Sam's Graduation

Sam went through the graduation ceremony last Saturday on the 16th. She actually finished her degree this past August. I have really missed having Sam around the office. Here's a pic of Sam and Liliane, Sam and me, Sam and Deyo, and Stormie and me. Liliane and Deyo are TA's at school. Stormie graduated this past May and is now working on a Master's degree in Houston.

Snow

We had snow the earlier this month (Nov. 30 & Dec. 1). It was finally feeling like December, ahhh winter! Our area got a lot of snow when the cold front came through. The schools were actually out for 2 days! Yay, Brian and I had a 4-day weekend! I stayed in the house both days except to get these pics. Raddy loved the snow. He was so excited. He was running around and making sure he didn't go his usual route along the fence. No, he wanted to walk right through all the deepest snow. But sometimes he'd get to a spot that the snow came up to his chest, and then he decided he wouldn't walk through that. I put his coat on him, mostly to keep him dry for when I let him back in the house. His hair is getting longer so the snow was clumping up in his hair on his legs. He'd come in the house and I would try to get the snow-clumps out of his fur, but sometimes they were stuck in there. I'd just let them melt or Raddy would chew them off. Anyway, the snow stayed around until Sunday. It was fun while it lasted.
Well, now it's back to normal global warming and we're back in the 60 degree weather. I really get a little upset when it's not cold outside and it's supposed to be winter. I actually like the cold. Oh well, I'll get a good dose of it when we go to Washington for Christmas!
Hey the weather people say it might be cold for Christmas here in Altus, maybe even some snow! Ooooooooh wow! Better get out the gloves! hee hee

10 Things You Can Do

Change a light--we switched all of our lights to the compact flourescent light bulbs two years ago; guess what? it's true--they are still going without having to change them. I'll let you know if they actually last the 5-7 years, but you'll have to wait.

Drive less--still working on that one!

Recycle more--does it count that I recycle the wal-mart sacks into trash bags? we need recycling facilities in our town!

Check your tires--of course I do this, and I get 37-40 mpg on my corolla! I think I want a hybrid camry next...

Use less hot water--I started doing all my laundry with cold water

Avoid products with alot of packaging--not having money helps me with this one

Adjust your thermostat--we put our thermostat from 68 last year to 66 this year. I can't really tell the difference. Besides, you're supposed to wear warmer clothes in the winter!

Plant a tree--We planted one a couple of years ago, but we also had one chopped down and are planning on chopping another one down next summer. I'll plant some bushes to make up for it!

Turn off electronic devices--do you know that those cell phone chargers take up so much energy just by being plugged in when they're not in use? I started unplugging all my devices that I could (toaster, blender, mixer, cell phone charger, curling iron) because just leaving them plugged in wastes electricity! Now if I could just talk Brian into turning off the computer more!

An Inconvenient Truth

I think everyone should see this movie. Even if you think you know all you need to about global warming, see it anyway! If you don't really know anything about global warming, see it!!

I think Al Gore does a wonderful job on this film. It is a documentary about the work he's been doing to make people aware of global warming and what we can do about it.

Watch it! Do something!
Check out the link on Climate Crisis! Click on the "Pledge to see" in the black box underneath the link if you plan to see this movie. Hey family...I can bring it with me for the Christmas visit. Although, his movie might make all your warm, fuzzy Christmasy feelings not last as long...

Heather is Engaged

Recently Heather (Brian's sister) and Nick became engaged. They are planning on having the wedding in the summer. I am so excited that they are getting married (finally!). Heather's engagement ring looks gorgeous, and she is so happy right now. She also asked me to be her matron of honor at the wedding! Yay! I am excited about that. I am actually looking forward to helping her with anything she needs. Online we looked at wedding dresses, a dress for me, bouquets, flowers, cakes, etc. It was fun. Of course Heather has a little more endurance than I do when it comes to looking at all these things. I think most of it looks pretty, but I don't have to make the decisions.

