Good thing...

...that my New Year's resolution wasn't to update my blog more often! Instead I resolve to complete the work for my PhD within the confines of 2009. Really, finishing in September would be ideal, but, I admit that is a bit unrealistic. Well, everything always works out in the end. In the meantime, I will work very hard. I have implemented a new daily schedule - the important part is that I wake up at 6am every day. So far so good. Also I refuse to allow any procrastination.

Photo time!

Goldfish at work (they are pets only), named Bob (yellow) and Dora (orange). Yes, they are named after the cartoon characters. My new labmate loves pets like I do, so we got some!

Here's a nice sunny day! It has been fairly sunny lately, maybe every three days or so? Look, shadows! That Tasha and I, obviously.

Photo of the Pie. Not much to add to that really.

Ah, now here we have something interesting. An early birthday present from a labmate. Notice the logo on the shirt.

Yes, it says "Cop inside" (as opposed to the original, which is Intel inside, by a computer microprocessor company, seen here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Intel_Inside_Logo.svg). Heh, they know I secretly wish I were a cop - I suppose wearing my 'to protect and serve' shirt all the time is kind of a give away. Anyway, it is a great shirt - it even glows in the dark. Its actually very timely because I have been realizing lately that my 'protect and serve' shirt has disappeared! I think I may have left it in Prague. Alas. Well, I'll have to get a new one of those made up.

Nothing else to report, really, have just been very busy working! Maybe something will happen this week...

Who called in the airstrike?

So I was feeding the crows in the park this morning, as I do nearly every morning. Usually they just sit there, wait for me to toss a treat toward them, then hop over/down and pick it up, and look at me for a few seconds before either eating or caching it. Once I've fed all the visible crows, I leave the area, and they go do their own thing. One of them, though, has upped the ante and is trying some new strategies in order to get more treats. It will now follow me, if I take a route other than my normal route through the park. It even crossed the road as I left the park today, they never do that. Anyway, as well as the following, it will fly really close to me, to attract my attention, then land in front of me, as if to say "hey, right here, look at my pretty crow self, now give me a treat" Of course it works, because I am a sucker for corvids. I'm hoping to get it to eat out of my hand eventually, maybe land on my arm or something. We'll see. And to stave off any concerns that I am training crows to land on people - they do not approach anyone else, or even me if I either - have someone else with me - or - don't have the Pie with me. They seem to only recognize the Emily-Tasha combination. Wearing a different jacket puts them off, but they figure that out pretty quick.

SNOOOOOOW

A few days ago we had ACTUAL SNOW here in Leeds! Just look at it!


There was enough to throw snowballs! To make snowmen! To sled! (if one had a sled, which no one does...) Okay, so there was actually only about one inch or so. But I woke up to the radio dude going on about 'blizzard-like conditions'. Uh. It was lightly snowing, with no wind... not exactly a 'blizzard.' But, there was SOME SNOW, so I wasn't really disappointed! It even stayed all day (but not longer). It has been very cold here generally, with ice every morning. Observe icy sidewalks:


Lookit the interesting pattern in the snow from the plants in the garden near the biology building (taken from about four floors up):


And here is a nice view of last night's sunset out my back door, its not an awesome shot, but my camera has decided it will no longer zoom in, so...

Guest blog

wel, tha hoomin iz bizy dooing werk, so it iz uppto me, tha pi, too maek blogge poast.

-poleese left note at doar, them tryde too come, butt we knot hoem. them call on fone tomoro.

-thar iz ise al over tha plaice, well frost aneewae.

-we feeded them krowes in tha park, az evry dae we duz. thar ar 5 ta 9 yooshually. tha mag-pi's are getin moer bold.

-weez all went fore walk with ambr and krokus, and other hoomin. it wuz funn.

-tha hoomin haz nott sleeped enuff, butt i haz.

-the snaylz are getin verry bigge.

tha end

Why don't you just take my soul while you are at it

The plant thief has struck again! Last night, I pointed out my new plants to my brother-unit. This morning at 9am, they were gone. Well, the two large ones anyway. Sure enough, later I walked by the house where my old stolen plants are, and saw that they have my two new ones.

