Update

So I know it's been awhile since I posted. I got swept away with end of the term stuff and I'm just now coming back from the holidays. Well, that's not entirely true--I was back last week. Whatever. Anyway, school officially starts next Tuesday. I'm taking four classes--Advanced General Microbiology, Pathogenic Bacteria, two hours of thesis research (not really a class, but I get credit for it) and How to be a TA (again--we're required to take it for a full year). The last one I think is a little ridiculous since I am a certified teacher, but I'm going to roll with it (again). Anyway, I'm particularly excited about Pathogenic Bacteria, that class sounds like a load of fun, no sarcasm. I love bacteria (obviously) and I love diseases (to study, not to have) so if you put them together, you get the mother load of fun, at least in this nerd's humble opinion. Speaking of fun, if you're looking for a good microbiology read, may I recommend "Microbe Hunters" by Paul de Kruif or "The Hot Zone" or "Demon in the Freezer," both by Richard Preston. Excellent reads. So what's next on the agenda? My thesis project got tweaked over the break. I now have a sampling site from which to obtain my soil samples, which I have started doing already. I have not run any analysis on the samples as of yet, because I am waiting for Doc and his chief lab guy to show me what to do. Once we get that little hurdle out of the way, I can really pick up steam, I hope. I'm hoping this stuff will be relatively easy to do as far as working the machines--analyzing the data the machines give me is a bridge I'll cross when I get there. But first I have to GET THERE. So far it's been hard because Doc and his main man are so busy all the time. I'm just contenting myself with taking samples, making a map of my sample site, organizing my notes (cleaning my office, too) and reading scholarly articles that pertain to my research. If I thought there was a dearth of research about my original topic, there is seemingly even less about my new topic. Which is good, because I won't have to worry about plagiarizing someone's ideas (I hope) and it is also bad because I don't have a lot to go on here besides myself and Doc. I have presentation to give three Thursdays from now on my project. Hopefully I will have done something in the lab by then and I will be able to talk intelligently about what I'M doing and not what other's have done. I'm a little nervous at my lack of experience/data so far. Especially with that presentation coming up. But it will be what it will be. I can't move mountains here, I can only do as much as I can. They'll just have to understand if I don't have as much as I would like, that it's coming. Because it IS coming. ~Danni