The Adventures of Leela

Women in Science

2008-07-25T08:16:00.000-07:00

After last weekend I realized that I don't really understand people when they tell me there is a shortage of women in science. I don't know where the shortage is...must be in math, physics, engineering. I am surrounded by a lab full of smart intelligent women. My buddy/spouse/li/git/g, SuSien just had a summer student who reminded me of that. She thanked us for all our help at the end of her presentation and said that she was privileged to work with such nice intelligent and funny women. I have always been surrounded by women in science since I was very young. In elementary school I had a couple of female teachers who ran the outdoor science lab and encouraged me/the class to participate in extra science projects. In middle school I had a female science teacher who forced me to learn about Carolus Linnaeus by singing his name aloud to help us remember the dear father of taxonomy. In high school I had a wonderful female mentor who helped me to go far in the science fair and learn many things about biology. I also had another female teacher who taught me biology and other life lessons in high school. Then when I went to undergraduate at Manchester I had a couple of great female chemists to help me along the way. Now do not get me wrong my study/love/hate of science has been influenced by male scientists along the way I even work for one now, but I am just noting that I have not seen a shortage of great women scientists. I currently work in a lab of all females-my boss and the lab pretty much started all female and for the most part has remained all female. So Hooray for Madame Curie, Rosalind Franklin, Nettie Stevens and the like paving the way!!! Women in science are here!!!!!

It is never too early

2008-05-15T12:33:00.000-07:00

Well It was my niece's 3rd birthday. I decided that since she is called princess and her favorite color is pink, just like me, that for her present I should introduce her to a pampered life. Although I may not be able to afford much more than Ramen noodles for dinner (living on a grad school budget), I really think one should make time to pamper themselves. Especially if you are like me and deserve it! I took my 3 year old niece Selena for her first manicure/pedicure. She picked out pink with sparkles and I thought what an appropriate birthday color. She actually opted not to get the pedi once we got there (she was a little scared/timid) I don't blame her. She looked B-E-A-U-tiful. I then decided that she needed new pink earrings to match her nails so I bought her some. By the end of all this my sister said we had to come home for Barbie fairytopia cake and ice cream. (Not sure what Fairytopia is, but I am sure it is pink!) Happy birthday Princess Selena!

Spandex Queen

2008-04-11T11:02:00.000-07:00

I have discovered a new love, which I always thought I hated. I mean I used to make fun of people for wearing it. I used to say "NO ONE should EVER WEAR SPANDEX!" Yep that's right last night I fell in love with spandex. Special thanks to Pam Paris the super mother in law who knew that spandex would hold in my jiggly butt and make it look too cute. I know maybe it is only being held in because she classically bought "the one size smaller that I will "fit" in next month". Well anyways I asked for a new yoga mat for Christmas. My very generous mother and father-in-law got me not only a new mat, but as an added bonus a spandex yoga outfit. Now for all who know me, I have high self esteem but would not be caught dead in spandex. Yesterday something came over me as I went home to grab my yoga gear for the night class. It was probably that I was running late and needed to make it to lab in time for another meeting and before I got totally wet from the downpour. I grabbed my ready made work-out outfit and a extra t-shirt in case I decided that I looked really really bad. Later that day I went to change for my lab buddies to judge. They said oh cute can you tell your mom-in-law you have friend?. Then the jacket came off. I thought well if I suck in my gut as much as possible not so bad....only a few fat rolls.....not total gross out.....so I left to the gym. On the way there I called Alanna to see was there yet, she said she was and to show her the outfit in the locker room after she promised not to laugh too loudly at me in spandex. I was wearing the jacket and she said oh cute makes you look thin. Then the jacket came off and she said are you really gonna wear that and I said yes. My reasoning being that since Yoga is done in front of mirrors I would be forced to look at myself in the spandex reminding me that I need to do the more challenging poses and not the modified version of poses. Plus additional bonus is that my stomach would be tight and held in the entire time.
After class I was dripping in sweat! More sweat than ever, must be the extra work I put in that the spandex motivated me to do. Added plus is that it is comfortable in fact I think more comfortable than cotton yoga clothes....if that is possible? Well Just to let you know I have fallen in love with Spandex.

