Oh Fair Controversy!

Yesterday Jamaal sent me this article, with "I don't see the reason for the controversy" written above the link. Controversy?! Woohooo I smell a blog post!

Turns out this incredibly articulate piece is a response to this article, criticizing Vogue's LeBron James/Gisele Bundchen April cover:
Critics are saying that the cover, shot by the famous Annie Leibovitz, "conjures up images of a dangerous black man" showing LeBron in a "Gorilla-like pose, baring his teeth" and Gisele looks all "Fay Wray." I cackled for a few minutes at this criticism. Then I thought "hold up, this is serious!" We're talking racial stereotypes, how media portrays black men, and how the world is completely overreacting here!

I cannot write as eloquently as Jason Whitlock about this whole issue, so I seriously recommend reading his take on the whole deal, but I'll share MY OPINION (hahahahaha) with you.

When I saw this cover I thought "mmmnnnn. I would sure like to be in the middle of a LeBron-Gisele sandwich." This cover is sexy - c'mon it's the "Shape" issue!! Vogue wanted two people at the top of their game, and what's more impressive, a woman AND a man, as Mr. James is only the third man to grace the cover of Vogue magazine, and the first African American man. I wonder if they put a female athlete on the cover, would there be such a controversy? Or a black supermodel? I wonder what Tyra would say about this incredible juxtaposition of sheer strength/athleticism hotness and supermodel good looks?

And in the end - why are we caring so much? Critics say that the photo is stereotypical. Is it, or are there criticisms the same old tired arguments that are so passe, they're becoming cliche? "LeBron looks like Godzilla, Gisele is a damsel in distress." *yaaaawwwnnn* Whitlock asks, "Are we only bothered by negative images of black men when the primary/sole consumer of the image is white people?" He then brings up movies that are targeted towards black people, yet are stereotypic and "simple-minded"....but they aren't criticized because they're "made for us." He further points out that LeBron himself once stated that his goal was to be one of the richest men alive, and he is therefore equivalent to a "child celebrity" and "He's in very good and very deep company when it comes to being unconcerned with and unqualified for the job of representing black men in a positive light." Ouch! He makes an excellent point though, even if he makes me feel somewhat guilty of my love for this magazine cover on the purest of pure superficial level (it's attractive to the eye). While I'm sure Whitlock will take the heat for his biting commentary, I think this needed to be said (I also love his shot at the Clinton campaign....*ZING*) especially since this is an issue people don't like to get into: white people are uncomfortable about it. They think "sh*t. is this offensive? is this wrong and we didn't see it?" I say this from experience, as I said to Jamaal "this may be easy for me to say, because I am white, but i think the controversy is weak" to which he replied "No I think it's pretty easy to say period" LOL rationality will bring us all together.

I don't mean to sound like an insensitive jerk here, or to sound like just another person who doesn't have to deal with the "stereotypic criminalization" of my demographic....actually, I'm writing as someone who tends to by hypersensitive about certain things. I am still reeling from the "stuff white people like" blog, because I visited it and found it boring and stereotypical, and hell, I hated half the sh*t on that blog! But seriously, I know I was being completely oversensitive...so I've chosen to ignore it. I realize that's a lot different than seeing this magazine cover in stores, on newsstands and billboards everywhere, but do you get the gist of what I'm trying to say? We all need to caaaaalm down. A lot.

While the rest of the world is calming down, I'm going to go buy Vogue. Normally, I only read vogue at the nail salon, when it's well-thumbed and seven months old, but this purchase will be on principle this time around. Why? Because the cover is hot and I like seeing diversity featured on such a prominent magazine cover. Diversity is SEXY (and if you interpret that as "Jamaal and Allison are sexy," that is OK!!! Also, having the issue will better help me imagine myself in that Lebron-Gisele sandwich about which I was talking earlier....yummmmm.

Back In the Saddle

Oh *sigh*

It's been back to school this week! It really sucks up all of my focus too, giving my family a good break from wedding talk (of course Jamaal is not spared, that'll teach him for asking me! lol). I have a mere 37 days until my final, a number which I am finding QUITE terrifying. Never have I been so scared to fail...ok that's a lie, I was scared witless I would not get into my top choice school, not necessarily because it was my top choice and somewhat hard to get into, but because I did NOT like any of my other options (note to those looking at colleges: look at more than 5 if you can stand it. HAVE OPTIONS!). This I'm really freaking out about, and I'm not sure why. I mean, of course, I WANT to be done, but no one is really banking on my finishing in May. Some friends have made plans to come up for the graduation, but it's nothing set in stone and they could just as easily stay home, and since my family is local, it's no biggie to them. Why am I freaking out? I think it's because I have such high expectations of myself. The only person I'll really be failing if I don't pass plant phys is myself, and the person who will be most disappointed is me.

I feel I have two options in dealing with this. One option was suggested by Jamaal: focus on the positive. Good advice given my predilection for associating all things Tufts with doom and gloom. My second option is to let go. Just to let go. What is that blessing about God granting me the serenity to accept things I can't change? It's along that line. I think I might aim for a combination of the two options. Oh, and email the professor and make him tell me the secrets to passing his class...and by passing I mean getting a B- or above.

Let's see. So this week has been fun and exciting because two people have asked me for my address for wedding invitations. Hurrah! And Jam might be able to join me, definitely for one, maybe for both. WOOT! Plus we're both in the same wedding in June. Guess it's that time of life, though one couple is in their 50's. All of these weddings should be particularly enjoyable as one is in Maine over Memorial Day (you just can't beat Maine in May, just so lovely) and one is very local in October, but will have a special flair as the couple is living abroad and will have all sorts of guests. Plus my sister will be there, as well as some of her oldest friends, so it's guaranteed to be a rockin' good time, plus we're staying in a hotel all together. Let the Captain Morgan FLOW!

Also, today I donated to the Obama campaign. Can you believe it? ME? DONATING? TO A POLITICIAN?! It just goes to show you that I hardcore *believe* in this guy. Cause I'm not writing a political blog here I won't go into the gory details of why I know he's more than qualified and capable of becoming our next leader, but I totally wrote on the submission form something to the effect of "I DON'T DO STUFF LIKE THIS EVER." Translation: Don't mess up. Please!

What else? Oh yes, I donated something else today too, but not money, PLATELETS! My donation was flawless and I got to watch a decent chunk of Little Miss Sunshine too. This was definitely my speediest donation at 1 hour and 20 minutes. The blood was literally flying from my veins. I also had a massive Hgb (for me) a whopping 13.8! Who is badass? ME!!!!! Well ok, not me, but my blood is kind of a rockstar right now.

I think that's it. Life is rather mundane now that I'm not hanging out in restaurants where devilishly handsome young men are on one knee asking me to be their wedded bride and all :D Actually both Jam and I are back to being buried by work and school. Yes, most definitely anticipating a Memorial Day in Maine....as long as the transmission in my Subaru doesn't bottom out. But that's another story.

Happy Hump Day, readers few and far between!

A Week!

So this whole engagement thing is really starting to settle in. I *think* I've been looking at the ring less....it's hard not to though, lol, because at some points I'm still in this state of complete disbelief :D In a good way

Anyways, I have to get back to reality now. I've got a pile of bills, a mountain of homework, and a stack of correspondence that I need to see too - plus it's Easter weekend! It's weird having it so early this year - usually we celebrate my birthday on Easter (every 11 years it's ON Easter) and it's always "get ready for spring" time, with the forsythia out and the daffodils blooming. Patriots' Day is usually spring cleaning at my house, and usually that coincides with Easter and everything, so I really feel this urge to get out there and rake leaves and uncover all my little plants. It's too early though!! I did see some crocuses this morning by the school of public health, and it brought a smile to my face, even though they're earlier than most due to the heat given off by the building. Ah well.

Now I am at work and it is so boring it's painful. One of my really irritating coworkers is gone, which is amazing because it is tranquil and quiet in this office without her. On the other hand, her blabbing made the day go by much faster. Now it draaaaags.

In other news, I am once again partaking in the International Scarf Exchange. Exciting! I have my match and emailed her and got some great feedback, so I went and bought yarn for a scarf yesterday. I am making the Fling (left) in two nice browns, a khaki and a rich chocolate, as my pal likes natural and cool colors. The thing is that this is very basic and will knit quickly. I wanted to make her another little goody, like this cashmere neck warmer (right). The thing is, I can't find suitable and affordable yarn easily. I looked on eBay but I don't trust the color swatches. I might try and find something else...but I love the idea of making a decorative scarf for wearing around and a neck warmer for legitimately cold days. Plus my pal is petite, so a neck warmer would be great and not so bulky! Hmm I guess I'll have to think on this one. Perhaps make a special trip to a fancy yarn shop? We'll see......



