It seems sort of wrong that I haven't posted in forever and then I decide to post to say that I won't be posting for awhile longer, but them's the breaks folks! And for the 2 people that read this blog, suck it up! Just kidding. I appreciate all my loyal readers- tell your friends. Think of this blog as a pyramid scheme, the more people you can get to read it, the funnier it will be! Just trust me!!
Anyway, I can't form paragraphs today or use clever transitions (when do I ever, right?) so I am going to go with that fantastic stand-by - the list format. Don't fight it, love it!
1. On Friday, May 16, I had the oral defense of my comps papers. If I have not complained to you about the comps process yet, allow me to catch you up. I had to write to 40 pages papers on two topics not really related to my research. I defended them on Friday. I "passed with reservations" which means I had to rewrite two sections of one of the topics. A pain, but I suppose at least I passed.
2. I'm teaching a course this summer. That's fine. I'm excited. I'm not excited about having to find someone to cover the class so that I can have time to get married. It doesn't really seem fair. I wish I could just cancel class that whole week, but that'd probably be wrong.
3. Z and I are leaving at 3 today to go to Chicago so that we can fly out of O'Hare tomorrow to Seattle. A little family vacation with his family. Then we fly down to Oakland for a wedding at the end of the month. It should be good times, it will also be the reason I'm not posting, and I will try to bring you all pictures. We'll see.
4. I've packed one teeny, tiny suitcase with all of our clothes and such. I have a purse, small carry-on and Z has a backpack and that's it. I really, really stuffed a lot of things in there. I think it's cool, but maybe we'll have to take out some clothes and repack some things at Grandma's house before we go. I should have room for souvenirs. But you would all probably be proud of the amount of things I've been able to pack in that suitcase. Although I have to admit to the fact that one pocket of Zach's backpack is filled with socks. And a tie. And a bra. But still, I packed a lot of stuff into a small amount of space, go me!
5. I have a bunch of other stuff to do today. I was going to write more for this post, but I'm boring and time waits for no man. I still have to clean the bathrooms, dust and vacuum, pack up some snacks, pack the car and shower before I go pick up Z at 3, so I've got a real full day. Oh yeah, plus I have to take care of any last minute email work things. My life is so full it's hard to convey via the written word.
Anyway, have a great time yourselves. I'll be back when I can...and hopefully I'll have pictures and stories from the Pacific Northwest. End transmission.
Thursday, May 22, 2008
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
More Things I Find Disturbing
That's right home audience, it's time for another fun installment of....THINGS I FIND DISTURBING!
1. The way my pee smells after eating asparagus. SERIOUSLY THOUGH. What the hell? That's not right. According to the keeper of all knowledge (the internet),
"The effect of eating asparagus on one's urine has long been known. Marcel Proust claimed that asparagus "...transforms my chamber-pot into a flask of perfume." Certain constituents of asparagus are metabolized giving urine a distinctive smell due to various sulfur-containing degradation products, including various thiols, thioesters, and ammonia. Derivatives of asparagusic acid are also found in urine. The speed of onset of urine smell has been estimated to occur within 15-30 minutes of ingestion. All individuals produce the odorous compounds after eating asparagus, but only about 40% of the population have the autosomal genes required to smell them."
2. Getting information from the internet. Ok, so both those answers say similar things. Your pee smells because of some sort of sulfur that asparagus sneaks in your diet and both say that not everyone can smell it, but they have different reasons why that's true. One says some people don't break down the sulfur in the first place and the other says that people just can't smell the odor. Strange, no? Of course, I'm not really helping by sending this information on, but at least I'm cautioning you.
3. The fact that there is no soap in any of the bathrooms here at work. I'm not sure why. I'm guessing that they didn't order industrial soap in time or something, but that's not really a valid excuse. Now, I'm not as worried about me because I can muster up a tiny bit of soap from the dispenser (you just have to push, oh, 10 times and it comes right out) and I have a sink with soap upstairs in my office, but what about the little people? Not everyone has their own sink and soap. That means there are a bunch more people than normal walking around without washing their hands after using the bathroom. Oh, the humanity! Gross.
4. The fact that I have to defend my comps on Friday. It's been a month since I've turned them in. I feel so done with them and yet, I have the nagging horrible feeling of impending doom. Ridiculous. I want to be in the clear, darn it.
5. The clouds and impending rain. Neither of these factors really help me get into a nice head space for Friday, not even a little bit.
6. I graduated high school 10 years ago this month. How sick is that? That's sick.
That's it for now. There are others, but I should avoid getting too worked up.
P. S. I bought a wedding dress (really a bridesmaid's dress), a veil and a mini crown (tiara) yesterday. Now at least everyone in the wedding party will be dressed. So we've got that going for us.
