Someone is a little TOO excited...

The LOST season premiere is only 17 days away.

17!

I'm more than excited, but saddened at the same time. I LOVE this show. LOVE IT.

The only time that it really made me angry was that stupid first half of season 3. What was that all about? Who were those people? Oh Nikki and Paulo, I'm glad you are no longer part of the show. (Even if it means you were b****d a***e, sorry even though it sucked, I'm not going to give anything away).

Why a LOST post when the season doesn't even start for another 2.5 weeks? The reason is two-fold:

1) I just heard this week that both Michael (Malcolm David Kelley) and Libby (Cynthia Watros) are returning for the final season.

I couldn't really care less about Libby (but it would be nice to have some kind of closure with the mysteries surrounding her character).

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Michael on the other hand, I'm stoked! Especially if it means more Walt. More Walt = Happy Laura

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2) I have been sporting a pretty dorky, but WAY awesome accessory on my lab-coat these days.

Yes, it is a dharma patch. I actually have 2. The other is on my bench in lab. I wear it with all kinds of pride. I would say 90% of the people that see me in it don't have any clue what it is. My boss pointed at it and said (in his british accent) "What is that alchemical symbol?" Yeah, it was fun explaining that one.

Anyways, I'm excited. (If you couldn't tell already)

This week in Chemistry pictures....

For starters, Happy 2010!

There will be a few changes around here that include:

1) Blogging.

...yep, that's about it. I'm not going to try to do a post-a-day but at least a couple a week, otherwise, what's the point?

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So I've had my iPhone for about 6 months now (maybe a little less) and feel that I do not utilize the camera as much as I should. I listen to my iPod occasionally in lab and decided that it really easy to just pull it out of my lab coat and take a picture every now and then, and behold! A new post is created: This week in Chemistry pictures.

Yeah, I know, it's really dorky, and kind of boring, but I like doing it, so there you go!

1) This is the rotovap cold finger. Its a really stupid thing to take a picture of. However, for the non-chemistry people [both of you] I wanted to let you down gently because unlike how they do it on Fringe [which premiered last night, btw] our cold finger is full of dry-ice, not a boiling bright blue solution.

2) One of my reactions on the rotovap. It was a cool color, so I took a picture. Can you see that I was a] bored and b] spent some time with the rotovap last week? When I did my summer research at UCONN a couple of years ago, one of the other guys there made up a song about rotovaps to the tune of 'Fat bottomed girls' by Queen. It was sweet.

3) My prep-plate. It turned out wonky. There are a few things that you wouldn't realize a chemist would use so much and aluminum foil is one of them. It is so versatile! Also, sharpies, cannot live without sharpies, show me a chemist who can/does. I don't believe it.

4) Did I mention my prep-plate didn't turn out? Yeah, it didn't which meant that I had to do a column. It was a mini-column though so it didn't take hours-upon-hours. Here is a picture when I'm beginning to TLC ,Thin Layer Chromatography, not Tender-Lovin'-Care, or the R&B group from the 90's. RIP 'Left-eye', don't even get me started on The Learning Channel, 18-kids-and counting? No thank-you.

5) ...and finally, my TLC plates running, see more aluminum foil...maybe I'm the only one obsessed with it though, hmmm...I should check into that.

Apologies..

Well,

We all know it has been exactly forever since my last blog post. Really, I have no excuse.

My last post was on "The Proposal", it is now available on DVD. Yeah, that really sucks.

Because I have been so bad at blogging, I've decided to take you on a pictoral journey of the last 4-ish months.

Enjoy!

(and please keep arms and legs inside the vehicle at all times!)

Ash and Lauren bought a beautiful house in Ohio!

I was honored to be a bridesmaid in my friend Jenny's wedding (my 6th time!)

I was on our school's chemistry softball tournament team. We lost every game....and so we decided to play the other losers in a friendly beer game (hence above picture). It was by far the best game of the day. Best of all though, my roomie from undergrad JV came and played for us too!

I ran my first ever race! 4 miles in central park! I had a time of 44 minutes, which is slow as hell, but it was still a lot of fun, sweaty, but fun!