Rabbit

There was a baby rabbit on my porch hiding in between the potted plants. It was so cute. This is the best picture I could get before it ran away.

Research Update

I wanted to update what's been happening on my research so far. I have started purifying the crude skin extract. Right now it's going a little slow but like Dr. Scales once told me, "You'll get done when you get done." So I am still working on it.
Here' s some pics from the beginning of school. Doesn't Dr. Scales look cool?

My Furry Pets

All my furry pets are doing great! Sarah, the calico cat, is as fat as ever. When people come over to the house they comment on how fat Sarah is getting. Hey, she's been fat! The only time she was skinny was when I first got her, and she had tapeworms! She was so skinny I thought she was going to die. She didn't want to eat so I had to feed her beef broth through an eye-dropper. I was either nuts or I loved her!
Abigail is good, too. She's been wanting my attention a lot. It's so funny, but I will try to relax by doing this yoga & pilates DVD. So the lady on the DVD is saying very slowly and calmly, "Breath in and breath out. Feel the facial muscles relax...the jaw softens...feel your breath coming in--"
then I yell "Get away cat! I'm trying to relax!" Abigail wants to be right there next to me. I'm lying on the floor and she's rubbing her face on my toes, then on my hands. She's putting her face in mine. So this morning she was on the mat right next to my head. That's fine as long as she is not rubbing her face on my nose!
And Raddy...he goes outside when I try to do the yoga/pilates. Otherwise he'll sit there and stare at me while wagging his tail. If I close my eyes I feel him pawing at my arm. Anyway, he's still a great dog. He's my furry baby. I'm letting his hair grow out now. I have been getting his hair cut short for 2 years now and I wanted to see it grown out again. It's still short right now but it's growing.

Christmas Plans

Brian and I are excited because we bought our plane tickets last night. (Thanks Mamaw!!) We are looking forward to seeing everyone this Christmas. We will be staying for a total of 2 weeks, part of the time in Spokane and part of that time in Seattle. Yay!

What's new

School started again and I am teaching Botany labs (3). I am not the coordinator as I requested, and I am very happy about this. Less stress and work! Bikash (the new coordinator) gets to tell me what to do, and I like that better than being the one to do all the planning. (At least for now anyways!) I have been working in the lab, and it is the kind of work that needs me to be here almost every day! This week I am staying a couple nights at Sharon's (biology department secretary) house. That way I can save on time, gas money, etc. So school is going well now. It has been lonely though since my friend Sam graduated. I miss seeing her at school!

I went to the doctor recently because I was having some weird things happening with my heart. I had to have an EKG, blood work, and wear a Holter heart monitor for 24 hours. The blood work was fine. I was good on everything except my sodium was slightly below normal. So I think that is good anyway. The EKG looked normal. The doctor told me to take it easy when I was wearing the monitor so I did. I sat around and watched TV, or read a book, and I also did some laundry and ironing. The monitor showed that my heart rate was normal (in the 70's) then it would jump up between 120-150. It was up and down like that all day. But that's when I felt normal. The reason I went to the doctor was because I would feel a very fast heart rate when I would begin exercising. It was too high for the amount of work I was doing. This was in February. This summer I started getting the feeling of my heart beating too fast and I would be out of breath just from vacuuming the living room (like a heart rate of 168!). I found out this is called heart palpitations. In August I started having palpitations just sitting watching TV. I couldn't walk up a flight of stairs without having palpitations. Sometimes my heart would feel like it was jumping around in my chest. I also had trouble sleeping because I could feel a very strong heart beat. I would feel my pulse in my arms, hands, and my head and neck. It also felt like my head and neck had a lot of pressure. Sometimes the pulse would be in my whole body, so it was very hard to sleep if my whole body is throbbing! The cardiologist said that I have paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia (PSVT) which I found out is actually the same as paroxysmal atrial tachycardia (PAT), the same thing Mamaw has. I have been on medication to slow my heart down for about a week now. It seems to be helping. I still have a little problem at night when I try to sleep, but not nearly as bad. During the day I don't notice a fast heart beat but I have had palpitations a few times. I think I have gotten used to the side effects of the medicine. I don't have anymore problem with light-headedness. I still feel tired sometimes. I think the medicine has helped me a lot. I will keep you updated with anything new.

