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 'plas
tic' 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!!!
tic' 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
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