Last day of labs, wohoo!

I'm about forty minutes away from being finished with my lab work! The disaster that was last Wednesday's PCRs may be salvaged as I'm running 3 of the possible positives for lyme disease in with the site I'm working on today; and today's work has gone ok so far! I was a bit concerned about contamination between the sites, but I think I was careful enough not to accidentally touch tubes with contaminated gloves etc. Anyway, I will find out soon enough!
The last PCR wasn't that bad to be fair, just a little blurry and ambiguous in places.

Kung fu last night was good. I've been back three weeks now after missing two months due to field work, and I'm starting to get used to the pain again! It's a bit embarassing that a lot of the new people are now exceeding me in terms of form, but I'm slowly getting there.
I haven't been for a run for about a week, and it's seriously doing my head in!

Gareth is recovering well; he even went upstairs to check the post yesterday! He gets the screw taken out of his ankle on the 20th November, then he is almost there!

Just realised how sparse this site looks regarding photos, I'll have to bring some on the the pen to put on - yep, BT have still not shown up, so no phone-line or internet at home yet. Grrr. Except it's got to the point I just can't be bothered to be angry anymore.

Aarg!

After spending 8 and a half hours preparing and waiting for PCR machines/gels, I just found out I forgot to turn the gel on properly (there was a red light on, what more did it want!?). I now have a further wait of half an hour. Looks like I'll be able to go home at about 18:30. Long day - not used to that! The worst part is that the excess wait without the gel running may have caused my samples to evaporate and it may mean it won't work properly.
I naturally blame Willow as she was dreaming about fireworks or something last night and kept me awake scratching at the door and pacing. Think she's been at my valarian tea.

Hallucinogens and tick soup

I'm halfway through my lab work now. We've (me and the girl I'm working with) homogenised all the ticks we're using (essentially making them into tick soup) and we've started the PCRs for the one's we're using in our projects. Apparently the one's we've done previously don't count as they were practice. What a waste of two days that could have been used for something that actually counted!
It's my nephew's birthday today and I have yet to send him his present - my sister moved recently and I don't know her address; I wonder if that was intentional! I think he'll like it. Gareth, his mate and me all think it's ace anyway! It's times like family birthdays that make me wish I lived closer to home. This last year seems the worse for missing family though, but at least I only have about eight months left.

The fireworks have already started around our street, and Willow woke up because of them two nights ago and jumped on the bed. I don't know how long she'd been there as I didn't wake up immediately, but she wouldn't budge from Gareth's side until he almost rolled on her. I was disorientated anyway as I'd taken a valarien tea as I've not been sleeping but it makes me hallucinate if I wake up in the middle of the night. Before trying to remove Willow I spent a couple of minutes trying to flick fish from her bed.

Progress

I got the results for my blood test and they are came back as 'satisfactory' to use the exact word. Not as reassuring as 'clear' though! I guess that means that I just stress too much. One of the recommendations for reducing stress is to 'take a step back from the stressor.' Yes. Well, I'm sure my lecturers will understand me taking a breather! Fourth year isn't the best time to learn to relax in all honesty.
On the plus side, Gareth made it to Tesco and back yesterday. I'm not sure how much of that was due to me refusing to buy him tobacco though.

Blah...

Not a great deal going on right now, aside from working on my honours project and essays etc.
Although this Saturday I'm having my photo taken with Nat and a couple of friends as she won a photo shoot in a Woolworths' competition. Bit bizarre! Apparently we have to bring props. Of course, Willow will be my prop as a photo without her just wouldn't be complete!
Gareth had a bad day yesterday. His crutch slipped on Willow's bed and he almost fell; instead he put all his weight through his broken leg. Ouch. Sort of thing that makes you wince when you hear about it and you know you have no idea how much it hurt.

Birth- and liberated leg-day

It was Gareth's birthday yesterday, and the highlight of his day was going to hospital to have his cast off! He now has a removable plastic 'boot' that inflates with air to help him start walking again. He still needs crutches and his zimmer, but at least he's on the way to walking. He hadn't been outside for 7 weeks, and the Aberdeen weather, in true form , rained unrentlessly (it had been sunny and bright for the preceeding week)!
Gareth's new past-time, as he is getting increasingly bored with his current indoor pursuits, is peeling the flaky skin from his leg. Nice.

Saint Willow

After her less than obedient swiping of the pizza, Willow must have decided that some sucking up was due. Getting home yesterday at 5:30pm after spending 8 hours doing PCR, and forgetting my lunch (long day on a mueslie bar and a Mars bar!) Gareth and I decided to get fish and chips for supper. I figured it would be best to run Willow first as she hadn't been out for three days. I didn't think she would get far (we're re-training her lead work as she pulls a lot and it involves a lot of abandaned walks if she pulls too much), especially as I have to carry her over our steps at the moment as someone smashed the bus shelter outside out flat and there is glass everywhere, and the excitement of that would normally be too much for her. Instead, she was the epitomy of obedience. She never pulled once, and was out for forty five minutes. By which time Gareth and I were starving. Maybe it wasn't sucking up but her cunning plan all along...

Spare time

I'm halfway through my first day of learning how to perform PCR (polymerase chain reaction). There's a lot of waiting involved so not sure how much of this technique I will use for my Honours project. I suck at chemistry, so this isn't my idea of fun (especially when having to use ethidium bromide which is a known mutagen - not that I intend to drink the stuff).
Unfortunately I've entered fourth year with a less than enthusiastic attitude, so I'll just be gald when I've finished and can find other things to stress about! It probably hasn't helped that not only did I not get my top choices for my honours project, I have also not got my first choice of the review essay. It's on a first-come-first-served basis. It's difficult motivating yourself to work on something that really isn't in your field of interest. Grr.
Willow has been having a good time though. Yesterday she stole a mueslie bar from one of Gareth's friends, and later stole two halves of leftover pizza when I was in the study room and Gareth in the garden. She's already had her tea so we couldn't compensate by not giving her her kibble! Conversely, Draco is hungry as we forgot to feed him yesterday - I guess that's why Willow grabs food when she can in case we forget to feed her...

General chat

I'm now one week into fourth year, and it's been a bit of a farce with various 'careers day' sessions etc. that would have been better placed in third year. I got back from a team building session last week. It was kinda fun, but after spending 6 weeks away on field work I just want to spend one week in my own flat!
Gareth is doing ok with his leg, and he gets his cast off on his birthday (9th October). Sucks that he'll be in hospital for his birthday, but at least his leg will be liberated - though possibly recast again.
Willow had a major sulk with me because I gave her a bath two days ago and I'm just starting to be forgiven. I also groomed her and there must have been enough fur to make a second Willow out of it!
I went to the Doc's on Monday (after putting it off for four months) as I've been feeling a bit odd. The headiness etc. has progressed to forgetfulness and losing track of conversations. The Doc seems to think it's stress related, but I've had a blood test for thyroid, glucose, liver and kidney function and infection (all standard!) just in case. I should probably take this as an indication my body wants me to slow down - not good timing with fourth year just starting! I should get the results this Monday coming.
I also went back to Kung Fu for the first time in over two months yesterday. Ouch!