As a budding ECR completely in love with my work, I am going to wager, I am not the only perfectionist out there. Now mind you, I am talking the kind of perfectionist who cries when they get an A- in grad school. And yes, this is a true story, it happened in Climatology Fall Semester 2010. My sister still teases me about it.
So, you can imagine the anxiety I have had the past few weeks over the beginning of my very first project as PI. The study site selected, the grant awarded, the flights for colleagues bought, accommodations set, and still I am waking up in cold sweats dreaming my field site was contaminated by raw sewage and I had to wade through poopy water! After pulling myself together, I am all set for the big day and the arrival of my team when I have to brilliant idea to run the new puppies to the vet for their second puppy shot as they are 4 days over due. Because, you know, what could possibly go wrong with only 1.5 hours before my colleagues arrive at the airport?
The good news: Doc Holiday and Daisy May, both rescue puppies from a construction site in Kingston, are healthy and happy, and have put on 5 pounds since their last check up 3 weeks ago.
The bad news: If your puppies eat carrion from the beach before you take them in a car ride to the vet, they projectile vomit all over you and your partner. Twice.
The super bad news: If you try and aim them out the window while vomiting, it splatters all over the entire inside of the car.
Lesson 1: when your partner suggests its better for the puppies to sit in your lap versus the way back on the removable, washable, rubber mat because they have a better view, flatly refuse.
Lesson 2: When you are already having poopy-stressy work dreams, forgo additional errands pre-airport run.
Update: both colleagues arrived safe and sound and didn't complain about the wet, fabreeze smelling car seats. All and all it has been an excellent start to our field season and I can (almost) laugh at Murphy and his Law.
#dreamteam #jamaicafrontiers #CERG #uwimona #jamaicapaleo #yoshi_maezumi #insidenatgeo #lifelessons #murphyslaw #puppyadventures