I am spoiled and I love it!

3 more days until I leave for San Diego. Because we are the spoiled grad students we are this is where The Fraizer lab and me (their adopted grad student) are staying

http://www.omnihotels.com/FindAHotel/SanDiego/Photos.aspx

Pool, hot tub, view of the bay, outdoor fireplace for dining!!!!! I can't concentrate on work now!!!!!!!!!!! San Diego and L.A. here I come!!!!!!!!!!!

Front Page News

Today my boss, Dr. Caudle, walks into my office and hands me a little magazine. I notice on the front page its his paper on his Cholera toxin-substanceP conjugation studies. I proceed to look down and there is my immunohistochemistry image of the spinal cord I did for that paper. Front and Center baby!!!!!! I was excited:) Yay Science!!!!

Shelby Neurons!

Yay new pictures of the neurons I am studying!!!! Fluorogold labled neurons with nuclear stain DAPI

Refresh!

new blogger design...I feel better:)

words

"I adore the true, the possible” -Vincent van Gogh

my new mantra...

Yippie!!!!!!

Just in case you didn't know already I PASSED MY QUALIFYING EXAM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! yay to no more posts about that topic:)

On to better things!!! Beth came down last weekend and surprised me:) What a celebration it was:) We consumed much wine and went to the spa!!!! It was a perfect celebration weekend.

Things to look foward to:

1. resubmitting my paper (this is questionable on the "looking foward" part)
2. SFN in San Diego and my first visit to L.A.!!!! watch out Orlando Bloom, I am coming for you!!!!
3. resuming experiments...behavior testing next *woo woo*

Hello world! Super Sexy Scientist Shelby is back!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

Countdown: 14days

Tomorrow with be exactly 2 weeks to my Qual exam!!!! so shouldn't I be studying and not writing in my blog? perhaps...but what fun would that be...I'm going to go dance to some modest mouse, sing along to smashing pumpkins, and then study!

How time flies!

Ok so I can't even remember that last time I posted anything. Funny thing is, not much has changed since my last post. Perhaps a good thing or perhaps not? Does it matter? probably not.

Anywho, by the end of the week (holds breath) I should finally nail down a date for my qualifying exam *keeping fingers and toes crossed* Not that I am super excited to take it but this has been dragging on way to long. The stress of the exam has caused me to stress about other things in my life that I don't need to stress about (i.e. money, my car, how I need a vacation, is this what I really want?, etc. etc.) I have talked to many of Ph.D folks who have told me this amount of stress is perfectly normal! Now what kind of crazy statement is that?! no amount of stress should be normal but I guess for this point in my life it is. So said "Ph.D" folk have also told me this is my "right of passage" blah blah blah So I am taking things one day at a time.

In other news I have been planning some vacations in the near future, hopefully. Given that I LOVE to plan and be everyones social coordinator it has given me some much needed "non-science" time. Trip #1 its a surprise and I am not allowed to post it b/c I don't know who reads these things. Trip #2 New Years Eve trip to the beach house with my dearest of friends (Beth, Matt, Warren, Andy, and of course, Ben). Trip #3 Pittsburgh in the spring? this is a maybe. Trip #4 COSTA RICA IN JUNE!!!!! this one I am totally excited about and I hope it acutally happens b/c the boys ALWAYS talk about costa rica and I figure its about time I actually go so I can understand what they are talking about:) So this is what I have lined up...of course this all takes money, which I have none! so we'll see how it all works out...its safe to say Trip #1 and Trip #2 are definatly going to happen.

So that is that..not much to report except that its hotter then hell outside. Yay for heat advisories!!!!

