LTE 2.0

[ArkieDukie]

Apparently the decision has been rethought and he is going to Stanleytown (the better location) after all, possibly on Monday.

He still cannot pass the swallow test and will need a PEG for nutrition.

Yeah on the re-thinking. I will put the pointy-toed shoes on the shelf but not all the way back in the box.

I'll second what my sister DinK said. Ready to send shin kicks whenever Christian's care is not what it needs to be.

[ArkieDukie]

Just finished making a batch of pizza dough. It's rising and will be ready to bake in about an hour. Here's hoping I will be eating pizza all weekend and for several weekends to come.

[ArkieDukie]

I've already eaten pizza in preparation for this afternoon's game.

[ArkieDukie]

Currently having fun working on taxes. I somehow need to find out tax information for my property in St. Louis; it's the only way I can get the rest of the information that I need. Guess a phone call is in order.

[Very Duke Blue]

[devildeac]

38-11 or 28-15. Take your pick.

[ArkieDukie]

Windsor asked for an update during chat today, so here goes!

First off, things still mucho awkwardo due to recent romantic breakup of Road Runner and MacGyver (he has a new girlfriend, but not someone at work, thank the Lord!). That makes for much fun on multiple levels. Road Runner is not keeping MacGyver in the loop on things he really should be in the loop on. I've been very carefully keeping him informed. As Brilliant Grad Student said, it feels like we're back in junior high. Seriously, people, grow up and act like the professionals that you allegedly are!!!!

Our group found something VERY major a couple of weeks ago. Main player is the Russian postdoc who I really need to come up with a name for, working along with a collaborator in NY. I'm along for the ride but will be a coauthor on the paper. (BarMinion has no clue what's going on. Suffice it to say her head will explode; this is going to lead to a VERY major publication.) Road Runner is very wisely leveraging our discovery to lay the groundwork for our deal with the instrument company. Based upon said discovery, they are VERY interested in working with us. This time we're moving slowly in an effort to NOT piss people off who can block the path.

A week ago last Thursday, Road Runner sent an email to The Provost (at another person's suggestion) telling him about said exciting discovery. This is part of the "laying the groundwork" exercise. She bypassed The Boss - who, as you may recall, refused to meet with Road Runner on multiple occasions to discuss the deal with the instrument company. Bright and early the next morning, The Provost called The Boss to get more details. To say that The Boss was not happy is an understatement of epic proportions. He ran into me in the hallway and asked me if I was in on Road Runner's big discovery. I very carefully said yes, not knowing exactly what was going on. He expressed his displeasure that he hadn't been informed first and said he had a call in to talk to Road Runner, but she hadn't returned his call. She was teaching class, so I passed this bit of knowledge along to him. I then went back and sent a "Danger, Will Robinson!" text to Road Runner to give her a heads-up. Fortunately I caught her before she went to see The Boss; she hadn't been informed of why he wanted to meet with her - just that The Boss wanted to see her immediately. She played this one well: used the "butter-wouldn't-melt-in-my-mouth" argument, "Why, I tried to talk to you about what we're doing several times and you didn't have time for a meeting." Road Runner said he had no response for that, because he knew she had him. At a departmental meeting later that day, The Boss distributed copies of Road Runner's email to The Provost and had her explain the finding and its significance to the other faculty in the department. Unfortunately Wile E. Coyote was not there, but I'm sure he heard all about it from The Boss.

At the previous week's departmental meeting, Wile E. Coyote presented a research idea. He made so many ridiculously arrogant statements that I was actually writing down quotes to pass along to the absent Road Runner and Wile E. Coyote. I was about to die laughing - spent most of the time during his presentation staring at my desk or covering my mouth. Dude actually said that he's the top person in the world in his field, among other things. I went to supper with another colleague later that same day; unfortunately WEC was invited as well. He was bragging at supper about how he was going to be giving a talk at the upcoming professional conference I normally attend. I could've called BS on this statement but I didn't. Remember I mentioned earlier that Road Runner and MacGyver were absent last Friday? Well, they were at an out-of-town meeting reviewing abstracts for the big conference at which WEC was claiming to be giving a talk. The oral presentations hadn't even been assigned last Friday. The slots for oral sessions are very competitive, and sources tell me that WEC did not get one of them. I so should've called him out. Lying little sack of shit.

A couple of representatives from the instrument company were in town to meet with us last Tuesday. In a particularly evil frame of mind, Road Runner asked the applications person to name the top 5 people in WEC's area of interest. WEC's name was not on the list. She asked the apps person about WEC; he had a flash of a really funny look on his face and said, "Oh yeah, I've heard of him." I cracked up. He was very diplomatic, but the look said everything.

