There's a nextel ad on tv where these guys are doing the funniest hip-shaking I've ever seen to Salt-N-Pepa's "Push It" and there's a guy with a boombox. One guy comes in and acts all serious like - why are you dancing when so much stuff is undone, etc. then they stop, use their walkie-talkies to show him that everything's under control. Then boombox guy turns the music back on and they start 'dancing' again. Makes me laugh every time I see it.
Yesterday had usual biweekly group meeting (1h) where I had to talk about all my crap reactions that haven't worked during the last 2 weeks. Our group leader is thinking of reassigning a couple of the higher priority targets I've been having trouble with. I feel incompetent b/c I'm doing the best I can but the reactions are just not working well and I've done this particular series of reaction 5 times now. Still not pure enough or just not the right compound. Just crap and more crap. So frustrating. So I said I'd give it one more shot, then if I still couldn't get it, then he could reassign them. I really want to get them done though. He's working on similar targets and although he too is having trouble with them and really low yields, he's still getting enough to ship.
There is a fair amount of pressure to ship compounds as often as possible, at least one or 2 every couple weeks. My last shipment was 3wks ago so I'm more than due. Should have stayed a little later tonight so I could set up a reaction but I just didn't want to be there any longer and I knew it would take me at least 30min to get the reaction up and running. For one thing, I had to run a couple tests on the material I had use to make sure it was pure enough, then it's a reaction which has to be free from oxygen(degassed) and that always takes time to do. I felt kind of bad leaving but I just had to get out of there. As it was I left at 530p and all the guys from my lab had left already and we're not supposed to work in the lab alone. Although we still do on occassion, it's not really safe.
Also had a deptmental meeting right after our group one on Wed with VP of our dept that went on for 3hrs. Torture. Lots and lots of slides with lots and lots of numbers and many, many, too many bulleted points to go through. They had pizza delivered 1/2 hr into the meeting, then it just went on and on. And...to make matters worse, people kept asking questions (well the same 3 people kept asking questions-they are so on my shit list)
As if...they are going to get real answers. As if it is a democracy and if we disagree with new policies or future policies, management/powers that be will change their minds. Just made the meeting drag on and on.
Then had class at 415p. Hardly got any work done yesterday. Class ran on for 2hrs instead of usual 1 and 1/2hrs. PLus we found out that we will actually have to do some work in the class- the literature references he asked for, we have to write a 1pg summary of each and turn that in with the ref. Did he mention that to us before? No. Was it written on the syllabus? No. We were somehow just supposed to know this. At least he gave us until next class to submit them. Yeah-no one did the summary.
My friend E is also taking the class and she I have been car-pooling. Since she drove all the times before, I said that I'd drive instead to give her a break. Almost had an accident on the drive back from class. This guy in front of us was driving 30mph on this small highway, speed limit there is 45-55mph. I don't know if it was b/c I was so tired from my long day or b/c I hadn't slept well the night before or what. Anyhoo, I thought I was in the middle lane but was actually in the left lane next to it, so I turned into what I thought was the left lane. This was in fact the left-turn only lane and started driving straight. My friend E was saying... are you turning? why are you turning? ok, you HAVE to TURN? In my head I'm thinking...turning? turning? I say - why would I be turni...OHHH SHIT!...turn sharply to right into proper lane and just miss plowing into the freakin median. Luckily no one was in the lane I swerved into, else God alone knows what could have happened cause I didn't have time to look first before I turned into the right lane. After that I was like...ummm, you talk, I won't be talking anymore, just driving at the speed limit, trying to get us back without further scares like that one.
Last night was gym night but I figured that I was probably too tired to risk being out in my car for much longer so I skipped the workout and came home.
Trying not to think about the near-miss too much but that is too much against my nature for me not to think (obsess?) about it. E was really nice about it though-she didn't scream once or yell after. Still felt bad about it today. I can totally understand if she wants to do all the driving from now on. If I were in her position, I'd probably want to.
Went to the gym tonight to make up. Much better day today overall.
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