Update: qualifying exam and such

Ok time for a little update:

1. my first rough draft of the written part of my qualifying exam is done! (I'm sure it will come back bleeding from all the red editing marks my boss is going to make)

2. Its been ~3 weeks since I've submitted my paper; no news is good news? lets hope

3. My brand spankin'new protocal is approved so animal work can resume again!

4. The humidity level in florida matches my stress level: yep both at 100%!!!!

5. I have not had a good nights rest in ~3 weeks (see above for explination)

6. I have made some awesome dinners lately and I have found that cooking a good meal helps calm me down; you learn something new about yourself all the time:)

I think that's about it...nothing much other then school and lab is occupying my entire life right now! I am however in good spirits considering the things that have been going on (see above). I have found that as I become older I can manage my stress a little better or at least hide it better:) Possibly only 1 month of this craziness left *keeping fingers crossed*

Oh the life of a grad student....

my breakfast this morning:

2 ibuprofen
1 vitamin C tablet 250mg
1 Diet Coke

This is what writing your proposal for your qualifying exam does to you!

Chaka!

I have had my love chaka for one year now:) So to celebrate, here are some cute pics of her:)

All day I dream of.....

FRENCH FRIES!!!!!!!!!!

I have been eating so healthy lately:
1 cup cereal for breakfast or a smoothie
2 cups of cereal for lunch + fruit + veggie
granola for a snack
Some sort of healthy dinner consisting of chicken, pork, or fish

And all I can think of is eating french fries!!!!! yummy, yummy french fries...or TOTS!!!!!!!!!!

I think I need more salt in my diet;)

Welcome Back Smashing Pumpkins...How I've missed you so!

There is nothing like good friends!

Thank you ladies for an awesome weekend! This picture says it all: There is nothing like good friends, good food, and good wine! You girls are the best! I can't wait for next year!!!!! even if we have to lose another camera to the great open sea;) *ploop*

Pardon me!

So my "future husband" (yes jen mine!) said it best:

A decade ago, I never thought I would be
At twenty-three on the verge of spontaneous combustion Woe is me
But I guess that it comes with the territory
An ominous landscape of never-ending calamity
I need you to hear, I need you to see
That I have had all I can take
And exploding seems like a definite possibility to me.


Stress level is at a 10, Code orange, everyone please exit the building;) At least I'll be at the beach in 3 days, a new tattoo in 2, and beth will be here in 1!!!! woooohooooooooooooooo!!!!!

And so it begins...

Tropical storm Andrea is the first storm of the season. Hurricane season seems to get started right when I forget these things are part of living in florida. I plan to have my quals in Aug and I know Karma will come a calling and there will be a HUGE hurricane heading our way...just you wait and see!

P.S. I will be posting my DC pics later today!

thought of the day

We imagine that waking-life is real and that dream-life is unreal, but there does not seem to be any evidence for this belief. Chuang Tzu, in the third century B.C., put it in an amusing way; having dreamed that he was a butterfly flitting from flower to flower, he stated that he was now wondering whether he was then a man dreaming he was a butterfly or whether he was now a butterfly dreaming he was a man. - Wei Wu Wei "Fingers Pointing Toward the Moon"

Support public radio

In the past 3yrs I have been listening to public radio. In the past year I have taken it upon myself to actually start supporting public radio. Earlier this spring I attend the local public NPR radio station WUFT by attending their wine and food tasting. Starting this week, WUFT began their spring campaign. I decided that I would support them and pledged some money. In return I get this super cool mug. Perfect for my tea at work!!!!! I hope everyone supports their local public radio station.

A little laughter never hurt anyone

in other news: beth and I are finally going to get our tattoo's when she comes to visit me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm a "little" excited;)

the dreaded scale...

Since my awful bathing suit incident I have not got onto the scale. However, today I decided that I was not going to fear the scale any longer. Much to my surprise I have lost 4lbs since I began my crazy exercise training. I have also lost 1/2 inch on my waist and hip measurements. Therefore, I decided to try my bathing suit on, again. The result, it did fit better but still not as well as I need it too. Therefore, I am on track for my goal...I will fit into this bathing suit for the beach trip!!!!

So a few times in the last few weeks I've been wondering...what is it about a bathing suit that makes us girls do crazy things to fit into it?! My answer, because when one looks good in a bathing suit it makes you feel sexy! and honestly, who doesn't want to feel sexy and FABULOUS!!!!!

