Mom and Dad are almost to Easter Island, they should be arriving there Friday or Saturday. They said it’s a good thing I’m not on the boat and I think I agree. It does not sound like I would be enjoying myself, as the conditions aren’t great.

I’ve actually been working out and going to the gym (finally). I’m trying to make it to the gym twice a week in addition to Frisbee on Fridays, and I’m working on staying in shape for summer and eventually the McGill Ultimate team. The gym at the lab has these really cool bikes that track how long and far you ride, which is nifty. They also monitor heart rate over time, power, and speed, which is pretty nifty. I’m trying to work out for an hour or so, which usually puts me over 10 miles, which is good, I suppose.

That’s all for now, folks!

This weekend I’m going up to Portland with Emily to visit Zofia and buy clothing. It will tons of fun. Emily’s also gonna give me a haircut so we’ll see how that works out!

I’m still enjoying my new job and life in Bar Harbor. I’m learning a lot and liking what I do.

Anyways, here are some pictures from our cooking-scapades!

By the way, Love and Olive Oil, the creators of our truffles, is having a contest to win some awesome cupcake notebooks! Check it out (they’re pretty!).

Noodle Salad with Mango and Gingered Cucumber

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Truffles

Other than that most everything is the same… Missed the superbowl completely, watched a few of the commercials though! Excited for the Olympics, even though summer is far better.

Anyways, working at Jackson Labs is super cool. This is real research, and means a lot more than the labs I did in school! My first day was overwhelming, I went through orientation, met the people I’d be working with, and left in a daze. My second day they already had me doing PCR and gel electrophoresis!

So far I’m doing well. More than half my samples worked, which is actually impressive for a first time. It’s a very precise process that definitely has a learning curve. I’m learning a lot about not only how to do the procedures, but also about the procedures themselves and of course the subjects, mice prone to absence seizures.

In unrelated news, Apple is releasing their tablet today, and I’m excited about that. I hope that it’s a great product, because I really want to get one!

Anyways, Bar Harbor is boring but not too bad. I’m spending most of my time at home on the computer, chatting with friends at home or in college, and playing games online with them, but I’m also talking to a friend I have at College of the Atlantic here in Bar Harbor about introductions to some new people, so hopefully I’ll have more to do here soon.

Gotta get back to my work, PCR is almost done!

About eight months ago I was in school, six months ago I was living at home hanging out with my high school friends, less than a month ago I was in the Galapagos. Now I’m living with my sister at (near) home, and tomorrow (well, today), I’m moving to a totally new place.

It’s not like life is out of my control, I made these choices myself but I have to wonder how good they were. Fortunately they’ve already been made so there’s no real point in examining them too thoroughly, but it’s still stressful.

Anyways, not much I can do about it but I still can’t fall asleep. That’s life I guess.