Heat it up

At a workplace like mine I'm not sure if I want to know what else people would be nuking in the absence of a "FOOD ONLY" sign.

I'm kind of glad that this microwave oven belongs to another lab.

Hazardous goods

How I treasure the bag I got from the Environmental Health & Safety Department at one of the introductory courses I attended during my first weeks at the Center! It sure is a treat to go grocery shopping with.

Working girl

All work and no play makes Fia a dull girl happy postdoc. There are so many things going on at work right now... And I love it! The sun might be beaming outside but I don't care; I'll just take my samples and enter the dark room, willingly anticipating another late night in the lab.

And honestly, I feel really - no, I mean really - lucky.

Meet my colleagues

A couple of weeks ago the employees in the Press Lab gathered for a quick photo shoot. The result can be viewed here. Scroll down to see individual pictures of my awesome colleagues.

Want to know more about our research? Read about it here. Want to support it? Find out how you can help here. Thanks!

Sulky Thursday haiku

Unpredicted gloom
Though delight should dry my path
My mind: two wet feet

Surprise, surprise!

Coming home to this after a lovely twelve-hour workday sure was unexpected! I was told that my apartment would be entered in search of a water leak, but this...? No warning, no nothing - just a fine layer of dust covering the floor and nearby furniture.

 I think I need to have a little chat with my landlord tomorrow...

Poison! Danger!

I love my job, but there are some aspects of it that I'm slightly less enthusiastic about. The radioactive ("hot") work doesn't bother me much because there are so many ways of controlling exposure and potential contamination, but messing around with pure poison is not my favourite kind of business.

COMBUSTIBLE, CAUSES IRRITATION. MAY BE FATAL IF SWALLOWED, INHALED, OR ABSORBED THROUGH SKIN. SHOCK SENSITIVE MATERIAL CAN BE AN EXPLOSION HAZARD. [...] EXCEPTIONAL HEALTH HAZARD. [...] FIRST AID: CALL A PHYSICIAN. [...] If not breathing, give artificial respiration. If breathing is difficult, give oxygen. Prompt action is essential.

No, I don't like unscrewing that lid.

A (small) sigh of relief

Quick update: I think I did well. Phew! I still have a mountain to climb before a second year in Seattle is secured, but this was a good start.

Thank you all for encouraging emails, text messages, and comments on this blog. That kind of support means a lot!

Hanging with the hotshots

Tomorrow (today, in Sweden) I'm having an appointment that may well be the most important one in my career, so far. Please direct some good vibrations and happy thoughts this way, to help me make a good impression on some really influential people. My future in Seattle may depend on it!

(And Sofia, you know what to do; I seriously need our shared brain tomorrow, so try to keep your deep thoughts to a minimum. Thanks!)

The opposite of effective

This morning I read a post about vegan banana bread at Green Kitchen Stories, an aesthetically appealing blog with vegetarian recipes that I recently found my way to. Although I'd love to try baking the bread sometime, what mainly captured my attention was the description of Swedish fika.

”Fika is the opposite of effective. You sit down, drink your coffee slowly and talk about anything. You can do it any time of the day and several times a day.”

Oh, how I miss fika! Not so much for the sweets as for the conversations and the giggles. Gossiping away over pot after pot of hot tea... I might just have to force this tradition upon my friends in Seattle, in the absence of Swedish volunteers.

(No, you may not leave the table; we've only been here for an hour! Have another cup of tea and SIT DOWN. There you go. Don't try anything or I will have to tie you up again. Another scone, dear?)

A bird in the hand...

...is worth two in the vegetables section. Hello Ducky!

River Deep – Mountain High

(Okay, not that deep... But cold!)

Taking a walk in North Bend after a lovely Easter dinner in a lovely home, with some truly lovely folks. Last Sunday sure was a fine day.

Photo by Isaac Price.

The essence of joy

Without the party hat, this guy would have looked rather sad.