this is the definition of my life, lying in bed in the sunlight

Summary of my life as it stands...

The semester is underway like whoa. It took me about three seconds of one class to realize that it's not going to be an easy one. It's Week 2 of school and I have four homework assignments and a bunch of reading due. Today, when I wasn't in class, I was in meetings concerning the direction of our laboratory stuff.

I'm taking the following classes: Virus Diseases, Molecular Epidemiology, Vaccines in Public Health, Genomics in Public Health, Geographic Information Systems, my Capstone Project course, and a Cancer Prevention Symposium. Molecular Epid is, by far, the most demanding course I'm taking, with homework due every class period, on top of a bunch of reading and a very large group project coming up. We will see how the other ones treat me. The Cancer Prevention course is probably the most interesting so far, though it only meets once a week. However, our last lecture was on lead toxicity, which wasn't really related to cancer but was still shown to be a huge problem, especially in the developing world.

Winter League ultimate starts up this Friday and runs for a couple of months, and my friends and I are trying to get together every so often because we've all been so busy this year and want to see each other as much as possible before we all ship out of here. So, that's the fun stuff going on.

As for fun-work stuff, there's plenty! I've got my name on my first publication that's due to be published in Environmental Health Perspectives sometime within the next couple of months. Also, we're working on a second publication that will be submitted to Science shortly. We're also hoping to get a couple more projects underway, so it's possible that I may have my name on a third. Lab is pretty great, and is going to keep me busy for the next few months!

I feel this post is all-business, so maybe I should skip to some fun stuff. Here's a picture of me devouring a gingerbread man at my favorite St. Paul bakery, Jerabek's, over winter break.



And, well, how about that new president that's being inaugurated tomorrow?!?!?!?! :)

School should be optional when it's this cold... Brrrrr!!!!

And I welcome you to Detroit City; I said welcome to Detroit City

Today, I found myself defending Michigan in a conversation. I realized that just because I love Minnesota, doesn't mean I can't have pride in my current state of residence.

Detroit.


A picture's worth a thousand words.

Here I am; rocked you like a hurricane.

My band, Novia, totally rocked out the venues. I have completed my Medium-Level Guitar Hero Tour (in Guitar Hero 1), and have completed 4 songs on "Hard" and 2 on "Expert." I know. I am pretty spectacular.

I am only a Medium Guitar Hero. Soon enough, I will be a full Guitar Hero. And, yes, I sign autographs.

Come on ride the train, hey, and ride it

I somehow made it back to MN. Somehow. I'm not exactly sure how it happened.

Let's just say, I don't know that I will ever be taking the train again. Or at least not past Chicago. And definitely not in the winter.

After getting stuck on the tracks somewhere between Battle Creek and Chicago because the switches were frozen, we managed to get stuck in Union Station for eight hours. Yes. Eight. This would have been fine had Union Station been more than about 6 degrees Fahrenheit. I ran all over the place and managed to find myself a cup of hot chocolate while the three of us were waiting for the train to even be taken out of the yard! We had some Pizza Hut for lunch. J and D had a few beers. We played around on the internet. We observed a short black man yelling at a white woman for looking at his MySpace page to which he actually said, "Fear my race, bitch." I was a little afraid that we might have to diffuse the situation when he started talking about hitting her. I'm not really sure what their deal was. Maybe they just enjoy role-playing in crowds...

Anyway... We finally left Chicago at 830 and immediately opened a bottle of wine. The three of us split it and hung out for a bit, before D asked if I wanted to go look for food (J had eaten a second meal before we left Union Station).

So, we couldn't find any food so, instead, we opened up another bottle of wine (we packed well, as you can see). Dean and I proceeded to drink and discuss life and stuff for many hours. Somewhere in the middle of the night, on our third bottle of disgusting wine, we started polling the club car about their views on gay marriage, which got pretty interesting being that Dean's gay and we were sitting next to a bunch of conservatives.

Eventually we made it back to our seats to fall asleep but, um, it was so cold! I think I dozed off for a few minutes somewhere between Tomah and LaCrosse. After Dean got off in Winona, I woke J up to go sit in the club car so that we wouldn't get harassed for not getting off in Winona like we were supposed to. We made it to the Twin Cities at 5:30, after my parents were already up for the day.

So, to summarize: trains are cold and late, but a good way to waste time is by drinking wine.

