I don’t know exactly what has been happening to me lately. In the past few days, perhaps even in the past week, I have had a hard time focusing on my usual, almost daily online research. I start looking things up but am easily distracted and, again easily!, get a case of the fidgets.

I recently “unearthed” a new plant extract that has anti-myeloma effects in vitro (eh, what else is new?)…discoveries like that usually make me spend hours online doing research. So why am I not able to concentrate on this new substance or anything else that has to do with research? This morning I finally erased about a dozen unopened Science Daily updates without even glancing quickly at them. Ehhh? What’s wrong?

Well, I may have reached the point of…research overload. That’s my conclusion. The huge amount of information, web links, e-mails and whatnot that I receive every day may finally have…saturated my brain.

As you may have noticed from my shorter posts these days, I have pulled back a bit from my daily blogging routine. This doesn’t mean that I am abandoning my blog, eh. That will never happen. I love my blog. I check in at least twice a day to see if I have any comments (or, horror, spam messages that need to be erased). If I find a neat link, I add it to my blogroll. I never thought I would become so attached to a project like this, but well, I am hooked for good. I love reading readers’ comments. I love corresponding with you all. I (usually) enjoy doing my research. And without my blog, I never would have met Sherlock (in real life, I mean). Ah, I would indeed have missed out on A LOT.

On a brighter note: Stefano and I are in the midst of planning a late spring or early summer trip to see the puffins. Very exciting. You may recall my I-adore-puffins! post. Well, the long-awaited puffin trip is really going to happen (for those who have no idea what I am talking about: puffins are funny-looking seabirds, see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puffin for more info and photos; there are also many websites, such as Scotland’s "SOS Puffin" or Maine’s "Project Puffin," that allow you to adopt a puffin: a little money goes a long way!).

I confess, I can’t wait! If we could leave tomorrow…but of course right now the puffins are still way out in the Atlantic Ocean. We won’t be able to see them until April-May, when they come ashore to breed.

Yes, this is Puffin Year. My wish is about to be granted!