The next two weeks are going to be extremely stressful for me. I have Thanksgiving, followed by the American Society for Hematology meeting. I am really stressed about my project theses days. I get mixed messages from my adviser. One minute he loves the work, the next he is calling the data soft and says we need to do more work. It is very confusing for me, because I get told to "work on the paper" one minute, and to "do more work" the next. I am supposed to have a "team" to help me, but Dr. B has made that pretty much impossible. I have lived and breathed this data since March 2007.....he barely paid attention. Now, he is trying to change the direction and focus of the work every two days. He tells the other people in the group to do stuff with my samples, but does not tell me! Then, when the come to me, I have to try and figure out what he was thinking. I know that I am not a PhD yet, but I have sweated and lost sleep over this work. I hate the fact that someone who knows I have a good thing going is trying to take credit for my ideas and step away with my work. I can sort of understand my old lab partner Mary Lynn now.
The other stressful part is the holidays. I hate having to walk on eggshells around certain people. They do not deserve it, but I am not "in the family" per se...so I have to keep my mouth shut. NOT a strong point of mine. One thing I am looking forward to is Thanksgiving at my house. It will be nice to spend a day with my relatives that doesn't involve burials. We all still miss Dad terribly, but we are getting used to the fact that he is gone...
Well, wish me luck. I doubt I will update much before my birthday.

I went out for Halloween this year. I had not done that since my first year of medical school. Karen convinced me to get a costume (Greek Goddess) and come out with her. The alternative was to sit at home alone with the cat while Matt was at another DeLaSalle football game (they won). It was a lot of fun to see how everyone got dressed up. There were some really creative costumes, and I am always amazed at how much of one's body people will show off on a night like Halloween. If I get any pictures I will try to post them

Karen didn't have the best night. Ask her if you want the full details. I just hope it wasn't because I was along!

I am heading up to North Dakota for the next two days or so. I am going to be the representative for the University of Minnesota Medical School and Graduate Schools at the first annual University of North Dakota Graduate and Professional School fair on Nov. 4th. I am heading to Fargo on Monday afternoon, and will leave for Grand Forks bright and early on Tuesday. If all goes well with the weather, I will be back in Minneapolis late Tuesday night and back in the lab on Wednesday morning. My next three weeks are packed, as I have data club, lab meeting, and MICaB senior seminar all in a row. In the midst of all that, I also HAVE to get my paper draft completed and get most of my microRNA stuff together! Oh, and we have to go to ND again for my dad's burial. Sleep will definitely be a luxury in the next few weeks.

On other news, Matt received a call on Saturday from his mom. She is getting married to her boyfriend Keith. It has been 8 years since his dad passed away. Matt acts like he is ok with it, but I know that he isn't entirely. Joan is happy, and that is all that really matters. Keith is a wonderful man and treats her like a princess. Matt (and I) will adjust to her new husband and life. I just hope that Matt becomes a little more important to his mom than he has been recently (or that she demonstrates it a little better, such as listening when he talks). He feels really alienated from her (and the rest of his family) right now, which is sad. Matt doesn't demonstrate his feelings well, and definite does not discuss them. I hope that his mom finds time to actually have a serious conversation about her plans for the marriage with Matt before it happens, so that Matt feels like he isn't losing his only parent. I can only stand by and support Matt on whatever he decides/feels, it is up to the two of them to sort out the rest between them.