The Doc Wanna Be a Jock

Newer update

2009-02-23T12:25:00.002-05:00

Yeah, it's been 7 months. My fan club (hi, Mom!) has been complaining. What has been happening in the last 7 months?

1-) I defended my MSc thesis (woohoo!).

2-) I started my PhD 5 days later.

3-) My PhD and I have a love-hate relationship going. Last semester we were considering a divorce (and yes, I was even considering filing a restraining order against it). This semester, we have so far managed to agree to co-exist in peace.

4-) I am still TAing. I want a job that does not involve grading (and then having to argue the grade with the student who really really thinks that an A was merited and that I'm just mean) papers written in text message lingo.

5-) I finished the Snow Beast (it's pretty - I will post photos).

6-) I have yet to discover the Smartie culpret.

7-) I have discovered swing dancing and thoroughly enjoy making a fool of myself while dancing.

8-) Casey still loves Fancy Feast.

Marieke says I need to update my blog...

2008-06-15T10:42:00.002-05:00

Yup, my mom has given up on it, but Marieke keeps working on me. I was shown this yesterday and had wanted to do it anyways, so here goes:

What we have here is the top 106 books most often marked as "unread" by LibraryThing’s users. As in, they sit on the shelf to make you look smart or well-rounded. Bold the ones you've read, underline the ones you read for school, italicize the ones you started but didn't finish.

Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell
Anna Karenina
Crime and Punishment
Catch-22
One Hundred Years of Solitude
Wuthering Heights
The Silmarillion
Life of Pi: a novel
The Name of the Rose
Don Quixote
Moby Dick
Ulysses (I am too dense to figure out how to underline)
Madame Bovary
The Odyssey
Pride and Prejudice (an all time favorite)
Jane Eyre
The Tale of Two Cities
The Brothers Karamazov
Guns, Germs, and Steel: the fates of human societies (to be fair, I'm currently reading it)
War and Peace
Vanity Fair

The Time Traveler’s Wife
The Iliad
Emma
The Blind Assassin
The Kite Runner
Mrs. Dalloway
Great Expectations

American Gods
A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius (own but never actually read)
Atlas Shrugged
Reading Lolita in Tehran: a memoir in books
Memoirs of a Geisha
Middlesex
Quicksilver
Wicked: the life and times of the wicked witch of the West (in my pile currently out from library)

The Canterbury Tales
The Historian: a novel
A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man
Love in the Time of Cholera
Brave New World
The Fountainhead
Foucault’s Pendulum
Middlemarch
Frankenstein
The Count of Monte Cristo
Dracula
A Clockwork Orange
Anansi Boys
The Once and Future King
The Grapes of Wrath
The Poisonwood Bible: a novel
1984
Angels & Demons
The Inferno (and Purgatory and Paradise)
The Satanic Verses
Sense and Sensibility
The Picture of Dorian Gray
Mansfield Park
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest
To the Lighthouse
Tess of the D’Urbervilles
Oliver Twist (underline - doh)
Gulliver’s Travels
Les Misérables
The Corrections
The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
Dune
The Prince
The Sound and the Fury
Angela’s Ashes : a memoir
The God of Small Things
A People’s History of the United States : 1492-present Cryptonomicon
Neverwhere
A Confederacy of Dunces
A Short History of Nearly Everything
Dubliners
The Unbearable Lightness of Being
Beloved
Slaughterhouse-five
The Scarlet Letter
Eats, Shoots & Leaves
The Mists of Avalon
Oryx and Crake : a novel (finished it on the plane home from my conference in Geneva last month: it has been sitting on my book shelf for years)
Collapse : how societies choose to fail or succeed
Cloud Atlas
The Confusion
Lolita
Persuasion
Northanger Abbey
The Catcher in the Rye (underline!)
On the Road
The Hunchback of Notre Dame
Freakonomics : a rogue economist explores the hidden side of everything
Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance : an inquiry into values
The Aeneid
Watership Down
Gravity’s Rainbow
The Hobbit
In Cold Blood : a true account of a multiple murder and its consequences
White Teeth
Treasure Island
David Copperfield
The Three Musketeers

The big 5-0

2008-03-29T13:28:00.002-05:00

I have been beating myself up over my thesis. I have been told to add 2 more subjects at this point in time which means have to take quite a few steps backwards in data analysis. I ran extra subject #1 on Thursday (and will point out how deeply in love I am with our now properly working indirect calorimeter) and will run subject #2 in just over a week.

I have been very hard on myself with the writing process because I have been "still on chapter 1" for months. This morning I compiled what I have so far for chapter 1 (I need to finish one small section and add a summary and summarizing diagram): I have over 50 pages and 185 references for chapter 1. I am still "still on chapter 1" but at least am feeling like I have done something substantial.

I have gotten some knitting done (the snowbeast is getting to be beastly in size and I have lots of little squares to piece together for the baby blanket). There will be photos too - as soon as someone gets her act together and recharges her camera batteries.

PS: note to my mother. You will be so proud of me: I went shopping and bought new jeans and 3 tops to replace the clothes you were disgusted about last week (I have a graduate student wardrobe of very old scruffy clothing - it fits, most of my nice clothes from when I was doing clinical work were purchased when I weighed 20 pounds less and somehow don't fit so great and I spend way too much time working with things in a biochem lab that are best worked with in old clothes - my mother was not impressed with my falling appart jeans and t-shirts she recognized from when I was in high school...). I can even post photos when my camera is recharged.

Snow, resiliance, fire alarms and crochet

2008-03-09T19:53:00.013-05:00

It is almost spring (as is completely obvious when you look outside). This weekend, we have had another 51cm of snow (which, based on my math, has us within 40cm of the city's all time record). I love the attitude I'm seeing to this weather. There is a big case of cabin fever going on. Apparently, a press release was sent out urging people to stay home unless absolutely necessary. Normally, I'd figure, okay, cool, I've got food and supplies, it's Saturday, sure I can stay home. I was sick of staying home so grabbed my gym stuff, went to work out and to my favorite nearby coffee place, figuring I'd be the only one crazy enough to be out so would get a table with one of the highly coveted outlets for my computer. The place was packed to standing room only. Apparently everyone was sick of being cooped up and, despite there being other perfectly acceptable chain coffee shops within a block, everyone felt that for going out in this weather, they deserved to get their coffee in the prefered location. There's also great anxiety to reach this record-breaking 447cm mark. If we are still suffering through this snow in March, we'd might as well be able to brag about living through the record-breaking winter of 2008.

I tried to show that the snowbank behind me goes up to my shoulders. I was having troubles setting up the camera and it was too cold and snowy to be too persistant.

So, at the tail-end of the snow, my building's fire alarm went off. Surprisingly, fire trucks arrived through the snow by the time I had backed up my thesis work on my portable hard drive (typical grad student - must save data) and packed up Casey. Casey sat by the door as soon as the alarm started, as if she were waiting for instructions. She was less thrilled when I shoved her into her bag and started down all the stairs. The fire alarm stopped by the time I made it to the 16th floor so I got to turn around and let Casey go recover.

Recovering.

Finally, I did some needlework: here's the March square from my crochet blanket and the blanket so far.

And this is Boris. He is a slug (can you tell I was snowed in and sick of working last night?).

Neurosurgery... Who'd have thunk it?

2008-03-04T21:10:00.003-05:00

I have spent the past week perusing neurosurgical journals because the part of my literature review on the effects of cold exposure on cytokines seems to be mostly covered there (a lot of work on how post-traumatic/post-stroke cooling may modify inflammatory and hence neurological outcome).

Got to admit, I like the brevity of the neurosurgical articles (compared to the longer more detailed methods sections found in the physiology journals that I have recently become so well-acquainted with) but I am really really not keen on reading any more on mouse models of head trauma and am really questioning if there isn't anything out there that may be more relevant to what I'm doing...

This is my brain on neurosurgical mouse hypothermia literature. Questions?

Why write your thesis...

2008-03-02T22:44:00.002-05:00

...when you can make it into an interpretive dance?

Be sure to scroll down to the video player and watch the entries - they are pretty fantastic...

You know I'm wondering if I could skate mine, right? And trying to figure out music...

Ice Ice, Baby and Hot, Hot, Hot? Now to incorporate inflammation and metabolism...

2008-02-28T09:46:00.001-05:00

Enter the ICHC online Poker Cats Contest!

Is it hooky if the supervisors organized it?

