Happy Halloween!

It's officially Halloween and I'm already in my pjs :). I think there was enough partying Friday and Saturday to do the holiday justice this year. Sunday was spent finishing up my poster for today's poster session--unfortunately that meant I was holed up in the basement of SPH II on an absolutely gorgeous fall day. Boo!

The poster session was rather anti-climactic. We spent weeks worrying about the poster session and hours preparing for it and it wasn't worth any of the stress! 2 hours of wondering around looking at other people's posters, 1 hour of standing in front of your own poster answering questions, then the poster is relegated to the back of a closet or tossed in the dumpster. Blech. I guess it is good practice....for something.....I'll let you know when I figure out what that something is. It WAS a good time to see friends and do some socializing.....and eat gigantic Halloween cookies :)

My Cheetara costume was a success! Although, one girl came up to me today and said--"wow, that was a really short skirt you were wearing at the party!" I was taken aback because I can't even imagine a skirt as short as the shorts I was wearing and I thought that was a funny comment for someone to make--I don't even know her! But I assured her that they were indeed shorts........I wonder how many other people thought I was wearing a skirt?
I digress.

More Halloween pics:

Steph and Me
Josh as Superman (with muscles)

Halloween is over and it isn't even here yet!

Very short post 'cause it's past my bedtime and anything I try to write now will be nonsense :)

Friday night: SNRE Halloween Party with lots of crazy (and I'm talking CRAZY) dancing. Fun times. I didn't even recognize Damon and Solomon when I saw them in their costumes. I went as Pippi Longstockings :)

Saturday: Great trip to Detroit to see the Rodin exhibit at the DIA courtesy of Kyle, who made art viewing a more interesting and fun experience. Dinner party with Steph, Matt and other great friends. Matt is an AMAZING cook and I'd be more than happy to come over for dinner more often, really, it isn't any trouble at all. Party time! Went out to Peter's party and had a blast. We arrived late, but it was still going strong and everyone was very creative with their costumes.

Time for pics:

SNRE Party: Katie, me, AJ, Hal, Damon
Peter as Edward Scissorhands and me
Solomon, Me, AJ
Hal, Solomon, Me
Solomon, AJ, Me, Damon

Midterms and.....porn??

Yes, that's right....porn! Today's topic in my Global Health class was the public health implications of breast feeding vs. formula in different cultural settings. To illustrate the general American perception of breasts and breast feeding our professor proceeded to show 4 overhead transparencies from the current issue of Playboy magazine. That's 4 pair of breasts....doing provocative things. I'm totally fine seeing breasts, as I have a pair and I see them regularly, but you could tell the class did a collective shift in their seats and the guys looked a little uncertain as to whether or not they should look at the overheads or stare at the floor for a minute or two. Our professor is unfazed by all of it and I love her for that--she's very "that's how it is" and I respect that....not just regarding breasts, either. She proceeds to say:

"no, now these are definitely fake--you can tell because of the globe-like appearance and, let me just say that a woman that skinny doesn't have huge breasts like that! Where's the transparency with the real breasts?....we searched the entire playboy and found one pair that we think are real."
I can safely say that that was an academic first for me.

Her point was this: in America breasts are categorized as sexual objects, not as motherly, nurturing objects. There is a negative social connotation associated with many things breast-related due largely to the over-sexualization of the female body by Playboy, Hustler, etc. This negative connotation carries over to activities that should be perceived as natural and innocent, such as breast feeding--particularly breast feeding in public places. People tend to be offended by the sight of a mother breast feeding her baby, regardless of whether or not breast is actually visible--how can such a beautifully natural thing be considered perverse and offensive??

I don't plan on sitting myself and my (sometime in the future) baby down in the middle of a crowded shopping mall for feeding time--I'd probably find an inconspicuous spot, but I'd hope that the people around me would respect my decision and look upon it as nuturing and not perverse.

Oh, yeah, and I'm done with midtems!! Whoo-hoo!

The Big Reveal!

My costume is now complete!
I'm gonna be a little cold, I fear. While my character wears a leotard in "real life" I couldn't find a red one so I had to improvise--I'm not wearing a leotard, but I am going to be wearing something that I believe preserves the essence of my character. It's a mystery, right?

Here's the big reveal:
My character kicks-ass (literally) and has the power to see the past and predict the future.....Who am I??

