The philosophy behind being a scientist...

Some folks often wonder what it's like being a scientist. Or how one becomes one. Or what we think about what it is that we do.
This article addresses many of those very things. And it's hysterical to-boot.
(Be warned: there are a couple of naughty words.)

If you ever wanted a little insight into my life and thoughts- I think this guy hits the nail on the head!
The article includes:

-The 12 "Actual, Somewhat Universal Rules of the Laboratory" and

-"A pledge -- a mantra -- that we should all repeat each time we feel ourselves succumbing to the pettiness and humanity of the Actual, Somewhat Universal Rules"

Here's the link:

http://sciencecareers.sciencemag.org/career_magazine/previous_issues/articles/2011_06_24/caredit.a1100059

One of the top 5 articles I've read this year, for sure.

Growin...

Well, having been here a year now, this year we decided to have a little of Oregon here in Tennessee and plant a garden.
Let me preface this by saying that our garden in Portland was awesome. Tomato plants taller than me. Literally. We had to prop them up with lumber. FOUR of them. Basil, peppers, lettuce, strawberries, chives, beans, cucumbers, rosemary, carrots.... and the list goes on. Lush as the day is long and lasted the whole summer. And we didn't even have to work at it. Just water and sunshine.

This year, we started our plants from seeds and had quite little greenhouse going: potatoes, 2 types of onions, different kinds of lettuce, bell peppers, carrots and ....tobacco. Yes, that's right. Mr. Powell insisted on growing tobacco. (And yes he wants to grow it, dry it and smoke it--- he can't wait, frankly.) He did his online research and found the type he wanted to grow- and can you believe that the seeds he ordered actually come from EUGENE, OREGON?! (Of course, we weren't surprised. Since we moved away, we are more and more convinced that ALL good things in life either come from- or have a connection to- Oregon. Intel? Oregon. Nike? Oregon. Tillamook cheese? Oregon. My husband? Oregon. Widmer and Henry Weinhard's beer? Oregon. Matt Groening, the creator of The Simpsons? Oregon. The birthplace of distance running? Oregon. My daughter? Oregon. Columbia Sportswear? Oregon..... but I digress.)

Anyways. Back to the garden.
Our little seedlings were growing leaps and bounds this spring. They were gorgeous and we knew we were headed for a full garden this summer. Brendon made some nice planters to transplant them into and did so.

And then pretty much everything died. D-E-A-D, dead. So sad. Our skills for growing plants in the hot and humid south leave a lot to be desired, apparently.

The basil, peppers and tobacco survived and what's doing the best? THE TOBACCO!!! Brendon is a PROUD papa. He is SO excited that his tobacco is doing so well. He's told these plants will get FOUR FEET tall. Oh, brother...

Here are a few pics of the survivors!

New member of the family!

Well, the Powells are excited to welcome a new member to the family!!!

What? You were disappointed to find out that it's not another baby??   

Awwww, c'mon! You know us better than that. 

What, in our minds, is ALMOST as good as another baby?  

ANOTHER COFFEE MAKER, our course!!

The Powells now have FIVE (count 'em 1-2-3-4-FIVE!) ways to brew coffee.  (Ok, Brendon insists that I say we have SIX, actually. If you count the brewing set-up we use when we go backpacking, then yes- we have six.)

Let me reacquaint you with our coffee family:

(Starting from the left)
1. French Press. Perfect for a rainy weekend day. (Of course, we get those less often now in the South.)
2. Espresso Machine. She was our go-to coffee maker nearly everyday in Portland- a couple of shots and some hot water and.... poof! Americano heaven. Gets a little less use now, as the water here in Nashville makes the shots taste funny.
3. Bialetti Moka Express Stovetop Espresso Maker. We were introduced to this way of making coffee a few years back... while the shots are very strong, when coupled with the right amount of water, a little sugary sweetness and a dash of cream, it can be the perfect treat.
4. Standard Electric Coffee Pot. This old gal (this particular machine is nearly 10 years old now!) has become our stand-by in Nashville.  For some reason the water here doesn't seem to bother her as much as the espresso.
5. (drum roll, please.....)  THE TODDY COLD BREW SYSTEM!!!  Born out of an absolute need for cold coffee once the normal daily temps were hitting 90 by 10am, Brendon did some research and found this little gem. She arrived today (thanks, Dr. Amazon.com for a quick delivery) and we set up our first cold brew.

The Toddy is a cold slow-drip system wherein you combine your grounds with cold water and let it steep for 12 hours, and then allow it to pass through a filter, generating a cold concentrate that you can add to cold water, milk, soy... whatever.  Basically a nice way to do iced coffee without getting the acidic effect you get if you just let your hot, drip coffee get cold and poured it over ice.  Want hot coffee instead? Not to worry! You can combo your concentrate with hot water and wah-lah! Hot coffee.

Also, how can you not immediately trust something that quotes "independent lab tests."   This is MY kind of coffee maker!!  WOOOO!!!

Of course, the jury's still out on the flavor and versatility of our new family member, but we will keep you updated.

 

Happy Father's Day!

