Philadelphia Freedom

Money Woes

2012-02-02T07:59:00.001-05:00

Alex and I have been undergoing new austerity measures to attempt to pay off the wedding, save up for our move to CA, and save up to buy a car. Problem is? I have no money. Literally, no money. I got paid last Thursday, and today (one week later), my bank account is near the red. I always thought I was pretty good at saving money and not spending it. I'm not a shopaholic. I don't buy random stuff on the internet (usually). I have a soft spot for used books (not even new books, but used books!) and I likely spend a little too much money on groceries, but realistically, I should not be going down to the wire this way every week. It's getting ridiculous. So, last night, I ended all my contributions to my retirement plans. We counted all our change the other night (except the pennies) and I think I'm going to start selling stuff on ebay and craigslist. Most of our stuff will have to be sold or given away anyways, as we can't really afford to move everything we own (and Ikea is not really worth moving, let's be honest). With us struggling like this (and we're supposed to be solid middle class) I can't imagine what is going on in households that make less than we do. Granted, I am sure we can give up our iphones to decrease our cell bills, but honestly, I can't think of much else we could eliminate. The internet is necessary for our jobs, so we can't get rid of that. And electricity and gas are pretty necessary to live. Moo would be really sad to live in a tent, I am pretty sure, so skipping rent is not an option. Honestly, I am really unsure how we are gonna live in CA, as rent is gonna be nearly twice what we're paying now. Guess we might just have to rent a room from someone. Ugh, and I can't even think about taxes. My old job? Yeah, sent my tax form to my old address (where I have NOT lived for 3 years!). Oh, and it has my social on that form. Thanks, Penn! You're a frigging nightmare. Sorry to be such a downer, but it's something we are struggling with on a daily basis and I'm not sure what else we can do. We've been cooking every night, never go out to eat or for a beer or anything. I bring my lunch every day. I have no car, no insurance payment, I ride my bike everywhere (literally, free transport). Gah, what else can we do to get out of the hole?

Monday Numbers

2012-01-30T08:00:00.000-05:00

spent the weekend sick as a dog, coughing, hacking, sneezing, you name it. I went through one whole box of tissues and filled up one trash can. I also managed to blow snot out of my eyeball. Not once but twice. Aren't you happy for that visual?
I finally finished all 100-ish thank you notes from our wedding. Finally. It will be marvelous to put those suckers in the mail, let me tell you. It's rough having that hanging over your head.
In other news, I worked about 80 hours last week. Complaining? Nope. However, I'm pretty sure that's why I got sick. On the weekend. Figures.
We are moving to CA in about 5 months. Prepare for freak out in 5, 4, 3, 2...
I have spent the weekend on the couch, watching Netflix streaming. Current favorites? Cake Boss. Those folks are so New Jersey it's painful. I love it. I think I've watched about 15 episodes.
I am keeping my New Year's resolution very well. Wanna know what it was? It was to listen to more music. So, now, I listen to Pandora on my iPhone when I'm in the shower. I've already discovered a couple new songs that I like. I also discovered that I should not have said that I liked Miley Cyrus "Party in the USA" because now I get a lot of Disney Pop Princess songs that are just not good. I'm also thinking I need a Pearl Jam station. And perhaps a couple more stations. Just for variety.
My goals for this week? To do Jillian Michaels video 3 times and to blog 2 times. Already halfway there!

Random Snippets Monday

2012-01-16T16:28:00.002-05:00

I got a job at Stanford!
I clearly have the SAD again. I hate the damn winter and I hate that everything I have to do involves me being outside for extended periods of time. Ugh.
My eyes water when I ride my bike to school and today my tears froze on my face.
I am teaching myself to crochet.
I have become addicted to watching TV shows on the Netflix since my TV has decided to go on the fritz. My current favorite is Destination Truth from SciFi or Suyfy or whatever it's called. Pretty adventurous!
I got Jillian Michaels video workout this weekend. She has kicked my ass, let me tell you.
I am really, really, really looking forward to moving to CA. Really.

Random Snippets

2012-01-10T19:28:00.000-05:00

I cleaned out my closets this past weekend and came up with 6 bags full of things to discard. Not too shabby. Now, to figure out a way to get those bags to the charity donation box...
The weather has been real nice lately. By "real nice", I mean, in the 40s and not raining. However, I do miss flip-flops.
I have been working harder than a one-legged man in an ass-kicking contest. And there's no end in sight.
I am trying to get a job at Stanford. Keep your fingers crossed.
My parents are learning to Skype. My Dad is more technologically advanced that I am. He has the new iPhone. My iPhone is totally, like, 7 iPhones ago.
Our TV is broken. It's decided to randomly turn itself off and on while I am viewing it. Sometimes it doesn't even turn on at all. I don't think we'll get a new one, though, since we're moving in 6 months.
SIX MONTHS! @&*#$%@(!)!)!@@####
We finally started on our wedding thank you notes. The final (I think) thing we've got to finish!
We have now been married longer than Kim Kardashian. Is that a thing? Should we be proud?

This is why I'm glad I'm leaving Philadelphia

2012-01-09T08:44:00.003-05:00

I ride my bike everywhere and in my time of riding, I've encountered a lot of problematic drivers. I've seen cars blow through stop signs, really push red lights, exceed the speed limit excessively, swerve, use the bike lane to pass other cars and just about every other infraction you can imagine. However, my experience yesterday took the cake. Alex and I were trying to cross a street (we had the green light) and I was heading into the crosswalk. A woman in an SUV started honking and tried to make a right turn right in front of me. I tried to brake in time, and I came within inches of being hit by her. I was so upset by this interaction, that I was literally starting to cry and I was clutching my chest, unable to process the near miss that had just occurred. She had stopped, and I attempted to waver her past me, telling her to please go. She pulled up in front of me, and rolled down her window. Thinking she might actually ask me if I was OK, I looked at her (she was driving a nice car and looked like she was coming back from church). She proceeded to yell at me and tell me how wrong I was (yeah, for trying to cross IN THE CROSSWALK ON A GREEN LIGHT!), even though I was visibly upset, crying and hyperventilating. She was just mean and malicious and I have no doubt in my mind that she would have hit me if she could have. I am literally shaking as I type this, an entire day after this incident occurred.
Look, I get it. You're in a hurry. That's fine. Most people are. But when you get to the point where you think it's OK to hit someone (someone NOT surrounded by 2 tons of steel) then something's wrong here. Most of the crazy incidents that happen around Philly are just due to stupidity or inept drivers, not ones with malicious intent. This woman had a maliciousness about her that was somehow taken out on me for no apparent reason. That's not OK, and I don't really understand how people can get away with being so rude here. When I first moved here, I thought it was "quaint", but now, honestly, I'm just sick of it. I am really looking forward to our move to CA in a few months. Honestly, it can't come soon enough.

The marathon debacle

2011-11-22T17:05:00.001-05:00

On Sunday, I was supposed to run the Philadelphia Marathon. I had been training for the marathon for a few months leading up to my wedding, but I had slacked off on my training in the past month, mostly out of laziness and boredom. I know it's a silly thing to say, but getting past the wedding was kind of a bummer. I loved our wedding and our honeymoon (and I wanted our vacations to last longer), but it was something that I so looked forward to for so long that having it over and done with (and being put back in the same place I was before the wedding) has been a little bit hard, I must admit. So, I slacked off on my running (and a lot of other things as well) and I just wasn't sure about running the marathon. Then it turned out that Alex was getting job interviews in the Bay Area and he had to leave the day of the marathon (before it even started). I had asked him to run with me for a ways during the race, since I knew my motivation would flag at some point. So, then I just scrapped the whole idea of doing the marathon. I know that I can do it, if I put in the proper training, but I knew that I hadn't trained well enough. Anyways, I decided to show up the day of the marathon and just run the half. That's a distance I knew I could do, so I set out to at least try that. And let me tell you, I struggled from the start. It just wasn't my day. My feet were frozen from standing around for so long - it took me at least a mile to warm up my feet. My pace was too fast. I had to pee at mile 4 (and wait in a line for at least 5 mins). My feet and knees started to hurt pretty early on, around mile 6 or 7, and the hills (tiny ones) on the course were killing me. I ended up being at the back of the pack for most of my run, which is honestly a little demoralizing and totally not motivating at all. I finished the race with a burst of speed, passing by a man who had collapsed with 1/4 mile to go. I'm pretty sure he died. How awful, right?
I had originally signed up for this race as a challenge to myself. I wanted to prove to myself that I could do something so crazy, so long, that I had the stamina and endurance to run a marathon. The truth is that I know I can do it, I just don't know that I want to do it anymore. I like running because it makes me feel good, it relieves my stress and it makes me feel strong and powerful. But I'm not sure I want that goal anymore, the goal of running a marathon. I think I'd like to improve my pace (I'd like to slip below the 10min mile, if I could). And I'd like running to not feel like a chore, like it has felt for a while now. I'd also like to do something else, like strength training and pilates and yoga. So, I think I will change things up this winter. Next winter, when we're in CA, I can train all I want. The cold/ice won't be there to bother me. But for now, I think running is going to be a 3-4 times a week thing, but with less focus on a goal and more focus on happiness. I actually think I learned more from not running the marathon than I did from running it. I need to change it up, refocus and gain back some of that joy from running. That will be my birthday present to myself!

Haiku Friday

2011-11-18T22:26:00.001-05:00

Alex leaves early
Sunday morning for job talks
New labs, new prospects

***

The next week I leave
Headed to the same places
Job talks, interviews

***

Here's hoping all goes
Well - moving toward my home state
Family and friends!

Opinion Thursday*

2011-11-17T07:24:00.001-05:00

*In an attempt to inspire myself, I thought I would write about my opinions on current events on a weekly basis...here goes!

Dismantling of Occupy Wall Street
I have to admit, I was unaware of the Occupy movement until maybe about a month ago. I the rush up to the wedding, I didn't really pay much attention to the news. I returned from my honeymoon to the growing media coverage of the Occupy movement and I was curious. The media portrayal of the movement has not always been positive, so I sought some answers from the Occupy movement themselves. There is an Occupy site here in Philly, and I've inadvertently been a part of their demonstrations (I'm everywhere, people). I've also read a bit of their tumblr site and the Occupy site. I must admit, I do support the Occupy movement. I've struggled a lot financially, and I think that my generation and the generations to come after us are going to have a harder time that my parents' generation ever did. By the time my parents were my age, they had both owned homes individually, and had bought the house I grew up in. Granted, I chose a different path, but Alex and I are nowhere near close enough to buying a home. In fact, we still owe tens of thousands of dollars in student loans. I understand that it was my choice to attend school and to take out student loans. I am not saying that I don't want to pay my loans myself, I am just saying that my generation is in so much debt (as compared to income) I cannot imagine us collectively pulling ourselves out of it. I also see the job market failing, the absence of jobs (for all ages) in smaller towns and cities, and the shipping of jobs overseas. I see health insurance and benefits being slashed (in a really short period of time, too). I also see an enormous lack of health care in all walks of life, even people with jobs. Granted, Alex and I are the intellectually elite, so we should have no problems finding the jobs we want at the institutions we want to work for. But I see other people struggle immensely. Most of my friends do not own homes. My friends that do own homes either live someplace really cheap to live or had some help buying their home, either from family or from buying at the right time. I don't think that Alex and I live extravagantly, yet we struggle paycheck to paycheck. The bills we have are rent, electric, gas, internet and cell phone service. We don't belong to the gym, we don't have a car. I can't remember the last time I went shopping for new clothes. The wedding hit us pretty hard, and we are struggling with credit card debt as well. We've been cooking at home more often, making large meals we can eat for a few days. I'm not complaining, these things are our reality. I see people way worse off than us, without health insurance, struggling to live. Unable to move up or down, left or right. I think the Occupy movement has brought all this to the forefront. I think people are talking about it more. I think we have a lot more awareness that policies that bail out big business hurt our own people. I think the regular person needs some bailing out, every once in a while. If not monetarily, then with some policies that help people get affordable healthcare, housing, or some necessities, like food or gas. I think we need some policies in place that protect the regular citizen, as opposed to protecting Wall St and big companies. I also think that the richer 1% should pay more taxes.
I can honestly say that I was really, really disappointed with the reaction to the Occupy movements. I mean, these are movements occurring not just in the US, but all over the world. This is a movement that encourages non-violent protest as a form of civil disobedience. I agree with that. I also believe wholeheartedly in the First Amendment to the Constitution:
"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."
We have the right to assemble, and the right to protest. This idea alone is what bothers me the most. Even if this was a protest I did not agree with, I understand their right to carry it out. Peaceable assembly should not require permits. Assembly in a public space (I don't care that it's privately owned - it's a public space for all to enjoy). It concerns me that cops and mayors can make decisions to stifle this essential right. It concerns me. It concerns me a lot. And I don't think it's right.

Penn State Debacle
This will be shorter, I promise. I work with and know a lot of people who attended Penn State. It's a good school, with a good academic reputation. The football team and the coaches really concern me. The fact that a child would be raped on campus, in front of someone and the cops weren't called? That's a red flag. The fact that this behavior was ignored is so disturbing to me. Why weren't the authorities called? Why did the person who saw the act go home and make an appointment with Joe Pa for the next morning? What? These things are not OK, and it suggest a culture of insulation, a culture of, "protect football at any and all costs". Well, it cost you, all right. And you deserve it, Joe Paterno and everyone else involved. You deserve to lose your job. I don't think the football season should be cancelled, but I do believe that people need to remember that this is a sport. And that the kids at Penn State are rioting over the loss of a game, a sport. Think about it. It just aint' right.

Monday Numbers

2011-11-14T19:02:00.001-05:00

Well, it wasn't that eventful of a weekend, but it sure feels like it! On Friday, I was fortunate enough to meet up with one of my college roomies and her husband, kids, sister, brother-in-law and brother-in-law's mom for a fun afternoon of historic tourism in Philly. I had such a great time. I don't always realize it, but it's so nice to see people you know and who know you. It's great to catch up, and chill out. It was a pretty cold day, but they were troopers! And I really couldn't think of another way to spend 11.11.11!
One of my friends had her baby on 11.11.11! A little boy - so cute! Enrique...I think I might call him Ricky-cito :)
I spent most of the weekend around the house, doing errands and cleaning up. I think it's literally the first weekend I've been home in months and honestly, it felt great to be a little lazy, just hang out and do nothing.
We're on a cooking kick. We're a bit in debt from the whole wedding thing, so we've decided ot cut back on eating out, and cook more at home. With our busy schedules, the best bet for us is to cook something pretty big and then eat that for a few days. This week, it was lasagna, which turned out amazing. We made two batches, and we should be able to feast off it for a few days, at least. I also made two pumpkin breads, a double batch of hummus, and I am attempting a sourdough starter. I hope it works!
We also used a Groupon that I bought for a "Ghost Tour" of Philadelphia with a group called the "Spirits of 76". Get it? Haha, right? So, in case you didn't know, I am into ghost stuff. I don't know that I am a "believer", but I love ghost stories and spooky things, just like when I was a kid. (Although, as an aside, I don't really love "ghost movies" unless they're really well done. I loved The Sixth Sense, but the Paranormal Activity movies? Not so much. I do, however, love Ghost Adventures, which I know is a completely stupid and useless reality TV show. I can't get enough! I realize I have a problem!). When I went to Scotland with my parents over ten years ago, we took a ghost tour of the Edinburgh vaults, these regions of the city that are literally a city underneath the city. Yeah, Ghost Adventures went there - they caught some amazing stuff on camera, which I love. Anyways, we had this amazing tour guide - a really spooky man who totally acted the part. They took us into the vaults and we heard sounds (a child, specifically) and I felt something brush up against me (a dog, I thought at the time). They had candles, and shut them off in the middle of the tour, making it pitch dark. Edinburgh is full of spooky, haunted tales, so it was a wonderfully spine tingling tour! Fast forward to Philly, 7:30pm in Old City. We get this bubbly, cheery young woman as our tour guide. She tells us tales that are "really sad, right?" and she expresses emotion about the ghosts. I'm a firm believer that once you start to think of ghosts as real people with real stories, that's when the "ghost story effect" ends. Of course, someone catching on fire on her wedding day (an subsequently burning the whole damn building down) is really sad, but I want to hear more about the ghostly tales - chairs dragged around, unexplained sounds, eerie footsteps, that kind of stuff. Instead, I hear about historic stories of the buildings, with little or no emphasis on "ghostly encounters". I hear about "a lot of bodies buried here", but nothing of any encounters or anything interesting. A big disappointment. The one thing that I thought was funny was as we were standing in front of Independence Hall, a light kept flickering on and off, over and over again. I'm unsure if someone was playing a joke on the security guard at the door, or whether the wiring at the Hall is pretty faulty, but I thought it was pretty funny. I would imagine Benjamin Franklin would find "elecktricity" quite interesting - perhaps he stopped by to play?

Monday Numbers

2011-11-07T16:19:00.002-05:00

This weekend was a doozy, folks! We had our first ever Showcase Performance for our dance school. We danced a tango to the number from Chicago "He had it coming". It was a lot of fun! We performed at this school auditorium, which brought me back to my days at Hueneme Christian School, when we did our Christmas plays at the Oxnard Auditorium. Yeah, I was big way back then :)
We also rented a car and drove all over the area to run some errands. One day, I would like to rent a car to do something fun, not just run errands. We drove around Northeast Philly - not much there, people. It's like an area that was built before there was the idea of strip malls, so nothing is coherent or makes sense. There are also lots and lots of row homes, which, for some reason, reminds me of housing on the base. However, for all our driving around, we only went through less than four gallons of gas. Not too shabby!
On Sunday, we hit up Wegman's, my new favorite grocery store. It's kinda like Trader Joe's, Whole Foods and Vons all rolled into one. It's got the cheaper store brand foods that are really good (and generally organic or healthier) plus a specialty store with good cheeses and breads (if you're into that stuff). They also carry all those brand name things, so you can get your Ragu or whatever you might be looking for. Love it! They even give double coupons! Oh yeah, I'm eighty.
I also spent an exorbitant amount of time at Bed, Bath and Beyond. That place is sometimes the armpit of hell. I circled the store approximately three times. I went to try to get some of the remaining things off our registry, as well as use up some of the gift cards we got for our wedding. I had a cart full of things (mostly bulky items, not really heavy items - like two pillows, an ironing board, etc.) and I tried to take it down the escalator (they had an escalator thingy for the cart) and that bitch stopped! What? So, I had to carry all my stuff by hand - I looked like a total fool, with these huge bags dragging on the floor. Oh lordy. Oh well, don't think I will be back there again for a while at least. Next time, maybe I can go to a BBB that is not on the second floor of a building (for no apparent reason).
I next went to Macy's to try to return a gift and to use some of my gift cards. It took me forever to find the store. When I did, I thought it might be a nice store. It was at least six stories high, and seemed to be pretty old, which was kinda cool. However, they completely lack a home store. How can a Macy's be 6 stories high without a home store? The one in Philly is only 3 stories high and has a ton of home stuff. Guess that's where I'm headed next.
Today, we returned the car and ended up driving through Philly to drop off the car. It made me glad that I commute by bike. Even though I was really warm and toasty on the way to the rental car place, it made me appreciate that I don't have to deal with all the silly traffic and idiot drivers in the middle of the city on a daily basis. Thankful for my little 10 speed.

A Mouse in my House

2011-10-25T17:10:00.000-04:00

I have a lot of catching up to do with this here blog, and I guess there's no time like the present to get started on that! Since I love to regale you with stories of my ever exciting life, I thought I'd tell you a tale of one of the first days we came home after the honeymoon. I went upstairs after a questionable long day at work, looking for my wonderful LL Bean slippers. I took off my shoes and slipped my bare feet into my lovely slippers and there was something warm and furry in my shoe. Thinking that Moo had somehow showed her toy in there, I looked in my shoe to pull it out. Nope, two little beady eyes staring right back at me. A mouse! In my shoe! I had my bare foot against it! Where was my cat? Why did she not do anything about said mouse? I screamed my head off and Alex came rushing upstairs to see what was wrong. He laughed a bit, said I had given the mouse a good scare, and promptly took the little thing outside to "let it free". It took me a while to get over my heart attack at finding a mouse in my shoe. I have to say I am quite glad that it didn't bite my toes - that would have really made me mad! So, then, of course, I had to clean out the kitchen to find places to put all of our wedding presents. I found evidence of a little mouse freeway in one of our kitchen cabinets (the one where we keep pots and pans, not any of our cabinets with food). I am unsure if the mice moved in because we were gone for a couple weeks (and so was Moo), or if we've had mice all along and our cat should no longer be called a cat anymore (perhaps just a pet?). I've always prided myself on being mouse-free, especially in a city where mice and rats are rampant and most of my friends have had significant mouse problems. It also made me miss Kitty, my other cat we had to put to sleep nearly two years ago. She was a phenomenal mouser, and oh so proud to bring you the leftovers. As Alex says, perhaps it's time for a "cat upgrade"! Haha!

