Sauntering Vaguely Downward

Last week, I spent a lot of time in the microscopy labs with cha_mel_eon, and on my own, photographing the growth of silver nitrate crystals on glass slides in various liquid media. It was a real treat.




Me


Tool (confocal microscope)


Result

It's been so long since I had to wear a lab coat. I'd forgotten how much I enjoy it.

[For Josh, with gratitude.]

Some of you may recall that I was gifted a Lego Discovery and Hubble set a few weeks back by my friend Josh. I decided to share the Lego love with some of my colleagues - particularly the technicians, who are huge Lego fans - and organise a Lego-building activity at work. Two of the people in these photos have had to be at work every day throughout the pandemic with the exception of the first month of the first lockdown last year. It was nice to be able to do something fun for and with them. One of the other lecturers brought a homemade cake.

We got through bags 1 through 12, so it's not quite complete. I've arranged another build session for this Friday, so we'll complete it then. 


( More photos )

I asked for rhubarb gin as my birthday presents, and my siblings-out-law delivered. Well, Amazon Prime did the delivery but the sibs, bless them, believe me when I say I desire something, and thus ordered exactly what I wanted.

Cue receiving two types of rhubarb-and-ginger gin. Please forgive the quality of the photos. I'd been drinking, you see.


From one set of out-laws: Jawbox Small Batch Rhubarb & Ginger Gin Liqueur and a fancy gin glass. The cocktail contains ice cubes, soda water, and a small piece of crystallised ginger. It was lovely.


From the other set of outlaws: Whitley Neill Rhubarb & Ginger Gin. The cocktail contains ice cubes, soda water, and ajika salt. Ajika is a Georgian/Abkhaz spice. We call it "crack salt", as everything savoury that you sprinkle it on instantly becomes 100x more edible. Anyway, it may sound a peculiar thing to put in a cocktail, but it was the perfect complement to this gin.

One other exciting occurrence was buying a Kilner jar and foraging a big lot of perfectly ripe damsons with the children. Then going home, putting all the damsons in the jar and submerging them in sugar and vodka, along with a bit of pear and apple. This should be ready to drink around Christmas time.


I know I'm getting old when making my own liqueurs from foraged fruit is a highlight of my birthday!

Since the news has been even more of a dumpster fire than usual this week, what with MPs shooting themselves in the foot over a meaningful Brexit vote and the worldwide ill-treatment of refugees, I bring you a post consisting entirely of fluffy gosling photos.


Cuddle party!

( +3 )

(Vienna travelogue on hold for Important News.)

As of today, we are no longer Dr Nanila and Dr Bloke. We are Dr Nanila and Professor Bloke. \o/

For those unfamiliar with the UK academic system, here is the US equivalence: Lecturer == Assistant Professor, Senior Lecturer/Reader == Associate Professor, Professor == Full Professor. The bloke has just jumped over the middle step(s) and gone from Lecturer to Professor. Also, he's not yet forty. So this is a rather noteworthy achievement.