water log ed.

guten rutsch!!  ::  frohes neues jahr!!

and then learned that the black+white british comedic short "dinner for one" or "the 90th birthday" recorded on tv in 1963 (also when JFK made his famous doughnut speech) is a must-see for germans on silvester (new year's eve). in fact, it is the most frequently repeated tv program (according to guinness).

for two whole days, the usually grey and rainy Bremerhaven was outfitted in a lovely coating of snow dust. unfortunately, the rain came and washed Bremerhaven back to its normal self for Christmas, but it was sure pretty while it lasted.

and ears.
i've fallen for stars, the melodramatic pop group from montreal. they've become my life soundtrack as of late. their songs are cozy dreamy stories that keep you humming and your foot tapping. when i heard this lovely ditty it nearly struck me down because it so delightfully encapsulated the warm fuzzy thoughts that regularly drift in and out of my head.

sorry - long time, no post. experiments are done. the dreamy paris getaway has left its happy memories in my head and it's back to business. i've got a bit of catch-up here with my posts. this collection of pictures hails from bremen's freimarkt. an established german tradition that involves a few critical ingredients :: food: candied nuts, large decorated cookies, bratwurst, corn on the cob, marinated mushrooms, crepes, fish sandwiches, soft-serve ice cream; rides: roller coasters direct from Munich's Oktoberfest, ferris wheels, tower drops, whirling jigs, and more; and beer!!!
prior to this fair excursion i acquired a horrible kink in my neck from a marathon of neck craning due to gauging volumes using graduated cylinders and pipets. it just wouldn't go away until... i rode a roller coaster or two! the first ride pictured was one heck of a thriller. the ring of seats mounted on the arm had us hang upside down multiple times and while we rocked 360˚ one way and then the other we spun about the axis of the arm... it was one of the most exilarating things i've ever done!

num. num. chocolate zucchini muffins! complete with whole grain millet and rice flour, soy milk, and the binding power of bindo bean! ::this is my first stab at baking gluten-free:: slowly i'm kicking the gluten habit...dairy too. my tummy is thanking me. it's not a hard transition when there's a celiac roomie and mom on board.

the cardinal event, the moment i travelled ~3000 miles for has arrived :: sampling days are here again! and to kick of the inaugural experiment day i made a "lab rock" mix for my iPod. it was aptly re-dubbed "experimental rock" by Wes. music works wonders and this set is no exception. it is steeped in memories of my lovely summer. a 17 hour experiment day of taking time points, counting cells, filtering, staining goo, and filtering more was a breeze with sunshine and good times on the brain and some beats to help shake some action into the monotony.

oceanographic cruises are not a Carnival! when most of us oceanographers tell someone we're going on a cruise we're compelled to quickly impress upon the listener the drastic differences between a cruise and a cruise-cruise. usually, the point is made simply by reciting the number of hours you slept in a weeks period. for this reason it is not at all surprising that a video that cleverly depicts the sampling methods and routine troubles that we're all so familiar with has spread around the oceanographic community like a virus. one day this past week, i received a few emails from the usa with the link to this video. i purposely waited before circulating it around my institute here in germany. lo and behold, the next morning i observed my lab-mate sitting next to me in the office watching the video.
...i would be remiss if i didn't admit that my cruise experiences have been some of the most incredible experiences of my life. being out in the great blue yonder, you know you're seeing some of the best stuff the earth has to offer. here's one of my favorite pics from a cruise i went on in the arctic ocean. this photo was taken by a colleague, trecia schell, just as a storm was passing through in the labrador sea.