If I've said anything about the members in my current lab that sounded negative - I would like to rephrase it. Everybody's helpful and nice, and I resonate with some individuals more than others. It's not their fault that I'm socially awkward and find the need to envelope myself in silence every once in a while.

Except that for the past couple of days, I haven't been able to shut up. And I started this morning with large gulps of someone else's coffee because I was thirsty. Coffee doesn't keep me awake - it merely makes me hyperactive.

I'm in the library now, and it's so much warmer, quieter and comfier than the lab bench. Paradoxically, I'm finding it easier to stay awake now.

Go figure.

For those of you in the un-know, I just got back from a (very) quick and (very) last-minute trip to India. I spent two weeks in the comfort of home, rarely venturing outside, except to eat frankies or pick up shiny stuff at the beach.

I also spent two days with an uncle in Dubai, and two more with an uncle in San Fransisco, and back I am.

Homesick as I do get, when I sit still long enough to think about it, That little trip served to fill up the little hollow. Surprising how much a few short days can do!

Also, I'm insanely happy to be back in my home away from home. This city, with all its quaintness and its flowers and its friendly people, and its little surprises. I imagine they don't build anything very tall here because whatever they build would look laughably insignificant. Yes, I missed the mountains more than I should have. It's reassuring to stare off into the distance and see their familiar, awe-inspiring shapes.

(I've been meaning to blog about this for years now, but have not, thus far, managed to remember to do so before closing my tabs.)

What's a Wiki-Walk? I'm sure most people who use Wikipedia do this on a fairly regular basis - it's my name for the process of 'walking' through a string of related articles. Let me explain.

Today, I started by looking up 'Ulysses', because I wanted to know the spelling. Ulysses, of course, is the Latin name of Odysseus, the hero of Homer's 'Odyssey'. He is most famous, says wiki, for the 10-year return journey home from Troy, in which he meets the Cicones, the Lotus-eaters, Polyphemus, Aeolus and the Laestrygonians, before he runs into Circe, who turns all his men into swine. Odysseus, when running in to rescue his men, is warned by Hermes and advised to take with him a certain holy herb to protect himself from Circe's influence. Take a wild guess at what this herb is named?

Holy Moly, would you believe it?

Does it get any East-er than this?

Yesterday was a wonderfully sunny, windy day. V, S, C and I went to the zoo (animals that we are, already). We saw Bison, birdies, poison-dart frogs, little sleepy, furry critters that curled up tight, peafowl, orangutans, gorillas, langurs, lemurs, elephants, zebras, rhinos, cougars, black bears, an amur tiger, cheetahs, giraffes and my favourite - the snow leopard. We ate pink strawberry-flavoured cotton-candy and some popcorn. I promised to keep my hands off everything at the gift-store, and we had a great time.

I stayed up half the night and filed my taxes for the State of Georgia, the State of Utah and the grand ol' States of United, upon which I reverted to a State of Somnambulism.

If I can but finish my commentary on the States of Maturing Virions and the States of ATP-dependant Trunkamides, my mind will be rather more at ease.

Another conversation on the shuttle, but this time, I was in it.
We were talking about journalism, and H. said, "You know, I think journalists and we do the same kind of work."
I asked him what he meant by that.
"Well, Journalists report the truth, and as Scientists, we report the truth. We just work with different things."

Doubt I'll ever be sick of scienting.

..a small tribute to my favourite female comic protagonist.


Read Girl Genius. Would probably rate mature for (a lot) of violence and some skin. And crazy ideas that should be kept away from megalomaniac types that plan to take over the world.