Epidemiology for me & Chicago for Steffen

What is Epidemiology?

I can answer this question now and have been forced to memorize a whole bunch of related formulas... Oh man!

Simply: 

It is the study of health and disease in human populations.

Comprehensively:

It is the study of the distribution and determinants of disease frequency in human populations. 

Think good thoughts for me as I take the test tomorrow!!!  Also, Steffen will be off to APS in Chicago for 2 days to work, work, work! As a reminder folks- he doesn't have any cell service there :( 

The Year Ahead...

Our blog has been very empty and lackluster over the past few months; however, now that we are settling back into routine I hope the blog can come alive again.  That said, it is time for an update on the year ahead...

2011 will be a big year for both of us! Steffen has embarked on his candidacy preparation and will have his candidacy exam in April of this year. This means lots of preparation and lots of bench work! In  January Steffen gave two talks about his work, one to his entire program and one to his lab group. Both went well and he has a clear plan for the upcoming months. I am sure he will do superbly and come summer he will officially be a PhD candidate in Chemical Biology!!!

For me 2011, will bring graduation! December 17^th, 2011 I will graduate with my MSW and MPH. I am thrilled for this day to come and to celebrate this accomplishment. Until then, I will be working hard in class and in the field.  With summer will come a break from classes for me. This will be my first semester without classes in about 18 months! Instead of classes, my summer will be focused on a public health internship. As of right now, I’m not quite sure where my internship will be…

Aside from graduate school the two of us are enjoying some special events in Michigan. In January, we went to the North American International Car Show in Detroit and a fantastic concert by the Life Sciences Orchestra. In February, we will head west to join friends at the Michigan Winter Beer Festival just outside of Grand Rapids. Beyond that, we will see what develops but I am sure that there will be fun trips scheduled and perhaps some visitors!

Here comes the snow!

Hoard the Bananas and Grind Your Coffee- It's the Great Snowmaggedon!  (Ann Arbor News)

I still have fond childhood memories of the blizzard of '78.

Photo courtesy of Jill Tewsley.

Ok, I will admit it. I am fully invested in this whole Snowpocalypse thing. I am excited. I am stocked up. I've got my snow game face on.

Step one in my blizzard preparedness routine came via this blog post from Ann Arbor coffee guru John Roos this morning: "Pre Grind Alert for all of southern michigan and rustbelt coffee drinkers!" That's right - if heavy snow and wind take down power lines, you'll find it difficult to grind your coffee beans. I ground enough for a few days worth of coffee this morning.

Of course, grinding your coffee beans in advance doesn't help much if you depend on an electric coffee maker to brew your joe. Which I do. So next stop was Plum Market, where I finally picked up a replacement Chemex coffee carafe after years of procrastination. So now, as long as I have matches to light my gas stove and water to boil, I will not be lacking in the coffee department. Phew!

My friends and I have all been laughing about the random run on bananas at local supermarkets, but the truth is that my frenzied blizzard-inspired shopping trip resulted in items that could be considered equally unnecessary. Like everyone else, I stocked up in bread and milk. But I inexplicably also ended up with a fridge full of lunch meats. I never buy lunch meats. Somehow though, with a storm front rushing toward us and Weather Channel anchors rubbing their hands together with gleeful anticipation, thinly-sliced turkey, ham and salami seemed crucial to my survival.

But I didn't stop there. In the grips of blizzard fever, I tore through the grocery store and REI, grabbing snow day "essentials." I've now also got enough organic raspberries to last a week, several six-packs of Michigan micro-brews, a pound of 9-month Boerenkaas, a half pound of Callebaut dark chocolate, light bulbs (light bulbs?) and a brand new rechargeable Coleman camping lantern. Ok, that last item could prove to be necessary, but while I was picking it up it took every ounce of my willpower not to buy a pack of ten hand warmers and a four-person tent (it was on clearance!)

All kidding and self-deprecation aside, do be careful out there. Jen Eyer has tips on staying safe through the blizzard, and you can find more information on how to prepare for it here. Charge up your cell phone, gather some firewood and let it snow!