Friendsgiving๐
Sunday, November 16
154.9 lbs (from 152.5 lbs on Oct 26) | ๐๐ป Done (7/6)
Went to yoga, wrote a blog post, did some computational work, meal prepped (added tilapia for the first time), and cleaned the house. Nothing special, just important preparation and recharging.
Monday, November 17
154.6 lbs (from 152.5 lbs on Oct 26) | ๐๐ป Done (1/6)
Heavy rain in the morning, but I still did my Monday workout. After group meeting (Starbucks already has Christmas cups), I organized the to-do list for yeast surface display. In the afternoon I attended a job-talk by a DeGrado lab postdoc. It was helpful to see how to keep language accessible for a broad audience. She has many university interviews lined up. I hope she lands a position sheโs happy with. Quick run, then called it a day.
Tuesday, November 18
153.9 lbs (from 152.5 lbs on Oct 26) | ๐๐ป Done (2/6)
On my first day of conducting the experiment independently after the postdoc I was working with left. Even after shadowing, there are so many details to juggle. Weโll see how it goes. Kept pushing on the computational side. Journal Club today: my Korean friend presented a paper very related to my thesis. Even though I had read it multiple times and talked to the authors, the presentation deepened my understanding and showed me how others interpret the same work. Learned a lot.
Wednesday, November 19
153.9 lbs (from 152.5 lbs on Oct 26) | ๐๐ป Done (3/6)
Busy Wednesday with two meetings, and I picked up a new lab role. A co-advised setup means group responsibilities in both labs, which can feel overwhelming. I need to balance it well. As a junior student itโs hard to say no, so I am being thoughtful. In the evening we had Friendsgiving. People brought great dishes, and one friend who knows cocktails made a very โChristmasโ drink that was dangerously good. Fewer attendees than last year, but still a strong turnout. I hope we keep this going until everyone graduates safely and happily.
Thursday, November 20
156.2 lbs (from 152.5 lbs on Oct 26) | ๐๐ป Done (4/6)
All-day experiments. I started learning protein prep in DeGrado lab. Environment and teacher matter a lot, and I like that Iโm seeing two different approaches. It helps me compare pros and cons and choose the best practice. If you only learn one way, it is easy to think that way is the whole world. Seeing contrasting methods motivates me to find an optimal workflow.
Friday, November 21
154.5 lbs (from 152.5 lbs on Oct 26) | ๐๐ป Done (5/6)
On Monday I will present my thesis project to the Shokat lab for the first time, so aside from learning experiments I spent the day on slides and background reading. It is a heavy lift. My project spans multiple fields, so I am preparing answers to questions that may come from areas where my audience has little background. Slide building takes time. I need more time!
Saturday, November 22
154.7 lbs (from 152.5 lbs on Oct 26) | ๐๐ป Rest (5/6)
The weather was perfect, so we went to Japantown. We browsed a cute shop with plushies, ate ramen at Marufuku Ramen (which was decent), and then relaxed at Comptonโs Coffee House (the latte was great). We finished a Totoro glass puzzle and had a tasty chicken rice dinner. Fully recharged, then back to presentation prep for the rest of the day. Tomorrow will be all prep.
