How they grow...

My daughter had her first date this past weekend. And sadly to say, it didn't go as we had hoped. Her 'date' was disrespectful of her and hurt her feelings. Not how a mother wants her daughters first date to go and then the next day he broke up with her. As a mother, naturally i want to kill or at least slap around this little boy, but i can't.

But this did make me stop and think about her and how i can help guide her choices. It is becoming apparent that she is leaving her childhood behind and starting to become the woman she will be. I don't feel it is my place to tell her that she should do this or shouldn't do that, but more to guide her decisions. IMO, the only way that she will become the best possible adult she can be is for her to learn to make good decisions, and we all know that practice makes perfect. So, it is time for me to stop telling her she can't do this (although Mom still has veto power and there are definitely things that are off limits, like drugs and alcohol and sex....) and to relate to the decisions she is struggling to make. She is a great girl with a really good head on her shoulders and i think if i can help her understand how important making a good decision is then she will try to always make the best decision for her. It is up to her when she wants her first kiss to come, not mine or her dad's. As hard as it is to come to this realization, it is going to be even harder in practice. But hopefully, with a lot of reassurance and positive thinking, i can get through this. I am and always will be her mother, but my role of dictating behavior is over. She is a capable young adult who is struggling to find herself and her role among her peers. My job is to help her the best way i can, and that is to listen and give advice, not orders.

Well those are my thoughts this morning. Sorry its been so long since i've updated this blog, but i have been very busy trying to work so that i can eventually graduate...keep your fingers crossed for me.

Creation Museum Rant

The $27 million Creation museum, a few miles south of Cinncinnati, tells a biblical version of the Earth's history. A museum exhibit where Adam and Eve share space with dinosaurs is drawing criticism by asserting that the planet is just a few thousand years old and man and the giant lizards once coexisted.

In an article on MSN.com http://travel.msn.com/Guides/article.aspx?cp-documentid=395367&GT1=10142 where educators criticize the new Creation museum, the founder of the group behind the museum, Ken Ham was quoted as saying "We use the same science they do," Ham said. "What they're really saying is they disagree with our beliefs about history, about the Bible, but we use the same science and genetics they do."

Let's examine this statement for a minute...disagree with their beliefs about history. Now if he thinks that it is a scientific fact that the Earth is only a few thousand years old and man and dinosaurs shared the planet, then he is delusional and needs to attend a very basic college level science biology course. One simply does not have beliefs about history. History is fact. It DOES NOT change...history is history. It is not in debate. What is that famous quote...you cannot change history (or the past)...there is a reason this quote has been around for so long...

IMHO, what is in debate is how they are creating history to support their beliefs. How can they do this? Well i guess if you call yourself a creationist you can create history if you want. I know with enough money in America you can pretty much do whatever you want...and thus we have a creation museum. Which i have no problem with a creation museum. As long as they stick with creation and leave science alone. A lot of people around the world work very hard and devote their lives to science and the pursuit of scientific truths...just as many people devote their lives to God and his beliefs. But what we really need to do is to separate beliefs from facts and NOT present beliefs as scientific facts.

Evolution is not a belief. It is a theory...a scientific theory is defined as "a proposed description, explanation or model of the manner of interaction of a set of natural phenomenon, capable of predicting future occurrences or observations of the same kind, and capable of being scientifically tested through experiments or otherwise falsified through empirical observation." The THEORY of evolution (not the belief of evolution) has been rigorously tested for decades and has yet to be falsified once...this is no longer up for debate people!! Evolution is!!!

Creationism is NOT a theory it is a belief system. Now for the definition of belief: a) something believed; an opinion or conviction b) confidence in the truth or existence of something not immediately susceptible to rigorous proof; c) confidence, faith, trust.

There is a big difference between a belief in God and a scientific theory. A belief has no business being taught in a science class b/c it is not susceptible to rigorous scientific experimentation. End of debate!!!

I respect everyone's beliefs and their right to believe what they choose...so I don't care about their religious beliefs...but i do have a problem with them posing those beliefs as science. There is a big difference and I wish the average american was educated enough to be able to tell the difference.

And on a final note, I do not think that believing in God and understanding and supporting the theory of Evolution are mutually exclusive. Remember Darwin was an extremely religous person. Many of my friends believe in God and still are able to reconcile their beliefs with the Theory of Evolution. "The true test of a first rate intelligence is the ability to hold two opposing ideas in the head at the same time and still retain the ability to function." The Theory of Evolution and Creationism, to me, they are like apples and oranges and should not be compared. The Theory of Evoution does not say there is no God...no where in any biology book i have ever read does it denounce the existence of God.

