Photo Challenge Day #4:

When are we going to get it? When is the government going to step up and put some restrictions on the gas companies who are hell bent on raping the middle class of America? When will Americans realize that we don't need giant gas-guzzling vehicles to get us where we're going? For those people who drive through the city in their shiny Hummers that have obviously never seen and will never see "off road", I AM giving you a dirty look while you drive down the road making it harder for those of us without money to flush down the toilet to afford the gas we need to get ourselves to work everyday.

Sorry I forgot to post a picture yesterday. I have strep throat and blogging just got delayed. It's sad because I was only to day 3. I'll continue posting tonight.

Photo Challenge Day #3:

Sorry, but today's photos are pretty lame. I went to work from 7-9am this morning and then came home because I'm still running a fever and I'm going to feel really bad if I get someone else at work sick. So I got the absolutely necessary stuff done this morning and came home. Most of my day has been spent sleeping on the couch and reading a book. Good news...I haven't felt like eating all day.

Seeing as how I haven't seen anyone or done anything today, there just wasn't much to take pictures of except me, my dog, and my book. So that's what I did. Sorry for the lack of make-up and bed head, but I wasn't feeling very motivated today.

Picture Challenge Day #2:

So today I'm posting a picture that was actually taken last week. A lot of people, including Rich, don't quite understand what it is I'm studying for school and what my research actually involves. So I'll take a moment to explain it. The posted picture is of me and one of our student workers gathering mud from the bottom of a catfish pond. The dog swimming in the picture decided to join us for a swim. She was a sweetheart. In that mud, I'm looking for a certain species of oligochaete (big word for worm) that sheds a form of the parasite known as an actinospore. This actinospore floats in the water until it encounters a fish. It then infects the fish where a cyst containing myxospores (these look like sperm) forms. Once this cyst ruptures, the myxospores are ingested by the worm and the cycle continues. There are several different species of these organisms in catfish ponds. I am studying these species and seeing how they relate to each other morphologically and molecularly (kind of like CSI).

On another note, Rich and I have gotten sick. Ugh. I was running a fever most of the day, but I think I've finally broken it. We'll see how I'm feeling tomorrow. Until then...

So I've been inspired to try the whole post a pic everyday blogs. While I feel that my everyday life is pretty boring and I don't have any cute kids to post pics of (unless you want to count my dog...and I pretty much do, except she only has so many facial expressions that she can make), I thought I might take a whack at it anyway. So for today, I'm posting a picture of the 2 projects I've knitted since I started a few months ago. Every time I finish something, I feel like I've actually accomplished something. That means a lot to me right now, seeing as how finishing my master's degree may not happen. (long story short...funds are running out and my research isn't complete...and I will not be taking full blame for how this has come about.) While on that note, I'm looking for a job. Anyone out there who knows of a lab in need of a technician, please notify me. I would like to stay in the MS, TN, AL area, but that's not set in stone.

I knitted my first pair of baby booties and a hat recently. The booties are a little milestone for me since the main reason I wanted to start knitting was so that I could make my own knitted socks. The baby booties were an inexpensive way for me to learn the basics. I had a hard time with the double pointed needles, but I think I finally have the hang of it. Also, I'm not a big fan of the fuzzy yarn, so I don't know if I'll be working with that stuff too much. The scarf in the picture was really easy and I really like how it turned out. My next project is a carrying bag for my yoga mat. The one I have is really hard to get my mat into without tearing it, so I hope to have that done soon. I'll probably start on that after I finish my vacation scrapbook that hasn't been started yet even though we've been back for a month. Until tomorrow...