Man, if I hear this one more time...

If I hear one more person using "feminist" as an epithet, I may explode.

Home, home on the range.

After my meeting with my PI and my mentor on Friday, I quickly ran as fast as I possibly could to my apartment, bid farewell to my kitty (the roommates are taking care of him), and hopped on a plane back home. On advice from older grad students, I am making it entirely impossible for me to do any lab work by taking a *whole two and a half weeks* off. (All of the first year biochem and chem grad students in my program apparently do the same thing.)

Favorite quote from Friday meeting? My PI to me: "Five years from now, you'll remember this meeting."

Or potentially this quote: "I want us to do not just crystallography, but EPR, ENDOR, *lists some more* but I want us to be spectroscopists as well! I want us to do EVERYTHING!"

Uh ohhhhh.

Just kidding. Sorta. Only slightly nervous from these statements that promise lots and lots and lots of work for me and the 5th year grad student who will be gone in a year.

Therefore, my break so far: sleeping, eating, family, reading and paper reading galore. And some running---a little over a month until my first half marathon!

Joined a lab!

I have now officially joined a lab!

I'm very excited. Last Friday was the last day of my suck rotation, so I used it mostly for meeting with PI A and PI B since we're supposed to have a decision by today. After talking to both PIs, my fears about group B were dealt with, and so after thinking about it the entire weekend, this morning

I popped the "Will you be my adviser?" question to PI B and he said yes!

Apparently he was very nervous about the fact that he hadn't heard from me until this morning (according to the rest of the lab). However, I guess I'm off! I broke the news to PI A, who was very nice and took it pretty well and she still wants to be on my committee. But now I've gotten a lab notebook, made an appointment with PI B for talking about my project to be, and I'll be claiming a desk/bench space tomorrow before going to their "holiday lunch"!

Too bad PI C didn't actually show up for our "you've finished your rotation" talk this morning. Sigh. Oh well, we're talking tomorrow morning and then I'm doing with these rotation hoops! And now just for the finals...

Grad school dating fail.

Quick disclaimer: This is not about me. This is all about my wonderful Lab Soulmate who has had to deal with this for the past few months. I will post my own fun stuff in a few days.

Ok, so imagine you join a group. Yay! Woo! Group! You get along with most to all of the people. Very importantly, you get along with the guy you are sharing equipment and a hood with. Hoorah!

However, things start getting awkward fast. Being an attractive, smart, funny, single female, your coworker is interested. And makes his interest known. Multiple times. Despite you doing everything short of banging him over the head and yelling "WE SHARE A HOOD YOU MORON HOW BAD OF AN IDEA WOULD THAT BE?!?!" This other student is a third year student, who, despite everything else, is a nice guy and you do not want to make things ultra awkward and still would like to get along with this guy.

Unfortunately, he drunkenly asks to kiss you at a holiday party and you explain to him that this is a bad idea because: a) he's drunk and b) you share a hood. This goes over somewhat well in that he doesn't storm away and seems to realize that it's not OK to date you.

But how do you stop the awkward??? Dear readers, got any tips for Lab Soulmate? As we both figured so far, there's no real solution other than what she's done already. But maybe someone else out there who has some good ideas and/or has dealt with coworkers trying to romance you.

NSF completed!

Ok, the NSF was turned in Thursday, so that's done and over with. Probably not getting it, but it was a good experience and I look forward to the feedback. And hey, good experience for next year when I'll actually be part of a lab!

Finally caught my breath on life. Between everything that's been going on---new rotation (again), new people (again), fellowships, and training for my first half marathon that'll be in January---I feel like I haven't had time to breathe. (Let alone catch up on emails or blog.) Due to some last minute cancellations by profs, I only have one major assignment due next week, so this weekend will be filled with cleaning and prepping for Thanksgiving break.

Thank goodness.

Resurfacing.

It's been a pretty tough time as of lately. Life is ok. New rotation is sort of sucking, not just due to my personal life drama-yo-mama status.

My new boss has bitched out at least two graduate students and one undergrad in front of me (and the rest of his group). And there's no desk for me in the lab. And his students literally apologize and grovel over things that I think are stupid and inconsequential because he's such an ass about them. And he has been super passive aggressive towards me because he probably realizes that his lab is unlikely to be my first choice based on my research interests. Whatever.

The cool part of this rotation is that I am doing organic synthesis! For the first time in a research setting ever! (Yes, it does have bearing on my metalloprotein loving scientific heart.) I've done bits and pieces along the way of my undergraduate career, but not a whole lot otherwise. I'm enjoying it so far mostly because: a) the postdoc that's teaching me is very nice and keeps on telling me that I'm not as much of a n00b as I am and b) it's a very different way of doing research that's sort of relaxing to me in that you can control everything (as compared to my favorite biological systems) and come up with a good explanation as to why something's not working and c) because I'm a n00b I can't do anything by myself and so there isn't a lot for me to do each day.

I've definitely hit a dilemma with the choosing between Group A and Group B. Currently leaning towards Group B. Here's why:
Science: Group B (BUT it's a lot riskier/high reward than the Group A stuff)
Boss: Group B has more attention from boss which I liked in the few weeks I was there
People: Group A as friends, Group B as coworkers
Work Hours: Worked less in Group A, but Group B people are there on the weekend mornings or afternoons which is nice because I like going in on the weekends for a few hours

The general vibe/energy in Group B is appealing as well. I *loved* Group A, but I feel like I would always have to be ultra self motivated since my peers/boss wouldn't provide any external motivation.

Any other major points I should consider?

Today sucks.

Broke up with Boy today.

Wasn't happy in ldr anymore (neither was he), and Boy wouldn't have been happy with the lifestyle that I will have to lead---he'd move here, then move with me to postdoc, then possible second postdoc, and then hopefully faculty job.

But I want to travel, and I want to have someone with me who wants to travel.

Rotation 2 is done. But to be quite honest, I won't be ready to post for awhile since this next week will be insane.