Disclaimer: My actual yoga outfit is similar, but in purple not pink.....but if anyone was thinking of buying me a gift...this is from champion double dry fit yoga line!

Diets

2008-03-13T07:27:00.000-07:00

My buddy showed me this video today! IT is super funny and although she says that she is Winston I believe that Winston is the animated pig version of me! I mean it was just yesterday that I tried to start my diet off. I had 1 egg for breakfast and a salad with zesty Italian dressing (which was a little too zesty and not that yummy). Then my friend Bethany asked me to drive her to Mcdonald's for lunch and I pretty much beleive that's like asking an alcoholic to drive you to the bar and wait outside and smell all the yummy goodness. So I fell so short and ate a large fry. I mean I was at McDonalds. Then we arrive back into lab after my exercise with Bruiser (a ten minute walk around the complex). As soon as I arrived back at lab I was talked into leaving in order to get Silver dipper! I love sivler dipper so I drove and got ice cream I did debate getting the no sugar added and would had if only they had the chocolate marshmallow as NSA. Well I eventually made it home where I decided I had to eat 4 of the thin mints I bought from the girl scouts this weekend (I had to, before Ross ate them. ) So Today I restart my diet, but oops I already ate half of a kitkat and forgot my salad I packed at home. Yes I really forgot it and no I had good intentions of eating it. Anywho...watch the clip and laugh, I think we all are like Winston sometimes. I guess I will start the diet tomorrow. WISH ME LUCK!

science fair

2008-03-11T14:46:00.000-07:00

Well this past weekend my life came full circle as I became part of the Blue Ribbon Senior Division Lafayette Reigional Science and Engineering Fair. I must say things are quite different when the tables are turned. You stand there as a contestant for what seems like an endless amount of time waiting on judges to come and speak with you as a student. You eye the other contestants thinking they had more judges or there judges stayed longer. When on the flip side you try to time yourself in order to give each contestant an equal amount of time. Although I must say there were quite a few projects that were very lacking and one could tell were solely done for the ten extra credit points probably given out for attending the fair. They should be embarrassed some of them, but alas I guess it won't matter to anyone, but them in the long run. Others were quite impressive and I kept thinking back if I knew as much as them when I was their age (which yes was ten + years ago now). I miss the excitement and grandiose ideas you have then...you know...with further studies we can find a way to regenerate spinal cords and limbs, or we can find a way to prolong life, and cure cancer......save the human race. Can you believe I thought that was once true, until I have now had all the dreams and aspirations crushed by a brutal, cold graduate education.

Well anyways, alas I vote yes to actually coming up with your own ideas and testing them at your school and no to working at a university and presenting data from experiments that were the ideas of some professor and the data that was more than likely collected for the most part by a graduate student or with a graduate student watching your every move. OK....so if and let me say IF you understand the data/work then maybe...well actually even then I vote no! Why not give a presentation award then actually a science award. Learn how to come up with scientific questions and use the old Sci. method to solve these. !!!!! Long live the project born out of a high school classroom after school!!!!! I digress.

Congrats to the winners! Good luck at State and International!!!
http://www.jconline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080309/NEWS04/803090358/1141/NEWS

Bruiser Doozer

2008-02-27T07:20:00.000-08:00

Last Month my lovely Husband Ross convinced be that we should buy a puppy. I am very sure that I said yes only because I was so tired and hungry. However now that we have the 3 month old Husky, Bruiser I am discovering that I love puppies! He is so cute most of the time. WE have taught him a few simple commands like sit, stay, shake, lay down, and speak (I really want to teach him to play dead like Bei's dog). He is so smart if you say wanna go for a walk Bruiser? he gets his leash off the table and runs to the door. You know I would have an exceptionally smart puppy! Any who here are some pics! He just looks grumpy he really isn't.

clean and press

2007-10-15T07:03:00.000-07:00

Today the pregnant woman was missing. I discovered the name of my favorite move is the clean and press. I also came to work and discovered Krispy Kreme Donuts little evil things! I however brought a salad/lettuce/rabbit food for lunch.

