Good morning. Lazy Sunday where we're expecting 109 today. We may need to shut off the evaporative cooler and switch to AC. Sad, but the EC cannot keep the house cool with those highs.

We received our Metabolic Meal delivery yesterday. Last night we had flank steak with cauliflower (fixed with red pepper and capers). Tasty although reheating it in the microwave made the steak just a bit too chewy, but it was quite flavorful. Only 268 calories per meal. We had watermelon for dessert. We'll dine on these types of meals all week. Hopefully it'll help in the weight loss. I continue to come home from work and do 1.75 miles on the treadmill and have added some weights and sit-ups on the exercise ball.

JZJ, that's terrible, especially when you were just getting your feet under you in a new position. What were you collecting samples of? How quickly can you re-collect? Also, I guess what you do with the lab tech depends on how commonplace the knowledge of media specifics is, and whether she was acting out of ignorance due to inadequate training/experience or willfully ignoring your teaching on the topic.

I've been away from home for 3 days again this week, and working hard at controlling my food. I don't think I did too badly calorie-wise, but today's meals were all obtained from airports, and much saltier than I'm used to. I suspect the scale will be way up tomorrow; just hoping I can flush out the excess salt and carbs over the next few days.

JZJ, that is terrible, sending all the hugs your way.

Okay, well, my last week and weekend were totally off track. 151 this morning. Planning to be on track this week, then going camping next weekend. Hopefully the exercise of hiking and such will offset eating smores. After that, two days at home, then off to CA for vacation! Hopefully we'll get a good amount of exercise on vacation too. It occurs to me that on this timeline I won't be able to finish stage 5 of NRLW before leaving on vacation (I've got 6 workouts to go, and I'll only get through 4 of them). I won't have the equipment available to do the rest while I'm gone. Then the question becomes: do I bother doing the remaining two workouts when I get back? Or do I skip to stage 6?

Monday morning, and I'm at 156.9.

Back to work, unhappily, but working from home, even though I'd planned to commute. I just didn't move fast enough this morning and would have missed an early morning call with Egham.

I cooked ground beef in a pan on the stove top and also roasted vegetables in an oven set at 400. My smoke detectors all went off simultaneously. It took them over a half-hour to recover. And then two began chirping, so I made an unexpected trip to the drugstore for those weird-sized batteries they require, which is necessary for no other object in my life. I suppose I should be glad that the chirping happened at a reasonable hour, about 6 PM on a Friday, rather than causing a midnight run to an all-night store.

Yeah, the chirping is maddening. Even worse is when the alarms are hard-wired, like at my client's, and you have to wait 2 weeks until the tech can get over there to sort things out. One of their goldens was reduced to shaking and hiding in the closet farthest away from the chirping.

I have an old Radio Shack alarm clock that is the only other thing that takes a 9V battery that I've found. And it plugs into the wall so requires a battery change about every 4-5 years.

Dagmar

When I come home from work and our dog is shivering in a corner, I know a smoke alarm needs new batteries.

This lab thing is such a mess. For starters, my tech is also my next door neighbor. Our townhouses share a wall; we have a shared backyard and front yard/driveway. I can't even talk about this to DH at home because she may overhear, I have to whisper.

I sent her a typed protocol for the care of these cells when this project first started. Apparently she took handwritten notes while watching me train her, wrote down the wrong % of a chemical, and kept following her own notes instead of referring to the protocol I sent. We use this typed protocol for all other procedures with these cells; I have no idea why she wouldn't have checked it for this specific item. It's only 3 pages, for heaven's sake. She has 13 years of lab tech experience; perhaps I overestimated her competence for that reason. I haven't hovered over her like I do for student techs. Ultimately, this is my responsibility.

So now I have a summer student (funded) starting in 1 WEEK whose project now doesn't exist, and a grant starting in July for this work also. I don't know what to do. These cell samples are from patients that present with a certain cancer and can't be duplicated. We only receive a few each month, and so it's taken a year to build this project to this point. It's likely a "start from scratch" situation. But that would mean giving grant money back and admitting failure/incompetence at this new job. I can't imagine a worse way to start.