2008-02-28T09:35:00.003-05:00

Here was the lab outing to Gatineau Park last Wednesday:

My new quote to live by

2008-02-25T22:57:00.003-05:00

In my Saturday morning skating classes, I give my 4 year old group stickers at the end of every class as a reward for working hard and as something to look forward to. One little boy is particularly fond of "sticker time". This week, I had the group working on skating backwards. He stops suddenly and looks at me:

"I don't feel like doing that. Can't you just give me a sticker instead?"

That is my new line to live by. Just think of its uses with:

- Lab equipment maintenance
- Dealings with thesis committee
- Being asked to grade papers
- Personal trainers who think you should do push ups
...

Really, the possibilities are just endless.

Still Alive!

2008-02-24T09:33:00.004-05:00

My mom phoned last week concerned that my blog had not been updated in awhile. It being a week later and there are still no new entries in my blog, I figured I should do something, even if just to convince my family that I am still alive and breathing. I also have pictures to upload (ooohhh...).

So, it's been busy on the MSc front. I'm counting down the number of ELISA kits I have left to run (1 TNF, 1 insulin, 1 total adiponectin, 1 HMW adiponectin... unless we also decide to run IL-1beta which I'm starting to wonder about and then I need to do 2 of those too). All that to say, I am approaching where I will have all my numbers and can start my stats. I'm also driving myself a little batty with my decision to redo my review of literature chapter (it's a long process). My evenings have largely consisted of writing until I'm ready to drop and then curling up in bed with a novel (hence why my 50 books list keeps growing).

I made 2 new squares for my blanket: both in what I was hoping were the right color scheme for the project spectrum fire theme. They may be a little too pink for that but it's what I have and I want to use yarn that I already have for the blanket (though there may be a yarn swap coming up and seeing as a lot of people seem keen to get their "icky acrylic stuff" off their hands, I may be able to score some more bits for the blanket. Have not done much more knitting besides taking the snow beast out to SnB this week for a bit.

Besides that, what with it being winter and all (minus 16 celcius), I've suddenly got little brown ants in my appartment (go figure). At least all my food has already been bug-proofed. I've just had to move Casey's bowl (I sprinkled baby powder around it too, based on something I"d read online - may have helped: her food has been ant-free since I did that) and borax ant traps are my new favorite thing in the whole wide world.

I managed a quick trip to Winterlude last weekend and got some photos of the ice sculptures. I wanted to try photograph them lit up at night but my batteries died before it got dark enough (plus, it was cold...). I've got photos on my little Kodak from the lab snowshoe outing last week but they will have to wait.

Obsessing over undergrad eating habits

2008-02-06T09:17:00.000-05:00

My main job this semester is TAing a nutrition class. The main assignment for that class is a very detailed food diary assessment. I've had all sorts of interesting questions to field (my current favorite is "I ate an orange and forgot to weigh it. What do I do?????" - it was so tempting to tell the student to restart her diary the next day but I was kind and explained that she ate the evidence and could therefore make up a reasonable weight for her orange). I am currently grading the diaries. It really is like going through someone's diary. I have been so tempted to write comments like "You had HOW MANY Coors Lights?" and "No, my dear, you can not live off of nothing but Timbits" or, alternately "Is that all you ate??? That's like half your daily recommended calorie intake." I have to keep reminding myself that it is not my job. I am an impartial marker, not a physician in this situation.

February's square

2008-02-02T15:22:00.001-05:00

For the block a month crochet-along that I'm doing, February has a heart theme. I really wasn't big on the hearts but want to crochet the same pattern as everyone else so tried to find a color scheme that would be less Valentine-ish without being garish.

Feeling crafty

2008-01-28T22:29:00.000-05:00

Perhaps inspired by actually getting somewhere with the thesis (whew), I got a second wind with the crafty-creative stuff. I'm taking part in a 1ft square crochet block a month activity on Ravelry (the idea is that by December, you have at least enough blocks to make a small blanket (several more ambitious people in that group are aiming much higher). I finally got around to making my January block (whew! before the February one is announced:

The sand dollar sweater is also progressing:

That's the back AND the 2 upper front panels. I am wondering if the neckline will have more decoltage than my bussoms will handle but I figure I should be able to add a border if necessary once assembly is completed.

I also found this which sounds pretty awesome and will definately take part:

Project Spectrum

I am wondering if I can combine it with the blanket project and make extra blocks for each element theme (I'm thinking placing them as corners of the blanket). Thought I also want to do something with photography and perhaps try out some other creative outlets.

First up: Fire!

Thesis - hold gravy please

2008-01-22T23:11:00.000-05:00

So, I pretend to be sometimes writing a knitting blog but really, as venting over research has cut off my knitting time (I may be finished piece 3 of Sand Dollar pullover, I just need to sit down with the measuring tape and other piece that needs to be the mirror image of this one as my quick knitting update - Amanda and I have a night of knitting planned for Friday so there should be more to come).

So I had the meeting with the supervisors regarding my need to revamp the thesis. We now have a new thesis plan sans gravy. It's the same project but instead of doing 4 arms, we're doing 2 and in arm number 2 I will have 4 subjects instead of 6. Meaning... I can start analysing my bloodwork (woohoo!) and writing (woohoo!).

Conversation that occured right at end of meeting:

Overambitious supervisor: Okay, that will be fine for your thesis. However, it would be really cool to look at lipids in (now non-existant). Are you sure you don't want to do extra 12 trials and lipid measurements for fun?

Me: Yes, it will be a cool project FOR SOMEONE ELSE.

Overambitious supervisor looks a little taken aback but as I do not think I've ever said no to more work from him and was looking rather desperate (were those real sparks shooting out of my eyes?), he didn't push.

Really to start the final push. Good thing I have Casey to help me out with some final research and fact checking.

In other news, I have a new haircut (okay, 2 weeks old now). I have been told I now have as much hair as a normal person does.

And now for my sad photo of the day, i found this at the lab yesterday:

That is right, good Christmas candies. And not just any good Christmas candy: overambitious prof's Christmas present from me. I left it for him a month ago. He never retrieved it (how can that survive in our lab where people eat Smarties out of pillboxes). I took it with me to our alternate lab where he spends more time and have been debating which note to leave on his office door:

Option 1:

"Dear over-ambitious prof,

I am concerned about the freshness of your Christmas present. Please retrieve it within the next 24 hours or my fellow lab monkeys and I will have to consume it for quality control reasons. DJ"

Option 2:

"Dear overambitious prof,

Your Christmas gift was getting lonely. It is currently hanging out with me in my cubicle. Please come retrieve it. DJ"

Number 2 is nicer, especially as I was nearly spitting sparks at his the other day but those candies sure do look tasty...

The Case of the Missing Smarties Continues

2008-01-16T20:45:00.001-05:00

So, upon return to lab, I interogated my suspects, to no avail:

Suspect #1: "I didn't do it but that is so awesome. I'd have totally confessed if I'd done it because that's just too funny."

Suspect #2: "What?? There were smarties???"

Suspect #3: "No, I didn't but I am hungry. Got any more?"

Help! I'm drowning...

2008-01-14T17:37:00.000-05:00

I am exausted. I am on my last day of extended-vacation-which-was-not-really-extended-vacation-because-I-brought-work-which-I-have-been-disciplined-about-doing-even-if-I-only-manage-to-start-in-earnest-at-11pm-and-then-can-not-figure-out-why-I-am-exausted-the-next-morning. Whew... When can I go on vacation.

So what am I working on?

1-) I am trying to salvage my thesis. My trials are either not happening at all, getting cancelled last minute or getting sabotaged by suicidal data-acquisition systems. I have spent 7 months working on the gravy for my thesis that is probably not necessary but would be nice for publication and have gotten nowhere. Trouble is, I can't go nowhere. Funding runs out by summer and I'm applying for PhD programs for this fall. I am hence trying to re-plan my thesis, hold the gravy.

2-) Research article. This is key. If my thesis is non publishable without the gravy and I am holding the gravy, publications are required from other projects. Lucky for me, I have spread myself very thin and have lots of other projects in the works. I am currently slaving over the discussion of one we want to send out by the end of January. Trouble with discussions is when you do research for discussion and in every article you read, you find reference to 5 more articles that you really should read. It gets to be rather distressing.

Chemistry cat

2008-01-14T13:49:00.000-05:00

moar funny pictures

Darn it!

2008-01-13T22:47:00.000-05:00

I just made one of these. And I was silly enough to think it meant I might actually be getting somewhere (I... want... to... finish... this... semester...).

Though to be fair, I think my Chapter 5 is currently entitled "Why am I doing this to myself" and Chapter 6 is "This is ridiculous".

