A Dramamine Moment

I am generally not prone to motion sickness. I do fine on planes, trains, automobiles, and of course boats. No problems as a rule.

My first bout of motion sickness occurred last year while attending the ASBMB conference. My labmate and I took a trip to Muir Woods. Muir Woods was great, but the trip to and from I spent curled up on the car seat in a fetal position. And to think my labmate scolded me for not being a "good navigator" during the trip! Did he really think me attempting to read a map under those circumstances was going to help our trip??? Somehow, a car ride up through those hilly regions left me feeling rather ill.

Now it would seem that once again motion sickness is upon me. For some reason, the shuttle bus ride to and from the clinic leaves me feeling ill. I don't know why, but I am noticing that it is certain drivers and certain shuttle buses that leave me feeling ill. But I am noticing that this problem is starting to generalize to where it is getting more and more frequent. No doubt, soon, just seeing a shuttle bus will be enough to induce feelings of nausea.

Starting my day off with feelings of nausea does not put me in a good mood overall in the morning. Morning sickness without being pregnant. Who would have thought?

And my labmates wonder why I am so crabby when I get in every morning?

Maybe I need to start a regiment of Dramamine?

Great Tits and Boobies

I decided that today I would take a break from the craziness in my life and go to Rocky River Reservation and attend their Nature Festival. Although I enjoyed it, my attendence was intermittent due to the rainy drizzle this morning and early afternoon. Being cold, wet, having poor lighting, and trying to protect my photography equipment from the moisture made me give up early and go home for a needed nap. I did go back later and attend a humorous sketch by "The Bird Chick" (see one of my blog links) and her husband, non-birding Bill.

The sketch had me in stitches as it poked fun at birds, bird-watching, bird-feeding, and such. I am a non-birder myself, but a nature lover who does spend some time around birding folks. Thus, I could fully appreciate all the humor in this delightful play. It certainly was worth the trip back to the nature center.

Tomorrow, the weather should prove delightful and I think I will go back to enjoy more of the festival. I think I will take part of the photography hike, go on the "Bird Chick" walk even though I am a non-birder, enjoy various music, and check out the Ohio Prairie Nursery vendor.

I will also make it a point to talk to "The Bird Chick" and talk about some of those Great Tits and Boobies. Birds that is.

What were you thinking?

Friday Cat Blogging

Found this on the internet. A merging of interests? Body modification and cats. Who would have thought?

Anyhow, certainly some graphic design artists have way too much time on their hands.

Craziness

I am a graduate student doing my research at a well respected hospital based institution that is not physically part of the university I attend. The research area of this hospital is in a secured area. Not everyone can enter for obvious reasons. As a result, for the most part, I have always felt safe here for that reason.

However, since I am a student, I do periodically have to go to my university for various reasons such as classes or to take care of various matters.

Today, I get an email from the president of our university stating that certain threats have been made to make a repeat of the tragedy at Virginia Tech at my university. I do not know all the details. However, considering that I am in the process of trying to do my oral candidacy exam/proposal defense at the university, this is just one more craziness added that I don't need at this time.

Hopefully, these are just some idle threats made by some student who does not fully realize how terribly inappropriate this behavior is in light of that tragedy.

Venting--Part 2

It looks like spring has finally arrived. The birds are here and migrating, the various animals are out and about, and so are the weirdos. They seem to be out in full force. So, with that in mind, I add this post as an addendum to my previous post:

8)I don't feel like dating you if you are not at least at the legal drinking age. I know enough people have told me that I look like I am in my early twenties, but looking like I am in my twenties and being in my twenties is quite another matter. I am pushing forty. I am not in the mood to be a mother surrogate to the man I date.

9)I do believe that when it comes to love, age does not matter. Although I am an independent woman and an independent thinking woman, I am not opposed in theory to having someone who is a bit of a "father figure" in my life. Hey, there are some really sexy older men out there. However, I draw the line at having a grandfather figure in my love life. If you are in your late sixties, seventies, or above, go away.

10) If you are in your forties and I google your mail id and I find that you are part of a certain interest group called "Men for Younger Women", it makes me think Pedophile and hence kills any interest towards going out with you.

