Thursday, September 24, 2009

On Disecting a Ghost

So I'm finally back.

Worm lab's going well. I just got my end date extended to the end of February which is good because now I have job security. At the same time however I was kind of hoping that Dr. Bettinger wouldn't have room for me but know someone else that would. While working in that lab is fun I just feel like I'm not able to get results as fast as I should be, and I'm officially decided that I don't like working with C. Elegans. I understand that they're an amazing model organism especially for studying EtOh, but they're just too fragile. It's really annoying waiting for a strain or recombinant to grow up to the stage you need them and then on the day they should be ready they're too young, or worse they're too old, or they starved, or the plate modled or go infected. I'm sick of it! With rodents they're either ready to test or not, I don't have to worry about adding another 3 days to my project every time I let them go a day over on food. I may look into what a behavioral genetics mouse lab, I feel like that would be a fun little adventure.

So as most of you know I plan on leaving Richmond some time around Febuary, or atleast I did. Dr. Porter has told me he could gaurentee me acceptance into the Biopsych program here and he has a good pull if I applied for integrated life sciences. He also told me I could use part of the research I've been doing for my thesis, essentially putting me a year ahead in my project. That's a huge jump, and I'd be passing up a huge opportunity if I left. Still, I feel the pull to leave the city and a part of me is worried that if I stay I'm going to not be able to focus like I should, which has been my reason for leaving all along. It's alot to think about. I'm going to apply to a bunch of placesc and make my decision once I hear back from everywhere.

I turn 22 in a little under a month. Gettin old, real quick. I was talking with Carol Ann about this last night, we both have friends who have already been married for a year. THAT'S NUTS! So many people that I went to high school with already have babies and are married, kids younger than me that I went to high school with have babies. What is this?

So I moved out of Ranger HQ as predicted and I'm not too crazy about it. It's smaller, more expensive, thin walls, shitty neighbors, boring neighborhood, internet shits out half the time. Ugh whatever, one redeeming quality is that it's close to Kroger and in a way it's nice to be back in a building (kind of). If people were more sociable I feel like it would be cool. It turns out that I know someone in the basmenet and I've made friends with one other apt and kind of me a few others but nothing major. While I've stolen Carol Ann's camera I can do a photo update.

So what's up with Grad Student's all over the nation dying/going crazy. There was that Yale PHTX student who got murdered, a VCU Grad student was found with thousands of dollars of non-civillian cop paraphanalia was arrested after pulling a woman over with cop decals on his car and a badge, and I feel like there was something else but I can't quite put my finger on it.

Anyway, I think that's all I've got right now. Before I go I'm going to plug a review a friend of mine wrote for BYT.

1 comment:

  1. Hey Snack! Long time no see! Or Post!!

    I understand the pull to leave Richmond. I don't know what it is, but I think there is something toxic about this city the longer you stay. It's so easy, affordable, and relatively entertaining to live here, which is great and perfect for school, but I think after school, the college culture and drinking/drug culture still sucks you in. There's something else about the city that makes me uneasy, I can't put a finger to it though...or maybe I'm mistaking it for the appeal of a new place...

    Anyway, where you at?!?! I never see you out and about anymore...:(

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