Brian is enjoying school so far this year. He says that he has a great bunch of students, and he is enjoying going to work.

Under the Vulture-Tree

I love this poem about vultures. Around Altus we have vultures called turkey vultures (because of the way they look). This poem is about a creature that most people see as ugly, gross, and maybe even unimportant. The author starts out the poem addressing the bird that many have seen but not given much thought to. Then he has an experience where he realizes what they really are, and he can see it.

I love the picture of a tree full of vultures with shiny black feathers and red, wrinkled heads (black leaves and pink fruit). I also love how he describes their heads as red and ugly as a human heart. Human hearts are not very pretty but aren't they so needed and loved! It's not that I love vultures but this poem makes me appreciate them more.

Under the Vulture-Tree
by David Bottoms

We have all seen them circling pastures,
have looked up from the mouth of a barn, a pine clearing,
the fences of our own backyards, and have stood
amazed by the one slow wing beat, the endless dihedral drift.
But I had never seen so many so close, hundreds,
every limb of the dead oak feathered black,

and I cut the engine, let the river grab the jon boat
and pull it toward the tree.
The black leaves shined, the pink fruit blossomed
red, ugly as a human heart.
Then, as I passed under their dream, I saw for the first time
its soft countenance, the raw fleshy jowls
wrinkled and generous, like the faces of the very old
who have grown to empathize with everything.

And I drifted away from them, slow, on the pull of the river,
reluctant, looking back at their roost,
calling them what I'd never called them, what they are,
those dwarfed transfiguring angels,
who flock to the side of the poisoned fox, the mud turtle
crushed on the shoulder of the road,
who pray over the leaf-graves of the anonymous lost,
with mercy enough to consume us all and give us wings.

Six Flags

For vacation we went to Six Flags in Arlington, TX. Brian and I went with his mom, Jill, his sister, Heather and her boyfriend, Nick. We had a really great time overall. We stayed at a nice hotel by the Grapevine Mills Mall. We spent time shopping at the mall on the first day. The next day we went to Six Flags and it was super busy! It was hot because as you all know everyone is having a heat wave lately. The lines were so long that we were waiting in line for one ride about an hour! Then the ride is only about 2 minutes! It was crazy. I don't ride the roller coasters but only the water rides. I can't handle the excitement of those roller coasters I guess. So I got to ride three water rides, a Spongebob Squarepants 3D movie-ride, and I saw a show. The show was the "Amazing Acrobats of China" and they were amazing! They were so awesome and I was really impressed. That show made the waiting, heat, and stress all worth it.

I got pics of Brian, Nick and Heather standing in line. Also, I got a pic of me and Scooby-doo. I still love Scooby after all these years. I'm also a penny collector--you know, those penny machines that flatten the penny and press a picture into it. I got one of Scooby but when I got home I could not find it.

Monday's interview

Well, I think the interview went very well! I went in there just being myself, and I feel like I answered all of their questions well. They were all very positive and I think it would be a great place to work. They told me they would get back to me soon and they got back to me today! That was fast! I didn't get the job...they said that they needed someone who could take on a full load of classes. I couldn't do that because I don't have my master's degree yet. So they hired someone who already does. Hey, I can't blame them. I am disappointed but I still have a lot of work to do at school. I think the interview was a good experience for me.

Pirates movie

Brian, his sister (Heather), her boyfriend (Nick), and I went to see the new Pirates of the Carribbean movie. It was good. Actually, I thought it was great until the end. If you haven't seen it then I won't ruin it for you. If you liked the first one, this one is even better! Just thought I'd let you know!

Interview!

