Because I'm sick of writing about science...

...thus, I complete pointless surveys about my life and times:)

1. Initials: GNJ

2. What's your name spelled backwards? senoj elocin ettegroeg (funny thing, the guy at the ice cream shop just asked me to do this yesterday - I think he might have been flirting??)

3. What are you wearing? flip flops, jeans, and a pink t-shirt (surprise, surprise)

4. Name someone with the same birthday as you: I'd say Brett, but that's pretty obvious. Actually, Mike Butterfield has the same birthday - he's a guy I knew back in high school

5. Do you believe in love at first sight? debatable... I don't think I would ever actually believe in it unless it happened to me.

6. When do you know its love? I think it's pretty clear to feel, just unclear to explain

7. Are you interested in anyone right now? Possibly, but we'll have to see if anything comes of it

8. When was your last kiss? A couple months ago I think

9. Who was the last person that told you they loved you? Mom and Dad, who better? ;-)

10. Would you prefer to be a millionaire or have true love? Hmm, toughy. I think I'll have to go with true love for now because my future husband might just be a millionaire himself, and then I can have the best of both worlds!

11. Where would you want to go on a first date? I'm always up for a good old fashioned night of bowling followed up with ice cream treats:)

12. What kind of alcohol do you enjoy while out? Usually a Guinness, but my wallet usually prefers that I drink water or sodi (sodi's free at the bar!)

13. Would you date the person who posted this? (fyi, this was posted on another site I use to keep in touch with friends, hence the question) Probably not, we're just friends

14. Has anyone ever sang or played for you personally? Yes, it was very sweet

15. Ever been kissed under fireworks? No, but seeing as Independence Day is one of my favorite holidays I think it would be nice for once

16. Do you like president Bush? I think given my current career choice that the answer to that question is pretty obvious. But for those who aren't sure, no.

17. For or against same sex marriage? Be married!:)

18. Are you homophobic? Far from it

19. Are you bisexual? No

20. Name something you like physically about yourself: My hands

21. Have you ever been in a beauty pageant? Been in one? No. Wanted to be in one? Secretly, yes. But I don't have a clue what I would do for a talent... Maybe arrange furniture? hehehe

22. Are you comfortable with your height? Yes, but even moreso when I'm around taller people

23. Has anyone ever said you looked like a celebrity? No, but I like to think that if I had the option to look like one I'd probably choose Sandra Bullock b/c I think she's gorgeous!

24. Name something non physical you like about yourself: My ability to reason, and the way I've made sense of my beliefs

25. Has anyone you were close with passed away? I've been extremely fortunate to have not lost anyone very close to me, however some family members have died in the past which is always difficult no matter how close/distant they are to me.

26. Do you believe in God? Yes, in a sense

27. Whats something that really annoys you? Attention hogs and airheads

28. Whats something you really like? A great movie. When I'm in the right mood for that perfect comedy or drama it's so much fun!

29. What do you think about most? Food, and the fact that I am too chicken to try most things even though I'm sure they're tasty - it's mostly a texture/smell thing for me, I swear!

30. What did you do last night? Read from "The Guiness Book of the 20th Century" about the highlights of the first few decades of the 1900s.

31. Where was the last place you went besides your house? Lab/office

32. Who were the last people you sat at lunch with? John and Pam (refer to my last entry) yesterday before going to the Franklin Park Conservatory. (We couldn't go caving b/c of the weather, so we postponed and went to the conservatory instead)

33. Who is your longest friend and how long? Janell Ellenbecker, since I was in 2nd grade and she was in kindergarten

34. What song are you listening to right now? The song of the -20 degree freezer in the next room (I'm at work)

35. What is your current favorite song? Hmm... don't really have one this week

36. Type of music you dislike most? Britney Spears and all her wanna-be's (including guys like Justin Timberlake)

37. How many concerts have you gone to? A good number. Probably about 10-15 including smaller ones (but not including bar bands)

38. The last thing you downloaded onto your computer? Tried to put rollercoaster tycoon on my new computer, but failed - and I can't find the cd I used to have which does work!

