MN State Science & Engineering Fair
Last week I had the pleasure of volunteering as a judge for the Minnesota State Science and Engineering Fair. The top projects from Junior High and Senior High schools all over Minnesota were...
View ArticleTraveling to Belize
This is the first of my travel-blogging posts! The Hubby and I are in Belize until May 12th. This is what we’re doing. Our vacation started with 30 hours of travel. That’s right – 30. Here’s the deal:...
View ArticleCaye Caulker: Lazy Day
Yesterday was my recovery day. When I woke up I was weak – fatigued, congested and I had no appetite to speak of. I got up sometime around 7am and came downstairs to sit on the couch. I was feeling...
View ArticleExploring Caye Caulker
I woke up on Friday feeling better – still with a head full of snot, but not tired, no joint weakness, and a normal appetite. Our hosts had to run into Belize City for the morning, so the Hubby and I...
View ArticleScuba Diving: Esmerelda
FINALLY! I was able to slip into scuba gear on Sunday. Dave and I signed up for the “Esmerelda” tour off of Ambergris Caye. According to the divemaster, Esmerelda is unique for its coral formations and...
View ArticleFor My Birthday I Did This
Today was my birthday. I think it was a birthday well spent. Turtles. TURTLES!!! (It only gets better as the video goes on). http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pB4-2U3KiFs
View ArticleJungle Ruins: Lamanai
One of the goals of the trip was to visit some ruins. We had plenty of options: Altun-Ha, Caracol, Cerros, Xunantunich – and those are just a few of the ruins that are known in Belize. We ended up...
View ArticleBelize Zoo and Cave Tubing
Tuesday was our second day of exploring the mainland. The Hubby, Dave and I took the water taxi in to Belize City and then met up with Jason again to go to the Belize Zoo and cave tubing. The zoo was...
View ArticleNight Snorkeling
Wednesday was a very slow day. All of us – me, the Hubby, Noelle and Dave – were feeling a bit ill from Tuesday night’s dinner. We think it was the slow-cooked black beans – they were undercooked and I...
View ArticleLast of the Vacay Writing
It’s time to catch up with the last several days of the big vacation! I left off with Wednesday’s night snorkel. For those just joining, the Hubby and I spent two weeks in Caye Caulker, Belize with our...
View ArticleLab Life is Rough
Busy lab, limited resources. Everyone wants to use the same equipment. Jeepers. Some days. Image shows the scene from “Finding Nemo” where the crab fends off the seagulls (the ones who yell “MINE!...
View ArticleDon’t Feed the Wolves
I grew up in the southwest suburbs of Chicago. Not a lot of natural wildlife down there. My parents did take me to the Little Red Schoolhouse on a fairly regular basis, and I used to love chasing frogs...
View ArticleCaution: Water
New labels for the water bottles in the lab. You can never be too safe, kids. Just…perhaps no ingesting in very large quantities, okay? DEIONIZED WATER (DI Water, Pure Water, Dihydrogen Oxide) Target...
View ArticleEureka Moments
The most exciting phrase to hear in science, the one that heralds new discoveries, is not “Eureka” but “That’s funny…” —Isaac Asimov (1920–1992). I had a “Eureka!” moment today. An honest-to-goodness...
View ArticleDoing Science
“Doing science” for me often involves running controlled experiments with an eye on what the study should tell us. We have a hypothesis, we set out to answer specific questions, and we have an idea of...
View ArticlePrinting A Human Heart
We’re not to the point of printing working organs yet, (although we are getting closer), but 3D printing technology recently played a very cool part in the care of an infant who underwent surgery for a...
View ArticleGoodbye, Dear Samples.
When in the Course of sample shelf life stability, it becomes necessary for one person to dissolve the emotional bands which have connected her with these samples, and to assume among the powers of...
View ArticleWood Lake Nature Center: A Song of Slush and Mud
Today the Hubby and I ventured out to enjoy the springish weather at Wood Lake Nature Center. The temperature was in the mid-40s and we were able to get away with light jackets. In the past Wood Lake...
View ArticleBits and Pieces
I am exhausted! Today at lunch I did a 2.5 mile outdoor jog/walk. The weather was nice and the run went quickly. After that I came back to the office and packed up for my first move in eight years....
View ArticleFreeze-Dried Plasma
My nerdy interest du jour is battlefield medicine, tactical combat casualty care and field medicine (the non-military side of emergency medicine, used in disaster relief). The concept of triage and how...
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