Lab Pet Peeves...Most Annoying Tasks

I always said I'd post light hearted and positive posts, but since it's Friday the 13th and several things have already gone wrong for me today...I'm going to make a list of the most annoying/mundane/monotonous tasks in the lab that I wish I could get someone else to do for me! (That's a bit of a fib - I don't mind doing these things, but they always have to be done at the most inconvenient time so perhaps 2 spare arms to help me get them done would be the best solution).

1. Aliquot-ing.

2. pHing buffers.

3. Washing 2 units of platelets (don't ask).

4. Refilling tips boxes manually (one by one).

5. Searching in the -80 freezer for a box/sample that you know you left at the front on the left in the middle shelf but somehow mysteriously it has moved/vanished.

Let me know your least favourite lab tasks that are trivial or boring-but must be done for a fully functional and operational experiment/laboratory!

Rachel xxx

PS I feel a lot better after that rant-blogging can be cathartic! And I also have to say that I love my job & I wouldn't change it for the world...but seriously, a few spare arms would be very very handy once in a while ;)

Travelling to work in a different Lab

I'm off to Amsterdam this Sunday to work in another lab for a week as part of a collaboration study. I'm really looking forward to it now, I've never been to Amsterdam and it's always great to get experience and see how things work in a different environment outside of the one you're used to.

I'll be there for the world cup final on Sunday evening, how cool is that?! The atmosphere in the whole city will be electric to say the least. Come on Holland!

Now I've just gotta get my presentation sorted (have to give a 30 minute overview of my work to the lab group). But I also have to pack. Hmm which shall I do first?! Priorities...