Where did I go? I am back

Oops. I kinda got sucked up my own rear end there for a while.

The paper rejection thing always knocks me for six but it's not like I didn't bounce back. On the contrary, it's been really busy.

First the important stuff. In the order of life-changing events
My son lost two teeth (on purpose, well you know cos kids are meant to lose teeth).
This changes my life because my baby is growing up. He can chew again now, although a third tooth is loosening.
My daughter was possessed by teenage vampires
I'm not sure what happened to the little toddler but all of a sudden my three year old has become vicious and super gentle all at once. It's almost as though she's so passionate in her love for us that she gets aggressive.
My best friend has left her husband and taken her young child with her
This is significant for so many reasons, but cyberspace is about the only place I can semi-safely vent. She did this in the week that our grants were due. Of all the weeks to leave your husband and justifiably want to spend some time chatting to your oldest friend, GRANT WEEK AIN'T IT! But you know, perspective in life is always a good thing and after my initial self-indulgent whinge I kept in pretty constant contact with her day and night, along with the 20 or so investigators on the six grants I was working on.
Naturally the net effect of this was my usual psychosomatic upper respiratory infection, which I get every year at the major grant submission time. Being run down whilst trying to be scientifically creative is a challenge. But grants went in and the antibiotics are now working a few weeks later.
My lab is half set up
We're waiting on our big ticket items - the equipment that we really need to get the science gunning along. We have such a small amount of space and there have been budget blow-outs, but it will be cool when I get the geek tools going.
New staff have arrived
The research group numbers around 12 or 13 now. The number of projects we've been invited to contribute to fills two enormous whiteboards. So it's exciting.
The paper tally still stinks
I said I would keep track. Since last writing I think two are now in press. I have nine in submission and there are 8 or so in draft format. Not enough of them are first author and that's what I need to concentrate on.
There are already personality problems threatening the team's work
It doesn't matter where in the world you go to work, there's always someone who makes life difficult. Or a situation. I have this already, which is a significant drain on my already stretched time resource. Not to mention that I don't appreciate getting caught up with other people's problems just because I'm the newbie on campus and they think I'm a sitting duck. Oh no... I saw the mischief coming. And I thought I was just there to do science.

Well, dull ranting this certainly is but I'm exhausted and probably dementing at a way too young age. So forgive me and I look forward to catching up on what all the other hard working women scientists out there have been up to.

SM.

Oh, and I want a puppy for my birthday.