I got a call yesterday, and I have an interview on Monday for the full-time biology instructor position. I am really excited about it. I think it would be really nice to have this job, and I think there are a lot of advantages for me. I'll let you know how it goes.

Hey, I added some posts that I had made previously on June 15, so check them out below! Also I finally answered some of your comments.

Grilling

Here I am grilling. I got a new grill back in April. In this pic I've got the brisket and potatoes on the grill. I had to add other things later. I love my new grill because it's got the two sections and the coals can be moved up or down. I like to grill on the weekends, and I love grilled food. I will grill pretty much anything. I got a new cookbook for grilling that has recipes for desserts on the grill. I can't wait to try them out.

Research Lab

Here's the lab at school. This is where I am doing my research. This is Dr. Scale's lab, but I use it, along with other students who work with him on other research projects. It looks messy in this pic, and it usually is! There is another side of this lab that looks about the same. This is the side I usually work on, but it depends who else is working in the lab at the time.

I haven't been working in the lab this summer like I wanted to because I have been so busy with teaching the biology class at WOSC. But the class is almost over and then I am going to devote a lot more time in the lab.

Bird's Nest

I noticed a bird flying out of my pot when I would go outside to water my plants. I decided to look and there was a nest! It's difficult to make out but there is a baby bird on the left and four eggs on the right. I found the nest at the beginning of summer. Only two eggs hatched. Then the babies grew for a while and looked like they were doing well. I would look into the nest and they would look back at me and had most of their feathers. Then they fell out (or purposely left?) the nest and died on my porch. Hey, I didn't say this was a happy story! Well, it was neat while it lasted.

Birthday Pics

Here are some pics from my birthday. You can see the cake that Valerie made for me. It was so yummy. And you can see Lucas and Paige in the pics with me. They are Tim and Valerie's children. We all had a great time that day.

Skills USA

Brian took four of his students to a Skills USA competetion in May. These students had to take a test to qualify and they competed in the electronics portion against other students from all over Oklahoma. One student placed 4th and the other placed 5th. These students are great, and they all did an excellent job in the competition. Brian is very proud of them.

Flowers and Plants

I wanted to share one of my hobbies with you. I like taking pictures of plants and flowers. Here are just some of the pictures that I like best. I think plants and flowers are beautiful so I take pictures of them and hang them in my house or put them in an album. I also like to be outside and I think it's fun to find a pretty flower that I haven't taken a picture of yet. Also, I think it's better to take a picture than to pick the flower. Whenever possible I like to identify the flowers and plants as well.

The plant in one of the pictures is actually poison ivy. I think that it can be a pretty plant when the leaves are big and some of the smaller leaves are shiny. You can also see Indian Blanket flower, a sunflower, and I'm not sure what the pink flower is called.

New Haircut

I got a new haircut for the summer. I had long hair and I was ready for something different. This isn't the best picture of me, but my hair looks cute! I like the shorter hair because it's easier for me to fix.

Mosquitos!!

I hate the summer time when the mosquitos are out in full force! (Although, in Oklahoma we really didn't have a winter, so I don't think I got much of a break from mosquitos.) Every year it gets worse for me. As a teenager I never really noticed getting mosquito bites, and I didn't wear insect repellent. But now the mosquitos flock around me every time I go outside. Even in middle of the day!!

Here you can see what happens when I get a mosquito bite. I put a half-dollar there just to give you an idea of the size. I get a dark red center with a pink halo. And of course it itches like crazy. This redness and swelling will last about 2 weeks but the itching continues for a couple weeks more. I think it's obvious that I've become allergic to mosquito bites. So now I just have to wear the insect repellent, which I hate. I don't like chemicals all over my body!
Watch out for those mosquitos!!

Summer Job

I was asked to teach as an adjunct instructor at Western Oklahoma State College here in Altus for the summer. Of course I agreed. I will be teaching the biology class on Monday and Wednesday nights. I also applied for a full-time biology instructor position starting this fall. I hope I get the job.

Ryan Joseph Starkey

In Loving Memory of Ryan Joseph Starkey, January 31, 2006 -- May 10, 2006.

