Minor meltdown averted- threat level reduced

After my crisis post, I'm pleased to report that a rough draft of my poster is done and the talk is mostly done. PHEW!!

The plan for swimming was abandoned in the end.

I'm back at home relaxed and I'm going off fill my bath and chill out I think

Rabbit in the headlights

Bugger, bugger, bugger....

Why am I getting so stressed about tomorrow??
Tomorrow is the practice run through of the talk and the poster for my conference.
Perhaps its because I haven't done my poster, maybe thats because when I look at what I've got I can see the holes in the data and experiments that should have been done. I'm sitting at my desk but not actually working, I'm not setting up experiments that might just plug some of these holes. I feel like a rabbit in the headlights. And at the same time some part of my brain is telling me to not stress too much, its only a run through and I'll be making changes and its ONLY a poster. I"ve got a civil war going on in my mind at the moment.

Right thats off my chest, I'm going to set up a rt-PCR and then go for a swim, maybe that will do the trick.

Its that Friday Feeling again

Playing with powerpoint to make a montage of Sapporo from the top of Maruyama

I think Friday should be declared a permanent national holiday. I'm sure large parts of the world will join me in wanting this too.

I actually managed to do some work this week. I think the fact that I've got 3 weeks left till I'm at my conference has been a great incentive for work. That and the practice run through, poster check that will happen next wednesday.
My mini boss returned from his conference in the states in one piece, despite having to run the gauntlet of bears between his cabin and the conference site! It certainly makes for a more interesting conference, maybe they can throw those who over run on their presentations out for some bear mauling. Since I'll be in Budapest, I think the chances of me meeting a bear will be much lower- I'll just have to run the gauntlet of not being able to speak any hungarian.

I got some random (read: ARggggghhh why is it like that??!) results and so I've spent this week trying to repeat and see if it was real (which means much more complications if it is). I loathe real-time PCR at the best of times, but today I nearly had a hissy fit at the damed machine.
The real-time PCR machine is several floors below me in the main lab and so I trotted off with my USB drive to pick up my results from the overnight run, thought it all transferred so closed down the ancient laptop. Back up at my desk I discover that the file of results is blank, despite being able to see them on the laptop previously. This is the second time its done this trick, the last time it took 3 goes up and down and then eventually I gave up and had to copy the data by hand off the laptop (which with 60+ samples is not fun). Apparently it objected to my file name this time so fortunately I was able to pull the data from it second time around.
The results aren't ideal still so I guess this means a morning in the lab tomorrow to run some more experiments and pin it down..... SIGH!

Another lazy Friday

Well the end of another week. My motivation levels are pretty low still. This week I've also not got so much sleep, its got all hot and sunny and me being the weakling that I am doesn't do so well with nights that are hot (20C- see how much of a weakling I am). I even had a little nap in my favourite hiddy hole in work- the cell culture room with its gently drone of the extractor fans and sunshine and extremly comfortable chair. That was after I cleaned out the crap that some previous user had left behind. Someone doesn't seem to clean up their spills which gets me gnarky, but I shall zen and not say anything for now.....
Disappointly, I have decided that I can't get to Fujisan this year. Stuff happens- work has gotten in the way of the weekend I was going to go and I've got work that I should be doing hanging over me too. Also, its pretty expensive to fly off to Tokyo for a weekend and then not to be able to climb because the weather is crappy or something. So next year then- by which time I'll be amazonian- woman- like with my fitness (ha ha).
My mini boss is off to a conference next week and we're into the Obon quiet time in the lab, so hopefully I can sneak an afternoon off work undetected.
I think this evening is time for a "pamper me" session in the bath. I have some onsen bath salts from Kyushu to try out. Have a good weekend