Hahahahah RAVELRY VICTORY! I think I've found a nice compromise in terms of the neck warmer, with a better pattern and some fabulous yarn. YAY! Heh heh I like it when things WORK. Of course I better knit while I can, school resumes Monday (boooooo!)

Eeehhhhhh

Perhaps Jamaal and I have found the answer to some of these problems. I don't really know, but as we embark on this journey together, I hope we represent a certain type of change and not just an anomaly.

The Play by Play

It's long, but it has a good ending, I promise!!

Thursday was an insane day.

It started with me oversleeping....by two whole hours. This left me with an hour and a half to shower, get dressed, pack up my stuff, and get to Tufts, a drive that took me two hours in the morning rush hour traffic last time I was dumb enough to drive there. I was panicked, but I had to look good that day because Jam and I were going out to dinner at Taranta for restaurant week. EEK!

By some miracle I got out of the house in about 20 minutes, leaving only one hour and ten minutes to get to class. I pulled into the Tufts garage at 9:06 and ran to class, only to find the professor profoundly disorganized trying to set up a movie and half the class milling about. Phew! The movie helped me stay awake through class, then a trip to Dunkin Donuts between BSC and Plant Phys perked me up (no pun intended). After Plant Phys it was time to find a place to settle down where I could do some work and take a conference call. I found the Tower Cafe and settled on a big comfy couch, all by myself (most of the students had already left for spring break), and worked until 2pm, then dialed in for the conference call. Things were going fairly normally, until I wiped my dripping nose. My hand came away covered with blood. There I am in the cafe, laptop on lap, bluetooth in ear, cellphone in one hand, holding nose with the other....insanity! Luckily the girl sitting across from me noticed and ran to get me some napkins, something for which I have a distinct appreciation because a lot of students would not have been that nice!! After the call I said "f*ck it" to doing more work and decided to get on over to Babson so I could iron my clothes in Jam's room and then beat it to Boston for happy hour.

Happy Hour my A$$. I made it problem-free to Rt 30 in Weston, then hit a wall of traffic, most of which was trying to get on 128-S, exactly where I needed to be. No problem! I thought, I have a GPS, I can NEVER get LOST again! I take the ramp to Rt 30 which is backed up but only because of a pesky and particularly long traffic light. I'm soon on my way with the GPS directing me...til I realize it's taking me in a giant circle, trying to get me to go onto 128! Argh! I enabled highway avoidance and was once again on my merry way, til I hit a wall of traffic in Newton. Once again, I used the GPS to navigate around it (the route included a dirt road too. Good Lord.) and made it to Wellesley Center, but once there I realized that I should buy some deodorant. I had run out that morning and the drive had made me a wee bit sweaty, plus I'd need it the next day. I also figured I could use a new pair of stockings too. And chocolate. GPS to the rescue again! What I did not realize was that rush hour in the middle of Wellesley is like a 3-ringed circus on speed without the large pachyderms. Holy hell, the drivers were fiendish, the pedestrians completely oblivious to the traffic, and Allison more stressed by the minute. When I finally got to Rite Aid, I bought four Cadbury Cream Eggs (2 for me definitely, 2 supposedly for Jam, though I secretly hoped he'd let me have them. He did. Tee hee.).

When I arrived at Babson I was weary, but really in a good mood. Jam can attest to my moods after challenges with traffic - I tend to be really bitchy. But I had made it in one piece and I was REALLY excited about the restaurant we were going to. Taranta is in the North End (Italian district) and had great reviews and a fantastic restaurant week menu. It even had reviews saying it was a romantic date spot. Score!!! Of course, when the door to the executive center opened and a black man stepped out, I eagerly rushed toward him, thinking how sexy Jam looked in a tie. Suddenly I caught an accented voice speaking in rapid Creole on the phone. Sh8t. Put on my glasses. Not Jamaal, but a man looking at me puzzled. I smiled and backed away. Real Jamaal came out, also looking sexy, laughed at my mistake, and led me to his room. As I put my stuff down (and of course peed, because that is the first thing I do!) he was busy in the bedroom. When I came out of the bathroom he had some red roses. "This is to make up for the Valentine's Day flower disaster" he said. Awwrrr. We all know I was slightly immature about that, so I did appreciate it very much, though I told him he had already compensated with those amazing Lush soaps. He said he knew but wanted to give me flowers nonetheless. I put them in a cup of water, then we both started to get ready for the night out!

We headed out at 5:45 for a 7:30 reservation, with hopes of hitting up happy hour at the Ruby Room, where Jam and Amy and my friends all took me for my 23rd birthday. Madame GPS said I would arrive in town at 6:05. Score! Plenty of time! ahahahahh yeah, plenty of time unless they're fixing potholes on Rt. 9. Bitches!! We sat in traffic for a while, despite some aggressive driving (Jam just kept patting my knee saying "calm down, dear") and by the time we made it to Boston, the driving was equally as ugly, especially since the GPS sent us Storrow Drive (eeecchhh) which meant I took Rt. 9 all the way to Storrow, hitting someone's tailgate with my mirror on the way in (if you're reading this, person I hit, I know your car wasn't damaged, and that's why I didn't stop. please don't sue me!!) Then once we finally made it into Hanover Street, there was no parking....and don't get me wrong, I did not expect to be able to park in the North End, I'm not that dense, but I didn't expect to be trapped going one way and not able to take a left onto the streets with the big garages. Finally I got so pissed I parked in the Government Center garage. There were supposed to be valets, but they had disappeared, so I was left to find a spot where I wouldn't be blocked in. There was much flipping out on my part. As usual, Jam was his calm self. When we couldn't get out using the elevator, I kind of FREAKED OUT and stomped out of the garage in my four inch heels and started making my way to the restaurant. Jam sort of followed in this "my girlfriend is crazy but there's not much I can do about it" way, and eventually I calmed down, linked my arm with his, and told him I'd be fine once I had a drink.

We found the restaurant right at 7:30. Perfect timing. The maitre'd was super nice and was like "oh your table is waiting" He asked if he could take our coats and I was sorta like "ummmmm" but Jam said "No, I'm good" so I decided to keep mine too, noticing that there was quite a draft from the door. We got seated at a cozy little table on the right wall of the restaurant, it was perfect. We ordered martinis (actually Jam ordered for me. I like it when I don't have to talk, hahaha) and relaxed (finally). I think we probably kind of nauseated the people next to us because Jam was like 'oh you look so pretty' and I said 'well you look so handsome' 'I love you' 'I love you!' Whatev, they got over it. We chatted throughout appetizers (mussels for my, a duck tamale for Jam) and dinner (salmon for Jam, pasta for me) and after we finished dinner Jam said "Close your eyes, I have a present for you." Hmm. Ok. Jam always makes me close my eyes for any gift, so I complied, though I was dying to peek! 'Maybe he got me an anniversary present!' I thought. When I was told to open my eyes Jam had a piece of paper in his hand. Hmm again. "I wrote you a poem" he said "describing our relationship" "Wow!" I said "Read it!" It was a wonderful poem, talking about the day we met, the evolution of our relationship, how we fell in love. Really lovely and heartfelt. Of course the waiter came in the middle, and Jam just leaned in and spoke louder. 'Wow' I thought 'he is intense about this poem!' The poem went on to talk about us in the present tense. Jamaal read "So could this be the moment," and whips his napkin off his lap.

In my head I went "whaaa????"

He gets down on one knee and says

"that I ask you to spend the rest of your life with me?"

And opens a box with THIS in it:
I said "OH MY GOD JAMAAL!!!"

He said "Will you marry me?"

I said "OF COURSE"

Then proceeded to weep. I think we kissed, but it's fuzzy, it was all such a shock!! I think I said "Oh my God" several times, you know starting the engagement off on the right foot by using the Lord's name in vain as much as possible, LOL. Wow. I was so surprised and happy and weepy. The waiter came over with dessert and was kinda like "what's up?" and Jam said "I just proposed to the lady and she said 'yes!'" The waiter was like "OH congratulations!!" and took our picture a couple times and had limoncello sent over. I just remember putting my head on the table and holding Jam's hand and basically repeating "Oh my God, Jamaal, I can't believe you!" hahahahahhahah so eloquent. Finally when I got my wits about me, I said "do my mom and dad know??!" He said "I spoke to your father in January, didn't you know that" I'm pretty dense I guess, cause I had no idea! I thought the weird moods they were both in that afternoon after I caught them having a man to man over beer in the basement were reflective of the NFL playoff games we were watching!!! Jeez!! We began making all the important phone calls, calling parents and people we weren't sure we'd be seeing soon in person, but mostly savored the moment. Of course we got a bottle of Prosecco to celebrate and killed that, and then lingered at the restaurant til I felt sufficiently sober to drive. While we were sitting and talking about lots and lots of stuff (the beautiful life we're going to have together, the tan babies, Jam moving, new jobs, finding a place to live, the wedding, etc) a waiter came over to see the ring. He said to Jam "Damn. You have good taste." ha ha of course, he picked me!!