"Ryan Joseph Starkey was born January 31, 2006 in Altus, OK to Ron and Kimberly (Strickland) Starkey. He was loved and cherished by his family and friends. He blessed all that knew him in his short time here. His smile could melt anyone's heart, his laugh washed away any grief the world supplied and his eyes told the story of a brave young man made in the perfect image of his heavenly and worldly father. He will be greatly missed and extravangantly remembered."

"Ryan leaves behind his parents, Ron and Kimberly Starkey of the home; two sisters, six year old Taylor Cheree and three year old Kourtney Nichole; grandparents, Richard and Toni Starkey of Altus, OK, Leonard Strickland of Ft. Worth, TX and Teresa Strickland and Jerry Wilson of Perrin, TX; uncles Ryland Starkey of Altus, OK and Troy Strickland of Breckenridge, TX; a cousin Rachelle and many loving friends of the family."

Ryan was a beautiful baby, and I can't even really imagine what Kim and Ron are going through right now. This was their little boy, and they did every thing they could do. It was his time to go home to Jesus. I know they are comforted by the fact that one day when they are in heaven they will be reunited with Ryan. It's so hard to know that a baby can be gone so quickly. The funeral service today was nice, but the hardest part was when they took that small, baby-sized casket away. I cried as I watched the mother, Kim, weep loudly. She cried out his name and reached her arms toward the casket for her little boy. She could barely stand on her own, and Ron had to hold her up. Every time I think about it tears come to my eyes, and I will say a prayer for this family every time tears come to my eyes.

Ron and Kim Starkey

This morning sometime after 5:30 am, we found out that Ron and Kim Starkey, our friends, lost their baby. They rushed him into the ER around 5:15 because he was not breathing. I think he was about 3 months old. He was very cute with large, beautiful eyes. Ron and Kim also have two other girls, Taylor and Kourtney. If you pray, please remember this family in your prayers. This was their little boy and they are hurting very much.

TA of the Year!

On Friday, the 21st, I received an award--I am the Teacher's Assistant of the Year for the biology department. I am very happy about this because it is awarded by student votes. So I guess my students decided they like me this semester! I was also happy because this was my last chance to get the award because I will graduate before the next spring semester. Yay!

The Results, Finally!

On Wednesday I finally got the results I have been hoping for and looking for. The frog skin I'm researching shows that it inhibits the growth of bacteria! Yay!
I was so happy that I started doing a little dance in the lab. Now I am going to write a paper on my preliminary results and try to get that published. Then it's on to the next phase in my research.
One step closer to being done!!!

My Birthday

Yesterday was my birthday. I had a good time. Brian took off work just to spend the day with me! Wasn't that nice of him!?

He took me out to breakfast. Then we spent the day together doing things around the house. His family and some of our friends came over. We had cake and ice cream. My friend Valerie actually made my cake for me. It was a yellow cake with chocolate icing. It was supposed to be a surprise but I found out. I was out with Brian's mother after dinner. We went to the store to get food for grilling today. We stopped by her house and picked up Brian's dad. Brian's mother, Jill, asked Alan if he wanted to stop anywhere to get his dinner. (We had already eaten earlier.) He mentioned that he didn't need to because we were going to have cake and ice cream at my house. Well, Alan gave the secret away! Jill tried to play it off, but it was too late. I figured it out!

After cake, ice cream, and presents we watched a movie and talked. I had a great birthday. I got lots of cards from my friends and family (Thanks to everyone!).

Today I grilled lots of food for us and Brian's family. We ate and then had more cake and ice cream. I'm going to have to roll into bed tonight!

Driving---Music

Hey, when I'm on the road I have to listen to music. I like to listen to different kinds of music. Most of the time I listen to christian radio, like K-LOVE. Or I listen to my cd's.

