Lab Week

Thus far, the week has been fairly uneventful so I was able to combine everything into a single post. Early in the week I worked on picking microfossils (as described earlier) until the light source for my microscope unexpectedly shut off. The coil in the bulb looked to be intact, but just to be certain I replaced it anyway, naturally to no avail. Something must have happened to the wiring, but I'm a bit afraid to open everything up since the unit is so expensive. Maybe I'll give it a shot next week, but for now my fossil picking is over. I tried using a variety of incandescent lamps as a temporary replacement, but the heat output of the bulbs bright enough to do the trick is just too great and will probably damage the microscope if I leave them on. So, I went back to the hunk of sandstone on my desk and once again started "hunting" for snails and mussels.

I also learned early in the week that the STRI work badge I finally received is not enough to get me onto the canal land. It looks like we're still waiting on separate badges from ACP (Autoridad de Canal Panama), which have been the real source of the hold-up as far as field work goes. Every time we get word that things should be going through shortly, we suddenly experience a complete breakdown in contact with ACP. Based on what I've heard from every last person I've talked to here, both inside and outside our department, this is just the way things are, so I'm just staying patient and keeping busy with lab work. They'd better come through soon though! As hot and miserable as it's likely to be, there are supposedly just tons of fossils to be found. I want to see!

Mid-week brought some interest interest to my life, though. First and foremost, at volleyball practice on Wednesday, I found out that I made the starting squad for Friday's games. I think we have a double header (the whole tournament system isn't really clear to me) and I'm surprised at how excited I am for it! I never really took much interest in volleyball, but it's turning out to be a lot of fun. I'm far from spectacular, but I'm tall, I can serve, and at the very least I can hit the ball up into the air (is that called setting?) for someone else to take care of. Plus, the STRI rules allow you to use your feet, which is second nature to me and works out well.

Then, at this week's Tupper Talk, I ran into someone I had met at the Geological Society Annual Meeting back in November. It was mind-shattering to realize that someone I knew (however little) was also down in Panama. Cassie is a grad student who studies grass pollen and so was interested in the goings-on of Stromberg Lab and came to some of our talks and dinners and such. Looking back on it, I do remember her saying she would be going to Panama as well, but until I saw her it had completely slipped my mind. She's living with four or five other students in some STRI apartments, so now I've basically doubled my number of potential Panama friends. Pretty sweet!

To top it all off, I discovered that Ehssan, a guy I've been going to school with since Madrona, is touring Costa Rica as the drummer for his band Incus. They're here through March, and at the very end of their tour they'll be performing at a huge music festival on the Costa Rica side of the Panama-Costa Rica border. I looked into my travel options, which boil down to renting a car or catching a charter, and I think I should be able to make the trip. I'll have no clue what I'm doing, since all I know is a small corner of Panama City, so I'm really hoping I can convince one of my roommates to come with me. It seems like way to crazy of a coincidence to pass up!

A small frog I found on the stairs leading to the labs