30 March 2012
27 March 2012
Catch up time
Ok, catch up time. I've done lots of cool stuff lately! Travels, parties, teaching, science! Adventures abound and sleep is on the minimal side of adequate!
Most of what keeps me busy is working. I will say this: Being a postdoc is definitely better than being a grad student. But it is not easier. Don't get me wrong-I'm much happier than I was for most of grad school, and a big part of that is that I now work for a reasonable person and have time to do things like exercise and socialize and visit my family and take daytrips to wineries with my friends on weekends. But day-to-day, the responsibilities are greater and more complex. Administrative tasks grow, there's more supervising and training others, there is more writing and thinking things up on your own, and when opportunities come along to teach a course, or guest lecture or give a talk, of course you take them because it's a competitive business and early on you need all the opportunities and goodwill you can get. All of this while still producing data! Good data and lots of it! It can be exhilarating, but also completely overwhelming.
Science chugs along-a paper I'm second author on goes out whenever our collaborators get back to us with final changes. I'm getting some solid data for my own paper. This one isn't terrible exciting-nuts and bolts and mechanisms of things. Once it is done, I will be starting some flashy new things-a little riskier, but I am super excited about it! I'm finishing up my first of three (3) (!!!!!) grants this year-this one is for little internal pilot funds, the second is for a somewhat bigger one or two year project, the third is a huge career-defining make-or-break NIH grant that looms like a monster in my mind. I love thinking it through-I'm starting to see a niche for me, where I might fit with a lab of my own, what direction those first few years of independence will take It's scary though, to put so much effort into planning for a career that is such a long shot-I'm happy to call myself above average as a scientist, but "above average" is nowhere close to a guarantee in the current climate.
I'm teaching this semester in the continuing ed program. I proposed a class on stress and the brain, it was accepted into the catalog, and the minimum number of students signed up, so the class went forward. I'm having a blast with it-my students are very diverse in their background, but without an exception they are incredibly bright and engaged. I think this is a great way to get teaching experience, and I am (hopefully!) improving a lot as a teacher over the semester. Plus I think running my own course from the ground up-designing the syllabus and picking out the materials myself-has been much more valuable to me that TAing someone else's course would be. I have a pre-college course on schedule this summer. We'll see how that goes-I can see myself having much more trouble with 25 teenagers than with 8 adults.
Of course, I am also keeping very busy outside of work and teaching and science. I've got great friends here. I think I spend more time at the bar in any given week here than I did in all of grad school. That's a good thing :) I'll (maybe?) have some updates with pictures in the next few days on my recent adventures and travels with my sister.
I hope to update the blog more-to keep in touch, keep record of what I do, and to practice writing in a non-sciency form. I'm always promising that, though...
Most of what keeps me busy is working. I will say this: Being a postdoc is definitely better than being a grad student. But it is not easier. Don't get me wrong-I'm much happier than I was for most of grad school, and a big part of that is that I now work for a reasonable person and have time to do things like exercise and socialize and visit my family and take daytrips to wineries with my friends on weekends. But day-to-day, the responsibilities are greater and more complex. Administrative tasks grow, there's more supervising and training others, there is more writing and thinking things up on your own, and when opportunities come along to teach a course, or guest lecture or give a talk, of course you take them because it's a competitive business and early on you need all the opportunities and goodwill you can get. All of this while still producing data! Good data and lots of it! It can be exhilarating, but also completely overwhelming.
Science chugs along-a paper I'm second author on goes out whenever our collaborators get back to us with final changes. I'm getting some solid data for my own paper. This one isn't terrible exciting-nuts and bolts and mechanisms of things. Once it is done, I will be starting some flashy new things-a little riskier, but I am super excited about it! I'm finishing up my first of three (3) (!!!!!) grants this year-this one is for little internal pilot funds, the second is for a somewhat bigger one or two year project, the third is a huge career-defining make-or-break NIH grant that looms like a monster in my mind. I love thinking it through-I'm starting to see a niche for me, where I might fit with a lab of my own, what direction those first few years of independence will take It's scary though, to put so much effort into planning for a career that is such a long shot-I'm happy to call myself above average as a scientist, but "above average" is nowhere close to a guarantee in the current climate.
