flies have it so easy

so here i am reading some papers for my developmental genetics class tomorrow and i learn that the males of a certain species of fly (Drosophila biarmipes to be exact) have a pigmented spot on their wing to attract the females.

they flash that baby during courtship to help the females choose a mate. so it got me thinking...LUCKY! all the females have to do is look for male with the best SPOT on their wing. that's it. they have it so easy. if only human males had a spot on their forehead and that's the only thing i had to look for :)

other random tidbit...i am so tired i thought the name of the fly species had the word "armpit" in it and i found it quite humorous until i recognized my error. i wouldn't put it past those developmental biologists to name something "armpit". i mean when you have a ligand called "sonic hedgehog" and a mutant called "one-eyed pinhead," "armpit" doesn't seem so far out there ya know?

have i mentioned i love being such a nerd?

did i also mention that steph and i went to the brian regan concert tonight? amazing. hilarious. i was literally exhausted by the end because i laughed so hard for such an extended period of time.

back to studying fly wings. later.

did you know....?

did you know that i am currently doing an experiment on a fluorometer that is connected to a computer running DOS?? that's right, DOS. we are high tech here. it brings me back to my lemmings days. did you ever play lemmings? good times. good times. I can't wait til I'm 100 years old and i can tell my great grandkids that not only did i access computer games on DOS when i was a kid, but I used DOS as a grad student.  Then they will be like, "grandma, what's DOS?" and I'll say, "DOS was what we had before windows" and they'll say, "grandma, what's windows?" because who knows what THEY'LL be using. then I'll tell them about dial-up internet (if they even know what internet is in 75 years).  i can't wait to be 100 years old.  you can say whatever you want when you're 100 years old! well i'm a quarter of the way there! but anyway the point of this post was to tell you I use DOS and i feel cool. the end.

gov't...you're off the hook

so back in december, i received this little postcard in the mail...a little postcard that said i had to pay TWO HUNDRED TEN DOLLARS to renew my car registration.  as a car owner of only one year, i was not expecting this :( i spent a good hour ranting to annie about how dumb it was... "what do they use the money for anyway???"

well...i just finished filing my taxes...and i'm getting a refund WELL over two hundred dollars. so i decided that for now i'm a happy camper and i won't rant anymore. government, let's call it even!

so of course...me being the funny that i am...have already started plotting what to spend this unexpected money on (yes i forgot about tax refunds until today!!).  recently i have a travel bug...so i immediately began looking up prices of plane tickets to exotic places like:.san antonio (cute nephew and niece live there...oh and my amazing sister and bro-in-law), seattle (my other home), boston (my lab friends hannabeth and kelly live there! a trip there would be so fun), florida (to visit angie and preston!), washington DC (i have always wanted to go there), and new york (ditto).  Well the jury is still out on where i will go...or if i will go. or maybe i'll use the money to take roadtrips in my sweet car that can get 40 mpg on a good day.  how about a trip to oregon to see michelle and janelle (who both moved away from me...or will be in the near future) and then hit seattle while i'm in the neighborhood.  Or i could drop by california again to play with Diane and go to the BEACH.  or i could hit up colorado with abby and ryan to play rancher and ride horses.  or annie and i could take a huge roadtrip across the US just to say we did.  or steph and i could go down to st george and vegas a bajillion times when we need to escape.  or i could drive down to mexico like sara and i plotted...just to say we've left the country. OR perhaps if i found a REALLY good deal, it would be enough to get me to korea, or mongolia, or japan to see my dear mission friends.  or maybe i'll just stop by europe on my way home from visiting ma and pa in siberia. okay now i'm just dreaming...but hey since it's midnight, i feel like the world is at my fingertips!

OR maybe i'll grow up and be responsible and just save the money.... hmmm..... .....NAH!

pretty sure san antonio is at the top of the list!! i need to see my little ella bay again before she gets too big. :)

well that's enough daydreaming for one night.  another school week here i come :) most the time, i'm perfectly content traveling to the cell culture room and back!

yeah, i can hook you up

So my new calling is the institute cochair...translation: i go to institute every week and get class started by asking people to pray, play the piano, etc.  This Wednesday, I was fulfilling my duties as usual. So I walked up to a guy sitting on the front row and said, "how's it goin'?" He stuck out his hand to shake mine and said, "good. I'm Riley." "Hey Riley, nice to meet you! I'm Liz. Would you feel comfortable saying the opening prayer for us?" "Yeah no problem."  Awesome. No big deal.  So I get class started....my new buddy Riley says the opening prayer.  Afterwards, Steph turns to me and says, "Did you ask him to pray?" "Yeah." "Do you know who that is?" "Riley?" "Liz, that's Riley Nelson!" haha BYU's quarterback! Who knew? I certainly didn't know what he looked like close up, sans football helmet and pads.  Maybe you had to be there, but Steph and I laughed for a good 3 minutes (quietly of course because we're super reverent) at my ignorance. good times. so if you need an in, me and riley are tight.

starting 2012 off with a bang!

2012 has been so fabulous so far I think I'm setting myself up for disappointment...

EPIC new years festivities with the fam

 (these included... 2 unfinished games of acquire, little boys with the pukes, sparklers, sparkling cider, auld lang syne, and smallville!)

A last minute trip to SEATTLE with Diane to see our dear friends John and Rosemary sealed in the temple!!

(One of my most favorite experiences of my life. Thanks mom and dad for helping me get there for my birthday present!!)

I TURNED 25!!

(and had a quarter life crisis and dyed my hair darker)

Annie, Abby, and Ryan spoiled me with classic Gibbons birthday signs, mom's cake (courtesy of ryan), presents, and KOREAN FOOD! (hopefully picture to come)

I got to skype with mom and dad while they were on the trans-siberian railway in the middle of NOWHERE. yay for technology! (and then we skyped again at midnight so they could see my hair)

Steph and Kelli kidnapped me for a mystery roadtrip!

ST. GEORGE

and VEGAS

(picture to come)

PLUS LOOK AT THIS BEAUTIFUL DATA I'VE BEEN SPOILED WITH THIS WEEK:

(secret confession, there is also horrible looking data that i do not feel like sharing so you think science is all about success instead of the reality...all about failure haha)

yep, life is good. welcome 2012!