11.2.07

Work things

Last semester I worked with the LaPlaca lab. Over the course of the semester, I succeeded in doing one full experiment, and almost zero analysis. The picture you see on the left is the one-and-only piece of evidence that I did any work at all, and, heh, I didn't take the picture. Not by myself anyway.

I might feel a little bad about that, but I was pretty overwhelmed with my classes last semester. So was everyone I was in classes with, so no one else got much work done in their rotations either. Regardless, I got to learn how to culture neural/mesechymal stem cells, and mouse cells at that. I also got to use a muti-photon confocal microscope on my very own, which is where the learning curve got really steep. Hence why I got only one picture.

This semester, I'm working with the DeWeerth
group, and I'm doing electrophysiology experiments with Aplysia californica, a sea slug. My first victim of the semester is pictured to the right. I cut him up, grab his ganglia (little orange balls of nerve cell bodies), pin them down under a microscope, do microdissection to open them up (sometimes in the hopes of finding a particular cell), and then I poke a cell with a glass electrode. The scary electronics below are connected to this electrode. Overall, the system is used to record the electrical activity of the cell and to stimulate (send current into) the cell.

My first experiment of the semester was a couple weeks ago. I'm looking for one of five cells in the whole Aplysia nervous system that have bursting activity. I got one on my FIRST TRY! I was very, very excited about this. When I told Stefan (he's the major bio/electrophys guy in the lab and my prof from last semester) about it he teased me about showing off too much.
Anyway I did another experiment on Friday and this time I got a cell with tonic activity (constant firing) but that wasn't as impressive because there are lots of those. It still worked ok for my purposes, at least for that experiment.

Annnnd now I have to compile/analyze/understand all my data so I can present it at lab meeting tomorrow night. Sigh. That's the boring part.

I also have a cellular neuro test on thursday and more social drama than I care to think about at the moment, so hopefully you'll all forgive me for putting off updating about Mardi Gras (probably just one more week). I have some fun pictures. Highlights include the Journey float and lots of pink houses. More to come...

posted by Amber @ 8:40 PM 2 Comments

6.2.07

Pineapples and pirates.

So, the superbowl was fun. I used the luau-leftovers, pictured at right, to make some kickass pineapple salsa to bring. Surprisingly, it was a hit (yay!) and I patted myself on the back for being resourceful/creative with what I had on hand. Sure, I used a recipe. But I thought up the idea to look for a pineapple salsa recipe, and that's good enough for me.

Last week we had seven pineapples leftover from the party. 4 out of 5 days last week I brought a pineapple with me to school. The lab where I work is basically 8 or so labs in one big shared space, and there's a community kitchen/eating area. So I just left pineapples there. As far as I know they were well-received.

There's one pineapple left. Taunting me downstairs. I was planning on making pineapple fried rice tonight, but I got lazy (it was a long day). Hopefully tomorrow.

Don't get me started on those coconuts. Sigh.

In other domestic news, I'm making my friend Jeff a hat loosely based on this one. I've never made a hat in straight stockinette before (always 2x2 rib which ends up being stretchy so the exact # of stitches is no big deal), and I've started this hat 4 times now and it always ends up being too big. Especially when I tried knitting up a swatch, calculating gauge and measuring out length etc. I have no idea what I'm doing wrong, but I'm going to try one more time and if it doesn't turn out he'll just have to wear a baggy hat. /knitting nerdiness.

I recently downloaded (I mean, purchased legally...) the Nightmare Before Christmas soundtrack, only to discover covers by Marilyn Manson, Fall Out Boy, Panic! at the Disco and... drumroll please... Fiona Apple. I was very VERY excited. I would recomend this to anyone as slightly-obsessed with that movie as I am...

Oh, the Animation Show was really cool. This short was great, and reminded me of my favorite music video, Hell Bent by Kenna.

Alright, I think I'm done spouting random things.

posted by Amber @ 7:36 PM 1 Comments

3.2.07

So I have a bit of a dilemma. I bought tickets to see Guster awhile back, for the 17th. That also happens to be the weekend before Mardi Gras, and my friends are planning a trip to New Orleans. Having never really celebrated Mardi Gras, and knowing that my friend Lauren went to school at Tulane (so she knows the ropes +places to stay), I'd really like to go. I'm leaning towards selling the tickets, but there's also a seminar that Friday that I really should go to for school... I like how that's the secondary concern. Ha.

The picture is another one from Sarah's luau-themed birthday party. It was fun, and we still have a few pineapples and 5+ coconuts hanging out at the house. Fabio and his girlfriend there were decorations. The roomies make me laugh...

Other notables... Kaisa is BIG these days. She's got at least a couple inches height over Killian, and they were comparable in size when I first moved in. She's also a holy terror, but that's a story for another post. We're starting obedience classes all over again this Wednesday, which I think will be very good for her neuroticisms and my sanity. We'll see.

I got out of the house today (went to a local coffee shop called Octane) so I could get some homework done... and of course the first thing I do is post a picture of Fabio. Ok, time to work.

posted by Amber @ 3:51 PM 0 Comments

2.2.07

Who would have thought I would find this lovely specimen in a pool hall in the ATL, of all places. They certainly don't sell Oly here, as far as I can gather. Made me a tad homesick, I have to admit.

In other news, I'm going to this on Sat night, and on Sunday I'm going to my very first salsa class (which ends just before the game starts, luckily). Tonight I'm going to an Italian restaurant where Jeff knows the owner before hitting up Jay's wii + a movie night at his place. Should be a good weekend, and as evidenced by this post, I'm getting a good start on neglecting my homework throughout. Yay for grad sckool!

posted by Amber @ 2:05 PM 0 Comments