See: Fingernails, holding on by

Punching bag helped last night. Might have to use it again tonight, although I'm flaking out on going to a bar for a friend's birthday (I already celebrated with her once) because I said I didn't feel well (I really didn't feel well before I had coffee this afternoon). I realize I'm being lame and antisocial, but I'm really not in the mood for shouting matches over expensive froofy drinks. Would rather try to exercise and get rid of residual work anxiety before engaging in true avoidance behavior: watching Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead for something like the 10th time. That might involve a Mike's Hard Lemonade. Does that count as froofy? It was on sale at the grocery store...

Had tons of scary nightmares just before I woke up this morning. One involved going shopping with a friend and coming out to discover my car had been towed and was nowhere in sight. Another involved an Itchy&Scratchy-like cartoon, with a lot of violence. And it wasn't funny.

Gave journal club today, it went fine. Don't know why I was so worried about it.

Worked on the westerns, still confused.

Checked on the PCR primers, decided it is probably the cDNA prep that is bad. Realized this too late in the day to make fresh RNA. Will be working a full day tomorrow.

Received the 'replacement' reagent that was supposed to clear up all the confusion of the last week or so, what with the naming mistakes, etc. Turns out the info sheet they gave me doesn't match the info on the company website, so I had to send them yet another email asking what the hell is going on.

Needless to say, I'm fed up with this company, and it really makes me wonder how many people out there are using these reagents, seeing an effect, and not realizing that they're targeting the wrong thing?? Not that I'm convinced designing my own reagents would be any better. I'm wondering if my initial terror of this technique wasn't on the right track.

Am not feeling like I accomplished a single goddamn thing today. Nor am I going to, as I would like to get home before it is pitch-black outside, and I have no intention of doing any work once I get there.

Will be working a full day tomorrow. Will be fun to see what the mystery replacement reagent does in my assay! Ok, won't be fun. But will hopefully help my conscience. And I can always try the miserable PCR one more time in the hopes of doing some actual cloning (sometimes cloning can be so rewarding when everything else isn't working...)