I finally got some vacation photos edited and uploaded this weekend. Cross-posted to facebook, which means, help us all, my dad may show up in flickr comments.

The central dogma - DNA is transcribed into RNA is translated into protein, this is the flow of information in a cell and that is what will be on the test - is a convenient lie told in high school and freshman biology to simplify the complex:

( It's diagram time! )

In biochem 3 the prof drew the central dogma on the board and proceeded to break it. I don't have the full diagram any more, but I think there was more stuff on it. I'm not going through my entire notebook reconstructing it, but I'm kind of tempted, because it was pretty cool.

I'm way behind my f-list, and may not catch up tonight, or before this weekend, but know that's it's in a good cause: I have vacuumed my room and retyped my class notes. Trip pictures and summary to follow sometime this weekend, maybe? I hear there's a thing on the mall I may want to attend. The very short version: I had a great time, did museum time and outside time, got slightly sunburned twice, saw my sister, and accidentally drove up Russian Hill in the dark. I had an adventure! Now I'm locked into adventures with genetics until the end of the semester.

What could possibly be more beautiful than driving down freeway 80 at sunset, clouds piling and breaking against San Francisco's hills and a lemon-yellow sky? Only driving back up the 80 toward those same hills, black against black, sodium-lit streets climbing toward the heavens, with your sister demanding "Life in Technicolor" for a soundtrack. This vacation thing is awesome.

It looks like LJ skipped checking feeds for a day or three there, but the only thing I really needed to know was the SIGG water bottle flap. Short version: animal studies indicate BPA is on the "Bad chemical! Consumer panic!" list, everyone ditches their polycarbonate BPA-leaching water bottles for metal SIGG bottles, several years later SIGG mentions their bottles have BPA in the lining, so SIGG says it doesn't count. Outraged bloggers express outrage about this interpretation. I'm going to take mine to Whole Foods - the other betrayer of the left - and try to make them replace it, since mine is something like two years old and has huge dents from the innumerable times I've dropped it. I'm not going to get pissy, but you know, I've dropped that bottle so many times it's got interior denting. That sort of makes me question the integrity of a "safe" lining, but not enough to make me stop using it this weekend.

Tomorrow: sibling chill time, gigantic East Bay shenanigans (I'm debating flaking out, since I'm looking at one networking item sandwiched in either a lot of travel time or a lot of zipcar money, and I didn't make it to the Museum of Modern Art today), maybe more beach time. Next summer: three day weekend, Outer Banks, with something approaching my age cohort to share costs.

At no point today did I text anyone to say: I'M ON A BEACH. People whose cell phone numbers I have, consider yourselves fortunate.

This is how my vacation may play out:

Wednesday: I'M ON A PLANE.
Thursday: I'M ON A BEACH.
Friday: ... I don't know how to turn art museum day into transportation. I'M ON A BUS lacks panache.
Saturday: I'M ON A DRIVE. OR MAYBE A BART.
Sunday: Museum day take two, or hangover. California Academy of Sciences? Coffee house with excellent people-watching?
Monday: AND BACK ON THAT PLANE.

My sunburned nose and I say hi. Oh snap, tomorrow I'm on a postcard quest.

In S. F. Not dead, just jet-lagged. Amused myself on epic cross-country flight with Oppenheimer bio and pictures out the window. Also many pictures of dinner. Ebisu wins at life. Fatty salmon (?) slices awesome. Anonymous flight attendant who gave me one of the extra chocolate chip cookies as I got off the plane is awesome. But not as awesome as people who donate crash space to my vacation cause.

Tomorrow: Muni, map(s), food stocks, Ghirardelli Square? Lie to coworkers, buy Ghirardelli chocolate from convenient Trader Joe's, and extend Golden Gate Park time?

I changed my wristwatch time, but not my laptop time. Exhaustion explained!

To no one's surprise but mine, I have minimum sleep needs. When I neglect them, I get the exact same sore throat and stuffy nose every single time. I had a headache too, but no fever, and then I bought Oreos. Now my throat and nose are a little better but I have a sugar high. Whoops! I was all set to chalk the throat up to the chair I inherited from someone with cats (may pass it on: all I want in an office chair is a crazy high seat and a stiff back that won't let me slump) or my multiple neighbors who smoke when I have the windows open, but no: sleep.

In other news, Leverage continues to entertain, and I need more hobbies, but you all knew that. I am planning my San Francisco trip - my sister has scheduled some time in her favorite city, so we will hang out, yay - and I'm trying to decide what to go to and what to leave for another time. I'm probably going to apply to Bay area grad schools just for the interview weekends: I may not get off campus, except for meals, but S. F. and environs in spring? Rock on.

Last week was a bit nuts: doctor, GREs, signing up for class, that thing with the thing that always leaves me crying* at 1 AM, looping "Bobby McGee" and swearing that grad school is going to happen because I freaking love science and want to do biology stuff forever and ever and ever, and also I was out of real food and living on sandwiches. And then I ran out of sandwiches!

