SNOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ok, so it was really "snow flakes" ... about 10 of them ... Mother Nature brought them out special for Michael as he was trying to get the front brakes done on the Scout today. But, it was still pretty exciting. I am sure that on December 26th I'll be so sick of snow that I'll take to carrying a blow torch around the yard to get rid of as much of it as I can, but for now, it put a huge smile on my face. Again, I wasn't out side working on brakes, but even Michael was excited. Duke was stoked. He loves snow. The weiner dog... not so much. We took the dogs for their first ride in the Scout today, and I think that the weiner dog was actually trying to burrow under my outermost layers of skin. She is not ready for cold and yet she's about to get a hair cut. She keeps pooing on her fur and bringing her business back in the house with her... its disgusting. We've got a sweater back in Baltimore for her, but she never kept it on for more than about 20 seconds. I have a hunch she may be more agreeable as the temps drop here. The whole family needs new winter coats, including the dogs! I'd get them boots too if I thought they would keep them on. Duke probably would. He loves wearing clothes. Please don't ask me how I know that...

I love the Scout! Its going to be a perfect winter vehicle for me here. The thing drives like a tank, is even more solid that the mercedes was, and it makes you feel a bit invincible driving it. Good thing since I came within about a foot of hitting a dear the first time I drove it. While I'd love a NEW car as much as anyone, they really don't build them like they used to. It glides over these dirt roads like they are nothing, and it needs all of the things that a 32 year old vehicle is expected to need, but all but a few of them will wait for a restoration in the spring. And Michael says this international engine was built to last a million miles. I have a little over 900,000 to go if the odometer is right. Brakes are the highest priority. Michael got the front done today and will get to the back soon. It may be a LOT easier for him in a few days. We went to the tiny auto parts store in larimore today to get a part, and they have a huge shop space in the back for rent. The town is dying a bit and so the price is right (i.e. dirt cheap) if the lady was right about what her husband wants for it. We'll head in and talk to him tomorrow. Its big enough to pull the motorhome into to work on it this winter and anything else that we'd need. Plus, it has heat. :) It would allow him to keep doing all of the work on our vehicles and start a restoration project or two. There are no shortage of classic/vintage/really amazing vehicles sitting in peoples barns out here. I had no idea before I met Michael how much I love old cars, but apparently I do.

Anyway... back to the Scout. Brakes...and then four new winter tires and we'll be pretty good to go. Michael says it will need some exhaust work and a carb rebuild in the future. I'm just excited about the 4 wheel drive and the posi-traction rear end. (Do i sould like I know what all of that means? I don't actually know what posi-traction means, but i think its got it. :)).

Things are good with the lab. I've been busy trying to get the lab up and running. I made a HUGE mistake and placed a very large supply order at the beginning of September. Anything over a certain dollar amount has to go through purchasing and they did a competitive bidding process on all 34 line items. I am still waiting on the stuff, but they may have finally sorted out who gets to sell us what. A bit ridiculous since some of these were $5 items, but this is a state university, and since its one of the only states in the country operating in the black, I won't compain too hard about their penny pinching. Anyway, maybe by next week I'll get this first batch of supplies in! Then I will be able to really get to work. There are students rotating through now though and its pretty exciting for me. I'm working on recruiting a post-doc or a lab tech. I might just hire Michael for the job as he's been coming in with me and doing all of my cell culture anyway! He's gotten very good at it. My student contaminated his first bunch of cells, but Michael's have been consistently perfect. He tells me when i am being careless with cell culture now!

Getting the last of my research from Hopkins published has been a ridiculous nightmare, but I think we're about to resubmit the iPS story to Nature Medicine. Those of you who know how my last year there had been will understand when I say that 1500 miles does little to blunt a tyrant. It just gives them more room for their heads to swell and they take extra care to use a bigger, longer, sharper object to try and beat you down long distance. Am just trying to get through this and not burn any bridges. I've got bigger fish to fry anyway since its time to put my ideas to the test and see what kind of cash I can bring in to really jumpstart my research. I am just finishing my first online study section to review grants for the congressional lung cancer research program. It was a great experience as I am about to start submitting my own. It was a kind of Alice in Wonderland-esque experience to look at grants from the other side. Hopefully it'll help focus my writing.

We're hopefully heading back to Baltimore at the end of the month to finally get our stuff. It'll be nice to have a real bed again. Michael tells me we're going to have to brake down and get a TV to survive the winter. he's probably right, but I have kind of enjoyed not having one. (Shhhh... don't tell anyone.) I'm dreading the trip back and the move and the loading and unloading and unpacking and the whole nine yards. If I didn't have a bunch of sentimental stuff there, i would just leave it in a heart beat.

Ok, going to cut this short for the moment. I made swiss steak and mashed potatoes for dinner and both are about done. Hope it turned out....its late and we're hungry!