I Left My Heart In The Science Lab

A warning for the squeamish. After I describe today's events, there will be pictures. If you think you can't handle it, you should stop scrolling when the words stop. :)

This morning I headed to DS2's school to help with the science enrichment lab. Today's topic - anatomy. We dissected a pig heart and lungs. It was actually quite fascinating. I went through a practice/training run last week, and it went well. I even learned something about bypass surgeries that I'd never known before.

This morning, DS2 was in the first group. We talked about how the lungs work, used a trach tube to blow up the lungs, and cut one apart to see what it looked like inside. I had to do all the cutting as I didn't feel comfortable handing a razor sharp scalpel to a group of squirming 5th graders.

Then we talked about the 4 chambers of the heart and how they work. We cut into each chamber and followed the arteries and veins into and out of the heart. We compared the texture of the heart to the texture of the lungs. We compared the thickness of the walls of the atria and ventricles.

DS2's group took a while to get going. They didn't want to touch at first, but after a while they even put their fingers through the arteries and veins.

After DS2's group, I had to do another group. In this group was a girl who wanted to spend the whole time "touching something bloody." I constantly had to tell her to back away so I could cut without cutting her fingers. I almost made it through this group too, but just before the lab ended it all got to be a bit too much. Thankfully I only had another 10 minutes and was able to leave.

I definitely couldn't have done it for more than two groups. And I'll probably go ahead and volunteer when my girls go through it. I think if I get a less ... enthusiastic ... group, I may even make it all the way through. Though I will not be volunteering to be parent leader as they have to lead several groups of parents and students through the lab, and twice is my limit. :)

For the record - I did not vomit, although I felt a little nauseous, and kept the windows in the car open all the way back to the house. The stench of decomposing pig is still in my nostrils 12 hours later.

Ok, one last warning! If the descriptions made you queasy - stop now!



Our lab:



DS2 getting ready for the lab:



Me, getting ready to cut:



Our specimen:

Yakkity Yak

This past weekend my favorite scrapbooking website (ScrapBook-Bytes) had a chat weekend. I was lucky enough to attend every one of the 8 chats, and completed 4 of the 7 challenges. I love getting together with other digital scrappers for these chats. It's usually all women, so there is lots of girl talk. Everyone is so supportive and helpful. And there is always great inspiration and challenges for our layouts.

Sniffles

Credits: Digitreats Skip Grunge paper and Skip bracket frame; font: Mia's Scribblings, Palatino Linotype; Scraplift Chat with Raechel

Giggles Swim Photo

Credits: KimB Fishy Tales template; font: Pieces of Eight; April Color Chat with Amy

Goofball

Credits: Digitreats Run papers: Grunge, Linen and G paper; Amy Bleser April 08 Chat Template; font: Pieces of Eight, Andrew Script

Slow Cooker Pizza

Credits: Write Your Own Book by CafeDigi; Monogram Tag Alpha, Brass Flowers by Misty Cato; Recipe Card by Kim Liddiard; Back To School by AmelieScrap; Shabby Frame, Folded Frame, Vintage Jewelry, Cotton Lace Ribbon by Gunhild Storeide; Vintage Gerbera by NBK; SeasonDeLerable by Fraisinette; Font: AndrewScript, Hilde; April Ad Inspiration chat with Sarah

User Un-Friendly

The company I'm working at now has a very restrictive internet policy. Most of the employees don't have internet access at all from their computers, and must use a centrally located pc, not connected to the company network, to go online. Being in IT, our guidelines are a little more lax. We are expected to "know better" when it comes to viruses, and much of our job requires the internet or at least is made easier by it. As a developer, I can spend all week reinventing the wheel, or I can spend a couple hours cruising the Dot Net forums and discover that someone has encounted and solved this problem already - and look! Their solution is more efficient than what I was going to do.

The company does use an internet filtering tool to prevent infection and increase productivity. It will automatically block access to sites that are not approved. It restricts access to all online web mail clients (category: Email), all ad banners (category: Ads/Banners - and I really don't miss them), general news sites, sexual content, games. All those sites that help employees waste time instead of working.

Overall, I don't much care. I understand why it's done. I've got a PDA phone, so I can access my personal email if I need to, and even browse the internet if I need to do something on my lunch hour at a prohibited site like gmail or Amazon. But the problem I've been running into is tech forums. I'm trying to work through a problem or issue that I'm having, I google the error message, find a result that looks promising and BAM! I'm blocked. The tech forum in question is blocked, category: Chat. grrrr. I'll go through several searches without encountering this problem, then suddenly get blocked on a really promising post. Generally I move on, but if I'm having trouble finding posts that really address my particular issue, I get really frustrated when that one perfect result is blocked as Chat.

The other day, I did a search and found a likely candidate. I clicked through and found that the forum was written in French. Sure, I could understand the code, but not the explanation. So I went back to the Google results and clicked "translate this page".

And that is when it happened. I got blocked. And I got blocked with the best, most descriptive, accurate and telling category of all. One that made perfect sense and completely described my feelings at this entire filtering process.



Exactly.

You may already be a winner!

Even better than Ed McMahon, and no silly magazines to buy!
As a celebration of her one year blogoversary, fellow blogger WildTomato was giving away some of her wonderful knitted goods. She let her dogs pick the winners (see this post for details) and my name was the first to pop out! Personally, I think it was a plot by Vespa. I think Vespa wants to see Daisy in some knitted furmiliation. Well Vespa, I can't top your mom, but I'll see what I can do. :)

Thank you so much WT! You do such great work, I can't wait to see what you come up with. Reading your blog makes me want to learn how to knit. My kids keep asking me to teach them, and I was never any good at it. Maybe a training session next time you're in middle america?? ;)

Thanks for the shout out and link. I did have just have one teeny tiny correction to your description of me. At last head count, there were 4 beautiful children messing up my house everyday. :)

Up Your Nose With A ...what?

DD2's medical record must be interesting reading. 6 stitches in the forehead after tripping over the laundry while playing "monsters" with her sister. 5 stitches in the eyebrow after jumping up and down on the couch because Dora was coming on. The incident report section of her school record overflows with falls, bruises and split lips. But this week, she may have topped them all in sheer absurdity.

I haven't seen yesterday's medical record, as DH is the one that took her to the doctor. But I can imagine what it says:

"Otitis Media, bilateral, mild. Rx - augmentin twice daily times 10 days. Status post foreign object in nose: shell pasta, cooked, in cheese sauce. Sinus cavity clear, patient advised to eat with mouth, not nose."