Shoe Boxes

Do you remember doing this at school? Filling shoe boxes with toys, woollies and cleaning products is much more satisfying than I remembered. 

I Ain't Got Nothing But the Blues

Well, that's a lie. But I am finding things especially tough this year. My research project is just eating through my time like nothing else. I start most days at 8, and other than nipping to lectures, finish at 6. It is getting frustrating as I'm aware of so many people who haven't even started yet, or who share my lab and just seem to have a day a week. Combine this with the reading required for the new completely skeletal style of lectures (not a criticism, that's just 3rd year), trying to run a club, foolishly signing up for several other clubs and trying to have a social life and I'm left with the feeling that I'm treading water, and that soon I'm about to sink. Naturally the first thing to go is my housekeeping. My laundry pile is as big as this and, I must confess, has led me to attend Uni in my pyjamas under the premise of 'Oh it's they're just my yoga kit' until my supervisor commented on just how much yoga I was doing recently:

 And my fridge is woefully devoid of anything other than long life fats:

It's time for me to seize control and the trip home really helped me me get my mojo for it back. Mr Sainsbury's has come and thankfully morphed my fridge shelf into this delight:

 And 8 loads of laundry later have magicked that monstrosity into a wardrobe full of clothes.

Well it's funny how much of a difference a fridge full of preplanned meals, a wardrobe full of fresh clothes and a tidy bedroom can make to your outlook. Now I just need to find a way of permenantly incorporating them into my juggling act and it'll be fine.

I fear that I may drop a few metaphorical balls along the way.

Beach Walks

I've just spent a weekend being pampered at home with hot meals and a tidy house. The beach beckoned, as always, and our walk reminded me just how fabulous the beach can look in any season.

Life in Lab 4-38

A subdued hush has settled over the upper levels of Bourne Lab as third year project season has begun. The gentle squish of a pipette, the buzz of the centrifuge and the dulcit tones of radio 4 (pHd students . .) is all that breaks the unsettled quiet of intense concentration. There are nervous exhanges between shelves of agar, as we try not to break the unfamiliar equipment or incorrectly calculate our dilution series. It's safe to say that we all feel out of our depth, but there is also a certain satisfaction at finally being here. Here being the coal face of science, the gritty reality of original research, the cusp of a radical upheaval of our current understanding. The first ebbs of enthusiasm not withstanding, it is now providing just enough dogged determination for me to hall myself into the lab for an 8am start each day to research bacterial infections in caterpillars. This is my project and no matter how irrelevant it may seem, not matter how many caterpillars try to escape, not matter how many plates of LB Agar I have to pour, I shall see it through!

Splish Splash

. . he's was taking a bath.

I have a major case of pet envy!

Two By Two

Off we popped to the Night At The Theatre animal ark themed launch night (a show with all the perfoming arts socities on campus). I must say I was very impressed with the effort made to dress up!

 Two little mice . .

 . . two(?) zingy giraffes . .

 . . . two snazzy lemurs . .

. . two not so big cats . .

 . . two black panthers . .

 . . two stripey giraffes . .

. . two T-rexes (not sure how they got on the ark?!)

with 1 scary lion .

Mostly everyone behaved

but they seemed happiest in thier natural environment.

Today

Film Night

 It's been nice to have some chilled our socials with the gospel choir this year. I particularly enjoyed snuggling down to watch Sister Act together, singing along and munching all manner of delicious goodies!