Monday Numbers!

2011-09-19T11:12:00.000-04:00

Crazy weekend, you guys! On Friday, I headed to a meeting, then a happy hour, and then a dance lesson. I saw several of my friends who I haven't seen for a while. We ended the night with some time on the dance floor, practicing. Next week, we do our practice wedding dance for the whole studio! Yikes!
On Saturday, I hit up my 9am pilates class, then booked it to get to my 2nd bridal shower! Wow! I am spoiled, let me tell you! We hung out at Cafe con Chocolate, which was an awesome little place in South Philly. There were 9 of us total, and we just chilled out, ate brunch, drank cafe con leche and churros and played some silly games. We got some lovely, amazing gifts, and our friends brought their new baby, Conor, who is just adorable! The boys hung around outside, while figuring out what to do during the shower. They ended up with cheesesteaks, beer, and a baby in a bar (in a baby bjorn too, which made me think of the Hangover!).
On Sunday, I ran 13.1 miles in the Philly Rock N' Roll Half Marathon. The first 10 miles were pretty easy, but the last 3 were fairly hard. I guess it's not that bad! I finished in 2:22, which was a pretty solid 11 minute mile. I bested my 10 mile PR by 7 minutes, which is awesome! I'm pretty proud that I finished it, but I'm not sure I'm ready for a full marathon. I can't imagine running twice that distance, especially since miles 10-13 were pretty hard - what happens if those miles are hard in a marathon too? Ugh - I guess I'll just continue my training and see where that gets me!
The rest of Sunday was spent with a two hour nap, a large bowl of ice cream, and a couple hours of TV. I couldn't move very well, and I didn't sleep well Saturday night, so I feel like it was a good thing. However, I didn't get the things done I needed to, like laundry, house cleaning, etc. I think the house might just be messy until after the wedding. That's ok, right?

Haiku Half Marathon Friday

2011-09-16T09:28:00.002-04:00

Running the Philly

Rock N' Roll Half Marathon

this Sunday morning

***

Not sure if I am

absolutely prepared but

I don't feel nervous

***

Just glad to have some

company in the long miles

They are the hardest!

LOL

2011-09-16T09:23:00.001-04:00

Monday Numbers

2011-09-12T23:30:00.000-04:00

This weekend, we rented a car and ran some errands. Luckily, I found a deal on the interwebs that led to a pretty cheap car rental at the airport. We were given the Fiat 500 - the cutest car I've seen in a long time! I had not even seen one on the road before. We had so many looks, and people talking to us about that car. I loved it and I can totally see why they're starting to sell it here. Super tiny, we could fit it anywhere, but it still held about $150 worth of groceries like nobody's business. Alex was really excited because he popped a u-ey on a tiny road and the car had the littlest turning radius ever. Ah, the fun of driving a fun car!
On Saturday, we finally took in the last Harry Potter movie, HP7.2. I know, I know, just about 3 months too late! Ha! I dunno about this movie. I just didn't love it. I thought it didn't begin well, and the things that they changed in the plotline made no sense to me (like him breaking the Elder wand and throwing it into the abyss - I mean, everyone knows he repaired his broken wand with it! Duh!). I guess it was a good ending, and I enjoyed the humor in the movie, because I think it was somewhat lacking in the book. I've grown to love those kids that play the characters, so that was a lot of fun. I think, mostly, that the book was grossly unsatisfying. I want to read about that world again, I want it to be magical again. Therefore, she should write more books, right?
On Sunday, we discovered the wonders of Wegman's, a lovely grocery store about 30 miles from the city. We filled up a cart and only paid $150 for our groceries, which was pretty nice (we thought it would be at least $200!). Mostly, it was just a thrill to buy beer in the grocery store - even though that's legal in most states. Stupid prohibition laws in PA!
My friend D had her wee baby today. That makes today his 0 birthday! Yay for new babies!
Looks like we have about 130 people coming to the wedding. Although I still have not heard from some people (seriously, how hard is it to mail a stamped, addressed envelope? Yah, apparently really hard!)
This Sunday, I will be running the Philly Half Marathon, 13.1 miles of Rock N' Roll. Oh yeah! Guess who the headliner is? Yeah, that's right. Brett Michaels, of Poison fame. You know you wish you could "Unskinny Bop" with me after the race! Haha!

Ode to the sun Haiku Friday

2011-09-09T09:54:00.002-04:00

Oh, glorious sun

So happy to see shining,

warm rays, blue skies, sun.

***

Waking up to a

sunny day just can't be beat

no way to compare.

***

I feel like we are

emerging from a

long, dark week of fall.

Rain, rain go away

2011-09-08T09:40:00.000-04:00

Family legend says that it rained for 40 days one year when my Dad was about 2 years old. This left my Grandma with three little boys indoors for over a month straight. Needless to say, on the 40th day, my Grandpa came home to a hysterical wife and kids. It was then decided they should move to California, and thus began the family move towards sunny California. I can't imagine that a decision to move came so cavalierly, especially to a family of five, but I'm beginning to see where they are coming from. It's been raining all week, starting Monday night and pretty much not letting up at all. One night, it rained so hard, I literally thought the roof would collapse on us. Everything is wet, and the streets are starting to buckle with all the water movement. The river is the highest I've ever seen it, and my running path is mostly underwater. The rainwater has washed debris all over the place, making even walking somewhat difficult. I've ridden the bus all week, instead of my normal bike commute, and I haven't been able to get my runs in (I no longer have a gym membership since I'm no longer a student). It's been a tough few days, feeling cabin feverish, snapping at people, and feeling so, so tired (for no real reason)! I can't imagine if this lasted for 40 days. I think I might literally go insane. I think it's always interesting to see how people react when something as simple as the weather really changes your whole life. I think I've become complacent with the weather, thinking, for the most part, that it doesn't affect me. I have boots and jackets for the snow, biking gear for the rain, I've got sunglasses and SPF, I'm set, right? But it's not really true, especially since we don't have a car to get around such inconveniences. I'm especially glad we haven't lost power - now THAT is a whole other inconvenience!

Monday Numbers

2011-09-06T10:00:00.000-04:00

Wow! A three day weekend! What a luxury!
Friday night, we headed out for drinks, and I think I had one too many. It was so nice to hang out, just chat, and not have to do anything, though, so those extra hours on the couch Saturday methinks were worth it!
On Sunday, we headed out to do some errands, biking about 20 miles to REI to get some essential camping gear. Then, I headed out to run my long run, 10 miles. Yes, I inadvertently did a duathlon for no apparent reason. I know, I'm crazy. But thankfully, Alex biked support for my run, otherwise I may not have run as far!
On Sunday night, we got to experience the TV show "Dirty Jobs", which we just found on the Neflix streaming. We watched two episodes, and I found them to be quite funny and entertaining. Perhaps I will watch more!
Yesterday, we did some tidying around the house and then headed out to a BBQ at a friend's house in the 'burbs. It was great to see their new house, even lovelier that it didn't start raining until the evening, and lots of fun to watch the Phils win a game with some stellar ball-playing. We had a blast, eating, drinking, and just chatting. Oh, and playing Cranium. We came in second.
This morning, I ran 6 miles in the rain. I don't like to do that. And now that I'm showered and ready to go, I think I'll take the bus into work. Ugh...work...back to it, I suppose!

Haiku "while the cat's away, the mice will play" Friday

2011-08-19T09:28:00.000-04:00

The boss has left for

vacation, meaning I am

free for a few days.

***

Don't worry, I am

still working, but I may take

off early to hang.

***

Next week, heading to

California, see the boy

and my great matron!

Can't wait!

Monday Numbers

2011-08-08T22:43:00.000-04:00

On Friday, we headed out the the Art Museum for the Art after 5 exhibit. They had a salsa band playing, and 6 or 8 of our friends from the dance studio were going to do a performance in between band sets. They were doing a dance called the Salsa Rueda, which is really pretty an fun to watch. We had a great time, dancing some salsa and hanging out with our friends. As a bonus, we wandered through the galleries that were open, checking out some Monet and Van Gogh paintings, as well as some weird Jasper Johns stuff that Alex loves.
Saturday, we had a party for Alex's 28th birthday. We probably had 20-25 people here at our little house. It was a lot of fun, as quite a few people came who we hadn't seen in a while, even our friend who is literally 9 months pregnant! It was a great time, with a ton of food, beer and lots of fun conversation. We've got so much left over, I think we should do it again!
Sunday was a bit of a "throw away" day. I had wayyyy too much to drink (bad Christine, bad!). I was supposed to run 6 miles, but I sure did not! We stayed in and watched a marathon of MacGyver episodes (holy moly, is that show funny, mullets and all! LOVE IT!).
Today has been catch up day - starting some experiments at work, doing some laundry and doing all the dishes. I'm also in the process of job hunting for next fall. I've got two tentative interviews in the Bay, and perhaps one more up in Boston. Should be fun and interesting!

The Moe Prager Series by Reed Farrel Coleman

2011-08-08T10:00:00.000-04:00

I've reviewed books by Coleman before. He writes a series of detective novels about Moe Prager, a Jewish "hard boiled" detective from Brooklyn. I love these books for a number of reasons. While I don't know NYC or Brooklyn that well, I love the perspective the narrator, Moe, has. He's Brooklyn born and bred, and I can almost hear his thick Brooklyn accent come through the pages of the book. Moe gets himself into some interesting mysteries, with a lot of twists and turns, and some increasing violence in the last couple of books. I think one of the reasons I enjoy these books so much is the ambiance, the settings and descriptiveness of the storyline, and the fact that Coleman is a little known author. I love discovering something new! Prager finds himself in some odd situations throughout the last three books I just finished reading. I think I like his earlier novels better, as they're not so dark, but I must admit, I did enjoy the last three books as well. Moe ends up in some heartbreaking situations, losing family members, having friends turn on him, and nearly losing his daughter. He's definitely a more "real" character than a lot of series books. I enjoyed his perspective on criminals, crime, NYC and Brooklyn. He's always coming up with anecdotes or ridiculous stories that are so entertaining they're almost believable. If you want an easy read with a good plotline and a twisting story, check out his books. I don't think you'll be disappointed.

Haiku TGIF

2011-07-29T09:25:00.000-04:00

For some reason this

week was just too long, complex

I am exhausted.

***

Long lists to finish

Even the little things are

adding up too much.

***

If I had millions

I would hire an assistant

to get it all done!

The Good, the bad, the ugly

2011-07-28T12:26:00.000-04:00

The Good:

We got our wedding invites in the mail and they came out really nice
I am staying home today to finish up my paper from my old lab (finally)
Home is quiet
I caught up on a lot of bills and things I had to take care of this morning

The Bad:

I now have to address said invitations to a whole bunch of people
The wedding is fast approaching and I don't feel very well prepared. As in, we haven't even bought our plane tickets to CA for the wedding yet.
I have a laundry list of things to do, and the list doesn't ever seem to get any shorter.
I can't stop biting my nails.
Alex's birthday is coming up and I have yet to come up with a present!

The Ugly

Moo caught a mouse last night and batted it all over the house before we could catch it and put it outside. I felt so bad for that dumb little animal, it didn't (or couldn't) even fight back. It just sat there, pathetically. Moo is now practicing constant vigilance here at the house.
I have eye allergies that are exacerbated by the pollution trapped here by humidity. This has led to the development of a stye on my eye. Yeah. Awesome.
I had my legs waxed for the first time ever. I am glad to not have to shave for a while, since shaving caused my skin to break out like crazy. But man, oh, man did that HURT!

Monday Numbers (a day late)

2011-07-26T18:29:00.000-04:00

This past weekend consisted of 3 days of over 100 degree weather. Needless to say, we didn't do too much!
On Saturday, we went to a BBQ for our dance studio. Thankfully, we found some shade at the place, and we proceeded to behave like 12 year olds, throwing water at each other, dumping giant vats of ice water on people, and sliding on a slip n' slide. Nothing quite like the heat loonies to bring out the child in you!
On Sunday, it was our day of rest. I didn't leave the house, it was so hot. I ended up making lots of things with our farmshare and cleaning the house. I also discovered that our wedding invitations came with the wrong size envelopes. So, there will be a slight delay (perhaps one week?) in getting the invites out. Hopefully that won't mess anyone up!
Yesterday, I picked up our farmshare, and it included two watermelons! Now, how am I going to carry those home?
Things are moving along in lab, I've got my own mice to hang out with, about 20 of them. They seem pretty cool, so far (perhaps not as cool as the frogs, though!)
We've started coordinating our first dance! Should be lots of fun!

The End of an Era

2011-07-21T18:36:00.000-04:00

When I was a kid, growing up, I absolutely adored the astronauts. I loved the thought of spaceflight, and I admired the bravery (and the intelligence) and sheer strength it took to fly into the unknown. My Dad is a pilot, so he always told me the stories of the test pilots, the astronauts, the technology, and the wonder that went into NASA and the creation of the space programs. When I was 12, we went on a trip to the East Coast, hitting Philly and DC. I was in awe of the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum (and now, as an adult, I could still spend my days there!). I had an Astronaut Barbie, and and Astronaut Cabbage Patch Kid (named Diana, I am pretty sure!). I remember when the Challenger exploded. I can remember watching it live with my grandparents, and then not really understanding what had happened. I remember my school teachers being really upset. I remember when they named one of the "new" schools in Oxnard or Ventura Christa McAuliffe Elementary, and I wondered if the kids would know who she was and how brave and amazing she was. Sometimes, the Space Shuttle would land at Edwards AFB, north of us in Oxnard. My Dad would wake me up so I could hear the sonic boom as the Shuttle glided over us, back to earth. I remember frost on the ground one morning, and I remember seeing the streak of light in the sky.
Today, the last space shuttle landed. I have to admit, I am a little sad about it. I think the going to space has become routine, but no less dangerous. It scares me that we are no longer focused on technology, that people think things like NASA, space exploration, and astronauts are passe. I am sad that kids don't have astronaut play toys, and I am sad that being an astronaut is not longer a valid goal. Don't get me wrong, I understand our country is in a bit of a mess, that the economy is in the toilet, and that people need jobs. I just wish our era of technology, of pushing the envelope, of inventing and creating and fining answers to the unknown, was not really over. I wish our astronauts could stick around a bit longer to inspire another generation of kids to aspire to be whatever they want to be. To reach for the stars

Random Snippets Tuesday

2011-07-19T10:07:00.003-04:00

I went backpacking for the first time ever this past weekend. We headed up to north central PA to check out some forests and some mountains and to escape the city heat. We had no idea it would take as long as it did to get up there, and we ended up changing plans at the last minute due to a bridge washout. We ended up at Little Pine State Park, where we hiked out into the surrounding state forest and camped by a stream for the night. Turns out, I'm afraid of the dark. Every move, every twig snap, I had visions of something gigantic coming to get us. Didn't help that we had come across bear scat on our hike out.
The next day, we hiked a bit around a lake and got to see some wild turkeys and a bald eagle! It was so cool to see and hear the eagle. I started wondering why I knew what a bald eagle sounded like. Then I realized it was from the beginning of the Colbert Report. Oh lordy!
We came home and literally crashed into the air conditioned bedroom. No sleep or A/C for one night was enough for me. And the drive was just tiresome. Sometimes I wish we had a car so we could explore the surrounding area a bit better. But then, I see the price of gas and I'm glad we don't!
The job search continues, looking for a position, hopefully in the Bay, for next fall. My old boss has been out of touch - on vacation with his family. I hope I hear from him soon, because people are asking about letters for me, and he needs to get those out!
In other news, my new boss is out the rest of the week, so we are planning on heading to lunch together as a lab on Friday. I think it should be fun!
The heatwave here on the east coast is just starting. I am not looking forward to it. I think that running 4 miles in this heat should be the equivalent of running 8 miles in nice weather. Seems reasonable, right?

Movie Review: Precious

2011-06-28T00:16:00.000-04:00

So, I realize I'm a bit behind on my movie watching here. I received Precious several weeks ago, and just could not bring myself to watch it, since it felt like I already knew what the movie was about. I finally watched the movie last night (if you haven't seen it, there are spoilers ahead), and I have to say that I'm not sure how I felt about the movie. I'm still struggling with what the movie was trying to say, if anything. The movie is about Precious, a young girl who is pregnant with her second child. She has been raped by her father (who does not live with her and her mother). Overall, she seems like a good kid, talking about wanting a boyfriend, and having dream sequences of being famous, or glamorous. Her school finds out she is pregnant again and decides to kick her out (for reasons not entirely clear). A teacher takes a liking to her and tells her to go to an alternative school, where she can earn her GED. At this new school, she makes friends, learns to speak for herself, and learns how to read and write. She gains confidence in herself, and, at the end of the movie, strikes out on her own, cuts ties with her mother and walks off into the sunset. At least, I think that's what happened. In the meantime, there are complex socioeconomic, class and race situations that are brought up, but not really resolved. Precious' mother is abusive (to a ridiculous extent), her father is a rapist. She has nowhere to turn, except a lesbian couple who take her in. Precious' daughter (whom she names Mongoloid) has Downs' Syndrome, and is cared for by her maternal grandmother. All her mother cares about is her welfare check, and whether she can get it with Precious in alternative school. Her mother beats her for the smallest infractions (seemingly, just because) and winds up nearly killing Precious and her newborn son. In the end, Precious ends up HIV+ (from her father), and left to care for her kids on her own (having procured welfare checks for herself).
Before I go on, I want to emphasize that I am not trying to offend anyone with my opinions of this movie. For the most part, I am just trying to understand my feeling about a movie that made me somewhat uneasy, and left me somewhat confused. I am not African American and I do not live in Harlem, so I cannot reflect on how "realistic" this movie is. Honestly, at some times, it felt like it tried to address too many things, and therefore addressed none of them well. I felt like it perpetuated the stereotype of the "Angry Black Woman", as well as the "Undereducated Black Person", and I'm not sure if that is a good thing or a bad thing. In the end, the mother seemed really pissed off that Precious' father wanted to molest Precious rather than to be with the mother. I can't imagine a mother behaving like that. I can't imagine a mother sacrificing her child like that, to "keep a man". I realize that it could happen, but it ended up portraying the mother as either really ignorant and unintelligent, or as completely negligent, or, on another hand, as completely desperate and pure evil. I'm not sure that the true intention of that mother was any of those things.
Some of the things it did well was portray the state of inner city education, with kids in the classroom being disruptive, and most kids not really learning anything. And it portrayed the "welfare system", for lack of a better term, as gullible and overworked, yet willing to help Precious with some type of counseling (to a certain extent), which seemed contrary to its portrayal. Altogether, you end up rooting for Precious to "make it on her own", to get out into the world and to own it, to get a boyfriend, like she wanted, and to heal herself, and find accepting and loving friends. Some of these things happen, and others do not. And I'm just not sure how I'm supposed to feel after than roller coaster ride of a movie.

Monday Numbers

2011-06-27T12:16:00.000-04:00

These last few weeks have been a little crazy around here. Life is (hopefully) slowly getting back to normal, I think. I'm liking the new lab, things are settling in, and I am learning my way around which is good. In a few days, I will have been at my new job for one month.
On Saturday morning, I've started going to Pilates/Body Pump classes taught by a lovely lady named Katie. She's a former ballet dancer, and as graceful as you can imagine. She kicks my butt by having us do four grand plies on each side - my legs are literally shaking when I do these things. However, I do enjoy the butt kicking. It's only making me stronger, right?
This past weekend was pretty fun. We ended up at our friend's 25th birthday party on Saturday night. A nice backyard BBQ, a cute beagle puppy, and lots of food was a great start to the summer.
On Sunday, at 0630am, we headed out to watch the Philly Triathlon. Two of our friends were competing in it. The crowds were so crazy that we could barely see them, but we still had a nice time. It was great that we could just walk to the start/finish lines and watch people come in.
We posted up on Lemon Hill, a little bit of a hill that was (I'm sure) hard to bike up. So, we hung out with our cowbells and yelled words of encouragement (like, "You're almost there!", "Lookin' good!" and "Way to go, athletes!"). Some people were truly inspirational, like the woman with one leg, the several 50+ year old athletes, and the little 13 year old we saw bike by. Awesome!
After the race, we had some people over for a little BBQ. Alex grilled a bunch of pork chops and chicken, and we had a nice time sitting in the backyard, chatting. Unfortunately, I think I am coming down with something, so I ended up taking two naps yesterday (oh, and also sleeping straight through the night, as well). My head is a little bobbley, and I'm home today, working on computer stuff instead of trying to balance on my bike and get into lab.
All this illness means that I've not been able to run lately, which is starting to freak me out a bit. How can I run 26.2 miles in Nov, if I'm not running all the time now? I guess we'll just have to wait and see.