Cheetara!! The one and only Thundercats heroine
To complete my costume I found a cool pair of fake eye-lashes, glitter make-up and glitter hair spray, a pair of gold fishnet tights (I couldn't find a pair similar to Cheetara's) and a pair of black hot pants in lieu of the leotard. Hopefully people will recognize me as "Cheetara"--I think the Thundercats symbol on my shirt will help ;)

Now if I only knew a "Liono" or a "Panthra".....that'd be cool.

A Student.....FOREVER ?

Today I received an email from my high school friend Mark with an update on "the gang". It seems that I'm one of the last hold-outs in the marriage and career department: out of my 8 close guy-friends 5 are married, 2 are "heading in that direction" and one is doing his own thing; one couple is expecting their first child and 5 out of the 8 are living in far-off exotic places....well, San Diego, Chicago, Chapel Hill, Boston (way to go Matt on getting into Harvard Business school!!), and Seattle. Out of the 2 close girl-friends that I've kept in touch with, one is married (Katie, aka Best Friend) and one is engaged. In a weird way that makes me feel old and sorta out of place in that removed part of my life.....not because I'm (so) not feeling the need to get married and am quite happy doing my own thing, but because all of my high school friends are living adult lives, with houses and dogs and yards and full time occupations. I was once an "adult" under that definition, with a full time job and lots of free time. Currently, I'm craving some stability! I want a house, a yard, a dog, an occupation. I want to have wine and cheese parties and be a member of an art museum and voluteer at the Children's Hospital and put more energy into being creative and exercise 10 days a week and go to kick-ass concerts and see amazing movies. Oh, yes, I could do all of that now, but school is the priority and I'm fucking broke! Free time and money is what I need :) But....at the same time I'm not quite ready to leave the educational environment. Damn, it's a double edged sword, isn't it? Go back to the working world and do all the things that I currently want to do, or stay in academia and lay the foundation for a more successfull career that could enable me to accomplish more of the things that I want to accomplish in the long run? I need a job that allows me to work while going to school......hmmmm.....maybe I should just get a GSI position or something.

My solution in 2-steps:
1) Stop bitching. I'm in control of my life. It's all give and take.
2) Be more productive when I can so I'm able to do more of the things that I'd like to do, while creatively coming up with cheap ways to do them.........dollar movie, anyone? Actually, they're $1.50 after 6pm--dollar movie my ass! ;)

PS: while it may seem that I'm unhappy with my current circumstances, I assure you that I'm having an amazing time being a student, living in Ann Arbor, and grateful for the people in my life. The above rant is probably due to grumpiness brought on by midterm stress. Love ya!
I LOVE GRAD SCHOOL!

State of (my) Mind: Part II

Random stuff about me:

-Song that is currently stuck in my head: "Homeward" by The Sundays (check out their album "Static and Silence")
-Best friend in the whole world: Katie Crowe (aka Dillon)
-Favorite "don't tell anyone I like this song" song: "Gold Digger" by Kanye West. Can't help but move to it.
-How many times I've had my heart broken (the legitimate "can't-get-over-it-for-months and can't listen to particular songs for fear of losing it" type): 3
-How many times I've broken someone's heart: 2
-Favorite pet: my dog "Jack", who tragically ran away while I was out of town. I should count that as one more heartbreak....
-Favorite food: anything ethnic: sushi, indian, thai, japanese, mexican, ethiopian....
-Thing I miss most about Atlanta: Mike
-Best concert I've ever been to: either Radiohead or Coldplay.....although, The Cure was pretty good as well
-How many times I've been skinny dipping: zero (it'll happen one day)
-My biggest secret(s) right now: 1) I have a completely innocent crush on a guy who's definitely taken, 2) I'm still not over the last guy who broke my heart (but I'm not letting it get in the way)
-My biggest fear: losing someone I love
-Biggest regret: letting go of a dear friend when he needed me the most
-Dream vacation: backpacking through Europe (so cliche)
-Best vacation: cross country road trip from Atlanta to Wisconsin to Yellowstone to the Grand Canyon back to Atlanta. Or, Atlanta to Yellowstone to Seattle to Sacramento (via Hwy 101) to Salt Lake City to Atlanta.
-Favorite comic strip: "Get Fuzzy"
-Place I'd like to go after I graduate: Good question!! Ann Arbor, Chicago, DC....? who knows
-Best "relax and unwind music": David Gray, The Sundays, classic Ella Fitzgerald, and many, many more
-Favorite comfy-clothes: scrub pants and a t-shirt
-What I like the most about my sister: her (blunt) honesty...she doesn't beat around the bush and I need that sometimes
-What song I'm listening to right now: "C'mere" by Interpol
-What makes me absolutely, completely happy: my nephew Josh
-How I'll change the world: solving the problem of availability of simple medical treatments in underserved populations
-What I want to learn how to do (or become better at): tons of things! photography, glass blowing, stained glass, sewing, painting....how to manage time more efficiently :)
-How I resemble my parents: I have my dad's appreciation of the arts and culture; I have my mom's compassion for other people (not to say that either lacks the other's trait)
-Scariest "I can't believe I just did that" experience: crawling through a drainage pipe and up a very tall ladder to get to a platform in the middle of a reservoir
-Biggest change in the past year: new perspective on my strengths and understanding my weaknesses
-The song that stops me in my tracks: "Lover, You Should Have Come Over" by Jeff Buckley:
"Broken down and hungry for your love with no way to feed it.......
It's never over, my kingdom for a kiss upon the shoulder
It's never over, all my riches for her smile when I slept so soft against her
It's never over, all my blood for the sweetness of her laughter
It's never over, she's a tear that hangs inside my soul forever"
-What I should be doing right now: STUDYING!!

