February 25th, 2011

40* this AM.......again, this is NORMAL for Texas...but I am SO OVER Winter! C'mon Spring - I wanna see some purty flowers!

SG and I did a lot of discussing last night, and we ended up buying a Amscope Binocular Dissecting Miscroscope. I have no idea what I just wrote - but, anyway, it's supposed to be good, it's supposedly used by Hospitals as a teaching aid, and the price was right. I need to find some Science sheets - I know what I want; I want a sheet that you fill in as you do experiments. I can "see" it in my head - I may have to just set it up myself.

The next thing I need to find is a Chemistry set - a *real* one, not the mamby-pamby toy ones you can get at any toy or book store. I found one put out by the Smithsonian...but I need to look at it closer to see if it's "real" or not. :sigh: On the one hand, I'm glad Himself is into this sort of stuff; on the other - ouch! Expensive stuff.....

We watched Nova Science Now last night - it was a fortituous choice. Started out with Robots (and interviewed a guy here in Dallas!) and went to a guy using Chemistry to solve the world's fuel problem. Himself ate it up....and showed him *why* I want him to do Chemistry as well as plain Science.

SG and I also discussed setting up a Science Station in the garage. We have those 2 heavy work-tables from his work.....and he said I could have one to run experiments on. They were free - so it won't matter if something gets spilled/dropped on it (like it would on my dining table or kitchen counter!). Once our refund hits (next week!) we'll rent a dumpster to clean out the garage and get it all set up properly. We'll probably leave the 'scope out there, too...we'll see.

Work: Still have NO IDEA what the boss'll offer me to work from home. Monday's it - my last "real" day...and nothing. I figured she wouldn't do anything until the 11th hour.....we'll see if she offers enough to make it worth my time. :sigh: I want this done.......:bigger sigh:

Haven't had a lot of time to look, but boy - I've hit the motherload, I think!

Portland's Science Store - they have a HUGE selection of kits - especially in Physics!!!!!! Prices aren't outrageous, either - I need to do a lot of browsing here!

Science Kits - even more kits - including ROBOTS</a>!!!!!!!!!! Prices are VERY resonable, too.......:rubs hands with glee:

Of course, being me, I'm going to see if I can't find these cheaper - but wow! I didn't even THINK to look for Physics kits......these are TOO cool. Himself will eat them up.....I know where a lot of my portion of the refund will go! :heh:

Seriously - this started when I found a Smithsonian Chemistry kit on eBay (the..1500 experiment one - it's been discontinued). I decdied to see what else they had...which led me on a goosechase that ended up at the 2 sites there. This is exciting, and exactly what I was looking for!

And.....I was talking to the kids this AM. I told Himself that I wanted him to compare water samples as one of the first things to do with the 'scope. He was....OK, but not excited. Herself, however, was EXTREMELY excited, and envious. (Gonna have to do some thinking...I think we'll need to pull her out, too). She babbled on about the different amoebas (I know I butchered that!) and stuff in water.....and then I mentioned fecal checks on the goats. Himself was..underwhelmed - but Herself? VOLUNTEERED to run the checks for me! :boggle:

This is huge. HUGE. To her, the goats don't really exist - it's all chicken, all the time. For her to volunteer to do all the fecals is BIG. I'm sure it's because of the 'scope time - but whatever, I'll take it. :heh: 1 less thing for me to do!