Am currently taking suggestions for catchier titles...

Of yarn and birds

2008-01-11T20:30:00.000-05:00

I have been having fun playing with the zoom in my new camera around my dad's bird feeders (though perhaps I have not had as much viewing enjoyment as Casey has been having).

I'm starting off a new sweater (Sand Dollar Pullover from Knitting Nature). I have completed 2 of the 7 pieces (not looking forward to sewing it together). I have also begun a new baby gift and true to my word, it is non-pastel!

2008-01-08T23:49:00.001-05:00

moar funny pictures

2008-01-08T23:37:00.001-05:00

moar funny pictures

Meltdown!

2008-01-08T22:29:00.000-05:00

So, our insanely high snowbanks are melting due to unseasonal conditions. As the snow is still covering the ground, guess where all the melt off is going? Yup, my parents' basement. And as the stand-in for my dad while he is in Mexico (sigh), guess who gets to bail the basement? Yup, me.

I figured I was heading for my own meltdown wth the bailing, my questioning what on earth I am doing with my thesis (grr... hit research frustration point...) and unexpectedly 2 day early PhD phone interviews (when the confirmation e-mail said the 9th, it really meant to say the 7th), I thought I was approaching my own meltdown.

I then got this e-mail from un-named student in un-named class of 200 that I am now TAing. I have come to conclusion that I am not melting down but have instead entered some strange universe:

I have a huge favor to ask. I am in blank class on Monday nights and we have a midterm scheduled for Monday the 25th of February. I already booked tickets for a concert that night. I was hoping I might be able to write it the week before reading week.(week of the 11th-15th) There will be no other material covered. If you want my schedule for that week I can send it to you as well. I really hope this is a possibility and will work out.

I sat there for awhile with my jaw dropped. Seriously? You even ask? This would require a whole second midterm exam to be written. This is a large class. If we reschedule a midterm for a concert, I really would not be fair to say no to any requests no matter what the reasoning behind them. My head began to spin, causing Casey to run and hide...

Side effects of black licorice medication...

2008-01-06T21:29:00.000-05:00

So, after buying that big bag of Goodies to vengefully fill my pillbox (hey! they work great! they're capsule shaped and I could color code them: white is AZT, green is Gravol, yellow is neurontin... I made a key with pill, color, dosage and what they are for to go with my demo), I took the remaining candy home with me in a good sized tupperware container. My mom and I emptied it over the course of 24 hours (when she gave me a list of groceries to pick up today, she added more licorice to the list... think I created a monster?).

I signed up for a read 50 books in 2008 challenge (started keeping track of my tally on the blog) via Ravelry. I'm hoping to get a little more sophisticated than Janet Evanovich (though I do love my Janet Evanovich). I'm currently reading Kabul Beauty School by Deborah Rodriguez and am really having a hard time putting it down.

Dear Smartie thief,

2008-01-04T16:14:00.000-05:00

I will have you know that I am not impressed with your antics. I had my Smartie-filled pillbox put together to demonstrate the number of pills an HIV patient is required to take as such:

You can understand my disgust and annoyance when I retrieved it from the lab today (while rushing to get my Lets Talk Science HIV presentation ready to roll on quite short notice).

Yes! That's right! Empty! Shocking...

I understand chocoholism and desperation (perhaps during MCAT preparation?) but you really have reached quite the low considering that the above pill box and the above Smarties have been handled by over 300 fifteen year olds.

I was required to go buy candy (oh woe is me!) and fill it today. Please note the candy I selected.

I have my short-list of suspects and as this must be an inside job and I am quite certain that I am the only person in the lab who likes black licorice (having gotten many a black jelly bean because of that), I am hoping that, even in times of great desperation, candy-covered licorice will be safe.

Next time you feel the need to eat a scientific teaching tool, would you please have the decency to refill it after your time of crisis has passed?

Sincerely,
The angry yet amused Doc Jock

Think she likes it?

2007-12-30T12:59:00.001-05:00

Amanda made Casey a new catnip mouse for Christmas. Think she likes it?

Happy holidays to all!

2007-12-27T21:18:00.001-05:00

Well, I made it home and through Christmas. I have been in full hibernation mode. The little cold I started fighting off 2 weeks ago has decided that it wants to be a full blown sinus infection when it grows up (ugh - that was my thought when I once again woke up feverish this morning).

In my hibernation state, I have read much junkish reading material (my latest is a series about vampire soccer moms - likely not what an MD/grad student wants to be caught dead reading but it suits my mental state quite nicely), knitting and playing with camera (unfortunately having troubles transfering photos from my laptop to my dad's desktop so only have a few to show). I also revamped the HIV talk I"m taking to the high school in January.

I almost finished my knitted gifts (note the pair of gloves phototgraphed). Also made a hat and some gloves for my dad: I hoped to finish them Christmas day and asked to back up gift-exchange time - as dinner approached, I realized that I was running out of yarn (there is a second ball in my appartment). My dad received one glove gift-wrapped and a promise of the second glove to be finished when I return to my place for New Years. We spent the rest of the evening holding bets on which finger I would run out of yarn on (middle finger - I thought it was a very clear message to me from my yarn).

Oh, and I did find the awol gift for my mom. Now that she has received it, I can tell the story. She had asked me for socks and underwear for Christmas so I bought her sock yarn and a pack of underwear. I had my purchased gifts laid out in the middle of my kitchen table and realized while getting ready for our department Christmas party that my date was going to be there any minute and that there was a big package of underwear in the middle of my kitchen table (I keep thinking of the reference to mommy pants in Bridget Jones' Diary). I freaked out and quickly hid the underwear only to later discover that I had no idea where I would have put them (found them pulling my duffel bag out of the closet the morning I was leaving). I figured that even if I only found them later, at least I"d have a good story for my mom at Christmas...

How to royally piss off Casey...

2007-12-23T16:32:00.000-05:00

Is this (found on Ravelry) fascinatingly awful or what?

I'm half tempted to make one but am concerned my cat may require therapy and I am much too poor to take the cat to therapy.

On vacation

2007-12-21T21:21:00.000-05:00

First thing I did: got into my jammies. I've spent the evening playing with Ravelry (I got my invite last weekend - my project list now has pics and does not look naked anymore) and working on my dad's gift (no sign of the gift for my mom that went awol).

So tired... Going home tomorrow.

So not ready for x-mas...

2007-12-18T19:52:00.000-05:00

Part of my mom's x-mas gift has gone awol.

Ack.

So has one of the dpns from the set I was using to make my dad's gift.

Ack. Ack.

I am down to 9.5 term papers left to grade and 1 plagerism issue to address:

Student seemed to feel that unless a direct quote was being used, one does not need to reference ideas.

Almost half of the essay consists of direct quotes.

Ack. Ack. Ack.

Though I am relieved that I am the mere TA and deciding what to do is at the discretion of the prof.

Tales of flustered guinea pigs drowning in seas of grading

2007-12-14T10:13:00.001-05:00

And that is exactly why I have not written lately.

The sad thing is that I have a very very nice new camera (Canon Powershot S5 - woohoo!) that I have yet to play much with: hence the lack of photos in this entry.

Flustered: With my research - our Moxus has deep psychological issues and does not feel like recording data consistantly. Trials have been cancelled/lost. My mom's also had some pretty flustering news this week: she will have to go another 6 weeks of non-weight bearing on her bad leg. Very upsetting - we had all seen how much she was improving during rehab and assumed that meant the healing was going well.

Guinea pig: I am officially a research subject. Had a VO2 max and underwater weighing done earlier this week. Will spend a day in a direct calorimeter in January at some point.

Drowning in grading: 60 stats essay exams... 30 long nutrition term papers... I probably have 30 more hours of marking before I get to go home for the holidays.

Oh, yeah, and then it's the holidays... Thankfully, it'll be low key. Got a few Christmas gifts to finish up. Trying to do a bit of baking (managed a batch of pinwheel cookies and a pan of Skor shortbread so far for a potluck and cookie exchange tonight).

Snow, shoes and the attack cat

2007-12-04T22:59:00.000-05:00

On today's edition, we see that there has been lots of snow, I bought pretty new shoes (I am not a shoe person but I do rather love them) to wear to the Christmas formal, I got a flu shot and I finished my first glove which Casey immediately started to maul.

Conversation while waiting in waiting room for flu shot:

Receptionist: "Wow! Gloves! I've never seen anyone knit gloves before. I didn't think people could knit gloves."