Random Snippets

2011-06-15T07:33:00.000-04:00

Blogging from my phone, let's see how this works!
I started my new job at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia(CHOP) this month. So far, so good!
However, I've been busier than a one-legged man Ina ass-kicking contest (as Randi would say).
I've begun marathon training. Going OK so far! Hill repeats today.
I started laundry before 7am this morning.
I think we mayhave found a band for the wedding! Last major detail to cross off my list!
In the last few weeks, Alex has done a half iron man triathlon, and a mud run. Makes me feel kinda lazy :)
I got my wedding dress fitted last weekend. Thingswent OK, but it's discouraging that the dress was toobig in the fall & now a little tight. Winter just kills me every year - that can't be healthy, right?
My new lab is super organized, with everything labelled and in drawers. Compared to the chaos that was my old lab, this is a totally foreign concept to me.
Alex has been steadily increasing the amount of camping gear we have. Our honeymoon will be backpacking in Yosemite. Having never backpacker before, I clearly have no gear. So, Alex has been online shopping recently, looking for all thing backpacking for me. So far, he's found a pack, a sleeping bag & a ground pad for me. Now we just need a tent (prolly a three person one, so that our little family can grow!)
Ok, hopefully this is enough together started. I'll update as time goes on!

Monday Numbers

2011-05-02T17:30:00.000-04:00

Yesterday, I ran the Broad Street 10 miler for the second time. I bested my time by 13 minutes! I am paying for it today, however. It's real difficult to get up and sit down. Yes, I am that person in the bathroom going "Unnggghhhhuuughhhhh!" in the stall next to you. Sorry.
On Saturday, we headed down to the Runner's Expo at Lincoln Financial Field (Eagles Stadium). Alex got two pairs of socks and I got two running shirts (including one that says "I run this town!" haha!) and two headbands to hold my hair back. It was a pretty good time.
Friday was such a lovely day that we hit up two different happy hours and hung out with some of our friends. It was a great end to the week, for sure.
Since the Broad Street Run goes down Broad Street (which is essentially 14th Street), it completely screwed up all the bus routes heading toward our house. Meaning that we ended up walking at least 3 more miles to get home. Man, was I glad to get home and put my feet up! Ouch!
I got two blisters and one bruise from the run. I think I need new shoes.
Today starts my last month in this lab - woohoo! I start in my new lab on June 1! I think this month will be "take it easy month" for me. I'm gonna try to work normal-people hours (say, 40 hrs a week instead of 60-ish). Should be interesting! Whatever shall I do with all my extra time?
My house is a disaster and I haven't done laundry in two weeks. Oh, I guess that's were all my extra time will go! Haha!
The weather has finally gotten nicer. I love to sleep with the windows open and no heater or a/c on. I wish it would stay this way for a while, but I know that it won't last much longer. Soon the humidity will be 80%!

Random Snippets, Thursday Edition

2011-04-14T10:56:00.000-04:00

Well, folks, it's official - I graduated. I wrote and defended my thesis and my family (and Alex's) came to visit for about a week. We had a great time altogether, but I must admit, I'm a little beat. My brain isn't entirely functioning well, and I am looking forward to heading home to CA for a little R&R. Oh, and some wedding planning.
It has been both gorgeous and miserable around here lately. It's been cold and rainy and then sunny and warm and then cold and rainy. Today, it's gorgeous, with bright sunshine, warm on my shoulders, and the trees blooming everywhere. I really like it when the flowers on the trees drop their petals in the gentle breeze - its looks like light snow :)
Last night, Alex and I performed a swing dance as part of a group. We performed at the SugarHouse, which is a new casino that just opened up on the Delaware Riverfront. It was a pretty weird experience, to say the least. I think the performance went well, but those casinos are just weird. Afterward, we headed out to our favorite bar, Dark Horse, with most of the people from our dance group. It's always so much fun to hang out with new people - especially those that don't talk science. It was great to unwind.
I am amazed that I am done with the whole thesis thing. I just have to print out a couple more copies (seriously, could I KILL any MORE trees? Ugh) and Dan will get them bound for me. How weird will it be to have my name on the spine of a book?
I went to a conference on Monday at the National Constitution Center. It was arranged by the woman who I will be working for starting June 1. I got to meet most of the people in her lab, which was great, and everyone seems cool & interesting. It will be so nice to actually work with people for a change. I'm a social creature by nature - this whole working alone thing is not fun!
I still haven't done my state taxes - guess I better get on that!

Numbers Monday (a day late)

2011-03-29T10:13:00.000-04:00

I finished my thesis over the weekend. It was 210 pages long. Yesterday, I submitted it to my committee. It feels good that I don't have to look at it for a week or so.
I put together my talk for my defense and I gave a practice talk yesterday. I think it went OK, but it needs some polishing, and a few extra slides to bring everything together. I ended up with 59 slides, but went through it in 30 minutes. Go figure that one out.
Over the weekend, I spent most of my time on the computer, writing my thesis or putting my talk together. Other than that, I watched 2 movies and several episodes of the Cosby Show, season 1, just to chill out. Man, do I love the Cosby show! Don't even ask me why.
It took me over 5 hours to print out my thesis on Sunday. Turns out there is a glitch in MSWord 2008 where figures won't print. Grand.
Today, I am fried. I went out to dinner last night with some friends to celebrate turning in my thesis. I had a lovely time, but today, I just a bit brain dead. Oh wait, I need a number....Last night, I had two glasses of punch and two glasses of wine. Perhaps thats why I'm brain dead?
I am on my 4th week of training for the Broad St run. On Sunday, I ran for about 1.5 hours, and I ended up running through a large crew event on the river. Have you ever seen these? They row these skinny little boats up and down the river every weekend. Seems like both high schools and colleges compete - it's a real interesting thing to run through. They're essentially camping out, grilling breakfast, putting up tents and hanging out all day. Seemed like it might be fun, but I think it's a really expensive sport.

Random Snippets, Thursday Edition

2011-03-24T12:07:00.000-04:00

I have discovered that the Bacon, Lettuce and Tomato sandwich is descended from the gods. More bacon? Yes, please!
Spring arrived and then left. I'm not sure why, but 38 degrees and rainy seems way colder than 20 and snowing.
My thesis was due yesterday. Have I turned it in yet? Nope.
My boss is back. Yes, it's weird.
I defend in less than 2 weeks!
I think buying a printer a couple months ago was a brilliant thing to do.
I am thankful I have a second bedroom to completely destroy during this thesis writing process.
My folks are coming one week from Saturday.
Alex will be gone all weekend. He's racing in upstate NY, somewhere. I really hope it's not snowing there.
Dave Brubeck is GOD.
I have lost my mind so much, that I made a Warhol version of one of my embryo pictures. The sad thing? It took me, like 10 minutes. What do you think?

Monday Numbers

2011-03-21T14:30:00.000-04:00

This weekend marked frantic madness surrounding the attempt to finish my dissertation. I struggled to come up with an eventual 17 pages of conclusions and future directions and I sent them off last night. I ended up making 5 extra figures to go along with my introduction chapter and my conclusions chapter. Needless to say, I spent a lot of time on the computer.
On Saturday, we arose at 0530 (or, to Randi, oh-dark-thirty) to head to Fairmount Park for the annual Philly Phlyer bike race that Alex was partaking in. His first race, he took 3rd place and his second race, he took 8th, which is pretty awesome, considering there were at least 30-40 people in each race! He's awesome and I was just so proud of him :)
However, Saturday, it was cold, cold, cold. The wind was blowing and I had trouble keeping warm while watching the races. Even though it was probably in the 40s, which should be warm for us, it just wasn't. It took me 2 pots of tea before I warmed up!
Saturday and Sunday, for the most part, was swallowed up by copious time on the computer. Probably around 24 hours, at least. Ugh.
I did, however, manage to do 5 loads of laundry yesterday. Somedays I am really thankful that I have a washer and dryer do all the work for me - could you imagine if I had to do all this AND beat my laundry with a rock? Thank god for small conveniences :)
I get to head to CA in one month! Woohoo! My folks will be here in less than 2 weeks!

Magazine Rant

2011-03-19T00:00:00.080-04:00

I read the magazine Shape. I have for a long period of time. I like the features that highlight some of the scientific findings in health and fitness, and I like to read a magazine about empowering women to be fit. I like the "work outs" because I am normally so intimidated by the weight machines and weights at the gym (or by figuring out how to target muscle groups, etc). I like it as a reference and an easy read. Some of the stories are inspirational, and the magazine highlights some "normal" women who are "just like you!", which is kinda nice. They also purport to not airbrush the women on the cover (although they are heavily make-upped, lighted and "done up", I always liked that honesty. As in, these women have worked their asses off to look like this, we're not going to change a thing, right? However, they have recently changed the format of their magazine, and I have been getting more and more irritated with the changes they have made. The most recent issue might be my last. While I understand these magazines can be slightly ridiculous, this magazine was one that I used to enjoy. However...well, let's just see what you think...

In their regular feature, "Shape your life: Sex", all three of the tidbits of advice apply to the guy, not the girl. As a women's magazine, I think this is absolutely ridiculous. The first piece of advice is to have morning sex. While not the most shocking thing, it goes on to say that women aren't often "in the mood" in the morning, but the guy is. Therefore, you should sleep naked to get him even more aroused, and then morning sex could make your day better. The second tidbit of advice is to not let the man in your life see you do things like floss, shave, or pop zits. You should close the door to retain a bit of "mystery". And lastly, you should take a vacation to a tropical island so the man in your life can get some vitamin D, boosting his testosterone levels, and upping his sex drive.

OK, are you kidding me? There are thousands of women who report not being satisfied by their sex life, and you go and report on how to turn him on? I mean, lets just ignore the fact that none of these pieces of advice should be repeated. Why not talk about how women can get more satisfaction out of their sex life? Why not talk about how to find the time in the day, what to do if you're tired, the kids are screaming, there's laundry to be done? How about how to find time for yourself? How to maintain work/life balance? Hell, how to satisfy yourself? How to communicate in bed? How to find the G-spot (sorry, I went there...)? Were all of these things not valid? What if your significant other's sex drive is higher than yours? Yours is higher than his or hers? Were there no tidbits of information that might help a woman out? At all? All of them had to be about the guy? Oh, I could go on and on...

In another feature, the "Get Fit Workout of the Month", the magazine chooses to highlight the thighs and what moves to do to work them out. I usually like this feature because it includes a little breakdown on the muscle groups here, and it shows you ways to work them with machines at the gym. As an introduction, the magazine wrote this is highlighted, bold pink lettering, "If your thighs rub together, you know exactly what we're talking about, and if they don't, you probably work hard to keep them that way." Below this is written, "This month, we're going to help you conquer this common trouble spot so you can expend your mental energy on more important things - like which heels make your legs look sexier."

Once again, are you kidding me? Firstly, your legs are a part of your anatomy. They are shaped that way for a reason!!! Thigh "jiggle" and thighs touching? OK, it's now become patently clear that our view of womens' bodies is so distorted because models' already thin thighs are photoshopped to not include that area of your thighs that (horror!) touches. Why not highlight things about your thighs that you might want to improve on. Or things that you might not realize. Like running only works part of your thighs, cycling might work another. Balancing your muscle proportions out might help you get better at the sport you enjoy. Secondly, please don't patronize me by saying that I am spending "mental energy" on why my thighs touch and what to do about it. Please also don't make a blanket statement about how I want to spend my mental energy on shoes. I spend my mental energy on things like current events, family, friends, work, school, and books I enjoy. My thighs (as ugly and imperfect as you think they are) carry me to all these events where I spend my mental energy, so just shut your trap about that, would ya?
This idea that women are constantly worrying over distinct parts of their bodies really worries me. Why focus on discrete parts of your body when, for the most part, all things function? Why not talk about wanting strong thighs so you can pick up your kids? Because weight bearing exercise helps prevent osteoporosis? Because you have always wanted to try out spin class? Why not put a positive spin on things, instead of pointing out the things that they think might be "wrong" with you?

Besides these two glaring points, it includes an interview with Sofia Vergara, an actress, talking about her "killer curves". This article is written from an odd point of view. Instead of celebrating the way she looks, the writer seems almost incredulous that she's happy in her skin. Vergara doesn't seem to work out to look good (and she even says it's a part of her job, which I actually enjoyed for the honesty). The cover includes an "overlay" of Vergara in a dress - they you can peel that off and find her picture in a bikini (which is what most covers look like). Why is she not in a bikini for the regular cover? I just don't get it. Also, the magazine is chock full of ads for botox, quick weight loss supplements or pills, and food supplements that are awful for you. I realize that a magazine has to pay it's bills, but, honestly, I am just sick of it.

In the US, there is an obesity epidemic that will lead to terrible consequences. Lying to people by saying that diet and exercise don't matter is not going to help the cause at all. Exercise and diet choices need to be made accessible for everyone. And while I realize that Shape Magazine is not the spokesperson to the world, it's down to earth message of "You can do this!" is a great place to find motivation. However, not everyone has a super skinny body, not everyone is super concerned about touching thighs or the little fold of skin in the armpit. Everyone should be concerned with ways to fit in exercise on a daily basis. Ways to make healthy diet choices, how to shop for better food. How not to pass on these ridiculous ideas on body snarking and body image to our sons and daughters, who will likely bear the brunt of this obesity epidemic. How to cut back on processed food. What are processed foods? Where do they come from? How do I exercise with a toddler? How do I get my significant other to support my goals? How do I sign up for a race? How do I find other people who want to go to the gym with me? How do I live to be 100? How do I do all of this while being depressed about losing my job and my home?
Seriously, I think there are so many things these magazines could focus on. Positive spins on ways to get motivated, get moving and be active. But they disappoint me month after month, with their crap about ridiculously inane ideas of how my body should look. Well, I'm sorry, Shape, but you've just lost a subscriber.

Haiku Spring Day Friday

2011-03-18T10:39:00.000-04:00

Spring is in the air

Warm sun, blooming trees, robins

Honking geese, green grass.

***

New beginnings, a

fresh start, a new outlook, the

world is renewing.

***

Warm days ahead, life

begins anew, new chicks, new

leaves, fresh air, fresh start!

On Becoming a Runner

2011-03-17T10:11:00.039-04:00

I don't have a lot to write about these days, as my life is filled with writing, then reading, then more writing and the occasional dance class. But I do run. Almost everyday. I haven't always been a runner. I decided one day that I wanted to be a runner, and so I started running. Just like that. I decided to start running for a number of different reasons. I don't like feeling tired. I wanted to have a "hobby". I wanted a reason to get outside. I wanted something that wasn't hard, didn't require a lot of equipment, something I could do alone. I wanted to keep up with Alex, who is a sports enthusiast. I wanted to be an athlete. I wanted to run a race, to finish a race. I wanted a challenge. A lot of people have a perception that running is hard. It is both hard and not hard. It's actually pretty easy to run. Your body knows how to already. The harder things are to keep running, to convince yourself to run in that rainstorm, or when it's icy or windy outside. When running moves from physical to mental, that's when it gets hard. So, I've done a few things, tried a few things, and I thought I would write them down.

Start slow. As in, walk for 10 mins, then alternate running 10 seconds, walk a minute (or run longer, if you can). Cool down with a 5-10 min walk.
Don't worry about what you look like. People are not looking at you funny, trust me.
Pick a place that's pretty. Run along a waterway, a tree-lined street, a trail. Pick someplace interesting and pay attention to things around you. This morning? I saw a hawk circling and landing in a tree. Every day, I see robins running around the grass. Recently, I've seen the buds emerging on the tree (Spring is here - yay!). These things are so simple, yet so pretty. You forget you're running for a moment.
Make it short. Start with 5 minutes, 10 minutes, 20 minutes, whatever you have in your day. I usually get up, allow myself a cup of coffee and a cup of juice and then I'm putting on my shoes and heading out the door, before I can even think about it.
Say hi to people you seen.
Try running without headphones at first. Pay attention to your breathing - I breathe in two steps, breathe out two steps. That's my rhythm. Yours might be different.
Buy a good bra. They cost around $40, but they're worth it.
Spandex is actually a wonderful invention. Everything is kinda held in place, your thighs don't rub together to cause discomfort, and the shorts are usually a bit longer, which I like. Plus, you're a runner, so you can wear things like this without abandon!
Start calling yourself a runner as soon as possible. There's no set amount of time you need to run, no set distance you need to go before you self-identify. If you run, you're a runner.
Tell yourself you can stop and walk whenever you want to. Sometimes you might need to. Other times you might not.
Push yourself, but don't hurt yourself. Make a goal of running to the next lightpost? Good for you! Make a goal of running a marathon next month? Bad idea. Keep things in perspective.
If stuff hurts, take it easy. Don't beat yourself up over it. Take an ibuprofen and give it a rest.
Don't think about speed or distance. Ease into things. Also, don't compare yourself to others you might see out there. I always think to myself, "I have no idea what training plan they are on. Maybe they are on a "push it" day. Maybe I am on a "resting" day. The only thing that matters is that I am moving. That has nothing to do with anyone else out there."
Take care of yourself. Watch your feet. Get good shoes and socks. Take the hair out of your eyes. Buy yourself a sports shirt or shorts. Eat more fruit and veggies. Thank your body for carrying you as far as it did.
Take your camera, or your ipod, or anything that might motivate you. It's usually pretty nice outside. Get out there. Sign up for a local 5K for a month from now. Just get up, get out and run. Good luck!

