Jen's Virtual World

Greetings y'all. After 8 1/2 years of getting to know each other, Patrick and I finally tied the knot on July 5th in Port Hadlock. Check out our website to see pics of the wedding and honeymoon - and to drop us a line! 

 

In one of my last meetings as a Microsoft employee, our new fearless leader shared his employee development philosophy: recognize and embrace your weaknesses, then surround yourself with people that are strong where you are weak. Here's my first step in that process: I suck at keeping my blog up to date. I'm just not a natural blogger. Interesting since I was a writer back in the day. Now I just need to find someone to blog for me. :)

 

So here's what's new since my last blog entry:

I was accepted to Bastyr's MS Nutrition program with caveats: I had to take Physiology and Biochemistry (and do well) or they would rescind the offer. So, off to prerequisite school I went. I took Physio at a local community college and for 8 hours per week, I listened to my professor read PowerPoint slides, with a little additional explanation here and there. Did you know that physiology lab is now done on computers? So, now instead of performing a titration with beakers and those long, inverted graduated cylinders with valves (uh, what are those called again?), you click the Titrate button and Eureka! you have titrated! Which was awesome because it means that my lab results were the most accurate that they have ever been. I am a MASTER button pusher! And, if I made a mistake (which never happened because I'm perfect, ha ha) it's super easy to just start lab all over again. The major downside to this is that I am in a *research* focused Masters program, and want to go on to a *research* focused PhD program. How many labs have Titrate buttons on the lab bench?

 

Biochemistry rocks. I took Distance Medical Biochem from the University of New England. The professor sent DVDs of the lectures, learning objectives for each chapter, and practice exams, at the beginning of the course. Then, at the end, there was one final exam that would define your grade for the class. I had always heard "It's SO HARD!" "Biochem will kill you and eat your children!" but let me tell you - it is so freakin' interesting. I often had to pry myself away from the lectures in the morning so I could go to work and make a living. Yes, the subject matter is indeed challenging. Body processes are complicated. But they are also quite logical. The coolest part for me was that I was becoming consciously aware of what my body has done subconsciously all of my life. When I would get confused about hormone regulation of a step in a metabolic pathway I had to laugh - some part of me had to understand that step, or else I'd be in a lot of trouble!

 

In the end, I emerged victorious. Biochem and Physio are done, and my acceptance is officially caveat-free. So, for the last couple weeks I have been unpacking the new place (Patrick and I moved from our 2000 sq ft house next door to my work to a 900 sq ft apartment next to his work), going to orientation, and prepping for my first bike event: the Tour de Whidbey. It's a 50 mile adventure that I will embark on this Saturday (9/23) armed with nothing but my bike, a water bottle, and some gooey sugar packets. If all goes well, I won't die and might even come out of it a stronger person. Wish me luck!

 

 

 

  

 

That’s what most people say when I tell them I’m leaving Microsoft to be a poor graduate student. Like the head that just grew out of my foot looked up at them and said it's ready to try heroin. Yep, I probably am crazy. Definitely not practical. My plan is totally up in the air, but I'm just too dang exciting about it and the stuff I'll be learning is too cool (to me) to pass it up.

 

In a mere eight or so years, I hope to be restoring brain function to people who have had brain injuries (like a stroke) or degenerative diseases (like ALS), using specific food and exercise therapy. Pretty crazy, eh? But SO exciting. In the “old days,” much of the scientific community thought that the brain is static after you reach a certain age. But increasingly we are realizing that the brain is “plastic” – it really does constantly react to its environment, growing and changing so it is better prepared to do the work we demand of it. Similarly, the body uses nutrients from the foods we eat and the exercises that we demand of it (quick definition – by “exercise” I don’t mean huffing and puffing at the gym. Think more “activities” including sedentary “thought” activities…) to fuel and drive the healing process, making the body that much more prepared to deal with the situations life throws at it.

 

Holy crap! That's so cool! I know! That's why I'm leaving - so I can stop reading about it every now and then and start thinking about it full time.

 

At the same time, leaving Microsoft is sad and terrifying. I'm really going to miss walking onto campus every day, meeting with you smarties, and building the next awesome Windows Live product. Luckily, I get to slowly wean myself of my Microsoft addiction by going down to part time over the summer. You're not rid of me yet!

 

Continue to check back for updates on my escapades, if you are interested. Or if you just want to stop that freaking gleam next to my name in the contact list. Oh yeah. You're welcome for that. :)  

 

You know you're reading a little too much biology when...

I was at my usual Sunday hang out, the dog park, with Bailey , chattin' with my girl, Maple on my antiquated cell  (but that's another story). Anyway, Bailey's a 1:1 player - she likes to chase or be chased by one dog, but when there are several dogs involved, she gets nervous and a little defensive. It's the end of our loop, and Bailey takes off after her favorite jumping bean/bunny rabbit, a Jack Russel terrior. And they play and run and have such a jolly good time that they attract the attention of other park goers. Suddenly, they are swarmed by a herd of wild, snarling beasts. Bailey (aka Optimus Prime - robots in disguise! anyone? anyone?) instantly transforms into  snap turtle as she's surrounded by the pack. As I get off the phone to intervene, I hear myself say to Maple "I gotta go. Bailey just became a lipid in a micelle." HA!!! <sigh> I'm such a geek.  

In every choice in life, there are tradeoffs. Never is that as clear as when you sit in a project review meeting...