Arizona

The whole family was present for my grandma's memorial service in Arizona. When I say all I mean: my mom's 4 sister's and their spouses plus their kids (8 total) and then two of my cousins brought their significant others which brings us to a grand total of 19 total people w/ my grandpa! This was the first time we were all in one place in 13 years!!! Although it wasn't the best of circumstances it's always nice to be in the company of family:)

This album is powered by BubbleShare - Add to my blog

Fabulous!

Nothing can stop me from wearing cute shoes, not even a blizzard delivering 6in of snow:) Fabulous!!!!!

Savannah, here we come!

Beth and I are meeting up in Savannah this weekend for much needed "shelby and beth" time:) When translated means: shopping (shoes perhaps?), food, more shopping, oh and maybe some martini's ;) Savannah is home to Paula Dean's restaurant and if you don't now of her cooking its Southern cookin' to the max which equals lots of BUTTER!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Paula Dean, watch out!, Beth and Shelby are comin' to town!

My Grandma

My Grandma left this beautiful world yesterday afternoon. Its funny how you think that someone is going to be there through all the important times in your life and the one day you get "that" phone call.

I send all the people who I love so dearly a huge "shelby" hug!

Ohio State = Gator bait (again!)

March Madness, FOR REAL!

First things first, GO GATORS!!!!!!!! but I'll get to that in a minute:)

In cooking news, I have upgraded my 4yr old Publix's chef's knife to a J.A. Henckels 7in Santoku-Granton Edge knife! and yes I have come all to close to cutting a finger off (I'm missing a bit of my thumb nail to prove it). The knife is wonderful! It has cut (no pun intended, sort of) my cooking prep time in almost half! I love it!


In shoe news, there has been a debate on how many shoes I really do have. I recently got a shoe organizer that allowed me to address this very sensitive topic. I in fact have 36 pairs of shoes! Just for the record, that is 8 more then I had this time last year. And lucky number 36 is these lovely shoes that I got for $15!!!!!


In exercise news, I have started a new exercise routine, per se. Mon., Wed., and Friday I wake up at 6am to run 2mi, followed my some push-up and sit-ups, ended with a nice 20min walk on the treadmill. Sunday, I go to the gym and walk for 30min, run 2mi, and ride the bike for 30min. Yes, I'm still going to Yoga and climbing! Why am I so crazy, well its bathing suit season and well the bathing suit I got was a little small:( very traumatic but it has help me set a goal and keep with my crazy exercising and eating well:)

And now the pics of the Florida vs Oregon game! As most people know, Ben is a crazy oregon fan and well I am a GATOR! Oregon met Florida in the elite 8 of the NCAA tournament. Both very good teams that play much in the same way. There's no one star but the whole team plays as if it were a group effort. Thus, the game was very close up until the last 2min when Florida pulled ahead and Oregon just couldn't catch up. Here's some pics of the party:) and yes, I did make orange/blue and yellow/green cookies (I have become susie homemaker)
This album is powered by BubbleShare - Add to my blog

Oh Danny boy!

