Monday, February 9, 2009

So I've Been Busy...

And a total slacker at keeping up with this blog. Sorry to all of you who actually read it. I'm going to try to keep a weekly one going for all of you that I don't get to talk to on a regular basis anymore, and I'm going to try to post some of the pictures I've been taking as well as some of the sketches I've been doing (if I decide that they aren't total crap).

Anyway, back to life. My work in the spider lab has kept me really busy the past month or two, we've been running metabolic rates and trying to get the GRs to eat cockroaches. Turns out, tarantulas dislike cockroaches almost as much as I do. They just refuse to eat them, which is a royal pain when your research centers around them chowing down on the gross little buggers. Besides that the research is going really well, we've got all the baselines done and now just have to run two metabolic rates with the new prey items and then I just have to finish the write up for undergrad symposium which is the last week in March. So, needless to say, I'm really hoping that the spiders eat the roaches this time around, because I've got stuff to finish.

On the research note, I've also decided that I'm not going to medical school. I'm absolutely tired of being perfect in EVERYTHING. Instead of struggling through another five years of school that I may not enjoy, I've decided to get my Ph.D. in marine invertebrate biology. Working in the research labs this past year has really made me want to go into research and field biology, there's so much I can do that's never been done and there are new strides being made every day. Also, I really like cephalopods... they're pretty awesome, go look up the new giant squid they found off the coast of Australia and tell me that it isn't cool. I also know that none of you can tell me that you can't see me absolutely loving research biology, I get to be curious and play with animals, perfect, right? Mom is less than happy, but I think eventually she's going to come around to the idea. I think she's mostly just disappointed at the fact that her daughter isn't going to be an M.D., and I hope that once she sees my research at the symposium she'll change her mind.

As far as non-academically related topics, there's a "new" boyfriend (we've been together since October), and he's absolutely amazing! It's been a long time since I've had someone that I can talk to about everything and someone who will be relentless in the pursuit of making me laugh. Oh, and he can cook... which is a totally amazing bonus. I've also been getting back into doing some photography and I've taken up what I like to think of as drawing but is probably just well constructed doodling. I also think that I'm going to take up making throw pillows, the boyfriend and I went to IKEA and I can totally make throw pillows like they have for far far cheaper, and to boot I can use my own photography if I can find cloth ink printer cartridges. Anyway, I've got more classes today, and depending on if anything interesting happens this week I'll have a lot more to add on Friday.

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