SfN talk

Ack!!! Seem to be freaking out about my stupid nanosymposium talk at SfN. It will be fine, but I just want it over with!!! It's on Tuesday. Wish me luck.

How should I spend my "toy" money??

You know that extra little allowance that comes with NRSA fellowships? 3,500 bucks or so to do with what I want? AdvisorDude says I don't have to use it on supplies, he will get me whatever I want/need. So, what are some toys that I can get?

I was thinking an Ipad, and maybe a new laptop (a PC, not a Mac).

I am totally stoked on the idea of an Ipad. Especially to read PDFs! Nerd alert! I could also use a new laptop, but am not in dire need of a new laptop if you know what I mean. I could spend it on travel to a conference, but I think I can twist his arm to fund me for that too if I have data to present. Especially in some far away land.

I am not trying to rub this in your face, I really would like some ideas so that I can spend this shit wisely. What would/did/are you buy/bought/buying with your "toy" money?

Moodiness

Do you ever just get moody as hell in the lab? You walk in, and you know it's just not going to be good. The things that normally annoy you minimally, are amplified. Having to clean up after people. Why the hell does he insist on using THAT gel box? Please don't talk to me while I am pipetting. Shit, I just completely screwed up that brain tissue, and now I want to cry.

Is it just variations in my monthly cycle??

It's weird when people don't notice that you are not in the mood. Hey, can't you see that I don't feel like patting you on the back for analyzing your assay in record time? I will exchange pleasantries when I am in this mood. But anymore than that, you are toast. And then, my poor advisor. Love the guy. But sometimes I just feel like being mad at him too. Even though, lately, he has literally been my second hand on a few of my experiments.

So I wonder. Does anyone else get this way? We spend so much time in the lab. I spend more time with these people than I do with my family. They are bound to get on your nerves. But it's weird, I don't know what it is that just triggers me all of a sudden. I'll be going along fine for weeks and weeks, effectively ignoring those minor annoyances. Then, all of a sudden, WHAM! I can't stand this shit. I can't even pinpoint it to anything. I wonder if it also has to do with the nature of the work we do.

Besides this weirdness, there is good news to share. Our lab is now majorly funded, to the point where AdvisorDude doesn't even know what to do with it. Whenever he asks what we should do with the money, I always jokingly (but not jokingly) say that your Postdoc could use a raise. He doesn't care about that though. So instead he buys me a huge new monitor for my computer and thinks he can buy me off with a brand new PCR machine too. I am working on asking him to buy another machine for some sun stuff too, but we'll see about that. Also, starting next month, I will be officially funded on my NRSA. And lastly, the paper we submitted, it came back with only minor changes needed. Next week it will be re-submitted and I will have another paper under the belt.

Science is good. But I feel weird. It doesn't translate.

First official Postdoc manuscript

My first, first-author research manuscript from my Postdoc has been submitted today. Ironically, it was submitted prior to having one of my first-author manuscripts from grad school published. I wonder, I really do, if this one will be published before the paper from grad school. I wouldn't be surprised. I started my Postdoc 9 months ago. Grad school lasted 5.5 years. I am doing the math...

This is clearly the difference between having a motivated PI (Advisordude) and an un-motivated PI (grad school advisor). This, to all of you out there wondering what it's like to be a Postdoc in a new lab, is one definite advantage to all of this. Beside some issues I have encountered with management, Advisordude's motivation to do well is unsurpassed. He is a machine. Getting my revisions back to me within the day. Pushing me along the project. Having the sense to hire an amazing undergrad to make up for the lack of a good technician. Putting together an awesome collaboration where the collaborators did their part. This man is tireless. Because he is the senior author, he feels the need to really dig in and help me out anywhere I need. He also knows that my success, is his success.

It's hard work, not gonna lie. I never worked this hard in grad school (even though, relatively speaking, I was a very hard worker). But for some reason, regardless of how frustrated I get with the lack of help sometimes and the mis-management, I like Advisordude. I WANT to see him succeed. He is a good guy and we understand each other. Our personalities mesh well, and we just, get it.

So here's to you Advisordude. May there be more and more to come!

Giving a "Nanosymposium"

Hmm. Not sure what to think of this. Just got informed that I am giving a talk at SfN. I imagine it will be insane. I imagine it is going to suck giving just a 10 min. talk with 5 min. for questions. It can either be glorious, or a train wreck. Let's go with glorious :)

But seriously, what the hell is a "Nano" symposium? Is that smaller than "mini"? Is everyone at the talk going to be so tiny I can't see them? That would be fabulous.

Don't you love it when....

You meet someone, for the first time, whose work you have cited a bajillion times, and they turn out to be the kindest, friendliest, and smartest people you have ever met?!! Yes, that's what happened to me this weekend at a conference. I went to his talk and was honestly just hoping he wasn't an asshole. He turned out to be so much better than that!

I think science is going to be okay.

MWG Operon

WTF guys? Where is my sequence? Usually, you give it to me the next night....where oh where are my sequences....??!!!

Booo.

Okay. I need to calm down. I see AdvisorDude tomorrow. Let's see what happens.