Thallium

It's hard to believe that Thanksgiving is next week with the weather fluctuating between dreary cold grey and bright warm sunny days. Snow is in the forecast for Michigan (!!!) and while I wish I could get my first Michigan snow day, my New York self tells me I'm going to have to wait awhile longer. In honor of the crazy weather patterns, here are some crazies of my own:

Dreary cold grey: I just paid $3000 to fix a cracked cylinder head in my car (yes, the new car that I've had since August - I know what you're thinking)
On the bright side: The mechanics cleaned my car (wash AND wax), charged me only $6 for an oil change (the least they could do), and aligned my tires...FOR FREE.

Dreary cold grey: My middle school mentor teacher ruptured her achilles tendon playing basketball over the weekend. Because she had to have surgery to repair it, she is out until after Thanksgiving.
On the bright side: Another middle school teacher took us under his wing for the week. He has the most charismatic turtle I have ever met and I'm pretty sure I wasted a half hour staring at the tank. Substitute mentor for the week is an awesome teacher - I have never been so jealous of a teacher voice before.

Dreary cold grey: I realized today that I had not turned in a paper for a tuition grant due in August (whoops).
On the bright side: Telling the financial aid woman that you completely forgot is a good enough excuse to turn in said grant in November. She even processed it same day!

Some more on the bright sides - I've gotten some cool ideas recently for my blog (but I would totally love some more if you have any ideas!). After reading a college friend's teaching blog, I am trying to put together a cool wardrobe post (let's be honest - I talk about tights too much sometimes). And my usual NY Times staple did a recent series about being a science major in college. Did you know that 40% of intended science majors never follow through? Look for those posts in the coming weeks!


Fun Morbid Fact: Thallium poisoning was prevalent during the Cold War era, as its symptoms are common for most general ailments - fever, cramps, and stomachache. Because the effects are long-term leaders would used it on their enemies so that they would not be implicated in their death. If you watch House or read Agatha Christie novels, both have featured thallium poisoning!