So I can't think of anything really truly funny to post, so here's my snow day story (that doesn't involve any snow):
So we're in San Diego, it's fall of 2007. The Santa Ana winds are kicking up and they're bringing one terrible awful firestorm down on San Diego County. Sunday night of that week, the hotels on Hotel Circle are filling up with people from Poway and points east. Sometime on Sunday night or Monday morning, they evacuate darn near everyone in the northern part of San Diego County.
So I roll into work (I'm a postdoc) on Monday morning and there's no one there. It's dead silent. The dry ice guy (who I almost never talk to, because he's all iPodded up) and I chat, and he's sayin' "Dude, I'm outta here and heading home after this delivery." After a while, I decide, you know what? Nobody's here, it smells like smoke in the lab, I'm heading home. Later that day, I call the main line at work, and they tell me that everything's closed for the day. The day after, they announce that because of the lack of emergency resources (all the fire guys are in east county), there will be NO bench chemistry and work is closed for the week.
Here's my thinking: "Man, I'm going to miss a whole week of bench time. You know what? I'll bet those boys and girls down at TSRI are still workin' in the lab." I drive to work that Tuesday, pick up my books, head home and start reading.
Later, I have a chance to interact with a postdoc from TSRI. "Hey, did you guys work during the fires?", I ask. The postdoc nods.
So we're in San Diego, it's fall of 2007. The Santa Ana winds are kicking up and they're bringing one terrible awful firestorm down on San Diego County. Sunday night of that week, the hotels on Hotel Circle are filling up with people from Poway and points east. Sometime on Sunday night or Monday morning, they evacuate darn near everyone in the northern part of San Diego County.
So I roll into work (I'm a postdoc) on Monday morning and there's no one there. It's dead silent. The dry ice guy (who I almost never talk to, because he's all iPodded up) and I chat, and he's sayin' "Dude, I'm outta here and heading home after this delivery." After a while, I decide, you know what? Nobody's here, it smells like smoke in the lab, I'm heading home. Later that day, I call the main line at work, and they tell me that everything's closed for the day. The day after, they announce that because of the lack of emergency resources (all the fire guys are in east county), there will be NO bench chemistry and work is closed for the week.
Here's my thinking: "Man, I'm going to miss a whole week of bench time. You know what? I'll bet those boys and girls down at TSRI are still workin' in the lab." I drive to work that Tuesday, pick up my books, head home and start reading.
Later, I have a chance to interact with a postdoc from TSRI. "Hey, did you guys work during the fires?", I ask. The postdoc nods.
Of course they did. How else do you expect a Nicolaou postdoc to finish the 49 step synthesis of the TUVWXYZ ring of Maitotoxin?
ReplyDeleteSad. Sad but true. Everyone had pretty much already taken off of work for today by yesterday afternoon...and here we are.
ReplyDeleteRUFKM? No catastrophe, not even an apocalyptic suburban fire, can interfere with the unending war among Oceania (Baran), Eurasia (Nicolaou), and Eastasia (Boger)!
ReplyDeleteThe way the ash blows over the entirety of SD county, it almost looks like it's snowing.
ReplyDeleteAt the "other Scripps", we used to joke that, in case of a hurricane coming up the coast, out safest bet might just be to stay in lab, since it was rated for a Cat 4 storm, and our apartments sure weren't!
ReplyDeleteIn grad school, the majority of the research group I was in stood near a flimsy window watching as tornados touched down. :-) They were led there by the PI. I stayed a safe 17ft away at my hood.
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