Here is a great quote from the movie Dogma: I think it's better to have ideas. You can change an idea. Changing a belief is trickier. Life should malleable and progressive; working from idea to idea permits that. Beliefs anchor you to certain points and limit growth; new ideas can't generate. Life becomes stagnant.

ShrimpGirl

Its been a while...

Well its been a long while, almost 2 months, since I have updated my blog. I haven't forgotten, I have just been busy and preoccupied with other things in my life.

Here is a picture of my SadieBelle i took the other day. She was yawning and I caught this cute grin on her face. He he. I love this picture.

So a quick update on me: My ankle injury is healing (2nd degree lateral ankle sprain with partial tearing of my anterior talofibular ligament). I spoke with an orthopedist this past weekend and he reassured me that swelling for up to 3 months is not unusual and that I shouldn't be worried about still having swelling 3 weeks post-injury. I have residual pain and weakness in that ankle but it is getting better.

School is going well. I officially got admitted to candidacy!! YEAH ME!! This is a big step. After successfully completing my comprehensive exams (written and oral) I applied to candidacy and was thus awarded. This is my last major requirement before submission of my dissertation and graduation. Several of my friends just successfully defended their dissertations and I want to be there so badly!!! All in due time...

I have been working very hard at my research. TEM is very time consuming, as I knew it would be. I finally got some thin sections but then I screwed up and broke my block. For those of you who do not understand what i am talking about, a block is a square piece of 'plastic' that contains my sample (an antenna). So take a piece of translucent plastic, about the size of a large pill, insert a single piece of thread. Now you have to trim this pill (block) until you get to your piece of string (antenna) using a diamond sharpened razor blade (you have no idea how many times i have cut my fingers). This is done under a dissecting microscope b/c you must cut thin slices so that you don't ruin y our sample or cut off too much. I am looking for setae (tiny hair-like projections from the antennae) which occur at certain points along the antenna. See the SEM picture to the right. So I am now taking about 250 nm (that 1/4 of a millimeter) thick sections in with a glass knife trying to find these setae...not fun and not easy. So i spend lots of hours in a tiny room staring at a piece of plastic being sliced by a knife. ITS LOADS OF FUN!!!

Other than that not much else going on. I being teaching my first lecture class in less th an week. I am very nervous about that. I have never taught a lecture before but am excited about the challenge. I just hope i don't disappoint the students. I hope i can do a good job and teach them while keeping them interested.

This is a picture of MaggieMae. She is goofy and so lovable.

That's all for now. I'll update again soon, maybe next week after my first class.

ShrimpGirl

Go Lady Vols!!

WOOHOO! CONGRATS UNIVERSITY OF TENNESEE LADY VOLS BASKETBALL! NATIONAL CHAMPIONS 2007!!!!!

EDIDIVS

E D I D I V S

Those were my first 7 letters drawn last night in a Scrabble game. I stuck my hand in the bag, grabbed a handful of letters and pulled my hand out. I drew exactly 7 letters and they spelled DIVIDES. Go figure. What are the odds of pulling out exactly those letters. Really, really low, let's just leave it at that. So needless to say, I used all of my letters on the first play for 78 points. Then, on my next play i played OOZES, with the Z on a triple letter. It was like that for several plays, getting the X and the J early in the game also.

But then, my spazoid dogs ran right through the scrabble board, sending letters flying everywhere and proof of my incredible game in the making gone forever. Oh well, that's life. Maybe it will happen again....if it does i am definitely buying a lottery ticket.

Well back to work.

ShrimpGirl

Happy 32nd Birthday!!

Well, yesterday I turned 32 years old. Here's to hoping that my 33rd year of life is a great one. It is definitely off to a good start.

Went to Colorado to visit a friend for my bday. It was really great to see her again and to get away from work and kids and dogs and soccer for a 3 day weekend. I went skiing for the first time. It was quite difficult but I just about got the hang of it. I did fall a lot at first, but once I learned how to turn I was doing pretty good. I still fell, but that is mostly b/c i would freak out if I started going fast. (I'll post pictures when I get them)

I also got to do a few brewery tours in Fort Collins. I got to visit the brewery of my favorite beer, New Belgium Brewing Company. That is a great little company. I definitely love their products but I also love the fact that they use wind energy and recycle their waste products. This is the largest private company in America that is 99% self-sufficient. That's pretty damn impressive. I do believe I would love to work for this company. Their goal is to have the most fun brewing great beer and do as little damage as possible to the environment. I definitely could work there. So now to see if they need a PhD in biology...he he he...cant hurt to try.