*Metaphorically. No tear ducts were harmed in the production of this journal entry.

It is a crying shame that I am weak in the soul, but it's true: I am much more likely to get groceries when I can bring them home in a car. It makes groceries more expensive, but my time is worth something and my joy in radio blasting, trash talking** suburban driving is worth something too. So today I blew $15 and change on a zipcar to bring home about $40 of groceries. When I was unpacking, I discovered I have totally become my dad, and I am banned from buying any more meat until I've used what's in my freezer, I don't care if it's on sale. I should feel poorly about the wasted money, but I'm in love with the open road, so I don't. Driving is fun! Buying groceries is also fun, but that's another story.

**There are main thoroughfares I will not name which are death traps. Perhaps greater DC metropolitan area is lubricated by the blood sacrifice of people trying to cross the street and catch their bus, with a supporting fender-bender feedstock from anyone trying to make a left-hand turn. It makes me feel better to squawk while driving.

I feel painfully spendthrift, yuppie, and hipster tooting around town on a car-sharing plan, but it's all going to be worth it in San Francisco: I'm crashing with trolleypup and there are ten billion Zipcars in his neighborhood. I'm sort of tempted to drive Lombard Street for kicks, but I think walking down would be more fun than killing myself on the curves. I am mad excited about the possibilities, which include convertibles. They're more expensive, but how many times in your life can you drive the coast road with the top dropped?

This was supposed to be about cost/benefit analysis, and my very disordered week, but apparently my Sunday focus is very unfocused. Not surprising, since I started this on Friday.

In affirmation that I know a thing or two about Photoshop, I rock.

( Blah blah blah GRE angst. )

It's time to turn over my work playlists, but I'm running into problems: I already have half of Pink's "Stupid Girls" album in different mixes. So I'll have to branch out a bit. My life is so hard (not really): there is too much awesome music in the world.

I complained about a laundry list of worried well concerns to my doctor at my last appointment, and got a suggestion to exercise more and snack for the blood sugar shakes. So basically, what I was doing my last year of college? Sweet. Except for the part where I was about three times more active in college than I am now: I'm going to have to integrate running or swimming or cycling into every day. This could be hard.

I finally bought my San Francisco plane tickets: in town the evening of the 16th, heading home on a redeye on the 21st. I have guide books, no idea what I'm going to do there, and no idea where I'm staying, other than "not in a high crime area like the Tenderloin." Yay vacation!

I sort of have a plan:

September: I make my merry way to San Francisco. Possibly the 9th - 13th/14th? Flights are about $260 out of IAD, which is only possible thanks to dad's proximity to the airport.

Winter: schedule trip to LA environs, overlapping norabombay's plans for the weekend of February 26th - 28th.

Now I just have to convince myself to, you know, spend money.

The really cool thing about work this week is that, since I was on holiday and vacation two days of this week, there are only three working days to push through. I am relieved, since my sleep debt is still significant.

I am super behind on all my social stuff - journals to read and subscribe to, emails to rely to, pictures to pop to people in 'em - but this will not stop me from post a Cubs vs Pirates scorecard from May 25. With bonus rude commentary. norabombay and I had seats in the club box behind the visitor's dugout, so had a view sports fangirls would consider worth objectifying when the leftie hitters were at bat.

Tonight: dealt with actual people on f-list. Tomorrow: writeups, pictures.

I am home, I am unpacked, I have no idea what I'm doing for dinner tonight or work clothes tomorrow. Groceries and laundry are next! Also maybe dry cleaning.

No one really cares that I bought my Wiscon membership for next year, but you may be amused that norabombay had already bought one for me. So now I need to email registration and get that sorted out.

1.) Tonight, Kahlua is awesome.

1a.) Don't try to outlast the west coast crew when standing in Madison.

1b.) Beer is not innocent in this post.

1c.) If I try to take a shower without getting this pearl string off norabombay will kill me with good reason.

1c.a.) Success!

1d.) Ow, I think I bit my tongue while not sober.

1e.) I missed keg stands? What?

1f.) I foresee a fight for the back seat - not the driver's seat - tomorrow PM.

2.) Trying to attend four panels in three slots is awesome.

2a.) Cherryh "going native" panel morphed into entertaining Ari Emory panel. Mod had awesome thinky brain, poor grasp of modly powers.

2b.) Panels awesome, will write up later.

2c.) I got to meet ann_leckie! It was awesome! We geeked out!

3.) I am posting without reading my reading lists, because Wiscon is awesome. No, I am not reading you either.

3a.) I have talked more sports at this convention than I had suspected. Nats as Switzerland (because they are that awful)?

3b.) I think I am going hoarse. Or possibly have been for days.

4.) My computer clock is still set to EDT, not CDT. This is very distracting.

4a.) 3 AM conversations invoking heteronormative queerness? Priceless.

