Things I haven't learned

I said yesterday that I'd write about things I haven't learned. So here it is.

1. How do look for low levels of chloride in ICP. One of the hardest things I had to do was tell the boss that this just wasn't happening/wasn't possible. I couldn't see peaks from concentrations much higher than what we thought we had. I know, from past experience in school that this isn't a good plan. Cl- has almost no signal, and that's not unique to me. Nobody at Varian, when I talked to them, or online, was really recommending ICP as a way to do this. They were right.
2. How to hang out at lunch when other people aren't really outgoing/social. My awkwardness is a topic for another post, and not that bad in most situations. But I prefer to draw people out and listen, rather than talk. This means I need people who like to talk to talk to. The few days someone from another plant came to learn, there was lots of conversation and I talked lots. The rest? Not so much. I know I need to get better at making conversation with others who are quiet like me, but this whole double whammy of not talking is hard. Still in progress
3. How to make ppb standards. Still not precise enough, except in the case of Cd. Maybe it's just that the metals aren't intense enough. I'll go with that.
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