A treat

Ron bestowed this lovely award on me. Which gives me something non-grad school related to post as well as another form of procrastination. [Is it still procrastination if you have no deadline to work towards?]It is the over-the-top award. Not sure if I should be honored to get it. I have been a little over the top with the complaining as of late. Whatev.

The rules:

• Copy and change the answers to suit you and pass it on.
• Answers may be one word only
• Once you have filled it out be sure to pass it on to 6 of your favorite bloggers.
• Alert them that they have been awarded!
• Have fun!

1. Where is your cell phone? Floor
2. Your hair? Reddish-brownish
3. Your mother? Cooky
4. Your father? Reserved
5. Your favorite food? Fattening
6. Your dream last night? Baby (not mine)
7. Your favorite drink? wine (right now)
8. Your dream/goal? Family
9. What room are you in? Living
10. Your hobby? Facebook :-)
11. Your fear? Babyless
12. Where do you want to be in 6 years? Home
13. Where were you last night? Yoga
14. Something that you aren’t? PhD
15. Muffins? Pumpkin! (just made them)
16. Wish list item? Kayak
17. Where did you grow up? Vermont
18. Last thing you did? Bake
19. What are you wearing? Sweats
20. Your TV? Off
21. Your pets? Warm
22. Friends? Yup
23. Your life? Stressful
24. Your mood? Bored
25. Missing someone? Yes
26. Vehicle? 60,000-miles
27. Something you’re not wearing? Toga
28. Your favorite store? Loft
29. Your favorite color? Brown
30. When was the last time you laughed? Tuesday
31. Last time you cried? Today (almost)
32. Your best friend? Which?
33. One place that I go to over and over? Campus (BLECH)
34. One person who emails me regularly? 'Rents
35. Favorite place to eat? Rudy's!

Ron, note the one-word answers (aside from the explanations)? :-) I am sure you are all thrilled to read the randomness...

Anyone else want to do it? Go right ahead! I won't tell anyone if you steal the award.

A reflection of sorts

While I should be putting the finishing touches on and practicing for a talk at a conference next week, I am visiting blogs. While I could be looking people up who will be at the conference (which starts tomorrow) and preparing for meeting someone who will likely be there with whom I would LOVE to get a job, I am going to do this meme that I found at Ern's. It is easy and requires no thinking, but a little leg-work. Go back through your archive and post the first sentence from the first post of every month. I did about 7 months of posting every day, so this could be interesting!

January: I am not sure why I signed myself up for this, but why not?

February: In addition to all the talk about how the two Superbowl teams match up, there's also some fun stuff out there.

March: I saw this over at Ern's.
[As an aside, apparently I get a lot of memes from Ern. I guess if she can post and get a PhD, I can too!]

April: Sadly, my internet at home is funky.

May: Apparently May really is the National Multiple Sclerosis Awareness Month, so maybe I will post about that another time.

June: I love my peanut butter chunky.

July: I have been told that I come across as a confident person.

August: Well, I do not leave town until tomorrow, but was foiled in posting yesterday as our internet is out again.

September: And as unpacked as I can be without buying more furniture!

October: My heat came on for the first time this morning.

November: I should have posted earlier today so all you absentee voters had time to overnight post your votes, but alas.

December: I have many things to be thankful for, but I will start with a few reminders to be thankful from the past few days.

Late to my own interview

So, I have been really bad about blogging in general, both posting and consistently reading and commenting on other blogs. I saw this interview meme over at Spark's and thought, "Gosh. THAT would get me to post." I asked Spark to interview me and then never posted. Oiy. Here it is though, Spark's questions and my answers.

Question 1#

What's the most spectacular story you've ever heard about something that happened in the lab where you do your research?

Research-wise? My friend recently found her protein of interest! Sounds scary, huh? But really, she "had to" find this, according to our esteemed advisor, in order to graduate. So YAYAYAY!

Question #2

What are you most looking forward to in the New Year?

Hmmm...I am looking forward to starting something new. Hopefully I will finish up this whole PhD thing this summer and start a new job...closer to Cheerios Farmer (CF...I would stop explaining who he is, except I post so infrequently that I am afraid people will forget) if I am lucky. I think the new year is going to FLY by.

Question #3

What's your least favourite part of the holiday season?

