I've moved!

Hello to the probably very few readers that I have. My blog has moved to a different location. I will archive my posts from here to there (if I can figure that out).

http://chickadeesciencebot.blogspot.com/

Thanks for reading and I hope to see you on my new blog.

Erin

We can go when we want to

The night is young and so am I

and we can dress real neat from our hats to our feet

and surprise 'em with a victory cry

It's the end of February but winter has been largely absent this year. Yesterday and today the temperature rose near 90! But then a cold front will come in tonight and it will only be in the 60's tomorrow. I am wearing shorts in February. February! I ventured up to Austin this afternoon for a hair cut so I stopped at Whole Foods, which is right down the street from the salon. Fresh fish for dinner! I also picked up some sweet potato bread (it's delicious!) and a smoothie called "pretty in pink". 

I have been busy writing my thesis and organizing then analyzing my data. I am going to a regional meeting next week where I will give a talk then I am giving a poster presentation at the end of March. My thesis defense will be the last week of March or the first week of April. I cannot believe that this is almost over. This flew by. Soon I will be a master. 

In the middle of a sweltering summer, I will begin a PhD program (and move) to Tampa. Along with Blake, the cats, the rats, and the snake. I answered an advertisement on an ecology board. Most days it all feels surreal; everything that I have done and will soon pursue. I feel like I am watching outside myself. I must admit that I am pleased with the person I am turning out to be. I will miss my dear friends that I have made here in central Texas. But, as the wise Dr. Suess said, "Don't cry because it's over; smile because it happened."

In other happenings, I am teaching two introductory organismal biology laboratory sections (both at 8 AM). One of my sections is full of well-mannered, calm, nice, and eager students. Approximately 1/3 of my other section are whiny and difficult. 

"This is TERRIBLE! Why do we have to count beads? This is so stupid!" say the young biology undergraduates. 

"OK, let's get some perspective people. Terrible would be like dodging machine gun bullets on our way to school. Or the recent violence in Syria. Conducting a simulation in class does not fall under terrible," I respond. 

"This is the worst lab. I don't see how any of this relates to evolution."

"Can I just cheat and grab the remaining blue beads so we can be done?"

"I HATE this lab! It sucks so much!"

"This is the most boring class EVER!"

The students banter on.

I take deep breaths and think about hot lattes and whiskey and reply, "Listen, first of all, you are in training so these simulations are necessary because they beautifully demonstrate key concepts you should learn. And, do you think that when you are a physician it's going to be like House, M.D.? News flash, your job will not always be exciting. Lastly, this is about 2 hours of your week so deal with it."

I projected annoyance and general bitchiness but I really tried not to react that way. I did not yell but at least replied with brazen comments. 18-20 year olds can be quite difficult. 

Thursday evening is already upon us and the weekend beckons. Guppy care is in the future followed by yoga. Maybe a morning bird walk around San Marcos thrown in. 

General relaxation. 

It's a leap year!

Cats like catnip and mice

Happy New Year!

I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday season. I was able to spend the holidays in Minnesota which was nice. We had a rare brown Christmas and an unusually warm last week of December. I spent time with the cutest puppy/ball of energy in the world. Oh Dilly (short for Dillinger) what a good boy you are!

Yesterday was Martin Luther King Jr. Day and my mom's birthday. Happy birthday, mom! Every Tuesday after MLK day (for the last 5 years) has meant the start of the spring semester. The streets of San Marcos were bustling with students and the Supple Science castle was once again full of human life. The temperature when I woke up this morning was an incredible 68 degrees F! When I was an undergraduate at the U MN, the first week of the semester was usually bitterly cold, like 5 degrees with a -10 windchill. Bundle up! But this, 68, humid and sunny, what a day! Since I spent 23 years in Minnesota, the climate in Texas still amazes me.

The Republican primaries are under way and we are left with Romney and "not-Romney" which has rotated around the GOP from Michele Bachmann, Herman Cain, Rick Perry, Newt Gingrich, Rick Santorum, and most recently in the New Hampshire, Ron Paul. The GOP debates continue with two within twelve hours of each other last weekend with the candidates tearing into each other and spouting falsehoods about President Obama and their own records. And let's not forget about the beast unleashed by the Supreme Court's Citizens United and the creation of the Super PAC. Now in 2012, our elections can be bought and sold the highest bidder! Besides this, the GOP has also been busy disenfranchising voters and controlling women's uterus's while not doing much to help the economy or put Americans back to work. But remember, their number 1 goal is to make sure Obama is a one-term president. What a year this should turn out to be. Must stock up on popcorn.

Happy birthday Betty White and Muhammad Ali! And happy belated birthday to Michelle Obama!