I don’t believe she has a formal background in botany (and neither do I, so I don’t know whether her work is accurate to the standard you desire), but Marie Brennan in Oakland might be closer to what you are seeking.

Last summer, I was eating breakfast in my favorite local place when he came in and sat down in the booth next to mine. Because I have zero chill, I blurted out “I love your show!” He laughed and came over and chatted for a few minutes, and said he just finished a house in my neighborhood (he is SO NICE and seemed…

Northern Nevada. Cost of living is way cheaper than CA (but is starting to go up because of Bay Area expats and other tech people moving to the area), and Reno is 3-4 hours from the Bay Area. I mean... it’s still Reno, but it definitely grows on you. Lots of outdoorsy stuff to do. UNR isn’t a bad school at all.

Bichon-poodle mix? Looks like my lil guy when he’s groomed and not looking like a muppet. Observe:

Last year I went as Teddy Roosevelt for Halloween, and my friend went as a bear.

Same. I want to be a fly on the wall when she unwraps the decanter. I hope she cries.

Yuuup. That’s exactly the plan. The best thing about this whole ordeal was this morning, when boyfriend told sister that aunt went back to Michigan today. She’s mostly nonverbal, so her vocabulary is limited, but she responded with a big “thank you!” Boyfriend and I cracked up because that’s exactly how we felt too.

Oh she had a great birthday! She made out like a bandit. This morning we dressed her new baby in her new outfit, and now we’re coloring.

Good news and bad news.

My Thanksgiving horror story is still unfolding.

Dude, you and me both. That was such a weird book, but I loved it so freaking much.

I found nitrile gloves where the XS were actually a bit too small for me! I don't remember the brand, but they were a very pale green. Seafoam green.

Yes and no. Yes for wet bench stuff, no for non-messy things (as in this case). The reason is that lab coats are a liability if they aren't appropriately sized. I am very petite, and the sleeves on the smallest size the coat service offered were bigger around than my head. I don't think I need to explain the myriad of…

The Day I Caught On Fire

Former chemist.

I had to re-read the article TWICE to notice the spelling error, even after you pointed it out. This is why I would fail as an editor. Herp derp.

Eh... yeah, you could use the historic name for it, but hydrochloric acid is the more common and correct name (actually, the most correct is hydrogen(chloride), but even IUPAC admits that trying to get people to use systematic names instead of " __ acid" names for very common inorganic acids is unrealistic). At any…

Today I made a catbus. I haven't filled in the ads on the sides yet (I think one will be "Edward for Mayor"). There's even a little steering wheel, but I expect that will be eaten by Monday. Edward, how will you drive the bus if you eat the steering wheel?!?!

When I was in India, I watched my friend's mom prepare chai and boy howdy, did I take notes. The trick is (at least for my friend's mom's technique) to dump your loose leaf tea/spice mix into a small saucepan with milk, and then slowly heat it, so the tea has enough time to steep. Then pour over a strainer into a mug!…

If you want to get into museums and archives, one of the best ways to get your foot in the door is to volunteer, if you're able. Places like historical societies can have very good archives and welcome volunteers. It's an excellent way to gain experience and test the waters. Something to keep in mind though: I treated…