A busy week

I'm kind of worn out right now.

(I can tell: if you are cursing at lamp set-ups or empty beakers at 7:15 am because they "won't" do what you want them to do, that means you're worn out).

I have to go out this afternoon and collect the fall sample of the soil invertebrates. Even though we've had essentially no rain, I still need to do this. I don't plan on finding much, but I have to verify that. (Which is why I had to set up the lamps and beakers this morning - so everything would be ready to put the soil in when I drag back in at 4 pm or whenever). I had to set up in a different spot - the usual area I use is being used by my grad student, for what is (hopefully) her last run of experiments before she writes her thesis.

So now I'm off to the Animal Use and Care Facility, which really isn't used much for animals. (One of my colleagues is going to do a food-choice trial with channel catfish later this month, I guess, but that's in a different room.) The Animal Use and Care Facility is slightly spooky - it's on a different air handling system (the plan was, I guess, people could even raise Plague Rats in there without putting the rest of us at risk...though given how things work in this building, I'm glad no one did). It's behind several heavy doors, any of which look like they could lock you in. (I didn't check to see if there was a phone in the facility. I probably should have).

I'm also a bit apprehensive because one person who has used the facility in the past is also one person who has complained about the fact that I have - gasp - brought SOIL into the building to do research on. And I'm having to bring soil into the facility. So I think my mood was affected by the fact that I was trying to have to figure out soil-containment procedures to minimize sweeping at the end (setting each Berlese funnel setup in a deep plastic tray, which makes the likelihood I will knock one over at a bad time that much greater). Also I have to haul everything I need into that room because it's empty of supplies.

If the person complains, I will bring my dang Shark Steamer from home and use it to steam clean and sterilize the room after I'm done. And I will do it very OBVIOUSLY and with MANY COMMENTS as to what I am doing.

So anyway. Already this week I had CWF meeting, elders and Board meeting, I helped my CWF group feed one of the campus church groups' students lunch, I worked some on the summer research that I really have to get whipped into shape if I'm going to submit it for presentation at the end of this month...



I'm really hoping my friend gets back to me about what day she'd like to meet for lunch. I think I really need a day out right now. (I'm trying not to go all pessimistic - I'm not a fan of Eeyore solely because I like the color blue - and think she hasn't gotten back to me because she's going to be too busy after all).

I do get a little break tomorrow. The minister's wife is trying to establish a once-monthly Saturday morning "meet and do craft" group. This is something I've looked for for a long time. There's a quilt guild in town, but since they meet on Wednesday afternoons, pretty much anyone who works for a living is closed out.

But a Saturday morning group I could do. (I actually lobbied, when she was looking for suggestions of times, AGAINST a weeknight. Because, as I said: "I have so many things I HAVE to be at in the evenings, that I'd be less likely to go out for something 'just for fun.'" Several of the women - especially the mothers of young children - agreed with me). (They are planning on having childcare if anyone comes with children)

They're going to have a different person provide a light breakfast (she suggested something like muffins and fruit) each month, and they're going to have a short devotional, and then people can work on what they brought, or some months we may recruit someone to teach or demonstrate a craft. (I may well wind up getting tapped to teach knitting, if this takes off. I am fine with that.)

I hope enough people attend to make it viable. This is something I feel like I need. I've talked it up to a few people and I hope they come.

I also didn't mention - but probably should have - that if anyone knits or crochets and has yarn in a hank that needs to be made into a ball, I could bring my swift and ball winder. I may mention that at the meeting this month...I could always run home if I needed to (I live four blocks from church), or I could bring them the following month. Or even just have the person drop by my house some afternoon and I could set them up for them to use.