No worries. I iz. I'm caught up in Grand Rapids with Dean and Juggles for now, but we're on our way.

But when you go you'd better beware / 'cause you can tresspass anywhere

Things that are strange include not knowing where in the world I will be come May.

Llama llama duck!

I'm obsessed with pandas lately.

Look how cute they are!

Lights, camera, action / I think I'm going for it this time

Two down, three to go. Classes, that is. I finished up genetic epidemiology and hospital epid last week. Home stretch: one week, two days to go.

This weekend's a bit of craziness... So far I've written one paper, completed my part of study guide questions, and started another paper. Monday means handing in two papers and taking a test (which I plan to study for tomorrow, assuming I can get this bacteriology paper done tonight)! Then I hope to make it to my friend's thesis defense in the afternoon before I start my social epid paper at night, then start studying for my mechanisms of bacterial pathogensis test. Those are both due the following Monday, but I guarantee the week will not contain much free time -- the test entails memorizing approximately 150 pages of text.

After all the classes are finished, I will have a few days before departing for my magical mystery tour of the Midwest. Dean, Juggles, and I are heading to Grand Rapids for a few days before we hop the Amtrak to Minnesota, where we'll be until the 30th. Then we hit Chicago for the New Year.

I was reflecting on the idea of already being close to ringing in the new year, and was going to type, "2009 will be a year filled with many changes." Then I began thinking back upon the last few years and realizing I've undergone a lot of changes in a short amount of time. But I seem to have really taken them in stride -- though some were definitely easier than others. Coming to Ann Arbor was a great decision for me -- I've really enjoyed my program of study, as well as all of the people I've met. It's so strange to think it'll all be over soon... At least the school part of "it."

And then?

Stay tuned for more... Because not even I know what the script for the sequel will be like.

Don't let your life pass you by, weep not for the memories.

My Thanksgiving was great, thanks for asking. It was a small one this year, with only 8 of us around the dinner table, but it was sure nice to see my cousin Jesse and meet her b/f.

Most of my weekend at home, admittedly, was spent either writing a 25-page paper or procrastinating about doing so. I ended up missing out on seeing some of my friends, which was quite unfortunate.

The one fun outing I did allow myself was the Henry Sibley High School Class of 1998 Ten Year (gas) Reunion up at Sweeney's. Beforehand, Kevin, Shaun, Beth and I went up to Boca Chica to enjoy some delicious Mexican goodness to gain some energy before we embarked on our journey down memory lane. The reunion itself, was A-OK. I was glad to see some of my old friends and classmates.

Here are some pictures I stole from Beth's Facebook.

The dance girls: Alicia, Alesha, Beth, Shannon


Alicia and Shauntastic


And one I stole from Kelly's Facebook.

Alicia and Jaime


All in all it was a good time. My parents even sent me home with a wonderful present of the stomach flu, which I noticed sometime late Monday night as I was projectile vomiting. I spent all of Tuesday in bed and retreated from my shell today where I could function for brief periods of time. The one big issue here is the fact that I have waaaaaay too much to do to waste time sleeping!

So, since I'm actually awake right now, I should probably get to the studying for the tests and the writing of the papers and that stuff.

Never gonn give you up, never gonna let you down, never gonna run around and desert you

Best Part of Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade:



Cartoon Network just Rick Rolled a nation, ladies and gentlemen. Classic. They're my heroes.

Hava nagila ve nis'mecha

In recognition of being a month from Hanukkah, I present you with the absolute worst "Hebrew" videos of all times for the song favorited by both you and me.... Hava Nagila

WTF Slut Hava Nagila...


Indian Hava Nagila
(I think they stole their dance from MC Hammer)



A Hard Day's Hava
(just wait for the old lady to toss her panties on stage...)



Hand fart Hava Nagila

Meet me at the altar in your white dress / we ain't gettin' no younger, we might as well do it

There's been a lot of controversy surrounding the gay marriage issue over the last few years. As you most likely know, Prop 8 just passed in California, changing the State Constitution to define marriage as an act between a man and a woman, thus overriding the decision made earlier in the year about the Supreme Court.

I found the following graph helpful in explaining the consequences of gay marriage. I think it paints a very clear picture as to why Prop 8 passed in California.



Wait... why did Prop 8 pass?