Clothing/Working Rant

2011-03-16T09:00:00.000-04:00

I'm defending my thesis in about three weeks. I need to purchase some type of business clothing (as a grad student, I just don't have any!) so I headed to Ann Taylor Loft on Penn campus the other day. Granted, I realize this was not the best idea. Ann Taylor has some nice business attire, while Ann Taylor Loft seems to cater to the younger kids with more casual things (that are still kind of dressy to this CA native! Ha!). So, I realize this was my first mistake - any time I try to utilize a business on campus, the customer service is terrible. I usually just chalk it up to college students working part time and not really caring about their job. I was fully aware of this at the time that I chose to look at this store, so you can absolutely blame me for what transpired.
Like most stores in our area, the minute you walk in, someone says "Hi! How are you today?!?!?!" It's not so much of a greeting or a question, it's more of a statement. Like, proving they are there in the store. There is never a question like, "Do you need help finding anything?" So, I start to wander around the store. They have a few things that are potential, so I pick up pants and shirts and a couple dresses in two to three sizes each (more on that later). I've got my hand full. The workers are standing by the "folding table", perhaps putting away clothing...having a loud and involved conversation about Friday night, Jason, a party and "that girl". It takes them several minutes to notice me drowning in clothing (I absolutely could have asked for a dressing room) and one of them offers to get me a room. I continue to shop, grabbing this, that and the other thing, trying to make a business outfit out of what they have. I even pick up some Blanche Devereaux-type billowy, flowery blouses since they're everywhere and I think, "Well, I don't know what they look like unless I try them on." Occasionally, I have looked at something on a hanger and it looks terrible, but on, it looks great. So, I try to be open minded in the whole process.
Finally, I get my stuff and head to the dressing room. I start trying on clothing, and some of it looks OK, some of it not. I usually wear about a size 8. However, I have clothing in my closet that ranges from a 6 to a 12 (my wedding dress? a 14 - go figure!). I'm also short, about 5'3", so I sometimes wear things in petite because the regular size can be way too long (who wants to wear shirts that literally come down to my crotch?) So, I'm pretty much an 8 on the bottom and usually a 10 or 12 on top. The problem is mainly the boobs. I am between a 36-38C in the chest department. I have the impression that, although they appear large on me and my frame, that this size is rather common. So, I picked up dress pants in an 8 and a 10. The 10 was way too big - I looked like I was wearing saggy pants! and the 8s were just a bit too small. They created those "lines" across my hips, which I hate. I tried on another pair, and even though they were marked "petite", they bunched up in the crotch region, which I also hate. I understand that nobody can make pants that fit everyone, but I feel like these are common problems with a lot of my friends.
The shirts were ridiculous too. The Blanche Devereaux shirts? Yup, they made me look like a 65 year old Floridian in the 80s. The dresses bunched up in weird places, or were exceedingly short (I mean, like I said - I'm 5'3" - how could they be short on me?). One of the dresses (although a size 10) I could not even zip up in the back because it smashed my boobs so much. Ugh. Trying on clothes is a drag!
I found a shirt I really liked, white button down, short sleeves with a little ruffle collar around the neck and in the front. It wasn't too low cut, but did have a nice shape. Well, the 10, I could not even button. The 12? In petite, I couldn't button it, and in regular, it extended past my hips - for a shirt that I would tuck in to likely somewhat form fitting pants? Not gonna work!
In the meantime, there is no one in the store. It's a Monday afternoon, and the working girls are gabbing away. At one point, one of them came in to offer help, get me a new size, etc. She did do that, but she never returned after that to see if those sizes fit. I finally ended up packing up my things and heading home - they didn't even spend a minute to say "Bye!!!!!"
To a certain extent, I'm not really what the point of this post is. But, for the record, I occasionally want help at a store. Not all the time, but when I have something in particular in mind, it would be really helpful to have someone familiar with the merchandise to guide me. I realize the days of excellent customer service are long gone. I guess, mostly, I am asking that people actually do the job they are paid for. It's clear these associates are not paid on commission, otherwise, they would have fallen all over me, trying to sell me stuff (I'm not sure if that's what I wanted, either).
I'm not sure if perhaps I was judged on my appearance. I was wearing jeans and a waffle-T that says Jackson, WY. I had on a fleece and a North Face jacket. My bike helmet was hanging off my overly large backpack, and I may have been a little sweaty from wearing too many layers in the Spring. I've often thought about the scene in Pretty Woman where she walks into a snobby store she had been kicked out of previously and shows them she has the money to purchase anything in the store. Of course, she leaves (and that's something that I couldn't pull off, for sure! Ha!). I guess common courtesy and kindness are just missing. I could be like that Facebook guy who always wears grubby clothes, but they would never know.
I guess it's obvious that a company cannot just force their employees to say things ("Hi! Welcome to Ann Taylor!", "Would you like to put your purchase on your Macy's card?", etc) that don't really mean anything. The majority of the time, the employees do not want to help you, especially if they are making $6 an hour at a crappy job. I'm not sure if there is an answer to this, other than retail stores should value their employees more to create a work environment in which people want to work, not just where they show up and stand around all day. Don't get me wrong, I know that working retail is a pain. I realize that customers are demanding, and having a do-nothing at work day might be restful and meaningful. I could have asserted myself - I could have just walked into the middle of their conversation and told them I wanted help. That wasn't beyond me. I guess I just don't want to force people to work if they don't want to.
And lastly, why have clothing makers not caught on to women's different body types? Honestly, I am so tired of trying to find clothing that fits, trying to find an 8, then a 10, then a 12 and being really disappointed because the 12 fits my boobs, but I'm swimming in it everywhere else. I also realize that I am shopping at cheaper places. I honestly can't afford much higher than Ann Taylor, although I would love to use the personal shopper at Nordstrom's for a day. I'm unclear why women's clothing is not more like men's clothing. A waist size and a length? Fine by me (although it would have to have different cuts, for those with a booty like me!). A bra size when shopping for shirts (and then a choice of Small, Medium or Large, or something like that?) Hallelujah! Dresses that come in different sizes on the top vs. the bottom? Stores that do alterations? I know that, likely, at the more expensive stores and the places where clothing costs way more that I would probably find these things. I realize that a nice suit could cost hundreds, if not thousands of dollars. I'm just unable to afford that right now. And I understand that manufacturing has to be "cookie cutter" to a certain extent, since things are made in such large quantities. Its funny to think about because my Grandma made a lot of my Mom's clothes when she was a kid (even her high school graduation dress) and my Mom hated it. She wanted clothes with the designer labels on it, clothes that didn't look like they were made at home. Now, here we are, 40 year later, and I would love to have someone make me some clothes - especially clothes that were tailored for my body. It's funny how time moves backwards, isn't it?
Wow, so this turned into an exorbitantly long post - sorry about that. I guess I needed to get something off my chest -like these too-tight shirts these damn stores sell!

Numbers Monday (a day late)

2011-03-15T12:23:00.000-04:00

This weekend marked more writing for me. I didn't really leave the house for 4 days straight - thesis writing and all. I wrote a ~20pg introduction this past weekend, and now I have to work on re-reading it to make sure it makes sense. Oh, and that whole "bibliography thing". Ugh, citations.
I did, however, manage to get in a couple runs and bike rides. You see, I'm training for the Broad St. run, a 10 mile run from North Broad to the Sports Complex in South Philly. It's a great run, and I did it last year. Lots of people come out to cheer you on and the field includes some 30,000 people. Nope, not a typo. Really, that many people - cool, eh?
The weather has become pleasantly warm recently. It's been in the 50s during most days, so I've been enjoying some time outdoors. Although it's still not warm enough to forgo the sweater and jacket combo, if you're moving, it's quite pleasant.
I've been trying not to read too much about Japan. I find the entire situation absolutely terrifying. I can't believe there is meltdown occurring in 4 nuclear reactors. Holy moly - I hope they figure out something soon!
I have one chapter left to write for my thesis. One measly chapter and then I'm DONE :)
I've spent approximately 4 hours this morning catching up on emails. I didn't even check those from Feb - just those from March. Ugh.
OK, time to write a few pages and get moving. As Randi would say, "Get 'er done!"

The Business of Being Born

2011-03-12T09:18:00.001-05:00

I have a lot of friends who have recently had babies or who are pregnant now, so this subject matter is at the front of my mind a lot. Plus, I literally work at a hospital, so I see all sorts o reminders of people being sick and situations that I don't want to be in, so the whole act of "having a baby" is something that has always fascinated me. The premise of this movie is that the majority of births in the Unites States occur in hospitals, which has effectively put the midwife out of business. Ricki Lake and colleagues follow around a prominent midwife to multiple home births and make the point that if you're a healthy mom and you have a normal pregnancy, then hospital birth may make things more complicated than you realize. The female body knows precisely how to have a baby and interventions normally used in the hospital can affect everything, from the progress of labor to the type of birth that ends up happening. The documentary attempts to show normal, natural birth at home as a way of normalizing home birth and introducing the general public to the art of midwifery. I have never given birth, so my first-hand knowledge of this is null, but I am a scientist and I do understand statistics. I do know that if you begin interventions (labor induction, epidural, etc) your chances of having a C-section are significantly increased. From personal experience, I do know that your brain will act totally wacko when you are in situations of pain or extreme discomfort - making you kind of "high", for lack of a better word. And I do know that women have been having children for thousands of years, so, theoretically, we should know what we are doing. I really enjoyed this movie. I thought it was well done, and I thought it did shed some light on the act of home birth in trying to normalize the idea for people. I do think that it's likely an unrealistic choice for most people who do not live in a large, urban area. I think the best thing about New York (and Philly, too) is that there are hospitals within close proximity to most residences. Such that, if a complication occurs, you head to the hospital as soon as you can and you and the baby are likely OK. I do think that, if faced with the prospect of giving birth, I would likely employ a midwife as the midwives I have met have had a certain personality, a confidence, which I think would be comforting and soothing in extreme situations. Doctors with a good bedside manner, with patience? I have met few. I think the documentary is quite one-sided, but I did enjoy the idea that women should feel empowered to have their children as they want to - that birth plans should not be changed to suit the needs of the doctor or nurses. However, I don't think the film fully explored rational thought and the risks involved. While there were statistics involved in hospital births, there were few statistics involved in home birth - what are the risks? While, of course, the midwife shows up with equipment - for example, does she have the ability to stop maternal hemorrhage? While the documentary says that the US has the highest maternal and infant mortality rates in the developed world, is this actually due to hospital births? Or the loss of the art of midwifery? Or horrible prenatal care? Or the lack of healthcare for poor people? I mean, I can't imagine that people giving birth in hospitals are more likely to die, right? I guess a lot of this I just don't know. The home births were stunningly beautiful and really amazing. I cried at each one. I love the idea of being home, recovering at home, and just staying there, without interventions. I love the idea of letting my body take over, letting it do what it needs to (easier said than done, I am sure) and I love the idea of midwifery, which has been practiced and passed on for thousands of years. Altogether, this film made me think a lot about birth in general, birth on a personal level, and all of the physiologic processes that occur at birth that we don't even understand. I am glad for the knowledge, and I think that's the best thing a documentary can provide.

Choping down the Tree Haiku Friday

2011-03-11T09:17:00.000-05:00

The house behind us

is abandoned; no windows

door open, roof gone.

***

Someone is chopping

down the trees, overgrow and

entangled in wires.

***

Chainsaws, sawdust, talk

in our quiet neighborhood

I hope it's been bought.

Random Snippets

2011-03-09T17:13:00.000-05:00

I've been really confused by the Republican stance on things lately. If you cut programs funded by the government, aren't you eliminating jobs, too? Aren't we trying to create jobs? Aren't a lot of people out of jobs (who might need things like, health care)? I can't exactly reconcile things in my head.
I am really hoping that Scott Walker, the governor of Wisconsin, is digging himself a hole he can't get out of. I hope people remember his actions now when his re-election begins.
If you have not been watching The Daily Show recently, give it a try. It's been really amazing lately.
I love Spring, but it also means my allergies are kicking in. I never had allergies in CA, but ever since I moved here, I get 'em. Damn trees reproducing.
The fire alarm went off at work today. It's flashing lights, alarm, and a woman talking to you. She tells you to stay put (because we're on a higher floor) and not to leave "until an emergency is confirmed". It always makes me think of 9/11. Did I listen to her? Hell no, I left and headed to the library.
I'm still job hunting, but there's progress - I met with the last person today, so decision making time is upon me. This should be interesting...
My folks are coming into town soon. And then I'm heading to CA (I'll be there for Easter, so I'm hoping to score a bit of See's candy - yummy!) and then I run a 10 mile race and then I start a new job. April is gonna be crazy!

Monday Numbers

2011-03-07T11:59:00.000-05:00

This weekend was a bit of a bust. I worked a lot on my thesis and finished one chapter. I now have a total of 3 chapters written and 2 more to go!
On Saturday, the weather was a lovely 65 and it was sunny and warm for a bit. I loved it! I went out without a jacket on, ran my errands while leisurely riding my bike around town and opened up the house for a bit. I've got several bulbs coming up in the backyard, so I am hoping we have some flowers for our parents' visit coming soon!
Saturday night, we watched a documentary on climbing Mount Everest. Ever since I read Into Thin Air, I am fascinated by mountaineering and climbing. And, for some reason, I just wonder what stuff looks like. So it was a really interesting documentary done by the National Geographic celebrating 50 years on Everest (made in 2003 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the climbing of Everest by Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay Sherpa). It was fascinating and exciting. I highly recommend it for the spectacular scenery and just to watch the things these men go through to climb the mountain. Really great and informative.
On Saturday, Alex left at 0300 to head out to Rutgers University in NJ for his first bike race of the season. He did awesome, placing 14th overall, which is really great! I am so proud of him - he has been putting in so much time an effort into training, it was great to see him excited and racing well (although I couldn't attend the race - there's no room for spectators in the team van). He was gone something like 16 hours for a total race time of 25 minutes, which seems a bit silly, but I think he had fun.
Yesterday, it rained cats and dogs all day long. We stayed in and did things around the house. Alex was able to overhaul both my bikes, which was great. They needed a little TLC after this winter! My ride to work this morning was lovely and smooth (well, except for the Wyoming-like, gale force winds that knocked the power out at a lot of lights and nearly forced me into the river, but that's another story)
Today, I've got two meetings then it's time to tackle the next two chapters of my thesis. Wish me luck!

Writing the Thesis Haiku Friday

2011-03-04T13:57:00.000-05:00

Have not showered in

2 days, hair limp, pajamas

still on. Sat on couch.

***

Pretty gross, I know

but sort of necessary

few weeks to finish.

***

Reading and writing

lots of knowledge pouring out

one hundred pages.

(at least)

Movie Review: Couples Retreat

2011-03-03T12:08:00.000-05:00

This movie was in our Netflix queue and when it came to the house, I was pretty excited to watch it. It's got such a great cast, some of my favorites, and the previews just looked funny and entertaining. I was excited to see the reunion of Jon Favreau and Vince Vaughn (I loved, loved, loved Swingers). In reality, however, this movie just didn't live up to my expectations. Alex liked the movie because it tended to show "real life" (however real that can be in a movie) with couples struggling to cope with everyday tasks like raising a family or trying to conceive. The funny parts just weren't funny enough to me and, to a certain extent the "trying to show real life" was somewhat annoying and pedantic to me. The central couple is Vince Vaughn and Malin Ackerman (who I loved, by the way) and they live in a big old house with a couple kids, but often don't have time to "connect". Vince Vaughn in this role took a little convincing for me because, in my mind, he's not exactly the "family guy" type (but, in the end, I think he pulled it off really well). Their friends, Jason Bateman and Kristen Bell, are struggling to have a kid and are supposedly on the edge of divorce, although it's not really clear why, since their relationship seems to be working. They are very "matter of fact" with this, telling their friends that, in a last-ditch effort, they are headed to a couples retreat in Bora-Bora (or something like that) and they can only afford it if their friends come along. Of course, there is some hemming and hawing, but the couples all end up at the retreat and hilarity ensues.
Although it doesn't. Jon Favreau turns out to be the biggest jerk in the movie - I'm not sure whether it was his age or his character or the fact that he has a teenage daughter in the movie that creeped me out the most, but I just did not want him and his "wife" to stick together (which is, of course, what happens in the end). Faizon Love was a great character, and probably the funniest of them all. He's clearly going through a mid-life crisis and he brings along his fling for the retreat. The weakest part of the story line with him is that his wife shows up on the island (nothing like a trip to Bora Bora to try to win back your man, right?) and, of course, they end up back together. The movie is clearly about the men. The women seem to be after-thoughts, additions, extras, and they don't really come across as having real feelings or thoughts. The women take a "boys will be boys" attitude, or a "oh, you know my husband" attitude, which, in real life, makes people less accountable for their actions by stereotyping their behavior. Don't get me wrong: I loved the women in the movie, it's just that they don't really speak up or out or take control when the situation calls for it.
I'm not sure what I would have liked this movie to be about. It's clearly about couples struggling to be together, the ins and outs of relationships, and how can you keep things going when life gets in the way, but it wasn't done well. I think some of those issues are just too important to make fun of, maybe? For example, the Ackerman/Vaughn couple figures out that the husband doesn't really do anything around the house to help out and he clearly takes the wife for granted. The couple somewhat joke about it, the husband saying, "Oh, gee, I really hate picking out tile!" They have a big laugh, but nothing is ever really resolved. She wants to head to the waterfall, have a romantic evening, but he throws a fit and won't take her there. She ends up there with her girlfriends, and not really ever resolving the real "issues" that are illustrated in their family. I realize that a silly comedy movie can't address these issues seriously, but I also feel that they could have brought up issues that are funny and used those instead of issues that a lot of people face daily (and might not want to laugh about, unless its done well). Something that comes to mind is the whole "leaving the toilet seat up" - physical comedy of the wife falling in the toilet, having a "let's work this out" session with a therapist, and then the husband finally "gets it". That could have been a funny plot line - something most people can identify with, but not necessarily something that is going to break up a marriage.
In another storyline, Kristin Davis ends up staying with her husband, even though he's a disgusting perv who tries to sexually assault a masseuse. It made me think that the message from the movie is that you're always better off staying with the guy because you'll never be able to get anything better than him. She's an intelligent, beautiful woman, but she's better off staying with the fat slob who can only think about his penis, because they've been married for so long.
Clearly, I've gone off the deep end with this movie review. I was just disappointed by the film. It could have been so much better, with such an awesome cast - it could have portrayed all kinds of modern families in a funny way, with quick, intelligent humor and wit. But it failed miserably at that.

Book Review Wednesday: Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer

2011-03-02T10:24:00.001-05:00

I was lucky enough to receive this book for Christmas from my Mom and I couldn't have been more excited. I have read a couple other Jon Krakauer books and I was looking forward to diving into another. I can describe this book in one word: haunting. A few years ago, I took a trip with my friend Lisa and we were in Kathmandu, Nepal for a few days. I was fascinated by the place for a number of reasons. I had never seen mountains so tall and I had never seen people who wanted to climb said mountains. In Nepal, I saw both. I looked out the window of the airplane and I saw mountains that were even with our height in the sky. Giant crags of rock and ice with the jet stream slamming into them, blowing ice and snow in a plume hundreds of feet in the air. I can't imagine what it's like to stand at the top of a mountain like that and I still can't wrap my head around the idea that there are people who climb these mountains. In this book, Krakauer is a reporter on a guided trip to climb Mt. Everest when all disaster strikes. In the end, his team is decimated, having left several people on the mountain to die. This book is an account, as accurate as he can muster, of the time leading up to and after a disaster that will hopefully not be repeated ever again. Krakauer has an interesting way of writing. He tries to be matter of fact (as he is in the other books I have read, discussing situations which he was not directly a part of) but he somewhat tows the line between emotional recollections and hard facts. I'm not sure that he does this well, per se, but he does it honestly, as far as I can tell. Climbing Everest had always been a dream of his, and he seemed quite experienced in mountain climbing, having climbed several technically challenging mountains in his life. However, he has no experience climbing at high altitude, which could be problematic. This book was phenomenal - I couldn't put it down. It's adventure and intrigue, with characters that are likable and others that make your blood boil. It's hard to reconcile this book from the true events. For one thing, the book is telling a story of something I am so unfamiliar with, so it seems like a work of fiction. I had a hard time contrasting this with the fact that all this happened. That people were left on a mountain, never to come home again. That people made a decision to leave home, climb Everest and never returned. It was humbling to do an internet search to see the faces of these people, and to see what climbing Everest looks like. It was interesting to hear the author's take on the events, as they're not an entirely satisfactory explanation of the events (as most real life events are). I would imagine some of the things that occurred could only be understood by the people who have been there to experience the harsh reality of climbing this mountain, of living at altitude, of battling frostbite and of literally having your life hanging by a string. This book was, all together, haunting. Literally haunting. The images, the scenery in my mind created from the words on the page are still with me, days after I finished the book. It's a story of heroism, perseverance, determination and sheer luck. It's something I won't soon forget.

Monday Numbers

2011-02-28T11:50:00.000-05:00

chatted with several PIs on Friday about my predicament and got some great encouragement and support
went to dinner at a new restaurant with our friend Chris. Did not have one beer - crazy right?
watched 2 Daily Show episodes on the internets.
ran errands on Saturday, but was so exhausted I ended up taking a 2 hour nap. Why am I exhausted? I have no idea...
watched 1 movie, Couples Retreat. I'll have a review later this week. Read 1 book Into Thin Air - will also have a review of that sometime soon.
made 2 batches of hummus, 1 banana bread and 1 pan of chocolate chip cookies.
spent Sunday doing yard work - planting about 30 bulbs and 1 Christmas tree. And I really screwed up my wrist doing so. I am now wearing 1 ace bandage on my right hand. Ugh.
was able to Skype with Randi and Casey for the first time! What a great chat! I loved seeing Casey in action. What a cutie-pa-tootie!
Attended and Oscar party with 8 people and 1 dog. Unfortunately, we had to leave before the good stuff was awarded, but we still had a great time.
Today and tomorrow, lots of meetings and talks to attend. Someday I will write my thesis :)

Just in case you were wondering...

2011-02-22T22:44:00.000-05:00

this one's for the children

Happy BIrthday, Dad!

2011-02-18T12:02:00.000-05:00

Wish I could be there to have a black and tan with you!

Happy birthday! I hope it's wonderful!

Love,

Christine

A Few of my Favorite Things Haiku Friday

2011-02-18T12:00:00.000-05:00

Wigwam socks, tall boots

dressing up, high heels, turtle

fur hats, warm ski gloves.

***

Hot chamomile tea

shortbread cookies, thick, gooey

pizza, burritos.

***

Shoes without socks, short

sleeved tee shirts, gelato, warm

February day!

Another Movie Review: 500 Days of Summer

2011-02-17T13:27:00.000-05:00

Warning: Spoilers ahead...
As you all know by now, I am sucker for a romantic movie, and this one just tickled me. It's the story of Tom and Summer, who meet at work one day. And it's basically the opposite of any of the normal romantic comedies you see. Usually, the girl falls for a guy and can't get him out of her head, so she does something zany to make him fall for her. This movie, however, had the guy in that position. Tom is just desperate to fall in love and he thinks Summer's the one. She honest, funny, and totally straightforward with him - she's just not so sure. Partially, I loved this movie because Summer was so well played by Zooey Deschanel. Partially, I was thrilled that Summer was a strong, confident woman, unafraid to be alone and quite enthralled with the world around her. The long and the short of it is that things don't work out, for many reasons. I think most of us have been through that absolutely heart wrenching breakup, and this movie portrayed that really well, as did Joseph Gordon-Levitt, who plays Tom. And, for some reason, the city of Los Angeles plays this lovely, romantic city in this movie. The characters ride the bus and the subway places, sit in parks on hills overlooking a skyline I've never seen, they show they beautiful, old fashioned buildings that I had no idea existed (for the longest time, I was trying to figure out where they were supposed to be!). The cinematography was beautiful, the music was really well done. All the characters were really well played, including the goofy side-kicks. And, in the end, Tom finds that he's just not happy, and that happiness isn't found in a person, it's found in yourself. And there's a cute ending where Tom and Summer become friends again, after enduring a terrible breakup. I know this is all fantasy, not reality, it's a movie, but I thought it was really great. It was quirky, well done and interesting, not too long, beautiful to look at, and wonderfully honest. If you haven't seen this movie, check it out.