I told you it was random..... :)

State of (my) Mind

It all hit me this week and hit me hard. Time is going by way too fast and I'll be looking for a job and applying to the PhD program before I know it....well, I guess I should be doing that RIGHT NOW, but I have other things on my mind. It's all about prioritizing. This week is packed with things to do and I'm actually feeling stressed for the first time this semester. It's hard enough with the impending time change and the arrival of the eternal darkness of the "Michigan Winter", but I haven't been out to exercise in over a week and I'm definitely feeling the repercussions--both mentally and physically. As one friend put it "I'm starting to feel my body morph into its winter form"....well, it isn't that bad....yet. All things considered, I'm doing well and am adjusting my routine to the new weather and academic demands. For instance, I went to bed at 9:30 last friday night and didn't stir until 8 am saturday! It was some of the most peacefull sleep I've had in a while. Instead of choosing to watch the UM football game at Solomon and Damon's house, I stayed at home and studied with the tv on mute--I know, it wasn't the most productive study session I've had, but I did still absorb some Public Health Policy. I then rewarded myself with a trip to BW3 to join the boys and my friend Julia before heading out to the "Sweater and Cider" party. Check out the pics below. The cider was hot (and had quite a kick to it) and the bonfire was very welcoming on the cold night. It ended up being another late night, but probably the most fun I've had in a few weeks.
In other news, I've finally decided on my Halloween costume! I'm still not divulging any info, but pics will be up at some point. I just need to figure out how to stay warm while wearing my costume........
Looks like the party (or one of the parties) I'll be going to will be a totally crazy experience--at least people who went last year say that it was incredible. By that point I'll be finished with all of my midterms and my poster will (hopefully) be done and ready for monday's poster session, so a good time is most definitely in order!
Alright, my laundry is done and I gotta get back to work so I'll leave you with some pics.

Out at BW3: Hal, Sol, Me, Julia

Sweater and Cider party: Chris, Me, Erin, Sol, Kara, Drew

2 down, 2 to go

I took my Global Health: Anthropological Perspectives midterm yesterday and for not having studied except during biostats the hour before the exam, I think I did rather well. I didn't set out not to study for the test. I did study some the night before, but the material is rather non-study-able....if that's a word. You either know it or you don't. So Wednesday night after studying for a bit I went and played trivia at BW3; a challenge had been issued and I went with intentions of dominating team Bowfin, consisting of Damon, James and Solomon (they are too confident in their abilities)......and my team lost.....too bad I was the one who threw the challenge out there :) Oops. Now, the Bowfin trivia team IS NOT the same team Bowfin that dominates at flip cup:

Flip cup Team Bowfin
So I guess this gives Solomon bragging rights for a while. He is a rather smart guy, for being into fishes. ;)

This past week was eventful and not necessarily in a good way, either. I let one of my closest friends in the world down...although he'd never, ever say so, I did a lot of sleeping, not enough studying, no exercising, I made a big mistake, I figured out a thing or two about a guy or two, but I also learned more about myself--so that can't be bad.