Seriously, enough of the weirdos already!!!

Venting

I am in the mood to vent and rant today. It has to do with the dating realm. So, here goes:

1) If you are married, stay away. Stay far away. I don't care how much wealth you have or how many businesses and properties you own, I am not going there with you. It would also be nice if I knew that fact about you before I went out with you. Being divorced in your mind and telling me you are divorced does not count. Finding out that little tidbit about your marital status from the internet does not put me in a good mood overall.

2) I have an open mind. However, if you are transexual or transgender, I don't want to date you. My clothes are my own--I am not sharing. Also, I don't feel like giving you hair and make-up tips no matter how badly you need them.

3) I am a student. I am financially responsible. However, I have a budget and must be frugal since I am not out in the real world making the real money. I am not going to hand over what money I do have.

4) Do you really think we are compatible if you have less than a high school education, are unemployed, live in the basement of your parent's home, and consider your finest hobby being a couch potato? Also, see point 3 above.

5) If you have anything in your mail id such as "atongueman", "pantylover", or "69", it makes me run. Run away that is...

6) Telling me what you want to do to me physically before we have even had a first date is NOT a turn on.

7) Emailing me more than ten times a day when I am not responding to your emails is not going to persuade me to come your way. Although men are hunters, in this case I feel more like I am being stalked rather than hunted or persued.

Enough said. And enough of the weirdos already.

Personal Ad?

I was having a discussion with my photography mentor, Thomas. I teased him to the point where he threatened to throw me into the next available swamp on our next photography expedition to one of my favorite swamps. I told him, if that is the case, then I will find another person to go "swamping" with me. He told me that he dares me to find someone who is willing to go to a bog/swamp/fen with me. I said that it should not be too difficult. After all, there are plenty of people out there who love nature. He told me that although some people may love nature, not too many people are willing to go into the type of conditions I go into. I told him that I could always post an "ad". He dared me. Ok, I don't think I will post a "real" ad in a paper (probably too many weirdos would apply, and I already seem to be having a problem with weirdos in general as it is). So, I figured I could safely post one on my blog and satisfy his dare. Here goes:

"Looking for someone to spend quiet days in wet, humid conditions. Mosquitoe bites are optional. Must have endurance. Must be willing to get wet and dirty, but clean up well. Must be willing to help pull me out of various mud pools should I fall in. Falling in your own mud pool is optional. Must not care that I look like a swamp creature at the end of the day. Interest in rare and endangered species is a plus."

Any takers????

Trespassing Cat--Part 2

Ealier I wrote a post about a cat that got into my house on Palm Sunday of all days. After trying to befriend it, chase it around the house with doors open for it to go out the way it came in, it looked like I got it to leave and my life went back to normalcy. Or so I thought.

Things were quiet in Katie's home. The cats were their normal selves. They were quiet and complacent in their normal routines. Nothing was amiss.

This past Sunday I went downstairs to do a load of laundry. I notice a grey tabby tail wisk by. Could this tail belong to the wayward cat? Is it the tail of one of my cats? I could not be sure. So, I went into the room I saw it go in.

I could not find a cat anywhere. Did I imagine a cat? Am I seeing cats where there are no cats? If it was one of my own cats, it would not have a reason to hide from me. But I could not be sure. I kept looking...

Finally, peering at me and sitting on a counter was the wayward cat. Oh no.

More trying to befriend it, more chasing it around. Even found it sleeping in an empty box that I thought I could sneak up on, trap inside, and then take outside. None of those tactics worked.

Trap? Now there is an idea that could work. I have done some "cat trapping" in the past with regards to strays and feral cats. This was for humane reasons and the cats were adopted out.

So, I went out and bought a Hav-a-heart trap (I like these traps due to the fact they are humane and don't hurt the animal. Since I have used them before, it was a rather simple matter to set it up and bait it.

About 6 am on Monday morning I was awoken by some pitiful mewing. At first in my drowsy state, I thought it was one of my own cats. I got up to see what was wrong and why one of my cats was mewing so pitifully. Then I realized that the mewing was coming from the basement. I went downstairs and found that the trap had been sprung and the wayward tabby was inside. Although it was not happy to be inside the trap, I was rather happy to see it inside the trap.

