More important than a new home, a new department

Most of you know that for a long time, my department (there've been two) has served a kind of a second home for me. If this weren't so, it probably would be a bigger deal that I live in a 10x8 foot curvy box. Here at school, I have a fantastic office (2x the size of my house), with a futon (just in case), my banjo (see future post), and all the other accoutrements of a second home. Today I am giving a talk in my new department (much more intimidating than the defense, where you know it is the last-- this is the first!)
So, today's picture, straight from the hands of my new labmate Komal, another one of the many multi-talented people I have met since my arrival. I hope, in addition to learning lots, some of this artistic ability rubs off on me in the next 2 years. Isn't she amazing?

The tour

The T@b Trailer website has pictures of the interior of the trailer that I own that must have been taken with some type of fish-eye lense or involve some kind of optical illusion. Real photos of the interior of the trailer, taken by squeezing as far back into the corner as possible, don't make it look nearly as big. But it is cozy! And it is my own.

Here are pictures (from top to bottom) of the kitchen (note the shower-caddy-turned-dish-rack on the left), the library, and what I refer to as "the west wing" (aka bedroom, living room, and dining room):









































Pictures of the entertainment center, the terrace, views from the "bay" window, and the approximately 10 sq ft of floor space to follow in an upcoming post! What more does a girl need?

My Hood

So, lots of friends have written me to ask-- where do you park the trailer? I actually rent a patio from a woman who lives in CA, but owns a couple of rental properties right near the university. There are two guys that live in what I call "the big house" and I pay rent for the patio, storage space in the garage, the ability to plug in to an electrical outlet, and, most importantly, bathroom access. No, the schaackmobile does not have a toilet or shower inside. It came with a porta-potty, but until I get more comfortable with the idea of peeing in my living room, I will make use of the facilities in the big house whenever needed. Part of the agreement with the landlord is that I will take "minimal" showers, so I mainly shower at the gym (good motivation to work out). The other thing that people have asked me about the trailer is-- is it safe? I think so! I've got a lock on the hitch so no one can drive me away, I bought a little can of pepper spray that I am not afraid to use, and last but not least, as long as everybody abides by this sign posted at the apartment complex nearby, there should be no problems whatsoever!

Getting all Mavericky

Mascot-wise, I have had the honor of being a Titan, a Hustlin' Quaker, a Gator, a Hoosier, and now .... a Maverick. How serendipitous! The same year Tina Fey perfectly mocks Sarah Palin's over-embrace of John McCain's now-baffling nickname, I get to be a Maverick too! For some reason, the University of Texas-Arlington felt the need to trademark the phrase "be a maverick", so I am not sure this privilege is open to just anyone anymore. If you come visit, I'll try and pull some strings so you can get mavericky too.

Free at last, free at last

In addition to celebrating Martin Luther King today, and the spirit of service and the campaign for selflessness that has miraculously caught on in this country over the last few weeks, I can't help but share in the public ecstasy that is tomorrow's inauguration, even if I can't be in D.C. to witness it with my own eyes. The next four years could be the best of times and the worst of times, but I am so relieved to have intelligence and candor at the helm after 8 years of astonishing ethical and political squalor. On the night of the election, I wrote a kind of dorky poem for April and John Paul's election party (as I have done for the last 3 elections) expressing my hopes for the outcome. This was the first time those hopes were realized. Halleluah.
(Art credit: Ben Heine)

Dreamjob: Biologist by Day, Rockstar by Night

Last night I went to my first show in Dallas! Ahhh, the thirst-quenching effects of seeing live music aren't to be mis-underestimated.... The band: Jude the Innocent. Comprised in part by two guys from here in the biology department, Jeff and Jesse, and a civilian named Mike on the drums who you can't see here. They were the first of 4 bands playing at a venue in Deep Ellum, a neighborhood that seems to serve as the live music epicenter for the metroplex region, and they were by far the best. So good I had to wonder why they don't give up the biologist halves of their double lives and dedicate themselves fully to rocking. That's definitely what I would do if I could play roughly 2 and half times better than my current level, which would still put me far below these guys... but after two years of wood-shedding/post-docing, maybe I, too, can get my dreamjob.

Flashback to 1975

Several people have asked for interior shots of the trailer, but since it isn't going to take very long to give everyone (and by everyone, I mean the legions of, um... I mean 3, people following my blog) the complete tour, I am trying to create a bit of anticipation-- a cyber drumroll--by posting other pictures of life in TX and, today, posting a Flashback (not to be confused with Flashdance) picture that my dear sister, Genevieve, sent to me at Christmas....
Wearing an early, recyclable incarnation of the urban sombrero, clearly this baby (me, sitting on my father's lap on a neighbor's stoop in Old Montreal) is an aspiring nomad, daydreaming about growing up one day to be trailer-dwelling scientist.

Working Lunch

Yesterday, Cedric (my boss #2, right) and his post-doc, Clement (left), generously invited me to lunch. They are both French, and have the commensurate love of good food and good wine the rest of us associate with french people. The main course? Rabbit they had bought because they needed tissue to extract DNA from for a current project.

And who says molecular biology doesn't have perks? C'est magnifique!

Day 4

Blogging is harder than Arianna Huffington might lead you to believe.... I have only a very vague idea of how these postcard-like messages are going to appear when I hit the all-powerful "publish post" button, but here goes:

Today's picture to share:
Welcome to my new home! This is my trailer, just prior to it becoming my house. I brought it down to Texas with me from Indiana in order to spice up domestic living in the lonestar state while here at UT-Arlington. The consensus in Indiana was "wha?!?" and the response here in Texas has been largely "huh?" These initial gut reactions change over time, however, and quickly become "oh my god!" and "why!?!" once folks get a look inside. After some tongue-wagging and the natural mellowing agents found in ketchup (ketchup), most people come around to the idea, and want to know where to get one. I have spent 3 nights in it so far and love it! Check back on night 236 to see if the romance has cooled....

To blog or not to blog?

Ignasi, my wonderful erstwhile labmate at Indiana University, told me I should write a blog since I am starting a new post-doc in Texas and living in a trailer.

He said that, although he wasn't sure, he didn't think living in a trailer was normal for a post-doc and that perhaps a chronicle of the experience would be worthwhile.... I thought, "I couldn't bring myself to set-up a blog", but then I found out that actually I could.

Picture numero uno: Like D.B. Cooper, drinking champagne, in the lab just after my defense in November.