Stupid Ankle

To be fair, I don't know that it's actually sprained, it just doesn't feel happy and nice. It feels, in fact, the opposite of both of those things.

If it still hurts by tomorrow I get to find someone to drive me into town to go to the clinic. :(

Sigh.

Also, let's not forget MechanoCrab, my nemesis and the bringer of the Foggy Crabpocalypse.

--m

Poor, Dead Chitons

I'm holding a fluffy Tonicella of some kind. Tomorrow I have to go to work so I can finish up part of my data collection. The work might involve me straining my eyes a lot and an update might not happen.

Also, I miss my long(er) hair, at least a little.

--m

A Summer Review

On the back of an envelope I sent

This summer I spent ten weeks at one of my most favorite places in the world, Friday Harbor, WA. I was a student there in two intensive, graduate-level courses, Comparative Invertebrate Embryology and Larval Biology. I'm back home for a brief stint (after boats, cars and trains) and absolutely wiped. Tonight I'm sharing a few choice photos with you rather than drawing.

Expect comics tomorrow.

More photos after the break!
--m

Larval Cupcakes, I'm Telling You!

These look like football helmets, mushrooms, and depending on the species, sometimes male appendages. Hence they are always fun to draw.

The fourth here at the Labs went well, I got a prize for my radula costume (woah!) and fireworks yesterday. Hope you're all safe and well and the like.

--m

'Cause I'm a Robot Now

Sleeping is for people who don't have lives or invertebrate embryos to look at.

I'm getting that glazed over, carrying-a-sleep-deficit look. (And two comics have been about lack of sleep in the last week, so clearly it's time to have a nap marathon.)

--m

P.S. Have a good Fourth of July for all the americans in the readership. And happy Canada Day two days late for the Canadians.

They're Too Cute to Be Trusted

ASW invertebrate tribute! Went night lighting and caught SEVEN juvenile cephalopods (holy cutegasm, Batman!) so it was an awesome night, but I got started on the comic late.

Photos of an octopus juvenile (O. rubescens or E. dofleini) I cared for last year up here, but I hope to get some pics of our new guys soon.

Mouseover text: "They're too cute to be trusted." And no, I don't know what Phase 2 is, but I have a feeling it's sneaky.

--m

Science Win!

When there's an experiment that works, this is how it feels. A bunch of our embryos today look like duds, but my culture of some sand dollar babies is moving right along and that makes me feel okay about myself.

--m

P.S. Tomorrow I'm taking off, so have a good weekend.

Time to Leave Lab, Kiddo

This is a nerd PSA: friends don't let friends get microscope eyes. Make your lab partner/loved one/friend leave the lab when microscope eyes happen. They'll thank you later.

I was in lab for four hours tonight and got some stuff done, but I still feel vastly underprepared and slack-off-y. Can I make slack-off-y an adjective?

--m

Nerd Post Ahoy

So I'm back at Friday Harbor Labs, through the University of Washington. It's kind of an epic place to be if you love invertebrates.

So, posts coming back regularly now, sorry for my failure to post.

--m

So Forever, Yea?

Okay. I am starting again because this summer was rough. I discovered I can't eat gluten or dairy (which put considerable strain on me) and then went away to Friday Harbor Labs in Washington's Puget Sound to study marine inverts, and let's be honest, it's hard to comic it up when you're always splooging yourself over inverts.

Now I'm back!

Here's what I hope will be the first of more daily posts again!

I also have no idea why Gluten Monster has a pitchfork. Maybe to terrorize the villagers, or something.