Needless to say, we didn't really sleep that night, then spent Friday, Saturday, and Sunday traveling around visiting people to tell them the news. My grandparents were very happy when we stopped by Saturday night, and my friend Jenny and her family and my aunt, uncle and cousin were really excited when I broke the news (it was a secret!) Everyone thought the ring was fantastic, then wanted to know when we were going to get married, then asked where we were going to live. Funny.

We've still got a lot to do before anything gets off the ground. I have to graduate (eeehhh), Jam has to graduate (Sept 2009!), he has to move (bless his soul, he's coming here) and we have to basically get our lives together and budget etc. Besides that, we're still trying to bask in the glory of engagement! It's really fun. I want to do something dumb like send postcards to everyone being like 'WE GOT ENGAGED' but seriously, there' s not need to rub it in, LOL. Don't want to be a jerk about it. It's hard for me not to want to celebrate with everyone. For a year that start off a bit rough, this has been the true silver lining, and I just can't wait for the future and all it has in store for us - a life together! Hooray!!!!

The Opera!

Last night I decided it was high time I hauled my butt out of this house. In the last week I think I've been home every night by at least 7pm, playing the "I'm too sick to venture out" card. My friend EE is in an opera (Egisto), and she (FINALLY) remembered to call and tell me about it, and it just so happened that I had Saturday free. Excellente.

Of course the weather last night was monsoon-esque. I don't think I've ever seen that much rain fall all at once......ok, so I have seen that much rain fall at once twice, once in Costa Rica, the night we went to Costa Verde and it thundered and lightning-ed and rained so severely I thought the taxi was going to drive off the road, and once in Kenya, when I had to stay in my banda even though the whole school was in the chumba because it was too dangerous to make the 20 yard dash to another building, given the severity of lightning. In both of those cases, however, the rain was very much that equatorial rainy season effect, where it pours for a little bit then stops. It had been raining here for 24 hours straight, with increasing severity. Around 4pm I had noticed the wind picking up too. I didn't have to leave at 6:30, so I figured maybe the rain would let up. Ha ha. It did not let up, in fact, it worsened, and with the wind whipping across the highway, there was water everywhere. I literally thanked God several times for giving me the sense to get a pair of glasses - I think I would have had to turn back and stay home without them, as I could not see well at night, but rain exacerbated the vision problems. I felt invincible with my glasses on. Grr! Anyways, I somehow managed to avoid all the flooded potholes (I saw 7 cars with flats) and made it to JP to pick up my friend Rachel.

The opera was at an older theater in Boston that is right smack in the theater district. There's something about going to the theater in Boston that's distinctly special to me. I suppose it's because the city itself is so old, and I think of the old Boston money that used to go to the opera and shows and such. Perhaps it makes me feel worldly, LOL. Of course then there is the whole element of actually knowing someone in the show. That makes me feel SUPER-WORLDLY. I'm like "oh yes, and the role of Hero is actually played by my good friend and collegemate. yes, indeed, it is fabulous" *sticks nose in air* Tee hee.

Of course EE was incredible. I mean, she sings amazingly well, but when she is on stage, she brings her dramatic flair in a way other singers just...don't. I don't want to sound bitchy about that because the singing last night was absolutely fantastic. It's just that the acting is sort of flat sometimes, but in a way that you overlook because it obviously eclipsed by the singing. I can always tell my friend apart from the others by the expression and body movements on stage though. You can tell she has a crapton of acting training, which I can't explain in great detail because it's kind of vague to me exactly what she can do (but she did take stagefighting. ARGH!) but let's just sum it up by saying she stands apart. When my sister and I saw her opera scenes that was one of the first things Amy mentioned. She puts her heart into the role. Anyways, last night EE was playing a heroine that died for love. I imagined this as a sort of romantic and angelic role, but you can imagine my surprise when she appeared in the second act, dressed like this, holding cupid captive in chains.

(this is hijacked from someone's facebook, heh heh heh)
Elizabeth is secnd from the left (the hot one, though she has an "I smelled a fart" face in this pic, ahahahahha) Anyways, the costumes, as you can see, were great. Very sparkly, for which an opera novice like me has a special appreciation. There were also men in gold sparkling hotpants. Excellent. And the sets were fabric, and therefore GORGEOUS. Oh, and did I mention that knowing a cast member means that you get free tickets and amazing seats? Hhahahah there's that perk as well.

Anyways, seeing the opera last night reminded me of Elizabeth's recital in a month's time. I can't wait because I haven't really seen my friend sing alone for an extended period since we went to Smith. It's also sort of my bday weekend (I guess?) and while I don't really have anything specific planned (dinner with Jam and maybe something else) it's just going to be an all-round fun weekend with lots of friends near and great entertainment :D Yay.

Well. Clearly that is what I needed. A fun night out with friends to put me back to right. Though I think I terrorized them with my driving. Though Elizabeth and Rachel seem slightly more acclimated to it, since Elizabeth just says "Go, Crosby, Go!" Her mom was more like "um so have you been in an accident with this car?" (I forget how scary the front seat can be) I wanted to say "Not recently" but I didn't want to scare her, hahahaha. Now I have to finish up my paper before going to a candle party. We had one here last month, so now we get to go to all the parties people scheduled through our party. The candles are somewhat pricey, but I figure it's most likely a short-lived obsession as the PartlyLite hostess (who is so great) is moving to Australia in June!!
Now I'm rambling. Sigh. Back to the Congo Basin Forest Partnership!

Sometimes I Bemoan Our Society

Not that watching golf is in my top 50 fun things to do on a Saturday afternoon, but this makes me never want to watch it again. Who the f*ck does stuff like this - and I ask this as a member of Ducks Unlimited, an organization that supports hunting?!? What a jerk. I adore the red-shouldered hawks that live in our yard, as they are majestic, beautiful, and an essential part of our local ecosystem (my mother and neighbor love them specifically due to the fact that they consume snakes at an amazing rate). Sigh. I think I will put out some raw meat or something for our hawk, just to compensate for this a-hole. Sometimes I wish I didn't keep up with the news....

(Amy's pic of our hawk. It's fuzzy, but as you can see, he is badass, which is why we love him. Or her. Whichever.)

Driving While Doing....

In our family a great source of entertainment whilst gathered 'round the dinner table is to recount the day's experiences. This usually involves a tale or two about what we saw while driving to/from work/school. My father usually kicks it up a notch because he gets to pull over and ticket some of the lunatics you see out there, and pulling over people doing stupid sh*t is, I think, one of his favorite things to do, not because he actually enjoys the process because honestly, I think he'd rather just get in the car and drive to work like the rest of us. It's because he 1. stops someone from doing something dangerous that could hurt someone else 2. stops them for hurting themselves 3. gets an entertaining story to tell at dinner that night. Sweet.

He tends to see what we all do, the typical reading the paper, reading books, doing makeup, typing on a laptop while driving. And I'm not talking about "driving" as in sitting in bumper to bumper traffic, I'm talking about "driving" as in going 50mph+ It's insane. He gets to hear all the lame comments too. He stopped one guy recently and said "Sir I pulled you over because you are going 65mph and reading and weaving all over the road endangering other drivers" The guy looked right at him and said emphatically "I am reading RELIGIOUS materials!" My dad did the smart thing and said "Oh. Ok...." and wrote him the ticket.

The other morning in my fog of nasal congestion, I decided that I would in fact go to school and not confine myself to bed for another day. I had a route planned because a drive to Medford in rush hour traffic would require some more gas, I had to mail a birthday present to a friend and I needed some decongestants and kleenex and cough drops. I also wanted Whole Foods brand Cranberry Cocktail because little elves and fairies frolic through the forest picking berries just for that juice it is THAT GOOD. I get in my car and as I make my way to Whole Foods I notice a red old-style camry-ish looking car weaving everywhere. "Jesus!" I think as they almost shear off my front bumper, re-switching lanes to be in front of me again. I notice the driver's right hand flailing in front of her face. "Putting on makeup" I think. The driver continues to weave and drive erratically, almost sideswiping someone as she checks her face in the rearview. She puts her directional on at a red light and I decide to use the next entrance because I want to see what this maniac is doing, I want to see how good her makeup is.

