.  Brian played drums at home for a few hours.  This was the longest run I've ever done on a treadmill.  It was possible because the ACC men's Conference Championship was on ESPN and it was a GREAT game.  They were lighting it up from 3 (both teams) and there were something like 15 lead changes in the first half alone.  I did this cool treadmill workout where you make every mile faster than the one before, so by the last 5 miles I was below a 7 min mile pace.  I came home and immediately ate a huge, salty, buttery sweet potato and salad with feta & walnuts. 

Then we walked the dogs again and got stuff for dinner. 

I made a spicy tomato sauce with red pepper flakes, onions, garlic, bay leaves, crushed tomatoes, basil, oregano, and cumin.  We tossed it with whole wheat pasta, which I am coming around to, and parmesan.  Brian added homemade meatballs. We scarfed our pasta while watching the Walking Dead.  Which, as I said, is my favorite show. 

For this week, I made my first attempt at Chunky Tomato Soup.  (That's the top photo).  Jeez, I cooked a lot yesterday.  This is vegetarian recipe #8 (I think.

Vegetarian Recipe #8 - Winter Tomato Soup with Bulgur and Chickpeas:
1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
2 small onions - diced
3-4 garlic cloves - minced
olive oil - enough to cook your onions and garlic
5 cups water
salt
pepper
1 14 oz can chickpeas
1/2 cup bulgur wheat

Sauté your onions and garlic in a soup pot in your olive oil.  Add the whole can of tomatoes (if you like smoother soup, you can process them in a food processor beforehand - I did not because I like it chunky).  Cook your tomatoes down for about 10 minutes.  Then add your bulgur wheat, water, and the chickpeas.  Taste the soup and add salt and pepper.  Bring to a boil then cook down for about 30-40 minutes.  The bulgur will puff up and become tender. 

This recipe is adapted from the New York Times Recipes for Health from Martha Rose Schulman.  (I added the chickpeas....because everything is better with chickpeas). 

Carpe diem,

J

Hi, folks!  Another great weekend here on the home-front.  On Saturday I didn't work out - I was going to sleep in but then I decided to go to the Park with Brian and the pups.  We walked them all around on our usual route - it's amazing how much more crowded it is on the weekends & at 8 instead of 6.  It was PACKED with dogs.  You have to watch the pups way more carefully because they can kind of disappear in all the hubbub. 

We stopped by Cafe Fresco on the way home to get coffee + egg sandwiches.  One of my favorite things about the weekend is egg sandwiches.  I never eat them during the week but there is almost nothing better than 2 eggs scrambled on a toasty, doughy bagel coated in salt and garlic, topped with melty american cheese and ketchup.  So delicious.  I then had to go in to work to finish my experiment from the week.  To use the FACS machine (Fluorescence Activated Cell Sorter) I have to sign up for time earlier in the week.  It's usually booked through each day during the work week and I do not like to be rushed.  I hate thinking that people are in front or behind me and feeling like I have to rush around and don't have time to adjust things.  For that reason, I usually do FACS on the weekend when it's more available.  I should totally tell you guys what FACS is - it's kind of the most important tool immunologists have...besides mice. 

A FACS is a multi-million dollar machine made by a company called BD.  Maybe other companies make them, but everybody uses BD brand ones.  There are 2 FACS machines on our floor and they're shared between like 8 labs, which is why they're so crowded all the time.  They weren't available about 20 years ago and they've changed science - completely.  Some genius guy developed the first FACS as part of his PhD.  Seriously?  Genius. So say you have a cell.  Remember I told you about them before?  You're made out of them.  Well there are different things that stick to the outsides of them.  Those things that stick to the outsides of them are sometimes proteins and lipids (fats) and sugars, and mixtures of sugars and proteins (glyco-proteins).  Those things help the cell function the way it needs to.  Immune cells have different things stuck to them than neurons or intestinal cells, or heart cells. Well in immunology, we often want to know 1.  What's on the outside of a cell and 2.  How much of said thing is on the outside of the cell.

^That's a dendritic cell.  It's a type of immune cell that engulfs (eats) pathogens (like bacteria or viruses or parasites) and shows them to other immune cells.  They're REALLY important for a proper immune response to happen. 

^That's what a FACS looks like.  It's about 4 feet long and sits on a big table and you put your sample in on the right hand side where that glass tube is.  The blue part is where all the lasers are.  It's connected to all kinds of lubricants and other containers of buffering fluids that keep it "wet."  You constantly freak out that you will break the expensive thing that everyone relies on.  Another reason why you do not like to be rushed.

To figure that out, we use antibodies that are "conjugated" (connected to) a fluorescent molecule.  That means that when you shine a laser of a certain wavelength onto the fluorophore, it emits at another wavelength that travels through a tube and is read by a detector.  Ok, we'll try that again in English instead of Physics.  You know that paint that glows in the dark?  It's inside those stars that you put on your ceiling when you were a kid (or that you gave to your kids to put on their ceilings).  Those things also glow when you shine UV (ultraviolet) light on them.  You know why?  Because they're full of molecules that absorb UV light (which is a component in day light - hence why you get sunburned), and emit light in a yellow-ey greenish hue. 