It is now friday night and I'm really, really excited about the chinese food on its way here and the wine that's going to accompany the meal. Friday nights are usually my "relax and unwind from the week" night. This summer my sister and I had a once a month ritual where we'd either make margaritas or open a bottle of wine, while crazy-dancing around the living room. The music selection was always unpredictable, Josh was permitted to dance on the living room table, and we all had a fabulous end-of-the-week-let-loose-and-go-crazy time. I miss summer! It was a wonderful, life-exploring experience.

Back to reality: I have 2 more mid-terms coming up this week, I have to submit the topic of my Social Epi final paper to Dr. Kaplan for approval, my epidemiology poster session next monday, a trip to Detroit to visit Kyle and the new DIA exhibit, and all of the Halloween festivities next weekend. Time is flying by.......

ok, try it now.

My friend Steph pointed out that you can't post comments to the blog if you don't have a sign-in. That has now changed! Please feel free to put your comments down (please be nice) and the word-verification feature has been activated. Note: if I get tons of "comment spam" then it's going back to the registered users setting!
And 1 comment from my most recent post that was deleted was indeed spam: "Hey, I checked out your blog and I'm definitely bookmarking it. Try Cialis, you can order it by......".
Like we don't get enough of that through UM mail :)

They're both Jim Henson creations....

In response to Solomon's comment about my last post: oh, no doubt the Muppets rock, but who wants to be "Miss Piggy" for Halloween? (at least I don't)--Janice is more like it. Fraggle Rock was a Jim Henson creation as well, and "Red" would be an easy costume to put together, with the added bonus of people trying to guess who I am all night.....but she's currently ranked down at the bottom of my list of Halloween costume options.
On another note: looking at the Muppetcentral.com website I noticed that "Emmet Otter's Jugband Christmas" is coming out on special edition DVD. Damn it! I bought a non-special edition of "Emmet" 2 years ago in attempt to rekindle that Christmas feeling from my childhood (which worked!).....I always loved the song Ma and Emmet sing at the end. My sister and family (grandpa, grandma and dad included) didn't get the same warm fuzzy feeling when I sat all of us down to watch it at Christmas time. They just don't get it. :)

A fun quote from today's Public Health Policy class provided by Dr. Len Nichols, Director of the Health Policy Program for the New America Foundation:
"If it [policy issue] makes it into the newspaper it's regarded as truth, or at least it then has to be dealt with. Newspapers are read in Washington not out of enjoyment or interest, but out of fear of what policy issue needs to be addressed next". Bottom line: when working for a policy think tank, the press is your friend.

Later :)

Classic 80's or Campy 70's?

I've been thinking about my Halloween costume since last June. The impetus behind the early contemplation is my sucky costume last year. I basically raided my closet at the last minute and came up with the following: a grey pleated mini-skirt, white button down shirt, a borrowed neck tie, black boots and some fishnets. Yep, I was a "School Girl", some might say a "Naughty School Girl". I was also called "Britney" and "Avril" that night....but that wasn't my intention. I vowed never to raid my closet again in search of a Halloween costume. Yuck. I wanted to be creative and make my costume.....as in buy fabric and sew it myself.....but I haven't had the time and couldn't decide on one costume. I was going to be a Lion Tamer at one point (it was a really cute idea, complete with a lion and a chair), then it transformed into a circus ring master, then nothing at all. So now I'm stuck deciding between being one of the "Village People" with some of my friends and one of several 80's cartoon characters. Hmmm.....I just don't know. AND starting the process back in June didn't help any--I'm 2 weeks away from Halloween and don't have a costume!

It would be nice if I was 3 again. My mom made me some classic costumes: Peter Pan with the biggest curly-toed shoes EVER (adorable), a bunny rabbit (precious), Rainbow Brite (with 3 of her Sprites, courtesy of the neighbor kids), Pipi Longstockings (she even had my hair braided around coat hangers so they'd stick out to the side). My mom rocked in the costume department. Too bad she's all the way across the country...I know she'd help me out in an instant.

