The Island of Misfit Lab Supplies

This year, Miss Stephanie and Miss Irene came up with a dandy idea...

Let's decorate our office doors this holiday season and be festive!

Enter corporate shenanigans and a week or so later we had a blow out contest throughout all the departments in the Plant.

I, being slightly touched as I am, came up with a swell idea incorporating all the 'old school' lab supplies and recycled materials we have laying around the lab. It all came together rather quickly.

For those who may not know, I am a chemist currently working in the quality field in the food industry. I also play a a microbiologist on TV.... well okay, I just impersonate one on occasions for fun at work. A woman of many talents.

First, with apologies to the original artist, as shown above in small print, are the reworked lyrics to a popular tune sung at holiday time:

The Legend of Frosty

Frosty the Quality Man was a jolly happy guy,

With a clean lab coat and some sterile gloves,

and some side shields for his eyes.

Frosty the Quality Man was a fairytale they say,

He was made of snow and the chemists know

how he came to life one day.

There must have been some magic in those instruments they found,

For when they placed them on his bench he began to dance around!

O, Frosty the Quality Man, was alive as he could be

And the techs all state he could test and plate

just the same as you and me!

Thumpetty thump thump,

Thumpety thump thump,

Look at Frosty go.

Thumpetty thump thump,

Thumpety thump thump,

Watch those microbes grow.

Frosty the Quality Man, felt the burner heat that day,

So he said, “Lets get to work, please don’t be a jerk,

now before I melt away!”

Down in the factory with a charm swab he would test,

He would rave and rant all around the plant

sayin’, “Won’t you please join QUEST*?”

He led them through the chopper room right to packing line,

He was doing checks for sensory - Oops! “Don’t drink that cooking wine!”

Then Frosty the Quality Man, had to hurry from the Lab

But he waved goodbye saying “Don’t you cry, Hope your Holidays are Fab!!”

Thumpetty thump thump,

Thumpety thump thump,

Look at Frosty go.

Thumpetty thump thump,

Thumpety thump thump,

Watch those microbes grow.

(*I know you need to know what QUEST is... it's our quality task force! "Quality Used Everyday Saves Tomorrow" they're clever too!)

I know it was really Rudolph and not Frosty that hung with the folks on the Island of Misfit Toys, but they're probably all friends like the rest of the beautiful people right?

If you're thinking that I'm especially talented making all those beautiful snowflakes using the filter paper from the lab - you too can amaze your family and astonish friends! Check out the Paper Snowflake Site like I did. Lots of totally cool stuff there!

I especially like the collage of ads from those free magazines creating the tree. Had a blast picking the best images for that one! Do you like the pipette tip star and garland?

Best use for temperature chart recorder paper I've seen! What other lab supplies do you recognize? Swabs? Plate Spreaders? Transfer pipettes? Slides? pH test strips? It was painful to sacrifice my bubble wrap stash...

Safety First! Note the use of safety glasses worn here, as well as hearing protection and hairnets! Safety all around!

We also decided to decorate the lab door...

Thank goodness we don't pour liquid agar into petri dishes anymore! Bless you inventor of PetriFilm Plates!

Now if only the house was decorated!