Movie Review: The Millenium Trilogy

2011-02-16T13:04:00.001-05:00

I was absolutely thrilled to see that Steig Larssons' Millenium Trilogy books had been made into movies in his native Sweden. I had heard of these movies, had heard they were very well done, and was really excited to see they were on Instant Play on Netflix. I've been battling off a cold (it didn't take me down, damnit!) and I was pretty low key for most of the weekend and the beginning of this week. I watched all three of the movies and I can't say enough about how well done they were. I've already told you how much I enjoyed the books, so it was really amazing to see things come to life on the big screen, so to speak. It was great just to see what Stockholm looks like, it was amazing to hear the names and places spoken in Swedish, and it was thrilling to watch the characters played by such amazing actors. I was enthralled, even though I knew what was going to happen. I think, by far, the first movie, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo was the best. It stuck so closely to the plot line of the book, it was eerie. I am usually disappointed by movie adaptations of books since they tend to leave out important details, but this adaptation was excellent. There are a few things the movies left out, for example, the relationship between Erika Berger and Mikael Blomqvist - although it was emphasized so much in the books, it wasn't really touched upon in the movies, except for some brief scenes. Noomi Rapace playing Lisbeth Salander was amazing. So amazing. I can't say enough about her - her acting was superb and I hung off of every word she said, every move she made. She is such an amazing heroine, and I was just thrilled to watch her. As a minor point, I was a bit disappointed in the portrayal of Erika Berger, a character I really admired in the books. Her role was, unfortunately, cut out of a lot of the plotline in the third movie, which streamlined the plot, but left a strong character looking fairly weak. Altogether, I loved these movies and I loved the characters coming to life. I likely would watch the American versions of these films when they come out, but I cannot imagine them being even comparable to the Swedish versions that were so well done.

Monday Numbers

2011-02-14T09:17:00.000-05:00

We performed our dance on Friday and it went off without a hitch! It was so much fun - I am pretty sure I had a super goofy grin on my face for the whole 2 minutes we danced! I didn't fill up my dance card, but I did get about 5 dances in with people other than Alex. The waltz, tho? The waltz is super hard!
Saturday, we ran errands, per usual. Its been pretty nice weather lately (relatively speaking - it's been in the 40s), so we wandered around and took in some sights for a bit. Then we headed home to do some stuff around the house. Alex fixed his bikes a bit while I finally finished all the Save the Date cards for the wedding. I still have a few stragglers, but those won't take too long.
While filling out the addresses, I watched So I Married an Axe Murderer for about the 1000th time. That movie is still funny and I just loved all those dumb jokes. I remember having that movie memorized when I was younger. Turns out, I still remember some of the parts verbatim. I think it's also funny because you can see Mike Myers other characters, from Austin Powers and Shrek come out in this movie, too.
Sunday turned out to be a happy housewife day. I did not leave the house - hell, I didn't even get out of my pajamas, but I managed to make several dishes for dinner this week. I made Cuban black beans and rice, French Onion Soup, some fresh bread and some Scottish Shortbread to round it out. I also made a batch of regular black beans, should go well with eggs or on burritos. I had never made French Onion soup. It's kind of a pain in the rear to make it, but it was worth the time. You just have to put your onions in the oven for at least 3 hours (I was amazed they even resembled onions after that), deglaze the pan bout 4 times and then add your broths and seasonings and simmer for about 30 minutes.
We watched part of the Grammy Awards Show last night. I always like to see what the "kids these days" are up to. I did enjoy Cee Lo Green's song with Gwenyth Paltrow - I mean, how can you not like puppets and a giant peacock? I also liked Eminem and Rihanna's song, and I think I might have to download 3 or 4 songs today, just to keep up with the times
Today, once again, it's back to the grind. Writing and finishing up this chapter today, starting on an intro chapter tomorrow. I should finish with about 7 chapters, which is a ludicrous amount of information. Oh well, that's what happens when they don't let you graduate in a timely fashion.

Today is the Day Haiku Friday

2011-02-11T11:03:00.000-05:00

Dance showcase tonight

Been practicing for months now

I think we're ready.

***

Just have to figure

out what to wear, how to wear

bronze high heels with it.

***

Party down, dance it

up lots of people gonna

watch us get fun-kay!

Dancing Machine

2011-02-10T09:51:00.000-05:00

So, lately, Alex and I are all about dance. It's a great release, it requires very little brain power and I am learning how to dance in high heels, which is a feat in and of itself. So, this Friday, we are performing a lovely half rhumba, half hustle routine for the dance party at our studio. I am both excited and nervous, but as far as I can tell, we've got the routine down pretty good. As a big plus, the whole thing is about two minutes long, so it's not too crazy to think about. The studio likes to celebrate all holidays, so the party on Friday is a Valentine's Day party and the studio is doing a thing called "dance cards" where you get a card and fill out people's names for particular dances, like in the old days way back when. It always makes me think about the movie Meet Me in St. Louis, where Judy Garland plays the daughter of a business man who decides that the family has to move out of St. Louis right after Christmas. The family is devastated, but decides it's for the best, if it's for his job. Judy Garland and her sister attend the local Christmas dance, without dates, and fill out dance cards and dance the night away in these amazingly lovely gowns. Incidentally, Judy Garland's boyfriend then shows up and proposes in the most romantic way. I can't imagine any of these things happening at this dance party, but that is what I'm thinking about :)
So, we just agreed to be part of another performance, this one is a routine for a show at a reunion or something like that. We're part of a swing performance, which should be a blast. We just started taking double lessons on Wednesday nights with seven other couples (the couples are not yet complete, but the instructor is working on it). We'll perform sometime in April, and we might even be putting on more than one performance, which will be great. We've already learned the Charleston, which is a funny kind of dance. I've been doing it all over the house, and I know I look silly, but oh well! Alex and I are having a lot of fun, still taking some private lessons, and I think this is something we'll try to stick to as time goes on. I know life always gets in the way of things, but I hope that dance is something we can do for a long time.
Which brings me to my last thought. I was talking to another one of the girls in the swing show, Kara. She was saying that she had just gotten married and that she and her husband had really loved the dance lessons, so they decided to continue them. He always brings a bottle of wine, they try to get dinner before or after the lesson and it turns into a really nice date night. I said that I totally agreed with her and that Alex had gotten us group lessons as a birthday present to me a couple years ago. I thought it was such a great time that we ended up signing up for private lessons, which has been a great experience for us both. And then, I just started wondering why there are so few people who dance anymore. Why nobody has dinner and dancing as a date and why dancing has been relegated to clubs on Friday and Saturday nights. Why do guys dislike dancing so much that they won't take their significant others out for a lesson, just to get the feel of it? I'm always talking to people who are bored with the whole dating scene or who are sick of the whole dinner and a movie thing, yet nobody thinks about dance. I guess, in my mind, "date night" should be a regular thing, as regular as you can make it. It doesn't have to be a fancy show or a big dinner. Try dancing one time. Even in your living room, even in your yard. Try the waltz, try the salsa, take a lesson, check the Y. Lessons are usually 45 minutes long, and it ends up being a great time, especially because there's no pressure, there's no reason you need to be perfect or perform well. But you do get to communicate and laugh together and try to figure out how the other person works, which is always interesting. So, this V-Day, or beyond, you should try being a dancing machine. Just like MJ :)

The Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling

2011-02-08T00:00:00.000-05:00

I am not planning on reviewing these books, mostly because I believe most people have read them and have loved them. These books, to me, are like that old pair of comfy jeans - so familiar and comfortable and so enjoyable. The books open a whole new world to me, one that I always enjoy and one that I can't get enough of. Most of the experiences (in some way) I can identify with, the adolescence, the drama, the awkwardness, the family, the friendships - all are so universal. I love books that I can get so wrapped up in, that I can almost think I am taking part in the scenes, the action, the experiences. And when I read these books, these chapters before bed at night, I have these great dreams about running the halls of the Hogwarts castle with Harry and Ron and Hermione. I know, a little childish, but honestly, something that is really missing from my life of science and real world bills and responsibilities? Imagination. So, I can't exactly knock it. It's like directing my own movie in my head.
Alex and I were talking about whether Rowling would write more Harry Potter books, and I have to believe that she will. Alex thinks a prequel, dealing with Harry's family before he was born and their time at Hogwarts, or even a focus on Dumbledore might be fun. I was thinking that even a book just focusing on the normal, everyday life of kids at Hogwarts might be fun, especially for littler kids - simpler, schooltime adventures or some such thing. Alex firmly believes that anything taking place after Harry has killed Voldemort would be boring and wouldn't have much interest or excitement, but I beg to differ. I think the world that Rowling created is so imaginative, and the characters so identifiable, deep and memorable, that even simpler, shorter stories would hold interest for the fans.
I think one of my favorite things about the books is Hermione and Ginny (in the later books). They are both true modern feminists, portrayed as both brave and intelligent, able to complete any of the tasks the boys can, and never held back by traditional gender roles. These girls are wonderful role models for both girls and boys, helping to remind us all that we are all capable to doing what we put our minds to, no matter our background, our gender, or our families.
I think the most disappointing part of the books is the ending of the seventh book. While I like the ending, it is just a little too far out of my reach in terms of understanding and believability. I guess I don't understand why Harry couldn't be killed by Voldemort, but everyone else could be. And I understand that Rowling had to somehow explain all the things about Dumbledore, but I don't really love the scene that takes place when Harry is in "limbo" (I'm assuming that's what it is). And I think, for a romantic like me, I wanted more closure. I know that Voldemort is eliminated, and his Death Eaters go on the run, but some of the most enjoyable part of the books (for me) were Harry's experiences with his "family", the Weasleys, Hermione, the Order of the Phoenix, etc. I think I would have liked another chapter about his life, where he ends up, how he ends up there. And (while this is really complex, and likely not appropriate for a children's book) how the magical world recovers from such a thing as Voldemort. How do you first ask people to prove their "blood status" and then, relatively soon thereafter say "just kidding, go about your business". How do you go about reunification? I know that Germany struggled with this after WWII, and the US is certainly struggling with it 150 years after the Civil War. I realize these things are difficult to deal with, and perhaps I am reading too far into things....
The truth is that I love these books and I know I will read them to my future children - they have brought me joy and I have thoroughly enjoyed re-reading them again and again. I am looking forward to the last movie in the series, although I am sure to be disappointed as the books are always better!

Monday Numbers

2011-02-07T11:01:00.001-05:00

Friday was a recruitment weekend. I got to meet up with 2 potential incoming grad students. Nothing like hanging out with a bunch of 22 year olds to make you feel old! It wasn't too bad, but when one guy asked me if I thought he'd make friends, I just couldn't identify. Just seemed like kindergarten all over again!
Saturday was miserable and rainy, so we took the bus down to Reading Terminal and TJ's and ran our errands. We ate at the KOV for the 2nd time in 2 weeks!
I was pretty useless this weekend, as I finished (finally) reading the 6th and 7th Harry Potter books. I just couldn't put them down, as I think it was only the 2nd time I'd read them. I did enjoy them immensely - that will be another post for this week.
I went for a 5 mile run on Sunday - it's been absolutely amazing weather these past two days. Well, I guess it's relative, right? It's been in the mid-40s with sunshine and the ice/snow is finally starting to melt. Seems glorious to me because the weather has been so nasty this winter, but likely to people in CA, it wouldn't be that nice :)
We went to a Superbowl party last night at a friend's house. There was about 20 people there, which was great. I couldn't hear the commentary, the commercials, or the halftime show, so I though it was all brilliant. And they switched to the Puppy Bowl during most commercials, which was kinda stupid, but kinda cute. I mean, what's not to like about puppies? And, I was glad to see the Steelers lose. And, I suppose Green Bay win, too. I think they're the only team that's actually owned by the people of Green Bay, which is pretty cool. Congrats, champs!
Today will again be glorious and gorgeous, and I am hoping to get out of here early (for me) to enjoy some of this weather. This week, we have our first ever dance showcase on Friday, so wish us luck! Should be fun, if nothing else!

Happy Monday, y'all!

Read on a Biomed Library Desk

2011-02-02T14:13:00.001-05:00

Don't for one second doubt your genius! OK, I won't
Makes me wanna holler
Many phone numbers with the words written, "Call for sex". (Does that actually happen? Um, yes, hello! I was studying in the library and I saw your number on the desk....)
Smile you know who is admiring you and your ass
Penne sucks!
I adore you O Christ and I bless you because of your holy cross you have redeemed the world
Alas, the onion you are eating is someone else's water lily
COVERING LETTER
Baby Jargary
Son of Sam
Cindy N Brian
I wanna ace this exam
Forgiveness is more than sayin' sorry
I ought to die
I should too
Maybe I will
We will all eventually die
Syke
Astronomy blows :(
I hate people. People hate you too.
Dental School ROCKS
Pakistani Prince
He is the Jam Man The Beast

Pet Peeves about the Snow (because, really, what else would I talk about on Feb. 1st?)

2011-02-01T11:52:00.001-05:00

Able bodied people who do not shovel their sidewalks, and leave them to just turn into an icy death trap for one and all.
Enormous puddles of melted snow at every corner of the street, making it impossible to cross the street without stepping into them.
People who drive very quickly through enormous puddles and splash you.
Dirty snow. Yellow snow. Orange snow. Vomit snow.
Having to ride the bus daily. Having to take two buses to work.
Not being able to run or bike outside.
The panic/frantic-ness of a visit to the grocery store. You would think everyone is stocking up on food for the apocalypse, the way people shop during the winter.
The lack of quality sunshine.
The cold.
Unplowed bike lanes.
The general lack of plowing in my neighborhood.
I miss the feeling of sunshine on my face. Oh, and probably a little bit of Vitamin D as well.
The loss of motivation, positivity, and a feeling of general malaise. I feel sleepy without adequate sunshine, I then sleep too much (or, alternatively, not at all) and then I walk around feeling like a zombie for the rest of the day.
The general absence of fresh, ripe, tasty fruit at the grocery stores.
Snowy streets and sidewalks force me to wear the same damn hiking boots every day. Because, apparently, nobody can be bothered to put a decent sole on cute shoes (all of mine are ridiculously slick on ice/snow).
Falling down for no real reason.
We just get "dug out" after a snow storm, and another is on it's way - this time, it will leave a lovely inch of ice on everything.

Oho, will I be glad when March gets here (and, boy is March usually nasty with rain and wind, but, man, I will take that anyday over this icy-snowy crap!). And I'm sure we're in for several more storms before the jig is up. Welcome, February. Can't wait till you're over!

Monday Numbers

2011-01-31T12:56:00.000-05:00

On Friday, we went to our 3rd dance party at the Society Hill Dance Academy (SHDA). It's a great chance to learn new dances, practice the ones you already know, and try to re-learn the ones you've forgotten. We met a couple new people, tried out the Bachata and the ChaCha, and altogether had a great time. I think that every week we are improving, which is awesome to see.
Saturday was a lost cause. I spent the day formatting stuff for my thesis, and sending about 1000 emails back and forth with my boss regarding figures and papers and junk, oh my!
Sunday, we ran some errands, hitting up Reading Terminal and TJs and then I attempted to do some more wedding planning. Things are moving along, but seem to require a fair bit of phone time, computer time, and general time. I also did about 3 loads of laundry, refilled the bird feeder for about the 500th time and made a chicken.
This week we start our first Dance Showcase group. We are taking a swing group class, with seven other couples, and we will be performing for a group of people (as far as I know, for a class reunion of some sort). It should be a blast as I really love to swing dance and I am looking forward getting better at it!
Also, Alex and I have been practicing for our first ever dance performance, next Friday, at the Valentine's Day dance at the studio. We have been having a great time learning new moves and attempting to look OK while doing them. We were going to do a lift, but thankfully, that was eliminated in the final choreography, phew! Should be fun (I'm just hoping I don't fall down!)

Haiku Modern Housewife Friday

2011-01-28T09:27:00.000-05:00

Slow cooked a chicken

for a little bit too long

it was very good.

***

Took the pieces and

parts, made some great chicken stock

in a pot that night

***

Snow day, so took the

stock, processed it and made squash

and apple soup. Yum!

Moving on...

2011-01-26T09:58:00.000-05:00

I can get a lot done in a day. You know me, no beating around the bush, right. I talked to one of my thesis committee members yesterday and that ended up being a huge relief. I told him I was thinking about doing a postdoc around Penn for a year while Alex finishes up, and he told me that was a really good idea, which ended up being a relief for me. The last year or so in the lab I'm in has been so disappointing. Deadlines not met, struggling with the boss, trying to stay motivated when there's literally NO ONE else in the lab. Lonely much? You know me, I'm a social creature by nature. All this working alone with no feedback and no interaction has been really hard for me (that's an understatement!). The moment I realized I could be done with this situation in an instant was when I started feeling better. There are a couple labs here at Penn that I really like and admire and I think I'll apply to one of those, see if they'll take me for a year. I'm a good worker, I'm organized, and I'd love to do something else. Between now and then, I think I will try to get some things done for the wedding, and I'll focus on working hard and finishing up. And then?

I won't look back :)

Oh, Lady Gaga...

2011-01-25T00:00:00.000-05:00

Really creative and funny!

Monday Not Really Numbers

2011-01-24T00:00:00.001-05:00

On Friday, we got about 2 inches of snow. While snow is really pretty, I have to admit, I am so ready for spring to show up. Only 2 more months, right? Ugh...
Friday night, we headed over to our dance studio, and we tried our hand at dancing a few dances socially and not just in our lessons. We had so much fun, and we are slowly but surely getting better at dance. I have to say I can't recommend dance more. If you have the time for a date night, it's so worth the money. It's fun, requires very little brain power, and it actually helps in communication, which is great. I love it!
Saturday was errand day. We spent it running around town, eating dim sum in Chinatown, attempting to build a wedding registry at Macy's, hitting up Reading Terminal for some produce, and then heading out to Trader Joe's for groceries. Macy's was pretty dumb, as there was no one to help us try to register. We ended up walking around the store aimlessly, making notes about things we liked on a piece of paper, thinking we could enter things easily online. Turned out to be not the case. We ended up spending several hours looking things up online and building a small registry, just to decide that we'd rather not register there. Went with Sur La Table and Bed, Bath and Beyond instead. We'll probably also register on Amazon or Target or something like that.
Building a registry is slightly hilarious. There are certain things that I've always known that I wanted, like the Fiesta dinnerware (I've wanted those since I was a kid - I guess I'm just a classic!). Alex looks at the plates and wants to know how far they will fly! Then, we start talking about other things we might want to register for, like sheets, towels, etc. Alex is super concerned about a carving board and an ice cream scoop! He also thinks that I need a Hobart mixer (they make mixers for restaurants) and an antique coffee grinder (from 1900ish). Isn't it funny when you discover the things that he is thinking about and super concerned about? That just really cracked me up!
They were filming a movie in Philly on Saturday, pretty much all day. They shut down a major street (Market St) to everyone, including pedestrians. I really hate it when they do that. We had to walk quite a few blocks out of our way, and then slip and slide down an icy embankment just to make it to TJ's. Ludicrous! I can remember hanging out on Zuma beach when they were filming Baywatch, and as long as they weren't filming that absolute second, they would let you walk past / through the set. Amateurs here, that's my opinion.
Today, I spent another several hours attempting to iron out the registries and working on the old wedding website. I realize I'm a little early on this, but we are sending out the "Save the Dates" soon, so I want to make sure that our advice for traveling is clear, and several people have suggested having at least some registries up and running, just in case people start sending gifts sooner than later. I sort of can't believe how fast time is moving and how relatively close our wedding day is. I am really most excited about seeing everyone together and hanging out with everyone, and especially introducing Alex to all those people in my life that he hasn't met. I think I'm gonna need a lot of Red Bull :)
Coming home last night, I managed to clumsily knock over my brand new coffee mug for my coffee holder on my bike. I managed to break it (whoops!) and I was so mad at myself. Alex had gotten it for me for Christmas, and it was the only coffee mug I owned with a spill proof seal on it (riding a bike tends to shake up your coffee a bit - and, if you're not careful, it will spill all over you!). Today, Alex went out for a bike ride (in seriously cold weather), found a Target, and got me another mug. How great is he? I can't believe my clumsy ass deserves another fancy mug, but I will try not to break it again. I just love that guy! Guess that's why I'm marrying him! In only, like 252 days, or something like that!
I managed to address about 25 save the date cards on Sunday. We are sending out family and wedding party people first, just so sending out a hundred cards doesn't seem so overwhelming. Did I work at all on the paper I'm writing? Nope, but I hope I can get somethings done soon!