I'm teaching this semester in the continuing ed program. I proposed a class on stress and the brain, it was accepted into the catalog, and the minimum number of students signed up, so the class went forward. I'm having a blast with it-my students are very diverse in their background, but without an exception they are incredibly bright and engaged. I think this is a great way to get teaching experience, and I am (hopefully!) improving a lot as a teacher over the semester. Plus I think running my own course from the ground up-designing the syllabus and picking out the materials myself-has been much more valuable to me that TAing someone else's course would be. I have a pre-college course on schedule this summer. We'll see how that goes-I can see myself having much more trouble with 25 teenagers than with 8 adults.
Of course, I am also keeping very busy outside of work and teaching and science. I've got great friends here. I think I spend more time at the bar in any given week here than I did in all of grad school. That's a good thing :) I'll (maybe?) have some updates with pictures in the next few days on my recent adventures and travels with my sister.
I hope to update the blog more-to keep in touch, keep record of what I do, and to practice writing in a non-sciency form. I'm always promising that, though...
10 March 2012
In which my sister and I discuss casseroles
12:29 PM
12:29 PM
12:29 PM
12:30 PM
12:30 PM
12:30 PM
12:30 PM
12:31 PM
12:31 PM
12:31 PM
13 February 2012
29: analysis
SO I am 29 today! Life is super crazy, or has been for a few weeks and is now calming down? Maybe? Probably not. Anyways, it's my birthday, things are good, I am happy. Just a little too crazy for a real update at the moment.
At this point in my life, I would say I am mediocre at being an adult, an adequate scientist, a terrible cat keeper, and shit at updating this blog. But y'all, I am really good at cake.
*made them for a friend's graduation party. Not for my own birthday!
At this point in my life, I would say I am mediocre at being an adult, an adequate scientist, a terrible cat keeper, and shit at updating this blog. But y'all, I am really good at cake.
*made them for a friend's graduation party. Not for my own birthday!
07 January 2012
I'll take it
Last year at this time, I was suffering through the first of approximately eighty seven blizzards to hit Rhode Island in January.
This year, it is 61 degrees and sunny as hell. We've only had a brief wet dusting of snow. I like this version of winter much better.
And with that, I'm going outside:)
This year, it is 61 degrees and sunny as hell. We've only had a brief wet dusting of snow. I like this version of winter much better.
And with that, I'm going outside:)
01 January 2012
Read ALL The Books
I read 65 books in 2011 (75 if you count the teenager books I have read a thousand times, the 7 harry potters and 3 hunger games. But let's not count those, to do such would only encourage this behavior). A lot of them were really good! My top five for the year were probably: Middlesex, Swamplandia!, The Tiger's Wife, Galore, and Bel Canto. And Year of the Flood. And Night Circus. And Faithful Place. And State of Wonder. OH and Vaclav and Lena. So, top ten. Those are the ones that stand out, at least, that I would like to read again.
I'll continue keeping a reading list next year-I've already started on a good one! I'm setting 70 books (not including repeats, unless it is for sister book club).
65. The Emperor of Lies Steven Sem-Sandberg Of course I finish out the year with a book about the holocaust. This book chronicles life in the Lodz ghetto. It's good-somehow draws you in despite a certain sparseness of the language. Very depressing, because unlike most books about historical tragedies that focus on those who survived despite the odds, this one sticks pretty close to the odds and I think every major character you meet dies. Spoiler alert?
64. Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children Ransom Riggs
63. The Tiger in the Well Phillip Pullman
62. The Shadow in the North Phillip Pullman
61. The Ruby in the Smoke Phillip Pullman These three are a trilogy of mysteries set in Victorian London. They're fine if you like that kind of thing
60. The Book Thief Maurice Zusak A book for teenagers, about Nazi Germany, narrated by Death. I cried at multiple points, obviously.
