Dr. Shellie

Yesterday one of the machine technicians was training me on a piece of equipment. He explained that we were required to buy various supplies of our own, and then commented that as a "lady," it might be hard for me to carry my supplies in a toolbox, thought that was recommended, because it looked kind of nerdy and might mess up my hair.

Which was sort of funny, on a number of levels, one of which was that carrying a toolbox in no way messes up your hair, and another of which is that whenever anyone used the term "lady," it is usually a bad sign. And thirdly, (ironically enough) the possibility of my hair getting messed up was (uncharacteristically) on my mind yesterday, because I just got a trendy new haircut and my hair now flops uncontrollably over one eye.

Anyway, I thought this remark deserved some sort of response, and the best I could come up with on the spur of the moment was, "Oh, I used to be a big nerd when I was doing my PhD, but now those days are over." This had sort of the desired effect, as he fell all over himself apologizing that he didn’t KNOW I had a PHD in Subject X from School Y and why didn’t I SAY that before as he would have gone much faster during the training and not thought he had to explain what a damped sine wave was. The other guy doing the training also turned out to be a postdoc and got a similar apology. You never know when that PhD is going to help you, do you?

Time to get a job.

The job I’ve wanted since I was 16.

I have read every book possible about how to get a job. Now I actually have to do it.

I missed the Thanksgiving meme that was going around, but let me pause a minute to tell you what I am thankful for. I am thankful for Sudden Apparitions of Way More Individuals of One Animal Species Than You Ever Thought Possible. See, as a long time city dweller, I tend to forget all about the existence of animals– at least, as anything other than a theme for stuffed toys and kids cartoons. I never had a dog or cat. Most of the time the only member of the Animal Kingdom I encounter is other humans.

And then. I happen to be walking around outside the Celestial Seasonings Tea Factory after a tour (say), when I see FIFTY-SIX PRAIRIE DOGS in five minutes. Crazy. All running around, with great energy, between their prairie-dog holes. Or I am looking out my sister’s backyard window, and there are FIVE DEER out there, a whole family, strolling along past the neighbor’s kids’ trampoline. And I am reminded that There Exist Animals, who all seem, just like us, to be very busy inded. Just today I went jogging in the park and saw about thirty of these small, brown birds I’d never seen before scampering away from passersby. But the craziest of all are the ground squirrels– who one week emerge from the ground and chase each other around maniacally trying to breed, and then disappear again for the rest of the year. In their mad rush, they don’t even bother to stay away from the joggers — they practically collide with your feet as you pass. Animals!