Friday night at the lab

I am at the lab attempting to get some work done. Ahh! How can equipment that costs upwards of 10 grand never work properly? Everytime I try to use it, I have to reinstall the software. Not once even, but 2 or 3 times! The "expert" from the company came out last year, charged us a bundle for his 'time' and never found the problem. He basically said yeah it can be tempermental but that is how it is. I wish we had a better method but I do not know another way to do this, nor do I have a budget for new stuff....

This morning I was a total stress ball. I had to hand in this fellowship application for funding over the summer and I really, really hope that they give it to me. If not I have to teach AGAIN, my seventh semester straight (including summers as semester). I just need a break from the teaching. Also, my lab mate is leaving for a whole month over the summer, so I wil be alone to run everything. I know that since I survived last summer I should be able to survive this summer, but I really did not want another hellish summer so soon. I know that when I'm finishing my dissertation it will be again hellish, and knowing that ahead of time I can accept that. It is normal here for graduate students to actually sleep in their labs on occasion when finishing. So mentally I'm preparing for that now. But after last summer, getting through comps, animal work, and teaching I kept telling myself you don't need time off/ a break because next summer you can take one! So now it has been a year since I have taken any real time away and summer is fast approaching. Ok I know I will get through if I have too. I have no choice. But, keep your fingers crossed for that fellowship!

This weekend I am actually taking both days off! Two whole days to relax and not think! Yipee! And this afternoon one of my friends stopped by and distracted me for a while. I am a lot less tense now then I was this morning. Thanks for friends and iced coffee drinks!