We had a holiday at work today. The couple to several times per year lab holiday known as "vendor show". It's like Xmas and thanksgiving rolled into one. I came out of this one with 2 tee shirts, a box of kimwipes, tubes, plates, dishes, and more candy and catalogues than I can possibly use. But this is how these traveling representatives do their business and get us, the researchers, to buy their particular brand of junk as opposed to their competitor's brand. To be honest, most lab stuff works the same. There have been no advances in petri dish technology, no major leaps in microfuge tube mechanics, or even in midiprep kits. They woo us by 4 main techniques: price, packaging, promises, and perks. I use what I like and what's cheap and stocked in the core facilities, and rarely to I bother with other brands unless they make it worth my while. But I like to let them think a free pen or tee shirt will sway me, because hey, I got to get SOMEthing good out of all these years of hard work, eh?

I have to go up to work at 4 in the morning to finish an experiment today, because I was a complete dope and didn't pay attention while I was doing the damn thing. Smart move, totally. I don't know if I should just sleep at my desk or go back home and go back to work late. Decisions. I should've gone to bed earlier and just set an alarm for 4, but I was talking to the other guy in my swordfighting class for an hour and a half after class tonight and I didn't get home until 12:30. There were a lot of bikes on the road and a lot of cops waiting for them. I'll probably head to the rally on Sunday to check on shit. I need to get a cheap helmet for work and a new tool bag, as my last one got eaten to mush by battery acid.


PS to Cisco -- I spoke to my friends on the phone finally tonight, and they are coming in to see the Dwarves with me. But as they are bringing two other people I wasn't aware of, the tickets I bought wouldn't cover them anyway. Besides there's no way they're selling out the Engine Room. So if you want them they're yours, just lemme know if you're interested still.