Spark, did you mean 'favorite'? Just kidding. Really, it is being with family. Christmas morning is HUGE in our house. Our stockings are filled to ridiculousness and there are piles under them. Never mind all of the presents under the tree. The fun of it all is being together for all of the excitement, though, and relaxing and eating and hanging out all day together. Sadly, because of the snow in the Pacific Northwest, my brother did not make out East despite the fact that the flight he had a ticket for took off. LUCKILY, he and his girlfriend are coming in a couple of weeks (his Christmas present to her), so I will still get to hang out with him soon. I also love the holiday music, snow when it comes, and those who seem to be in a good mood just because.

Question #4

Do you have any New Years' resolutions for 2009?

Nope. Maybe it should be to get a job? :-) Closer to CF?

Question #5

If you could pick any gift for yourself for Christmas, regardless of the cost, what would it be? (Condition: it has to be a gift that someone could actually go and get for you, not an intangible like "world peace").

I am going to go with a trip to South America and Antarctica. I saw the National Geographic organized trips edition of their magazine. I think the one to S. America and Antarctica ran about $15,000. I will be happy to get you my address, social security number and sign away my first born child (okay, maybe my second so I can keep this first) if you are willing to buy this for me.

According to the rules I must link back to the post I got this from.

If you want to be interviewed....
1. Leave me a comment saying, “Interview me.” (And your e-mail address, please.)
2. I will respond by emailing you five questions. I get to pick the questions.
3. You will update your blog with the answers to the questions.
4. You will include this explanation and an offer to interview someone else in the same post.
5. When others comment asking to be interviewed, you will ask them five questions.

99 things meme

I saw this over at Ern's and what better way to get a post in and learn random stuff. Bold's are done. (notes/clarifications at the bottom)

1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland/world
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee

#4 - does marching band count?
#14 - does decoupage count?
#23 - how do you think I was able to spend a long weekend with CF??
#27 - KHC, now you have to do the meme.
#47 - does a chalk portrait when I was a child count?

Woohoo!

You know what a great way to end a day is? An award/meme all in one?!?! Maybe I will write about my apartment/lease/moving saga for tomorrow. For now, something happy and fun!

Ron bestowed this BEAUtiful award
[drumroll, please]...

The Arte Y Pico Award

Luckily, the rules have been translated from Portuguese and are as follows:
1. You have to pick 5 blogs that you consider deserve this award through creativity, design, interesting material, and also contributes to the blogger community, no matter of language.
2. Each award should have the name of the author with a link to their blog.
3. Award winners have to post the award with the name and link to the blog of the person who gave them the award.
4. Please include a link to the Arte Y Pico blog so that everyone will know where the award came from.

5 blogs that deserve this award (and have not already received it to be fair):

Danielle: Well, I blame it on her that it even occurred to me to start a blog. Just kidding. It was great working with her a while back and exchanging music and getting advice. I am also known to steal her amazing flower photos as desktop photos.

Ern and Aurora: They are grad students. I am a grad student. It is always good to know there are more of us out there who try to enjoy our lives outside of grad school while also succumbing to the hecticness of it once in a while. Ern knows a lot about birds and Aurora has a great new look over at her blog.

Chick: She is honest and shares herself and manages to crack you up with any story, sad or hilarious in itself.

Victoria Winters: Any time I need a good dose of ridiculously cute, I head over there for pictures. And stories of food. Yum.

The meme part is that you have to post 5 little known fact about yourself. I find this meme part rather suspicious, as it is not mentioned on the original award page, but what the heck. I will also go with little known by those of you who don't know me in real life facts.

1. My nose is pierced. I swear I am just adjusting the nose ring and not picking my nose. Really.

2. I LOVE to sing. I have stopped pretending I do not and have taken the show out of the car and onto the road. My iPod's on when I am focusing in lab? I sing. I am working at the lab computer and it is quiet? I put in some good singable music and sing. I walk around the apartment to do something random? I hum. I sit here and do this meme? I sing along to the CD player.

3. I am addicted to Facebook games. My sister recently went on vacation and that broke me of the habit a bit. I have work to do so I can finish grad school after all!

4. I know how to play the flute and piano. I still pick up my flute a few times a year. Pianos are harder to pick up. ;-)

5. I like putting fancy bows on presents. I still give few enough presents at the holidays, not having kids of my own and all, to put bows on everything. Some day I figure I will not make the time anymore.

Alright. Time to do some work. For real.

A game of tag.

KHC tagged me for this one. She is procrastinating on her Barbri studying, I do believe. If you are looking for blogging material and feel inspired, identify yourself and TAG! you're it.