But she wasn't putting on makeup. She was shaving. HER FACE. Now I have nothing but sympathy for the women of the world who have unwanted facial hair. I imagine that if you have a 'stache and don't want one, that it probably kinda blows (I had my "imaginary" 'stache waxed once. It hurt like a mofo and I got a rash, so I get it, though probably not really because despite the Vietnamese waxing tech's insistence, I don't have a visible 'stache....I don't think) I also get the fact that sometimes, you do have to throw on some lipgloss in the car, though I usually wait til I'm parked in the lot to do it, but I'll even let a little makeup touch up while driving slide. It's the combination of the shaving and driving that disturbs me though. Don't you think that's one thing you'd definitely take care of at home? You know, so you don't show up to your job with like, half your lower lip dangling cause you had to swerve to avoid Squirrel Nutkin on the road? I just don't know.....

Hell Piss Cold

I am at home watching Oprah for the second time this week because I left work early. At least I tried to go today but it didn't work out too well. I made it til 1:30 then my cold got the best of me and I felt as though I was being hit in the head with a hammer. Never mind the goo in my sinuses that leaks out almost constantly, even in my sleep. Ew. What is more irritating than anything is that I don't know anyone who is sick except my aunt, who has bronchitis, which I am sure I don't have. Errr. Of course taking the subway, which at times, positively festers with germs, like on rainy and snowy days when the floors are covered in swill, is enough to expose anyone to sufficient pathogens to make them ill. I suppose I don't have SARS this time, or MRTB, but this has been enough to make me was my hands with greater diligence and invest stock in Purell (which does not cause resistant bacteria). I also have a great fear of making the people around me sick. Not the people who flip the f*ck out, like the lady at the storage unit place who screamed at me as I handed her my check and said "don't come ANY closer I've been sick ALL WINTER!" I kind of wanted to cough on her...I worry about my coworkers (who will blame me if they get sick) and obviously my family and friends because this is one of the most foul colds that I have had in a long time. Sigh.
Well. I best do some grad school work. Cause school has not stopped. And I can't call in sick from school. Ehhhhhhhh.

The Doctor

Have I ever mocked the teen girls who reported incredibly negative side effect from Gardasil on this blog??

If I have, all mockery is sincerely withdrawn. Oi. It HURTS. And I'm feeling vomity and sick, though of course I have a cold which adds to crappiness. And the nurse was mean to me. WTF?!!? I'm here to have my boobs prodded, my va-jay-jay probed, my innards squished, a SHOT and blood work. You could be nice to me JERKSTORE! Ah well. The doctor yelled at her though. She did not provide the proper light to illuminate va-jay-jay probing. She got into trouble for that one, heh heh heh. Still though. Ew. Bottom line: shots beat HPV. So I'll take what I have to.

The good thing? I got to sleep for a while today and now I get to watch Oprah. LOL, not too shabby. Though I feel another nap coming on. Uggghhhhhh.

Hesitant, but Optimistic, Reluctantly Breathing a Sigh of Relief

Agreement Brings Joy, Relief to Kenya

And to all of us, who care so much. Phew.

Staying In, Trying Not to Hurt Ourselves

What a week it has been.

On Saturday, my grandparents found one of their best friends and neighbor dead in his house. Honestly, it sounds like he just sort of fell asleep in front of the TV and never woke up, probably never even realized what happened. Needless to say, it was a shock and it hit my grandparents very hard, especially given the fact that this is their second close friend to die since the beginning of the year, and this was sudden and completely unexpected. Since my sister and I have known him since we were born, we went to the wake on Tuesday.

Since then a minor course of small but stressful disasters have occurred. Yesterday alone I found out I got a "C" on my bio exam (not a big disaster, but scary nonetheless, as anything less than a B- will keep me from graduating), my aunt went to the ER with a massive hematoma on her abdomen (she is ok, broken blood vessel, long story, very freaky, but she's fine) my father broke on of his front-ish teeth when he sneezed of all things (he saved the piece, the dentist put it back on!) and I have had a pain in my side like someone is stabbing me in the back and it's coming out the other end and I've stressed about it all week but haven't said anything due to the fact that there's drama all around. I am ok but think it's definitely something. I'm going to the doctor's on Monday though and will get the word. It might even be nothing but stress and overtiredness and not eating well (ha ha enough!) which I hope it is. I was so full of self-pity this morning I bought myself a bagel. I swore off them after New Year's (carb-o-licious. I've dropped 10 lbs so it must be working!) and have had 2 since, and today I was like "sh*t. I earned this. With regular cream cheese too, not the lite dammit!" It tasted great. I'm thinking I can't have anything too serious wrong with me if I'm still eating, plus the pain has become more focused (a possible sign of: appendicitis, ovarian cyst, ectopic pregnancy, lord spare me all) so I'm going to go through the day and just deal with live, LOL. And get over myself. Though admittedly, I'm staying in this weekend with some old movies again. I feel like a bad penny in the luck department, so it might be safer not to go out, LOL.

Happy Weekend Everyone!

A Trend I Don't Really Like and An Epiphany

First the trend:

So the much talked about professor was back today for his final showing in my academic career. And he kissed my ass. Kind of a lot. And it was incredibly ridiculous. I decided to be nice back, to laugh at his jokes, and to smile appreciatively when he said to me "good point!" Honestly though, I don't really like how this has panned out - this is the third or fourth time I've been offended one week just to have the person be a kissass the next. I appreciate people getting the vibe that they've been rude, unfair, or offensive and made a person (me) feel bad, but wouldn't it have been easier to just have started on a respectful level? I know that this is, to a certain degree, how the real world works, one must gain the admiration of one's peers by proving they are worthy - I have even played this game from time to time - HOWEVER, never did I go into a situations with 1. a pre-conceived lack of respect 2. the assumption that a person is not intelligent 3. the assumption that a person will not get the job done. I believe those are things that come with time, not the other way around. Oh well.

The Epiphany:

My back has hurt for over a week now. Not too too bad, pretty much a nagging pain that a couple aleve every so often knocks out. First I wondered how I hurt my back, and then, in my grand hypochondriac style, I began to think of all of the horrible fatal things that my sore back could be indicating. It's a warning sign of great destruction yet to come!! Today I wore heels to work because I thought I'd be seeing patients, and in my rush to get off to class, I didn't change my shoes and have twice become victim to this university's impeccably waxed floors, the second time far more embarrassing than the first given the fact that I was in the lobby of the library and fell like, ON this woman with vibrant blue eyeliner who made a bigger deal of my wiping out than I did. Red-faced I tromped down the stairs to hide on the ground floor of the library and of course, my back became aggravated once again. Then I thought "duh, you just took the digger of a lifetime, no wonder your freakin' back hurts. How many times a day do you fall? At least once, right? Well there you have it." I'm really glad I don't have some tragic disease, but sometimes I do wonder if my inherent klutziness will prove near-fatal. I hope not!!

Of course I did have these babies on. Perhaps I will wear hiking boots to the dinner party...

Yes We Can

For the original speech, not remixed, click here

The Great Unknown

The other night to help me fall asleep, I was trying to come up with things that not many people (if anyone) knew about me. Not like, dark, depressing, or freakish things. Just like little factoids that are slightly amusing. I've come up with five. They're pretty random, and I'm pretty bored so here they are.


1. I once ate a raw clam to impress two guys. One I was dating, one I thought was hot. LOL, so wrong. I don't think it really worked, but now I can say casually, "yes, I have eaten a raw clam, yes it did taste like the sea. Refreshing!" I have since learned an easier way to impress a man - tackle him in a lounge, make out with him the whole night, and claim him as your own. It's lasted nearly three years, LOL, which is more than I can say for the two-month mistake that was the above!

2. When I was a kid I once wrapped my entire body in medical tape. I don't know why. I just started to and then I couldn't stop. Of course when I had covered everything but my head I just sort of looked in the mirror, thought "cool" and then ripped it all off. Why? I don't know. Probably just more bored than I am now.

3. The most fun I had doing my science project was NOT studying the microscopic effects of pool water on hair. Hell now. It was stabbing my finger with a pin, squeezing blood onto a glass slide and watching the cells slowly clot under the microscope. It was awesome.