I explain that it's kind of like doing mitts except that you do multiple thumbholes while thinking "Um, where exactly did you think gloves came from?"

Conversation in lab following flu shot (okay, so I am rather fond of the Batman band aid and wore short sleeves to show it off - our lab tends to vary in temperature: today was a short sleeve weather day in there).

Sophie: "There's something on your arm. Is there something wrong with you?"

I have yet to figure out if she was concerned about my arm or about my mental state.

Gloves woes

2007-12-02T12:32:00.000-05:00

I have been making a pair of gloves (Nicholas's Gloves, a free pattern from Interweave knits online). I have restarted them 3 times. I'd gauge them, start the glove, realize the hand circumference is really ridiculously large, rip it out, change needles, restart.

I finally got a gauge that seemed to work and suddenly realized: once you start the cable pattern (I'd only do the ribbing before ripping it out), there is less give and the hand circumference decreases - considerably. D'oh! It fits me. I have small hands though, and I was making it for someone with larger hands. However, I refuse to rip it out again!

A little show and tell

2007-11-28T19:04:00.000-05:00

For today's version of the photo blog, I give you the following:

My dad put up 2 levels of stair railings ready for my mom's first home visit last week. He and I spent much of Friday night/Saturday morning making the lower level living quarters look nice for my mom's arrival (figuring she would not see the rest of the house until a further weekend visit). You should have seen him blanch when after lunch she announced that the first level of stairs had gone so well, she wanted to do the second set so that we could all eat dinner in the kitchen.

Those are cranberry streusel muffins so see (they're from Bonnie Stern's Lighthearted Cooking cookbook so I am maintaining my belief that they are healthy). They came to a potluck brunch with me.

The Snowbeast (big white thing has a name) is continually growing: 14 inches long at the last measurement! And I completed my grey fuzzy hat. It's a gift but oh, so tempting to keep (see how good it looks on my head?).

Talkin' 'bout my generation

2007-11-26T19:15:00.001-05:00

So there's this phenomenon I've noticed when talking to people my age (or maybe just the geeks I hang out with). Any situation or discussion topic seems to lead to "You know this is just like that episode of the Simpsons (some show offs will add the season here) when..."

I've been resisting. I watch the occasional Simpsons' rerun but am hardly a Simpsons efficionado. However, I caught myself comparing my parents' situation to what would happen to Homer if Marge were incapacitated for a month - hey, wait! That's just like the episode where Marge got arrested for shop-lifting!

I must be showing my age (and my geekiness).

Ile Bizard hike

2007-11-19T22:44:00.000-05:00

You say tomato, I say bwahh

2007-11-17T21:54:00.001-05:00

I have been described as a mother with a 19 year old frosh son (my dad). I have spent much of the afternoon discovering moldy tomato surprises throughout the house (somehow, feeling very much like a frosh mom...).

My dad did a great job clearing tomatoes out of the garden pre-frost. However, they have just sort of sat whereever he set them down (table tops, counters, on top of his papers...) several weeks ago.

I think I'm off tomatoes...

Worn out...

2007-11-16T21:44:00.000-05:00

So, here I am: semi-moved back home.

Casey thinks it's pretty cool (though seems concerned that I may leave her with my dad for another 2 weeks and head back to New Orleans).

My mom's improved a lot since she started rehab a week ago. We had a dramatic morning over whether or no she could come home on a weekend pass (man, you should have seen the dirty look the nurse who told her the team decided that she should stay gave the doctor who came in 10 minutes later to tell her that she could go): final verdict being we still have no railings and she has not done stairs yet. She could camp out in the den downstairs (complete with renting a commode) but that somehow did not appeal (I can't blame her). I spent some time photographing the layout of the bathroom for her occupational therapist today. I"m here until Wednesday so hopefully can get the house adaptation we need to do into gear.

Luckily (cough cough), I can stay away for so long because I have lots of portable lab work. Note to self: my new least favorite expression from my supervisors: "Now here's a really cool idea for you." ie: it's a cool idea but now you get to work for it - I now know more that I ever thought I would about interleukin-6 and fuel selection during exercise... unfortunately, I have a growing list of more reading to do (there seems to be an exponential relationship going on here: for every article I read, I find 10 more I need to read - argh....

Somehow, the big almost-white thing that shall soon be named is slowly getting bigger...

Learning culture shock!

2007-11-14T22:40:00.000-05:00

That's right. Culture shock. I realized that I was experiencing a great deal of it this week (and feel all the better to have identified it).

My background learning culture: clinical procedures (including invasive ones and ones involving expensive equipment) are learned as follows: see one (if you're lucky: this is occasionally replaced by telephone instructions by a sleep-deprived senior), do one, teach one.

The other grad students in my lab's learning culture: clinical/experimental procedures (especially ones that are invasive or use expensive equipment): observe several times, repeat several times having others check your every move, get someone to re-explain/re-affirm all of it as frequently as possible.

I see a difference. Do you see a difference?

Now that I have started my trials, I have been receiving e-mails from lab mates remnding me how procedures are done or inviting me to come in to their trials to observe procedures and re-confirm with what I am doing. Coming from my background, I was rather insulted: had I been doing things wrong? did they have a problem with me? was this some passive aggressive attack upon my abilities? I even sent a rather snitty reply to one of these invites before my revelation occurred:

In the normal world, see one, do one, teach one is not necessarily how things are done. Many people have a more thorough approach which could very well be very beneficial to one's learning and one's skill-building. I was not in fact being singled out for any malicious purpose. Hmmm... Maybe I just need to chill...

Knitting, lots of it!

2007-11-12T09:01:00.000-05:00

Occasionally, my blog likes to pretend to be a real knitting blog. I figured I should humor it and, seeing as I got some knitting done this weekend, post some yarn related material.

I finished my second pair of fingerless gloves! I was knitting them in a medical waiting room last week when a lady came up to me, concerned that I might not realize that there was a big hole in the middle of my knitting. I reassured her that it was a thumb hole and pulled out my first glove to demonstrate.

I bought more yarn this week (I needed a wedding gift) and cast on not one, but 2 projects (I was stuck in the lab running trials and the internet was down: what else is a girl to do?). The first is going to be a big project. I am looking for a name for it (remember Cookie Monster for Elena and Jon?). I was going to go with White Fang, but it seems too delicate to be White Fang... Maybe something elven from Lord of the Rings? I am currently taking name suggestions.

I started the fall foliage hat from knitty.com's fall '07 issue. I keep doubting my gauge and have been trying to try it on for size. However, I keep putting myself in danger of dropping stitches and I have a notoriously large head (thick skull and lots of hair). So as long as it isn't for me, whether or not the hat fits me is not a good judgement of size. Must find myself a head model...

Check out the pretty handspun stuff Amanda gave me! Spun by Amanda using Alpaca - she made herself a gorgeous pair of fair isle gloves and gave me her leftovers to make myself a pair (I should have gotten a picture of Amanda's gloves to give her credit where credit is due).

Local Inukshuks

2007-11-10T16:30:00.001-05:00

These were taken a couple of weeks ago...

Big news!!!

2007-11-07T23:36:00.000-05:00

My mom got a spot in rehab! She goes tomorrow!

My whole family is breathing much easier tonight...

GREat!

2007-11-07T15:52:00.000-05:00

Quick update (got 10 minutes to kill in lab):

GRE: Done! 740 quantitative, 690 verbal. I guess I didn't earn my MD on looks alone afterall.

Mom: Still in hospital. Has had 2 surgeries. Is doing great hopping around on one foot with a walker. Every few days ortho (sigh... ortho...) gets frustrated that she's still in hospital taking up space and threatens to send her home without rehab (um... we have stairs... lots of stairs...). I'm trying to get things set up here so that I can move back home for a month or so if needs be.

Research: Slowly but surely. Have run 3 trials with one drop-out. Will have my first subject completed as of Saturday (yay!). I'm hoping to have 2 or 3 people completed as of Christmas.

Knitting: working on a second set of fingerless gloves. Had better start making x-mas gifts all out very soon.

My visit to New Orleans

2007-10-30T19:49:00.000-05:00

Thanksgiving weekend hike

2007-10-18T22:51:00.000-05:00

Mont St Hilaire, Qc

The Cat Stole My I-Pod...

2007-10-18T21:19:00.000-05:00

Random pics to go with some random babblings. The I Pod appears to be Casey's new toy of choice: she likes to play with the headphone cord and groove to the tunes.

My mom's doing better. Still awaiting the second stage of surgery on her leg (she has an external plate that she has described to me as "a giant windshield wiper").