Well.

I called the police. They are supposed to call me back later. I also took photos of the yard with (all) my plants in it. I hope they don't ask to see photos of the plants in my yard, prior to being stolen. I have such photos, but they are photos of action figures that just happen to have the plants in them. "See here, officer, these are the plants in the corner of the photo." "Uh huh. Behind the Transformers?" "Oh, uh, those aren't mine, I was just borrowing them..."

Amazingly, I also ran into the neighbor whose monkey puzzle tree was also stolen, by chance, and told him about the situation.

Honestly, these people live less than 300 meters from my house, did they NOT think that I would find my plants? How stupid must they be to steal from my house AGAIN?

*dramatic sigh*

Crayfish science

In celebration of getting a scanner (that works), I've brought home some of my lab books in order to share the crayfish drawings on the covers. There are about 6 books now, here are my favorite images. Oh, 6 books sounds like alot, but actually I use rather small books compared to the normal size around here. Its not the size that counts, or so I hear, anyway.

Here's the crayfish on my second lab book:

Here is a more recent book, moving away from realism as you can see:

If you are thinking, "Crayfish Mona Lisa," then we are on the same page.

Here's my current lab book cover image:

Contrary to what you might think, all this doodling does not equate to goofing off. In the molecular lab there is always something to wait for. Waiting for a gel to set firmly. Waiting for the gel to run. Waiting for the centrifuge to stop spinning. Its easy to run out of things to do, so I escape to my happy world of cartoon crayfish, ha ha ha. Actually, I do manage to goof off alot in the field lab where there is no excuse! XD

The house of greatness. sort of.

Not much terribly exciting happening lately, but I'll just give an update anyway.
Today's activities included:

Approached by man, with one more dog than he usually has, in park who asks if I have seen this one dog before. Apparently he found it tied up to a fence in the park. Obviously it was abandoned, it was a puppy wearing a chewed up collar, tied to a fence in a park at 7am with no owner to be found after much searching. >:(

Continued training of new people at work. I know this is going to sound conceited, but I really think I'm doing a much better job than whoever trained me. Except the student in London, she was a great teacher. Anyway, my trainee today was the new PhD student, and she did swell. She has guinea pigs, she lets me come over and hold them. Now I reeeeaaally want guinea pigs >.<

Had lunch with labmate and adopted labmate. Ate sushi. Gave shrimp one to someone else.

Requested updated crayfish licence. I'm sure that will take WEEKS. Ugh!

Sewed large piece of fabric into curtain for stairway, to prevent heat escape, while watching a movie. Fabric was fairtrade AND on sale. I am a consumer masterpiece.

Went to Ikea, the Swedish castle of dreams, to purchase a foam mattress for the foldout bed. This is in preparation for the impending visit of Soontar. It looks like I'll be taking the foldout bed, because it is just about the same length I am. Well, what do you expect from a bed frame you find by the side of the road? Also at Ikea I scored a large rug from the bargain bin for 50 pence. WIN.

So, this post is mainly about how great I am, now that I read over it again. Ha ha ha. That's terrible. Let's switch to the Pie, and how great she is, instead.

Pie is so great, that she will stand on the back patio letting my neighbor's cat try to catch her tail, while a squirrel on the next patio over scurries around. Even when cat sees squirrel and runs after it, right in front of the Pie, the most excellent Pie merely watches. Astonishing, because she LOVES to chase squirrels, at the park. The Pie has more restraint than *I* do at times.

Pie is so great, she recently cut her paw slightly on some glass (presumably-its everywhere), and has to wear a sock taped over one foot outside. She does not like the sock. Does she resist? Does she try to remove it? NO. and if it does fall off, she will go back and pick it up and bring it to me, so I can carry the foul, wet thing for the rest of the walk...

Pie is so great, she brings joy to those at that-place-we-go-to-for-therapy-dog-stuff-that-I-can't-actually-name.

That's all, please enjoy basking in the glow of our presence. XD
Ha, to even it all out I guess I'll mention that I ate foul McDonald's on the way back from Ikea, and I thought evil thoughts about whomever blocked my driveway with their car, and that the Pie does in fact lick her butt.