I went to Las Vegas! (I have tons more pics of this trip!)

I taught myself how to frenchbraid! (Ignore my eye in this picture, it was hard to take this on my phone!)

There were quite a few happy hours. (I was particularly proud to be sporting OSU apparel to represent my home state in the bottom one!)

We went bowling! Its kind of expensive here, and I didn't technically bowl, but it was still a lot of fun!

Sheena came to visit me...and her brother and parents, but still! (Bad/blurry pic!)

Leonard got a new carrier!

I joined the chemistry dept.'s soccer team. Again, we lost every game and again it was fun. I even scored a goal! One of two for us for the season.... (ps, I am wearing shorts in this picture!)

Since chemistry is in the title of this blog, and it's what I spend most of my time doing, there had to be a some kind of chemistry shot!

Movie Review: The Proposal

So I'm a little late in writing this, but better late than never!

It was July 4th and the theater was surprisingly packed!

The Proposal, rated PG-13 (for sexual content, nudity, and language). 

[Ok, how is nudity not in the realm of sexual content?]

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Did you know that Sandra Bullock is 45?

She looks damn fine for 45! I can only hope to look half as good, and as far as nudity goes, don't worry your eyes won't be scarred, there are no 'parts'.

I feel like I have said this with just about every movie I have seen this summer, but I'll say it again: The previews don't really do this movie justice!

I was thinking, ok, another romantic comedy, I'm sure it will be fine, but it was actually really funny! Like, laugh out loud funny in some parts (mostly do to Betty White who I hear tried to get a nude scene of her own).

The storyline was a bit far-fetched, but honestly in a day of vampires and wizards its ok to be a little out there!

My favorite character in the movie [besides Betty White]: Kevin the dog.

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He is an American Eskimo and I believe he is a puppy in the movie, but I want him [only if he remained small like that though].

....oh, and Ryan Reynolds isn't so bad to look at either! :)

Happy Anniversary!!!!

not to me...

or my blog...

...but to two of my favorite people in the whole wide world: Ash and Lauren!

[Leaving for their Honeymoon in a sea of bubbles!]

[This picture was taken at the rehearsal the night before the wedding]

They were married on July 21, 2007 and I was more than honored to be a part of their wedding!

[The dresses were orange and yellow and PERFECT!]

Happy 2nd Anniversary Ash and Lauren! You have both been such great friends to me and can't wait to come home [or you can come visit anytime...really, anytime you want] so we can be together again!

[They were getting ready to cut the cake :)]

It was even baby Myla's 1st wedding!

[She was just 2 months and 5 days old!...and for some reason looks all drugged out in this pic?]

Part of the wedding favors were pens [be still my heart] and if you can't tell, I still use mine about everyday [it might help that I have about 10 of them...just saying...]

Happy Anniversary! I love you both!

Font color...

Quick question:

Is the black font hard to read?

post in the comments and let me know!

Thanks as always! 

...have I mentioned how much I like reading comments?!?

18 days?

Someone fell off the blogging wagon, and that someone would be ME.

I really don't have an excuse. 

I just don't feel like I have anything exciting to blog about, but since I have gotten multiple messages from faithful readers, I am jumping back on the blogging train [cue whistle].

So, what have the past 18 days been like in this part of the woods??? Let me consult my iCal for a quick recap:

• I spent the 4th of July with my dear friend Kris and we saw The Proposal (don't worry there will be a Movie Review later in the week)
  
• I was in my GLORIOUS home state of Ohio for a long weekend. [several posts on its own including my niece, a wedding and Ash and Lauren's new house!!!]
  
• I saw HP 6 on premiere day, but alas, not at midnight due to other HP fanatics [again, a Movie review is in the works...be patient!]
  
• I ran in MY FIRST RACE EVER!!! Its true! I ran in the Race for Central Park 4 mile run this past weekend and had  a B-L-A-S-T!!! [Race report to follow!]
  

Whew.  A little bit more going on than I realized! All the better to blog about! :)

Look for an update in the next 24 hr!

Ready to Run!

Well, there's no going back now...