I'm hard at work recruiting subjects. Feels like for everyone new I recruit, someone else drops out of the study (despite my bribing starving students with lasagna: the lady at the grocery store was quite impressed with my all lasagna grocery order the other week). Part of the game I guess. I'm leaving for New Orleans on Saturday and have realized that I have reached a new low when I decided the other day that as long as I have my poster and passport, anything else I pack is really just a bonus...

Warm woolies

2007-10-16T17:02:00.000-05:00

Here are my recent knitting endeavors. Marieke liked her early b-day mitts. I finished my green socks (note also my mom's stripey socks - aren't they pretty) and I love my fingerless llama gloves I made over the Thanksgiving weekend.

Clean underwear math

2007-10-14T10:25:00.000-05:00

Okay, so I spent my weekend preparing for the GRE (I need it if I want to apply for the PhD program that will enable me to move back home) and teaching my father to do laundry. Here is the resulting GRE math problem that this situation has transpired:

Absent-minded professor has 4 weeks of clean underwear. If his daughter is coming home in 3 weeks, what is the probability of absent-minded professor doing his own laundry?

I am such a nerd... bwaaa...

On a less serious note...

2007-10-12T22:05:00.000-05:00

Does anyone else find my latte personality test to be completely contradictory?

I am frivolous and don't take anything too seriously but find it hard to be carefree.

What Your Latte Says About You

You don't treat yourself very often. You find that indulging doesn't jibe with your very disciplined life.

You are a very frivolous person. You don't take anything too seriously. Why should you?

Intense and energetic, you aren't completely happy unless you are bouncing off the walls.

You're addicted to caffeine. There's no denying it.

You are responsible, mature, and truly an adult. You're occasionally playful, but you find it hard to be carefree.

You are deep and thoughtful, but you are never withdrawn.

What Does Your Latte Say About You?

Falling behind...

2007-10-12T21:39:00.000-05:00

I am way behind on my blogging (including photos from last week - Marieke, you and your mittens will be posted soon, I promise). It has been an eventful week. I have been working on looking for programs/projects/supervisors/funding for a PhD. I seem to have reached several dead ends/hit several unexpected brick walls (note, I have written and had to junk CIHR PhD applications for 3 different projects - I am currently considering pan-handling and selling off my organs as a viable source of research funding - though it does not look nearly as nice on a resume). I have also had several recent epiphanies and depiphanies of what I want to do with my life

Started my trials this past week for my MSc (1 down, 15 plus intro sessions and follow-up sessions to go - woot!).

I'm back home unexpectedly soon. My mom had a fall off of a raised boardwalk while on a hike/bird watching expedition. She's got a nasty tib-fib fracture and has been transfered to a local hospital (thankfully) and is awaiting surgery. She's had a rough time of it (probably not helped by a certain daughter who will go un-named driving home to see her and managing to faint/hit her head on the hospital floor/get herself admitted to emergency for a couple of hours of observation within a few minutes of arriving - yes I'm okay, just embarassed and a little head-achy) and has a long road ahead of her (but this time, I'm going to try to behave).

Pretty fall leaves

2007-10-03T20:59:00.000-05:00

This was from our hike in the Gatineaus last weekend.

Ms Personality

2007-09-30T18:17:00.000-05:00

In my "Philosophy of Undergraduate Teaching" class we had to take a personality test to assess our personality and learning skills. As predicted, when I did a different version of the test, I got the same result.

Apparently, my personality type is generally not found in sciences and academia (they get frustrated and go elsewhere) - perhaps why I left medicine? perhaps why I like the individual learning and can multitask well?

BTW, ISTJ and ESTJ are the most common academic personalities.

Your Personality is Somewhat Rare (ISFP)

Your personality type is caring, peaceful, artistic, and calm.

Only about 7% of all people have your personality, including 8% of all women and 6% of all men
You are Introverted, Sensing, Feeling, and Perceiving.

How Rare Is Your Personality?

Doc jock goes to Toronto

2007-09-29T18:30:00.000-05:00

So, being an MD considering entry into academia (I am still considering how insane this makes me), I am being pushed to go for an MDPhD. I had my first interview with a PhD supervisor last week at UofT. Toronto is a beautiful city to wander around on an indian summer day (it was almost October and 31 celcius! it was amazing how smug people looked: so pleased to be getting away with another hot day before the cold settles in.

I had 4 hours before my interview to wander, window shop (I was good and made no purchases besides a ballpoint pen) and eat veggie sushi. Very nice little interlude. Went wandering down Queen Street looking for the knit cafe. Couldn't find it but found 2 knitting stores (one was insane: there was so much yarn, you couldn't move), cute little boutiques, fair trade cafes and a cupcake shop that was sadly (or perhaps, fortunately) closed. I've been regularly listening to the Cast-On podcast hosted by Brenda Dane. Brenda has never been to Toronto but describes imagining it being a knitter's utopia made out of cupcakes. I think I got a glipmse of Brenda's Toronto.

Mmmm... Pigeon...

2007-09-29T18:09:00.000-05:00

I can never seem to have success directly uploading video to Blogger. Hence, youtube. This is why Casey has been too busy to have any good hairballs lately:

The evolution of a sock

2007-09-29T17:48:00.000-05:00

Here is my September knit-along sock (Vog On from knitty.com). I did a big chunk of the first one during my first aid course and had most of it done before I realized that I had to decrease after I turned the heel (hence the very large sock hanging off of my foot). I ripped it out all the way to the heel and redid it. Finished the first one last week on the train to Toronto (yes, the finished sock was modelled on the train to the amusement of the people sitting behind me). I'm now almost 2 inches past the heel turn on the second one.

Stop beating up the lifeguard!

2007-09-23T22:10:00.000-05:00

One of the disadvantages of being a doc-jock is that the jocks don't recognize your doc credentials. Case in point: I have an MD and a valid ACLS certificate. This obviously does not cover basic first aid an CPR C. In fact, I don't even qualify to do the recert. Hence, I got to spend 2 whole September Sundays doing my full basic first aid and CPR C.

I got there. Most people had not done any first aid before. Most of them were under 17. My instructors were 2 lifeguards. One of whom was teaching his first class and looked freaked out of his mind. Doc jock decides to avoid freaked out instructor from peeing his pants (he looked really scared), she would go incognito and quietly listen/knit socks in the background. That worked fine until the section on heart attacks:

Freaked out instructor: What do you do with someone having a heart attack.

Doc Jock: (Automatically thinking out MONA: morphine, oxygen, nitro, ASA) Give aspirin.

FOI: Oh goodness, no. Aspirin is only a long term thing you give for protection -

DJ: (Interrupting) No!!! Studies have shown that survival improves by administering Aspirin when someone is having a heart attack! It works by reducing the inflammatory response.

FOI: Well, I suppose if the person had aspirin with them, I'd let them take it, but I wouldn't recommend it to anyone.

DJ: (clenching jaw and knitting needles talks herself into backing off, satisfied to glower in back of room muttering "moron" under her breath).

Long awaited pics

2007-09-16T19:29:00.000-05:00

So here it is:

The remains of my old place and my new place. I am still having a love-hate relationship with the new place. No recent bug sightings and check out my new couch and the view is pretty stunning (especially when there's a hot air balloon festival happening the weekend you move in).

Like my Red-Green style cockroach deterrant? The catnip cockroach deterant is also pretty big (as predicted) around here. Many thanks to Amanda, my official supplier.

From my inner nerd

2007-09-09T20:55:00.000-05:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aqTaqVi9J8k

This song was on the cast on podcast from 2 weeks ago. It kept me entertained while I disassembled a big chunk of Marieke's birthday present tonight (the present was looking great - if only Marieke had 2 right sides to her body). I won't post pics until Marieke receives it but other than that little fixable whoops on my part, I'm rather pleased with it so far: it's my first attempt at knitting cables and I'm loving them!

Am still looking for my camera cable in my few unpacked boxes to upload pics - did however manage internet for first time in new place tonight (yay! too bad that now means I am fully equipped to do work from home - boo!). First week of school was adventurous: managed to miss my first class AND get my scholarship funds frozen due to clerical errors by school administration. I think both issues have been sorted out - but, really, who knows?

Moved, nearly settled

2007-09-04T12:00:00.000-05:00

I've been in my new place as of Thursday and am anxiously awaiting phone, internet and a linen closet. I am truly hoping that the phone, internet and linen closet fairies will have been by when I get in tonight.