Tom

2011-01-13T10:44:00.000-05:00

One of the members of my thesis committee, Tom, died today. I just got the email. He had been battling cancer and had had a pretty risky surgery a few weeks ago, but he seemed to be recovering well. I am just so sad about this. Not only was he one of my committee members, but he was also a colleague and a friend and a really great scientist. I took a class with him when I was a first year. He was this really amazing scientist, had done some really wonderful things, and here he was, laughing and joking and amiable as they come. I was intimidated by his intelligence, but his reprimands were always delivered with a lot of heart, making you a better scientist, a more critical thinking, without putting anyone down. He set up the class in a way that we participated, and we wanted to participate. The class was always full, every year, such that people had to justify why they were taking the class in order to get it. Tom was jovial, always had a smile on his face, and came up with great questions and ideas and discussions. From the time of the class until now (nearly 8 years later), Tom has been a presence in my life at school. He's always been supportive and engaged in my committee meetings, he's attended seminars weekly (so much so, that, when he's absent, it's weird). I attended the defense of his student, I asked his opinion on my prelim, I asked his advice on postdocs and careers. And now, he's gone. Poof. Just like that. And, inexplicable (or perhaps not), I've had Billy Joel's "Only the Good Die Young" going around and around in my head. Tom, you will never know how many lives you have touched, how many scientists you have encouraged and influenced. I am so glad I was able to have you as a mentor and a colleague for as long as I did. You are truly the example of exceptional scientist that I want to emulate. This is a hole in our departments and our lives. My sincerest thoughts and condolences go out to your family and friends. I'm just not sure what we'll do without you.

Literally made me cry....

2011-01-12T15:30:00.002-05:00

Stori Telling by Tori Spelling

2011-01-11T12:49:00.000-05:00

Yes, I wanted this book. Yes, my Mom bought it for me for Christmas. Yes, I read it in nearly one sitting (OK, maybe two). And, yes, I loved this book. Here's why:
I've been a fan of Tori Spelling since I was a teenager, watching Beverly Hills, 90210. One of my favorite characters was Donna, mostly because she was on the show from the beginning to the end, and the series finale showed her finally marrying her longtime boyfriend, David (awwww.....yes, I'm a romantic at heart!). I also watched Tori Spelling on some of her Lifetime movies - which were always dramatic and wonderful. The one I recall the most vividly is Mother, May I Sleep with Danger. I mean, you just can't get any more brilliant than that! So, Tori Spelling has been marketing the heck out of herself in the past few years, and I've been mostly just curious to read about what her life is like. Stori Telling is a memoir, of sorts, which chronicles her life up until a few years ago (when she so famously left her first husband for her now husband Dean McDermott). I haven't watched any of her more recent reality shows (Tori and Dean: Inn Love, etc.) so I have no idea what her life has been like. I've never really read a celebrity autobiography before, and I must say that I really enjoyed it. I can see why she would really want to write this book - she's very frank and honest (as far as I can tell) and she seems almost desperate that you like her and that you identify with her in the book. She is determined to convince you that she's as "normal" as they come, and I can somewhat see where she's coming from. It's interesting that we somehow always think that celebrities have things "figured out", so to speak. We always think they are so together, perhaps more so than we are ourselves (I mean, why would we always take their advice on diet, exercise, or how to live our lives if we don't think of them as some sort of superior human, right? also, I am ignoring, for the time being, such celebrities as Lindsay Lohan and Britney Spears who have publicly broken down and struggled - perhaps we don't see them as "having it together"). Spelling actually addresses some of the most painful parts of her life with candor, including the ultimate break-up of her first marriage, several somewhat abusive relationships, as well as the relationship she has with her mother (which has been played out in the tabloids to no end!). One thing that struck me is that Tori Spelling seems to have experienced a lot of things I experienced in my life, but just so much more in the public eye. She had a couple crappy boyfriends who tried to take her money. I remember having boyfriends who always asked me to pay for things (like dinner or the movie), but I didn't have millions to lose. I only has twenties, if that. I've fought with my mother (although she portrays her mother as being so out of touch with reality that I can't really identify with that) but it's never been front page news. I've experienced a really rough break-up that was ugly and difficult and harsh, but it wasn't in the tabloids. To a certain extent, I kind of felt bad for her. She never really grew up, and she was never really allowed to. And the way she dealt with things was inane, at best. At another extreme, this book is somewhat about "finding" yourself, which is a journey most of us are on most of our lives. In this book, Spelling find her voice, her place in the world, and her cojones, so to speak, which is a wonderful tale. I'm not sure how much of this tale is true, but it's a great, light read, and it sheds some light on the way "the rich folks" live, which was interesting. But it's not deep, meaningful literature, if that's what you're looking for. At this point in time, I'm looking for lovely fantasy with some bits of drama, which is exactly what Spelling delivers.

Monday Numbers

2011-01-10T16:21:00.000-05:00

This weekend, I worked at least 12 hours - most of Saturday and most of Sunday. Not to mention the time I spent working from home. We're trying to submit two papers this month (because my boss has slacked off in the last few months) so that translates into long hours for me. It's always a bummer to work all weekend, mostly because I just don't get that "recharge" that I normally would with a day off. I also don't get those other things, like grocery shopping, laundry, housecleaning, etc. done. I can totally see why people would have maids, cooks, and assistants if one were rich.
I still managed to read 2 books this past weekend. I spent the majority of Friday night under a blanket on the couch, reading one of my Christmas gifts. And then I decided to re-read Harry Potter for about the umpteen-billionth time. I just love those books!
We watched the Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince movie on Saturday night, mostly because I couldn't manage to do anything else - my brain is largely dead at this point!
Alex made about 6 liters of potato-kale soup. It turned out delicious, and appears to contain all 5 vegetable servings in one meal! It's now lasted us 3 days, while normal leftovers might not even survive the night. I swear boys eat more food than I could ever imagine. I mean, Alex often (as in, daily) goes back for thirds! Who does that?
Last night, we got home in time to see the Eagles fail miserably and pathetically at an attempt to beat the Packers. I almost heard circus music while watching that game. I mean, who throws and interception in their own end-zone in the last 30 seconds of a game? Oh well, at least we still have Cliff Lee...
On Saturday, we got approximately 5 inches of snow. I like the snow, but it forces me to have to walk into work (which is about 3 miles). The bike ride usually takes about 30 minutes, but the walk can take almost one hour - seems excessive to spend 2 hours a day commuting to work on the weekends, even if I am walking and getting exercise instead of sitting in a car....

Haiku Snowy Friday

2011-01-07T10:25:00.000-05:00

Walk into work hoy

No biking for me, it's just

a little snowy!

***

Working weekend with

the boss, finally getting

needed advice.

***

So much to do, so

little time; I think I need

project managers.

Politics as Usual

2011-01-06T15:23:00.000-05:00

Sometimes I wonder if Republicans are naive or just plain dumb. They're screaming and yelling about balancing the budget and are threatening to cut everywhere but the biggest budget of them all - the DOD! I'm not talking about cutting troops, or cutting benefits. I'm talking about the two useless wars we're in, the ridiculous Drone operations, the CIA operatives who torture people and operate secret prisons and Guantanamo Bay. Seriously - there isn't anywhere in the UNLIMITED Defense budget that could be cut? No, it's much better to cut people's Medicare or Medicaid. Old folks don't need healthcare anyways, right?
Speaking of balancing the budget - why has no one thought about the positive effects that both legalizing gay marriage and legalizing pot could have on the economy? Seriously, you're opening up the wedding business (which is a whole ridiculous thing in and of itself) to a percentage of the population that historically spends money on the finer things. And pot? Tax the hell out of it, just like you do for booze or cigarettes. Has nobody thought of this?
It bothers me that people have decided to censor Mark Twain's Huckleberry Finn. I understand that some words in the book may be offensive, but I think it opens up a dialogue that absolutely must be approached and talked about. I think the minute we start to censor history is the minute we begin to repeat it.
I am really glad that the President and Congress repealed "Don't Ask, Don't Tell". I can't imagine what the big deal is if someone's gay and they're serving in the military. It just seems like some insecure Marines are going to have to get over themselves. And mostly? It seems like to old guys were the ones with the biggest problems with it. Hopefully homophobia is one of those things that will die out with the older generation.
Not only was the initial study linking vaccines to Autism retracted from The Lancet, but it was found to contain fabricated data. It disturbs me that people will continue to believe that vaccines cause autism (no matter how reliable and reproducible the science disproving that link is). I suppose if it only affected those people then I wouldn't really mind that much. But since it affects all of us (and most of all the newborns babies) it really bugs me that people could be so selfish. I guess it doesn't surprise me, though. Autism is likely caused by a combination of genetic and environmental factors which we haven't fully identified. The truth is that we don't know how the brain works and how it processes different kinds of information, but we are learning new things every day. And with earlier and earlier diagnoses and interventions, I believe we are on the right path to identification of the causes of autism. It's just a shame that a fraudulent scientist and a bunch of idiotic celebrities have created a monster that is not likely to go away anytime soon.

Born to Run by Christopher McDougall

2011-01-05T16:00:00.000-05:00

I picked up this book a few months ago because so many people (including Alex's Mom) recommended it to me. And they weren't wrong. This book is phenomenal. I really, really loved it (and Alex did, too - we normally don't exactly see eye-to-eye on reading materials, either). This book is by Chris McDougall, a former AP reporter who now writes for magazines like Men's Health and Runner's World. His journey begins when he injures himself running and ends with him running a 50 mile odyssey through the Mexican Copper Canyons. What lies in between is a story of adventure, intrigue, amazing human abilities, a little bit of science and a whole lot of heart and soul. McDougall had heard about a group of native Mexicans called the Tarahumara who are phenomenal runners. They live in the Copper Canyon, basically in the middle of nowhere, and they are known for running extreme distances (not like a marathon, like 4 or 8 marathons, or 100-200 miles at a time!). McDougall begins by asking how a group of people who live in harsh conditions and arguably don't have access to our technologies (shoes, nutrition, etc.) can run such extreme distances without the injuries and setbacks that he has faced during his running lifetime. And it's not just him who has faced these setbacks - it's many other runners, too. So, he sets out to find out the "secrets" of the Tarahumara, and he comes upon a number of characters along the way.
There were several things that I loved about this book: mainly the emphasis on the idea that everyone struggles with their running. Everyone starts somewhere and ends up somewhere else. While his book obviously includes some of the most well known people in ultrarunning (races of much farther than a marathon, like 50-100 miles), it's written in such a way that I could identify with the characters, and with their dilemmas. While most of us wouldn't just head out for a 20 mile run "for the fun of it", I could identify with using running (or anything sport or exercise, really) to make me a better person. I loved that some of the best ultrarunners are women, and some of them discovered they were great ultrarunners at a later stage in life, not when they were a teenager. I liked that ultrarunners walk as part of running. Granted, I walk as part of a 30 minute run sometimes, but it still made me feel OK about walking (instead of beating myself up over it). Ultrarunners have to listen to their bodies much more than a regular athlete, developing strategies for dealing with fatigue, hunger, motivation - which are all things I have to deal with, but perhaps in not such an extreme state. And to a certain extent, this book embodies the search for that feeling you had when you ran as a kid. I remember getting a jolt of energy, and just taking off, running as fast as I could, and just loving it. I didn't really think about my butt bouncing, or how much farther I had to go, or anything like that. I just ran. And when I got tired, I stopped, and then I ran some more. I don't do that anymore (and I haven't in a long, long time). Some of these people run for the sheer joy of it. And this book is, to a certain extent, how to regain that joy, and how to tap into that feeling during running.
This book reminded me that running can be a form of meditation. It never has to be perfect, and I don't have to run as fast or as far as anyone else. It reminded me to listen to my body, to feed it and care for it, and to sometime push it beyond its limits (they're always farther than you think). Human beings literally evolved to run, and it reminded me that we all have the ability to run, even if you think you don't. And it also reminded me that running isn't work. It's not a chore. It's a necessity in my life, and one that I don't want to lose. And it reminded me that running, throughout the book and beyond, is a metaphor for life. It's not always easy, and sometimes it's a struggle. But it's more fun to challenge yourself in life, to take risks and push your limits, than to limit yourself.
Read this book, even if you're not a runner. It just might turn you into one!

Monday Numbers

2011-01-03T18:19:00.000-05:00

I had 10 whole days off for a lovely "stay-cation". I stayed home and organized things (can you believe I still had unopened boxes from when we moved 6 months ago?), made a huge pile for the Goodwill, cleaned out the kitchen, switched out the summer clothes for the winter clothes and just in general took it pretty easy.
We got about 12 inches of snow on the day after Christmas. Then, the wind began to blow, and we ended up with 3 foot drifts all over the place. Our street is small and a dead end, so the city didn't bother to plow it. The snow's still melting!
I was able to read one book, which I'll likely review soon. I was also able to watch a whole lot of terrible movies, including Big, About a Boy, Some Kind of Wonderful and A Christmas Carol. I have to say that the streaming Netflix app on my iPhone is delightful, since I can go all over the house (wrapping presents, ironing, doing dishes) and watch a silly movie at the same time. It's great!
We cooked a 20lb turkey for Christmas dinner. Yeah, we're still eating it!
It was so nice to be a "housewife" for a bit and be able to make dinner for 6:30 or 7pm, which I think of as the time when normal people eat. It's so much better than getting home late, feeling so tired and starving and then putting something together only to eat around 10pm! Ah, the life of a grad student!
On Christmas Eve, we biked about 5 miles around the city to check out everyone's Christmas lights. Although they are likely nothing compared to the lights out in the 'burbs where people actually have yards, I was impressed. Although, it was pretty cold. My toes stared to freeze, so we headed back home.
At 10pm that night, we had someone try to get into our house. I was glad that we locked the door, because he seemed a little confused as to why he couldn't use our bathroom. I hope he found a warm place to stay that night. Ever need to see why drugs are bad? Come to my neighborhood sometime!
On New Year's Eve, we had 2 friends stop by and stay with us. We had a great time hanging out, heading out to bars and ringing in 2011! Here's hoping this year is much better than last!

Still my favorite...

2010-12-25T00:00:00.001-05:00

THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS
by Clement Clarke Moore
or Henry Livingston

'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house

Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse;

The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,

In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there;

The children were nestled all snug in their beds,

While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads;

And mamma in her 'kerchief, and I in my cap,

Had just settled down for a long winter's nap,

When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,

I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.

Away to the window I flew like a flash,

Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.

The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow

Gave the lustre of mid-day to objects below,

When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,

But a miniature sleigh, and eight tiny reindeer,

With a little old driver, so lively and quick,

I knew in a moment it must be St. Nick.

More rapid than eagles his coursers they came,

And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name;

"Now, Dasher! now, Dancer! now, Prancer and Vixen!

On, Comet! on Cupid! on, Donder and Blitzen!

To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall!

Now dash away! dash away! dash away all!"

As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly,

When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky,

So up to the house-top the coursers they flew,

With the sleigh full of toys, and St. Nicholas too.

And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof

The prancing and pawing of each little hoof.

As I drew in my head, and was turning around,

Down the chimney St. Nicholas came with a bound.

He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot,

And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot;

A bundle of toys he had flung on his back,

And he looked like a peddler just opening his pack.

His eyes -- how they twinkled! his dimples how merry!

His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!

His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,

And the beard of his chin was as white as the snow;

The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth,

And the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath;

He had a broad face and a little round belly,

That shook, when he laughed like a bowlful of jelly.

He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf,

And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself;

A wink of his eye and a twist of his head,

Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread;

He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,

And filled all the stockings; then turned with a jerk,

And laying his finger aside of his nose,

And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose;

He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,

And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.

But I heard him exclaim, ere he drove out of sight,

"Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good-night."

Haiku Christmas Eve Friday

2010-12-24T08:24:00.000-05:00

Baking and eating

perhaps a Christmas bike ride

maybe even church.

***

Family so far,

yet not far in our hearts, minds

Missing home, Mom, Dad.

***

Our last Christmas in

Philly, just us and the Moue

Thankful for blessings!

Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!

Merry Christmas Eve!

2010-12-24T07:45:00.000-05:00

courtesy of my Dad, of course! Enjoy!

Baked Potato Soup

2010-12-21T00:00:00.002-05:00

Just in case you were wondering, I made up a recipe for some baked potato soup. It turned out pretty well, so I thought I'd share it with you, especially since it's easy and the weather is getting blustery and cold. Happy Winter! Happy Solstice!
Ingredients:
2 - 2.5lbs russet potatoes (about 4-6 larger potatoes)
0.25 - 0.5lb bacon
2-3 regular sized onions
4c. chicken stock
1 can Campbell's Cheese Soup
1 can milk
Procedure:
Peel potatoes and dice them into 1/2" chunks or so. Place in stock pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil and boil for about 20 minutes or until cooked.
Cut up bacon into chunks and fry in a pan until cooked. Drain bacon on a plate with a paper towel and reserve some of the bacon grease for cooking onions.
Cut up onions into chunks and fry in the leftover bacon grease. When almost done, add a couple cloves of garlic, smashed.
Once potatoes are cooked, drain the pot and place the potatoes back in it. Add chicken stock, bacon, onion, cheese soup and can of milk. Depending on when you want to eat, either heat the soup through quickly over medium heat (but be careful not to boil for too long, as the milk and the potatoes will burn - stir frequently) or place on low, low, low heat and allow to come to a gentle simmer, stirring occasionally.
In the end, I pureed the soup with my immersible blender, but I am sure it would be fine without the pureeing, especially if you don't have the immersible blender thingy (since putting batches of hot soup in the blender is NOT FUN!)

Numbers Monday

2010-12-20T12:13:00.000-05:00

On Friday, we attended our first dance party at our dance studio. It's so different to try to dance the dances you've been practicing with lots and lots of people around. The studio was all decked out with festive decorations, and there was even a live band, which was great! We've gotten to the point where we can recognize the dance that goes with the song and we can do a few moves for most of the dances. I think we danced the Foxtrot, Swing, Hustle, and Rhumba. We even tried our hand at Salsa, but that one we're a little bit rusty on. It was a lot of fun, and luckily, we took the bus down there, since my feet were killing me by the end of the dance. Altogether, it was a blast and I hope I can convince Alex to go to more of the Friday night dances at the studio!
Saturday became a lazy day for a bit for us. We had gone out 5 nights in a row last week, so by the time Saturday rolled around, we were pretty beat. It was lovely to sleep in, read the newspaper, enjoy the coffee and just generally veg out. It's a rare occasion when that happens. We headed into work in the afternoon and then we headed into Center City, which is always a treat this time of year. We parked the bikes and took a walk around. Luckily, the weather was relatively mild (for us) and we walked through the stores and down the streets, enjoying the holiday shows. We finished our Christmas shopping last weekend, so this weekend was lovely to chill out and not worry about the madness that is shopping.
We hit up the Christmas Village at City Hall, and tried out their mulled wine. For $7, a commemorative mug and some terrible mulled wine. Mental note: PA does not grow the right kind of grapes to make good wine. Never again.
We ended up at Nodding Head, a great little pub on Sansom between 15th and 16th. They brew their own beer, and right now are making one called SledHammer (haha! get it?) which weighs in at a pretty high 7% alcohol. It was so tasty and delicious that we had 2 each! Plus, they have the best entree ever there: the steak salad: a nice tasty peppered steak over some spring greens with some tasty vinaigrette and a side of fries! I hardly ever go there, but their fries are so good (Belgian, crisp on the outside, melty and warm on the inside, with a bit of spice to them and some yummy jalapeno-dip like stuff to go with them - wow!)
Sunday was the chore day. I headed into work early to get that out of the way. Back at home, I did about 6 loads of laundry, baked and decorated about 2 dozen cookies and made a pot of Baked Potato Soup. After the 6th load of laundry was in, the washing machine died (which has been a common theme in our house for some time. I then had to hand wash the clothes that were actually in the machine - man! the water is so fricken cold! I had to wear some gloves just to try to keep my hands warm. What a chore! I realized that I am very glad I was born after the invention of the washing machine, and not before!
Today, it's a rather mellow day. I've got some thesis-writing to do, but most of my actual things to do at lab have been accomplished. Now, I am just hoping to make several figures and get through two outlines. Wish me luck!

Haiku Random Friday

2010-12-17T09:38:00.000-05:00

Dentist at seven

Up before the sun, rosy

pink snowy morning.

***

No biking today

Too much ice, fear for my life

Slippery tires.

