Disgruntled Julie: A True Hero

This evening, I was just minding my own business at home when I heard a blood-curdling shriek come from across the hall, causing me to immediately jump up and make sure everyone was okay.

(Weeeellll…. kind of.  I had just finished elliptical-ing, and one of the big benefits to owning your own elliptical is that no one sees you while you work out, so first I had to put on a shirt, and then I cracked my door open a few millimeters to stick out an eyeball to make sure the screams weren’t because an axe murderer was lurking in my building.  Then I tentatively took the few steps across the hall, leaving my door open and my body pointing back towards my door, in the event said axe murderer answered, in hopes that I’d be able to bolt back to the safety of my own unit and slam the door in his face.)

My across-the-hall neighbor opened the door, pale and shaking.  “Oh (gasp) my (pant) G-d (pant, gasp) it’s (pant, pant, gasp)…. a (pant, pant, gasp)… (pant, pant, gasp, pant, building up the suspense….) MOUSE!”

Dun DA DUN!  SCIENTIST TO THE RESCUE!

I cornered the mouse, trapped him on a dustpan, and picked him up by the tail to carry him outside where he scampered off to freedom (and by scampered to freedom, I probably mean someone else’s apartment, where he may meet his ultimate demise via a mousetrap).

On my way out, my neighbor caught her breath enough to tell me that I was her hero.

That’s right.  Disgruntled Julie: Saving Single DC Women from Eenie, Weenie Terrifying Mice.

Well, at least one technique from the lab is useful in a real world setting.

(I really don’t understand why people are so terrified of mice.  Does she look vicious?)

The Sweetest Donation

Several weeks ago, I received what may very well have been the sweetest, most adorable request ever.  So sweet and caring that it is enough to pull me out of my current blogging/reading blogs/Twitter break (things are just a little overwhelming right now, and I need some time away).

The email came from BethAnn, whose snarky science alone is almost enough to make me want to move to Nashville and switch to neuroscience research…. almost.  I may as well go down and join the lab, considering the number of times I have found myself on their lab webpage (first for the football bet, then again when she posted a shameful picture of me forced into an Eagles jersey, and now once again for my dismal performance in the NCAA tournament pool).   In fact, BethAnn has informed me that I have quite a few readers from her department… so special shout out to anyone from Vanderbilt neurology!

So, back to this email.  BethAnn has two adorable children, one of whom very recently turned 7.  Amelia and her brother, Colin, are both running in the Shade Tree Trot on May 1st, a 5K for the Shade Tree Clinic, a Vanderbilt run free clinic for the uninsured.  In lieu of presents, Amelia asked her family to donate money to the clinic.  Is that not the sweetest, most un-selfish thing you have ever heard?  I know when I was 7 (and uh, 17, and possibly again when I turn 27 and am in dire need of monetary gift funds towards a new laptop...) I would not have thought to ask for donations to a charity instead of receiving birthday presents.

Amelia and Colin have decided that if everyone they know will contribute $2 to either or both of their sponsor pages, the clinic will thrive and they will play a role in helping to save the world.

Let’s think about this for a moment.  Two children, who are running a 5K (and how many of you adults out there struggle with running a 5K?  I know I’m not the only one…), want to make a difference by asking everyone to donate a mere $2 to a great cause.  Two dollars. 

So please, help Amelia and Colin meet their goal, and consider donating $2 to one or both of their collections (or certainly, more than $2!), and help show children that they CAN make a difference, and we will help them along the way.

Donation pages located here – Amelia and Colin.

To make your donation even sweeter, I am going to ship off homemade cookies to two of you who donate (regardless of amount of donation).  Donate to one, get one entry.  Donate to both, get two entries.  After you have made your donation, comment and let me know.  I’m working off the honor system here, because if you lie over donating a mere $2 to help support two kids running for a great cause… well, shame on you.  I know none of MY readers would do such a thing.  (Note: cookie shipments valid for U.S. addresses only, due to shipping costs.)

