Waiting
This happens more than I feel most people realize. You wait for samples to defrost, for the cells to incubate for 1, 3, or even 6 hours, for the PCR machine to become available (this can take several days). I can list more instances, but I am sure you get my point: Doing research, you tend to wait a lot.
For the record, I am not complaining. After all, what better time to pick up your prescription, go to the bank, take a walk, read, eat, etc. than in a 6 hour period when your only task is to do nothing? Of course, there is the downside that 6 hour incubation periods tend to come with early mornings and late evenings at the lab, if that is the sort of thing that bothers a person. But I have no problem with it. Besides, its nothing compared to lysing cells for 3 hours straight. And on that note, maybe there is another tidbit about research that most people do not know: you can pipet so hard that you get a blister. Not pleasant, I know, but at least I warned you.