4. The only parts of my body that truly piss me off are my thighs. This is no great secret. The secret is that when I'm looking in the mirror, whether in a department store dressing room or in the privacy of my own home, I will squish all the inner thigh fat together and like, move it around to the back. Then I'll think "if I can only get my thighs to look like this (squish thigh fat to back of leg) then I would be totally satisfied." Normally I think people who do this, and are totally serious, are kind of sad. And I think it's actually kind of sad that I do it. I wish I could be one of those people who totally loved myself as I am. Although then I might be really annoying. Besides, have I ever truly done anything about my thigh fat? Um, No. I let it hang.

5. Sometimes, at work or school, I will go to the ladies room just so I can have 5 minutes of peace and quiet. I admit it. I wipe down the seat (yeah ok it's kind of gross, but the doctor on Oprah said that whole "if you sit you'll catch something" is a myth unless the seat is wet. ew ew ew. anyways) and just sit there. Sometimes I'll even close my eyes for a few. Not like a suspiciously long time, but just long enough so that I no longer hear the drone of my coworkers or the idiotic buzz of undergraduates who don't even remember the Hubble Telescope because they were too young!

Well that's it for me on this dull Monday morning. My coworkers are staring at my typing. Time for a bathroom break.

Movies again!

After doing my little movie analysis I decided that in terms of viewing, I am sorely lacking in the old movie category. I think that (maybe) for a person my age I've done pretty well with some of the older "classics" but I still have a lot to see. This weekend's snowy weather has made me want to hunker down with some oldies and craft. Of course I have a pile of work to do and my room is disgusting (it needs to be vacuumed something fierce) but I am determined to have a "fun day" tomorrow (a day in which I do nothing responsible or school- or work-related) with perhaps a sewing machine and lots of tea.

Here's what I picked up at the library: All About Eve, The Ghost and Mrs. Muir, Wuthering Heights (1939), The Apartment, and though I've seen it a million times The African Queen. Yay! I am contemplating a Netflix subscription so I can really start to fill in the gaps in my movie knowledge, though you really can't beat the library and how it's free.

Sigh. Back to Biology. Wasps. Ugh*

*even though I am bitter about bio and wasps (perhaps because a bee that looked very much like the one above stung me 5 times on the bottom of the foot when I was a kid?), check out this guy's photos. I found the pic above here, and the rest of his photos are amazing! I guess that's why I'm truly a scientists; while I hate the professor studying them, and I hate reading about all the boring sh*t they do, I look at these pictures and still marvel and the wonder of wasps and all of their bug friends. Cool.

Photo Contest!

Dear Graduate Student:

The Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (GSAS) and the School of Engineering are accepting submissions for the 2nd annual Graduate Student Life Photo Contest. The contest is open to all arts, sciences, and engineering graduate students, who are invited to submit photos they have taken which convey graduate student life.

I wonder if they had this sort of thing in mind? Maybe I should enter this photo, though it's nearly a year old and title it

"Life at Graduate School: The Point at Which I Realized That is Was Breaking My Willpower, Sucking Out My Soul and Replacing It in My Body with A Black Cloud of Doom, Making Me An Insomniac, Making Me Question My Intelligence, and Still Costing Me $50,000"


Hmm. I don't think I would win.
Ah well.
The good news? The last time graduate school did that (above) to me, was the day I took this picture. April 27, 2007. Because I am a badass now and I don't let it make me cry. Duh.

Hell Piss Boring

Work is killing my soul today. KILLING.SOUL.MY. UGH!

It's probably because everyone was in a foul mood and not speaking. Clearly I missed something while at class yesterday. Weird. I mean, I don't really care. I'm sure at least one of my coworker's wants me to care and ask about it. I've got other fish to fry, though, b*tches!

Hmm. So the highlight of my day has been Rachel sending me a dinosaur cartoon. That and having Jamaal demand an MS Paint depiction of someone, which was rather hilarious. Other than that it's been a drag. I called the optometrist 3 times and got all pissy that he didn't pick up, thinking as I listened to his voicemail a 3rd time "jerk, you're only closed on Wednesdays.....wait a sec....Oh." I felt *dumb*

What else what else.

Well. Today is an exciting week because I have no school on Thursday. Hooray! I am hoping to get some serious work done because then I could do fun things over the weekend! I'm not sure what, but I do have a Red Sox Knitting swap to see to, two wedding gifts and a birthday quilt I should be working on. There's always crafting. Though my true secret desire is to watch movies. All weekend. How lazy is that??!

Oh yes - so I was right about the vag-fearing professor. I am starting to believe he hates more than the word "vagina" it seems he dislikes most of those who possess one, me in particular. I got my email to him read aloud in class (the one where I said that WD Hamilton was a genius but perhaps crazy since his last wishes were to have his body brought to Brazil, laid out in the forest in such a way that it would serve as fodder for the dung beetles of the Amazon) then was told that my calling Hamilton crazy was incredibly offensive because without Hamilton we wouldn't have xyz theories, blah blah blah blah. He was on a roll so I interrupted him. He may not like me, but dammit, he will listen to my defense. I said "Oh you misunderstood my email (which btw was like, two sentences!) completely, I was not referring to WD Hamilton as a whole when I called him crazy, nor was I arguing the fact that he was a genius, because clearly, he is. Instead, I was suggesting that the way in which he wanted his body disposed was a little unusual and I couldn't personally decide if that was really cool of him, or crazy, which is why I concluded my email with "it's something to think about." He just sat there and shook his head back and forth like I was wrong. ABOUT MY OWN DAMN OPINION!! Ugh, this guy is such a d*ckhead! My God! Then he proceeded to call me "you" throughout the whole class while he referred to everyone by name. And there are 10 of us in the class, so it's not like he doesn't know my name. Never have I encountered anyone quite so offensive or disrespectful, though my stats prof from Smith comes close, though at least she wasn't a misogynistic bastard, you know? I mean this guy pissed me off with his blatant sexist teaching methods last semester, but I thought "hey, Al, you're being a bit sensitive, why don't you give this guy another chance?" hence the Hamilton joke....

You wanna know something secret though? It's kind of satisfying knowing he spent a good chunk of the weekend stressing about my email (so he says. He lies though.) I hope he did. I hope it bugs him to see me in class staring at him. Tee hee. I hope I can find him when I'm accepting my diploma. I might wink at him. Because now I'm so past the anger stage where I would've wanted to flip him off, or burn the book that he edited (which he handed out to us for free in class yesterday. Oh, be still my heart, Phil, you shouldn't have). Ha. Jerkstore. NEVER MESS WITH A SMITHIE! GRRR! Ok, well at the very least, don't be a sexist prick. We don't like that, and it will come back to bite you in the ass. He'll get bit. He will. Hmm. Or maybe his bees will all turn on him at once? That would be even worse, though almost poetic.

Sigh. I should get back to work. Look at me here, wishing bad things on people!!! I was going to give up bad thoughts for Lent too. Too late. Eh well.

Jerk!

So Jam picked me up at the bus stop yesterday, a real treat. We chatted all the way back to his apartment. He parked the car and we walked upstairs. He said "go get your present, it's on the bed."
Yes.
My Valentine's present, to make up for the flowers. It's a box of soaps from Lush that smell so ridiculously delicious, I wanted to bathe that very moment.
I felt like kind of a jerk for complaining about the flowers. Except for the fact that someone is enjoying them right now and it's soooo funny how they have someone else's flowers blah blah. Ha. They'll never have my soap. And because of that, they'll probably never smell as good either.
Thank you Jamaaaaaaal :D

A Note About Movies followed by a Recommendation

So I saw that AOL had a link to their Top 25 Romance Movie. Naturally being an ENORMOUS sap I had to check out their ratings. Actually I mostly agree...plus I got the names of some older films that I have to check out as well.

