Rah rah rah for ski-u-mah.... ?

One positive thing is that Michigan finally won another football game. Unfortunately, it was against Minnesota.

im in yur pollz, votin' fer change.

Happy Election Day! One hopes this day will end in joy.



That aside, I am writing this post to report my newfound love for all-things pumpkin-flavored. Ever since Geoff got pumpkin pancakes at IHOP a couple of weeks ago, I've wanted to seek out such delight for my own meal. However, time has been an issue. So, this morning, I bought a pumpkin pie latte. Let me tell you: delicious! MmmMm!

Sweet surrender / is all that I have to give

If I ever get hitched, I'm getting my cake from Cake Noveau.

Check out some of these designs!










I'd have to get hitched in an art gallery in order for those cakes to fit in. That's a whole lotta MmMmmmmmMmmm!

I believe I can fly; I believe I can touch the sky....

Two things.

1. After many years of experimentation and observation, I have deduced that it is absolutely impossible to look "cool," "slick," or even "normal" while running with your backpack on.
   
   
2. Genetics is a great field that everyone in my generation should be interested in if, for the only reason, because there is a gene called Sonic Hedgehog (that regulates many aspects of embryonic development). There is also a protein called Pikachurin that is named after a Pokemon character. Also, of note, is a transposon (a "jumping gene" that moves around the genome) named after Michael Jordan -- the Jordan transposon. Yes, peers, genetics is cool.

Your love is like a rollercoaster, baby baby, I wanna ride....

Sometimes it's difficult to explain ourselves to older generations. I think my parents look at my generation, in general, as immature and lacking work ethic. But, I believe that's truly because we are the MTV generation. We're the video game generation. We maybe didn't have as much expected of us while we were growing up as other generations because we were playing sports or learning the violin or away at summer camp while our parents were busy working. But we learned to bask in leisure, much like other generations learned to get their butt in gear working... because we had to!

Anyway, the above cartoon summarizes falling in love... for my generation. Give us women/men with playpen balls 3' deep in their living rooms, and we will give them our hearts and souls!

The chemicals between us / the walls that lie between us / lying in this bed that chemicals displaced

So, bisphenol-A (BPA) is a huge deal, right? It's in pretty much all of the plastics you use, especially as food and beverage containers, as well as dental sealants. Heating and cooling of the molecules releases carcinogens. BPA is associated with diabetes, liver enzyme disorders, and CVD. (See, September 2008 JAMA. We're currently doing some research on its association with polycystic ovarian disease, and it's thought to be associated with many other endocrine and metabolic disorders.

The good news is that Nalgene, maker of my favorite 32 oz colorful water bottles, has a new product -- the Everyday bottle -- made of Eastman Tritan copolyester, which can be thrown in the dishwasher or microwaved, heated, cooled, all that great stuff. So, I bought two -- a blue one and a red one. Because, quite frankly, I keep Nalgene bottles everywhere -- in lab, in my backpack, in my frisbee bag, and at home.



Yea Nalgene!

Midterms are in full swing. Yikes! Wish me luck.

Happy birthday yesterday, Kevin. And happy birthday today, Mom!

Last weekend. Grand Haven.

Talkin' blues, talkin' blues; they say your feet is just too big for your shoes

I have about a gazillion little things to catch up on over the weekend since I don't have a lot of free time during the week. This said, I also like to have a chance to go and hang out with friends, as well, since I also don't see many of my friends now that our HME classes are separate from the General Epid and IH students.

So, yesterday was a huge errand day. Sure, I could have gotten more accomplished than I did, but I also wanted to do a few things to decompress and relax. This meant that today, Sunday, is my busy day. I gave myself an approximate schedule and even set my alarm this morning so I could get up and get moving. My first stop was the laundry room to deposit two loads of laundry in the washer, then I planned on coming up immediately to start the ruggelach dough (I decided I wanted to try my hand at making chocolate ruggelach, and decided this weekend was a good time for it). From there, homework, some cleaning, some more laundry, frisbe, dinner with Juggles, more homework, and eventually bed (preferably sometime before midnight).

So, stop one. Laundry room. Throw some clothes in the washer and, as I'm about to go upstairs, this man who is down there at the dryer goes, "So, how about that $700 Billion bailout?" This justifies a response, I guess, even though it's over and done with so why bother to bitch too much. So I say something to the effect of, "Yeah, unfortunate, isn't it?" BAD FREAKING MOVE! Apparently this warrants a 40 minute conversation, probably 35 minutes of which was the crazy man, speaking about how it's the people's faults and they shouldn't have taken out the money and going off about everything from California finances and how wrong any slightly socialist reform (welfare, etc) is in his mind. I was livid for a short while and threw my two cents in until I realized that I had an agenda and grew annoyed with this man's inability to shut the heck up. I mean, sure, he made some decent points but, being a Native American, he maybe shouldn't bitch about the welfare system and maybe should pay attention to the fact that no, 7-year olds do NOT make choices about their education, their parents do. Yadda yadda. Free will and capitalism and all that BS.