I thoroughly enjoyed my trip to Colorado and can' wait to go back again.

Thanks to everyone for the birthday wishes. Love to all!!!

ShrimpGirl

Are you kidding me??

I was watching the news this morning and I watched news people talk about the guidelines for knowing when to keep your kid home from school sick!! Are you freaking kidding me? Do we really need the US Government spending tax dollars for doctors to create guidelines for parents. I am sorry but how many millions of parents and children grew up without these guidelines. The government must really think the americans are incredibly stupid. How stupid do you have to be to not know when your child is too sick to go to school..and when he/she is well enough to go back to school. Its not rocket science people...

BUT...schools can't encourage the OneLess vaccine b/c it will promote sexual promiscuity...WHAT THE F@@K?!? Teenagers are already sexually promiscuous, why not educate and give them the tools to protect themselves. Why help these girls avoid a certain type of cervical cancer in the long run, b/c she might have sex now.

Man oh man!! America is in a sad, sad place when we have people telling us how to raise our children, when they have not met our children and more importantly, do not have our children's best interests at heart, only their political careers in mind. These politicians do not care if your child is sexually promiscuous, but they do care if they are deemed the ones who "encourage sexual promiscuity in girls b/c of a cervical cancer vaccine."

I do have to say that the government officials are missing the big picture. Instead of worrying about spending my tax money on creating guidelines for kids staying home from school sick, they need to be worrying about all of the people who are homeless and starving, those without medical care, those without the basic needs that everyone in the world is entitled to, on how to keep sexual predators off the street for good, how to end this war so that more american soldiers do not have to die. That is where they need to start focusing their attention and keep their moral and religious beliefs away from my kids!!!

Disappointment

Disappointment: a feeling of dissatisfaction that results when your expectations are not realized.

Well things have not been going my way lately and this past weekend was no exception. We did not win our soccer tournament, in fact, we didn't even break out of bracket play. I will not make excuses by going on about how well or badly we played or how bad the referees were, all I can say is that i am extremely disappointed; and for me, disappointment is the hardest pill to swallow. I would rather be mad or hurt or anything other than disappointed. This will sit with me for a long, long time; especially since I don't feel like I did my best. And the worst part is that we cannot redeem ourselves until next year...to be the best team there and not even break bracket is so disappointing.

Well, I cannot change what happened this weekend so I must put it behind me and work on the things that I can control, like my conditioning. In the long run, this tournament will not matter; I guess I need some perspective. I need to realize that it's just a game and that there are bigger and worse problems out there than losing in a soccer tournament...and not passing my orals the first time around...I have 2 wonderful kids and 2 wonderful dogs; I have food to eat and a place to live; I have the ability and opportunity to play soccer; and I have the opportunity and ability to get a higher education. I definitely have nothing to complain about, especially losing in a soccer tournament.

Ok, well I have vented my feelings. Thanks for listening/reading.

Later...

ShrimpGirl

A force of fortune

"Be a force of fortune instead of a feverish, selfish clod of ailments and grievances complaining that the world will not devote itself to making you happy." --George Bernard Shaw

This is my new motto for life...yes bad things are going to happen and life will suck when they happen, but I can either be a 'feverish, selfish clod of ailments' or I can be 'a force of fortune' and work to improve myself and my situation. I am choosing the latter of the two. So even though I did not succeed in my first attempt at my orals and I got a probably very expensive speeding ticket this morning, they are both in the past and complaining about it is not going to change what has happened. All i can do is learn from it, i.e. study more and slow down, and move on...nothing in the world is going to change the events of the past. All we can control is our behavior in the future.

So this is my new revelation. Just wanted to share.

ShrimpGirl

To My Son...

Tyler, I am writing this to let you and the world know that I couldn't be more proud of you for picking up your grades. I know that it took a lot of effort on your part to bring up your grades in such a short time period. I just want to tell you how very, very proud I am of you and that I know you can keep up these good grades. The only thing that could make me more proud is if you continue your hard work and keep those grades at or above the level they are now. The ultimate reward of your effort will be in the pride you feel when you get your next report card and see how your hard work paid off. Please know how much I love you and believe in you and want so much for you to believe in yourself, like I believe in you. I want the world to know how great my son is: he is so sweet, caring, compassionate, which are not easy traits to find in children these days; he is smarter than he gives himself credit for; he has a huge capacity for love; and best of all, he makes my world a better place.

I love you Tyler!!!