I'm actually thinking of revisiting my kindergarten costume (once again, made by mom), only bigger. I was "Wonder Woman" for kindergarten in Wisconsin. I remember I was so upset when I went to use the bathroom and one of Wonder Woman's silver bullet-shielding cuffs my mom had made out of cardboard and aluminum foil accidentally fell in the toilet. Oops. Even as a 4-year old I realized I couldn't pull it out and put it back on my wrist. Wonder Woman could work......Then there's a choice between 2 of my favorite cartoons growing up: "The Thundercats" and "She-ra"......or my favorite puppet show: "Fraggle Rock"--that would be less obvious, definitely. Shit, I may just go to the store and see what they have in the "prepackaged" department. How unoriginal.

The final decision will remain a surprise until I either:
a) let it slip before Halloween
b) see you out on Halloween
c) post pics after Halloween

Here's a pic of Josh in his costume last year:

Josh as a Giraffe

Procrastination : )

Fall break is nice. A lot of us start out with perfect intentions to take total advantage of the time to catch up and prepare for midterms. And yet I'm on the sofa, still in my pjs, with my computer.....it's great :)
Since I'm trying to stay on track, I thought I'd post a few pics of me and my family and leave it at that. Enjoy!
My dad and (a younger) Joshie
Me and Jess
Me and mom

Yes, I have beat "The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King" PS2 game

I was all set to get ready for bed, make some tea, and write in my blog a little when I just had to check what was on tv.....now that we have digital cable I'm more prone to do the following: "I'm just checking what's on tv....just to see what's on....it'll only take a minute....oh, that's cool--the deadliest insects in the world, maybe I could watch for a minute or two.......oooohh...huh, I never knew that". The tv was on already so I sat down while my tea was seeping and picked up the remote. That was my first mistake. I couldn't resist halting the channel flipping at "The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King"--great movie! And it just so happened that it was at the part when Aragorn goes to find the King of the Dead, or whatever, which also happens to be the start of the PS2 game. I'm proud to say that I successfully beat the game and yes, I am a girl. Ah, memories. Now, I bet you're wondering how that came about....? The game was, in my ex's opinion, a way for us to bond and spend some time together while still being able to get his game fix. I didn't mind, really--I thought it was kinda sweet (albeit, an accurate indication of the level of maturity I was to expect from him during the relationship) AND he even let me pick out the game. All in all I had a good time. And just for the record, shire folk aren't a burden in battle--I kicked ass as a hobbit.

Here they come!

The weekend recap: Went with some friends to see "Elizabethtown" friday night.....I'm a Orlando Bloom fan.....and while the soundtrack was surprisingly good, I wasn't quite feeling the movie. The story line was ok, but some things were just too random and downright ridiculous. And Kirsten Dunst got on my nerves, she was way too stalker-esque.

Saturday started off early with a trip to Starbucks before heading to the SNRE tailgate at the golf course. A well-known fact: hard-core fans combined with tailgates produce a lot of obnoxious people....drunk, obnoxious people. Ugh....Frodo was just impaled by the spider....anyway, drunk people. Yes. There was a Penn State fan in a Penn State mascot outfit doing keg stands-he kept losing his tail- there were lots of drunken chants and cheers, etc., funny how none of this enticed me into having more than one beer...you'd figure I'd want to join in on all of the fun ;). At the game I spent more time paying attention to the drunk guy behind me than to the game. During the course of the game I was hit hard in the face, pushed around, spit on, used as a head rest, and served as a mediator between the guys in front of me and the guy behind me (they weren't too happy with drunk-guy). Now, as bad as it sounds, drunk-guy didn't do any of the above things intentionally and he did apologize for all of it, but still...c'mon.

Erin, Julia and I enjoy the victory
Hal keeps things lively
My other friends around me kept things fun (AJ's boyfriend Hal entertained us-see pic above) and the waiting around (even though I really wanted to leave) was worth it to be able to see the last second of the game. Beautiful! Hal, AJ, Julia, Drew, Damon, Solomon, Erin, James, Christy and I all met up at BW3 for some wings, beer, and general good times. It was a late night and some things didn't turn out too well, but I made it home safely and slept in sunday morning!

