Temporary Shower

Today I went to Brunch with a good high school friend named Mike. When Mike and I were in junior high, I made him so mad, he hit me on the head with a traffic cone. It always surprises me how we became close friends after that. Anyways...I digress. It was was Mike's birthday last week and since I missed it, I bought him brunch to make up for it. I also surprised him by invited Kevin (my best friend from high school). Kevin is permanently back from teaching in China and no one knew he was back except for me. It was a lot of fun seeing Mike's face because they are also good friends. I met Kevin's girlfriend who is here for a month. It is always weird meeting your friend's significant others because there is an obligation to like them. In this case, I did like her so everything went well but what if I didn't? Do you tell? Do you just let it run its course? I never know. I also got a massage with Ash today. There is a school here that gives massages at hal...

My parent went on a long hike today so I sent my baby sister to the boys and girls club, went to work, and picked her up. We then had lots of fun together going to Panda Express for dinner (yes I am a fan of fake Chinese food), then playing at a park. Baby is so big now and constantly want to play princess, fairy, or mermaid. I am still not sure how to play but we usually just pretend to dress up and go places. I had a lovely time. In other new...I am thinking about signing up for Internet dating...blah

Today was fairly hectic. I woke up early for TDS (a version of journal club but for my lab only). Then, I planned out my experiments for the day. I managed to accomplish all but one of the experiments I had planned because it was just too hard to inject dye into baby mice. Don't worry. It doesn't hurt the mice but it does give me a nice permeability readout (if it had worked). One of the perks of moving up in the grad school world is that I have my own minions (undergrads). I am fortunate enough to have two and both have worked with me for almost a year now. They want to apply for medical school and I want their hands so I can get things done at a faster rate. So far, this has been working out with some lessons along the way: 1) Never assume someone you are training knows anything 2) Give them opportunities to answer questions and think through experiments but help if they are stuck (undergrad are like scared deer...they need to be pushed but not over the edge) 3) Be V...

In Sheryl Sandberg's book "Lean In", she talks about how some women will ask for mentors but good/great mentors are borne out of circumstances and not from asking. I agree with her to some extent... Remember when I was depressed about grad school? Well...in March I got to attend a Gordon conference in Galveston, TX. I didn't go with my PI but rather, one down the hall who is an expert in the field of megakaryocyte research. There, we went on daily runs and when it got time for him to present, I helped him put together a powerpoint on my work (including myself in the acknowledgement slide at the end). What surprised me was that he was so gracious even though I was just trying to be a good grad student. He not only introduced me to all the big names in the field but he also had my picture up in one of his first slides...acknowledging my work up front. Yes, I'm prone to flattery but what resulted was the beginning of a great mentorship. He has since propelled my...

Blah. I haven't written in awhile but so much has happened. I went to Europe (Greece, Bulgaria, and Turkey) in May. There, I met up with my classmates who were doing an "end of med school trip". It was a lot of fun. I also got to catch up with my college roommate who is doing a diplomatic stent in Bulgaria. VERY interesting country! When we got back, my friends graduated, I moved out of my apartment of three years....said goodbye to my roommate/friend of four years, and moved back in with my parents. Though I know it is only temporary, I feel like I have regressed. I also feel kindof empty. Life has become a bit bland since everyone has departed. I guess this is where I should regale you with new friendships and such but I am a solitary person....I don't make friends easily (unless forced to) and circumstances are not in my favor for meeting people. All wells. I still have two friends left who took years off to pursue Masters and I know some younger classmates. May...