new level of large

2007-10-10T07:32:00.000-07:00

Well today I went to my bodypump class as I have been on a regular basis for the last couple months :pat on back for consistency". I had lost five pounds before the whole Mcdonald's Monopoly started and before my stick thin rotation student had convinced me that cookies and ice cream aren't really that bad. I mean she can eat all of that and be stick thin without working out. I have been working out so I deserve sweet treats right? Digress. After having hopped back on the scale yesterday to learn that all the weight I had lost is now back, I made a point to get up and work out. I have come to a new level of large. The woman in my class who is also a regular and was before I started announced she was pregnant and to forgive little tummy that pokes out. That is not bad besides the fact that one naturally thinks in one's head "What tummy?". The new level of large comes when we are doing my favorite dead man's press well actually I am not sure what it's called but it involves doing a row then rolling the bar to chest where you flip it up then do an overhead strong man press then flip down roll down repeat. Anywho skinny pregnant woman is doing this and her shirt comes up a little as she is rolling up . I thought cute, but then my shirt came up a little and I thought oh my I am larger then this obviously pregnant woman...who by the way has more weights than I do on my bar, well that is my new level or large shown up by a preggo.

2007-09-08T05:49:00.001-07:00

Well Baby Tessa came on July 6th, a day late according to Ross. Yes, Todd an Jessica now have a beautiful addition to their family, Tessa Lynn Grimm. She is super cute and loves her uncle Ross and Aunt Leela to death! I think she likes me more, but I am a little partial. It is so wonderful to see how great Todd and Jess will be at parenting. They are so loving. Todd has even changed a wet diaper finally. When Ross and I have babies he will definitely be changing all kinds of diapers. Until then I can just enjoy and marvel at Tessa. One of the cutest babies I have seen, well at least since the last baby I saw!

Missing Family

2007-06-11T13:32:00.000-07:00

I went to visit my sister and her family this past weekend. I made the long drive with my father. It was the birthday of my youngest nephew on Wednesday and the oldest on Friday, nevertheless a good weekend to visit. The last time I saw my nephews was nearly a year ago, right before Halloween. Kids grow so quickly. My oldest nephew who used to be about the same size as me is now about 6-7 inches taller than me and is considerably thinner and more athletic. I can no longer keep up with my youngest nephew who decided we should play tag and run around their entire building! I gave up I just couldn't catch the little bugger. My middle nephew is so sensitive, wise, and helpful. He too has grown. My niece, 2 years old now, has learned so many words including my name! She dances, runs, rides her bike, and has recently discovered her shadow whom she likes to talk to and dance with. My sister has probably lost 20 pounds...all of which I have gained (don't know how that one happened). I miss them all so much. Well until next time.

4 years to get what?

2007-06-06T13:25:00.000-07:00

My fellow labmates have started writing their thesis. This act in itself makes me extremely jealous, even though I know they have been here longer and have more data (well some have more others I am not quite sure how they are graduating or what exactly they are going to defend ...another blog another day). Hearing about the few pages they have typed I get motivated to start analyzing my data. I may have over a year left, but when they tell me I can go I want o be ready. I have done one particular assay over and over for the past four years I have been here, not all successfully, but needless to say repeated many many times. I decided I could pick a hand ful and analyze them and do some statistics on them. I included tests I know didn't work , but I thought ..it should all balance out in the end. NOPE. I have spent four years of my life doing an assay just to get overlapping error bars. How sad. I knew I wasn't saving the world and finding cures for cancer, but all this hard work for overlapping error bars. hmph. Just will please someone bring some meaning to me. I would like a menu where I can order meaning on a silver platter. WHY am I still here? I guess it is for hopes that one day I can do an assay and get error bars with some space in between them! Sad life I live .

Doctor Knows!

2007-05-16T11:47:00.000-07:00

So today I went to the doctor to get a refill on my allergy prescription. I was speaking with the doctor (who is not my normal doctor) about if I had any questions about anything else I say no. She gets to talking and now somehow I was convinced that I need to have my blood drawn and titered for antibodies. I then proceed downstairs to the lab, the whole way trying to figure out how I agreed to have blood drawn right then. I get called into a office by some lady who looks like she has no neck because she has a PURDUE windbreaker zipped all the way up with the collar flipped up. She asks me to sit in the comfy recliner chair (At least they give a comfy chair you know). she taps one inside elbow murmurs know I don't like that. Then proceeds to the other ahhh much better she exclaims. "Make a fist. This won't hurt (Who is she kidding?) . Well it doesn't seem to want to bleed. OOPs there...well I don't like to dig so we'll try the other arm. " (Why is it we? I am not about this.) Finally the other arm bleeds enough for her and as she is drawing my blood she tries to make small talk....

