Differences between MA and UT

Many of you may be wondering how Massachusetts is different than Utah, well here are a few subtle differences:

- The roads in MA are pliable so they have groove indentations from tires

- All the milk here has caps that pop off instead of twisting off

- There are tons and tons of trees

- Steep hills but no moutains

- No skateboarders

- No '25 feet from the entrance of a state building' smoking law

- Fewer lanes and more traffic

- No turning lane...

- No concept of North, East, South or West

- More universities

- More pro-sports teams

- "Shaws" instead of "Smiths"

- Fewer country music stations, but more jazz stations

- Ice storms instead of inversions

- Everything is within an hour's drive

So Lauren and I recently enjoyed conference weekend...but had to watch over the internet, so we dragged our bed into the office to watch in there. Here's some pics:

She's always gone too long, anytime she goes away...

Well, I'm livin' the bachelor life once again. Lauren has gone to California for her friend Kimi's wedding (who traveled to our wedding in Logan, so it's only fair). Lauren will be in Utah the weekend of the 23rd and then back home on the 26th.

Lauren and I bought this camera this last week, so that should help us put some nice pics on here:



...and we also got this china hutch (the picture is not in our apartment...):



In other news...

- we've been toying with the idea of purchasing our own home, but it looks like we won't qualify for the first time homebuyer tax credit because we previously owned our mobile home in Logan.

- I had to toss the 4 million+ brain tumor cells I was growing this last week because they got contaminated...Yup, that means my last two weeks have been a total waste.

- I'm not too happy that my Red Sox lost their first two games to the Angels, but Lauren and her family (who attended the first game together in Anaheim) were pretty stoked about it.

The past events in MA.

Hey guys I am sorry that we are so bad about our blog... We finally took some pictures to show you guys how it is living out here and what we have been up too. But if you are on facebook you probably already seen most of them. Anyways on the news side of things, James started his first core class recently and is so glad that he only has to take one class, even if it was more difficult than what he is used to. He got a calling as a primary teacher and a scout leader (ironic i know). I also got a calling as achievement girls leader (which is taking a couple years off my life i am sure lol) and helping James' as a primary teacher. I have about 12 girls in my class and i am the only one there and James has at the most four boys in his scouts so i am extremely jealous! We recently Had some friends over and it was their little girls birthday so we celebrated. I made her a princess jasmine cake and she helped decorate it. James has been trying to teach Jon and Stacia (our friends)how to play Canasta.... He really wants another couple to play with! Play two player just isn't the same. Well anyways I am super excited to be coming out to Utah in October! It is coming up so fast!

We Love you all so much and of course we miss our family and friends like crazy!
-Lauren

10 years ago in Salt Lake City

The tornado hits in the last few seconds of the video...so unreal!

2%

Quick fact: The journal "Science" reported recently that only 2% of scientists regularly blog.

I suppose it's up to me to carry the banner. :P

Another sciencey note: I downloaded a free bibliography program this week called "Mendeley." I've never used this kind of software before, such as the $300 "EndNote" or "Papers" for mac. Nevertheless I was pretty blown away by the fact that this program can automa

tically read science journal papers that I download as PDFs, it can automatically figure out the authors, publishers etc. You can add notes and highlight the papers, organize them in folders, search them etc. But the best magic-like part for me was when I opened up Microsoft word and downloaded the plug-in for that so I could just drag and drop the name of the PDFs from Mendeley to word and it automatically created a perfectly formated Bibliography!!! And what's more is there was a drop down menu where if you selected a different format (APA, MLA or a journal specific format) all the bibliography entrances would auto adjust to the desired format!!!

Okay so this thing really isn't new and I'm sure most everyone has used this kind of thing before, but it was new to me...and having spent many many hours creating bibliographies as an undergraduate, this just blew me away.

I think I'm going to Boston, I think I'll start a new life..

I decided to redo the music playlist, so I hope that everyone enjoys the songs on there. At this point how could I not include "Boston," by Augustana?...especially considering the parts about a girl leaving California in search of cool summers and snow! All the other songs on the list I deeply enjoy. The band Muse has become a recent favorite because I think it's amazing to hear a post-punk rock group that has been heavily influenced by one of my favorite classical composers: Sergei Rachmaninoff (see their song "Space Dementia"). The true classical pieces on the list, the pavane and the cello concerto, are both songs I've performed before with an orchestra in the past. "Cabron" and "You Only Live Once" are just some fun songs that didn't get much radio time and as for "I'm Yours".....well, that one's for Lauren. I love that girl!