4b.) norabombay says, "heteronormative: the new queer." Or something like that.

I think I am ready to go home and not have three awesome things happening at once, even if I'm not ready to resume my adult responsibilities.

1.) Scotch is awesome.

1a.) Drinking with men who like scotch whose hands are at least twice as large as yours is awesome.

2.) People I met this evening are awesome.

2a.) Actually, Wiscon is full of people who I admire and/or am delighted to meet.

2b.) There's a thing to be said about the value of internet interaction and the value of personal interaction.

3.) Robert Downey Jr in Iron Man: women flock to wounded men, or women think RDJr is hot when playing crazy? You decide! I have firm opinions on this topic. I also got to have this conversation at 2 AM on the way to my hotel.

4.) I'm supposed to be up for an 8 AM breakfast meeting? I am excited to see people, but this is going to be hard.

Wiscon is greatness and awesome: we drove up Friday morning, were waylaid by a state park, and got to the con just in time for 4 PM panels. Continuing this week's theme, I greeted norabombay with "the good news is, my wallet was still at reg!" when I saw her after the First Wiscon dinner. Three awesome panels and several parties later, I passed out inches from The Knife of Never Letting Go. Madison is beautiful, and Wiscon is really cool: my goals today are the farmer's market, "The Mismeasure of Man, and the Rest of Us, Too: Science, Colonialism, Genocide, and Science Fiction" panel, and not burning out midafternoon.

Best Bagels In Or Near Chicago, about six hours of the Field Museum - it turns out that tingly strange feelings in the presence of non-DC lack of security evaporate when expensive museums lose at crowd management - Chicago rush hour traffic, dinner at Kuma's Corner, a Chicago landmark. Tomorrow norabombay plays with her new-to-her Asus EEE while I contemplate the great question of life: highway driving, fun or really fun?

In Chicago. O'Hare remains shockingly architecturally attractive, despite its rep as a soulless major air transit hub. So far I have left my camera at hourglasscreate's, eaten true Chicago hot dogs at the Vienna Beef Factory, lost one or possibly two hats, seen the Art Institute of Chicago, broken my clip-on sunglasses, gotten my nose pierced at the Tattoo Factory, experienced Chicago public transit, seen the Millennium Park, struck out at the Macy's Previously Known as Marshall Fields after norabombay found a Dress of Awesome, and ignored the internet for 36 hours. Now I'm going to write down how much all this cost me - because believe me, I'll be wondering where the money went next week - and ignoring the internet for another five minutes.

The Chicago & Wiscon list:

( Nine reasons to be happy. )

Also, use and abuse of electronics. Yesterday I returned the $35 super-basic DVD player I sort of hated and replaced it with a $30-from-Craigslist HDMI upcoverting DVD player. Which I then hooked into the 19" TV player that's at least eight years old. Morals of this story: first, craigslist is the best flea market. Second, piecemeal electronics upgrade leads to ironic electronic patchwork.

Cold, bottled unsweetened green tea is not disgusting. "Disgusting" is your first taste of Manischewitz wine during the sedar. Unsweetened green tea is just bitter and a total waste of $1.20, and only really drinkable with honey and soy milk. (And by "with", I mean 1-to-1.) So I'm not doing that again.

This is the first really hot weekend of the year: 93 F yesterday, and on track to match that today. Hence the cold tea. This is great weather, if you have nowhere to go and a cold drink on hand. If either of those conditions are not met, this is, in my opinion, not great weather. If both of those conditions are violated, it is lousy, sweaty, nasty weather. Can it please be October now?

Oh! I am traveling in May! I fly into Chicago on Tuesday, May 20th, and will be exploring the Windy City's summery charms until norabombay and I drive to WisCon on Friday. (I was a lot more excited about WisCon before RaceFail. Now I am reserving the right to sit by a pool with something more than water in my glass Sunday afternoon.) We roll out of Dairyland Monday morning-ish; I fly out of Chicago Tuesday morning. Because I am a genius, I padded my leave request (turned in before the end of February, thanks much) and will have eleven uninterrupted days off work. Chicago and Madison people: meetup? The only hard point so far is the Monday night Cubs-Pirates game.

I went to New York City, and I had a great time, and I had a camera! In no particular order, I lost (and found) my day planner, forgot my PIN and found myself at Penn Station with about $0.06 and a credit card, discovered my cell phone recharger was 200 miles away on Sunday night, walked most of the way up Fifth Ave next to Central Park, criss-crossed Midtown, left Forbidden Planet unscathed, then visited the Strand; saw a tiny bit of the beautiful New York Humanity and Social Sciences library (the 5th Ave branch), completely failed to make it to any museums; did karaoke and Rock Band with limnrix and friends; caught up with scifantasy, and took a nap on the southbound bus before finishing my cheerful holiday reading. I owe limnrix and scifantasy huge thanks for rearranging their weekends to see me.

( Four quick pictures from the camera's second outing. )