39. Do you have an i-pod? Nope, no I-pod

40. Can you dance? In Georgie world, I'm the next "So you think you can dance" superstar. I'm sure the experts may have more to say.

41. Do you like Michael Jackson? I like him pre- "I have a skin condition" when his music was unique and he could moonwalk. "Thriller" is one of my all time favorites

42. What was the last movie you watched? "Eight Below" - it was really good! I confess, I cried. I couldn't help myself!

43. Best movie you've seen in the past month? Based on originality, complexity, special effects, and overall depth of plot I'd have to say that "V for Vendetta" ranked high in each category

44. How many US states have you been to? At least 14, though some of those were only 'drive-bys'

45. How many of the US states have you lived in? Three

46. Have you ever lived outside the US? No, unfortuately I haven't even just travelled out of the country yet

47. Furthest place you ever traveled? Probably Santa Cruz, CA... Although I don't know if that's technically farther than L.A. from Ohio

48. Do you speak any other languages besides English? I can hold my own speaking French, and I'm slowly learning some bits and pieces of Chinese from Zhirong

49. If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go? Right now, Paris, France

50. Have you ever bungee jumped? No, but I have fallen 200ft into a net (freefall)

51. Have you ever white-water rafted? No, but I think it would be loads of fun. I have kayaked though and it was fantastic!

52. How many illegal things have you done? I'm sure my mom would be proud to know that I can't think of anything I've done illegally... Well, other than just drinking before I was 21. Oops, what will she think of me now??!

53. Have you ever seriously vandalized someone else's property? That I have not done

54. Have you ever crashed a car? Yes, and I don't intend on doing it again anytime soon. I'm on a 9-year clean streak and I don't want to mess that up! (knock on wood)

55. Have you met a real redneck? Yes, I used to live in the same building as some that somehow got lost and ended up in the city. You know you're dealing with a redneck when on the 4th of July he pulls out his shotgun in the courtyard, and fires several rounds off (in the city, mind you) because he wants to make his own "boom boom."

56. What do you usually order from starbucks? Don't usually go there, but when I go to most coffee shops I get hot chocolate

57. Last time you ate a homegrown tomato? That would be on my list of foods that don't pass my lips

58. Orange Juice or apple? Both, as often as I can have them - I love juice!!

59. What magazines do you read? The nerdy science ones (Science, Biotechniques, Journal of Biological Chemistry, and Molecular and Cellular Biology just to name a few) but I also like the food/home decor magazines that I get in the mail from places like Pottery Barn, Pier 1, etc...

60. Have you ever ridden in a limo? Yes, it was nice but I'm glad I never had to pay for it

61. Have you ever surfed? Nope

62. Have you ever licked a 9 volt battery? Oddly enough, yes as a kid b/c I think either Brett or Shane dared me to do it once

63. Last time you swam in a pool? A few weeks ago

64. How many cars have you owned? I, myself, have owned only one car - my Elantra. Well, actually the loan company owns it - but I pretend like I do:)

65. What kind of computer do you use? At work we all have to use Dell. No offense to those who own Dells, but I hate them! They are such pieces of junk. I very much prefer Macs even to Dells, but I do like my IBM-inspired computer at home (even though it acts up a little every once in a great while, it's still way better than these Dells).

66. What is the current rumor travelling around about someone? No rumors in particular, but there does seem to be a pregnancy epidemic. As of now, I personally know 5 women (all nearly my age) who are pregnant and at least one person who is trying but not there yet.

67. What is your dream car? Well, I did really want that Tuscon... And as much as I still really really want one, it's not very practical for a single person. I like the Azera, which is much more practical size-wise, but still not so much gas-wise. Conclusion: I think my dream car is any well-built car that is either flex-fuel or hybrid driven.