They start their list with #25 Sleepless in Seattle. Love that movie! Then there's The Notebook. Honestly, sometimes I don't even watch the end. Because at heart, I am a teen girl, LOL. 22 is Amelie, another favorite of mine. I love foreign films in general and I love the quirkiness of Amelie, though I do love Audrey Tautou's performance in a much stranger, darker not really love but sort of love story, Dirty Pretty Things. 20. Jerry Maguire. Tom Cruise. Heh. 18. Atonement. Which was amazing(ly sad). Amazing though. Good stuff. Not a light fluffy romance though. 17. Lady and the Tramp. Awrrr. 15. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind a movie I saw but don't remember but remembered that I quite liked it. Hmm, maybe I should see it again. 11. The Princess Bride. So I heard ALL about this movie and how it was great and funny blah blah BLAH and refused to see it. Then in college I saw it during a movie weekend my house had. And I learned it IS funny and pretty great! "The six-fingered man!" 10. Ghost. It made me want to learn to make clay vases for like, 5 minutes. 7. Moonstruck. I.Love.This.Movie. *smack* SNAP OUT OF IT. Plus having been to the Met a couple times helps, you get a feel for everything that's happening. Plus the movie is hands down ridiculous and hardly believable: "He took my hand! He took my bride!" eh well, still love it. 6. The Way We Were. ha ha about this AOL says "Because she wants it to work out so badly, so do we" Oh how true, because Hubell is such a little bastard (ok not always. but like 50% of the time!). 5. Gone With The Wind. Ahh the so un-PC classic that is one of my favorite all-time movies. "Scarlett, you need to be kissed. Often, and by someone who knows how." Sign me up, Rhett!!! 4. An Affair to Remember. Cary.Grant. OMG. "Winter must be cold for those with no warm memories...we've already missed the spring." "If you can paint, I can walk, anything can happen, don't you think?" Tissues please??! Seriously though, I was thinking about the beauty of this movie the other day - it's the subtlety. Sure I love to see people rolling in the sheets every once in a while, heh, but this movie wasn't about that. The romance seemed truer because it wasn't in your face...the scene where the characters are on the stairwell on the ship and all you see are their legs? Love it. 3. Wuthering Heights. Haven't seen this '39 version, saw the Ralph Fiennes one (ugh) and the PBS one (good). It's dark, it's twisted, it's perverse, I LOVE IT. 2. Titanic. Which was awesome. In 1997. Now I think of it and kind of laugh. Oh well. Leo and Kate. 1. Casablanca. LOVED IT when I finally saw it in 11th grade. Oh classic. Ingrid Bergman can do no wrong in my eyes as it is (Notorious, Spellbound, Anastasia, Inn of the Sixth Happiness) and this film is IT.

So all these are great and all, some even freakin' brilliant, but then I was like "wait. if we are doing romance, and including sappy favorites such as Titanic and The Notebook, where is my Meryl Streep representation? Where is Out of Africa, one of the most romantic movies I've ever seen where Robert Redford washes her hair on the banks of the Mara with hippos in the background? WHERE IS IT?


Have no fear, they have a Fan Favorites list. Excellent.
25. Love Actually. How cute. 24. Somewhere in Time. THANK YOU. This is so cheesy, but it's a classic. Christopher Reeve in all his glory and Jane Seymour looking hot and weird time travel? YES. 23. When Harry Met Sally. I love this movie, even if the Billy Crystal sex scene creeps me out. The end rocks though. 21. To Catch a Thief. Ah Cary Grant again, and Grace Kelly. And Alfred Hitchcock! Fabulous. Oh that fireworks scene....19. Before Sunrise/Before Sunset. My friend told me about these movies and how they were incredibly romantic and amazing because they were one long conversation *yawn* I thought. Then I saw them. And bought them. "Baby. You're gonna miss that plane" 17. Pretty Woman. Yup. Gotta love the hooker with the heart of gold line. 15. Dirty Dancing!!! She's like the wind.....though the last scene always left me wondering...if "Baby's going to Mount Holyoke in the fall" where does that leave Johnny? Ahh if she had only chosen Smith...11. Out of Africa. THANK YOU PEOPLE. I do think this is my favorite movie ever, and it is not because my dear friend David Livingstone Otieno makes a split-second appearance as an extra. Or because I've been to Kenya twice, and am deeply and spiritually in love with the place and its people (ok it is kind of why I love this movie) This movie is plain and simple beautiful for so many reasons, cinematically, musically....and as my friend pointed out once the beauty in it is that the love Karen has for Denys is the romantic love, but her love for Farah, is the true love, and while I totally bawl during Denys's funeral scene, it is the moment she tells Farah they must part that really gets me. Sigh. 9. The African Queen!!!!! I adore this movie. I adore Katherine Hepburn and Humphrey Bogart, and they make such a pair in this film. 7. Now Voyager. Never has an eyebrow wax made such a profound difference in a woman's life. "Don't let's ask for the moon, we have the stars" Oh honey. 6. The Bridges of Madison County. Yes, people mock it. I don't care. I love it. Robert paints a nice picture of Africa when asked about his favorite place: Well, it's the obvious choice, but I think I'd have to say Africa. It's another world. Not just the people and the cultures but the land, the colors you see at dawns and dusks -- and the life there. It charges every molecule of air. It's tangible--the moment to moment of life and death, the cohabitation of man and beast, of beast and beast, who'll survive, who won't--and there's no judgment about it. No right or wrong or impose morality. It's just life. It's a voyeur's paradise. 5. Sliding Doors. This is such a great and random movie. Heh. "Remember what the Monty Python boys say: No one expects the Spanish Inquisition." 4. The Sound of Music. As Amy once said "This movie has everything! Singing, Nazis, Music, Nazis, Nuns, Nazis, Romance....Nazis!!!!!" Even though I know they backlit the gazebo scene because Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer were giggling, it still makes me swoony. Ha, and I hated that scene as a kid, funny.

So I'm continuing this post from the LimoLiner. Believe it. Ok, so maybe you don't know what exactly the LimoLiner is....we-ell it is a "luxury" bus and I only put "luxury" in quotes because a true luxury bus would have an on-board masseuse, LOL. Seriously though, this bus is amazing. In the almost 3 years Jam and I have been dating, I've tried every mode of BOS-NYC transportation available except flying - because seriously? WHY FLY? It's a pain in the ass as it is and by today's security standards, I imagine it takes a good chunk out of your day, showing up at least an hour early to the airport to get screened, delays, blah blah blah. I'm sure there are people who would contest that, but flying is just not for me. So that left me with 1. Greyhound bus, driving myself and taking the Metro North in (parking is difficult by Jam) 3. Regional Service Amtrak 4. Acela Express. I've tried them all, and frankly, they all suck. Greyhound, cheap super-cheap but super slow, crowded, cramped, uncomfortable, and frankly, unsanitary. Driving myself? Awesome, but increasingly expensive given the price of gas, I worry about leaving my car at the Metro North (though most stations are in rich white neighborhoods, so it's not like my Subaru amidst the flock of BMW's, Jags and Mercedes will be jacked, LOL. I also get drowsy at the wheel. No good. As far as Amtrak goes, it's over-priced, especially compared to the rest of the nation, which is annoying, it's rarely on time, it's only slightly more comfortable than the train, and someone obnoxious still sits with me....all of this frustration led me somewhere good though.

The LimoLiner.

So the LimoLiner is great, and actually quite luxurious in comparison to other modes of transportation. It IS $89 each way but here is what you get: an assigned seat, which, if you plan far enough ahead, could be a single seat, leather reclining seats (ahhh), a meal, drink, snacks and magazines, a power outlet (my phone and computer are both charging right now), a movie or two, a CLEAN bathroom, and a ride without any dumb rest area stops that eat up all your time because the 400 lb man just had to wait in the Burger King line and everyone on the bus is waiting for him to come back so we can leave (this has happened to me AND Jamaal). Oh yeah, there's that whole wireless internet connection deal. Awesome. I'm actually supposed to be writing a paper right now, hee, but I felt the need to write about this instead so other people can enjoy their Boston/New York experience.
*the woman across the aisle is making quite a show of typing faster than me. Ok, so there are annoying people on this bus, they're everywhere! At least she's quiet!!*

Here is a busted pic of me on the LimoLiner. Sexy. You know you love it.

The Day After

So Valentine's Day was kind of sucky - ha and not for all the cliche reasons, either, LOL. Not like "Oh I'm single and everyone around me has someone and is getting presents" or anything - though Jamaal, my love, did send flowers, but to the wrong office. They are sadly long gone and I was very bitter. I mean the poor guy tried, absolutely, but I was bitter that they went somewhere that was pretty much the point of no return. I handled it not maturely either, LOL, sighing as I saw women carrying their roses and proFlowers boxes on the commuter rail, thinking about some jerk down the street who has MY FLOWERS on their desk. RRR". Sigh. Though I must be grateful, Grandma and Grandpa did send me $10 in a card, which is totally awesome. I guess a lot of people might scoff at $10 in this day and age, but to me money is money, and 10 bucks is gonna cover my eyebrow wax today, so I was grateful.

Anywho, so Valentine's Day blew, but I couldn't exact fill this space with yet another "I hate my teacher/my life/my school/my job post" because that would suck. Instead, I am going to give you something positive about a professor. I'm taking Plant Physiology (snooze, I know!) and the professor is quirky as hell. I love it. I find him hilarious, and not in the "oh you're a plant biologist who is so nerdy and awkward that stuff you don't mean to be funny actually is" This guy is legit funny as hell. So funny I started writing down quotes. Here you go (and if you had a crap Valentine's Day or just a crap Thursday in general, hopefully this'll be funny):

"Sure we could probably control the planet!!! Push it towards the sun, then pull it away....then we'll make a critical mistake and throw it off it's axis and go spinning out of control through space.....BYE!! See you out at Alpha Centauri!!!!!" *dead silence from class* "We-ell. OK. Got a little too excited about that."