I just got back from my visit in Pittsburgh w/ Ben, Andy, Warren, Colin, Jamie, Brett and the whole pittsburgh gang! Warren had all of us stay at his house in the lovely neighborhood of greenfield! When I left florida it was about 65 degrees with a forcast of 80 for the whole weekend; when I landed in Pittsburgh it was a frigid 30 degrees and snowing. The vacation started out with us "forcing" warren to buy a brand new 32 inch flat panel tv so we could watch March Madness;) A trip to the beer store was in order and then the 28-inch pizza...yes, we do it big in Pittsburgh;) Then the arrival of 50 pink flamingo's in warren's front yard (punishment for lieing to ben and I during our visit in sept) We then got to meet Warren's girlfriend Erin, who was totally awesome!!!! Friday it snowed alllllllll day long!!!!! Apprently, we were in the middle of a snowstorm moving through the northeast. So there we were two floridians and a bunch of people from cali stuck in the snow:) we all hung out, got breakfast at Alana's down the street, and then went to the symphony at the magnificent Heinz hall. Heinz all was orginally a hotel, then a movie house, and then in 1971 turned into the home turf of the wonderful Pittsburgh Symphony. The symphony was awesome dispite my error in bringing my cute opened toed shoes. We then picked up more beer (there is a theme here) and watched super troopers (Erin's first experiance w/ the boys). After a 12 pack of beer and a mini-keg we all hit the sack and got some much needed rest before St. Patricks day. Warren woke us up at 8am (too damn early) to go to Jenny's house for Irish breakfast. However, he only succeded getting Ben, Erin, and I up for the adventure. After breakfast our adventure began, we "walked" to the parade (3mi from jenny's house) in 28 degree weather after being promised we were taking the bus. We got to the parade with thousands of drunk irish folk just in time to see Erin and her family in the parade. We then went back to the house to warm up, go get warren a tattoo (which didn't work out), watch some b-ball, and make our way to dinner at an Euthopian resteraunt. I have never been to an Euthopian resteraunt so I was a little timid at first but once I walked in and smelled the delighful aromas I knew this was going to be an excellent dinner. I tasted much like Indian food with lots of spice however, the entire meal was eaten without utensils (my kind of dinner) oh and we got to bring our own wine. 4 bottles of wine later we trecked back out into the cold to get ready for Warren's St. Patrick's day party. After a lovley conversation with Beth, the beer was a flowing, and JT was on the stereo (its amazing how 4 nagging girls can accompolish this in a room full of boys) We danced the night away with beer and whisky, like the good Irish people we are;) The next day we were all on our plane back home:( I had such an awesome time!!!! I LOVE YOU PITTSBURGH!!!!

This album is powered by BubbleShare - Add to my blog

more photos of the party: http://picasaweb.google.com/leonardo.reyes.gonzalez/EPPSaintPatrickDayMarch172007Hidden?authkey=vD45laTJrV0

Sometimes the truth hurts

mmmm hmmmm....

that is all;)

Day O'Shelby

The past two days I have not been feeling well due to the yellow pollen falling from the sky. I had a hair appointment this morning and nothing makes me feel better like getting pampered:) Then I went to the eye doctor to get new contacts, glasses, and an annual eye exam. So new hair, new eyes, and now I'm feeling better:) I'm excited about getting new glasses and this time I will make sure they don't look like Matt's so another "drunken" incident doesn't result in my glasses getting streched out:)

One week from today I will be in Pittsburgh!!!! Yay!!! a mini-vacation!!!!!! I due believe this vacation will also make me feel better since I've been a little overwhelmed since coming back from the holidays.

So a little pampering, a vacation to look foward too, and sunny 70 degree weather have made this day oh so wonderful! yay for the day o'Shelby:)

side note: my quals are scheduled for early august...and I'm not talking about it!!!

Blood Diamond

This movie was excellent!!!!!!!!!!!! I have been lucky to see a run of excellent movies: the departed, good shepard, Babel,Pan's Labyrinth, and most recently Blood Diamond. I must say leo did look hot in just a towel!!!! but that took a back seat to the wonderful screenplay and cinematography. The sad part of it is that its based on a true story and events that took place with in the last 8 yrs or so. I was appalled to realize that I had never even heard of the diamond trade and the war it caused in Africa until now! What does this say about american journalisim? (one of the points of the movie). Is it worse then what it was 8yrs ago? All I have to say is that I never want to own a diamond! (not that its any different then my former view on diamonds but now I have an even better reason not to own one)

All I have to say is: Go see this movie!!!!!

brrrrrrr its cold!

Ok I know I have no right to complain considering that the rest of the country is way colder but.....IT WAS 34 DEGREES OUT WHEN I WALKED TO SCHOOL THIS MORNING!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Yes, I have adapted to the Floridian life style, and yes this was cold considering last wed it was sunny and 65 out!!!! What is up with this weather!!!!!!!!!!! I live in Florida for a reason, for it to be warm and sunny!!!

Anyway:

After a long stand off, my blogger was finally updated by the good people at google.....