***

Snow is so pretty

but treacherous - I fell last

night middle of road

PS: but I'm OK - I think it might have been a mighty funny sight though. I slipped on some ice, fell in the road, had the bike fall on top of me, screamed hysterically because there were cars around me and then couldn't get back up again because I was on a HUGE slick of ice. Made it home in one piece, methinks. I forgot about that part of the winter. I don't like it!

Stanley

2010-12-16T13:56:00.000-05:00

I try to get to know all the people I work with, including the people who come through and take out the trash, clean the bathrooms or deliver packages. I'm usually chatting with them about the weather, or the latest sports game (it's pretty much a given that everyone is a 76ers, Phillies, Flyers or Eagles fan). Even if I don't know their names, I always try to say "Hi" and ask them about their day, since after a while, you begin to at least recognize people around the building. For the last few years, I've become friends with Stanley, a middle aged, gray haired man who performs janitorial services around our floor every night. He usually comes through around 6pm, and I always get a big smile and a little conversation from him every night. He's from Poland, moved to Philly quite some time ago. He has two daughters, who are both grown and quite successful. He got the job here at Penn in order to put his daughters through "good school", one is now a lawyer, and the other is an executive. He got so excited when I told him Alex and I are getting married. I think he wants grandkids of his own, and perhaps I remind him of his daughters just a bit. He talks a lot about his little dog, who's getting older and just likes to sit by the heater now that the weather is colder. He tells me about his wife's cooking kielbasa with vodka, and the decorations he's put on the tree and around the house. Last year, during the "Snowpocalypse" when we got over 3 feet of snow in a matter of 48 hours, Stanley was the first to volunteer to stay at Penn overnight to make sure the walks were shoveled and the streets were safe for the students to walk on. He ended up getting stuck with a shovel and a huge pile of snow, but I don't think that deterred him in the least. He's not afraid of hard work, even though he's getting older and should likely let some of the younger boys do the hard work. Yesterday, he reminded me of something even more important. I remarked about the cold weather, he remarked back that things weren't too bad. I remarked back something about it being a loooong winter. And then he looked directly at me and he reminded me how lucky we are. We work in heated buildings, we have heated homes and cars. I remarked back, "But, Stanley, I don't have a car!". And he said, yes, but that's YOUR choice. There are a lot of people who don't even have heated homes or homes for that matter, or warm clothes or warm food or a decent pair of socks. Considering he came from Poland, and I can't imagine what things were like for him growing up, I really took this to heart. I feel so lucky to have the things that I have, the conveniences, the transportation when I need it. The heat, the fancy shoes and coat to block out the wind. It's hard to imagine there are people freezing out there, but there are. And it's a feeling, according to Stanley, you will never forget. So, I'm thankful for Stanley, for putting this Christmas rush and madness (mail this, package that, wrap that -wait, it's not enough! blah, blah, blah) into a bit of perspective. We are such lucky people as Americans. So lucky it's hard to fathom. Thank you, Stanley, for that reminder. I needed it.

Book Review Wednesday: The Millenium Trilogy by Steig Larsson

2010-12-15T23:56:00.002-05:00

Alex's mom gave me The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo when we went to visit her in CO in late July. Honestly, the cover of the book turned me off (I know, I know, don't judge a book by it's cover!) so I put it aside and didn't pick it up for a while. When I finally did pick it up, I found it a little hard to get into. The introduction seemed a little slow, the Swedish names and some references were hard to get. The author refers to the same characters by different names, which was confusing, and the descriptions of places, neighborhoods, etc, were hard to understand. I'm sure if I was Swedish, I none of these things would have troubled me. However, the book did contain a wonderfully delightful and interesting mystery. A couple, actually, that kept me interested, slogging through the slow introduction, getting to know the characters, and then I just fell in love with the book. It might have taken 150 pages or so, but after than I was fully committed. I couldn't put the book down, and I began to love the ridiculously long names of places and the character's penchant for sandwiches, no matter the time of day, their incessant drinking of coffee at all hours of the night, and their interesting and novel lives. None of the women in the novels were stereotypical. All were powerful (in one way or another) and none were yearning for a man in their lives (very little romance, but a lot of interesting relationships, which was refreshing). The protagonist, Mikael Blomkvist is an odd duck too. The books in the trilogy were stunningly good. Action packed adventure, mysterious happenings, interesting and novel plotlines. I just ate them up. I bought the second book in Jackson and I ordered the third not too long ago. I think I liked the first one the best, and the third one the least. But mostly, I just couldn't put them down. Intelligent and well written, involving government and corporate conspiracies as well as deep, dark secrets, I highly recommend these books.

Living in the City - Driving Edition

2010-12-14T15:38:00.000-05:00

Upon traveling to a city, like Philadelphia, or any of our densely populated Northeastern cities, there are a few things you should keep in mind when you are driving here.

Once you arrive in the city, you will be faced with an inordinate amount of traffic of various forms, including, but not limited to, cars, trucks, UPS/Fedex vehicles, motorcycles, scooters, cyclists, pedestrians, pedi-cabs, horse drawn carriages and semi-trucks. Give yourself some extra time to get to your destination.
Most streets are one-way only. Ensure that you know where you are going and which way the traffic flows. More than likely, you will need to go around the block a few times to get to your destination. Sometimes, GPS doesn't work in the city because of all the big buildings, so an old fashioned map is usually most useful. Or, even better, get directions from your destination.
There are few areas where parking is free. Most streets and lots charge for parking, and the cost can be exorbitant. Be aware of this and make sure you have both cash and credit. The newer meters in Philly are taking credit cards now, which is nice, but there are still some neighborhoods with metered parking. Other areas have restrictions on parking - like 2 hour parking most days of the week. Look out for signs, usually at the beginning and end of most blocks and make sure to move your car before your 2 hours are up. The Parking Authority is the most successful business in the city for a reason....
The streets are marked a certain way for a reason. Many streets have bike lanes. Don't use these as our own personal driving lane or parking place. There are a huge number of cyclists in the city who use those lanes exclusively. If you have to use a lane to make a turn, be courteous, put on your blinker, and recognize that you are merging into a lane with traffic in it.
Similarly, crosswalks are so marked in order to prevent you from pulling into them. There are lots and lots of pedestrians here, and most tend to use the crosswalks. Most intersections do not allow right turns on red lights, like are allowed in the 'burbs precisely because of the pedestrians.
Most areas do allow you to pull up to drop off Grandma or a load of groceries. Try pulling up onto the sidewalk (without running anyone over) and put on your emergency lights. I wouldn't leave my car out there for too long, but it's OK to dash in and out, or to grab your sweater or hit the bathroom. I have yet to see Parking Authority give out tickets for that.
Whatever your destination, you will most likely have to walk to it. Wear sensible shoes and clothes. High heels get caught in grates, so look out for those if you're wearing those types of shoes. The city is historically warmer than the suburbs, but in the winter there's lots of ice and gusty winds funneled down the streets by the big buildings. In the summer, it's hot and sticky, so bring lots of water.
Don't seek out your favorite chain restaurant when in the city. There are tons of small, locally owned businesses and lots of BYOBs to check out that are way better than TGIFridays or Chilis. BYOBs run cheaper because they don't have to pay for the liquor license (and you can bring your favorite bottle of wine or some beers along - some places will even mix you a drink if you bring the liquor). Most places don't take reservations, but a lot exist in clusters, so if one's full, you can just walk down the street or belly up to the bar down the way. Chances are, you'll have an excellent meal in a new place, which is always fun. There are also lots of deals to look for, like the $15 lobster dinner at Bistro Romano on Tuesday nights, or the Restaurant Week offerings or the Center City Sips.
If you are going to parallel park, please know how. Streets are narrow, traffic is heavy, and generally, people have no patience. So, if you're going to try to parallel park on Walnut Street, you better be quick about it. Otherwise you'll have a million people honking at you and yelling at you immediately. My advice? Go a couple blocks away from those busy streets, and find a residential street to park on - less traffic and less stress.
My honest advice for people who are thinking about driving into the city is: don't. Take the train or the bus (which is always an experience in itself). Most stop at 69th Street Station or 30th Street Station, where you can catch the subway or hail a cab. This takes having to drive completely out of the picture, puts less traffic on our streets, and saves you a little bit on the carbon footprint front. Not that public transit is totally reliable, but most bus lines run pretty late into the night, and the regional rail lines have the last trains leaving around 11 or midnight. Besides, this way, you can enjoy your BYOB dinner with a bottle of wine and not worry about the drive home!

Numbers Monday

2010-12-13T15:57:00.000-05:00

On Friday, we headed over to our friends' house to bake and decorate some cookies. It was a blast. Jen had made no less than 4 kind of cookie dough, and we proceeded to roll out, bake and decorate the hell out of those cookies. One person brought 3-D cookie cutters, and another brought science cookie cutters, so we had lots to decorate and make. We tried a bit of this stuff called Snap, which is a locally made liquor that tastes kinda like gingersnap cookies, with a lot of vanilla flavor to it. It's a pretty unique drink (and there's another one called Root that tastes like alcoholic root beer), it's organic, and it's locally made - what could be better?
On Saturday, we met up with another friend to get some brunch. We ended up at Sabrina's on 18th and Callowhill. Breakfast was delicious, and the restaurant even left some hot cocoa for us outside while we waited for our table. It was lovely to see our friend, who recently moved to Baltimore, but it was a bit depressing to hear how bad that city is.
Saturday afternoon, we rented a car to do some Christmas shopping. Because it was Saturday afternoon, they were out of all the normal economy cars we would normally rent, so we were upgraded to a Chrysler 300, which is a bit of an old person car, but it was super nice! It had leather seats and a nice roomy trunk to fit all our purchases. And the car was so quiet, it was hard to hear the freeway traffic around us. Wow.
We hit a bunch of stores, including Target, REI, Petsmart, and the King of Prussia Mall. I don't even want to think about how much money we spent :) But, the good news is that the shopping is done for bout our families - now we just have to mail things off hopefully tomorrow!
Saturday night, after our shopping extravaganza, we were able to catch Harry Potter 7.1 at the local movie theatre. The tickets were $11 each! Whew! That seemed really expensive to us, but since we hardly ever go to the movies, it was worth it. The theatre was really nice (unlike the horrible ones here in the city) and it had those comfy rocker chairs and cup holders and all those nice things! Both Alex and I thought the movie was really brilliant - the plot line followed mostly what we could remember, and I thought it ended in an appropriate place. Now, I think I'll have to re-read them all over again! How I love, love, love to do that!
On Sunday, we made the rounds to pick up two cases of beer from the beer distributor, and to hit up the grocery store for all those things I'd like to bake in the coming weeks. We also hit up work quickly, then gassed up the car and returned it. It's amazing how much you can get done with a car! The rest of the afternoon was spent making one batch of pea soup, one loaf of french bread and addressing and signing about 50 Christmas cards. I felt so pooped, that I went to bed around 9:30pm - although I did read my new Vanity Fair magazine for a bit before nodding off.
We awoke at 5:30am this morning to the sounds of our cat, Moue, running wild. She was acting like she had a mouse cornered, so we cautiously turned on the lights, put shoes and glasses on, and started moving things out of her way. While I believe she DID have a mouse that she was chasing, it somehow got away from her and we couldn't find it. This is the second time this has happened, where she sees a mouse and it somehow gets away. I am hoping she scared the bejesus out of that mouse, so it will not return to our house. But I have a feeling one of them will be back.
Even though I should have gotten up, I went back to bed and then awoke at 11am! Woah! Methinks I have quickly switched to hibernation mode. Consequently, I didn't make it to work until 1pm. Good thing I don't have much to do today!

Haiku Cookie Makin' Friday

2010-12-10T12:57:00.000-05:00

Decorating some

cookies tonight with friends for

some holiday cheer!

***

Gingerbread is what

I like best, but sugar or

chocolate is good.

***

Cookie cutters are

in my bag - I only have

three - does Santa know?

The Big C

2010-12-09T13:26:00.004-05:00

Elizabeth Edwards' passing really hit me hard. I was trying to think about why I would be feeling so bad about a woman I had never met and then it hit me. It's because I lost my Uncle Dennis to cancer just a few years ago. He, too, had received the information from the doctors that "there was nothing else they can do". He went home and died at home several weeks later, surrounded by family, friends, laughter and music.
Death is weird. It's an uncomfortable thing to face, since we'll all go through it at some time or another. I don't know a lot about death, even though I have lost quite a few relatives. One minute they're there and the next minute they're not there.
Dennis' death was bittersweet. He had battled cancer for years and years, earning respite after respite until there was no more they could do. He went in and out of treatments, was enrolled in clinical trials and endured countless types of medication. I don't think the cancer ever ruled his life, but I do know that it was a big part of his life. Family and friends made accommodations for him and I think he ended up living his life the way that he wanted to live it, in spite of the cancer. At least I would like to think that. He was a pilot, and loved nothing more than to get into his plane and fly off somewhere. When the cancer got worse, he lost his license and his wife ended up getting her license. I think she was always fine to fly with him because he had countless hours upon hours of flight time. And even though the doctors said he wasn't fit to fly, his knowledge was still there in the plane with them.
After several years, there was nothing more the doctors could do. Dennis figured out that each treatment would last less long. His first rounds of treatment kept him cancer free for 6 years, then his second round kept him cancer free for 3 years, then 1.5 years, then 6 months. In the grand scheme of things, he had less than a year to live. It's hard to be an outsider, looking in. We heard that the cancer was back, that things were not looking so good. But they had looked bad in the past, and things had gotten better, right? So, this time would be like the last. Except Dennis decided to end treatments. He decided, on his own terms and with his own mind, that he would end treatments. Word went out that Dennis was dying, and the troops rallied and we all gathered at his bedside.
He had become a shell of the man that he was - thinner and knobblier and hobblier. His voice was strong, but the cancer had spread to his bones, so it was hard to touch him without causing him pain. Someone was always holding his hand, no matter what was going on. Hospice care came in and talked to everyone, telling us what to expect, giving Dennis medications to keep him comfortable, encouraging him to eat and to go about daily life, as normal as possible.
At the time, my cousin, Rhonda (Dennis' daughter) had just given birth to her son, Sayer. He was just a few weeks old when his Grandpa passed away. I remember how Sayer would instantly calm down when he was laid on his Grandpa's chest. How green the hills were, how the rains had come and gone and left this beautiful paradise all green. There was laughter all the time, likely a product of our nervousness at being around death, but there weer true, genuine moments, too. My cousin Adrian, sang some beautiful songs for us (and I think we all sang along, too). There was a constant flow of people in and out of the house, bringing food and beer and love and compassion. It was a true community effort, and in all truthfulness, it was an amazing thing to be a part of, as weird as that sounds. For a moment, or two, this dying man brought together his family and friends, from all parts of his life: his church, his home, his childhood, his adulthood. And we all gathered around to watch his life end, surrounded by those who loved him, and likely hoping our end would be similar.
Dennis died on a Saturday morning, with his wife and his daughter and his grandson by his side. As his disease progressed, he slept more and more, and could no longer see his visitors, although I think he knew we were there. Death is something weird, but also weirdly beautiful. Your friends and family are never gathered together in such a way, and people often don't get the opportunity to tell you how much they care about you, and how much you have meant to their lives. In the end, although you don't want this person to leave you, you begin to realize the pain and suffering they are going through, such that, when death comes, it's almost a relief.
I will always be thankful that Dennis was allowed to do things in his own way. I will always be grateful that I was there to share the experience, and that I played a role, however small, in sending someone on to their next life, or wherever one goes. It was a wholly humbling and amazing experience.

A Few of My Favorite Things...

2010-12-08T11:49:00.000-05:00

I took the bus across the city yesterday in the hopes of avoiding the blustery cold cold coldness that has descended upon this city and I thought up a few of my favorite things about this city, this time of year, and perhaps, nothing in particular.

I love that there are lights everywhere in the city - the holiday lights, the giant menorahs, the Christmas trees and the gaudy, over-the-top Christmas decorations. Maybe it's because the city is so compact, and sometimes people want to pretend they have a front yard like in the suburbs, but the lights are dense and over the top. I love it.
I love that this city is so walk-able. You can reasonable walk from one end to the other end of Center City in about an hour. Each block is different, and the closer you get to the Delaware River, the older the houses are. I love the neighborhoods. No matter how many times I walk up and down the same streets, I always see something new. Especially now that everyone is decorating for Christmas.
I love to stumble upon "new" things. Like, the new bars and restaurants that are always opening up or changing decor or re-doing something. I love finding a new cafe or bar, right where there was nothing for a long time. The other week, I rode my bike past a dress store that I'd seen before, but I'd never really looked at it. I called them up, went in for a visit, and walked out with my wedding dress!
I also love to imagine what living in that neighborhood would be like. I think this stems from when I was a kid - we used to look at new houses and I would always decide which room was mine and where I was going to keep my toys, etc. I love to look in people's houses - yes, I am bit of a voyeur! Some houses are so traditional, with huge chandeliers and high ceilings, while others are more modern, or newly furnished. I am always surprised to see actual art work on the walls of peoples' homes.
I love that businesses are in buildings that were not built for their business. Restaurants are in old homes, apartments are in old storefronts, stores are in old apartments. I love it. I love that some places are so tiny, it's hard to maneuver with a backpack on. I love that some restaurants are in basements, some people live over their bar or restaurant or dance studio, and some stores have an apartment in the back (with a handwritten sign on it saying "owners only". There is something about going into someone's home for their business that is so appealing.
I love the used book stores, the church flea markets, the block long yard sales. So many people, such a small space and so much JUNK! I love it!
I love that Philly really caters to small business. I can't think of one chain business that I frequent other than Trader Joe's, South Square Market or Au Bon Pain in my building at work. Most of the places, including our dance studio, where I bought my wedding dress, where we buy our produce and most of the restaurants we go to are all locally owned with either only one or just a few establishments in the area. Of course, sometimes we hit up Qdoba or McDonalds or Starbucks, but mostly we stick to the local stuff, especially the bars and restaurants, since they tend to serve the best food and beer for a pretty reasonable price. Besides, all the chains are in the hotel areas, which are areas we try to avoid.
I love that we can see historic buildings and historic things on a regular basis. We can walk past Independence Hall or the Liberty Bell anytime. I took the bus past the US District Courthouse last night, and I can walk down Elfreth's Alley anytime (the oldest consistent residential neighborhood in the country). I catch the bus opposite Ben Franklin's grave and I walk past any of the established parks in the proper city of Philadelphia on lots of occasions (legend says the layout of the city of Philadelphia was established by William Penn himself, who insisted on at least 5 parks within the city limits - one of those parks became City Hall, but there are four remaining parks within Center City itself). Macy's is in the old Wannamaker building, which houses a huge organ as well as a Christmas display inside and in the windows on Market Street. I get my produce at Reading Terminal Market, or I head down to the Italian Market, with real butchers and trash can fires. City Hall hosts a "Christmas Village" outside, with a ton of vendors selling Christmas Trees, hot cocoa and traditional ornaments and lots of other stuff.
I know I might regret saying this, but I love the weather this time of year. Movies and society have always told me that Christmas should be cold and chilly, and I should have to bundle up a bit this time of year. It's bracing and chilly, but it's also a bit magical. The air is crisper and clearer, the lights twinkle a bit more, and the hustle and bustle of the city just makes me smile.
I also love the randomness. You never know what you will encounter. With so many people, and such a small space, you are bound to run into something interesting almost every day. I went for a run yesterday, and there was one guy who stopped, blew a shrill whistle at me and then proceeded to scream some football lingo at me ("32, 15, HIKE, RUN, PUNT"). Why? I have no idea. But it did make me giggle. Or the guy who was trying to help another person parallel park by screaming such epithets as, "No, you're f-ing it up!" and "Where did you learn to drive, stupid?" and "Well, now you f-ed it up again!" and "What is WRONG with you?". Granted, it was pretty obvious that the two people (the one in the car and the one on the street) did not know each other. When Alex crashed his bike on some trolley tracks the other week, a bus driver leaned out his window and said, "Why don't you know better than to get stuck in the trolley tracks?". Or the time when I took my parents on the subway to Old City and a couple of guys gave up their seats for my Mom and me. And then proceeded to hit on me. In front of my parents. Yeah. That was weird!

So those are some of the things I love about this time of year and being here in the city. It's hard to miss family and friends and be here while I know they're across the country. So, instead, I'm choosing to focus on the positive things I get to experience. And hopefully we'll get some snow!

