inviting you all to my Lab's Open House

[plah831]

For those of you in Central California, and the SF Bay Area, I would like to invite you to visit Moss Landing Marine Laboratories Open House and 40th Anniversary Celebration. It is this weekend, Saturday the 9th and Sunday the 10th from 10 AM to 4 PM. Sorry if this is late notice, but I forgot to invite my own family until yesterday.

All the labs will be open for the public to peruse, and there will be speakers giving seminars on current Marine Science research, as well as students at all the labs to explain what we do. I am a student of the Ichthyology Lab, and there are several other labs including Vertebrate Ecology (turtles, marine mammals, and birds), Invertebrate Zoology, Phycology (kelp and algae), and various Oceanography disciplines.

I am in charge of Parking and Logistics, so will be running around like a chicken with my head cut off, but I would love to meet any of you who have the time to attend. Ask for Paula, I'll be the Asian girl with a walkie-talkie :)
If I'm not working parking, you can ask one of my staff to contact me via walkie-talkie and I'll come down to say hello.

for information, including directions to get there, go to www.mlml.calstate.edu

Here is an article in a local newspaper about the event
http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/archive/2006/September/07/local/stories/06local.htm

I'd be thrilled if some of you could make it!

[Chickieepooh2u]

I'm bummed. I would soooo be there. It stinks living in Nebraska. All these stupid corn fields! :sad:

[plah831]

awww, I really wish you could come, too. Especially since you wanted to be a marine biologist, and still do (don't we all?). My thoughts will be with you, Ms. Chickiee!

[sumthin fishy]

you had to pick the weekend Im working :mad2: If im off early ill be sure to come see ya :p

[fish_freak]

I am in charge of Parking and Logistics, so will be running around like a chicken with my head cut off, but I would love to meet any of you who have the time to attend. Ask for Paula, I'll be the Asian girl with a walkie-talkie :)
If I'm not working parking, you can ask one of my staff to contact me via walkie-talkie and I'll come down to say hello.

!

Oh god I hope you do better than I did lol. I worked parking at the local fair last weekend and it was supposed to rain on saturday so no one showed up then it did rain on sunday and those who came all get stuck in the fields where we park them then was monday with blue skys and 80 degree weather, We parked over 8,000 cars and over 20,000 people showed up. Thanks to all the rain the fields where still wet and as soon as every one started to drive on them they brought up all the water and the ground turned to a huge mud pit. Needless to say my back still hurts from pushing out so many cars. Thank god we had a tractor to get out the really stuck ones.

If I didnt live on the other side of the country I would go but I would have had to leave a couple days ago to make the drive.

[plah831]

Jeff, I feel your pain. Our Open House is usually in the spring, but we moved it to fall this year to coincide with the 40th celebrations. Last year, we had to use planks to prevent cars from getting stuck in the mud, and the Nature Reserve that owns the land for the surplus parking was mad at us for tearing up the field! It's just an empty lot, no trees or anything, just weeds and wild grasses. Sheesh, what's the big deal?

We're "only" expecting about 6,000 visitors. It's a huge departure from the 100 or so students and staff that are normally there. Augh, my stomach's hurting just thinking about it!

[plah831]

you had to pick the weekend Im working :mad2: If im off early ill be sure to come see ya
Sorry, my bad for not posting this earlier. I, in classic grad student fashion, put off all preparations and thoughts until this week. So it didn't even occur to me until today that some of you might be interested.

Like I said, I didn't even tell my own family until last night. But I had a reason to put that off. They've never seen me at work, so I'm embarassed about letting them into that part of my life. At least I'll be busy the whole time, so I won't have to spend all day with them :p:

[iktomiwicasa]

I'm not too far away, being in Santa Rosa, and I would really like to come. Unfortunately I have commitments for this weekend :(

Have you been up to the Bodega Marine Lab?

[plah831]

I spent a summer there when I was an undergrad at UC Davis! I loooove that lab, especially since they added the new North Wing. I especially enjoy the large display tanks they have with rockfish, flatfish, and monkeyface pricklebacks. I miss that place, sniff.

[Chickieepooh2u]

This thread is so depressing for me!! I have been checking into Biology classes here in town, but I'd have to move to Lincoln UNL or Omaha UNO to do grad studies. Not something I'd be able to do. 3 kids... hubby owns a business here.. just bought a house.... So it looks like its just not gonna happen.

[fishcatch22]

I wish i could come. :( i'm sure you do too, plah....

[plah831]

I wish i could come. :( i'm sure you do too, plah....
Yes, I would like to meet my surrogate son :D

It went off without major incidents. Actually, given that about 6,500 people showed up, that's a very good thing! I am tired as heck, though.

[fishcatch22]

son is such a strong word. you're more like my aunt. let's say... internet mentor.

did anyone from AC come?

[plah831]

no, I don't think so. It was really late notice.

[sly2kusa]

I especially enjoy the large display tanks they have with rockfish, flatfish, and monkeyface pricklebacks. I miss that place, sniff.


That description sounds like this person I know out here in St. Louis!

LMAO!!! :p:

Baha! I usually call them a "Hooplehead" which is midwestern for dumb ***, but I will start calling them a Monkeyfaced Pickleback instead!

P.S. No insult meant to the fish!

[plah831]

Yeah, it's a really funny name for a funny-looking fish :D Someone on this forum had what I thought was a monkeyface or some other kind of prickleback (don't know if it was marine or freshwater, but monkeyfaces are marine), but called it a "Jack Palance Horseless Riding Chiclet" or something like that :huh:

here's a pic of Monkeyface prickleback mug
http://img167.imageshack.us/img167/5608/monkeyfacepricklebackus1.gif
Sorry for the sand grains in the image, I did not take it.

I like funny names for fish. I still think it's silly when fish have first and last names, like Jack Dempsey.