Happy Winter (Finally)--Week 6

This week was a busy but rewarding first week back on campus after break. We got a pretty decent accumulation of snow Wednesday night and most of Thursday, but I was pretty okay with it because I got a chance to try out my new snow boots that Mom bought for me on our shopping trip last Saturday. It was a little inconvenient, though, because then we had all of this snow piled on our steps and no one to clear it except ourselves. I realize that this is part of becoming an independent adult, but when we are all college students with busy schedules, we don't have time to do things like shovel snow and sprinkle salt on our walkways (at least Augustana gave us two shovels and a bag of salt). Luckily, I had time to clear the steps and porch (front and back) on Friday after class (I was pretty proud of myself), so it wasn't a huge deal. Maybe I can convince my roommates to do it next time it snows that much. With this snow comes the feeling of finality. Winter is here to stay. I fear that this will be the snow that sticks until the thaw comes in March or April.

But on to more pressing matters. Like getting back into my classes. I was so glad for the break. I could tell right from the get-go on Monday that three weeks off had made a huge difference. I feel so much more relaxed right now; everything seems much more manageable, and I know I can do a good job on my assignments. Even though I was working, it appears that just being home and in the daily company of my family (and watching some great movies every night and taking a break from homework) really helped to recharge my mental power supply. I feel as good as new!

I found out that I got 90% on my last Botany quiz (the one I took just before break), so that was a nice surprise on Monday. We also took a field trip to the Quad City Botanical Center (QCBC) on Monday for Botany lab. It was a fun change of pace from regular lab, and we saw a lot of cool tropical plants in the Sun Garden. I even saw a small toad sitting next to a bamboo plant. As with most conservatories, there were a couple of koi fish ponds, and the fish looked excited to see us. I guess you can buy fish food in the gift shop, and the fish are used to being fed by visitors. Smart animals. I also enjoyed seeing all of the tropical flowers (like the orchids) and a banana tree with a big flower on it (I have never seen a banana flower before).

Tuesday was a pretty uneventful day (except for going grocery shopping and AT LAST getting another bag of yogurt pretzels), but Wednesday was a little more interesting. I met again with my SNT for our third meeting (which means that, technically, I have fulfilled my SNT requirement for being inducted into NSLS). I still need to go to three speaker broadcast events, but I'm sure I will complete those by the end of the year. Anyway, I really enjoyed our meeting. We have a new (male) group member, which is always fun, especially since so many things that I do are dominated by females. Not that there's anything wrong with that. I just appreciate a little testosterone here and there, as any female in her right mind does (or maybe not?).

Thursday I had another BBB meeting, and just before, I found out that I already have three points for this year (one for attending the week 3 meeting and two for doing the suturing seminar), which means that I only need nine more points for the year in order to remain a part of the organization. Five of those points will come from the five remaining meetings (including the Thursday meeting), and the other four will come from two events (we are having a Bill Nye the Science Guy viewing party on Tuesday next week as well as a trip to the Chocolate Festival at the QCBC on January 29th). I will probably end up doing more things than just that, but it is nice to know that I don't have to worry about losing my membership. On Thursday, I also went to Sorensen and the Community Engagement Center to pick up a prize. I entered my resume in a contest they were hosting and won! (So did 19 other students, but that's beside the point). My prize was a whopping $20 gift card to Target! Yippee! I frequent Target quite, well, frequently, so this will be a great thing to have. Thursday was a great day for two other reasons, too. First, Mom's package arrived, bearing my hat and scarf, which I dorkishly left at home. I guess I was so used to being there that it didn't feel like I needed to pack up and leave until Saturday, and then I was rushing to pack and forgot a few things. In addition, I learned in Molecular Genetics that we will be picking our own unique question to ask about Meiothermus ruber related to its genome and such (and we can only use bioinformatics programs). I found some good articles so far about Thermus thermophilus (a related organism) to use as a model, and I think that my options are feasible at this point. I'm thinking either of studying t-catalase (it degrades hydrogen peroxide) or thioredoxin (it helps proteins in the cell keep their shapes in high temperatures by promoting bonding between sulfur atoms). Both seem exciting and doable, and I'm looking forward to having something unique to do all on my own to incorporate into my final product. I'm ready to take ownership of this thing and see how I do. Oh, and my apologies if my language just now was too technical. You can ask me for a better explanation if you need one. But you're all smart people, so I don't  bet on that too much. ;)

Friday was a great ending to a pretty great week. I got into the Botany lab room for some much-needed study time. We have a lab quiz on Monday, and I didn't do so hot the last time. I think I was rushed in lab and didn't get a good look at the slides, so when I saw them on the quiz, I was unprepared. That and my lab partner is kind of a dork and wastes my time (he insists on sharing a microscope when there are plenty for everyone). But that's a whole 'nother story that I won't go into right now. Anyway, it was really great to have my own microscope and to take my time going through the labs and looking at slides to make sure that I can identify structures and such. Afterwards, I went back to our house and did some laundry and light cleaning. I felt much more organized. That night, I watched Holiday Inn with my roommates and ate pizza (not homemade this time). We took down our fake Christmas tree and had a semi-dance party, too. It was quite fun.

This afternoon (Saturday) I was a glutton for punishment and decided that as my outside activity for my Aerobics class, I would participate in Zumbathon. Zumbathon is a fundraiser put on my Dance Marathon. Entry costs $5 for two hours of Zumba madness, and let me tell you, those $5 go a long way, and I didn't regret spending them at all. Zumba is a kind of aerobics routine that combines moves and dance steps from many different kinds of dance, including hip-hop, pop, Latin, and Indian. We were moving nonstop for the full two hours. I took a break a few times to get a drink of water, but other than that, I kept going along with everyone else. It was basically a big dance party. I had so much fun. I even saw two girls that I know there, and we hung out for a bit before Zumba-ing and then picked spots next to each other in the group so that we would feel less awkward. Needless to say, I was pretty worn out when I was done, but it felt really good (both because of the money and because of the killer workout). I was glad that I did it because otherwise I would have sat on my butt all day and did homework (well, I would probably have gone for a run, but that would not have been nearly as intense or satisfying as Zumba).

This week looks to be an important one for sure. Like I mentioned earlier, I have a Botany lab quiz on Monday and then a Botany and Physics test on Friday (one right after the other like last time...lucky me). Tuesday is my first Circle K meeting of the calendar year (and my first since being back). Tuesday is also the Bill Nye BBB social and hopefully another successful run to the grocery store with my roommates (always a good time). Wednesday, I am meeting with my SNT group and having my advising meeting so I can arrange spring shadowing with a large animal vet in the area and try to figure out what to do about scheduling for my last three terms at Augustana (Spring Term, Fall Term 2012, and Winter Term 2012-2013...pretty freaky.)  Thursday and Friday look pretty calm. Hopefully, I'll get back to the animal shelter on Friday because I haven't been in about six weeks. I think I need some cuddle time with the FIV kitties.

Well, I hope you all had a good week. I'm looking forward to telling you about this week and seeing what new adventures I have to recount next time. Until then!

P.S. I am having a little trouble finding the cord that links my camera with the computer, so I can't upload my pictures at the moment. Hopefully I will find the cord (I hope I didn't leave that at home, too), and I will be back in business in no time. What is it with me and failing to produce pictures? I tell ya...