29/4/12

I had a lovely night on my own in the house last night - curled up on the sofa in front of the TV in the most part.  They've only just got back (I know this due to the return of doors slamming and the stomping up and down the stairs - they haven't actually said hello!), so I've had a nice day too.

The arm didn't want to play ball today, probably got a bit carried away with the note making yesterday, so I've focussed my efforts on the med chem report (which is due in at some point this week) - it's getting tantalizingly close to being finished - just have a few details to add, some loose ends to tie up and then another half a page of reductive amination to write.  It's looking good though I think, I've deviated a bit from how the example was written but the project that that was based on was quite different so I think my deviation was necessary and hopefully will still gain me lots of marks!  Can't wait to get it done, although I expect it will be early next week that I finally finish it!

Tomorrow is presentation day.  My last ever presentation as a chemistry undergrad.  Can't say as I'm confident.  I know I never am, but as with the first presentation I did with this group we are terribly under-prepared.  I've done my bit, I've been nudging people for a while but as is the student way no one else wants to do any work until the last minute.  I know that my segment is too short as well, but I'll just have to talk slowly and hope for the best.  Really hoping they're nice with the questioning too because despite the reading I've done I suspect there are many gaps in my knowledge (things which I probably should have learnt in first year...).  At least it will all be over soon!

I have done a little bit of revision today, just testing my knowledge of the amino acids.  I will learn them and their syntheses, good practice at being right handed too!

Yes OK, still some work to go there...on the learning and the writing!

I shall dedicate the rest of the blog today (as I expect many posts over the next few weeks) to the gerbils.  They really are good fun to watch, and it's amazing how different they are.  One thing they both share though is a love of chewing, really can't believe how quickly they can get through some card!  Thought I'd let them get to know me a bit today, Ludo is pretty happy at going on my hand and is lovely to handle too, Darwin (as I mentioned yesterday) is more nervous, although I did manage to get him out in the end.  I thought I'd concur this by leaving my hand in the cage and just letting them explore and do whatever they wanted, to let them know that I didn't mean any harm.  Ludo decided that climbing up my sleeve (and then chewing a hole in it...) was a good idea, whilst Darwin found my hand quite tasty.  There was a lot of nibbling, I thought it was best to let him, it was only gentle and I guessed that if I flinched away it would scare him.  He carried on though...working his way round my hand and he did manage to make my thumb bleed.  I won't hold it against him.  Just hope we can make some progress in the next few days,  I expect we probably will and it's just a matter of him settling in and adapting to all the new smells and noises.  He is cute though...

(Darwin)

Hoping that next week, as well as bringing an end to this project, will bring some news of appointments.  Not optimistic mind, given I was told it might be 3 months 'til I hear from the pain clinic (but it's OK, it's not like they told me that treating early is important or anything...oh wait...), but I should be hearing from the new consultant (or at least whoever organises his clinics) in the next week or so as I was told that should be within 2 weeks.  Fingers crossed for a magic wand when that one finally comes round!

Should probably mention the weather before I go - it has been really quite wet today hasn't it?  As if we haven't had enough rain in the last week or so... let's hope for some sunshine in the next few days too... :-)