1. The way my pee smells after eating asparagus. SERIOUSLY THOUGH. What the hell? That's not right. According to the keeper of all knowledge (the internet),
"The effect of eating asparagus on one's urine has long been known. Marcel Proust claimed that asparagus "...transforms my chamber-pot into a flask of perfume." Certain constituents of asparagus are metabolized giving urine a distinctive smell due to various sulfur-containing degradation products, including various thiols, thioesters, and ammonia. Derivatives of asparagusic acid are also found in urine. The speed of onset of urine smell has been estimated to occur within 15-30 minutes of ingestion. All individuals produce the odorous compounds after eating asparagus, but only about 40% of the population have the autosomal genes required to smell them."
-From Wikipedia
"Asparagus contains a sulfur compound called mercaptan. It is also found in onions, garlic, rotten eggs, and in the secretions of skunks. The signature smell occurs when this substance is broken down in your digestive system. Not all people have the gene for the enzyme that breaks down mercaptan, so some of you can eat all the asparagus you want without stinking up the place. One study published in the British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology found that only 46 percent of British people tested produced the odor while 100 percent of French people tested did. Insert your favorite French joke here________________________________."
-From the book, "Why Do Men Have Nipples?"- as quoted on the internet.
2. Getting information from the internet. Ok, so both those answers say similar things. Your pee smells because of some sort of sulfur that asparagus sneaks in your diet and both say that not everyone can smell it, but they have different reasons why that's true. One says some people don't break down the sulfur in the first place and the other says that people just can't smell the odor. Strange, no? Of course, I'm not really helping by sending this information on, but at least I'm cautioning you.
3. The fact that there is no soap in any of the bathrooms here at work. I'm not sure why. I'm guessing that they didn't order industrial soap in time or something, but that's not really a valid excuse. Now, I'm not as worried about me because I can muster up a tiny bit of soap from the dispenser (you just have to push, oh, 10 times and it comes right out) and I have a sink with soap upstairs in my office, but what about the little people? Not everyone has their own sink and soap. That means there are a bunch more people than normal walking around without washing their hands after using the bathroom. Oh, the humanity! Gross.
4. The fact that I have to defend my comps on Friday. It's been a month since I've turned them in. I feel so done with them and yet, I have the nagging horrible feeling of impending doom. Ridiculous. I want to be in the clear, darn it.
5. The clouds and impending rain. Neither of these factors really help me get into a nice head space for Friday, not even a little bit.
6. I graduated high school 10 years ago this month. How sick is that? That's sick.
That's it for now. There are others, but I should avoid getting too worked up.
P. S. I bought a wedding dress (really a bridesmaid's dress), a veil and a mini crown (tiara) yesterday. Now at least everyone in the wedding party will be dressed. So we've got that going for us.
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
A Series of Haikus
Now that Spring has sprung
I find myself awaiting
The days of Summer.
The birds that live in
The trees outside my deck are
Pretty, happy, fed.
The rain falls down in
Streaming sheets of steaming muck
In my yard he sits and eats
Damn you, squirrel fiend.
Monday, May 5, 2008
Remembrance of Things Past
Noxema. Creosote bushes. Tomato plants. The smells of summer every one of them. Noxema - my first purchase of a beauty aid with my own money. I bought it for a trip to Grandma's house and to this day whenever I smell Noxema it reminds me of summer at Grandma's. The characteristic smell of the desert after it rains comes from the creosote bush. Even in sprawling paved metropolis of Phoenix that smell comes out after a hard rain. Some people don't like the smell, but I for one, love it. I miss that smell. I miss the feeling of monsoon season with the tantalizing hint of a warm summer rain. In the desert the rain is something to celebrate, precious because it is rare and life-giving when it comes. The smell of a summer garden will always be the smell of a tomato plant. Tangy, earthy, somehow crisp. It is the smell of promise. New life in the making.
It's amazing that particular smells are able to evoke memories. It's been found (through that science-y research nonsense) that smells are not better able to evoke memories than any of the other senses despite the general perception, but they are more emotionally charged than many other ways to evoke a memory (e.g., a picture, a sound). Smells are intricately linked to the part of our brains that deals with emotion. Smells are fairly unique in that they seem to tap primal feelings of like or dislike, approach or avoid, joy or sadness. Smells resonate within us. Tiny molecules enter our noses and start a cascade of emotions. Amazing. Fascinating. Wonderful. A little bit of therapy.
As a fun exercise, leave a comment about one of your favorite smells or one of the smells that evokes a memory for you. Tell the group what particular memory this smell conjures up for you.
It's amazing that particular smells are able to evoke memories. It's been found (through that science-y research nonsense) that smells are not better able to evoke memories than any of the other senses despite the general perception, but they are more emotionally charged than many other ways to evoke a memory (e.g., a picture, a sound). Smells are intricately linked to the part of our brains that deals with emotion. Smells are fairly unique in that they seem to tap primal feelings of like or dislike, approach or avoid, joy or sadness. Smells resonate within us. Tiny molecules enter our noses and start a cascade of emotions. Amazing. Fascinating. Wonderful. A little bit of therapy.