I love Sundays. Sunday was perfect. After doing my household duties and putting away the clean laundry from last week......Huh, you kinda feel sorry for the big elephants in "Return of the King" when they start going down on the battlefield, maybe they were just doing their duty as a domesticated elephant, maybe they didn't have a choice in whether or not they trampled the good guys or stormed the castle......I went for a drive with Jess and Josh to see the Michigan fall colors. It was a beautiful day and the drive was invigorating. We went through Dexter and headed up to Halfmoon Beach by Pickney recreational area. I had been there last June to cheer on a friend competing in a triathlon and the trees around the lake have been transformed from a lush green into reds, yellows, and golds. On the way back to town we stopped at a farm for some fresh pumpkin doughnuts and a pony ride (no, I didn't ride a pony).

Halfmoon beach
A cowboy in the making :)
Sunday night was a special treat. I got together with some good friends for a night of fine wine, excellent cheese, and leftover pumpkin doughnuts :). My friends Meredith and Alex invited me and three of our other friends over for a relaxing time and casual conversation. It was a very, very nice change from the recent BW3 and Charley's get togethers. I'm all about a good bottle of wine, friends, and a movie :)

So I succeeded in keeping my weekend low key, well, as low key as a Michigan football weekend CAN be. I'm feeling good and set to tackle some serious studying for midterms. Winter is around the corner and I'm ready for fluffy sweaters, my warm boots and comfy jacket.

Hmm...maybe macs ARE inferior...NEVER!

I'm currently on a pc computer at work (I own a mac and LOVE it--for other reasons besides that it's BEAUTIFUL and fun to use) and the pc has all of these options in the blog "create post" page....font options, a "insert link" button,....my mac doesn't display those options. Hmmm....
Solomon is going to be thrilled that I admitted to a mac weakness.

So last night was fun. 12 or so of us gathered at Julia's house and sat around being silly and saying inappropriate things like "what color is your back hair?" (I wasn't involved in that one). I was super sleepy so I opted out of the trip to Rick's bar and let everyone else enjoy the "frat party gone bad" atmosphere of Rick's. Although, I've heard that their fishbowl drinks are pretty tasty (and potent). I did go check out Law School Bowling Nite for a half hour or so, mainly to see my friend Steph and catch up with her. But, of course if you go to a place where everyone's been drinking all night and you add to the mix an ex-boyfriend.....there is potential for trouble. We actually didn't interact at all except for him stumbling up to me and asking if I was going out afterwards, standing way too close and swaying back and forth while precariously holding a bowling ball over my feet. This is after a nasty email exchange earlier this week, so you can see why I was nervous. For the record, he got nasty, I just defended myself :)

Earlier today I commented to a friend that it is difficult to talk about specific people in a blog because they might read it....and if the comments are not necessarily positive ones or the story doesn't portray the person in a positive light, well, then that's not good for the relationship, now is it? SO, my answer to that is: Code Names!! Some people may be able to figure out through association who's who, or realize "hey--Janine's talking about "Meg" and their conversation over coffee today and I had coffee with Janine today--SHE'S TALKING ABOUT ME!!", but hopefully no one takes offense to any comments I may make in future posts. If you do: sorry and love ya!....they're just my thoughts and who says I'm right?

On another note..........
The lesson of the day: While I have known this fact for quite some time, it took an emotionally difficult situation in recent months to really UNDERSTAND it: If someone wants to spend time with you, they spend time with you. Period. It is as simple as that. Now, there are extenuating circumstances that may come into play from time to time, but for the most part if you and that guy you are interested in just aren't communicating--he's just not that into you. And frankly, life is too short!
There you go.
(and just so there isn't any confusion, the comments above do not refer to law school ex-boyfriend :) ).

Happy trails!

Let fall break begin!

Me and Jess on a VERY, VERY long roadtrip
Unfortunately, for me fall break is going to consist of LOTS and LOTS of reading. I'm not complaining, it's nice to have a few days off to catch up with work before midterms start. I just wish my break was going to be as exciting as some other people's breaks: Spain, Seattle....I'm sure people are going to other cool places that I haven't mentioned.

THE EXCITING NEWS OF THE DAY: My nephew (see pic below) now officially has my family's last name! My sister went to court this afternoon to legalize his name change and the fam is super excited.

Even though I'm exhausted from my biostats test this afternoon I'm heading out to a house party and maybe going to a bar or two with my equally-drained SPH friends.....at least we can all commiserate together. This weekend will DEFINITELY be more laid back than last weekend.....3 parties last friday night alone, the football game, BW3s, then drinks at Rush St. saturday, and then studying all day sunday. This weekend will go more like: friday = low key, saturday = football game, then low key, sunday = who knows. I'm hoping to connect with a particular person or two, so we'll see how that goes :)

Josh with his duck-floaty

Study Breaks are Great!

