Quicky Updates
A couple of updates from previous blog posts for you:
1) U-Haul eventually did refund me the proper amount of money in American funds. Apparently, it is possible for at least one person in that company to use a calculator to multiply by a decimal number and make a currency conversion. Also, at long last, I actually have money in my bank account here (it is possible... eventually...) and my first post-doctoral fellowship cheque has arrived from the Canadian government (thank you, taxpayers of Canada), so things are looking up (i.e. I can actually afford to pay my bills).
2) I checked out another new church today -- although it was perhaps the most disorganized and random service I have ever attended, the church is (1) really close to me (2) a nice size - 150-200 people or so and (3) much friendlier than the other places I've gone. Really, I'm down to two choices - one that's huge, very polished, has a ton of people roughly in my age group, but doesn't seem to be that friendly (with evening services), another that's small, seemingly disorganized, has significantly fewer 20-something people, but seems to be much friendlier (with morning services). I'm checking out a small group at the massive church this week (confused yet?) - we'll see how it goes. I guess the good news is that there are two decent choices to be made at least.
3) I'll probably be starting up my lab work in earnest this week - I added one more project trying to make flexible coatings for medical devices which have anti-fungal properties (apparently fungal infections are a huge problem for devices like catheters). I have, however, already awakened the political forces in the lab fighting over my time (not necessarily because I am special, more because I am free). It's actually really awkward for me (being caught in the middle of the power struggles) and, seeing as everybody ultimately works for the same professor, it seems really unnecessary and unproductive. I think balancing the ambitions of the sub-bosses in the lab is going to perhaps be a bigger challenge than the science... and perhaps in the end a more useful educational experience.
