Research is...Research.

Ha. I was right. Aaron (my mentor) suggested that I was somewhat pessimistic about research (my word, not his) because the sort of research I had done before was far less likely to work than the type I'd be doing this summer. He said that the reactions I'd be doing would more than likely work, and shouldn't be a problem.
Ha. That's funny.
After somehow managing to lose products from two different, unrelated reactions, I now have to do both reactions all over again. This time, Aaron promised to watch me while I purified them to make sure it's not something I'm doing. At least he'll be there to make sure I don't screw up. :)
On an unrelated note, video games are very fun. I've been playing through a Star Wars game (sweet game...I got to play as Darth Vader for a short time) and watching Uncle Gary play through WALL-E. He says occasionally that he's glad I'm here to help him, but I don't know how helpful I'm being. A lot of times I find myself saying less than helpful things like "Don't fall into that hole! Don't fall into that hole!" repeatedly until I realize that I'm saying that out loud, not thinking it quietly like I meant to. Oops. :) I think that's about it for now...maybe I'll have something more interesting to say later.