A Great Day on Monkey Island

Today I took a field trip with a colleague of mine and her Biology II AP class. We went to the Southwest Foundation for Biomedical Research. All I can say is WOW. My nerd batteries have been recharged. We got a chance to see the primate area that included chimpanzees, macaques, and one of the largest captive baboon populations. One of the more interesting things I heard from one of the ladies who studies and cares for these animals is that they have at least seven genarations of baboons that they can genetically study. This has enabled them to construct an enormous Primate Genetics and Genomics database.

In addition, we got to hear from a scientist that works in a BSL-4 laboratory that I absolutely adored. I plan on downloading some of the papers he's authored, including some in regard to single domain antibody (sdAB) using llamas. This antibody is essentially more stable because of its ability to refold into its original shape, even at higher temperatures. I think I'm in love...

Other happy notes--my friend frank's Phillies won today in a brilliantly played game. I was sweating for a few innings, but they beat Houston 4-3. The end to an already good day.

Redneck Weekend Redux

More opportunity this last weekend for a Barbeque at a friend's house. I seriously cannot get enough of eating at their house! This last Saturday there was barbequed chicken, marinated in italian dressing and cream cheese stuffed jalapenos wrapped in bacon. Can't ask for any better than that. Plenty of drinks, Miller Lite for the regular crowd, corona and dos equis for those that have a more superior beer palate. Word of the evening--ravenous. Got to meet some new people and enjoy a rather cool spring evening in a very short summer dress.


This evening it's a quiet night at home, watching the Red Sox game.

I am an Honorary Redneck

So check out my friend Wandering Girl Brain's blog. She blogged about our weekend--we had a Bar-B-Que at my best friend's house (Deer sausage yum! and ribeye), I learned a new drinking game called the beer tree and then we went to Floore's Country Store to see the Randy Rogers Band. Bloody brilliant! It was raining, we were in it, and the music was wonderful. We'd taken taxi's on the way up, but they wouldn't come back and get us--kept asking my friend what the address was and then hanging up. So we got someone else to bring us back to the house. We managed to stuff and SUV with eleven moderately wet, slightly drunk people. I've never had a better time :)

Not So Good Things

Never mix:

5 Guiness
2 Purple People Eaters
1 Shot of Chocolate Cake
1 Shot of Irish Whiskey
1 Mind Eraser

and a hard week at work.

I Am Not Dead

I promise. I can't think of a time when I've been more busy and kept off the computer. Of course it doesn't help that work has now put up a nifty little fire wall to prevent any blog access. Jeez.

So. Last I blogged, I was wondering what the hell happened to happened to to Green Bay when the played the Giants (great bIG UPSET that's what happened.) Then I endured losing a great big bet to my best friend during the Super Bowl when New England lost to the Giants (another great big upset) and then things started taking a nice easy coast.

Odds and Ends-

Went to another Herpetology Show this last weekend. Didn't bring anything live home.

Spent a great weekend with my friend, whose now ex-boyfriend wins the cad of the year award for breaking up with her by telephone and had the nerve to tell her he'd tried to break up with her numerous times before but she "wouldn't let him." So we drank ourselves silly Friday night, had Sushi Saturday, went to the Herp show Sunday, shoe shopped and had Italian food Sunday night.

Had to unpack sweaters again because Winter is making another round here in South Texas. Is it possible to look cute and sexy in a sweater??? If there's a way, I haven't discovered it yet.

Going to Dallas for spring break with my parents! Hooray!!! I love Dallas, love Tallulah Belle, going shopping!!!

Tales of the What the Hell Happened???

I.hate.mountain.cedar.

Green Bay and the Giants. WTH? My money was on Green Bay (so that my bff and I could wager against each other when they met New England in the Super Bowl.) Apparently three was the charm for field goals in overtime for NY. Ugh!!! 18 and O, one to go. Now I just need to figure out how much of a point spread to use when I bet against my best friend. I'm certainly not giving him 14 pts. Thinking... thinking...

I had the best time last Wednesday nite ever :) I love going out with colleagues after work and doing the mini pubcrawl. Happiness is a beautifully poured Black and Tan.

No fishing trip this weekend. This last weekend, I was supposed to be several hundred miles out in the Gulf of Mexico on a tuna fishing trip. Skipper called off the trip last minute because the swells were supposed to be 8 ft or higher. So I spent a rather uneventful weekend at home.

Now we're gearing up for the rest of the week to be miserable and freezing. I can't wait for warmer weather to head our way.

New England is...

rockin! With my Red Sox winning the World Series this year, the Patriots at 15-0 and the Celtics at 22-3, life is pretty flipping sweet right now :)


ETA: Make that 24-3 after tonight's win over Seattle!

Further ETA: Patriots finish their regular season with a perfect 16-0!

Answer to Below

Autographed football from Brett Favre with display case. I get brilliant gifts :)

Birthday Gift

I've gotten my best friend the most spectacular gift. Best thing about getting someone a gift is teasing them about it until it's either
a) time to give them the gift
b) they're ready to throw you over the balcony
c) all of the above

But my bff can't figure out what the gift is. I give excellent gifts. Most of the fun is teasing the hell out of the recipient.

Hints I've given so far are

Smaller than a breadbox
More expensive than a breadbox
BFF wants one (he's a football coach)
Uses one almost every day
Steel-worker or Smith (the meaning of Favre in French)
John Hancock was elected President of the Second Continental Congress (the most famous autograph)
The unfortunates on Gilligan's Island wouldn't cast it away (a comparison to "Castaway" with Tom Hanks
Does House have a best friend? (House's best friend is Wilson, the company that makes NFL footballs)
black, white, brown, clear, silver maybe a few other colors
Rather straight laced
Examples are Mimas, Tethys, Enceladus and Miranda (prolate spheroid shaped like the moons of Saturn and Uranus)
y = Vyt - 0.5gt^2 (the physics formulas for the perfect spiral pass)
x =Vxt
3rd oldest
worth millions of dollars in advertising every year
can't wear it
could dance with it
Mississippi (Favre's home is here)
Vicodin (Favre was once addicted to)
Foreshadowing is good for birthday gifts (ok bad hint, but Favre's number is 4)
*notebook
*corkscrew (*these three have something in common) (spirals)
*flight of the bumblebee

Blimey! She recognizes her mummy!

Forgot to explain my comment below regarding, "Excuse me... where are your frozen mice?"

Three weeks ago a teacher friend of mine, his wife and I went to a herpetology expo held right outside the city limits. I had a feeling I'd be bringing something home. We had to sign a release before going in that said we recognized there were quite a few venomous creatures housed within the exhibit hall. And indeed there were. Breeders of all sorts had pit vipers, constrictors, etc. I had my heart set on finding a baby ball python, particularly a female. I found a blush/pastel three month old baby that I've named Fluffy [Death Princess]. She's brilliant. Now if only I could get her to eat...