My trip to Phoenix

Well I am back from my trip to Phoenix. The weather was beautiful. 60 and sunny the entire time. Well Friday morning it rained but cleared out by 10 am...so no big deal. The conference (Society of Integrative and Comparative Biology) was good. A few people from my university went and I met a few really nice people to hang out with. Met a little cutie from Utah who was really interesting and fun. All in all, I had a good time, it was nice to get away, but boy am I glad to be home. There truly is no place like home...having your own bed, the comforts of home, and of course my babies (the two-legged ones and four-legged ones).

I got to sight-see a little bit on Friday. But since I has received a fellowship from TCS and the AMS both of which are co-sponsors of this meeting, I had a lot of people to meet. I attended the AMS luncheon where I got to sit next to some pretty big names in the field of microscope research, which was both intimidating and exhilarating.


This is the Rosson House, circa late 1800's. Very beautiful. This is part of Heritage Square, which is adjacent to the Science Museum and History Museum. We had lunch at a Victorian Tea Room in Heritage Square that day. The food was delicious.



This picture is of me giving my talk on Thursday. I was glad to get it over with on the first full day of the meeting. That way I got to enjoy the rest of the meeting without having to worry about my talk. It is always nice to go earlier rather than later.

--ShrimpGirl

Just want to share this

Her eyes beginning to water, she went on, "So I would like you all to make me a promise. From now on, on your way to school, or on your way home, find something beautiful to notice. It doesn't have to be something you see it could be a scent-perhaps of freshly baked bread wafting out of someone's house-or it could be the sound of the breeze slightly rustling the leaves in the trees, or the way the morning light catches the autumn leaf as it falls gently to the ground.
Please look for these things, and cherish them. For, although it may sound trite to some, these things are the "stuff" of life. The little things we are put here on earth to enjoy. The things we often take for granted. We must make it important to notice them, for at any time...it can all be taken away."

The class was completely quiet. We all picked up our books and filed out of the room silently. That afternoon, I noticed more things on my way home from school than I had that whole semester.

Every once in a while, I think of that teacher and remember what an impression she made on all of us, and I try to appreciate all of those things that sometimes we all overlook. Take notice of something special you see on your lunch hour today. Go barefoot. Or walk on the beach at sunset. Stop off on the way home tonight to get a double-dip ice cream cone.

For as we get older, it is not the things we did that we often regret, but the things we didn't do. Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.

--Anon., "from a story "The Teacher" (A Powerful Lesson)"

Good Riddance 2006

“It’s been a long December and there’s reason to believe that this year will be better than the last.”

I am glad to see 2006 go the way of the cassette tapes. Last year at this time my reality was drastically different. There is a saying that 'there are the years that ask the questions and the years that answer them'. Last year asked a lot of questions and answered a few. So I am left with a lot of questions I need to answer. No one can do this for me, I have to do it for me. While there was a lot of heartache and change last year, I was determined to learn from it all. I do believe that I succeeded. Over the last 12 months I have experienced and learned many things about myself. Here are the top 10 things I learned from 2006.

1. That my head is much smarter than my heart.
2. That if you fail to ask for what you want, you are guaranteed not to get it.
3. Sometimes he really is just busy; but if he really wanted to spend time with you, he would find the time.
4. That sometimes my empty bed is a testament to my self-worth and self-respect.
5. How to fight fair and demand respect.
6. How to realize when you are better off without him.
7. That the best summer nights are spent with plastic chairs, cold beer, and great conversation among friends.
8. That I really am a happy person.
9. How to be alone.
10. How to make an incredible cold Mediterranean pasta dish. YUM!!

I am looking forward to the coming year and all that is holds for me. I am going to make a few resolutions and I hope to be able to keep them. The first is to apologize to everyone I feel I need to apologize to. This list is not long, but I am trying to get rid of negativity in my life and therefore I need to apologize for wrongs I have committed against people I care about or work with. The second is to get in better shape. Everyone usually makes this resolution and I am no different. I would like to be able to run up and down the soccer field with more energy and enthusiasm. And finally, the last resolution I will make this year is to be more proactive about my life. If I want to do something, I am going to set out to get it done and not wait on someone to invite me to do it or do it for me. This is kind of vague but I know what it means to me.

I hope that all of you are as excited about 2007 as I am. I truly hope all of you find all of the happiness and love that this year has to offer. I wish you many laughs, hugs and kisses. The kind of laughs that make your cheeks and sides hurt, the kind of hugs that heal your soul and the kind of kisses that take your breath away. These are what makes life grand.

--ShrimpGirl