I live in America with a pair of Payless shoes / The Upper Peninsula and the television news

Michigan's Upper Peninsula is a diverse society of people. I've gathered that there is some sort of disconnect between the UP and the "hand" that is the rest of Michigan. Of course, this disconnect also seems to be between the UP and Wisconsin. I'm not really sure why that is. Nonetheless, from my nonextensive travels in the UP, I have gathered that Yoopers are fairly conservative small-town folk who have a strong affinity for the Green Bay Packers, shooting forest animals, and eating pasties.

That being said, I'm currently eating chocolate in the shape of the UP, thanks to my favorite Jonathan who brought it back for me last time he was up in Escanaba. Be it a Yooper bar or Macinac Island Fudge, the UP is okay in my book for its production of chocolate and sweets.

We fail to represent, we fail to be content, we fail at everything we ever even try to attempt

Juggles and I were hanging out for a few minutes before he headed to class and I to the library. He made mention that it seems that everything that we perceive as stable turns to chaos, while everything we think is up-in-the-air usually ends up having a logical pattern. He started talking about his summer -- school, women, work, and frisbee -- drawing examples of both the chaos and the calm from the various subjects.

For some reason, his mention of the chaos and calm triggered a great fear into me of "What Happens Next?" I don't know why it hit me so hard today, but it was a reminder that this graduate school phase is so volatile. We all are here together, then suddenly we are not. Once you start getting comfortable, it's torn out from under you.

Of course I have some ideas of what I'd like to do and where I'd like to go at the end, but it's entirely possible that the economy will be so bad that I'll have to move back in with ma' and pa' because a) there will be no jobs for me, and b) little money will be given to research, thus putting a damper on PhD funding.

So, I walked Juggles to class, fairly silently as I was processing this stuff. Then I had my head tipped down as I was walking toward the Diag when I suddenly felt an arm hard in my stomach. It was Steve passing by on his way home from lab. He scared the crap out of me. The thing with Steve is that he's flighty and filled with laughter, but somehow still solid -- making his opinion worth a lot. He somehow has this way of clearing my mind, even when he doesn't know there's something on it. I'm glad I've gotten to know him over the past 6 months. I told him what was on my mind in small detail, and he somehow worked his Steve magic by mocking me and whatever. Walking away, I continued my thought process, realizing that it's really not worth freaking out about now... There's nothing I can really do.

I arrived at the library and knew what had to happen. Before I started writing my presentation, I had to listen to the following song... Because it always makes thinking about the future a little bit easier, and reminds me of home.

I’m on fire and now I think I’m ready to bust a move
Check it out I’m rocking steady
Go!

Betty won’t stop listening to modern rock
How she hates to be alone
I try to compensate her lack of love with coffee cake
Ice cream and a bottle of ten dollar wine she says hey
I rock the Haro sport
I rock the cow girl blues
I rock too fast for love I’m footloose in my Velcro shoes
What’s up with Will and Grace?
I don’t get drum and bass
The future freaks me out

I’m on fire and now I think I'm ready to bust a move
Check it out I’m rocking steady
To the beat in my head
It goes oh, oh-oh-oh
I know that she’s the only one
I’d rather waste our time together
Yeah, ‘cause we can get down

Betty can’t quit carving question marks in my wrist
How come we’re so alone
We waste away the days with nicotine and television samples
From an era we hate to admit we embrace
We fail to represent
We fail to be content
We fail at everything we ever even try to attempt
And so the story goes
As only Betty knows
It’s time to take control
(Get Down)

I’m on fire and now I think I'm ready to bust a move
Check it out I’m rocking steady
To the beat in my head
It goes oh, oh-oh-oh
I know that she’s the only one
I’d rather waste my time with her

Betty, I need you
I miss you
I’m so alone without you
To call up on the weekends with my cellular phone

Betty it’s so hard to relate
To the whole human race
I don’t know where to begin
I don’t know where to begin
If we can both find a way
To do the things that we say
We might not sit in our rooms
And drink our daydreams away
Betty, I’m a dreamer
I’m not a vicious schemer
Oh Betty won’t you.. ah fuck it

I’m on fire and now I think I'm ready to bust a move
Check it out I’m rocking steady
To the beat in my head
It goes oh, oh-oh-oh
I know that she’s the only one
I’d rather waste our time together
Yeah, ‘cause we can get down.

Motion City Soundtrack, "The Future Freaks Me Out"