This is my favorite time of day at work. I try to get in right around 8 am because nobody else is here. It is quiet and I can get my work started. We just had another snow storm last night and I have a great view to the north. Everything is frosted white and with the sun out this morning, it is beautiful.

This morning I am finishing a Western blot I started yesterday. I wish I could say the data will be earth shattering but it is just an attempt to find a good loading volume. My protein assay isn't working reliably so I am doing it empirically. When this is done, I am going to teach a person in the surgery department how to perform a rat surgery - kind of ironic, isn't it? It is actually a very basic procedure. We're just making a pouch under the skin between to shoulder blades, placing an estrogen pellet in the pouch and suturing the wound back up. The only tricky part is getting the anesthesia right. I really enjoy doing animal surgeries. They are challenging and satisfying when you get them right. Also, the amount of data that you can get is well worth the work. The only problem I am experiencing is that I am becoming allergic to either the rats or their bedding.