So, I took the trap with cat outside and released the cat. Hopefully it is back with its owner now.

I have also learned my own lesson never to leave the door open when carrying in groceries.

In Love

I fell in love today.

It was quite unexpected. But that is how love is. It often happens when you least expect it.

I still remember the exact moment when I realized I was in love. All it took was a simple touch to my lips. Well, maybe not so simple…

My new love is bold and complex. But that is how I want my love to be. I have never been one to want less. Some people want their love to be simple, but not me. I want my love to be stimulating. I get bored easily and feel that I am in constant need of some type of stimulation. I realize that this is a vice of mine, but right now I can’t help it and I am just not quite ready to try to change this aspect of myself. Sorry, but I am being honest here.

I am surprised at how bold my new love is. My love gently nudged me out of my peaceful slumber this morning. But what was offered in exchange for my peaceful slumber was well worth the effort.

My love also left me slightly trembling this morning. But isn’t that normal? It is a connection that culminated in a physiological response. After all, it is what it is.

I have one concern about my new love. I am not sure how faithful I will be able to be to my new love. Again, I am being honest. It is just that there are others waiting in the wings and they are just as stimulating. I don’t think I can give them up for my new love.

So, I make a declaration to my new love: Toraja coffee from Indonesia, where have you been all my life?

The others? Maragogype, Kona, Jamaican Blue Mountain, and Sumatran will have to just wait their turn with me…

Je ne sais quois

There are certain language accents that I would have to say have a certain effect on me. They just have this Je ne sais quois...

Those accents are usually French, British, and a nice Irish brogue. People with these accents I could just listen to all day. The tones are so melodic to my ear.

A few months back, a gentleman from the UK came to our lab to install our new stopped-flow instrument and instruct us how to use it. Now this British accent of his coupled with him saying to me, "There you go love..." while I was attempting to learn to do the data analysis was enough to make me go a bit weak at the knees.

It is a good thing he left to go back to the UK after a few days due to the fact, I think it was hampering my productivity those days.

Friday Cat Blogging

Here is something found on the internet to amuse us cat lovers:

Rewarding Your Human: Should Your Gift Still Be Alive?

The cat world is divided over the etiquette of presenting humans with the thoughtful gift of a recently disemboweled animal. Some believe that humans prefer these gifts already dead, while others maintain that humans enjoy a slowly expiring cricket or rodent just as much as we do, given their jumpy and playful movements in picking the creatures up after they've been presented.

After much consideration of the human psyche, we recommend that cold-blooded animals (large insects, frogs, lizards, garden snakes and the occasional earthworm) should be presented dead, while warm-blooded animals (birds, rodents, your neighbor's Pomeranian) are better still living. When you see the expression on your human's face, you'll know it's worth it.

Orchid Prizes

I sent three of my orchids down to Columbus for a show. I sort of grumbled at the idea of having them transported so far away. These were some of my best and cherished plants in my collection. I certainly was concerned about something bad happening to them or coming back damaged from such a long trip. Usually when I put my orhids in a show, I am the one transporting them back and forth to the show. But this time I took a risk. This time, the risk paid off.

Not only did they come back in good condition, but each of the three orchids came back with having won ribbons. Three orchids, three ribbons. Not bad at all. This was also my first time exhibiting in Columbus.

Sometimes, it is worth to take a risk...

The Best

I know that my coffee addiction has reached new levels when I find myself salivating over this. It is supposed to deliver the best tasting cup of coffee by combining both French press and vacuum preparation.

The coffee prepared by this method is supposed to taste like French press but offer consistency in terms of individual preparation.

However, at 8-11K a pop for this cute little machine, I think I am going to have to stick to my French press for my personal favorite coffee preparation method. Consistency? Well, I suppose I will have to live with the fact that my cup of coffee will have some variability from time to time. Besides, predictability can oftentimes be boring, no?

But who knows, perhaps my favorite coffee houses will start offering coffee prepared by the Clover method.