"So any plans for the summer? "

"No not really just working in lab."

"Not taking any classes then"

"No" "I am a graduate student"

She replies " OH THEN YOU REALLY HAVE NO LIFE"

"nope" Embarassed with the fact that yes I am in graduate school. I am one of those idiots that signed up giving their lives away in hopes of contributing so much to society like a cure for cancer. HAH I was fooled. She goes on to say how someone tried to convince her to get her master's once. She wasn't fooled. I was fooled. I wanna be done. I wanna go to work everyday (9-5) normal people working people days not having to try to find places that give free food away to not go hungry. (speaking of which I can't understand how I have managed to gain 20 pounds while being a starving grad student...another blog.) well at least everyone in the real world recognizes that it is true I HAVE NO LIFE!!!

Why I am now officially old (Sam's Bachlorette Party)

2007-05-14T15:24:00.000-07:00

I went to Samantha's bachelorette party this weekend. I was ready to relax have some drinks and get a little crazy. I started off drinking these drinks called orange dreams...mmm...tastes like Popsicles! Then I did a couple (ok ok maybe more than a couple) jello shots whom Megan and Melinda had made very strong! I next went to the bar and decided to try a red bull and vodka drink while dancing... then Melinda buys me another and a shot. Next bar, accept drink offer of some
colorful martini-esque drink x 2. Finally make it to next bar on other side of town and....I AM THAT GIRL....you know the one standing outside too sick to enter. I never made it to 3rd bar. I really haven't been that sick since undergrad. The difference is I should have known better and two days later I am still feeling the effects of getting sick for 2 hours straight and then some more the next morning. That is why I am officially old! I can not hang with my buddies who still go out every weekend. I am an old woman who goes to bed at 9:00 and wakes at 5:30, has an occasional (ONE) drink. I am ok with that and have learned my lesson. Next time these young kids (ok they are my age) ask me to drink with them I will politely say no thank you I am still recovering from Samantha's Bachelorette Party!

Happy Birthday MOM

2007-05-01T12:37:00.000-07:00

Today May Day, is my mother's 51st birthday. I remember when I thought 51 was soooo ooooold. However, when I look at my mother I realize that age is what you make of it. There are many times when I think I am so tired I couldn't possibly stay out that late or handle partying so much, but then I look at my mom. twice my age and still manages to go out with friends, work, cook...sometimes. I think it is that she finds the joy in life. She always keeps a smile. This is what will keep me young I will stay positive and smile. Love you mom ...Happy birthday!

Elephant in a tutu

2007-05-01T12:21:00.000-07:00

Well my fellow LI has not been her normal self lately. She meaning all 110 pounds of her 5'5 body has decided to go on a diet. She claims that after shopping for all the latest fashions, she now feels like a hippo in a tutu. I reply to her if are a hippo in a tutu then I indeed must be an elephant a tutu. Then I thought I should go on a diet too. Of course me being the kind of person who loves to eat and finds any excuse to have some french fries or ice cream have been quite unsuccessful. Which brings me to the idea of an elephant in a tutu. We may think it looks quite amusing, but really that elephant is probably super comfortable and looks perfectly happy (probably because it just got done eating french fries and ice cream ...mmmmm....delicious). Why can't one be a little larger if happy in their own tutu. It beats being grumpy and hungry all the time :) !!!

