10:30 pm - Monday 23rd July 2001

Dammit, this is my second flu for the year and I'm not impressed with the timing.

Today in a nut-shell. My hands betrayed me this morning and caused me to lose a lot of an important compound all over the bench. I spent some time sitting in a corner of the lab cursing god for giving me "the shakes". Over to Laser Physics, several disappointments with cloudy solutions until about 3:30 pm and I was finished. Back to the lab and more work until 9:45 pm. I made up for this mornings costly error by synthesizing a clean complex, and began two important reactions which I'll look at tomorrow.

I haven't rung my parents yet for the usual weekly catch-up because I've been either working or sick with the flu. I have to think as to whether to tell Mum that news of her transgendered child has reached back to her workplace. I found out Friday night, that a friend mentioned my situation to his sister who works with my Mum. This girl told another co-worker who specifically asked Mum about her kids to which she replied "My three sons are fine". Oh well, I shouldn't expect too much more... thankfully the walking embarrassment (me) will soon be safely ensconced overseas, away from the prying eyes of the neighbors.

Tomorrow is training (perhaps) and I need to drop off my film from the weekend and get more pills.

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