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Yep, I have signed up for the 'Run for Central Park' on July 18th in NYC! (No, that is not me in the picture, ha!)

Have I ever run 4 miles before?  No.

Have I ever competed in a race?   No. (Though my mom might disagree with me and point to a a scar on my foot from a 'foot race' this past Christmas, but that's a different blog post all together!)

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I'M SO EXCITED!!!!

I've been running/jogging/walking in the mornings before I head into lab. It really hasn't been as hard to get up as I thought it would be! (Hopefully this will continue!)

[I could possibly be more excited about the 'free' t-shirt than the race itself..]

Oh!!!! Rachel is busy working-away on my new blog design, and let me tell you it is SnAzZy! (Just you wait! It is awesome!)

I'm thinking that I will have to do a give-away to accompany the new design! :)

If you want to make a world a better place take look at yourself, and then make a change

More Cowbell!

...or pictures. 

My posts are so B-O-R-I-N-G without pictures. What's a girl to do?

...obviously take random pictures from lab and make it into a semi-coherent post.

And Voila: I give you pictures...

This is a 56 oz. (XXL) bag of regular M&Ms. It was placed on our lunch table earlier this week (or late last week, I don't remember). My labmates [myself included] will eat anything and everything. The yellow post-it with EAT only accelerated the consumption because no one had to wonder whether or not the M&Ms were up for grabs. 

Today (less than a week after the arrvival of said M&Ms) right before lunch (and just after I took a small handful) this is what the bag looked like inside:

That's right. There are about 20 M&Ms left in the bag. Needless to say they were totally gone before the rest of the group even came to the lunch table. 

...and now I'm craving candy. 

I think I should admit that although I have been eating out far less for dinner and lunch than I used to, I am by no means a cook, a baker, a chef, or anything related to it. I know, I know, you are probably thinking "but you are a chemist, you should be able to follow instructions, its just like a reaction". Maybe it is, but I'm still awful.

I did however purchase the Hungry Girl cookbook (Thanks to Kris!) and on the menu tonight is the Buffalo Chicken Choppity Chop!

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I don't think this picture does this recipe justice....at all. It is going to be DELICIOUS!

This just in...

...I won a new blog design!!!!!!!

Woo-hoo!

So long blogger template, hello customized goodness via Rachel!!!

Hop on over to her blog to read all about it :) 

And...this is just the kick I needed to get back on the bloggy-bus!

Any comments/suggestions will be much appreciated!

Woo-hoo! Now if only my new raincoat would come in!

Random Bits O'Crazy-ness

You know those posts that are totally cohesive and have a good general theme? 

....This isn't one of them! This is going random facts with some pictures interspersed of the past week. 

Let's start in reverse order:

1) Monday 6/15/09: I hang out with Kate and aah every Monday to watch Gossip Girl, however since the season has come to a close, the Bachelorette has filled the void. I don't know what you think, but for me watching the Bachelorette with these girls is a lot better than watching it by myself while yelling at the TV and the crazy foot-fetish-break-dance-instructor 'eligible' bachelors. However, this Monday was a particular treat because I got to meet Leonard Hamster for the first time:

Here he is on his little wheel...being absolutely adorable. I have to admit, I don't think I have ever actually met a hamster before and was pleasantly surprised to learn that he is nocturnal and that he has a very short memory. He would got to do a little walk-around, scope out his food, exercise routine, and then repeat. repeat. repeat. 

2) 6/16-6/20: B-O-R-I-N-G week. Nothing really happened, except rain. Rain happened. A lot of rain. (which led to the buying of the yam orange rain coat). 

Obviously SYTYCD was in there and I have to make a confession: I don't watch the results show. I REALLY enjoy the performances but couldn't care less about who gets kicked off...yet...I'm sure some of the dancers will grow on me.

On Wednesday I woke up, sneezed twice (fine, normal) and then sneezed again and my whole upper back froze up. I was like WTF? I had no clue what happened and was thankful that I could continue to breathe and would not be needing to call 911 because I had a punctured lung...and then I felt silly. Who injures her/himself while sneezing? So, I googled it and apparently it is more popular than one would imagine. Case in point: Sammy Sosa. If an MLB star can do it (and admit to it), then I guess it can happen to common folk like me as well. 