Ten things for which I am grateful

1. My family (how cliche, right?)
2. Having close friends from all the stages of my life
3. The four seasons
4. Living in a time when I can travel as I have and see so many things
5. The internet. Without it, I would be watching a lot more TV...Hmmm...which is worse? Okay, it also, theoretically, makes it easier to stay in touch with people if you actually email them.
6. Summer produce. Yum.
7. My health. Seriously. I have had surgery and broken a bone, and managed to slice my hand open on glass in the trash. Even though I did not know it was not life threatening until after surgery, having my thyroid out did make me want to be more aware of what I eat and how active I am.
8. Knowing that if I ever need anything, the hardest part will be deciding who to ask for help because I know they would all say yes.
9. Knowing that I will be able to get a job when I finish grad school and that it won't be too far off.
10. Being able to cook and bake and enjoying it.

This is a lot harder to try to make meaningful. I felt a little cheesy writing 'my family', 'my friends', blah, blah, blah. But I am grateful for them and everything else on the list. I am also grateful for a lot of other stuff that I can not think of right now. Even what I listed has a lot behind it. Take cooking and baking for example. I can and enjoy doing it because my parents to and we were allowed to and I did some in 4-H. I do know that any of my friends or family would help me if I ask. KHC dropped her studying for an exam the next morning when I called one night. Living in a time when travel does not entail weeks on a ship? I would go crazy taking a ship to Australia, China, or Senegal and got to fly to all of those places.

Anyway. Like I said. If you feel inspired, you're it!

A history of BFFs

Sparkling Red did a friend recap not too long ago. It always a bitter-sweet thing to think about where some friendships have or have not ended up. Here goes nothin' (with some modifications).

Best grade school girlfriend: She and I were INSEPARABLE in elementary school. In 6th grade, there were town-wide 6th-grade dances to start forging ties among the elementary school students who would all come together in middle school. I was really shy and did not make new friends then; I think she did. I still remember the first day of 7th grade. She did not talk to me. I had no idea why, but she seemed to have a new group of friends already on that first day. It was not until sometime in high school when we started even saying hi to each other in the hallway. I always feel sad about this for my 7th-grade self.

Best Middle-School and High-School girlfriends: One of my oldest friends is from 8th grade - we would braid each other's hair in science class. She and I have had our ups and downs, but always manage to reconnect just before the friendship seems like it is over for good. Although we do not talk frequently enough to know everything that goes on in each other's lives, I like to think we still share all the big stuff and are there for each other when we need to be. I also added a close friend a few years older than me in high school from concert band. Her son is my godson. Then there is one other friend I lost track of in high school when I started dating my boyfriend at the time. She and I drank together. :) My dad recently ran into her and her baby, got her email address for me, and now I need to make the time to reconnect with her.

Best University girlfriend: I do not know how to choose! The four women I lived with my senior year are probably the ones to whom I would turn first in a crisis and they are of course always there. Thanks, Molly, KHC, and Carolyn (and Dr. J if you check in once in a while). We'll call the fifth friend from college Zika. She and I had a falling out senior year but now live in the same city and it is nice to see her somewhat regularly.

The woman I met at my first post-Uni job: Well, I was a research tech for a couple of years before grad school. I am really grateful for all of the strong and intelligent women I met and am friends with from that time. That's how I know Danielle! :) There are also two of those women who I am still extremely grateful are in my life - I live with one of them and I used to live with the other.

Best girlfriend from grad school: Probably my lab mate. We got off to a rough start because I was used to being really independent, in control, and essentially coordinating a project as a tech. We are pretty good now! I am DREADING her graduation.

Worst girlfriend from grad school: I do not have any bad situations really, just some women I am closer to and some I am not.

A picture tells a thousand words

Memes are always a fun way to be inspired to post I found this at Maxie's.

1. Go to www.photobucket.com
2. Type in your answer to the question in the “search” box
3. Use only the first page
4. Copy the html and paste for the answer.

1. What is your relationship status?

2. Who is your celebrity crush?

(Also my movie-star boyfriend)
3. Who is your favorite band?

(Also my musician boyfriend.)
4. What is your favorite movie?

(I'm on a Knocked Up kick right now. I think it's a great movie.)
5. What kind of pet do you have?

(Okay, technically "my" frogs are not pets. "Pet sitter" brought up weird stuff though.)
6. Where do you live?

(Huh.)
7. Where do you work?

(I guess some people think this is how science works.)
8. What do you look like?

(Julia Roberts was once cast as me in our funny quote book from college.)
9. What do you drive?

10. What's your favorite TV show?

11. Describe yourself.

(Ummmm....)
12. What's your name?

(The only picture that was not a person.)
13. Whats your favorite candy?