Fish Biology Fieldtrip

Big Sur and Monterey Bay, CA (Oct 2007)- I am a TA (teaching assistant) for the fish biology course here at UCSB. Part of my responsibility as a TA is to double as a teacher and chaperon on the many fieldtrips, both mandatory and not, that we take the kiddies on throughout the quarter. So far, we've been on a trawling trip in Santa Barbara Point (I'm still trying to get the photos from a friend) and this was our second trip of four. We drove up the Big Sur coast, stopped to check out the elephant seals along the way, and camped out at the UC Kenneth S. Norris Rancho Marino Reserve where we went tidepooling in the pouring rain, to collect and ID fish. It was heaps of fun. On Sunday, we drove up the coast to the Monterey Bay Aquarium to get a behind-the-scenes tour and also to see their new juvenile great white shark in captivity. MBA are the first ones to successfully capture and maintain a great white shark. Guess where they got it from- right near where I live!!!

Flowers

Santa Barbara, CA (Oct 2007)- I've finally been having some visitors outside my bedroom door (overlooking my little balcony), other than flies and bees! I wanted to plant some milkweed so I'd have Monarch butterflies, but even without milkweed they come!!! They just can't seem to resist my gorgeous flowers!

Go-go dancing at the Wildcat

Wildcat, SB (Sept 2007)- Let's flashback to our night at the Wildcat, or the "Shitty Kitty", as it's known to native SBers. My friend Becky came down from San Fran so we could hangout with our friend Lyndsey who go-go dances at the Wildcat on weekends. It was great fun. During her breaks, the bodyguard asked me if I wanted to go-go dance on the platform (I guess he saw me in action on the dance floor!)! Becky came up to join me. We had heaps of fun! I love to dance!

Gotta love the fam

Santa Barbara, CA (Oct 2007)- Mum and Dad paid me a lovely visit this weekend up in SB. We had lots of fun, setting up my non-functional cable tv, running around doing errands, going out to eat, buying plants and BBQs (only 1 actually!), foodshopping, visiting my ocean-oriented office at uni, and especially planting the plants. My dad is a pro... he single-handedly potted all of my new shrubbery! He's now dubbed "the flower man". I was very impressed.... he even knows their names and how they fare in different environments! A man to look up to. Stay tuned for some good fauna-related photos once they start to fill in and perk up!

I'm still waiting...

Santa Barbara, CA (Oct 2007)- I've been sitting, not eating, not sleeping, but waiting... I'm still waiting for my husband to come home... I feel so empty... do I look any different to you guys?

Just playin'! I've been living it up actually! I'm getting to know my lab and my labmates, re-familiarizing myself with the uni (there are heaps of new buildings on campus!) and my neighboorhood, and I've just finished up my first week of TAing for the Fish Biology course. It's been great. I DO miss my husband though. Why are we so career focused? Sometimes I wonder....