"The water moves through the apoplast, but is then hindered by the Casparian strip. Or band. You know some people say band.....this is Valentine's Day, we will say STRIP!!"

"So trees, actually, they expand at night. Many did not believe this, but Native Americans, THEY knew!!! Tie an enemy to a tree at daytime and they'll be dead by night. The tree kills them... slowly...botanically"

"So you should put your Valentine Flowers (boooooo) in a 50% water 50% sprite solution because flowers love the sugar. I mean you could use that stuff they give you. Hey? Have you ever tasted those food crystals they give you with cut flowers? You know, cut the packet open, lick your finger, dip it in the powder and taste it? You know, the old cocaine trick? Yeah, well that powder taste like sweet tarts!!! Cause of the sugar!!!"

Or maybe the slightly dangerous blue dye?

I decided yesterday that regardless of the grade I receive in this class, even if it's the one that keeps me from graduating, this professor is going to get a rave review!!

Happy Friday peeps.

Very Much Like a Bad Dream

Did I ever post about my Animal Behavior professor?? Oh that's right, I have. Anyways, he's back in my life I'm sorry to say. He's part of a team that's teaching my seminar and not only am I still bitter about 1. his misogynistic teaching style 2. the fact that it's his class that kept me from having an enjoyable semester and 3. the fact that I think he's an assh0le, but he's also assigned us over 100 pages of reading for Tuesday's class. Now normally 100 pages is no big deal to me, hell I read that in a book during an afternoon commute. But this is peer-reviewed scientific reading, centered around the soporific subject of kin-recognition systems and genetic reasoning for altruistic behavior....snooooooooooooooooze. What's more is that I have to write my response before I leave for New York, because on the way to/from NYC, I have to study for an exam on Tuesday. We're allowed one "pass" on a paper throughout the semester, and I can't tell you how tempted I am to use this week as my pass. Three things though: 1. the semester might get worse and there may be a point where I really need to skip out 2. I like the people doing the class presentation on Tuesday and I know this professor is going to be totally hard on them in a way that this week's professor was just NOT hard on me and my partner, so I want to help them out by giving them feedback that they could use for a presentation and 3. I want to really shove it up this guy's ass. FAR.UP.HIS.ASSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS. Not doing the paper would be too easy. I have to do it. I have to fit it in somewhere in this tangle of studying plants, getting a hair cut, going to the dentist, getting my nails done, taking a conference call, getting my annual review. I will write this paper. I will. And it will be f*cking brilliant. And a certain professor won't have a choice but to accept the fact that I'm smarter than he thought I was. RRRRrraaaa! Good thing I took care of Valentine's business last weekend!!

Miserable Cities

So Forbes is out with it's list of most miserable cities, judged on an assortment of different criteria. Honestly I'm surprised Boston didn't get put on there since I hear a lot of complaints about it. I still can't get over one complaint I heard about a year ago from someone who had migrated from the East Coast to Chicago. She said "Oh my God, you Bostonians are all so neurotic. You're rushing and pushing and shoving and you never slow down and enjoy life." Ha we're rushing so we can fit all of life's pleasures into the short time we have, so we don't miss out. 'Cause you never know when an event/happening/celebrating may occur again. Need I bring up the 86-year hiatus the Red Sox took from winning the World Series?!
I guess the thing is that Forbes made their own Misery Measure based upon the Misery Index and Misery Score to judge/calculate these "miserable" cities based on commute time, crime, unemployment, taxes, etc. More of an internal measure rather than an outside judgment - I guess Bostonians are pretty ok then, but I still wonder what our score would be. Of course there are always outliers that could be bringing you down....like the one in my office today. Heh. If you calculated her into the mix, we'd probably be the #1 most miserable city. HA!
Happy Tuesday Peeps.

My Blake Incacerated!

Amy Amy Amy
Amy Winehouse
There's so much I could say about our dear Amy and her mid-rehab performance telecast at last night Grammy's....but I think I might be brief on this one.

So word on the street is that people don't think Amy deserved a Grammy because she's "crazy" or a "mess" (like Natalie Cole, who, as Jamaal informed me, is no stranger to drugs herself - though perhaps that's why she said what she did). A lot of people are seeing her grammy wins as rewards for bad behavior. While I understand that train of thought here's my deal: she got the grammy awards cause she's a good singer (when not under the influence). Her album busted into mainstream and was catchy without being obnoxious, eclectic and soulful. It rocked. So she got awards. Cause she deserved them. Ok she's a HOT MESS...true...but how many other stars are we giving awards to who are closet drunks are mainlining heroin or snorting coke at the after parties? You can't hate on Amy just because she wears her problems on her sleeve.

That being said, stay in rehab honey. We'd like your talent around for a while. And your teeth, for that matter.

Doing Nothing

Sigh. I got sooooo distracted by the internet....I thought I was going to have this extremely productive weekend too. Ah well. It all started when I signed on to look for some bio articles and have instead sat here for the last hour and tooled around on flickr. I did find an old bruise photo. I guess I didn't really get how grotesque it was. Probably because it was on me and I could never really get a good look at it. I can't believe it's finally gone either. I'm trying to get back to donating platelets but I think that the staff at the donor center and I are collectively freaked out by the whole experience. I know I have a stellar count and all but I wouldn't be surprised if the apheresis techs never want to touch me again. Eh. We'll see. Maybe week after next I'll take a stroll over there and see what we can set up....

Other People's Procrastination

Soooo yet again I have another group project to accomplish for school. I figured by the time a biology major was in grad school group work would be a thing of the past, but I have more at Tufts than I ever had a Smith! It's crazy! Maybe it's the teaching style? Not sure. Anyways, I like to nip group projects in the bud. Get in, get 'em done, get out, so I figured if I was to run class on Tuesday afternoon with my partner, we'd meet this afternoon or maybe tomorrow and get the slides finished, firm up our discussion angles, then forget about everything til Tuesday.

Oh heck no.

Instead I get an email saying that the only time my partner has free is "9am-12pm Monday." This girl doesn't work, what the hell is she doing this weekend? I was irritated by this response at first, I won't lie, probably because of the week ahead which includes a visit to the dentist, the ophthalmologist, a conference call and a big deadline, as well as the schoolwork bit, then going to NYC on Saturday. Craziness! I finally concluded that I'd just have to meet with her on Monday, and would be required to burn a personal day because I had to go to the eye doctor's anyway. Whatev. So the irritation persisted until it dawned on me - because I'm running the discussion on Tuesday, I don't have to write a paper for class, and I've already done the reading. Which leaves me with the reading and paper for Thursday's class (always a pleasure because it's AWESOME -developing sustainable communities....so sexy) and some studying for a test on February 19th (because we must plan) I sat at my desk for a minute mulling this over, then wanted to do a backflip. Why? For the first time in forever, during a weekend, I will have FREE TIME!!!!!!!!

OMG OMG OMG

WHAT TO DO?!!?!????!?!?!??!?!?!!!!!

Naturally the list is long, and I know I won't be able to do half the stuff on it, but the possibility is sooo seductive right now. One thing that must be done and cannot be avoided is a major cleaning of my room. On the surface it's much more organized than normal, but deep down, it's kind of gross. Dusty and such. Plus the bird cages needed to be sterilized practically. Oh - did I mention that Lucy's brush with death is over? Yeah! I practically had her little birdie memorial written for this blog, but she decided to live and has been back to her mischievous and destructive ways for a week and a half now. I know she won't live as long as my other birds because she still has fatty tumors, but they've regressed a bit for the time being and I couldn't be more delighted because watching her suffer was so sad. I've been looking at some ways to help with the tumors and hopefully we'll be working on those from now on (mandatory outside the cage playtime, for one. which makes me nervous because Lucy overdoes everything. For example, when I let her out of her cage, she doesn't just hang out like Lily, she does like, a zillion suicidal loops around the room then hits a wall, falls, gets up, and flies up to a curtain road out of reach and mocks me. Not cool.) So yes, clean up it is, followed by some filing and taxes, of course. Then I think I'll update my flickr account. Miraculously I am keeping up with the 365 day challenge 100%, I'm just a month behind on flickr! Then I have to be sure to send the results of this year's Focus on Feeders (a little backyard bird count, super fun) to Mass Audubon. There'll be laundry and exercise too. I still think this might leave me with almost a whole Sunday free. I'm giddy thinking about it. I'll have to finish the wee sweater I'm making for Jam's coworker's baby (a couple years ago everyone was having boys, now I'm inundated with girls!) and I think starting wedding gifts may be in order too. I've designed two wedding cross stitch samplers that will be pillows when they're finished. They're probably going to be two of the most amazing things I've ever cross stitched and I'm pleased about this because they're for really special people :) yay! Also, a certain person told me that if I spend all this time making her bday gift and don' t focus on school and/or make myself ill doing it she will be really mad. Tee hee, EE you can't get mad if I use an unexpected bonus free day to get started, can you?

