I love my job(s)

So today I entertained my 3YO by taking him on my live research trip. I have a scene involving gun cotton and a metal gate, and it's the kind of thing where you really need to double check everything involved so you really know what's going on--not so you just kind of know what's going on. I thought the first step would be to look at actual gates and feel them and look at their lock mechanisms if possible. So we trekked off to the nearest fencing supply store. Which happened to sell bridles, bits, boots, saddles, Western leather clothing bits, and for some reason, a Christmas tree. It smelled nice in there, and son was fascinated by all the ropes and bits. The guy asked if he could help us, and I said I had a weird question for him. He said there wasn't such thing as a weird question. I said, oh yes there is. And I told him I was a writer, and had a scene with a metal gate, and needed to know more about them. (I didn't tell him about the gun cotton. I didn't want to alarm anyone.) The cool thing was, I didn't feel shy going up to this total stranger and asking him weird questions. Because I'm a writer, so of course I can ask that! Before, I've always felt hesitant to do things like this because I was a writer, yes, but it was all sort of in my head. But now I feel like I have a real reason to claim the writer hat. It's the same story I was working on last week, and I'm the same person. But it still feels different now.

Then I spent the rest of the day reading up on all kinds of organisms that can glow in the dark, and how they do it, and how scientists have been able to use that. Did you know that you can track the growth of cancer cells by injecting an organism with luciferins and luciferases (no, it's not satanic--it's the chemicals that are involved in glowing), and if the cancer is present, it provides the ingredient to set off the glow? They've made a glowing puppy. And they've invented potato plants whose leaves glow when they need to be watered. Cool, huh? You can even buy luciferin and luciferase on line (um...for a lot of $$), as well as dinoflagellates, which are glowing bacteria in sea water. (Those are more like $20 for 50ml. I wonder if they count as pets when you have a no pets renter clause?)

And then later tonight, I talked with chemistry professor #2 (of 3) in my neighborhood to find out about gun cotton. It's quite fascinating. And I hope these people do all their experiments in a lab somewhere, and not on my street! I still have one more small problem to solve with the gate and gun cotton, but I'm nearly there, I think. The rest of it is just setting up the details so the chemistry works.

Overall, a fun day. I know I studied all those other things in school, and really, I enjoyed them. I think I'm an okay teacher (at least, people say I'm a good teacher, even though I find it exhausting as an introvert to be "on" all the time.) But really, the only things I've ever *really* wanted to be when I grew up were a mom and a writer. And I am!