AAAAAAAAAHHHHH!!!! I’ve just officially turned a quarter-century old! I can almost feel my muscles getting weaker and my joints creaking as I move about. Fortunately, I was joined by a group of good friends this evening to bring some light to my misery, and celebrate my 25th birthday together over some fried calamari, a plate of Shrimp Bistro Pasta, and a yummy slice of Coffee Heathbar Crunch cheesecake from Cheesecake Factory. As always, they made us wait the usual hour and a half, but thanks to the comedic genius of my peers, we were able to entertain each other and prevent ourselves from eating each other while we waited. Unfortunately, though I would’ve liked to continue the festivities after the big meal, I had to go back home to work on my professor’s grant. It turned out that his R01 was due Monday, and considering the fact that it’s the most crucial NIH grant supporting the lab, and I am among the beneficiaries of the money, it’ll be important for me to help out as much as possible over the next several days.