Things that I look forward to at work

(I also have to keep repeating to myself "yes, I get paid to do this")

1. Ripping open my lab coat in the air lock: We have lab coats with snap closures, and I love walking out of the lab, into the airlock and dramatically ripping my lab coat open, proclaiming my head "Haha suckers!! I'm out!" It helps me deal with the fact that I just spent the last 9 hours hunched over eppindorf tubes and being told that I'm "doing a good job at making myself seem as though I'm indispensable". Quality words of encouragement from my boss.

2. Listening to Adam Carolla's podcast over lunch. I fall in love with him more and more every day. I didn't realize this when he was on his radio show, but on the podcast, he has a little bit of a lisp. Now, this could be due to the fact that most of the time he's hammered while doing the podcast, but either way, it makes him all that more endearing to me and I want him even more.

3. Playing a little game I like to call "Try to avoid talking to creepy scientists". There are about 4 people that I see every day, multiple times a day, that I can't stand talking to and therefore, when I walk by them, I try to seem busy. I either play around with my iPod while walking, open up a notebook and pretend to be readying. I've even taken to walking around with a few scientific papers, looking engrossed to avoid contact more than a polite head nod. Good times.

4. My cube mate Mario walking by and asking me the following: 1. Did I sleep well the night before? 2. Did I go running/biking after work yesterday? 3. Is everything ok? He also calls me princess because I wore my hair up in some kind of braid/twist ensemble and he said I look liked Princess Angoradromeda or whoever Natalie Portman played in the terrible star wars prequels.

5. Another co-worker, Derek high -fiving me and saying "Happy Fucking "

6. Reading my favorite blogs/Lost recaps/celebrity gossip/playing Flowerz all while "on the clock". I am doing ground breaking research here people. I need some time to decompress.

7. The hot chocolate packets supplied in our break room that I have every afternoon at 3:30. Make the afternoon just a little sweeter. It would be even better if there was peppermint schnaps in it...or whiskey. Perhaps I should wait until after my probationary period is up to start that little tradition.

8. Playing the quarter game with Zach. It's lame, but we take turns hiding a quarter in each others cube. At first it started out as this funny game where we hid the quarter in 'easy' places. It has been stepped up a notch, to the point where tape and moving cube furniture is involved. It's intense. Apparently if I find where he hid it this time, I get a free lunch. Alert the media, Zach will be paying for my lunch...perhaps we're having an affair!

9. Playing another game which is "Try to get the socially inept people to verbally acknowledge that I exist". This is more challenging than it may sound, and it's also to boost my self esteem. I take it as a personal offense when people don't at least do a head nod or make eye contact when you walk by. It's insulting. So I stare them down with my killer smile and say 'Hi' as cheerily as I can in attempt to make it irresisitable to not say hi back. I'm about 0 for 2.5 million right now, but I keep it going. I will not quit!

10. Waking up at 5:30am Friday morning knowing that in 12 hours I will be freed for two blissful days of doing whatever the hell I want!

LOVE!!!