As a fun exercise, leave a comment about one of your favorite smells or one of the smells that evokes a memory for you. Tell the group what particular memory this smell conjures up for you.
Friday, May 2, 2008
Today's Theme: I Got Nothing
As the title may suggest, I have nothing. I think that's more grammatically correct, but I just don't know. I'm not very good at grammar. I'm good to grammar though, her face just lights up when I come into town. Anywho, today I feel...um...I'm not sure. Strange. Tired. Not wanting to be at work. Is that a feeling? I'm not sure. I guess that's how I feel though. It's pouring rain. It's dark. I wish I was home in bed and not at work. I have a long day ahead of me too and nothing really to do. I mean, I have things to do: prepare for my comps defense, work on my plans for summer (job, etc.) and attend meetings. But I don't want to do anything. I want to be at home. Most likely I will just continue to watch TV shows over at Hulu.com and not work on anything. It seems like the most prudent course of action.
In other news, I saw the beaver last night! He was swimming around the little pond and we saw him from the shore. He kept swimming for a bit and then he "thwack!" - hit his tail on the water and dived under. He surfaced in a couple of seconds and went back to swimming farther away from us. It was crazy. It was great. It was awesome. So now we have to keep going back and seeing him because that's so cool. Zach and I have also seen a porcupine in real live nature as well. The porcupine was eating as we hiked by him in the early morning and as we got closer he kind of curled himself up more and more into a ball. It was awesome. Also awesome- seeing a real live beaver in nature. I read about beavers on the internet and here are some facts:
*For the sake of full disclosure - it's not raining right this moment, but I expect it to start up again real soon.
In other news, I saw the beaver last night! He was swimming around the little pond and we saw him from the shore. He kept swimming for a bit and then he "thwack!" - hit his tail on the water and dived under. He surfaced in a couple of seconds and went back to swimming farther away from us. It was crazy. It was great. It was awesome. So now we have to keep going back and seeing him because that's so cool. Zach and I have also seen a porcupine in real live nature as well. The porcupine was eating as we hiked by him in the early morning and as we got closer he kind of curled himself up more and more into a ball. It was awesome. Also awesome- seeing a real live beaver in nature. I read about beavers on the internet and here are some facts:
- Beavers are North America's largest rodent.
- Beavers slap their tails against the water to signal danger or to warn away a predator -which is probably what he was trying to do to us-warn us away.
- Beavers eat tree bark, roots, buds and other water plants.
- Beavers are super cute.
*For the sake of full disclosure - it's not raining right this moment, but I expect it to start up again real soon.
Thursday, May 1, 2008
The Locksmiths of the Forest
I don't know how many of you know this, but the beaver is also known as the "locksmith of the forest". The beaver looks like this:
He is often seen with a large set of keys for unlocking various items around the forest. He is super cute. Not quite as cute as a sea otter (NOT a river otter), but he's pretty darn cute. There is apparently a beaver that lives in the tiny pond by my house. I caught a brief, very brief, the briefest glimpse of him yesterday as he jumped out of the water for a second. Zach saw him on Tuesday a few times. I plan to keep going back to the pond until I can see him, tame him, take him home and keep him in the bathtub. Yeah, we only have the one shower, but I can't imagine that people will complain if they have to shower with a cute little beaver. Don't worry, I'm not cruel. I will allow him to go out to the backyard and cut down trees. I will even carry the trees up the stairs for him. Oh, it's going to be so good!
For an example of how to care for your beaver at home, you can go here. I'm guessing that this person is telling the truth, but the fact about the beaver needing to swim twice a day in order to do his dirty business? That seems a bit strange, no? Who am I to judge?
Anyway, I hope you have enjoyed this brief foray into education. Remember, if you get locked out of your tree in the forest just call on a beaver. He'll get you right as rain.
He is often seen with a large set of keys for unlocking various items around the forest. He is super cute. Not quite as cute as a sea otter (NOT a river otter), but he's pretty darn cute. There is apparently a beaver that lives in the tiny pond by my house. I caught a brief, very brief, the briefest glimpse of him yesterday as he jumped out of the water for a second. Zach saw him on Tuesday a few times. I plan to keep going back to the pond until I can see him, tame him, take him home and keep him in the bathtub. Yeah, we only have the one shower, but I can't imagine that people will complain if they have to shower with a cute little beaver. Don't worry, I'm not cruel. I will allow him to go out to the backyard and cut down trees. I will even carry the trees up the stairs for him. Oh, it's going to be so good!
For an example of how to care for your beaver at home, you can go here. I'm guessing that this person is telling the truth, but the fact about the beaver needing to swim twice a day in order to do his dirty business? That seems a bit strange, no? Who am I to judge?
Anyway, I hope you have enjoyed this brief foray into education. Remember, if you get locked out of your tree in the forest just call on a beaver. He'll get you right as rain.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)