59. The Poisonwood Bible Barbara Kingsolver I read this for sister book club. Even though I've read it three or four times before, I still find new things in it, and find Kingsolver's exquisite language able to move me
58. Nightwoods Charles Frazier
57. The Sisters Brothers Patrick DeWitt I've never really read westerns before, but I liked this one!
56. When She Woke Hillary Jordan Great Premise, poorly executed
55. Faith Jennifer Haigh
54. Night Circus Erin Morgenstern I waited forever to get this from the library, and I loved it! It's so richly imagined and such a sweet story
53. Death in the City of Light David King Really fascinating book about a serial killer in Nazi-Occupied Paris. I'm not usually one for non-fiction, but I liked this one
--------------------------------------------------------------
52. Vaclav and Lena Hayley Tanner
51. The Submission, Amy Waldman
50. Divergence Veronica Roth
49. Fragile Lisa Unger
48. Rules of Civility Amor Towles
47. Before I go to Sleep SJ Watson
46. The Hangman's Daughter Oliver Pötzsch
45. The Satanic Verses Salman Rushdie.
44. Everything is Illuminated Jonathan Safran Foer
43. Love that dog/ Hate that cat, Sharon Creech
42 . Bel Canto Ann Patchett
41.The Snowman, Jo Nesbo
40. State of Wonder, Ann Patchett
39. In the Garden of Beasts, Eric Larson
38. The Redbreast, Jo Nesbo
37. Caleb's Crossing , Geraldine Brooks
36. Nemesis, Jo Nesbo
35. The Devil's Star, Jo Nesbo
34. The History of Love,Nicole Krauss
33. East of Eden, John Steinbeck.
32. The Crucible, Arthur Miller
31. A Discovery of witches, Deborah Harkness
30. Cutting For Stone, Abraham Verghese
29. 22 Brittania Road, Amanda Hodgkinson
28. The Tiger's wife, Tea Obreht
27. Swamplandia!, Karen Russell
26. The Screwtape Letters, CS Lewis
25. Galore, Michael Crummey
24. Comedy in a Minor Key, Hans Kielson
23.Middlesex, Jeffrey Eugenides 22. Great House Nicole Krauss
21. The Children's Book A. S. Byatt.
20. Room Emma Donaghue
19. The Lady Matador's Hotel Cristina Garcia
18. The Lonely Polygamist, Brady Udall
17. Disgrace, J.M. Coetzee
16. The Wordy Shipmates Sarah Vowell
15. The Warmth of Other Suns: The epic story of America's great Migration, Isabelle Wilkerson
14. Little Bee Chris Cleave
13 Fool Christopher Moore
12. A Dirty Job Christopher Moore
10. Lolita Vladimir Nabakov
9. Super Sad True Love Story Gary Shteyngart
8. The Swan Thieves, Elizabeth Kostova.
7.Year of the Flood, Margaret Atwood.
6. Faithful Place, Tana French.
5. The Possessed: Adventures with Russian Books and the People who Read them, Elif Batuman.
4. Purgatorio, Dante Alighieri.
3. The Scarpetta Factor, Patricia Cornwell.
2. Bite Me, Christopher Moore.
1. Devil in the White City Eric Larson.
I'll continue keeping a reading list next year-I've already started on a good one! I'm setting 70 books (not including repeats, unless it is for sister book club).
65. The Emperor of Lies Steven Sem-Sandberg Of course I finish out the year with a book about the holocaust. This book chronicles life in the Lodz ghetto. It's good-somehow draws you in despite a certain sparseness of the language. Very depressing, because unlike most books about historical tragedies that focus on those who survived despite the odds, this one sticks pretty close to the odds and I think every major character you meet dies. Spoiler alert?
64. Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children Ransom Riggs
63. The Tiger in the Well Phillip Pullman
62. The Shadow in the North Phillip Pullman
61. The Ruby in the Smoke Phillip Pullman These three are a trilogy of mysteries set in Victorian London. They're fine if you like that kind of thing
60. The Book Thief Maurice Zusak A book for teenagers, about Nazi Germany, narrated by Death. I cried at multiple points, obviously.