Ok, so an antibody.  It "recognizes" things that cause an immune reaction.  When you get infected with....say...Rhinovirus (aka the virus that causes the Common Cold), you have antibodies that get made that recognize Rhinovirus and eliminate it.  Antibodies are proteins.  They're shaped like the letter "Y."  You make them, your dogs make them, rabbits make them, mice make them.  They circulate in your blood looking for pathogens.  They're important for your body to fight off pathogens.  They're extremely specific.  So an immunologist once thought.  "Hmm...maybe we should inject proteins into rabbits and collect their antibodies.  That way we could stick some fluorescent molecule on that antibody then expose those it to cells that we think will have the protein we originally injected.  If the antibody sticks, that means that the cell has the protein.  We can tell whether it has it by shining a fluorescent light on it and seeing if it glows. 

Well now we have TONS of different fluorescent molecules that get "excited" or emit light at different wavelengths and by different lasers.  We expose cells to those antibodies, see both 1.  what sticks and 2.  how much sticks by putting it into the FACS machine.  The FACS machine shoots tons of different lasers at it (like between 2 and 12 depending on how baller (expensive) your FACS machine is).  If you were wondering...we have 2 baller FACS machines....b/c we're Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center....and we're important.  Then the detector detects the colors that shine in response to those lasers.  Some nerdy computer programming guy or gal wrote a program to interpret what the detector sees and that's what shows up on your computer screen.  It's very nice/cool. 

So...that's what I did on Saturday. 

Then I went to a party at my friend Karen's house.  She just moved in with her boyfriend to an apartment in Brooklyn near Prospect Park.  I ate a TON of gorgonzola cheese and toffee and they had some kind of DELICIOUS punch that was crushed raspberries, pomegranate seeds, simple syrup, mint, lemon & lime juice/zest, vodka, and champagne.  It was seriously SO GOOD.  I need to learn the ratios.  We got home at around 2 - enough time to eat pizza at some shop full of drunken, inappropriate Saint Patty's people.  I was not really drunk because mainly I ate so much cheese.  Parties are still super fun but no longer cool to get wasted - because now you're just a sad drunk - no longer funny.  That time has come and gone (at least with work friends ;)

Anyway.  I have more to tell you but I've bored you enough for one night. 

Carpe diem,

J

Friday, March 15th, 2013

Good morning!

This was a little something how my night went last night.  Sarah came over.  Brian made us dinner - homemade penne vodka with parmesan.  Then we had a little chocolate.  She forced Bear to snuggle and we watched "Say Yes to the Dress."  Brian read articles about the stock market and got about a square of chocolate. 

The other picture is a new path in the Park I've been enjoying lately.  I'm a big fan. 

Happy Friday!

Carpe diem,

J

Thursday, March 14th, 2013

Good morning!  Sorry I forgot to post yesterday - I ran in to work and completely forgot!  I haven't had any Park pictures for you lately - it's just been so dark that it's just starting to get light by the end of the walk.  Good things have been happening.  I've been about 30% stressed for my ACE lately.  I would equate that to "30% of my thoughts when not directed on focusing on doing something are ACE thoughts."  I'm in the middle of a big experiment, making it a little tough to focus on the ACE.  To work on the ACE, I really need full days of concentration.  i.e. I need to have nothing else to focus on for the day - to just sit, and be in the zone, and work.  The reason for this is that I really need a mental warmup to get thinking my best.  I go through about 30minutes to an hour of marginal concentration before I'm really working effectively. 

Yesterday I knew I had about 2.5 hours after lunch that could be devoted solely to the ACE.  I didn't want to waste any of that time so at the end of lunch, I turned off the light in my apt (I go home for lunch), and just sort of silenced my mind for about 10 minutes.  I repeated that there was nothing else to check or work on or finish to sidetrack me once I got back to work.  When I got back to my lab, I was really ready to go and focused-in right away.  I think I'm going to make this a regular thing. 

I also got news of my ACE committee - that is - the group of faculty that I'll give my oral presentation to in about a month.  They'll be responsible for reading & critiquing my proposal, grilling me at my oral, and then ultimately deciding on whether I pass or not.  I'm very happy with my committee assignments - they are all nice, normal (seriously you don't know how important that is), and reasonable people.  They will be interested in pushing me but not bashing me.  There is one lady who I kind of admire named Inez Rogatsky.  She specializes in signaling at HSS (The Hospital for Special Surgery - one of our affiliates).  She's kind of a baller and knows a TON.  She's a real intense woman of science.  She also will most definitely be the one to convince.  She'll be the one who really grills me - I've seen her in action.  I'm a little scared of her, but also very excited to get to know her better.  My committee head is Theresa Lu.  She's also at HSS and I have a great relationship with her because I TA'ed for her this year and got to interact with her quite a bit (she runs the fundamental Immunology course for 1st years).  She's kind of a saint.  She is a physician, sees patients, runs her own lab, runs Fundamental Immunology, and serves on ACE committees.  She cares about grad students, which is not universal among principal investigators at non-university research institutions like MSKCC, HSS, and Weill Cornell.  I'm happy to have her be my chairman. 

