We've had many visitors this year and each reminds us that we miss people from Pennsylvania... and so the idea of a blog for family and close friends just seemed natural. The idea is that we can each post information about what's going on in our lives to keep the ones we love in the know. Because the reality is that my phone is, in most cases, either misplaced- or on silent, and if that is not the case I'm planning on calling you...but it never happens. I do not like the phone. Plus typing on the computer during the day can be misconstrued as work-the phone cannot get away with that. 

Without further ado- here's what is new with me. Today I gave a talk about my recent work in the lab to what we call "Fly Club"- a loose association of labs that all use flies as a model organism. It went well and I am continually thankful for my elementary school teacher, Miss Rhode, for plunging me into the world or oral presentations super early in life. Please do not misconstrue, about an hour before I have to talk- I'm a right mess, you wouldn't know it to look at me-but I am. The second I start, the nerves are done. So thank you Miss Rhode.  

I talked about experiments I am finishing up to add to a paper that's going out hopefully in a week or two. The paper is not mine, but a former post doc's, Julie Gates, who now has her own lab at Bucknell.  I moved down here and she moved up there...anyway- I'm helping her and my PI out by finishing up a few things and am grateful for the opportunity to get my name on a another paper, but am itching to get at my own work that has been slightly held up. 

I've been meaning to get back to the painting and drawing habit that I picked back up around Christmas but never seem to have the time or motivation. Motivation mostly, I have to be in the right mood, and  really- who feels inspired after a long work day? I really just want to get the dishes done and slip into bed, read few pages out of something that is not associated with a university or institute and fall asleep. I'll find the time sometime, or will make the time when I need to.