This weekend was rough too, this cold was a bad one and I had to sit in a training about topics like child abuse and sexual abuse for 2 1/2 days while sweating, shivering, erupting in snot, etc. The silver lining is that the training was traumatic enough to push the work issue to the back of my mind briefly. But now it's Monday and I have to walk in there and face the music.

Thinking of you today, JayZeeJay as you face the music. I hope things can somehow be turned around-- at least somewhat....

JayZee What a tough situation!

Dagmar

Two questions: first, have you verified that all the tissue samples are indeed nonviable (miracles do occur occasionally)? And second, if they're not, any chance of collaborating with a colleague who has at least -some- samples of this type of cancer cell so that you can work on your first specific aim while you accumulate more of your own samples? In my own work, I've gone so far as to cold-call certain researchers who don't know me at all, because they published about a technique I'd like to replicate in my lab, or (most recently), who can assay a certain spinal fluid protein I'm interested in.

Tuesday morning at 156.4, despite bingeing on roasted unsalted nuts as I was putting away plates and packages from lunch.

I accepted that I can't solve everything that was unsolved even before I went on vacation for a week. But still ...

One of my direct reports called me yesterday asking to take a half-day because his depression was so bad. After we talked, he decided to keep working & see if he could do anything. I am torn between concern for him and worry over his undone work piling up and the people who will be angry about how long they've waited for our services.

Also, I talked with a former colleague who, two years before, moved over to the department where I hope to work. He got in some good slams against the dep't where I currently work. It was sort of a warning. And also a male territorial marking. It's definitely a harder job than the one I've already got. I would drop to a satisfactory performance rating, rather than exceptional. It won't solve everything, it will just be different.

149.6 this morning, so I didn't do too much damage last week. I need to share with you folks that I have finally found a swimwear company that makes swimwear that actually fits my boobs. It's called Bravissimo, and they specialize in swimwear for people with larger chests, hooray! I'm still tweaking what size I am, but I put on the first one I ordered (a bikini top that was on sale for $20) and even though it wasn't the perfect size it fit SO MUCH BETTER than any other swimsuit I have ever worn. Finally, something that is comfortable to walk around in and provides support! So anyway I recommend checking it out if you like to buy stuff online and have similar sizing problems as I do with swimwear.

I say I bought a bikini top, but I don't actually have the guts to wear a bikini with my belly in the shape it's in. It doesn't really matter though because since I had a melanoma removed a couple years ago, my dermatologist has recommended that I wear UV protection rashguard tops when out swimming. I bought a swim skort because I don't like having the tops of my thighs exposed, and then I'll just wear the bikini top under the rashguard, which is the size of a regular long-sleeved shirt, so my belly will be covered in any case.

I understand the feeling Jessica. I am 60 now but still very reluctant to go out in public in a swimsuit. I know no one is looking at me but I still feel uncomfortable and "fat" and less than perfect. The "perfect body" brainwashing that's gone on since I was a teenager lingers on.

Dagmar

Jessica-- could you maybe wear the bikini top with a mesh cover-up? I'm sure your tummy isn't nearly as bad as you imagine.

I completed my first day in my fitness challenge and am super sore today-- I did the workout for the challenge and then went to the gym and did body pump. My arms were jelly! And I'm mighty sore in lots of places-- but I like that soreness.... was hoping for a whoosh in the scale department but I'm up .6 instead. Oh well-- muscles may be retaining water. Today's plan after work is to do the workout and then bikram yoga, so hopefully I'll sweat out any retained water.

JZJ - I'm so sorry about the mess with the tech. That is horrible. I hope you can rebuild somehow.

Made it to the gym today and I am wiped out. I thought I did this same workout last week, but I think maybe I didn't use as heavy weights or something. I'm feeling pretty good about general fitness from all the weight lifting, and every time I've gone jogging I've been able to make it at least a mile and a half with no problem so I bet I could go farther. On the other hand, I went to the pool with the kids and swimming two laps made me feel like I was dying .

Michele, the bikini top is actually super cute, but I think I'll stick with the rashguard because then I don't have to use up so much sunscreen or worry as much about my skin. While it's not that likely that I'll have another melanoma, the chance of it is enough for me to be much more diligent about suncreen and hats and such.