How to scare your mother.

So I called my mom up today to wish her a belated happy Mother's Day. I hear it ring a couple of times and then I can hear her talking to someone as she answers the phone. And then I get greeted with an "Is everything OKAY?!?!" in a very alarmed tone of voice. "Um... yeah Mom... I'm a bad daughter and didn't call you two days ago for Mother's Day, why?" "Oh, the weirdest thing just happened. Your brother called not 30 seconds ago and I didn't answer. When you called right away, I thought something was wrong."

*headdesk* My brother and I should have been born as twins. I mean... really.

I then had my own phone beep as I got an incoming call that I've been waiting for, so I hastily (*cough* basically) hung up on my poor mother.

Yep, that's how we roll for Mother's Day around here.

A Hamster's Vent

Hey science-types!

Have you thanked your hamsters recently? Both publicly AND privately? Are you breaking new ground with your research data?

We know you're busy and tons of people may have contributed to the project and all that, but seriously. If there is someone who has handled every single sample from ALL of those oh-so-many people and also brings years of experience to the process to boot - YOU CAN SPARE A LINE FOR THEIR NAME! Not just the institutional name - the PERSON.

Put it in print. Put it in print even when you think they'll NEVER see it.

Acknowledgements are easy and rather painless compared to the headaches you went through to get all of that other information you are now SO excited to share.

You'd be surprised at what a difference cookies can make. After all, giving us cookies gives you an excuse to spread the news of your research into an even wider circle.



Just don't ask for my picture. Put up a baby goat picture instead. Thanking your hamsters really doesn't have to be an exercise in visual boredom. We're hamsters, not supermodels.