Sigh. I've really rambled in this post, forgive me. I just haven't felt carefree in a long while. I kind of love it. It's ironic too, cause I still have a crapload of school stuff too!!

Oh, and an update. I'm also very happy because I've now heard from all three of my Kenyan friends who are no longer on staff at the study abroad program. I knew the staffers were safe, but worried a great deal about Maraka, Mboya and Salaash. Maraka was the one person I hadn't heard from, but out of everyone, he's actually the one I'd worry about the least. Ahem, this is Maraka:
Ok no, he doesn't normally pack an AK-47. Usually he is more like this:
Which is still somewhat intimidating. Basically he is this hulking Turkana man who doesn't take bullsh*t. So I wouldn't mess with him, but given Kenya's tenuous state, it seemed no one was safe. Naturally it was a relief to hear from him, and he actually didn't ask me for money, LOL, not like the other two! Ah well, what can you do? Maraka is the only one that has a steady job, but he told me he had to move his family out closer to him because they were in Northern Kenya, where the status quo is generally dodgy, not counting election strife. He also has to send his nephews to school. I feel bad for him because like the 60% of the population that's employed (unemployment in Kenya, last I checked was around 40% could be worse now) he has these immense responsibilities which include supporting the rest of his family. He tells me this is why he hasn't married......although sometimes I wonder what he's holding out for, because his email said "call me any time love, maraka" rrrrrrright. LOL. Luckily this does not threaten Jamaal. Perhaps the 7,180.5 miles between here and Kenya helps, LOL. My point: my "people" (yes I think of them as my people) are safe. Thank goodness.

Well I've rambled on enough. I think I might check and see if my boss is around. Maybe sneak out early. There's a new palm pilot waiting for me at home, just wanting to organize my life. yay!

Happy weekend all.

*so irritating*

The way my new coworker clears her throat drives me absolutely insane. And she clears it every 5 minutes. She starts out with the low rumble that goes progressively higher til she ends the process with this high-pitched 'mmmmmm' It almost sounds disapproving. Sometimes I want to offer her a cough drop. Or a spittoon. Just get it up and out already.


oooh I am such a bad person...

An Energizing Meme

Ok so maybe it won't be particularly energizing, but I'm hoping that it will get the internet out of my system and I'll be able to write my response paper!!

1. How old will you turn in 2008?
The big 26

2. Do you think you'll be married by then?
ha ha nope and I don't think, I know, lol.

3. What do you look forward to most in the next 3 months?
Let's see....I'm looking forward to getting one step closer the finishing grad school, visiting Jam in NY, taking the day off on my bday and doing something really fun with Amy, seeing friends and family etc. Oh, yeah, and Jam and I are celebrating 3 years together at the end of March and we *might* go away. That'd be fun.

4. Do you like to say "I told you so?"
No. I hate saying it cause I hate hearing it. I do think it though!

5. Who was the last person to call you?
An unknown # from the San Diego area code. sweet.

6. Do you prefer call or text?
Depends- if answering/asking quick question texting is better.

7. Do you have any pets?
1 cockatiel, 2 parakeets, 9 fish

8. What were you doing at 1:30 am?
Driving. Ugh.

9. What were you doing at 3:00 am?
Sleeping.

10. When is the last time you saw your mum?
Um 10 minutes ago.

11. What is your mood?
Sleepy but pretty relaxed.

12. How many houses have you lived in?
3 Not counting semester abroad:
344 Union Street, Holbrook
Hubbard House, @ Smith
Deborah Road, here.


13. How many city/towns have you lived in?
Three

14. Do you prefer shoes, socks or bare feet?
Bare feet whenever possible/allowed

15. Are you a social person?
I try to be at parties, out and about, but am content being solitary every so often

16. What was the last thing you ate?
CUPCAKE!!!

17. What's your favorite color?
I think green...

18. What are you doing for your next birthday?
NOT WORKING. Beyond that not sure, as the Spanish art exhibit won't be at the museum yet. We'll see...

19. What is your favorite TV show?
Shows: Lost, Grey's Anatomy, ANTM, Pushing Daisies, Ugly Betty, Gossip Girl

20. What kind of jelly do you like on your PB & J sandwich?
Raspberry

21. Do you like coffee?
OMG. YES.

22. What are you listening to?
Rilo Kiley's "I Never" and Lily interjecting with a chirp

23. Do you have an iPod?
Yes, a (Product) Red Nano, I love it.

24. How do you feel about the last person you kissed?
Tee hee. Very good, it was Jamaal!!

25. Do you sleep on a certain side of the bed?
Umm I guess mostly on the right.

26. Do you know how to play poker?
Not really!!

27. What are you thinking about right now?
How I really should be doing my response paper....

28. Any plans for this weekend?
SUPERBOWL SUNDAY IS TOMORROW! I am going to swing by to see my friend's new baby (even though I've seen her twice. Can't.get.enough. and then going to the g'rents cause they've got the biggest tv!

29. Have you cut your hair this week?
No but I wanted to.

30. Last picture you took?
Last night's daily pic. No no, it was with my cell at the library today, so I could remember the names of 2 books I saw that I thought my dad would really enjoy.

31. Are you a tease?
I don't think so, but ask Jamaal.

32. Have you ever been in an ambulance?
Not for a ride, just to see what kind of setup they had going on.

33. Do you prefer an ocean or pool?
Ocean, except for the pool that's right in my backyard :)

34. Do you smile often?
I try

35. What color are your bed sheets?
boring gray

36. What is your favorite thing to spend money on?
hahahhaha um clothes, shoes, nail polish, purses, and crafty stuff.

37. Do you wear any jewelry 24/7?
No, I have too many favorite things!

38. Have you heard a rumor about yourself this week?
ha ha I don't think so....

39. Who is the funniest person you know?
Amy, my sister, is pretty frickin' hilarious. I am lucky though because I know a LOT of funny people!

40. What happened to question #40?
You mean this one?

41. Where do you want to go to college?
Dude, I'm getting my second degree, I have no plans to go to another. Though secretly, if I ever want/decide to get it, I'd like to get a PhD from an Ivy. Cause I'm a snob like that.

42. Who was the last person to make you cry?
Dude, it was totally myself. I made myself cry like 4 times this week lol.

43. Do you shut off the water while you brush your teeth?
ABSOLUTELY.

44. Do you wish you were with someone right now?
Of course, but it's better I'm not so I do my homework!!

45. Are you mad about anything?
errrrmmm.....let me think.....nope.

46. Last person to IM you?
Uhhhhh. Oh! It was Alex! Hi Alex!!!

47. What are you doing besides this?
Trying to stay awake again. Gonna go do some conservation biology.

perfect baby girl Alexa. 123 awrrrrr..

Why I haven't posted, eaten, slept, etc

My oldest friend in the world (on right, who would kill me for putting up this pic because she looks not so like herself and was nowhere near this heavy, only gaining 20 lbs with her pregnancy!!) had this beautiful baby girl on Tuesday. Doesn't she look fetching in the arms of her aunt? I believe that's an Austen quote, lol. She is beautiful and impossibly small and makes all the bad hectic tiredness in the world go away. Seriously, my sister and I sat for two hours in a small hospital room just to hang out with this little one. Of course this led to several past 12 am nights as I tried to finish the schoolwork I had put off for hospital visits. And seeing Atonement, ha ha.

Anyways, tonight my sister and I are having a big-ish party at our house and there's a ton to do here at work before I go home and do a ton more to set up. Things are looking a bit brighter this week though, and even my birdie Lucy has taken a turn for the better, now playing, singing, eating and trying to kill her mate Charlie Brown by preening him innocently and then attacking him. She's practically back to normal, a literal miracle in the world of bird sickness. I never would have predicted that! Who would've thought?!

Sigh. There is nothing like a fresh new baby to put life in perspective...and to have someone knew to knit for!!!!