I'm getting settled: I have a great view of the river and I'm locing how I'm setting up the place. I have lots of photos which will be posted once I find the hook up for my camera.

I am, however, currently waging a war: I have so far encountered 3 of these cuddly little guys and I really don't want them as roommates.

I have invested a small fortune on cannisters for all my dry food. Casey will start taking this personally because it looks like I would do best not leaving her food and water out overnight.

I have sealed up all the crevices around my pipes with duct tape (it looks like someone set Red Green loose under my sink).

I have transformed miraculously into a neat freak (anyone fallen off their chair yet?) and have been mopping the floor obsessively.

(What are we up to? Bibites 3, Doc-Jock 3?)

Most interesting is this new idea I found:
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/1999/08/24/breeds/main59665.shtml

Casey is going to love that one!

Fun with fibre

2007-08-26T19:56:00.000-05:00

On a packing break this weekend, I spent some time at Amanda's playing with natural dyes.

Here are our results (we've used indigo, cochineal and black-eyed susans on wool and cotton (the cherry red and greyish green tiny bits are my first attempts at hand-spun with the drop spindle.

I also got totally freaked out by Pepper the horse head-butting me in the bum (I'm a city kid: as this was happening, I was getting the mental image of the horse head-butting the cowboy from behind and sort of flipping the cowboy backwards onto its back. I'm not a cowboy, so I shreiked).

My fuzzy pink mitts are coming along. The pattern came out uneven (apparently because of something funny in the transcription of the pattern rather than my errors, meaning that the second mitt should match) - it looks kind of cool in its uneveness. I'm really happy with the shape of the mitts from this pattern. The top is nice and rounded which I think looks good.

Blanket done, cat packed

2007-08-23T20:52:00.000-05:00

Casey thinks this packing thing is great fun. I now have a cat who plays Jack-in-the-box and randomly pops out of half-packed boxes.

Pastel blanky is officially complete - yay!

Insanity as always

2007-08-18T17:57:00.000-05:00

It's been a busy week (as always).

The highlights:

Casey had dental surgery. 3 teeth extracted (poor baby) because they were rotting (apparently, one canine actually had a nerve exposed). She was feeling very sorry for herself but is totally digging the post-operative spoiling (especially when it involves Fancy Feast).

Packing. Lots of packing. My moving day is in under 2 weeks. I found myself movers who had availability for my move and aren't charging an arm an a leg (just a couple of fingers).

Work. The doc-jock got her first publication, folks. I'm first author of a letter to the editor coming out in the Journal of Nutrition. I'm taking a quick work break doing this then I'm submitting our requested changes tonight.

Knitting. Got a lot done on gender neutral baby blanket (not that it needs to be gender neutral anymore: a little boy named Gabriel was born earlier in the month). I'm trying to push that (I'm also tired of pastels, note to any friends contemplating pregancy: you aren't getting pastel knits, I'm going for bright colors). Also started some fuzzy pink mitts for a portable bus project. They're for one of the girls from our lab spending the next semester in Northern Ontario if I get them done in time.

Hair. I chopped it off yesterday. Love it.

Great Ontarion Road Trip 3: Flying Solo

2007-08-09T21:51:00.000-05:00

My last stage of the trip was just me, heading up the coast of Georgian Bay, basically beach-hopping. I decided to avoid the heavily populated beaches and look for places where I could just wander and think. Beautiful place.

Before heading back landwards towards my last stop at Bancroft, I stopped at a National Wildlife Conservation area (Wye Marsh) figuring on a walk on the boardwalks and a short hike on one of their trails. Apparently, part of the trail I chose was closed for repairs and instead of turning back, I took what I understood to be a detour and ended up on an endless loop of cross-country ski trails. 4 hours later, I stumbled back upon the parking lot, muddy up to my knees.

Got to love that I chose that night to splurge on my accommadations and had booked a B and B with a hot tub...

Great Ontarion Road Trip 2: Collingwood or life on Mars

2007-08-09T21:01:00.000-05:00

Andrea sometimes refers to Collingwood as Mars. Let's just point out how scenic Mars is with lots of nice beaches.

Andrea and I spend much of the long weekend working hard at doing nothing on the beach. We stopped at a second hand book shop for some mindless trashy girlish novels (note: that is what Jim is reading over Andrea's shoulder) to help us in our quest to successfully do nothing. We also took a scenic drive (note the driving pics: this is Andrea's daily commute) to Owen Sound where we played on some train tracks (note to my mother: the tracks ended 3 feet from where I was lying, I did not put myself in any danger during that photo) went shoe shopping and ate at Boston Pizza.

Great Ontarion Road Trip 1: Ottawa-Maynooth-Collingwood

2007-08-09T20:39:00.000-05:00

I love driving on country roads. I've never been super keen on driving. I mean, yeah, great, it gets you from point A to point B but to understand people's obsessions with it? No, not really.

This is the first trip I've been on where I've been flying solo and at the liberty of being able to pull out a map and go "Okay... there!" and travel completely on my schedule: able to stop and detour where ever I want.

And you know what? I now get the obsession.

So lets see, left Ottawa, picked up maps on my way out of town, headed west. Stopped at various random small towns and scenic water-side picnic spots. Ended up at final stopping spot of Backpackers Hostel at Maynooth (just outside Algonquin park).

Next morning, got up early, due to hot weather warnings, replaced half day hike I'd wanted to do in Algonquin Park with shorter walk at Lake St Peter. Had breakfast on beach of Lake St Peter. Bought fudge. Had a second short hike along random walking path near Tory Hill where I took a lot of pictures of butterflies. Meandered my way over to rendez-vous with Andrea and Jim near Collingwood.

Home again!

2007-08-09T20:14:00.000-05:00

9 days, 1500 km, 1 bag of cookies, 4 books, several thousand knitting stitches, $120 in gas (ouch) and 3 provincial parks later and I am back from my great Ontario road trip. Photos will be gradually making their way onto my blog. In the meantime, here is what I have learned/discovered on my trip:

1-) Ontario radio stations like naming themselves after large mammals. Over the course of this trip, I have listened to The Bear, The Wolf, The Fox and two station that go by The Moose (at one point near Gravenhurst, I could only get reception for 2 stations: the classic rock Moose from Muskoka and the everything music Moose from Bancroft).

2-) When you park your car in small town Ontario and return to find 3 OPP cars, a firetruck, an ambulance and half the town between you and your car, expect drama.

3-) Travelling solo has it's fun points. I think I've learned some stuff about who I am.

4-) The expression "Good girl!" is used way too much (or I got it way too much - started wondering if I had turned into a golden retriever). "Travelling to Georgian Bay? Good girl!", "You knit? Good girl!" "Taking a vacation? Good girl!" "Ordering the special? Good girl!"

5-) After extensive ponderings following a conversation with Marieke and Andrea about my need for a theme song for my current part of my life: I found one (I think it was on the Fox...). The Long Way Around by the Dixie Chicks (http://www.cowboylyrics.com/lyrics/dixie-chicks/the-long-way-around-17149.html). I'd been toying with Unwritten by Natasha Beddingfield for awhile (the lyrics talk to me) but it's used for a ab track in a recent Body Flow release so that now, every time I hear it, I keep thinking about crunches and one's current theme song should not have them thinking about painful abdominal exercises.

6-) Red convertibles are the best form of transit for going to the beach.

Crazy week

2007-07-25T23:16:00.001-05:00

My weekend home (it was supposed to be for an elementary school reunion but it ended up being for a memorial service for Melanie - there is still little news about what happened to her, leaving a lot of room for questions) was a bit of an emotional whirlwind of questioning, sadness, anger, breaking down crying in a parking lot, more anger. Much thanks to the people who took care of me last weekend (especially my mother who fed me and retrieved me from said parking lot and Eric who fed me sushi, let me drag him into a very pink-colored cupcake bakery and snagged me a last minute comedy show ticket) - anyone see a feeding trend?

I've been submerged in work since I've been back (probably somewhat therapeutic): got through a good primary run-through of my experiment today (after, uh... 2 failed attempts). Means I can start once I get back from vacation, assuming my ammendment I'm sending to the ethics board goes through (I'm combining the methods of 2 previously approved projects which means that neither project's consent form actually describes what I am doing). This has been my other little project this week. Got to love ethics.

Oh yeah, and I'm packing my appartment (Casey has a new trick: she likes to rip tape off of boxes and unpack).

Get your jollies where you can...

