lol, I was going to do an aprils fools joke like this, using chris mcgrath's "the devil's looking glass" as the faux- cold days cover.but I flaked out . Well done though. Even if they are a joke, one can dream and they look pretty good.

errm yeah I suppose. I'm back home for the time being , sister is still driving me nuts, but it's not bothering me as much as I don't have any school work ATM.

I start my postgrad study next week  eeek!

Well, update on my education. In 3 or 4 weeks I should be done with exams (and hopefully passed them all) and done with my BSc. Trying to decide to do further study, what I'm attracted to the most is a brand new course my University is bringing out -Masters of professional studies in food safety. I can't decide whether to do the degree or go straight into the work force. Already owe like ...alot , do I want to add more onto that and study another two years , what if I can't get a job from my degree? and that extra debt and time was for nothing :/  Bah why can't I have overbearing parents that decide everything for me?

IC- that is just down right cool. I do love a good microbology discussion. My husband is a computer guy and is now accustomed to my gross table conversation but I do have to remind myself to stick to neutral topics when out to dinner.

I can still gross my husband out on occasion. I pulled a cuterebra (basically a great big maggot) out of a kitten's neck the other day and that got to him. Kitten did great by the way...

Oooooh I want to see a video of that. Poor kitty, must've felt alot better after you took it out though.

Ok I better do my prelab for today, cheese making today.

IC - your degree sounds cool to me. Is it about the science of cooking or is it more like animal nutrition? A lot of veterinarians are required to do classes in ruminant nutrition before vet school but I think your stuff sounds way more interesting then when I got to learn about silage and haylage and all that jazz.

What is wine science? Do you get to make wine, taste wine - do you then become a sommelier? That would be so cool!! I love food and wine.

I wish I had taken advantage of some of the interesting classes I could have taken when I was an undergrad all I could think about was vet school so I think I shortchanged myself on learning stuff just for the joy of learning. Now I wish I had time to audit some classes or the energy to take some on line for fun but work pretty much fills my day.

You sound like a really dedicated student and I bet you are going to be a huge success!

It's like the structure of food how to preserve it, sensory (tasting etc) and that , we do biochem, organic chem, analytical chem , chemmat and stats papers. ATM my last papers are human nutrition, food micro , food preservation and product development, actually I'm trying a coconut ice cream recipe right now for that course. Anyway wine science it's studying the wine looking at how it develops, how certain flavours/aromas form and involves making your own wine (even better is it's on Waiheke island on the univeristy's newly acquired winery!), apparently people with this degree are sort after in places like California, I told mum this, she said if I ever went to america she'd slip drugs into my bag as I boarded the plane.

Microbiology: where you learn fascinating and revolting secrets of the culinary universe, never want to eat again, and then decide you could go for a really nice smoked cheddar and a beer.

Yip, Doing food micro right now. Beer's a safe bet I think, or at least it was the safer alternative back in the middle ages. Actually I'm on the topic of beer right now for micro, learning how to make it, the difference between lagers and ales etc.

That is interesting but the less I know about the happier I am and can enjoy food

This is very true, I mean you would'nt want to know about the haemorrhgic diarrhea and possible kidney pailure from E.coli O157:H7 poisoning (and worse the O104:H4 fromthe bean sprouts in Germany) which happens when faeces come in contact with your food. It might ruin your eating experience next time you don't wash your lettuce properly. >

So good of Jim to take some time to answer our questions especially us non-american fans. I got the wrong time too, it was 5am, not pm like I thought. Lucky I had to get up early to finish a project (of which the quality was poor due to this )