Last Friday I got 3 liters of liquid nitrogen for freezing my Arabidopsis samples. I collected the samples and froze them, and they came with me in the liquid nitrogen dewar to Plant SuperGroup. Then me and my buddies went all the way across campus to the freeze-dryer and they started drying out. This operation made me and Eric late to pick up Oscar. Fortunately, we had a dewar full of liquid nitrogen to share! Becky and Lindsay and Rachel got to try freezing candy instantly, and then waited for it to thaw before they ate it. They also froze a hot dog and smashed it to bits on the deck. Unfortunately, Becky's siliconized tongs they were using to hold the hot dog smashed to bits also. Oh, well. We'll get her a replacement. Then Eric took the rest of the liquid and dumped it in the gravel pit. A thick fog spread over the ground, and we got out of there!
I took a writing class this semester, in anticipation of being asked to be a TA for a new upper-division undergraduate class incorporating lots of writing. And I will be that TA! We were doubtful that the instructional committee would permit this particular class, Plant Physiology, to have the intensive-writing section (a Capstone course), but they have decided to allow it after all. I will get some summer salary to help with the curriculum design, and next spring presumably I will get to teach it. This may be the last semester I TA Cell Biology...
Eric is learning all about radiolabeling plants and tracing the radioactivity. He's hot! (Or he will be if he's not careful.)
Finally, we have not imaged Oscar lately, we're sorely behind in our data collection on that front, but here is a picture of me with a Punjar (Swedish jackhammer), from when I was in ACE. That thing doesn't mess around!
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