Here's some music that I like to listen to:
I like to listen to KJ-52. It's pronounced five-two... KJ is a Christian hip-hop music artist that I love listening to. He's got such wonderful messages to his songs, although some of his songs are just silly. I've been a fan for a while and have all four of his cd's. I like singing along or just bobbing my head to the sounds. Even if you don't like hip-hop, check out his website by clicking on the link I've added to this page. His name stands for "King Jonah" and the 52 stands for the story in the Bible about the five loaves and two fish. I went to one of his concerts and afterwards I got my picture with him. The picture was taken by someone else on their camera, so it didn't come out well. But I still look at this picture and remember the fun time I had at the concert.

I also like Michael W. Smith, Bethany Dillon, Toby Mac, Jars of Clay...to name a few. These are also Christian music artists. They are not hip-hop because I just like a variety of music. I also put a link for Bethany Dillon.

I like Carrie Underwood. She's last year's American Idol winner. She sings country music, and normally I don't like country music, but hey, she's from Checotah, Oklahoma! (That's where Brian's mom's side of the family lives.)

And to make things interesting I also listen to bird sounds and frog sounds! I have some cd's to help me identify their calls. My mom also gave me something that plays bird and frog sounds when I put a certain card in it. (But I don't use this when I'm driving!)

Oh, just a warning: if you go to the music links I put on the side, music will start playing when the page comes up.

Driving--Roadkill

Okay, now you knew that this subject had to come up at some time when it comes to driving. Anyone who drives has seen roadkill at some time. Even if it is in town, there are birds, dogs, and cats. I have been driving for several years and have seen a lot of different roadkill. I thought I would try to make a list of all the animals I've seen dead on the road: coyotes, birds of all kinds (pigeons, doves, turkeys, vultures, hawks, etc.), bobcats, 2 mountain lions, porcupines, skunks, armadillos, dogs, cats, cows, racoons, foxes, turtles, toads, snakes, and deer. Well, that's the list I can think of for now. Remember, I have to make driving interesting. So identifying roadkill at 70 mph is a skill I've gained. I've imagined before a world where the animals are driving and the humans are running around. Mr. Racoon has to get to work that morning. As he's driving down the road, a big human runs out in the street. The human turns and looks at the approaching car with a surprised look on his face. The human stops and starts to run back to the side of the road. Oops! Too late, Mr. Racoon accidently hit the human. There it is, lying on the side of the road. The human was trying to get home, find food, or escape a predator, but Mr. Racoon doesn't think about that. Of course I know this is a weird thought, but I'm kind of a weird person! I thought I'd post pictures of roadkill but I didn't think you would want to see that. And yes, I actually do have some pictures....Being in all types of zoology classes where we went on lots of field trips got me some roadkill pictures! Besides seeing roadkill, I have also seen lots of live animals. I've actually seen a mountain lion twice, which is rare around here. All the animals that I've seen dead, I have seen alive too.

Valdez Family

Toby and Brenda Valdez are two very good friends of ours. At one time we were going to the same church and working with the youth group together. That's actually how our friendship started. They have two wonderful kids, Drayton and Kanzy. Brian and I love these kids. We like to hang out with all of them. Brian, Toby, and Drayton usually like to play video games. Sometimes the kids like to color or watch movies. Brenda and I like to talk. I'm really glad they're friends with us.

ReThink

ReThink is a blog by Toby Valdez, a good friend of Brian and me. He mostly writes about his thoughts and experiences in church. There's a link to his blog. Check out what he's got to say.

Spring Break '06

This past week was spring break for me and Brian. I have been looking forward to this week because I feel like I've been driving all the time and working so hard. We went to Brian's grandparents' house in Checotah. While we were there we went frog hunting. Brian's grandparents live outside of Checotah and they have four ponds on their land. In the past I might get a good catch of six, but this time I caught 25! Brian helped me spot them and then I would catch them with my net. I really needed to collect more frogs because my procedures messed up the frog skin I already had.
We had a good time and I don't want to go back to school on Monday!