I finally started studying for my biostats test tomorrow.....after a "power" nap and some dinner. My dad would be so proud--he's the king of power naps. There's nothing like breaking up the monotony of biostats notes with some music and candy (a potentially dangerous anti-study combination). I've found that little rewards are worth it in the end, because now I'll probably be up studying longer and absorbing more than if I were to just study without a break and tire myself out. Whatever.
So my good friend Mike sent me a quote today to add to the blog. Without knowing the background story it is rather un-funny and borders on assault:
"Woman, if you want to live to see tomorrow you better stop making me those sloppy eggs."
Yeah, you totally don't get it.
I was given these quotes magnets, you know, the ones where you make your own sentences? I was given the pick-up line version and what I've come up with so far is: "oh, if you were the only one in here I would be wearing astronaut pants" and "I'm the sexy piece of heaven you're looking for". I need to figure out how to work "sugar", "need anything", "the best looking", "your eyes", "has anyone", "an airport", "is it hot", and "nice shirt" into a pick up line. Let me know if you have any suggestions.
OK....better get back to studying. The sugar is starting to wear off.

Blogging in the AM

Peter (friend and master picture-taker) sent me this quote and I think it is definitely worth sharing; speaks to my last post very well, I believe:

"Each one of us here today will at one time in our lives look upon a loved one who is in need and ask the same question: We are willing help, but what, if anything, is needed? For it is true we can seldom help those closest to us. Either we don't know what part of ourselves to give or, more often than not, the part we have to give is not wanted. And so it those we live with and should know who elude us. But we can still love them - we can love completely without complete understanding."
-Rev. Maclean in "A River Runs Through It"

More on this quote later.....for now I have to go to class! And start studying for the biostats test tomorrow. I just haven't been feeling the "I have a test tomorrow and should start studying" pressure yet--I work best under pressure :)

Where is the beauty?

OK, now this is only my second post and while I was all set to give an overview of my life to date, my interests, music that I can't get enough of, personal philosophies, loves of my life, (you get the point) I was shocked into a more serious state of mind. Bear with me.....The profession that I'm pursuing, the profession that I will most likely dedicate the rest of my life to is for the most part a pit of dispair. WTF? What can I do with that? Today in Global Health we watched a video on HIV/AIDS around the world. I've found that the resounding theme of this class is people falling prey to illness and death due largely to circumstances out of their control. Public Health may seem like a profession with a never ending supply of rewarding experiences, but the truth is that with all of the advances in technology and understanding of public health issues, things usually get in the way--intentionally or unintentionally--of putting that knowledge to good use. I currently feel that no matter how much I strive to make a difference it will be over-shadowed by politics and personal agenda here in the States and by other issues elsewhere. For example, we have the resources to prevent a huge portion of the morbidity and mortality experienced in resource-poor countries, but what we (as public health professionals) can't do is alter the reality of the people in most desperate need of our help: their cultural beliefs, society, religious beliefs, personal experiences, political environment, economic status. I feel that the most we can do is educate people on risks and preventative measures, give them the means necessary to help themselves and hope they do the rest.....and are permitted to do the rest.
I've never personally experienced the majority of the hardships that occur around the world. I can't claim any real understanding of what these people are going through. My reality is that no matter how much I contribute people are still going to die unnecessarily, suffer unneedingly.........there is no end-all cure, there is no universal answer. The fight against morbidity and mortality is endlessly changing and eternally convoluted.........Even if I were to switch to a different profession: MD, social worker, etc. there will always be circumstances that are out of my control. It's a fact of life. I've realized that the only way for me to remain sane while dedicating my life to this work is to change my perspective, not to dwell on what isn't being done but on what my efforts are accomplishing. I need to seek out the beauty.....

Photo courtesy of my friend Peter

So I gave in to an irrational 2 am thought

My friend Solomon gave me the link to his blog (which is quite entertaining) and while I was looking through it at 2 am I thought "this might be a good idea....I can keep in touch with friends and family, post pics and give anyone who's interested a glimpse into my (often both crazy and boring) life". We'll see how long I keep it up.
Realize that spelling errors, grammatical mistakes, utter nonsense will probably rule this blog--but no one is perfect.
Welcome to my life!