2007-07-18T16:41:00.000-05:00

I've been feeling a little down in the dumps. I just got news that a girl I'd gone to high school with died (the details are sketchy but my understanding is that she's been missing for about 6 weeks and her body was found this morning). We weren't close in high school but our class was small and everyone knew everyone. I've spent most of the day thinking what an awful world this is. I can't imagine how tough this must be for her family and friends.

Here's my attempt to cheer myself up. It's a video I took of Casey caught in the act of drinking from her water bowl with her paw. Maybe it'll cheer someone else up a little too.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PQtmxV4P708

Casey's great escape

2007-07-16T15:46:00.000-05:00

Here's Casey on her make shift dog harness in my parents' backyard. Note her shiftiness. She has a real cat harness and leash now. She likes running around outside my building chasing pigeons. She does not like the elevator ride to get there.

Last weekend - part 3: da wedding

2007-07-15T21:15:00.000-05:00

So here was last weekend's main event:

Wedding was beautiful. It was the first time since before high school graduation that our whole gang from high school was together.

Last weekend - part 2: blankies all around

2007-07-13T22:15:00.000-05:00

So here was my latest craftiness: theme of the weekend was blankies.

Exhibit A: "The Cookie Monster"
This was Elena and Jon wedding gift. So named due to large dark blue fuzzy nature of said item. It was a work in progress since my trip to Puerto Rico in February, finished 24 hours before wedding. Justine and I complimented Cookie monster with cookie-themed gift pack complete with cookie jar, cookie cutters, fancy cookie mixes and cookie cookbook. See gift strapped into seatbelt on drive to wedding (we were afraid cookie jar might break). Casey was fascinated with Cookie Monster. Kept lying next to it and hoping I wouldn't notice her slowly reaching for it. I have a pattern for a knit cat bed. May have to use some of the leftovers to make one if she is so enraptured by the texture.

Exhibit B: "unisex baby blanket"
This is a gift for one of my expecting friends. As baby's sex is not yet known (at least by me), had idea of using different colors of baby yarn from my stash to make reversible blanket when one side would be boy colored and one side girl colored. Not coming out quite as imagined but I am finding the thick stripes side and narrow stripe side very appealing.

Last weekend - part 1

2007-07-13T11:55:00.001-05:00

I've got so much stuff to show from the past weekend and so little time. Here's just a taste: Justine and her dog, Penny came over for the wedding (more about that later). Casey was not too impressed (though she did like to tease Penny).

Long weekend and baby sweater

2007-07-02T19:36:00.000-05:00

Despite my issues with gluttony (yes, I like to eat...), I had a good spontaneous holiday weekend in Kingston (check out the Canada Day motor cycles and firetruck and my attempts at photographing the fireworks).

Got home this afternoon and, not feeling like working on the paper I should be working on, I finished off the baby sweater. I'm pretty pleased with the results.

Rodents of Unusual Size!

2007-06-26T19:40:00.001-05:00

I was heading into the lab the other day when this thing started to chase me. (Yes, I suppose you know you're a jock when the school mascot chases you into your building).

What is our mascot? A rat is my guess. But no one really seems to know. In fact, this mascot appears to be big on keeping a very low profile. Having had my curiousity piqued by this thing running at me, I decided to do some research. All I could seem to find were postings from rival schools ridiculing our apparently rather incognito mascot. Maybe it's lonely?

Project updates

2007-06-25T20:53:00.000-05:00

So here's what I've been up to lately. Body of the baby sweater is pretty much done. It needs another inch of the tie, sleeves and the shoulders sewn off.

I made Casey a catnip blankie. It's a fleece zip up pillow case from Value Village (50 cents!). I filled it with some batting and cat nip (curtosy of Amanda!). Casey gave it a good test drive and seems pretty happy.

I got my first local strawberries this weekend. So good. I ate too many and now I have a sore in my mouth.

The multipurpose litter box

2007-06-24T19:12:00.000-05:00

Casey has discovered a new use for her litter box. She now jumps on top of it and explores the boxes and shelves of the storage closet.

Knitting update

2007-06-20T22:56:00.000-05:00

So, moving away from anatomically correct purses, I have decided to move onto something a little more traditional (holy cow, I must be in my late twenties and there must be a baby boom occuring or something because suddenly, I have all these expectant mother friends). This is The start of the wrap-around sweater in Greetings From the Knit Cafe in a varigated gender neutral baby yarn.

Stoner!

2007-06-19T10:40:00.000-05:00

So Casey supposedly isn't into catnip. Therefore, I didn't bother getting out Minou's old catnip toys for her and left them where they were (top shelf, back of storage closet.

I heard a big crash this morning. Apparently Casey had found them and decided to help herself. Here's Casey in action (note the grass stains on the mouse are new).

Home sweet home!

2007-06-18T21:59:00.000-05:00

Ah... to be back home after 6 weeks in Montreal...

I started off by running a 12 hour ELISA kit in the lab (oof... was going to do the 2nd one tomorrow, but I'm thinking it'll wait until Thursday).

My time back home was pretty cool, filled with lots of interesting things and discoveries, such as:

1-) Epidemiology is actually pretty cool. I want to find a way to integrate it into my planned PhD project. Perhaps a join degree?

2-) I got a new cat who behaves amazingly well in long car rides and elevator malfunctions.

3-) I got a whole new outfit (including a REAL designer purse) for $20 - got to love the garment district and St Laurence Street fest.

4-) The higher up Peel you walk, the more muscular your fellow pedestrians' calves are.

5-) Montrealers walk very slowly.

6-) St Ambroise Apricot beer is very tasty.

7-) Brazilian brunches are also very tasty.

8-) Ben and Jerry's fish food is very awesome but the Vermonty Python has fudge cows.

Casey is on Catster

2007-06-13T10:42:00.000-05:00

http://www.catster.com/cats/562466

I really made her profile for Andrea's family so that they can keep track of her. However, I am rather getting a kick out of the whole write a diary from the point of view of a cat.

Catster seems to draw an interesting croud. Lots of people who like to dress up their cats and give their cats diary entries about how "Mommy woves me vewy vewy much." Fascinating, really (if Casey's diary ever states how vewy vewy much her mommy woves her, I'd really appreciate getting punched out.

2007-06-03T22:05:00.000-05:00

So with all those penut allergies out there, will fortunes like this some day become taboo?

What Your Peanut Butter And Jelly Sandwich Means

Your eating style is gluttonous. If you like something, you're going back for seconds... no matter how full you are!

You have an average sweet tooth. While you enjoy desserts, they aren't exactly your downfall.

Your taste in food tends to be pretty flexible. You may crave sushi one night, and your favorite childhood recipe the next.

You belong to a class that's all your own. You resist rules and traditions of any sort.

You are a tough person who isn't afraid to live life fully. There isn't a lot that scares you.

You are laid back and extremely easygoing. You never make a fuss, and you try to enjoy every moment.

What Does Your Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich Say About You?

Unconventional knitting

2007-06-03T17:46:00.000-05:00

Ioana finally got her hurray for graduating from medicine gift, meaning I can post pics of one of my latest knitting masterpieces.

It's a purse and, as for exactly what it is, here's a hint: she's going into gynecology (I'm very proud of her, she's awesome). The scary thing is that the pattern is actually out there - check out the pattern at www.theanticraft.com. My mom's reaction to this was "If your grandmother asks what you've been knitting lately, could you do me a favour and lie?"

PS: I had so much fun pulling out my old corking set to make fallopian tubes. I may have to do corking more often.

Casey and, oddly, more flowers

2007-06-01T19:02:00.000-05:00

So, here is Casey, my new cat. Actually, she's Red Rabbit's cat, and Red Rabbit's sister's cat who has come to live with me. I think it makes me some sort of distant Aunt or something. Casey has made herself right and home and is getting spoiled rotten. Note: she's staying at my folks' place for a few more weeks during my summer courses. My parents (who are purely dog-people) are getting along with her much more than expected - I'm not sure they're quite figured out that she isn't a puppy (she has a leash which she has learned how to take off).

And, just because I'm a liar, I have added more peony pics because I got some nice ones of them at their prime.

In other news, I finished clinical epidemiology class today. The final was today. Thought it was tough but fair (we'll see how I feel about it once it's graded though,lol). Overall, loved the class (I'm such a geek - but, seriously, I feel like it's opened my eyes to research opportunities out there). Next week, I start epidemiology and cancer. I am pumped.

