Cardinal Sin

I hit a cardinal on the way into work this morning and I feel terrible about it. There was nothing I could do. It must have been some sort of a kamikaze bird, because it flew right into my car. Poor little guy. 

Hitting the bird this morning reminded me of a story from a long time ago. I was driving in a car with my boyfriend at the time. We were on our way to the prom. I was so excited - that is, until he hit a cat. I was horrified and so was he (kind of). He yelled "Oh no! I just washed this car!" It was at that moment, I knew he wasn't the one for me...

The Next Van Gogh

Harper loves to go to baby school. I don't blame her. It's fun there. They do all kinds of interesting activities. What I like most about her school is that the teachers take pictures of the kids during activities so that their parents can see what they've been up to. I love to see Harper in action. It makes me feel a little more connected to her during the day. Here are a few pictures from last week. The theme of all of the activities last week was "What lives underground?" - so for art, they painted with "worms" and potatoes. 

Pay no attention to the paint on her lips. 

I'm sure there is a reasonable explanation for that...

Home Again/ Gator

So, I'm back from my trip out West. It was great. My talk went really well. I got a lot of positive feedback which was a good and much-needed self-confidence boost. It was also so great to see the old crew from Cincinnati. Love those guys. Now, I'm home and back at work - trying to get back in the groove of Nashville life. While I recover from jet lag, take a look at the new guy that just moved into my parents' neighborhood. Fortunately (or unfortunately, depending on your point of view), he didn't get to stay long. 

From Denver With Love

So I'm sitting in the Denver airport waiting for my (delayed) flight to San Fran. Being in this airport brings back a lot of memories. When Rob and I were dating, I spent a lot of time flying back and forth between Cincinnati and Denver. I have good memories of Denver. I got engaged here (not in the airport, in the city, at a piano bar named Charlie Brown's). It was nice to see the city and the mountains from the plane as we landed. Although, I wish my family was here. There are lots of young families with little kids running around. Seeing them makes me miss Harper. These next 4 days will be the longest I have been a part from her ever. She has definitely become my sidekick. I like it when she's around because I don't feel so ridiculous talking to myself anymore (I talk to myself A LOT). Now, I'm not actually talking to myself. I'm talking to her. It's nice. We have lots of inside jokes. Ok, wish me luck on making it to San Fran on time. For now, over and out. 

When the Science Hits the Fan - Road Trip

Welcome to the first edition of the newly named When the Science Hits the Fan post. This week, I am taking my science on the road. Literally. Early tomorrow morning I will be leaving for San Francisco to attend the annual Weinstein Cardiovascular Development conference. Scientist from all around the world will come to this meeting and share the latest research on normal and abnormal heart and vascular development. And guess what... the organizers of this meeting asked little old me to present my work. Pretty cool. So in honor of my trip, here is a fun science fact about San Francisco. 

While San Fran has many famous attractions like the Golden Gate Bridge and Alcatraz, it is almost as well known for its sourdough bread. The secret to San Francisco sourdough is not in the yeast, but in the unique bacteria found in the air around the city. In fact, the main bacteria that gives this type of sourdough its one of a kind flavor profile is actually named for the city itself, Lactobacillus sanfranciscensis.

While typical bread dough is made with packaged yeast, sourdough bread is made with a mixture known as a starter. A starter is composed of water, yeast, flour, and bacteria. More water and flour are added to the mixture each day to “feed” the starter. A baker only needs to purchase a starter once. It can be fed for years, or even decades, with the right care. Some San Francisco bakeries continue the tradition of sourdough bread with starters that can be traced back for generations. The most famous of these bakeries is Boudin Bakery. Their sourdough starter can be traced back to the beginning of the company during the California Gold Rush.

Random Tuesday

A few random thoughts/comments for today:

• Disclaimer: I am about to make a sweeping generalization. I know it doesn't hold true for every person that fits into this category. But in my experience, the validity of my theory is uncanny. Ok, here it is. People who drive PT Cruisers are the worst drivers on the road. If there is some sort of unnecessary congestion on the highway, chances are a PT Cruiser is involved. If someone is driving down the middle of the turning lane, chances are they are driving a Cruiser. Don't just take my word for it. The next time you see someone driving a PT Cruiser, keep an eye on them. I bet they do something ridiculous. I don't actually know anyone who drives a PT Cruiser, so if you are reading this and you do indeed drive a PT Cruiser, I am not talking about you. Fair enough?
• Harper is getting a new tooth. Finally. She has been the 7-toothed wonder for months now. It's about time she got a new one. That being said...from 2:30am - 5:30am we were hanging out on the couch - a direct result of the new tooth. To compensate myself for the interrupted sleep, I had a doughnut for breakfast. 
• Here's a cool YouTube video I recently came across. Basically, they cut, pasted, and mixed together a bunch of unrelated YouTube videos to make this song. What you see is what you hear. I think it's a pretty cool idea. 

And The Winner Is...

I know that you were all waiting with bated breath to see which name I picked for my weekly science post. I really appreciate all of the entries. Now without further ado, the winner is...

Thanks for your suggestion, Dan. I like the double meaning - my science information "hits" you, the reader/fan. A gift card will be coming your way very soon. For everyone who doesn't know Dan, he's pretty cool. If you get a minute, check out his blog. Stay tuned for the first installment of When The Science Hits The Fan later this week!