Daylight Savings Proposal

I’m not a fan of Daylight Savings Time to begin with… I think it’s a bit outdated.  After all, most of us are not farmers and do have electricity, so the need to push back the time in the fall to gain light an hour earlier isn’t the necessity of years past.  And as much as everyone enjoys gaining an hour in the fall, springing forward is a real pain.

I don’t think the government is going to go along with my elimination of DST, so I have a suggestion.

How about, instead of 2am Sunday morning, we end DST at 10am Monday morning?

We assemble into lab meeting and start discussing general lab business.  At 9:59, the person presenting for the meeting stands up to talk, opens their powerpoint presentation… and suddenly it becomes 11:00am.  Lab meeting over, everyone dismissed.

I wouldn’t mind if that hour disappeared from my life…

Blues-Buster

Little Known Fact: I love the Olympics.  Especially winter.

I mean, really.  Downhill skiing.  Luge.  Curling.  Snowboard half pipe.  An event in which you have to ski around a course and then shoot a gun.  What’s not to love?  I really wish the Snowpocalypse had come this week instead, so I could stay home and watch all the daytime not-so-popular events too.

So, you’ll have to excuse my absence for the next week, but there are more pressing matters on my TV.  Though, I promise this weekend I will FINALLY take the pictures from this  month’s Daring Cooks’ challenge off my camera and get them on my blog, since the posting date was only, oh, four days ago.  No biggie.  Better late than never, right?

Anyway, figure skating is one of the events I am not so crazy about.  I still watch, of course, and appreciate with awe the ability to spin around four times and land on a toothpick-thick blade on a sheet of ice (while I, meanwhile, cannot stay upright wearing a full-width pair of boots, and wiped out on my lazy ass neighbors’ unshoveled sidewalks so badly on Tuesday that my knee is still the size of a grapefruit)… but well, I’d rather watch skiing.  Except when it comes to Johnny Weir.  I know he’s controversial and all, but he brings the attitude that makes it so exciting to watch him.  And frankly, I thought he did far better in the freestyle program tonight than his scores indicate.

I had a really, really, really crappy day today.  I self-medicated with an extremely thorough kitchen scrubbing (I find getting the burnt-on gunk off of burners is way more therapeutic than either ice cream or alcohol), but even after scrubbing until my hands bled, I still wanted to strangle someone.  And then I found this gem.  Every time I watch it, I feel better and better.  Because what could possibly be a more perfect match than a flamboyant figure skater and Lady Gaga?

So next time you’re having a crap day, watch this.  You’ll feel better. 

The Snowpocalypse

We disrupt our regularly scheduled blogging (hahaha… I wish I had the dedication to blog regularly) due to digging out from under three feet of snow.

People, there’s a lot of snow out there.  And, aside from the minor detail that the melting snow freezes and turns to ice and I am certainly going to slip, fall, and break something next week walking to lab, I am LOVING it.  Of course, I say this as someone with no sidewalk to shovel and no car to dig out.

 

My all-time favorite childhood book was Joe and the Snow, and these past few days have really been like the book coming to life (hopefully, however, as the snow melts my condo building won’t float away…).

 

After a bout of food poisoning last week and three days out of the lab, a week off seemed to rejuvinate me and helped to get over my frustrations in the lab.  I also learned, however, that I can spend a full week trapped inside… and never once be bored.  I knitted.  I caught up on TV.  I read four books.  I organized and cleaned like crazy.   If this whole science thing doesn’t work out, I’m pretty sure I could cut it as a housewife without feeling cooped up.  What can I say – all those years of learning to entertain myself as an only child are paying off.

The last time D.C. had a worthwhile snowstorm, I was a sophomore in college.  My roommate and I woke up early, walked down to the Ellipse and made snow angels in the pristine snow.  This time around, I didn’t have anyone to “play” with, but was thrilled to have several days to explore various areas of D.C. within walking distance, all of which were even more delightful than normal buried under three feet of snow. 

More pictures of the snowiest winter in D.C. history can be found here.