[OZZIE4DUKE]

Russian postdoc: Boris or Natasha, obviously! LOL!

[ArkieDukie]

Russian postdoc: Boris or Natasha, obviously! LOL!

Actually, there are 2 Russian postdocs in Road Runner's lab. One is male, the other is female. So, from here on out they will be Boris and Natasha. Natasha is the one I referred to above. Thanks for the great suggestion, Ozzie!

[OZZIE4DUKE]

Russian postdoc: Boris or Natasha, obviously! LOL!

Actually, there are 2 Russian postdocs in Road Runner's lab. One is male, the other is female. So, from here on out they will be Boris and Natasha. Natasha is the one I referred to above. Thanks for the great suggestion, Ozzie!

You're welcome! And congrats on the big discovery and subsequent papers!

[windsor]

Russian postdoc: Boris or Natasha, obviously! LOL!

Actually, there are 2 Russian postdocs in Road Runner's lab. One is male, the other is female. So, from here on out they will be Boris and Natasha. Natasha is the one I referred to above. Thanks for the great suggestion, Ozzie!

Brilliant.

Your lab is nothing if not interesting Arkie. I can not wait for BarMinion's head to explode. Romantic liasons at work always seem to end badly. They are never a good idea.

[lawgrad91]

Brilliant.

Your lab is nothing if not interesting Arkie. I can not wait for BarMinion's head to explode. Romantic liasons at work always seem to end badly. They are never a good idea.

As my former coworker used to say, "do not sh** in your own nest."

Amazing what goes on there, AD.

[lawgrad91]

Christian has been safely delivered to Stanleytown Health Care Center for rehab. When I walked in and accidentally interrupted a lady and a gentleman to ask where we needed to take him, I accidentally interrupted the director of nursing and the administrator. Nice people....

[ArkieDukie]

Brilliant Grad Student dropped a bomb on me today. Do all of you remember the meeting back in October where BarMinion presented "her" analysis of the same data set that Natasha and I had been working on? Remember the conversation we had later with Road Runner, in which she assured us that our work would be published rather than BM's? Well, I found out today that was a bald-faced lie. BarMinion has written a paper that is being submitted to the top journal in our field - the one where my paper was supposed to be submitted. BarMinion's husband is a coauthor; Natasha and I are not. That's fine, because I had no involvement in her work and do not want to be blamed for it. The problem is, her paper is going in before the papers that Natasha and I were supposed to be writing. The upshot is this: Road Runner lied to both of us on multiple occasions, right down to the meeting in which we mapped out papers to write that had already been given to BarMinion. Bitch scooped us and made our papers irrelevant, and Road Runner was in on it the whole time. I'm going to have to take a few days to cool down before I ask for an explanation.

[lawgrad91]

Ooooh, AD, I would be biting nails and spitting thumbtacks.

Keep us posted on whatever stupid "explanation" you get.

[DukePA]

Brilliant Grad Student dropped a bomb on me today. Do all of you remember the meeting back in October where BarMinion presented "her" analysis of the same data set that Natasha and I had been working on? Remember the conversation we had later with Road Runner, in which she assured us that our work would be published rather than BM's? Well, I found out today that was a bald-faced lie. BarMinion has written a paper that is being submitted to the top journal in our field - the one where my paper was supposed to be submitted. BarMinion's husband is a coauthor; Natasha and I are not. That's fine, because I had no involvement in her work and do not want to be blamed for it. The problem is, her paper is going in before the papers that Natasha and I were supposed to be writing. The upshot is this: Road Runner lied to both of us on multiple occasions, right down to the meeting in which we mapped out papers to write that had already been given to BarMinion. Bitch scooped us and made our papers irrelevant, and Road Runner was in on it the whole time. I'm going to have to take a few days to cool down before I ask for an explanation.

Road Runner is a light blue, bitch from hell.

[Ima Facultiwyfe]

Christian has been safely delivered to Stanleytown Health Care Center for rehab. When I walked in and accidentally interrupted a lady and a gentleman to ask where we needed to take him, I accidentally interrupted the director of nursing and the administrator. Nice people....

This is comforting news. Vibes still flowing.
Love, love, Ima

[DukePA]

VDB's knee replacement surgery went well with no complications . She says she might go to rehab, but only if she can watch basketball . That's my mom!!!

[OZZIE4DUKE]

VDB's knee replacement surgery went well with no complications . She says she might go to rehab, but only if she can watch basketball . That's my mom!!!

Great news! Tell her I, and we, send our best vibes to her. Of course, she'll probably read this for herself!

[lawgrad91]

VDB's knee replacement surgery went well with no complications . She says she might go to rehab, but only if she can watch basketball . That's my mom!!!

Yay! Glad to hear this! Hugs to VDB!