68. Do you drive? Yes, almost too much

69. What was the latest you have ever stayed up? All night for exams during college - not recommended

70. What's your favorite comic strip? Garfield, no contest.

71. Do you know all the words to the national anthem? Yes, but I confess that it wasn't until about mid-high school that I actually learned them b/c I had to sing before the basketball games

72. Have you ever thought you were honestly going to die? Twice. Once when I was little and didn't know how to swim I fell into the lake in Manorville, and another time I slipped through my inner-tube at a hotel swimming pool. I'm surprised I still like water so much!

73. Were you ever rushed by an ambulance into the emergency room? Ambulance, no. But I do remember mom rushing me after she found out I couldn't hear anything, and another time after I ripped open some freshly unstiched surgical wounds by doing a cartwheel. Sorry 'bout that mom!:)

74. Have you ever been dared to do something you didn't want to do? Refer to #62

75. Shower, morning or night? Morning usually, but anytime applies on the weekends or before a date

76. Have you ever won a trophy? Yes, many actually for basketball. I also have a bunch of ribbons and medals from track

77. Favorite arcade game? "Big Rig" Brett can attest to this one! It's a video game with two seats where you drive a semi across america to deliver your goods. There's also a part where you have to park the truck under a certain amount of time. It's great! Huge steering wheel, horn and all!!:)

78. Ever ordered from an infomercial? No, but I've been quite tempted (as embarassing as that is to admit!) I always get sucked into those commercials about 80s music hits

79. Did you have long hair as a young kid? I've always had long hair

80.What message is on your voicemail machine? "Hello you've reached Georgette. I'm not available to take your phonecall right now, but if you please leave me a message I'll gladly return your call. Thank you much and have a great day!"

I was once told that it's "the most professional-sounding personal voicemessage" ever. I don't know how much I believe that.

81. Whats the name of your pet? Fleegle

Momentary Heart Attack

I swear I almost just had a heart attack. I've been writing my candidacy exam for days now, and I'm actually doing very well - my due date is August 28th and I only have 2 and a half more pages to go! However, as I began writing my third specific aim today I realized that it was completely impossible to do as planned. Wanna hear the gorey science-nerd details? Well, I guess it doesn't really matter if you want to or not 'cuz I'm going to say them anyways.

Okay, so I have several experimental plans in mind to hypothetically research the human disease Treacher Collins Syndrome (TCS). It's really cool, I'm making new mice and isolating cells and everything! My first mouse was going to totally abolish my gene from being expressed in the neural crest. By the way, the neural crest is a bunch of cells that eventually become tons of things in your body including the cells that wrap around your neurons, the bones of your face, the melanocytes in your skin, and many other cool organs. Anyways, it's also the tissue that is mutated in TCS, so I wanted to knock out the gene specifically there. It's really complicated to get into HOW you knock it out, so I won't go into that detail - just take my word for it, it can be done. So I've written about 6-7 pages so far about the experiments that I want to do with this mouse and the cells I can get from it... Good stuff! Well, as I moved into my last set of experiments (also known as 'the coolest experiments' in my opinion) I wanted to make a mouse that abolishes the gene's expression in every cell EXCEPT for the neural crest. The reason for this has to do with being able to rescue, or bring back to normal, the mutated tissues in the mouse I just described above. The problem, as I discovered while writing the methods for making the mouse, is that it is impossible to do with the mice that I had been working with... This is because in order to get the mouse that I believe (hypothesize) will live I have to start with mice that have been reported to die just after birth. Yes, it is very difficult to mate mice when they only live for about 5 minutes. Enter the almost heart attack feeling, complete with dizzyness, shortness of breath, sweaty hands, and nausea. Bear in mind that I've already offered this idea up to my committee, suggesting that it would work out... And they approved it enthusiastically. (Cue the beads of sweat forming on my brow)