He eventually sensed my growing annoyance and left me alone, as my washer cycle was drawing to a finish anyway.

Lesson: I need to learn graceful tactics to escape awkward situations like such.tg

Money, it's a crime / Share it fairly but dont take a slice of my pie.

Over the last few decades, women have started to take over the sciences. There are still some fields that are heavy in the Y-chromosomes -- certain engineering specialties mostly, maybe physics -- but, women have really made a huge break into fields like biology, chemistry, and even math.

Though it's clear that there are a lot more higher degrees granted to women nowadays, where have all the men gone?

Business school.

Really, when you think about it, it's a good place for the Type A men-breed who were formerly obsessed with the status and fame related to inventions and such in science. B-school creates men of power and leadership who are destined to make a ton of money. Also, it seems like they don't have to work nearly as hard for it. They just have to wear their Striped Shirts, carry around their two thousand dollar laptops (more power than they will ever need) in their leather briefcases, drive their Audis Beamers, and be willing to shell out $60K a year (in-state) for tuition to one of the top B-Schools in the nation.

My very educated mother just served us nine pizza pies

Yup. Happened to me. Well, not that, specifically, but something similar. Probably involving something else scientific. Maybe ending in a breakup, mutual end to an otherwise good friendship, sumo suit throwdown, or reason to put scorpions in someone's bed because they just don't think right.

Just sayin', this science stuff is serious.

Trickle down pollution, patriarchies reallign / while the ice caps melt and New Orleans bides her time

Airline least likely to get my business today...

Come senators, congressmen, please heed the call / Don't stand in the doorway, don't block the hall

Congress will ban phthalates in children's' toys, but not in regular household items? They're everywhere, man. So, even if they're not in your WALL-E action figure, they're still in your plastic WALL-E cup. Drink up, babies. Enjoy your cancers, moms and pops.

these are your shoes / these are my shoes / we've got issues

So, I, uh, ordered new cleats finally. Without trying them on. Luckily, the website I ordered them from has free shipping and return service.

Instead of getting the Adidas Predators like I had originally planned, I settled on a sexy pair of Diadoras. The reviews tout comfort and support, and that the shoes become broken in instantly. That's a lot to live up to.

Meet Maracana:



The great thing about it is they should be arriving this week, so maybe I'll get to try them out at Wednesday's practice... I'll be a little sad to retire my Nike Air Legends. But, they need to go to cleat heaven soon...


Lastly, and related, I rejoined the UPA for the first time since 2001. Now I can play UPA sanctioned tournaments... such as Motown Throwdown at the end of the month!

And I want to find you when something good happens

Being an adult rocks for at least one reason:

I can buy myself an entire pie, eat it directly out of the pie tin, and eat it for lunch if I want!


Other things:

• Drama in your late 20s is really obnoxious compared to when you're 19.
  
• My parents are coming to visit at the end of the month
  
• I'm going to Chicago to play Sandblast next weekend. I will get to see some of my frisbee friends from MN while there.
  
• Lab is still great. I'm working on bisulfite converting our samples from Mexico City this week.
  
• Kraig moved to an apartment in Kerrytown, so I'm alone for the rest of the summer. We miss each other.
  
• Went to Chicago with Linds a couple of weeks ago and had a marvelous time. I miss my BFF!

Lots more going on, of course, but I have to get back to lab!

Forgive but don't forget, girl keep your head up

Found in the bottom of an envelope of stuff from Mom:

Gemini (May 21-June 21). You're certainly on a path, though it may not have a particular order or make sense to anyone but you. You don't have to explain yourself -- even to yourself. Just keep picking up the next thread and following it.

Reading that tonight made me breathe a sigh of relief for some reason. It's been a crazy, yet lighthearted despite occasional heaviness, summer. I've kept my head up. Boys confuse me, but that's okay. Growing older, I am so apprehensive because I've met so many guys who have such horrible potential, even when it's not expected. Turn your head for a moment, and they could turn on you. Yes, this sort of distrust has been formed over my 28 years. But, meh, it's okay.

I'm enjoying my friends. I'm enjoying Ann Arbor in the summertime. I'm enjoying my lab work. I love being around SPH. I have a wonderful roommate. I'm enjoying playing a lot of frisbee. I'm loving the laughter, the nights out, the drinks, the random conversations with new friends... Really, despite certain small doubts, I've learned to keep my head up and breathe a sigh of relief throughout life.

I've gone to Chicago twice this month, and will be there again in a few weeks. I went to NYC. My parents are planning a trip out here. I'm planning on going home for a bit.

It's all life. And life's not so bad. I'll post some pictures next, perhaps.