Anyway, that's all for now. 

Carpe diem,

J

Tuesday, March 12th, 2012

Good morning!  Another really dark, rainy morning prevented you from getting a picture of the Park.  It was definitely too dark to take a picture of anything.  It was also raining fairly hard for most of the run.  You all know how I feel about rain - not so bad - so this morning in the Park was really lovely.  It was super quiet because there was almost no one out.  I saw about 3 people the whole time.  It was mildly creepy when I got to the Park but I figured that no rapists or serial killers want to do their dirty work in this much rain.  (JK, I brought pepper spray and my fishing knife - pepper spray to get them off and the fishing knife to remind them not to try any funny business again.....).  You gotta be smart and not go traipsing around Central Park in the dark without anything to protect yourself.  

I like to think I'm tough but I'm so, SO not. 

Anyway, I had a really nice, quiet, peaceful, dark walk in the Park followed by 6 miles at my gym, followed by oatmeal!  AND we have a talk at 10am today so I'll be sure to have a mini-croissant or two + coffee :)  I <3 carbs.  Especially buttery carbs :(

Have a great day!


Carpe diem,

J

Monday, March 11th, 2013

Good morning!  Fantastic weekend here in NYC!  Gorgeous weather & nice adventures. 

If you'll recall, Friday was a blizzard. 

No, seriously....a blizzard....

On Saturday, we met Brian's mom & her friend for brunch at Fulton Pub - one of our favorite places.  It was 55 and sunny.  I wore sunglasses.  I really wanted the pancakes but I did not want the pancake carbs so I got a cheddar omelet with a nice, big arugula salad on the side.  It was delicious and I was not one bit disappointed that I passed up the pancakes.  It was a wonderful lunch & great catching up/hearing about Costa Rica!  Brian's mom also brought us some Costa Rican coffee.  Now we have Hawaiian from my parents trip and Costa Rican from Brian's.  What I want to know is when do I get to start going to these places?!?!? 

After lunch I ran 7.5 miles in a t-shirt & shorts and did Ab-Ripper X - which is a fitness DVD that I love.  It was glorious.

On Sunday we tried the Costa Rican coffee - it was delightful.  I won't ponce on about the cedar notes and smoky goodness but it was really, really, good coffee.  We haven't tried the Hawaiian yet because we need to get it ground. 

Then we went to the Bronx to get some legit Italian food in little Italy.  The way there was just too stereotypical.  It was just too much!  When we got off the subway there was immediately a guy selling pit bull puppies out of his jacket in front of a shop that exclusively sold pigs feet.  TOO MUCH!  We wandered ridiculously through the Bronx for awhile until we reached Fordham University & Little Italy.  People were looking at us like we had 3 heads - not kidding.  Brian walked me by the house that he lived in when he lived in the Bronx and when we intercepted Little Italy everything changed.  It became like a little quaint town you'd run across in the suburbs somewhere.  Really cute & charming.  Lots of people out drinking espresso outside cafés, waiting in line to get brunch, and meeting up with family for a Sunday meal. 

We walked around for a bit - so many great looking restaurants.  Then we went to Tino's, which was Brian's favorite place to go when he lived there.  We got chicken parmesan, rice balls with gravy (marinara), and spinach lasagne.  They gave us big chunks of crusty bread to get all of the last bites of sauce.  I suspended vegetarianism for the day and ate it all - and it was the most incredible Italian food I've ever had.  Ever.  Period.  The cases at Tino's were filled with cheeses, prosciutto, olives, anchovies, and hot food.  They also were making pizzas in the back in a little brick oven. 

After we ate lunch we went to Palomba's Bakery.  We split a Cannoli and each had a cappuccino.  It was loud and charming.  The café was filled with big families having a Sunday treat - all speaking different languages.  Everyone there spoke Italian and called us "hon," and "sweetie," and brought us our food on a little silver tray.  I know I'm raving a lot but I really love Cannoli's in general.  This cannoli, though - was, again, the BEST cannoli I've ever tasted.  The ricotta filling with smooth, sweet, thick, and had just a little bite.  It was absolutely incredible.  I mean, this place was the real deal.  I would traverse pigs feet stores every weekend if it meant I got a cannoli from Palomba's.  We savored our cannoli & cappuccino and then got a half pound of cookies to take home.  Before we left, we stopped at one more bakery and got a small loaf of jalapeño cheddar bread (which we ate all of later that night - swathed with big hunks of butter). 

When we got home we took the dogs on a big walk, then watched The Walking Dead - which is a show I'm obsessed with.  I ate a sweet potato for dinner and then went to bed. 

I was still full this morning. 

Carpe diem,

J