The most I have to say is thank God for my friends in the lab. Jay and Emilia came in and sat with me for a little while kicking ideas around to see if there is any other way to make this mouse work. What was probably only about 15 minutes (but seemingly like 6 hours) later we came up with a plan that I think will work out in the end. What's great about this is that I don't actually have to change much - just the strain of mouse I'm working in. I know what you're thinking... "Strain of mouse? What the hell does that mean?" Okay, here goes. Strains of mice are sorta like different human races. We're all humans, but there are black, asian, caucasian, etc humans that are slightly different from each other. Well, this difference in mice can have huge effects when dealing with them in the lab. Luckily, some strains of mice don't die when the TCS gene is knocked out. I found this out from a paper that some people published about it, and I feel like I want to track down the authors and kiss them all because without this paper I would have had aboslutely no way out of my predicament. So now I can generate my mouse in the viable strain, and then cross it later in life to another mouse that I need to complete the model - which is derived from the strain that normally causes death in the TCS mutants. (This last part is okay, because this will show me if the mice are be able to live in the strain that normally dies - which is what I want) Whew! Crisis averted! And all I had to do was change 4-5 words in the text. It turned out to be WAY better than initially anticipated.

Now that I've taken some time to calm down a little bit and get over my shakes, I'm feeling confident once again about my experimental design. Things were going so well up until that point... But it's okay now:)
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I know it's been a little while since I posted last... Not too much new has happened lately since I've been writing so much. Well, that is, except for when Dad came a couple weekends ago:) We had a really good time at the airshow - even despite all the heat and sunburn. I got to see the Blue Angels up close and personal (well, sorta... you can't actually get any closer than about 100ft), and I might add that the pilots were pretty easy on the eyes ;-) I love a man in uniform! (Especially one that can operate heavy machinery with pinpoint precision at high speeds against 9 G-forces!) All in all a good weekend!

Random change of subject: Today I was asked to go cave walking! How cool is that?! It's funny too because my friends in the lab are rooting for me to start dating one of the guys in the group that's going:) He's a post-doc in the building next-door to mine, and we've had a minor bit of interaction over the past year or so. Turns out he emailed me about a year ago when I was using "Yahoo Personals" internet dating but it was at the end of my subscription to the service so I didn't respond to him. Shortly thereafter, my friends in lab realized that he worked next door (this I didn't know at the time) so I kept my eyes out for him whenever I went to his building. He's really tall (big bonus), fairly attractive, and was very nice in his note to me. Seems fairly compatible as well, judging by what I remember of his profile (which isn't much). Anyways, a couple weeks ago we walked into the building together because we happened to come in on a Saturday at the same time. We had a nice little chat, and so far I've only seen him once or twice since then when we said "hi" from a distance. Well, two days ago he came by the lab after I had left to go home, and he asked my labmate to tell me that he was looking for me. Oooooh!! *smiles* So the next day, after Zhirong told me about it, she and Emilia got all excited thinking he was going to ask me out! I have to admit, I was kind of hoping for it myself:) Well, I had to go next door today to talk to one of my committee members and it just so happens that his lab is just down the hall from there. When I was on my way to stop in and say hi, I passed another collegue/lab-friend of mine, Pam. She asked if I had spoken to this guy (John) yet and I said I was just going there now. At this point I was kind of wondering why she (from a different lab than John) knew that he was looking for me - had they talked about me? Was he really going to ask me out? It turns out that Pam and one of her friends and John found out about some caves in southern Ohio and they thought maybe I'd want to go with them to see it:) I felt SO special! They probably only see me once every couple of months (if that) and they thought of ME to go caving with them!:) Cue warm fuzzy feelings. Naturally I took them up on their offer, and now I have a fun-filled weekend planned for the 19th! Of course, when I came back to lab everyone was dying to hear what happened, and upon hearing the news they were immediately convinced that he likes me and that this could be the start of something new. Hmm.. I think I'll stick with my warm fuzzies about just being included before I get too ahead of myself:)