the good part

i finished collecting the data from another of my ongoing experiments this past week. amazingly, the results agree with my previous data and support my thesis. there are really no words to describe the feeling of being the first to find something out.

lately, in lieu of collecting data

i went on an ordering spree at the public library, and ended up with a stack of five non-academic books to read.

1. notes on a scandal - zoë heller
2. passionate spectator - eric kraft
3. memoir of the hawk: poems - james tate [brilliant and hilarious!]
4. the spirit catches you and you fall down - anne fadiman
5. small world: an academic romance - david lodge

i also baked. back in the fall, when i was working on grant proposals, i baked like a fiend. this time it's not quite as extensive; i just made one batch of chocolate chip cookies. these are also excusable, because they're going to work tomorrow as a thank you to another lab who lent a hand with one of my thesis experiments. the fiendish muffins in the fall, however, were entirely about procrastination. in the spirit of procrastination, let me spend a few minutes posting my favourite muffin recipe.

Sarah's Oatmeal Berry Muffins
3/4 c light spelt flour
3/4 c whole wheat flour
3 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp ground nutmeg
1 c rolled oats (can be quick-cooking or regular)
1/2 c tightly packed brown sugar
1 c fresh or frozen cranberries or blueberries
1 c skim milk
3 Tbsp melted butter
1 large egg, lightly beaten

preheat oven to 400 degrees F. prepare a 12-muffin tin with paper liners.

in a large bowl, sift together the flours, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg. stir in oats and brown sugar. in a separate bowl, beat the milk, melted butter, and egg together lightly. add to dry ingredients and stir just until blended (about 20 strokes). quickly stir in berries with 1 or 2 strokes (minimizing stirring keeps muffins fluffy - ra ra kitchen science).

spoon batter into tin, dividing equally among the 12 cups. bake for 20 to 25 mins (may take a few minutes longer if you used frozen berries).

EVERYONE eats muffins!

after 3 years in grad school

-it is important to set aside the occasional afternoon to read and think.

-the majority of my used hard drive gigs are devoted to data, not music.

-time becomes relative. without the structure of semesters and courses, months and weeks are qualified based on their distance from the next goal. 2 days until next class meeting. 1 week until abstracts are due for a conference. 15 days until committee members need my thesis. 1 month until a mini-vacation.

-still have difficulty deciding how to describe where i wake up and go, and then spend my days and evenings. as in, "i go to work" versus "i go to school". even when i eventually finish my PhD, and a post-doctoral research stint, and hopefully land an academic job, would i be coming home from 'work' or 'school'? technically, a university is a school. but technically, i receive money that supports what i do at the university. i'm continuously learning, so it feels like school. it doesn't usually feel like work. amazingly, i have stumbled on the opposite of a job. i am in science. i am in life.

-journal articles are useful as coasters and placemats.

on blogging

one of my cousins (hi spoons!) recently created a blog, and contemplated whether time creating a virtual conversation is wasted or productive.

the blogs i read fall into 3 general categories: (1) people i know, (2) people whose writing i enjoy, and (3) people who discuss issues i care about (i.e. mostly issues of sciencey relevance). fortunately, there is plenty of overlap among these 3 categories. this morning, one of my category 2 blogs published a post that illustrates why i love the internet so much. when we find ourselves in situations that our immediate circles of family and friends don't necessarily identify with, such as in raising a child with an autistic spectrum disorder, creating a virtual conversation reminds us that we aren't the only ones touched by these issues.

it also allows us to hear the voices of friends and family members who are spread all over the world. to me, that is 100% productive.

in which birthdays are discussed

last week i was so busy finishing a grant submission and packing for a weekend trip to vancouver that i had no time to celebrate percy's first birthday. i don't think he noticed. i should specify that feb 28, 2006 was his true birthday. he came to live with me on april 8 last year, 2 days before MY birthday.

here is percy being 1 month old:



about 6 months, gazing longingly at the world outside:



full-blown adolescent mirth, wishing i would put down the camera [eye roll]:



and finally, compliance with my wishes for a 1st birthday candid: