Miscellaneous Blog

Hey everyone! Sorry it has taken us so long to write a blog. Since this blog is long overdue, it has a lot of pictures and is kind of random! Sorry about that! Here goes:

Jimmy and I didn't really feel like going out on a Valentine's Day date, so we decided to spend a nice weekend inside building something together. We made a cat tree for Pepper! Unfortunately, she hates it and does not use it whatsoever. 

The pets and some hats.

Pepper likes to drink from Zorro's dish. He's pretty okay with it. 

Pathetic excuse for an Easter bunny. 

The 3 of them in the same frame! It has been impossible to get them all to stay still until now!

I made a diaper cake for a friend's baby shower. Here is the bottom level of rolled up diapers with a 4 ounce bottle in the center.

Another tier of diapers and another bottle.

All 3 tiers, some ribbons, mini-size baby products, baby towels, mittens, and socks!

The finished product at the baby shower!

I gave a poster session for my fellowship! Most of that data is not mine, but someone else's from our lab. The bottom right hand stuff is mine. I have to give a poster session every year (probably at least twice a year from now on), so it will be nice to see how my poster slowly evolves into having more and more of my data.

 

Mom, this hair straightener is great! Thank you thank you thank you!!!!

That's all for now!

Love,

Ash, Jim, Z, B, and P

we're still alive!

Long time no blog! Too much homework, too many exams, too much time spent in class and lab. But we're doing okay and will hopefully do a real blog soon!

I think I am becoming a cat lady.

I sit on the internet at work and look at cat pictures and videos. (I DO get my work done, though!)

Then when I get home, I look at more cat pictures and videos.

Not only that, but I think that MY cat is cuter and funnier than all of those other cats. 

Last night I decided that I didn't have enough pictures of Pepper. So here is the result:

Cute girl!

Playing with the laser.

Zorro wanted to play too! He "caught" the laser in his mouth!

About to go in for a smooch. Wait for it....wait for it.....

And there it is!

Now she's grooming him.

I like this one because it looks like she's telling him a joke but he doesn't get it. Haha!

Sorry for all of these cat blogs. I can't help it, I have a problem. 

Pepper is technologically advanced.

Pepper likes to watch TV. She gets on the TV stand and paws at the TV. She watched Serena Williams play in the Australian Open and she was watching the ball fly back and forth.

Pepper likes the computer. When I have my laptop on my lap, she tries to hit the keyboard. She also follows the pointer when I move it around. She paws at the screen and is amazed.

Pepper thinks that she can IM (Instant Message for those of you who didn't know). I was IMing Jimmy just a few minutes ago and he wasn't answering. All the sudden, he replies with "/////////////" and then I said "huh?" and then he said "gggggggggggggggggggggggg (then like 15 lines of ALL SPACES) errrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr".

I was scared that Jimmy had a stroke or something. But then, all the sudden, he started talking normally. It turns out that Jimmy had been sitting with the cat on the couch earlier, then decided to go to the gym. While he was gone, Pepper opened up one of the programs on his computer and also started talking to me. She was somehow able to press those buttons AND press Enter to send. 

I think I'm going to show her my phone. Maybe she'll text one of you soon!

Pepper is here!

We picked Pepper up on Saturday morning. I had an allergic reaction to either her or the dust from her kitty litter. My left eye swelled up and was all lumpy with hives. Nothing major! It all went away with ice, I brought some allergy pills, and I haven't had any troubles since then.

Pepper is super awesome. She's okay with getting her paws touched and she rolls over for belly rubs. She has a little cold right now, so her eyes are kind of drippy and she's sneezing. She's probably allergic to me. She's using her litter box like a pro, and she likes to meow back and forth with me. She is totally okay with laying next to Zorro, but she is kind of scared of Bailey. I have no idea why. Yesterday, she saw Bailey and ran into the bathroom. 

Here are some pictures:

Jimmy, Pepper, and Zorro.

I only posted this picture because Zorro looks like an idiot. PS: Check out Pepper's purple nails! We bought these little plastic claw covers that you glue onto their claws. Keeps the furniture from getting ruined, and keeps us all from getting scratched. 

This one is my favorite!

Zorro, Pepper, and me

Thanks for reading!

Love,

Ashley and Jimmy

Cat Update!

We visited the cat that we mentioned in the previous blog. She just wouldn't have made a good fit for our little family. She was way to skittish...She would have been terrified of Zorro. She didn't like to be picked up, held, or petted. Instead of adopting her, we're sponsoring her. That means we'll send $10 to her foster mom every month to help with the cost of food and kitty litter.We feel bad not bringing her home to get the type of love that she deserves, but honestly, she would hate Zorro, and that's not fair either.  Hopefully she'll find a home soon! 

We played with SO MANY cats today. Crazy hyper cats, cats that love to play, cats that want to hide in the corner, and cats that just LOVE to snuggle. In the end, we went with the one that loves to snuggle. It will take her some time to get used to Zorro, but when she does, I'm sure that they will spend lots of time laying together on the couch. She is not very feisty, so we don't think that she is likely to scare the crap out of Bailey. All in all, she seems like a good fit for all of us. 

Here are pictures of her:

These pictures do not do her justice. She is VERY cute. She took a few minutes to get used to us, but she loves sitting in laps. She was walking around on us trying to get comfortable, rolling around so we could rub her belly, and she purrs constantly. She sounds like a little motorboat. 

We put a deposit on her and we'll pick her up on January 17th! We went out to the petstore and we got her a few things. PURPLE collar, PURPLE food dishes, a catnip stuffed lamb, and some PINK toys. I'm so happy to have a girl pet! Now we just need to work on some names...

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year to everyone! We are very excited to be coming home on the 8th!!! 

We're adopting a cat! Jimmy and I have been in contact with a nice lady who has a bunch of foster cats that we can choose from. We will meet them on Saturday! If we find one that we like, she will hold it for us until we get back to Wisconsin. :)

We looked at the cats online, and we found one that we really like. Here are some pictures of her:

We like her because she's got really pretty colors. She's a calico cat (that describes the multiple colors in her coat). Calico cats are the result of some really cool genetics. 

Honestly I just wanted to show pictures of our potential cat. She has a problem with her right eye. The eyeball is in there, but her eyelid doesn't open very well. She kinda looks like she's permanently winking. Since she has this "issue", people are a lot less likely to want her. Jimmy and I are excited to possibly give a home to a weirdo cat that no one else wants. :)

When you look at her, what name comes to mind? Jimmy and I have been thinking of possible names. Here's what we've got so far:

Sam

Mercury (like the planet, the element, and Freddie Mercury the lead singer of Queen)

Jelly (because she reminds Jimmy of peanut butter)

Peanut

Colbie

Rolls (because she's kinda chubby)

Olive

Reese (because her colors are kinda similar to Reeses's pieces)

Hallie (short for Halloween, again because of her colors)

Butters (South Park)

Please let us know if you think of good names!

More Snow and the Christmas Tree Hunt

So the snow is still falling, and everything in Wisconsin is looking beautiful. We are on a winter storm warning starting tomorrow evening (Monday, the 8th) and ending the next morning. They are warning that we may get 6-12 inches during that time period! That's ALOT of snow...I hope we don't get that much, it would really suck. It takes FOREVER to drive places, and I'm always afraid I will slip and fall when I walk. Here are some pictures that we took in the last couple days.

Here is a picture of Bailey on our balcony. The balcony is completely screened, so he can't fall off or anything. These are the little flakes that were small enough to fit through the screen and cover the ground. Bailey seemed to like the snow! He was out there for a while, and I had to chase him back in because we were letting all the heat out of the apartment.

In Wisconsin, going to a christmas tree lot and picking a tree is lame. A lot of people cut down their own trees here. We found a place that is only about 20 minutes from our apartment, and we went to check it out. It was REALLY similar to the apple orchard in that you walk around and there are rows and rows of trees to look at. 

Here is Jimmy at the tree farm. Those little trees in the background are not ready to be taken yet!

Jimmy and I are dumb, and didn't realize that walking around and finding the perfect tree, cutting it down, and dragging it back to the car would take AT LEAST an hour. We did not wear proper clothing. I wore rain boots (no insulation) and he wore tennis shoes and jeans. WE WERE FREEZING. Seriously, I couldn't feel my feet. But this is a picture of Jimmy inspecting the tree that we eventually decided on.

Here is a picture of me sawing our tree down!

Jimmy dragging the tree back to the car. It was uphill and took forever.

The workers put the tree through a machine that wrapped it up. Here is Jimmy carrying it to the car.

Here is the finished product!

Love,

Ashley

Not Quite Winter in Wisconsin

Hey everyone! Sorry we haven't blogged in a while, but we've been really busy lately. It's snowy here in Wisconsin and it's hard to believe that technically, winter hasn't even started yet! Here are some pictures that we took last night when we took Zorro out to potty.

Jimmy tortured himself by not wearing gloves, a hat, or socks underneath his slippers. He was REALLY cold when we got inside.

Right outside our building. It snowed all day and all night! So pretty!

Sorry this picture is blurry. The camera was having problems focusing because of the snow that was falling. This is a pretty pine tree right outside our building.

More trees

The rebar is there to mark where the sidewalk is. As you can see, you cannot tell the difference between sidewalk and grass! 

Mom, dad, and Kenya, I'm not going to be licking a pole anytime soon. I learned my lesson (twice) already. I wanted to taste the snow and I don't trust the snow on the ground so licking a tree sounded like a good idea!

Zorro and his snow beard. He likes to eat the snow too!

I don't really know what's going on here...

Snow is fun, but after slipping and sliding my way to the bus stop this morning, I'm getting over it.

I love these bushes right outside our apartment. They kinda look like cupcakes with frosting!

We'll have to take some daytime pictures soon! Until next time!

Ashley

How to Make an Apple Pie

Hello everyone! This is Ashley, and this blog is going to show you how to make an apple pie!

Step 1: Go to an apple orchard and let your dog see the pumpkins.

Step 2: Find a good apple tree and pick an apple

Step 3: Let your dog inspect the apple

Step 4: Collect lots more apples!

Step 5: Be amazed by apple trees!

Step 6: Find the biggest spider you've ever seen in your life and run away.

Step 7: Roll out the bottom crust. (And yes, your rolling pin has to match your shirt.)

Step 8: Prepare the top crust

Step 9: Jimmy cuts the apples while you make the apple pie goo (not pictured)

Step 10: Put the apples in the bottom crust, add cinnamon-sugary goo, and the top crust on top.

Step 11: Bake

Step 12: Smother with ice cream

Step 13: EAT!!!!

The apple orchard was pretty fun, but there were so many bugs!!! Orange ladybugs bite, and yes, we were both bitten. I never thought I'd be scared of lady bugs, but I am. And just so you know, the pie was delicious!

Love,

Ashley

Hello Again...I've Come Up for Air!

Hey everyone! I am taking a break from learning the law to say hello and try to catch everyone up from my last post. Let me just start from the beginning...



Law school orientation was really fun! I ate lots of good food, drank a substantial amount of beer and thought I got a good impression of what was to come. I was riding high until I had to buy my books...








As you can see, there are a lot of books. This is not including my supplements, study aids and other good stuff. Add a clunky laptop and you have the makings of adult scoliosis. I need two backpacks to get my books to school and back.



The classes are ok. Just ok. I feel like I am learning everything and understanding how all the pieces fit into a larger puzzle. Some classes I understand better than others but they all require a lot of work. Every night there is a significant amount of work. I'm always reading my casebooks (main textbooks), reading hornbooks (supplemental books to help explain the main pieces of the casebooks) and trying to keep up on my notes for all of it. I'm on track but never ahead.



Ashley and I have kind of given up on the football games. We hope to make it to one more but the team is doing pretty badly and the tickets sell for a good amount of money.



The weather has turned to fall. Next weekend Ashley and I are planning on going to the arboretum and to take lots of pictures of the leaves changing color. It is so beautiful and always keep my attention on the bus. It still has been pretty warm including a bit of a heat wave this week but people are saying that this is probably the last of the warm days. Nights are going to start dropping into the 30s and starting next month some significant snow fall should start. Thank god the buses are doing most of the driving and that most restaurants deliver!



Also, Ashley got some assistance using this blog so I will do some begging of my own. I need to buy some study aid supplements for law school but they cost money...money I don't have. For those willing to help, look at them as an investment. The study aids will lead to higher grades which can lead to better jobs and in turn a higher income which ultimately leads to more awesome presents come holiday time.



In any case, we are looking forward to a trip home this January. Once Ashley picks her lab she can set up a time to come home and we'll have to buy the plane tickets (or hopefully Santa will get us some). The pets are doing great, Ashley and I are pretty much sane and we are chugging along. Sorry for not writing but even while writing this, I am adding to the amount of time I am going to have to dedicate to Criminal Law...

-Jimmy

Ashley's Blog

Hello everyone! Sorry it has taken us so long to blog, but we have been so busy with classes and stuff. Jimmy and I will be blogging separately because we both have a lot to say!

First of all, the pets are doing well. They are both healthy and happy. Bailey is shedding; I think he senses the seasons changing. Bailey also likes having his fur brushed. It's pretty cute. 

Wisconsin football games are REALLY fun! I'm so happy that Jimmy and I were able to get season tickets. I had to look up all the rules of football online because although I've watched games on TV, I've NEVER truly known what was going on. Now I know, and I've been watching football every weekend with Jimmy. It's pretty exciting! I wish I could play, but I'm afraid that I'll get hurt. 

Classes are OK. We haven't had any tests yet, but I seem to be doing well on my homework. I'm just nervous for the first exams. I don't know what to expect! I am taking one class called Biochemical Methods which teaches us many different biochemistry tools you can use in the lab. I am also taking a class called Prokaryotic Molecular Biology. Prokaryotes are single celled critters like bacteria, and we learn all about their molecular functions. 

One thing that I have learned is that Biochemistry methods are different from Genetic methods which are also different from molecular biology methods. People always ask me what I am. Am I a geneticist? Am I a molecular biologist? Am I a biochemist? I always get frustrated when people ask me this. Science is SO advanced and we are learning SO much that I think it's kind of dumb to call yourself one thing. I think it's much better to learn everything that you can from different scientific fields. If you have a bunch of knowledge from all over the place, you'll be able to solve problems better. But that's just my opinion. 

Now for the good stuff: lab work! Right now, I am in a lab that works on plants and how they respond to gravity. In general, you plant a seed and the root grows down into the dirt, and the stem grows upward. When you take a plant that is already growing, and you turn it on it's side, the root will sense that (within minutes!) and the root with turn and grow towards its new down direction. The stem will also turn and grow upward. Our lab focuses on the roots. We are trying to figure out how the plant "knows" that it's been turned, and how turns this into a response. I think it's amazing. We have brains and neurons, skeletons, and muscles that help us recognize things and react. Plants do not!

There are some cons to working in a plant lab. Plants take a long time to grow. In the yeast lab, you could grow your yeast overnight and be ready to use them the next day. It takes a while for the plant seedlings to grow, so you spend a lot of time waiting.  There are also pros. Plants smell better than yeast. Plant seedlings are cuter than yeast. And, it's therapeutic to plant the little guys. I've included a link to the lab website if you want to check it out. 

Other than class and lab, I don't do much. Seriously, it sucks. I feel like I have no life. But slowly, I'm becoming a bigger dork than ever. I actually feel kinda guilty when I'm not in the lab. Weird! What are these people doing to me?!?

Love,

Ashley

Also, I'm in the market for a cheap (aka free) copy of Adobe Illustrator.  If anyone can swing me a copy (made for a Mac) I'll be your bestest friend!