Saturday night Ben and I made the best dinner EVER! Menu: peppercorn spice rubbed filet mignon, wild mushroom risotto, arugala citrus salad, and Italian Proseco which is an italian champagne!!!!! mmmmmmmm yummy! I think its time to quit this grad school thing and become a cook:)

Climbing at HP40, AL

This past weekend Ben, April, Mark, and I went climbing at Horse Pens 40, Alabama. We headed out friday evening despite the weather reports saying the high would be 40F. We stopped off at Beth's house for the night and woke up early in the morning to go climbing. And yes, it was only 25F out at this point in time. A short 2h drive later we jumped out into the frigid weather to start our day of climbing. Horse Pens 40 is a 120acre boulder field on top of a mountain. It used to be used by the cherokee indians for shelter and food storage. During the civil war the confederate army used it for food storage as well. The land was then bought and is now used for blugrass music festivals as well as climbing. It was such a beautiful place and the rocks were so awesome! Not one was the same! My first couple of climbs did not turn out so well but then I decided, with marks help, to climb this 20ft boulder. It took 3 attempts but I finally topped out...I was sooooooo excited! My first succesful bouldering climb!!!! Everyone climbed well, we all have a "little" less skin on our hands, and no one got hurt! I can't wait to go again:)


This album is powered by
BubbleShare
- Add to my blog

Pictures Galore

Ok Yes I know that I have been quite lazy on updating my blogger...but here we go....

For New Years this year I went to Eugene, Oregon to stay with Ben and his mom. Andy, his girlfriend lynn, and Warren all came for the visit too:) After a few cups of warm tea and hot chocolate the craziness began! First Ben, his mom, Andy, and I went to an Oregon Ducks game (ben's attempt to convert me from a gator to a duck; it didn't work). The game was super fun and the b-ball stadium was a ton of fun! Definatly diffferent then a gators game:)

The next day, warren arrived just in time for us to go to the Beir Stein!!!!! Oh sooooooooooo much beer!!!!!




The following day we went Snowboarding at Willamate Pass, OR. It was a ton of fun!!!! While ben was taking his lesson, I taught Warren how to snowboard west coast style:) Everyone did great and no one go "too" hurt;) how I wish we had a hot tub!!!!



This album is powered by
BubbleShare
- Add to my blog


New years Eve came along and we started the day off with some Mimosa's and a good breakfast. We chilled during the day watching movies and trying to keep warm:) Ben and I made a ton of appitizers and then the dinner: champagne shrimp with onion risotto!!! very yummy....We were stocked up on wine and champagne so I will let the pictures speak for themselves however, they do not do the evening justice:)


This album is powered by
BubbleShare
- Add to my blog


Andy and Lynn left on the 1st:( and then warren left on the 2nd:( Ben and I left for the coast on the 2nd since I wanted to see what the "other side of the world" looked like:) We hiked up 2mi to a top of a mountain where the best look out point was. I say best meaning on a nice sunny day, but in good old fasion Oregon style, it was cloudly cold and rainy!!! still a very beautiful place and not even a 2mi run down the mountain in the rain could have ruined it (don't ever try running down a mountain in the rain...its not good for anyones health;) hehehehe but we had fun)


This album is powered by
BubbleShare
- Add to my blog

Does this look like a bomb?!

seriously, did this really happen yesterday?!
http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/01/31/boston.bombscare/index.html

Oh how I know the feeling....

My life for the past 2mths;)

The summer of Shelby!

Ok yes, I have been a little lazy about blogging lately but I have been SUPER busy with this thing called grad school...don't know if you've heard of it?! Anyways, here's a MINI update:

1. had my first committee meeting on friday and it went fabulous-I couldn't ask for a better committee!
2. went back to the ATL for Zoe's b-day this weekend and had a ton of fun
3. Still finishing up my lab paper but it should be done soon in the near future-this month *keeping fingers crossed*

I will be adding pics from new years and the like, I will be updating the look of this wonderful blog of mine, and this week I "should" have time for all of this;)

Back from Vacation!

I am back from my wonderful vacation....I am refreshed and ready to take on the world! ok maybe not that refreshed but enough to get me through the next month! Many stories and many pictures soon to come! ( i have to load my new pic software for my NEW camera) I thought about putting up a pic from new years as a preview of what is to come but I think I will make you wait! hehehehehehehe

happy new year everyone!!!!!!!!!!!!