A day in the life...

I once promised a student I mentored that I would write a blog post detailing my week as a scientist. That has proven to be more challenging that I expected. Some days are busier than others and often times I opt to write about something else when I have a chance to leisurely think. As I scrolled through my phone's notes at lunch, I came across some bits of material that I had recorded for a potential blog post. In retrospect, these notes explain my moods. By Wednesday (April 5th), I was starved of conversation with my old lab mates, one who left for a three week vacation and another who began a job elsewhere. Great colleagues make failed experiments more bearable. They also provide laughs for every day occurrences. On Thursdays, thoughts are unleashed and subject to the whims of the lab. Granted, this happens every day, but depending on who is giving lab meeting, the pressure is heightened. On Friday, it's time to get down to business. Of course, whatever I just described could happen in whatever order on any day of the week. What is presented below happens to be a snapshot of just three days. And it's not even a detailed description. It's just whatever I had written down and enhanced with gifs for my own pleasure. 

Wednesday April 5^th, 2017

12:15 PM- My two main peeps are no longer in the lab. They were enablers when it comes to getting a burrito fix. The craving is strong enough to visit Pepe…solo.

Whilst walking there, I develop a hankering for some shaved ice (a well known weakness of mine). I call my sister and she reveals she is eating a popsicle, a childhood delight of hers. We realize together that our mom pairs any dessert with ice cream. We laugh at our predilection to cold treats. 


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12:30 PM- I return to the lunch room to eat my asada quesadilla in peace. There is only one other person there. Unfortunately, it is a character who frequently likes to talk about marriage with me. Of course this warrants a text to my two peeps. 

*It's not forbidden.

1:59 PM- I walk to the annual campus wide safety training session. Every year, the Safety People pick a theme to focus on. I speculate as to what it might be. I can't help but think of this popular t-shirt slogan. 

2-3 PM- Turns out the theme for this year is brush fires... Australian brush fires.

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2:10 PM- Chuck (the instructor) plays a video highlighting the dangers of Australian brush fires. We are presented a scenario in which we need to combat an encroaching fire with a list of tools. Chuck stops the video so that participants can begin to form a plan. The girl next to me reads the directive on the screen, "Please stop the VCR and complete the exercise." She asks, "What is a VCR?"

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My reaction... and I wasn't even wearing my glasses. 

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2:30 PM- We are instructed to talk with the people at our table to determine a survival plan when our vacation home in the Australian outback is threatened with a brush fire. I'm not in the talking mood.


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Chuck emphasizes that we are better off with a group of people than alone. My succinct conclusion to the group of strangers sitting at my table after calculating our score.


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3:00 PM- I return to the lab and asked how the safety training went.
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Thursday April 6^th, 2017

9:30-11 AM- Lab meeting
We discuss whether we should put some of our mice on an exercise schedule. I am more motivated to stick to my running schedule. I don’t want to be outdone by our experimental mice.

Rest of the day- Emails, phone calls, meetings, scheduling, reading, analysis

Friday April 7^th, 2017

9:00 AM-6 PM


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Bring it. Today is busy. It demands the classic rock playlist. 

1- metabolite extraction... 6 hr incubation followed with ~2 hr speed vac

2- set up for proliferation assays... cell counting (6-well plates) and MTS (96-well plates)

3- sonicate fixed cells for chromatin immunoprecipitation with p53 Ab (DO-1)

4- collect protein (use RIPA)

5- use protein for gel electrophoresis (Western blot analysis)

6- place a large order for laboratory bulk items (pipets, tissue culture plates, medium)

7- routine tissue culture (1.5 hrs)

8- search and rescue mission for mRNA stored in -80C... use to repeat qPCR experiments (use the dates from the hardcopy of my experiments printed yesterday)

One day, I will expand on Friday's to do list. Trust me, it was a fun day. I sat down at my desk once (to order items).

The Huntington Library and Botanical Gardens

In a previous post (Kong Lab Civil War: The End), I alluded to members of the Kong lab succumbing to bouts of depression. Unfortunately, as of late, it has been my lot to feel discouraged. Despite the beautiful weather and days of sunshine, my mood has been subdued. Wisdom tells me it’s okay to feel this way. I know it will pass and my spirit will rally to change course and begin new adventures that will color my days.

Last week, I reasoned that a trip to Huntington Library (Pasadena, CA) was in order. Today, I visited the botanical gardens to feel something. I was not disappointed.

Beautiful flowers with exotic design and luscious colors displayed their fierce confidence. Their splendor made more magnificent with cool zephyrs that rustled through the lofty trees. These exquisite flowers were often found in well-maintained trails, lined with protective trees and welcome shrubs. I appreciated the setting for the aesthetic nature it offered my eyes and ears.

Yet, for all the allure the plants threw at me, it was the stark beauty of the cactus garden that pierced my thoughts.

John James Audubon echoed my feelings, “Nature leaped with joy, as it were, at her own new-born marvels… and my own heart was filled with happiness at the sights before me.”

What attracted me to the cactus garden? It was chaotic. It was diverse. It was silly and stoic, surprising and stunning. To appreciate the cactus garden, one must be willing to bask in the sun alongside the succulents. In my observations, fewer people walked the dirt trails of the garden. Fewer children graced the winding paths of these prickly plants. I couldn’t help but develop a fraternal bond with any who lingered in the garden.

Among my musings, I reflected on the unique personalities of the cacti. Generally, I strongly relate to their resilient nature, but I primarily identify with their appearance, especially with the confused ones which grow oddly outward and upward. I relate to their spikey protrusions for I also have developed bristly defense mechanisms. They are hardy enough to survive severe climates, something that I can understand, having lived in two extreme regions.

My spirit cactus. It even has random people who  unexpectedly appeared. Great timing by them and by me. And of course the cactus took it all in stride, like a champ. 

Altogether, the excursion to Huntington was a delight. I walked away grateful for the proximity to Huntington. Grateful to those who maintain such beauty. Grateful for the strong sun which showered its kisses. Above all, I am grateful for the scrappy cacti that brightened my thoughts.