last monday i went down to the nih in bethesda, maryland to take a four day flow cytometry class. i had mixed feelings about going to begin with, but was really apprehensive about going when i found out i'd be going with my boss's wife who is an assistant professor at the university. firstly, i had never been away from erik overnight before, and was really sad about leaving him for nearly five whole days. secondly, i barely knew the woman with whom i would be traveling and i had no idea what it would be like spending that much time (including sharing a hotel room) with her. there were a whole slew of other reasons, but i don't even remember at this point. it's in the past, and it all turned out just fine. peter and erik missed me (i think!), but they did just fine. my mom helped out A LOT by picking erik up from daycare on wednesday and thursday and making sure both my guys had a decent meal and some company on those two evenings. as for me, well, i got by. it wasn't the best week of my life, but i did learn a decent amount while i was there and made it home safe and sound, and early enough to pick up erik from school on friday afternoon (in the snow!).
the first two nights we stayed at the travel lodge in silver spring, md and actually had our own rooms. the motel was pretty icky, smelled nasty, and was COLD, but it was only two nights. on tuesday evening, i walked down to a movie theater in downtown silver spring and saw 'zack and miri make a porno.' i almost never get to the movies and i thoroughly enjoyed it. there were only 4 other people in the theater with me and we were all laughing out asses off. the humor was very crude and juvenile ... just the way i like it! :D when i got back to my room, i was bored and took some pictures of my eye:
the flow cytometry class was just ok. it was taught by people who were predominantly immunologists, so it seemed mostly geared towards applications that i wasn't going to be using. but i did learn something, and i got out of town for the week. the coolest part was that the class took place in a very old building that was once a cloister for a group of nuns that were self sufficient and lived completely secluded from the outside world. the building was really cool, and the grounds were beautiful.
on wednesday night we moved to the hyatt in bethesda which was gorgeous and paradise compared to the travel lodge. it smelled good, the beds were comfortable, and the bathroom was great with lots of marble and nice shampoo. i spent a lot of time walking around in the cold in bethesda which was actually really pretty. i tried to turn in early, but was thwarted by my roomie who came in late and had lots of work to do and suffers from insomnia. so be it. i tried coffee in the morning to help wake up, but it just made me feel jittery and weird. i won't be drinking coffee again anytime soon.
the best part of my trip by far was thursday night. my brother scott and his friend rebecca met me at my hotel and took me into d.c. for the evening. we had a really yummy dinner and spent a lot of time walking around and seeing some of the monuments and memorials. i'm sure they could have thought of 100 things that they would rather do, but since i so rarely go down there, it was really awesome for me and i had so much fun. rebecca is SUPER COOL and we had a great time goofing around and being generally silly. i hope we can hang out again sometime soon! scott explained string theory to us, but we didn't find a situation in which we could apply our new knowledge. maybe next time.
scott and i with the washington monument in the background:
scott and rebecca:
some photos of the washington monument:
my favorite part was seeing the wwII memorial which i hadn't seen before:
we stopped for drinks at a really cool bar:
and took the metro back to bethesda:
while i was in maryland, i found out that i won 2nd place in a photo contest called snapshot 250, a project by the art institute of pittsburgh for pittsburgh's 250th anniversary. i heard about it many months ago and submitted a few photos, not realizing that it was a contest. i just wanted the opportunity to share my experience with other pittsburghers. 250 photos were selected for an installation at the steel plaza T station downtown, and at least four of mine are on display there. i was out of town for the unveiling on thursday, but i went down to check it out today and snapped some photos of my photos. they contacted me to let me know that one of the photos i posted won second place. i was super excited! then they asked for my address to send me my prize and it was $200! i am so surprised and grateful that my art made such an impression and will be on display in the coming months for many to see. pittsburgh is truly a unique place to live, and 2008 has been especially amazing for all of the activities scheduled for its 250th birthday celebration! here are some pictures of the snapshot 250 installation:
and last but not least, i PASSED THE WRITTEN PART OF MY COMPS!!! i found out on friday evening when i got home from maryland and it is a HUGE relief! my oral exam will be coming up in the next few weeks, so i best start preparing for it. hell yeah!
as for this week, tomorrow is my 7th wedding anniversary! we don't really have anything planned, but will probably go out and have a nice dinner together at a fairly kid-friendly place since erik will be coming with us. we're planning on going to a hockey game soon as our present to each other once we find a good game and get tickets. i am also looking forward to spending thanksgiving with my family. my mom, peter, erik, and i will be going to my brother adam's house for the holiday. it should be a lot of fun! we always have a good time with them!
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