Christmas Memories

2010-12-07T00:00:00.001-05:00

Sometimes I just can't think of anything interesting to post, so I thought I would just jot down some random memories of Christmas when I was younger.

when I was really little, we had two Christmas trees. One, we would put up in the living room and it would be the "formal" Christmas tree, with all the presents under it. The other one lived in a pot in the backyard during most of the year, and was brought in at Christmas time to be decorated. We called it "Chrissie's tree" and it had my favorite ornaments on it, like the goofy cartoon ones, and the ones sent to my from my relatives "Back East".
I always could open one present on Christmas Eve and it was always pajamas that I would wear that night.
My Grandma always made a coffee cake for Christmas breakfast. Since she's gone, my Mom and I always make that same cake. My Mom even has the recipe in my Grandma's writing.
One year, my Mom got a sponge sandwich with a pickle soap for Christmas. I was totally jealous.
Most years, my Dad would come home with something and tell my Mom to wrap it up for him "from Santa". One year, it was a espresso maker, but more recent years, it's been airplane or Model T parts.
Our stockings usually have toiletries in them. My Mom's will always include a giant size bottle of aspirin. And we all get oranges in the toes.
I always thought Christmas was special because we left the Christmas lights on all day and we got to have a fire in the fireplace.
When I was little, we had lots of people stopping by at our house all day long on Christmas. Neighbors, cousins, uncles and my Grandparents, even Randi (when we got a little bit older). It was such great fun, as a little kid, to have that many people in my house, when normally there were only the three of us. It's probably why now I would love to have lots of kids just to have the totally full house at holidays!

Numbers Monday

2010-12-06T11:13:00.001-05:00

This weekend involved a lot of errands and a bit of handing around the house. On Saturday, we biked to 2 errands, Reading Terminal Market, where we got hot cocoa and warm ham sandwiches. We also purchased fruits and veggies and some meat since our CSA has stopped. It was nice to buy fruits and veggies we wanted for a change. We normally try to cook what's given to us, but sometimes that involves yucky stuff like cabbage, beets and brussel sprouts. It was great to be able to buy peppers and mushrooms and pears, oh my!
I finally finished the 3rd book in the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo trilogy. I must say, I really loved those books and have not stopped thinking about them since I put them down. I am sure I will write more on those books in another post.
We battled wind and freezing cold temperatures to hit up the Franklin Institute's display on Cleopatra: the last queen of Egypt. Apparently, two scientists have been excavating places around Alexandria, Egypt and this was a display of their findings. It was fascinating to see carved marble statues at least 20 feet tall, recovered from the bay near present day Alexandria. There were lots of artifacts, and even revelations about other cities and areas that were around Alexandria in ancient days. The displays weren't about Cleopatra per se, but more about her dynasty, and her family and her time in Egypt (as, it's hard to prove that something was owned or touched by her, since her tomb has never been found). The exhibit was well done and interesting, and we even bought 2 Christmas gifts!
I spent the rest of yesterday doing those things I hate to do: 6 loads of laundry, changing the linens, scrubbing the bathrooms, etc. I cooked one chicken, made a batch of creamed cabbage (actually pretty good!), some potatoes and an emergency chocolate cake. Perhaps I will post some of the recipes sometime soon!
Today, we biked to work in 30 mph winds so that I can go to lunch with today's speaker. I am hoping her talk is as good as I want it to be, since I think she might be on "the postdoc list" - and she's in CA, which is even better!

Numbers Monday

2010-11-29T10:04:00.000-05:00

it's been 6 days since I was in lab. I've been working from home, trying to write and photoshop and all that good stuff. It's amazing how much less stressed I feel.
I purchased 7 Christmas gifts this past weekend. I found something my mom will love on sale for nearly 50% off. I also found some good deals on some other things both my parents and Alex's parents will (hopefully) love and all those have been ordered and are heading my way soon.
I ordered nearly 100 "save the date" cards for our wedding. When I received them, they looked WAY different from what our sample looked like. Turns out the printer wasn't aligned properly, so the colors in the ink didn't overlap correctly. Our cards look kinda like we were going for a 3-D effect. I'm glad I ordered early, since they'll be shipping me a new set hopefully today.
This past weekend, we watched four movies, including Capitalism: A Love Story, The Soloist, The Family Stone, and When Harry Met Sally. Alex also watched some move involving Chuck Norris and terrorist ninjas. Can you tell we're both battling colds? No 35 mile bike rides for us, let me tell you!
On Thanksgiving, we biked through the horrendous rain and sleet to our friend's house for dinner. We spent the evening with 3 friends and 3 new friends, eating copious amounts of food. We then proceeded to play a lively round of Trivial Pursuit from circa 1981. A lovely time was had by all.
Today, I went to the dentist at 7am and he told me I have one cavity, which I will go get filled soon. Let me tell you what a pleasant experience I had. I used to go to the Penn Dental School, where each appointment would last at least 2 hours, if not more. I have had several fillings done and then re-done there, most of the time requiring extra doses of novicaine just to get through the 3 hour procedure. I never had the same student more than two or three times, and I was always on the edge of my seat with anxiety at having to go there. This year, our insurance switched, so I am able to go to a real dentist with real skills. I cannot tell you how thankful and pleasant my experience was. I was in and out in 1 hour, having my teeth cleaned and X-rays done and an exam. I even received a prescription for my sensitive teeth and a primer on flossing and brushing from my super awesome technician. Wow. It's amazing the difference in experiences! I'm almost excited to go back in a couple weeks to get my fillings done. Almost.
On Saturday, I ventured into the city for the day, heading down to City Hall via the 48 bus. Lucky me, the ticket taking machine was broken, so I got not one, but two free bus rides, since I managed to catch the same bus on the way back home. I am pretty confident that will never happen again!
This morning, at 6:30am, it was a frosty 30 degrees. There was frost everywhere, which was really lovely to see. I was also a bit of a cold bike ride, but I'm not complaining. Having the dentist visit out of the way by 8am was priceless.
And now, I'm settling in to work on my paper and my figures. We've put up the tree and several strings of lights and I am listening to some instrumental Christmas music. A hopefully lovely Monday awaits!

Things I've Learned: Body Edition

2010-11-23T14:01:00.000-05:00

Since today I turn 33, I thought I would pontificate about things I have learned about my body. Don't worry, this won't be anything risque!

My body can do more things than I thought it could. My usual limitation is not bodily ability but mental ability. As in: My body is usually fine going for a run or a bike ride, but it's often my mind that will double think and double talk to convince me not to do it. That said, there are some things that I cannot physically do. Certain poses in yoga which require a lot of arm strength are my weakness. While these are things I could improve, I usually just accept my limitations and move on. Things will improve over time. And that's why they call it a "practice".
Being tired or hungry is not an excuse to not exercise. When I begin to do something, anything, that feeling usually goes away.
Similarly, not fueling my body in the right ways makes me feel like crap. For example, if I eat out at McDonald's, even though it's tasty, I feel like junk the next day (or even within a few hours!).
Yoga class once a week is beneficial. Trying to go more than once a week gets stressful.
Anything is exercise, including cleaning the house, dance class, raking leaves or a walk around the block. Any time spent not on the couch is better than time spent sitting.
Exercise outdoors, no matter how bad the weather, is always better than the gym. The bad weather makes the shower afterwards that much better!
My feet are the most important things in the world. High heels and flip flops are not beneficial. As much as I love those kinds of shoes, I have to limit the amount of time I walk in them because any injury to my feet literally can sideline me for a good long time.
I'm over cellulite. I don't think it's that important in the grad scheme of things. And honestly, I don't care if it's showing when I wear my bathing suit. And if anyone else cares? Oh well.
Often sports apparel, although hideous, is actually functional. Spandex, for example, or bike shorts with the huge padding for the rear. All functional, yet ugly. I am OK with that. I no longer need to be fashionable when taking part in sports. Similarly, tighter yoga clothes, although perhaps unattractive, are extremely functional (especially when doing handstands or headstands, so my shirt doesn't go up). I'm going to wear them even thought I am in a room full of totally fit kids with amazing bodies. I just don't care.
I have big boobs. I always have. There is nothing I can really do about it. They're not like hair that I can magically dye or cut. They're a part of my body. I don't appreciate being stared at while I run. I don't appreciate commentary from bystanders. And I don't appreciate that clothing makers have not yet realized that women come in several shapes and sizes, and that perhaps some shirts and sweaters should come in chest sizes too. I hate having to buy the size Large shirt or sweater for the boob coverage, but then have to deal with extremely long arms and torso on my short body.
I have shockingly long femurs.
I have been menstruating longer than I have not been menstruating.
While there are still days that I don't like myself or my body, those are fewer and further between than when I was a teenager. I appreciate my body more for it's functionality than for how it looks. And I can still learn new things, sometimes it's just a bit harder than it used to be. And the soreness tends to last longer than it used to. Thank god for ibuprofen.
I cannot drink more than two or three drinks in one day. And if it's 3 drinks, there needs to be copious amounts of food involved over a long period of time. Otherwise, the next day is completely shot for me. Honestly, it's just not worth it anymore.
No matter how many times you do something, like run, or ride your bike, there is always something new to learn. Always.
I don't like to exercise with music (unless it's yoga class). The earbuds bother me, and I actually get more relaxation and stress relief out of running without music than I get running with music. With music, I can't get my breathing right, I am always on the lookout for other runners or cyclists or other path users. And the repetitive pounding on the concrete is somewhat cathartic.

Birthday!

2010-11-23T13:18:00.002-05:00

Monday Numbers

2010-11-22T15:41:00.000-05:00

This weekend, I went to one dance show, called Forever Tango. I thought it was a lot of fun, although it showcased pretty standard tango, with a lot of emphasis on a small orchestra and just a couple of people on the stage. The shows we normally go to are more modern and tend to highlight the athletic abilities of the performers, while this show focused mostly on the couple dancing a fairly complex tango. Alex thought the show was a little boring, and I would agree with him on that. He was also annoyed by the ridiculous cockiness of the performers, which I kind of loved. I thought it really embraced the idea of the Argentinian Tango to the nth degree.
We went for a lovely 15 mile bike ride on Saturday. It was a bit chilly out, but the path was clear and there were very few people out. It was great to get out on the new road bike again (not in the rain), knowing that my time on it (at least outdoors) is quite limited.
On Friday, I worked until nearly 9pm! There were lots of dramatic things happening in lab which I had to take care of. Thankfully, Alex was there to help me out with some of the more complex things. Sadly, I had to miss 2 thesis defenses and 3 parties because of the work situation. Bummer.
Tomorrow, I turn 33! I must admit, it's always been tough having a birthday right around a holiday. I'd love to go out and get some drinks with some friends, but most people are out of town, or heading that way. Therefore, Alex and I are heading to Buca di Beppo, the most ridiculous place for dinner. I've got a coupon for a free appetizer, so you can bet I am going to eat my stomach's worth (and then some!).
I've already received several birthday presents, including a new yoga outfit, a coffee cup holder for my bike, a bit of makeup and some muffins. Pretty good haul, eh?
Honestly, I am most looking forward to having 4 days off! Woohoo!

I love dancing!

2010-11-21T12:42:00.002-05:00

Philly State of Mind

2010-11-15T15:15:00.000-05:00

I love the original of this song (with JayZ and Alicia Keyes), but this one is kinda fun because it's about Phill-ay!

Monday Numbers

2010-11-15T14:02:00.000-05:00

This weekend I did a lot of preparations. I ordered our "save the date" cards for the wedding and I ordered our Christmas cards, and I must say I had a lot of fun putting together these things online. There are so many resources that I just love! So, now we get to put together nearly 80 save the dates and nearly 60 Christmas cards over the next few weeks. Should be fun!
I received another early birthday present from my parents. They sent me a lovely box of 4 different types of muffins and 2 different kinds of crumpets and 1 jar of pumpkin butter. Yum!
This weekend was absolutely gorgeous weather, hanging in the 60s during the day and drooping to the 40s at night. The trees are still changing and the leaves are beginning to fall, which makes a lovely noise. I also love the crunching sound under my feet when I walk over the leaves. Just lovely.
We went for a 13 mile bike ride on Saturday. Unfortunately, I forced us to turn around because I am not comfortable riding my new road bike on the actual road. There are too many things to pay attention to, since everything on the bike is new to me. The traffic was pretty light, but between the unknown terrain and the newness of the bike, I don't think I'm Lance Armstrong yet :)
I bought my wedding dress last week. After making 2 trips to 2 different bridal stores, I found a dress that I really like. The best thing about it is that it was a sample dress, so I took it home with me that day. I must admit, I've walked around this city with all kinds of things (including dressers and couches) but walking around carrying a 20lb dress was probably the weirdest. I got lunch at a local restaurant and I had to get an extra seat for my dress! I finally got it home after a cab ride to work, and a cab ride home. That was a lot of work for a silly dress :)
I spent some time watching 2 episodes of Parenthood, the TV show. I love that show. It makes me want to have at least 4 kids and live in Berkeley. Haha!
Today I have listened to my cousin Adrian's album at least 2 times. I might go for 2 more :)

Sometimes, it's true...

2010-11-10T16:43:00.000-05:00

Monday Numbers

2010-11-08T10:43:00.001-05:00

This weekend, we had 4 celebrations to attend. We went to a bar mitzvah, a friend's birthday and then visiting with some friends from out of town. Busy weekend! We hit up one synagogue, one community center, and three bars.
On Saturday alone, we took 2 trips on the high speed line, 2 trips on the subway, and 3 trips on the bus. It was a serious public transportation kind of day. It took us about an hour to go about 7 miles. Slightly ridiculous, methinks.
Shabbat services were interesting, but nearly 3 hours long. The people in the know told us that they even skipped some parts of the services since there were a lot of speeches and commemorations. There was a man there who survived the Holocaust and was turning 90 years old! I am becoming more and more convinced that no matter what religion you are, services are long and boring. Ha!
Yesterday was our errands and working day. It was lovely to fall back one hour! I woke up early, went for a 12 mile bike ride and the headed to brunch with about 20 other people. It's been very cold and blustery lately, so I was thankful to have on my gloves and ear warmers. I spent about 2 hours in lab, setting things up for today and then we headed home to make a huge pot of soup and an apple cake (seriously, I am getting SO sick of apples and apple related items! Ugh!).
Today, there is a talk by a famous guy named Mark Tessier-Lavigne at 12:15. Should be interesting, although it will likely be PACKED!

Haiku Friday

2010-11-05T12:02:00.000-04:00

At home sick with a

cold; not surprising with the

November cold snap.

***

Tomorrow is the

bar mitzvah of the son of

my boss. Should be cool.

***

Am hoping to rest

up, work on my thesis, and

take down Halloween.

and now, for your viewing pleasure, a bit of Yellowstone...

Jenny Lake

View from the road.

Lewis Falls.

More river views

He's a buff.

Here's another buff.

The elk and deer were in the rut. This is what they do to trees.

Lower Yellowstone Falls.

WTF HAS Obama done so far?

2010-11-04T13:38:00.002-04:00

Check it out here.

Some of my favorites from the Rally

2010-11-02T18:31:00.000-04:00

We were standing next to this guy for a while. It was super amusing to watch him "Hug it out"!

LOL.

Seriously? Please stop getting "facts" from Fox!

Watch out for that dangerous Mexican food!

In fact, we are currently working on disrupting the space/time continuum...it's just a HUGE secret, only known to the scientific community...whoops! Guess the secret's out!

It's odd that most of us know the difference, yet the media doesn't?

Love it!

I don't want the government in charge of my Medicare!

'Nuff said...

Yay for the scientific method!

It's true - we do need more cowbell!

Hmmm...conclusions based on FACTS? Wha?

I got these from the Huffington Post. There's way more here.

Thanks to Obama

2010-11-01T13:56:00.000-04:00

We live in a "up and coming" neighborhood. We are in between a really nice, gentrified neighborhood near the Art Museum, with lots of young, mostly white couples and college age students, and a really, really poor urban neighborhood consisting mostly of minorities. The gentrification is moving through our area, but it's slow going since the whole economic disaster started. Our block is about 50% African American and 50% white, give or take a few percentages. Our block has abandoned houses on it (although nobody seems to use them), and we live one block from Girard. If you cross over Girard, you are in a pretty poor, nearly all African American neighborhood with high crime rates and very bad schools. There are very few restaurants in our area and the ones that are there are the cheap pizza or Chinese food places. We do have a Rita's Water Ice and a nice coffee shop is moving in, but the area is definitely depressed. Also, there are no grocery stores. There are corner stores, but no real grocery, with milk, fresh fruit and veggies, etc. We moved here because it's cheaper to live here. We've got a really nice house that was recently redone and a nice big backyard. The kids play on the streets and most of the neighbors are friendly. There's plenty of parking (if you drive) and it's close to Fairmount Park and the Schuylkill Trail and a quick bike ride to school. The neighbors all look out for each other, help sweep the streets, hand out candy to the kids on Halloween, take care of each other's sidewalks in the winter, etc. A real nice community. Surrounded by a mostly minority neighborhood. As a consequence, the people who send out the fliers and the information about voting tend to think we are African American. I've had phone calls from Jesse Jackson, talking about Dr. King's sacrifice so we can vote (technically true, but I'm pretty sure not entirely meant for me). I've received fliers telling me not to vote for Pat Toomey because he's against the Civil Rights Act and does not support minority owned businesses (yes, these are things I am concerned with, but again, not entirely my demographic - also, seriously? How can you be AGAINST the CIVIL RIGHTS ACT?). I've received other fliers of people running pictured with Obama, and other fliers featuring smiling African American families (which appear to include Mom, Kids, Grandma, but no Dad) talking about how they support a particular candidate. Granted, none of this bothers me in any way. It's just interesting to be considered to be part of a group that I am normally not in. I guess I've never been inundated with fliers that aren't aimed at my demographic (and, from what I hear, it's the African Americans and minorities who voted for Obama that are desperately needed to turn out in this election). And I wonder how much things have changed because we have an African American President. I've noticed more black men in advertisements for fine clothes or designer watches (like in the Macy's ads). I've noticed more billboards and more bus stop signs with African American men and women on it, advertising a large number of products, not just minority aimed products. I've noticed more commercials with African American men or women in professions (such as playing a doctor or a lawyer). I've noticed more groups on the news or reality TV having more that just one or two people representing minorities. I wonder if there really are more minorities being represented on TV, or if I am just more aware of it? Perhaps I've just been paying attention more lately. But I do have to say, being considered to be part of a coveted demographic (even if I am not one) is an interesting thing. It's interesting to see a glimpse of what urban African Americans might be looking for in a candidate. Gun control is emphasized a lot, for example. The bank bailouts are not. What I can say is that there is a HUGE push to Get Out the Vote in my neighborhood. I hope it works.

Philadelphia Freedom

Money Woes

Monday Numbers

Random Snippets Monday

Random Snippets

This is why I'm glad I'm leaving Philadelphia

The marathon debacle

Haiku Friday

Opinion Thursday*

Monday Numbers

Monday Numbers

A Mouse in my House

Monday Numbers!

Haiku Half Marathon Friday

LOL

Monday Numbers

Ode to the sun Haiku Friday

Rain, rain go away

Monday Numbers

Haiku "while the cat's away, the mice will play" Friday

Monday Numbers

The Moe Prager Series by Reed Farrel Coleman

Haiku TGIF

The Good, the bad, the ugly

Monday Numbers (a day late)

The End of an Era

Random Snippets Tuesday

Movie Review: Precious

Monday Numbers

Random Snippets

Monday Numbers

Random Snippets, Thursday Edition

Numbers Monday (a day late)

Random Snippets, Thursday Edition

Monday Numbers

Magazine Rant

Haiku Spring Day Friday

On Becoming a Runner

Clothing/Working Rant

Numbers Monday (a day late)

The Business of Being Born

Choping down the Tree Haiku Friday

Random Snippets

Monday Numbers

Writing the Thesis Haiku Friday

Movie Review: Couples Retreat

Book Review Wednesday: Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer

Monday Numbers

Just in case you were wondering...

Happy BIrthday, Dad!

A Few of my Favorite Things Haiku Friday

Another Movie Review: 500 Days of Summer

Movie Review: The Millenium Trilogy

Monday Numbers

Today is the Day Haiku Friday

Dancing Machine

The Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling

Monday Numbers

Read on a Biomed Library Desk

Pet Peeves about the Snow (because, really, what else would I talk about on Feb. 1st?)

Monday Numbers

Haiku Modern Housewife Friday

Moving on...

Oh, Lady Gaga...

Monday Not Really Numbers

Tom

Literally made me cry....

Stori Telling by Tori Spelling

Monday Numbers

Haiku Snowy Friday

Politics as Usual

Born to Run by Christopher McDougall

Monday Numbers

Still my favorite...

THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMASby Clement Clarke Mooreor Henry Livingston

Haiku Christmas Eve Friday

Merry Christmas Eve!

Baked Potato Soup

Numbers Monday

Haiku Random Friday

THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS
by Clement Clarke Moore
or Henry Livingston