More wisdom

12. Do nice things for people during periods of procrastination.  That way, when you don't have anything finished you can say, "Well yeah, but at least I'm a good person!"

Further lessons learned from life experience

11. Consoling/awarding yourself with Chinese food and chocolate ice cream at the end of a late night at work is NOT going to be worth it. (Repercussions include gas and heartburn for 24 hrs straight.)

I MADE A LAB SNAKE

I know this wasn't on my Spring Break Bucket list, but as Calvin says, sometimes you have to "obey the inscrutable exhortations of (your) soul." Taking the subject of my impromptu art project a little too seriously, I think it's important for all of us to make room for enjoyable and perhaps less enjoyable but equally enriching activities. I've said before that one of the most valuable things I took away from my Jesuit education was to appreciate the value of balance in one's life. That is to say, even though I've wanted to be a scientist ever since I could ever have marginally been called an adult (or young adult for that matter), sometimes taking a break makes me appreciate my job all the more.

I think this is because my job and virtually all others work one area of the brain more than others. Those other parts of your brain need to be exercised, even if they're not necessarily your strong suits. Similar to going to the gym after a spell of physical stagnancy or listening to your favorite local radio station after being on vacation, you feel more whole when you utilize all pieces of yourself.

Another advantage of taking a break from your normally all-encompassing world (work or maybe even a relationship or romance in general) is the chance to gain perspective on it from the outside. When talking to relatives, dates, or those in my parish, it never ceases to amaze me how cool they think my job is. None of them focus on the logistics of organizing 900+ samples in triplicate or the challenges of making sure everyone on the project is up to date on what's going on. These outsiders see that I'm working with unique strains of bacteria awesomely adapted to deal with extreme dryness and salt. Who's to say which of these my job is really about- the impressive big picture or the ordinary nitty gritty? I'm the one who gets to choose how I see it, and that makes all the difference.

PS his name is Harry.

I think I need a shoe organizer for my car

....do they even make those?

Spring break bucket list of a grad student

* Get a haircut
* Make banana bread
* Do dishes so that I can see my counter again
* Go shopping!!!! ...for underwear.
* Make lab web page
* Finish reading Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
* Take out Girl with the Dragon Tattoo out from the library since I had to bring it back after I renewed it too many times
* Run outside
* Run a 5k
* Change lightbulb
* Find out who the final Cylon model is
* Play with kitty
* Learn German
* Read cool science articles
* Read cool articles in Science
* Eradicate world hunger
* Extract a shitload of DNA

Me: I'm going to go underline it


Steffers: lol no! thats unecessary


Me: so is Taylor Swift; however she still exists


Steffers: LOLZ


Me: i know i m just so quotable


Steffers: your wit extended to today!


Me: yaaay!! I feel very accomplished today since last night was so successful


Steffers: hahaha so wit=accomplishment


Me: well its a little more complucated than that


Steffers: are you sure?


Me: yes


Steffers: I think its a pretty linear relationship


Me: I'm drawing u a diagram


Steffers: lol cant wait to see it