I have also started running in hopes of actually competing in a race (obviously this would be a race against myself and not a real competition). Right now there is no way you could call it 'running' more of a 'walk-jog' type of thing. I have done it consistently though and am planning my 1st 5k (in which I'm sure all of the power walking grandmas will beat me). I hope I stick with it. I think once you blog about it, its written in stone. Don't fret, I'll keep you informed of my progress....

3) 6/21/09: Driving range! This is my 2nd adventure to a driving range in the past 2 weeks and I have to say that I am awful. I've gotten two blisters (one from each excursion). The first time it was on my right hand, which everybody said was ok, b/c I'm a southpaw and that's where it was supposed to be. Yesterday however, I got a blister on my left pointer-finger. How does that happen?!? I have to say though, I got into the groove at the end and didn't swing-and-miss every shot. :) [real progress here people, real progress]

4) 6/22/09: After my morning exercise and shower I was getting ready to head out the door to come to school. I was about to get my lunch out of the refrigerator and then stopped dead in my tracks because I was terrified. This is what I saw:

Scary, right? At first I though he was inside my window and then thought "OMG, how do I get a squirrel out of my apt. without getting rabies?". Then I realized he had wedged himself between the screen and the window of the open skylight. 

I yelled at him and snapped my fingers and then he scurried away (sounds like a magic spell doesn't it?).  

Needless to say I managed to snap a few pics of the invader before I yell-snapped. I particularly like the shot above because either a) his tongue is out or b) his mouth is open. Either way he brought a little bit of un-welcomed excitement (but great material for blogging) to my morning.

...and with that, I am done!

Off for another round of The Bachelorette with the girls!

Bad Laura, Bad!

To my 5ish readers out there, don't fret. I'm still alive. 

My life has been way boring and I apologize I haven't posted since, SATURDAY!

 GASP! I let almost a whole week go by!

I have been watching my trashy summer TV including the Bachelorette, SYTYCD, and Wipeout...don't worry, I'm sure I'll have more to talk about regarding thee subjects.

In other news: I bought a raincoat! (Seriously people, this is the biggest excitement of the week! and the color is yam orange. Seriously.)

I have been collecting graphical abstracts for round  3 of what will hopefully be a weekly segment!

Sorry I'm not being a good blogger, *hopefully* I will bounce back swimmingly!

Until next time (which better be soon, darnit).....

Graphical Abstracts: Round 2!

Back as promised for round 2 of interesting and crazy graphical abstracts from the world of chemistry. 

(for a background and to see the selection from last week click here). 

This week didn't have as many eye-popping pictures...but I think its because I'm actually looking for them, so as a note to any authors out there, pick crazy graphical abstracts!! It makes for easier blogging!

Now, onto the show:

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Even though they had pacman in the title, they decided to include a picture of him superimposed behind the macrocycle, just in case we forgot what he looked like.

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I'm not really sure what this is supposed to tell me. I would guess that, yes indeed this is a picture of water (a crazy picture of water, but water none the less), however I would not have gotten: "Catalysts based on Amino Acids for Asymmetric Reactions in Water" out of this. Also,the subtitle is "Wet and Wild" which is just downright silly.

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I think this is a strawberry. In reading the abstract and introduction of this paper, I still don't know why they have a super zoomed in strawberry in the graph. ab. (other than the fact that Botrytis cinerea is the cause of gray mold in plants).

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So. Stinkin.' Cute!....but, why? Is the lizard's tongue catalyzing the reaction with his saliva? Nope, not quite: "Taking advantage of the chameleonic ability of sulfones to be transformed into different functionalities...."  Oh. A chameleon. Ok, I guess I get it....isn't he so cute?

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And finally, this one was alluded to in the subtitle post earlier in the week, and actually I kinda like it. Its out there, don't get me wrong, but with a subtitle of "2009: A Boraanthracene Odysessy" you just can't help but let your inner geek shine.

That's all for this week. Hopefully some wacky pics will come my way via google reader in the week to come!