59. The Poisonwood Bible Barbara Kingsolver I read this for sister book club. Even though I've read it three or four times before, I still find new things in it, and find Kingsolver's exquisite language able to move me
58. Nightwoods Charles Frazier
57. The Sisters Brothers Patrick DeWitt I've never really read westerns before, but I liked this one!
56. When She Woke Hillary Jordan Great Premise, poorly executed
55. Faith Jennifer Haigh
54. Night Circus Erin Morgenstern I waited forever to get this from the library, and I loved it! It's so richly imagined and such a sweet story
53. Death in the City of Light David King Really fascinating book about a serial killer in Nazi-Occupied Paris. I'm not usually one for non-fiction, but I liked this one
--------------------------------------------------------------
52. Vaclav and Lena Hayley Tanner
51. The Submission, Amy Waldman
50. Divergence Veronica Roth
49. Fragile Lisa Unger
48. Rules of Civility Amor Towles
47. Before I go to Sleep SJ Watson
46. The Hangman's Daughter Oliver Pötzsch
45. The Satanic Verses Salman Rushdie.
44. Everything is Illuminated Jonathan Safran Foer
43. Love that dog/ Hate that cat, Sharon Creech
42 . Bel Canto Ann Patchett
41.The Snowman, Jo Nesbo
40. State of Wonder, Ann Patchett
39. In the Garden of Beasts, Eric Larson
38. The Redbreast, Jo Nesbo
37. Caleb's Crossing , Geraldine Brooks
36. Nemesis, Jo Nesbo
35. The Devil's Star, Jo Nesbo
34. The History of Love,Nicole Krauss
33. East of Eden, John Steinbeck.
32. The Crucible, Arthur Miller
31. A Discovery of witches, Deborah Harkness
30. Cutting For Stone, Abraham Verghese
29. 22 Brittania Road, Amanda Hodgkinson
28. The Tiger's wife, Tea Obreht
27. Swamplandia!, Karen Russell
26. The Screwtape Letters, CS Lewis
25. Galore, Michael Crummey
24. Comedy in a Minor Key, Hans Kielson
23.Middlesex, Jeffrey Eugenides 22. Great House Nicole Krauss
21. The Children's Book A. S. Byatt.
20. Room Emma Donaghue
19. The Lady Matador's Hotel Cristina Garcia
18. The Lonely Polygamist, Brady Udall
17. Disgrace, J.M. Coetzee
16. The Wordy Shipmates Sarah Vowell
15. The Warmth of Other Suns: The epic story of America's great Migration, Isabelle Wilkerson
14. Little Bee Chris Cleave
13 Fool Christopher Moore
12. A Dirty Job Christopher Moore
10. Lolita Vladimir Nabakov
9. Super Sad True Love Story Gary Shteyngart
8. The Swan Thieves, Elizabeth Kostova.
7.Year of the Flood, Margaret Atwood.
6. Faithful Place, Tana French.
5. The Possessed: Adventures with Russian Books and the People who Read them, Elif Batuman.
4. Purgatorio, Dante Alighieri.
3. The Scarpetta Factor, Patricia Cornwell.
2. Bite Me, Christopher Moore.
1. Devil in the White City Eric Larson.
28 December 2011
so tired
I'm back in Providence after a week in Ohio for Christmas. It was great and lovely. I'm relieved to get back to my house and my bed and my routine, excited to go back to work (!) and to hang out with friends on new years eve(!!!). But I was sad to leave my family, and am now feeling tired and a little lonesome in my empty apartment after seven days in a little house holding approximately 1.5 more people than comfortably fit and all the love you'd ever need.
19 December 2011
Some Christmas spirit for you
Pandas! In the snow!
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Straight No Chaser's 12 days of christmas.10 December 2011
Monsters for sale
They may look sweet and cute, but in the past 24 hours these two have broken two bowls and three glasses. In the process of breaking one glass and one bowl, they also spilled a mixture of hot soup and ginger ale all over the floor, which meant I had to mop the living room. I woke up this morning to find a cat vomiting soapy water on my bed. Said cat (the stupid one, on the right) had evidently been drinking from a pan soaking in soapy water in the sink. She also bit my calf when I was making breakfast, suggesting the return of a habit we worked long and hard on breaking Also there was been some outside-the-litterbox pooping from both parties, which meant more mopping.
In conclusion, my cats are terrible demons who evidently have a strong, strong desire to live outside.
08 December 2011
Apartment christmas
It's been rainy and not that cool in Rhode Island, but I decorated a (fake) tree, made a Michael Buble-centric holiday playlist on spotify and declared it christmas.
Also, I now have curtains, almost a year after moving in. baby steps?
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