The devil is in the details

Movin' on up

Recently our lab got some new space. We have been expanding rapidly people-wise and we have gone from having 1.5 floors of a three story building when I started to having 2 floors (a year ago) to having all three floors. The third floor was recently vacated and there was much discussion of who would get moved there. I'll admit that most of my original interest in the move pertained to whether or not the group of people who work next to me (one of whom I don't get along with professionally AT ALL) would be moving upstairs, thus ridding me of my lab nemesis and making my life much more peaceful. It turned out that they (he) weren't on the list of first-to-be-moved after all. When I learned that they would be staying, I asked my boss if I could move. It was sort of a strange request: most people abhor moving their lab space because it is a lot of effort, but my boss said it was okay with him (although he was confused since he didn't know about the issues in our little area.) I wasn't entirely sure what was going to happen but I was somewhat pleased.

This morning at lab meeting our boss announced that the third floor had been cleaned over the weekend and that moving would commence today. I asked some of the people in charge of the lab what the plan was and sat back. I knew that I had a busy experiment tomorrow, so I tentatively hoped I might be able to move on Wednesday.

Around 4:30-5, I realized that another grad student was in the process of moving, and I started moving my stuff too...I went upstairs and scoped out a desk, figured out my plan and started bringing things up. It was kind of crazy (I had been in the middle of both a blog post and an email when I abruptly started moving) but it worked out well. I finally (with some wonderful help :) ) got all of my things (and lots of pan-third floor supplies) up to my area by 7 and had everything relatively cleaned and organized by 7:45-8. It was a long day (having arrived at 8 this morning) but it was nice to get so much done.

I LOVE my new desk. It is huge with lots of shelf space. It has large sunny windows with ivy growing around them. There is all the lab space I could want. I also really like the people who moved upstairs as well. I'm kind of sad because there were a lot of people who I really liked in the area where I was working before, but there was also one person who made me miserable due to space issues, and now I have way more space and also am working in an area with people who I am that I will not have the same problems with. Right now I am in a lab room with one other grad student who is very fun. We have already done "group" things like getting group equipment and supplies and I feel like everyone will be good neighbors. Like I said before, it's not like EVERYONE I worked with was difficult, but there is one that I am not sad to leave. You know what else is great about it? The whole space was EMPTY when we got there. Everything that is there is mine and is something I put there. No more other people's invading stuff and also no more other people's leftover stuff that they didn't feel like moving or throwing away. Everything is mine and is where I want it to be...It is sort of like starting fresh and I really feel like the area is actually my own, instead of my just adopting territory that someone had barely left.

The only down side is that most of my lab friends are still on the first floor. My tissue culture space (where I do a lot of my work) is on the first floor. The cytometer is on the first floor. There is an elevator, but it is something out of a horror movie and I refuse to use it unless I am moving something. My desk, and computer (that already has internet access! woohoo!) and bench are on the third floor. Sooo...there will be a lot of stairs for me. How long do you think it will take for my legs to get buff and awesome??

Anyway, I'm pretty psyched. I know, I know, I'm weird, but I am kind of happy that I have a sunny desk away from someone who stressed me out. I think I will get a lot done in the new place. :)

posted by Immunegirl @ 11:50 PM