Last weekend, we also celebrated Brendon's second father's day. It's been SUCH a joy watching Brendon be a wonderful father to Ev and to see their special relationship develop. It's interesting seeing how she's learning that we are different and she will react to us completely differently, even if we are doing/saying the same thing. So fun.  I caught a picture of them this year, which you'll see below,  is a HUGE improvement over last year... Ev's still not smiling, as I caught her before she was about to head to bed, but it's better. I guess there's always 2012...

Father's Day 2011

(Father's Day 2010)

Videos from Gatlinburg....

Ev liked to dance to the music...

Fun dancing with mom...

30th birthday.

Well, I got a little older last weekend. The past 30 years has actually been pretty cool, looking back.
I've lived in 5 states, traveled abroad a number of times, got married, ran a couple thousand miles, had a child and received a PhD. Oh! And the crowning achievement being not moving back into my parents house. Not too shabby for 10, 957 days. :-)

To celebrate, we went out with some friends of ours here in Nashville a couple of weekends ago. We went to City House, my favorite restaurant here in Nash. Great food and great times with some friends that have become close to us during our first year here. (Two of which we met our first day here! Ev and I were about an hour off the plane.) To cap off the birthday experience, this past weekend we took a trip to Gatlinburg, TN near the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and met up with friends for my 30th birthday. It turns out that the National Park is VERY lame, compared to those we love to frequent in the west, but being with close friends as I entered the next decade more than made up for it. Here's some pics of the festivities! Enjoy!

Ev and mom pre-dinner...

30!

Good friends.

Everyone at dinner!

My "30" dollar Brendon decorated to hang on the wall in the restaurant.... unfortunately, the stapler was broken.

The crew at Smoky Mountain Brewery

Ev and Kirst!

Eric. Being Eric. :-)

Three good lookin' doctors.

Who's the fine man?

Who's that other fine man?

View from the deck

Chantelle and breakfast. Classic.

Matty makin' the eggs. These two were made for each other.

A band we happened upon in Gatlinburg.

Ev and Matty.

The old woman... :-)

So much has happened...

Wow, where did the spring go! It seems like it was just March, I was starting a new job, Ev was figuring out the walking thing, Annie was a rookie post-doc and Khaya was a good old dog. Here it is getting into late June, I've been at work for nearly 4 months, Ev can not only walk but run and say a few words, Annie is in no way a rookie having been there over a year now and has had speaking appointments and awards given to her and Khaya is still a good dog but is able to run over 2 miles a few times a week.

Khaya: As good as ever with the patience of a saint, she has been making the transitions in our lifestyle quite well. We started to feel guilty about her decline in activity so we instituted the GOOBAR routine (get out of bed and run). I've been doing this at least twice a week in the mornings and she is up to running 2 miles without me dragging her and I think she'll be up to 4 within a month or 2. You all know she is one of the best dogs ever and she keeps proving it.

Evelyn: It is crazy to look back at pictures that were taken but only a few months ago and realize the changes that have taken place. Like I wrote above, in March she was barely taking a few steps and here she is now running around, going up and down steps, climbing things, getting up on crates or boxes, trying to jump...it is amazing how fast they gain skills. On top of that her communication is improving daily. Today we found her saying "nanna" for banana, Khaya for Khaya, duckie for her bath-time rubber duckie...and that is just today! She amazes us every day and her personality is becoming so complex and rich with every day that we can't wait to wake up to find out what the new day will bring.

Annie: She is now a 30 year old and proves that becoming 30 only proves how great 30 can be. Her work is proving successful due to her diligence and hard work. She busts her tail at work and still is able to make time for herself, Evelyn and me. Her marathon training is going good, she's on track and is excited for the fall trip to San Francisco to run with her girlfriends at the Nike Womens Marathon. Speaking of 30, we raised a glass on the special occasion in Gatlinberg, TN this last weekend. We rented a cabin and our friends from Portland who are now in Durham, NC drove over to meet us. We had a great weekend and Annie was thrilled to take in the early 30's with friends and a cool and relaxing setting. Even the black bears came out to say "happy birthday" to her.

Me: I'm having a blast at my job. I am challenged every day to learn more about the products I represent, the logistics of wine and spirits distribution, marketing, negotiating and selling. Many people ask me why I gave up woodworking and I give the simple answer that I haven't, I can still do woodwork any time I want to, I just continued in the business side which is where I needed to grow and be challenged. It really has been fun! Aside from this, I've been keeping up with running and have been working with wood in the garage (currently a buffet project).

We were also fortunate to have Annie's mom and step-dad join us here in Nashville for a week in May. It was great to see them and even more so to see them interact with Evelyn. It is an amazing bond that occurs between grandparents and grandkids. While they were here we took in some touristy sites, got some hiking in, plenty of good eating and a taste of the "humid south". Annie and I were also able to take advantage of the Montana babysitters and catch a date, it was wonderful!

Up next is a trip to Oregon for my niece's wedding. We are going out in July and haven't been to Oregon since last October. We are looking forward to a week with family, friends and the Oregon we love and miss. Please say prayers as we fly across the country with our 17-month older mover and shaker who will be more or less confined to our laps for 8 hours...we are scared!