Picnic

I was looking through my old lab books for kiks and foud some interesting stuff from my first few weeks in ISrael. At the time, I didn't know what to make of the results. But a few years later I know so much more about the chemsitry of the materials I was working with and I want to look over that old stuff again to see if there is anything worthy in there.  I photocopied a few pages and ponder them again later. 

I also took a photocopy of the infamous reaction where I first go the nano-stars of David. I will use it a  teaching tool of how much detail should go into your experimental sections. ESPECIALLY when doing exploratory chemistry. I have a complete, but rather brief write up for the reaction and I paid for my brevity with a year of my life, trying to reproduce that beast.

I finished my last reaction, cleaned off my desk and handed in my key. My old orange mug got washed and placed back up in the cupboard where I will hopefully find the next time I come.

On Thursday night, the lab hosted a picnic in the park for us. We were going to go to a restaurant, but with so many small kids, a picnic seemed like a much better idea. Remember, that with Army service, many of the graduate students are a three or so years older than you'd expect. And therefore they often start their families in graduate school.

We ordered takeout, and predictably the Israelis almost elusively ordered the hummus. We had hummus but also some sesame chicken strips. I am so honoured that everyone came and I was reminded how great my friends in Jerusalem are.

Alex enjoyed the chicken thoroughly and got orange sauce and hummus all over me and even put a big orange hand print on the back of Yeonadav's T-shirt. From the beginning of eating solids, we have been letting Alex feed himself and sticky hands are an unfortunate consequence.  Just notice in the video the clean looking kids and how nice and quietly they are sitting. Then notice my son: a complete mess who is constantly in motion.

And I love him for it.