Archive for August, 2005
Wednesday, August 31st, 2005
Katrina
Here is a picture of Katrina approaching the Gulf Coast. I noticed it on Mark VandeWettering’s blog today.
You can click here to get a larger version, and zoom in to as far as 250m per pixel. This is the 1km/pixel version.
1 Comment » - Posted in Uncategorized by thisbiochemicallife
Tuesday, August 30th, 2005
Kaplan
Last night I started my Kaplan LSAT review course with a 3 hour mini-LSAT. It was about what I expected, although the logic games were harder than I thought they would be. I enjoyed them on the GRE’s, but they’re harder on this test. At least I know where to focus my concentration.
When I checked online today, it turns out I got a 158 on my diagnostic test, so needless to say I’m pretty happy. It can only go up from there! My goal is to improve 12 points and get a 170.
Things look pretty awful in Louisiana and Mississippi, I hope people will get the help they need.
Comments Off - Posted in Law School by blaine_5
Monday, August 29th, 2005
Daycare
We had a great time at the fair yesterday, being 2 of an even 82,000 people there yesterday. It was pretty warm, but a slight breeze and some clouds helped. Spent a lot of money and ate a lot of food, but it’s something that S and I look forward to every year.
The E-man was just dropped off at daycare this morning for the very first time. S is there with him for a few hours, to ease the transition. It’s actually a little bit more difficult than I thought it would be. Usually when I leave him, it’s at home with Sarah. Now neither of us will be with him, and that’s a pretty strange feeling. I suppose that as we settle down into a routine that it will be easier. I sure hope so.
Tonight is my first Kaplan LSAT review class. We’re taking a diagnostic test to determine just how much work we have to do! I’m a little nervous, and a lot tired. I’ve purposefully avoided looking at an LSAT or doing any sort of review so that this will be a true thermometer of where I stand. And I now have five weeks until the test, so undoubtedly they will be five intense weeks.
Random Thoughts:
1. Grab and Run - I read an article here at Fool.com entitled “Disaster-Proof Your Prized Possessions”, and the author spoke about playing a mental game called “Grab and Run”, in which you decided how you would respond to an emergency evacuation situation. This game struck a nerve because it’s one I’ve played many times, although I never gave it a name. I’ve often wondered how I would pack our small Hyundai with everything we hold dear in our lives - pictures, irreplaceable genealogical items, even extra food and water. Now, I’d have to pack diapers, wipes, and extra baby clothes too! I hope I never have to make decisions like those, and it makes me more empathic towards those who do.
Comments Off - Posted in Uncategorized by blaine_5
Saturday, August 27th, 2005
The bottle part 2
Well, I spent all day friday teaching the E-man how to eat from a bottle. After he got hungry enough, about 5 hours, he decided the bottle wasn’t so bad after all. He still chews it and licks at it instead of sucking on it, but at least he can get nourishment from it! It was a relief, and not such a bad day after all. Today we worked on it a little bit as well. Now daycare on Monday doesn’t seem so overwhelming!
We were thinking about the drive-in tonight, either the Midway Drive-In or the Finger Lakes Drive-In . But we’re so tired! Tomorrow my parents are coming down early to watch the E-man while S and I go to the New York State Fair here in Syracuse. We go every year and spend way too much money and eat way too much food, but we always love it. We walk through the animal sections (S loves the rabbits), see the special attractions, all that fun stuff. I’m sure we’ll have another great time tomorrow, provided the weather holds!!!
Comments Off - Posted in Uncategorized by blaine_5
Thursday, August 25th, 2005
Work
So I thought I should define the term I used a few days ago, namely, “Graduate Student”. I’m a graduate student in a Biochemistry department in Syracuse, NY. I started in the fall of 2000, and I’ll be finishing in the summer of 2006. Six long hard years. In the natural sciences, a student typically spends an average of 6 years doing research and publishing results. They do research in a laboratory after a year or two of classes, and then defend their thesis work in order to finish. Here at this institution, students typically publish two first-author papers before they leave. I, unfortunately, don’t have a first-author “results paper” yet, just a first-author review paper I wrote on Nuclear Actin. I do however have 2 other papers in which I contributed to the results. So I need one more first-author paper to finish. And I need it soon, so needless to say I’m working my butt off to try to complete my work by next August. Why do I need to finish by then? More about the next step later.
Tomorrow is the big day, the Big Bottle day. I’m dreading so much, especially since he was so adorable last night when I got home. I know it’s not going to go well, and that it will take every bit of effort I can muster just to stay calm. But as long as he figures out that bottle, it will all be worth it.
Can you spot a fake smile from a real smile? Check out the test at BBC here. I got 50% right, 10 out of 20 smiles. I thought I’d do better!
Comments Off - Posted in Grad School by blaine_5
Wednesday, August 24th, 2005
Trouble with the bottle
So there’s a growing problem in my family of three with the bottle. Not alcohol, I wish it were that simple!! The E-man refuses to drink from a bottle. He’s four months old (yesterday), and he starts daycare next week, but he won’t take either formula or breastmilk from a bottle.
Now, he used to, long ago, but we didn’t keep up the practice. And now we’re suffering because of it!! We’ve tried 5 different types of nipples, two types of formula, and all sorts of suggestions. Our doctor’s nurse suggested we make the opening of one of the nipples larger, which only made a bigger mess as it ran even faster down his chin and chest. We’ve tried sitting him up, laying him down, different milk temperatures, everything you can think of.
The funniest part about this experience is that he uses the bottle like a gerbil uses a water bottle, you know those ones that hang from the cage? He licks the opening like a gerbil to make milk come out. It’s hilarious, but unfortunately, he doesn’t get enough milk out! So we’ve decided that this weekend Mom is leaving and I will get him to drink from the bottle, come hell or high water. The guilt thing is already building, but this is a block we have to get through in order for daycare to work. Wish me luck!!!
Comments Off - Posted in The E-man by blaine_5
Tuesday, August 23rd, 2005
first post
My morning routine at work consists of checking my email accounts (both work and personal), checking the news, obsessively checking my investments, and catching up on the blogs that I follow. Without this start, I find it hard to do everything else the day requires.
So I thought I’d start my own blog, after many false starts. I’ve probably filled out a form for blogs at different sites at least 5 times, but I’d always decide against it at the last minute. I guess the biggest worry about starting a blog is that you won’t have the time, or that if you do, no one will want to read it anyway. But if nothing else, a blog could help me think about and analyze the things I do, and the why of why I do the things I do. Maybe it’ll be fun.
I guess I should introduce myself. I’m B, a 29-year-old married father who is currently in his 5th year of graduate school. Hence the name, this biochemical life. I’ve been married for almost 3 years now to a high school biology teacher, S. We now have a 4-month-old son, the E-man, who is the joy of our life. I imagine a lot of space here will be dedicated to him. And to the months of change we’ll undoubtedly soon see. But I’ll post more about that later.