Driving--Roadside Memorials

I thought I could write about something that I do often--driving. This semester I am driving almost every school day to Wichita Falls. This is about 3 hours out of my day. In previous semesters I was usually driving between 2-4 days a week. Then before going to Wichita Falls, I was attending Cameron University in Lawton. This is about an hour drive. So I've been driving a lot for the last 6 years. At one time I thought I might just quit school and become a truck driver!
Driving is not so interesting most of the time, so I try to make it interesting. I listen to music, talk radio (usually preachers), look around at different things and do a lot of thinking. I thought maybe I will show things I see while I'm driving and tell you what I think about it. Then you all can let me know what you think.
First I want to talk about "roadside memorials." These are the crosses and such that you might see on the side of the road that show someone died at that spot. Sometimes the crosses have names on them and/or pictures, and sometimes they don't have anything. At times someone puts flowers, wreaths, or ribbons on the cross. I suppose this happens around the time of the anniversary of the person's death.
On the way to Beaumont, Texas I saw two large crosses with a smaller one in front. I felt a little squeeze on my heart when I saw that.
I wondered before if these roadside memorials were something that only Oklahomans and Texans do, but recently I heard a Christian song that mentions these types of crosses. I call them "roadside memorials." I don't know if this is the proper wording, but I've never heard anyone else talk about them.
I've often wondered when I see them as I'm driving, "Why are they there?" I guess they are there for the loved ones left behind, sort of like a grave marker. A place to go visit where it's okay to cry and talk to the deceased person and remember them.
Or could they be also for other people that pass by on the highway? Maybe they show us how fragile life is, and the crosses are there to remind those of us driving on the road that life is so important. Although sometimes they remind me of living, most times they remind me of death. I remember those loved ones I've lost. Especially I think of my friend Amber who died in a car accident on the highway to Altus back from Lawton. I think about her other times, and honestly I don't like being reminded of her death when I'm driving down the road.
I've also thought of the roadside memorials as warnings crying out to me, "Be careful! Don't add your cross to this highway!"
Well, I guess I may be a sad type, or realist type, of person, and I've thought, "What if I did get into an accident and die on the highway? Would I want a roadside memorial?" The answer is a certain "No." I don't want a cross on the side of the road so that people can wonder, "Who died there?" I don't want anyone to put flowers and ribbons on it. (That's littering!!) And I especially wouldn't want anyone to forget about my cross...let it fall down and become faded like the cross that I took a picture of on the side of the road by the Red River. The cross has fallen over, and it has no name... just a picture of a rainbow with a white dove and what looks like a bundle of wheat. It has been lying over on its side since I've been driving by it for the past 3 years.
Well, are there these kinds of roadside memorials anywhere else? Have you seen any? What do you think about them?

Armadillo

The other day we had an armadillo come to our backyard. It walked around our car and tried to even get under our fence. I had never seen one this close up before. I thought it was cute in the face with its beady little eyes and cute ears. It's ears looked like a little rabbit's ears, only not as fuzzy.
FYI, armadillos are mammals even though they look a little scaly. If you have ever seen one dead with its feet sticking up in the air, then you probably saw the hair on its belly--Yep, it's a mammal! They do have small eyes with poor eyesight. They rely on their great sense of smell. They dig in the ground for their food. Their body temperature is lower than ours so they can carry leprosy. They get it from digging because leprosy is found in the soil.
Another interesting fact about armadillos is that they recently migrated up from South/Central America. The first armadillo in southwest Oklahoma was seen sometime around 1970. They do not like cold weather and are able to live here because our winters have been getting milder through the years.
Something kind of funny about armadillos: Since armadillos don't like cold weather, they are not usually seen in the winter and come back out in the spring. Most people don't see armadillos except as roadkill. Instead of watching the groundhog and his shadow to find out if winter will stay or spring will come, Oklahomans watch for the first roadkill armadillo. This is a sure sign that spring is on the way!

