Monday Numbers

• 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...

this one's for the children

Happy BIrthday, Dad!

 

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

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

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

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

• 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

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

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

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

• 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

• 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?)

• 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

• 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

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...

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...

Really creative and funny!

Monday Not Really Numbers

• 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

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....