Making an impact

2007-04-25T05:45:00.000-07:00

A few days ago I heard news of the death of a very sweet woman, the grandmother of a friend. She was definitely the type of woman that people feel blessed to have known. She was always with a kind word, a supportive smile, or a loving hug. She was a nurse who has helped and supported many people over the years. She taught me about life, love, and faith. Everyone that new her had nothing but kind things to say about her. This led me to think about my own life. I always think about making an impact by finding some cure for some disease (probably won't happen err) but that really isn't the only way to make an impact. It is in the smiles you give, the ears you lend for listening, the warm touches and embraces, the soft words you use. I feel like why fret on the petty things. To truly make an impact one must strive for the ability to touch a heart to help a soul. These are all things one should think about when deciding how to make an impact. Therefore smile at someone today, say a kind word, forgive, and understand.

yummy candy bars

2007-04-17T13:21:00.000-07:00

Well Everyone knows that I am always dieting....but I just tried a super yummy candy bar It is called Heberts fully loaded apple cider in dark chocolate. Let me tell you mmmmm yummy

Student Forever

2006-05-11T10:11:00.000-07:00

So I heard of another friend that is graduating with a professional degree post-undergrad. I am beggining to think that I will be a student forever!!!! Is there hope in sight? I have a feeling I might have been trying to be an overachiever when I decided to do this PhD thing. I mean what am I going to do with a PhD? People are just going to expect more and more from me. I just want to be lazy. What's wrong with being lazy. I don't want to think. Really I think I might enjoy working at Mc. Donalds, hey at least I would get really really cheap food instead of just cheap food. I am tired and my brain hurts and I am beginning to think that Ross and I might make the record for the oldest peole ever to have children. We keep saying that we are waiting till I finish school, but I don't know if I will ever finish. The end of the tunnel is no where in sight. I do not see the light. Well I guess that's all my envy of other people starting their lives while I am stuck being a forever student!

Movin on up

2006-03-24T08:01:00.000-08:00

It has been known by those that I work with that my labmate and I are known as L.I. (lab idiots) a self given name that unfortunately caught on. Well since it is coming up on what will be our fourth year ugh so long in lab that in fact we should do away or transition into a new title so we have been upgraded to G.I.Ts. G.I.T stands for genius in training. This term seems appropriate since I think on some days we have good ideas and intersting add ins, however we do on occassion have the idiot moments which keep us from moving up even higher.

My G.I.T. ability

2006-03-23T12:42:00.000-08:00

So again today I manage to irk my labmates. I'm beginning to think that's my gift, you know, the ability to piss someone off everyday. But then again, being the G.I.T. (genius in training) that I am, I know just what to do when these dilemma happens. All I have to do is just ask them for assistance, make them look really genius (I'm not saying that they're not)...a l'il ego massage here and there and we're buddy-buddy again.

Senior: Hey, did you take this tube?
Me: I think I did. Lemme check (looks, scamper, looks, scamper)
Me: Err....I think I misplaced it. It's missing
Senior: WHAT?!?!? THAT'S THE ONLY TUBE IN THE WHOLE LAB!!!
Me: Ohh...I mean....oops?
Senior: UGH!!! (storms off extremely pissed off)

Minutes later, I manage to find the thing she wanted, but of course, she was still fuming. So I let her cool down a little and strike up a conversation with her much later.

Me: Hey, can I ask you something? I need your genius idea
Senior: Yea, what (still somewhat pissed)
Me: Well, I'm thinking of doing this experiment, but I don't know how to go about it

Ok, so I did know how to do that thing, and the question I asked was something I already know anyway, but I need to give some ego massage here. So she happily explains how to do this one thing (that I already know how to do...heheheh) and both of us walked off like nothing had happened...and we lived happily ever after (or at least till the end of the day) I can't guarantee the next day.

Where's the time?

2006-02-28T11:57:00.000-08:00

So I realize that I will complain about being super busy, you know not enough hours in the day to get all things that I need to get done done; No time to work out, read papers, cook dinner, etc (each of which probably deserve their own blog.) However I can find enough time to type this blog, to become completely obsessed with the new site to me facebook, search the internet relentlessly for stupid things like which movie came out this week. It is funny that when I see people who can leave work at 3:00 that I wonder how it is exactly they do that...well... they either have a lot less to do (possibility) or they are just much better at doing things and not wasteing time. I do not see how given an extra five minutes I should accomplish something productive opposed to what I am doing now which is again wasteing time.

My first blog

2006-01-27T11:04:00.000-08:00

Well This is my first blog. I am the jealous type so when I heard my lab mate had a blog and it was really quite funny I decided to get one of my own so here it is! Well I am finding that I really don't lead that interesting of a life or am not quite as funny as my labmate Su Sien. Well Anyways I finally got to write my first blog!