Rx: baby, Mitte:1, stat

2007-05-30T21:31:00.001-05:00

I read about this in the Journal de Montreal today and wanted to find an English version before commenting on it:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20070528/hl_afp/swedenresearchgenetics

I don't know what to think of it (copy the article title and plug it into google, there's some pretty wild commentary out there). I in some ways support advances like this that can help people (that's why I wanted to go to med school: to help people) but where do you draw the line? Placental blood and cells will no longer be needed for the new baby but this is a child that was essentially created to save another child. How much harm will this do to designer baby in the long run? Will this child be treated as inferior? What happens if the sick child dies during the pregnancy? What sort of psychological effects will this have?

You know me and my love of widgets

2007-05-29T22:04:00.000-05:00

Read my VisualDNA™ Get your own VisualDNA™

I'll go easy on the flowers... after this

2007-05-26T12:10:00.000-05:00

My dad's tree peony (the Precious...) has opened up some more. These pics are from this morning.

Sari's tulips

2007-05-26T08:29:00.000-05:00

Sari had a great visit to Ottawa last weekend. She came from Montreal to shop (have you ever heard that one before? - though, note to the short Montreal women out there: there is a Banana Republic petites store in the Rideau Center). We got to participate in an Eastern conference victory celebration (Go, Sens, Go!), made our apparently now traditional Sari's in town pilgramige to Oh So Good and checked out Tulip Fest (I have since been reprimanded for not taking the opportunity to openly drink tequila in Major's Hill Park). Sari, not realizing the great tourist shot opportunities, did not bring her camera. Here are the Tulip Fest highlights.

Tree Peonies - yesterday

2007-05-26T08:22:00.000-05:00

The beauty of staying at my parents' place is the backyard (and the picnic table that is wonderful for sitting out with a cold drinking and studying - when the children next door aren't running around naked and screaming: I'm assuming someone didn't think it was bathtime?).

Here is my dad's pride and joy. It is a tree peony that he babies like you would not believe. Ironically, in all the years that he has had it and loved it and coddled it, I don't think he has ever seen it bloom (it blooms in fishing season).

Needless to say, yesterday, when the first buds started to open, it was a big event (we had to go out and count the buds - of his 2 trees, I believe the tally was 8 and 12).

Blue and mellow

2007-05-25T20:02:00.000-05:00

Your Brain is Blue

Of all the brain types, yours is the most mellow.
You tend to be in a meditative state most of the time. You don't try to think away your troubles.
Your thoughts are realistic, fresh, and honest. You truly see things as how they are.

You tend to spend a lot of time thinking about your friends, your surroundings, and your life.

What Color Is Your Brain?

Doc vs Jock

2007-05-24T22:17:00.000-05:00

So, after watching really weird chick flick (the one where Reese Witherspoon's a ghost, I found myself asking "who on earth diagnoses (forget about treats) a tension pneumothorax across a room in a restaurant?" Make me start to wonder how much of a doc I still am and where the jock instincts have kicked in. Here's my analysis.

Questions tension pneumothorax diagnosis. (1 point doc).

Thinks the 10 pounds she gained are mainly muscle mass from body pump. (1 point jock).

Wants DEXA scan for quantitative evidence of above. (1 point doc).

Still knows all MUHC hospital numbers by heart (doc).

Jumps into action when pager goes off (even one on TV). (doc)

Not too keen on Grey's Anatomy because residents look tired and remind her of real life. (doc)

Gets more out of said TV show when watching at gym because treadmill keeps me in place long enough to watch it. (jock)

Trying to figure out how to exchange Airmiles for new roller blades. (jock)

Has contemplated career as professional body builder in past week (will comment more on this when get DEXA results) (jock).

Has started partly planning out days around work-outs. (jock).

Well, folks, my current tally is 5-5 doc-jock. Perhaps I am in the midst of transforming (I"m trying to think up working for some sort of cocoon analogy but I'm tired and it really isn't working).

Mmmm...

2007-05-20T21:56:00.000-05:00

If anyones looking for things to get me from my blog: please consider this over vultures (there is, sadly enough, drool on my keyboard...).

You Are a Chocolate Mocha and Orange Cheesecake

Enthusiastic and intense, there's so much you love in the world... it's hard to do it all.
You are good at getting things to mix - friends, flavors, hobbies. You're the master of fusion!

What Kind of Cheesecake Are You?

Since I"m sure this is what most people out there have always wanted to know...

2007-05-20T21:21:00.000-05:00

You've wondered this about me: I know you have. I've wondered it myself.

You Are 55% Normal

While some of your behavior is quite normal...
Other things you do are downright strange
You've got a little of your freak going on
But you mostly keep your weirdness to yourself

How Normal Are You?

A vulture? Really?

2007-05-20T21:15:00.000-05:00

Okay, I've never seen myself as a vulture but I like the commentary about it...

I'm starting to reap the benefits of these blogthings (got a coconut donut out of one of my last ones... mmm...), just, please: no vultures.

Your Power Bird is a Vulture

You are always changing your life and the lives of those around you.
You aren't afraid to move on from what holds you back.
Energetic and powerful, you have a nearly unlimited capacity for success.
You know how to "go with the flow" and take advantage of what is given to you.

What's Your Power Bird?

2007-05-16T22:23:00.000-05:00

You Are a Strawberry Jelly Bean

You love yourself for who you are, critics be damned! You know you don't have to take risks to make life more interesting. It's good enough as is.

What Flavor Jelly Bean Are You?

Triple birthday!

2007-05-13T15:35:00.000-05:00

On Friday, we had a triple birthday plus any other excuse to celebrate. Here are some pics. Check out Jim and "his precious" (microbrewery beer) and Andrea's orange scarf. I've lost count of the number of times I've had this conversation with various people while knitting this scarf.

Random person: What are you making?

Me: A scarf for my friend's birthday.

Random person: Oh... Does she actually like orange?

Do you know how tempting it's been to go "Well, no, actually, she absolutely loathes orange."

Magnolias

2007-05-12T17:16:00.000-05:00

I'd said I'd put my dad's magnolia trees up on my blog. They were just perfectly in bloom when I got home last weekend (now there are just lots of petals all over the backyard).

2007-05-10T20:43:00.000-05:00

You Are 66% Tortured Genius

You are smart. Brilliant in fact. And while it's a blessing, it's also a curse.
Your head is filled with everything - grand ideas, insufferable worries, and a good deal of angst.

Are You a Tortured Genius?

Life coach, eh?

2007-05-10T20:32:00.000-05:00

Your Aura is Violet

Idealistic and thoughtful, you have the mind and ideas to change the world.

And you have the charisma of a great leader, even if you don't always use it!

The purpose of your life: saying truths that other people dare not say

Famous purples include: Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Jr., Susan B. Anthony

Careers for you to try: Political Activist, Inventor, Life Coach

What Color Is Your Aura?

Adventures in epidemiology

2007-05-07T23:01:00.000-05:00

Here it is: end of day 1 of my epidemiology for residents class. Kind of funny to in a way come full circle in my year and end up back with old med school classmates. HOwever, class looks very dynamic and useful, looks like it will really be the resource I've needed and it's really interesting to come back as a semi-outsider.

Kind of brings me back to why I"m where I am: I hate pagers. I'm convinced that I must have nearly converted into an arrythmia every time one went off (which in a class of 30 internal med residents, was often). It's also a good way to look at where I am vs where I was: I keep talking about "the passion" for medicine that I never had that I think anyone would need to make it through. It's pretty awesome to see it in my old med school friends. I also felt it gave me a good comparison of where I was in med school: overwhelmed, uninspired, struggling to keep my head above water to where I am now: total keener, loving every minute of it and feeling totally gung ho about all my projects.

I scare men in muscle shirts

2007-05-05T18:58:00.000-05:00

So, apparently, I should not watch skating in public. CBC had a rerun of the world championships ladies short program. I was at the gym watching it with my headphones on while doing cardio. Apparently, I am a noisy skating watch/critic. Was getting funny looks from the big buff guys around me who kept moving to machines further and further away.

My baby got a bobo

2007-05-05T10:27:00.000-05:00

It's a sad day for my baby, the Cannibalistic Corrolla. It got cannibalized by a parking garage. Parking garages are not particularly user-friendly: this one has random sharp turns, steel-lined cement pillars and narrow through-ways. I took a sharp turn into a narrow through way and got too close to a steel lined pillar. Okay, ended up wedged against the pillar and stuck. Called CAA. Waited until 4:30am for CAA only to discover that the garage was too low for their truck. The guy came downstairs with a jack, squirmed under my baby and managed to unwedge me.

Sigh... It could have been worse... Nothing hurt but my pride, the left side of my car and my wallet. Sigh, I need a good body shop.