Rodents of Unusual Size!

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

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

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

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!

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!

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

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.

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

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

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.