TAS Meeting

This past weekend I went to a Texas Academy of Science (TAS) meeting in Beaumont, TX. As you can see we had a good time. At this meeting I go to several research presentations. I hear about the research other scientists are doing and I keep up with new things. Next year I will be presenting my research.
The first picture shows (left to right) Karen (a former graduate of MSU), Dr. Scales (professor), Dr. Cook (professor and chair of the biology department), Dr. Rincon (professor and graduate coordinator), and Dr. Horner (professor and dean of college of science and math). This picture was taken the first night we arrived. There is a social mixer to meet other people who came to the meeting. The second picture is of Dr. Scales and me at the awards banquet on Friday night.
The third picture is of Bikash and Clinton. Bikash is another graduate student and he works with me in the Botany labs. Clinton is an undergraduate and he also works in Dr. Rincon's lab.
the next picture is Sam and me enjoying ourselves before the banquet. Then you can see me with the other girls that went on the trip. From left to right is Deyo, Junie, Jendayi, me, and Sam. All of these girls are graduate students and TA's.
The last picture is of Lance, another graduate student and TA.

Results

Yesterday I checked my research and I did not get the results I hoped for. But that's okay. Now I have to repeat what I've done to see if I keep getting the same results. Back to work!

Whoops!

"Whoops!" is one of my favorite words to say at school, especially in the lab! My friend Sam laughs at me every time she hears me say it. Well, today I said it! I forgot a step in my method yesterday so today I had no results! I had to do everything over again today. I will check tomorrow even though it's Saturday. Brian will come with me and we will have a good time.
I'll let you know how it goes tomorrow!

Anticipating Results

Tonight I am anticipating tomorrow when I will see the results for the first phase of my research. It took me a month and a half to get the methods down on my "practice" frog skin. This Tuesday I started on the "real" frog skin. In what took a month and a half with the practice will be at an end tomorrow with my real frog skin. I guess all of the practice paid off! But I'm worried about the results. Tomorrow I found out if I have been wasting my time. I found out if my hypothesis will not be supported. I found out if maybe I messed up. There are a lot of "if's" about tomorrow. I may also found out something exciting: that my efforts have not been in vain; that this frog skin does have antimicrobial peptides; that I will be able to move on to the next phase in my research; that a new species of frog will be added to the short, but growing, list of frogs with antimicrobial peptides...
If I do not get the results I hope for, then I feel like I have failed. Not just that I failed, but that maybe I am a failure. I know that I am making a big deal of this, but it's hard not to. I feel like science is not just something I do but a large part of who I am. It is easy for me to get disappointed and discouraged about my research. But it doesn't stop there. Then I feel like...I'm not sure. I don't know exactly how to describe it. If I do get good results then I will feel very excited. It is like a rush and I will be walking on clouds for a while. I will feel so important; like I did something very important. But again, I think I am making a bigger deal of this than I should. Right now it seems very important to me, but when I stop to think about it, there are things that are much more important. And I am not out to change the world with my research, so it is not the end of the world if my research doesn't go just the way I think it should.
Well, I know I've just been rambling on and just trying to put my feelings out there. Now I feel a little better.

Hear Cricket Frogs

I added a link "Cricket Frog" so that you can see pics, read about, and even hear cricket frogs. My mom found this website for me. Thanks, Mom!

Radagast

Here is my dog Radagast. For those of you who don't recognize this name, it is the name of Radagast the Brown wizard from the Lord of the Rings books. For short we sometimes just call him Raddy. He usually likes to have his picture taken. One of his hobbies is sleeping, which you can see him doing here. I got Raddy back in April 2003 and I like to say that he was my birthday present from God. I had wanted an Australian Terrier, which is a small brown terrier. We were going to get one for my birthday, but then this stray came in our yard. He was a cute older puppy. No one claimed him and I wanted to keep him. I knew I wanted him when he tried to follow me to work one day. I left him in the backyard and he squeezed between the gate and fence and started chasing my car down the street! I pulled over, opened the door, and he jumped right in my lap. I knew I was going to keep him. He's been a good little dog ever since.