Lauren actually flew to California a few days ago and won't be back until my birthday on Aug. 10th. She is there to celebrate her father's birthday as a large family get-together in New Mexico.

I have been continuing to show up at lab...still haven't really done much. Mostly I've been going through my online scientific ethics course. In the last couple days, however, plans for a project on osteosarcoma (bone cancer?) cells has emerged. The plan is I will learn how to stain different proteins and DNA inside the cells with different antibodies or tags, then take their picture with a fluorescence microscope to try and see if the proteins and the DNA are near each other or not. Not too complex, but a great way to start learning the techniques. With the presentations I've been seeing and papers I've been reading lately, it is becoming clear that scientists are expected to become ameteur photographers. Good thing I enjoy that kind of stuff.

Heres a little example:

The First Week of my PhD...

Lauren and I are mostly settled into our apartment now. Last Sunday we watched the city fireworks from the stairwell window on the opposite side of the apartment and then the next day I began my PhD (Monday, July 6th 2009...a day to certainly be remembered in infamy!!!). Everything went pretty smoothly receiving a welcome meeting with the Dean and finishing paperwork. By lunchtime I met my summer-lab-rotation PI (principal investigator) who I'll be working with over the Summer.

I toured our lab, which was huge! It was an integrative group with 4 different PI's, two of whom are married and pull in the largest amount of cancer research funds for the university. My PI hadn't quite decided what my project should be and the technician I was supposed to shadow this week was on vacation....so....this week I've had some "freedom." Basically I've just been meeting people, organizing my lab bench and reading papers. I have learned a few things about cell culture this week: basically spray everything down with ethanol before and after you use it and while you're using it don't let anything touch anything else.

I'm hoping that I'll find a few more things to do this next week...but on the other hand, perhaps I should relish in this 'nothing to do' feeling which I do not anticipate to last...

- James

Pictures

UMASS!!!

So James and I finally got to Massachusetts and are totally in love with our new place! We have a stove that works and a shower that does not need pliers to use!! We have a kitchen, dinning area, front room, balcony, office, bedroom, and 1.5 baths. oh yea and a washer dyer! We live in a pretty good area with lots of Italian food, but unfortunately no Mexican food..... Literally NONE!! (Taco bell does not cut it!) Our new ward is so so so small! There are under 90 members, and it seems that me and James will never escape 9am church....Also the first thing people at church told us was "Hi my name is_____, this a triple calling ward" So we are sure to busy. James has already started school and I am trying to unpack the house and keep busy till I leave to California. But on the plus side we do have cable and internet now!


Oh you guys also have to check out our pictures! We have one of the cutest pictures of Morgan!

These are some pictures from my graduation. Utah State sure has been good to me and I'm really going to miss Logan.

FBBF Campout 2009

Well, that last slideshow worked pretty well, so we'll try again. This campout was a blast, I'm so glad I got to hang out with my friends again before our big move to MA. This was my first time shooting a shotgun. Yes I nailed some clay targets and yes my shoulder got bruised.

Our Trailer Home

I am trying to play around a bit with slideshows....so here's a test show with a few nice pictures of our trailer home while the flowers were blooming. Nothing better than springtime in a place that has a 6 to 7 month winter!

Human Stem Cell Research

Well, 

As of yesterday I sealed a lab rotation position for the summer.  In July, I'll join Dr. Jane Lian's lab to do research using human stem cells to treat disease.  I'll start out with a week or two of training in mammalian cell culture technique (like how to grow cells in jello without getting it infected with mold), then I'm not quite sure just what research I'll get into.  I do know the lab does work where they use mouse embryonic stem cells to treat mice that have broken bones.  At any rate, I'm really excited to get started and now I feel much less ennui heading into the next month of working full time at a call center where I call people to ask how satisfied they are with their financial advisors (most aren't very satisfied at all!!!).  

So yeah, the readers of this blog may have to endure a few months of gibberish about stem cell research until I finish that rotation in late August. :)

- James

Intro

This is a blog about the many crazy things that happen to me and Lauren...I hope you enjoy reading our posts as much as we'll enjoy sharing them with you!  

- James