...getting teary thanks for Dr. Phil.
...deciding that I do need a 5th cup of tea.
...being able to debate my outfit for a relaxed concert for hours at end.
...starting on Wikipedia to learn about Stephen Jay Gould and ending up on YouTube. Dammit.
Friday, February 29, 2008
Growing up
So yesterday I felt I had a very 'adult' moment that despite my banana being fully ripe, kind of squishy and with several bruises, I forced myself to eat it all so that I could get some fruit with my lunch. Not too long ago I would have pitched it, or turned it into some kind of baked good or pancake. So I do feel as though I am maturing with time.
I also had a very civilized evening last night, dinner at my friend Jess's where we had delish mac and cheese, salad with a homemade vinaigrette, garlic bread and cookies, and ate in her very grown up (coordinated! painted! with surround sound!) living room. We discussed work and watched a movie, although the maturity did drop for a bit when she called her boyfriend to swear at him for messing up the entertainment system as he had just installed a brand new Xbox.
I'm at the point in my life where other people perceive me as an adult. I know several people who are engaged, married and even a few with children. I live myself in an apartment many would call civilized purely due to the fact that we have a china cabinet within which different kinds of glasses and tea cups are lined up in a row. But I still don't consider myself an adult. This is partly due to the fact that I'm still in school, the grad school life being one that still encourages sleeping in when you can, and taking long lunches whenever possible, especially if the food is free. I am essentially financially independent, but its not with a whole lot of finances. I probably will not consider myself to be properly an adult until I have a 'real', well paying job, or even until I buy a house or something similarly scary. But that brings us to another child like moment - I still have no real idea of what I want to be when I grow up. A big point right now is ideally not having to go back to school after I finish this degree. I'm frankly getting sick of having to work in the evenings and weekends, and would like a job where I can wear cute outfits, and that will ideally give me a blackberry ;). I think I want to save the world, and one day be elected to Parliament but the details of which are still hazy. Le sigh.
So as I sit here surrounded by papers and a sleeping kitty, trying to keep the tv turned off so I have a fighting chance at productivity, I feel both buoyed by the good results I had yesterday and discouraged that I need about 300 more of those before I can graduate. But once I graduate, I have to stop hitting the snooze button on life, so maybe I shouldn't be in such a rush..... ;)
I also had a very civilized evening last night, dinner at my friend Jess's where we had delish mac and cheese, salad with a homemade vinaigrette, garlic bread and cookies, and ate in her very grown up (coordinated! painted! with surround sound!) living room. We discussed work and watched a movie, although the maturity did drop for a bit when she called her boyfriend to swear at him for messing up the entertainment system as he had just installed a brand new Xbox.
I'm at the point in my life where other people perceive me as an adult. I know several people who are engaged, married and even a few with children. I live myself in an apartment many would call civilized purely due to the fact that we have a china cabinet within which different kinds of glasses and tea cups are lined up in a row. But I still don't consider myself an adult. This is partly due to the fact that I'm still in school, the grad school life being one that still encourages sleeping in when you can, and taking long lunches whenever possible, especially if the food is free. I am essentially financially independent, but its not with a whole lot of finances. I probably will not consider myself to be properly an adult until I have a 'real', well paying job, or even until I buy a house or something similarly scary. But that brings us to another child like moment - I still have no real idea of what I want to be when I grow up. A big point right now is ideally not having to go back to school after I finish this degree. I'm frankly getting sick of having to work in the evenings and weekends, and would like a job where I can wear cute outfits, and that will ideally give me a blackberry ;). I think I want to save the world, and one day be elected to Parliament but the details of which are still hazy. Le sigh.
So as I sit here surrounded by papers and a sleeping kitty, trying to keep the tv turned off so I have a fighting chance at productivity, I feel both buoyed by the good results I had yesterday and discouraged that I need about 300 more of those before I can graduate. But once I graduate, I have to stop hitting the snooze button on life, so maybe I shouldn't be in such a rush..... ;)
Thursday, February 28, 2008
Spare the cute ones!
Prince Harry serving on Afghanistan front lines
Why do they have to send the one with non-thinning hair to the front lines? This says that the fact that he was serving was supposed to be on a media blackout, but was recently broken by the Drudge Report. I have a love/hate relationship with the Drudge report, it does serve a valuable purpose in making a lot of stuff known that might otherwise be. However, it cannot pretend its not part of the news media and there are a few things which should not be reported on. This will have an impact on Harry's safety (if he's not being pulled back in response) and so I hope they considered carefully the impact of this report.
Why do they have to send the one with non-thinning hair to the front lines? This says that the fact that he was serving was supposed to be on a media blackout, but was recently broken by the Drudge Report. I have a love/hate relationship with the Drudge report, it does serve a valuable purpose in making a lot of stuff known that might otherwise be. However, it cannot pretend its not part of the news media and there are a few things which should not be reported on. This will have an impact on Harry's safety (if he's not being pulled back in response) and so I hope they considered carefully the impact of this report.
Reading week.... not
So it's my first year as a graduate student and I have for a long time thought that once I got to reading week I would be annoyed and sad to keep having to go to work when all the undergrads are off having fun in the sun. And I have been terribly envious of all the people posting pictures of their lovely looking vacations, especially from the people who went on this year's Queen's biology field course to Argentina. This time last year, I was tramping up hills galore in Mexico, looking very outdoorsy and while not having a proper vacation, I was warm. Oh so warm.
These days, as it is currently -16 degrees in Montreal, the closest I'm getting to Mexico is when I break a sweat on the elliptical. Le sigh.
But I have to admit, that beyond the holidaying envy (which is somewhat assuaged by my plan to run off to Costa Rica next winter with my labmates).... working through reading week is not that bad. The shuttles are still running and there was about 6 people when I took it on Monday and Tuesday. The traffic seems not so bad. My friend who I carpool with is back now, and so I've gotten to ride in comfort (thanks to Starbucks both mornings) the last 2 days. And it's blissfully quiet out here on Mac. I don't have to try 2 different bathrooms to find an available stall. There are no undergrads screeching at each other outside my door. I'm even being pretty productive. So while I would prefer to be on a beach, being in my lab listening to Kylie Minogue is really not so horrible.
Liz (see the roomie at the right) has been posting several messages to the cat recently as she's been working from home and had more opportunity for the cat to get her up in the morning. When I'm going into work I often get up before the cat thinks is sane so I'm usually safe from her trying to get me up. So without that option for blog writing, and no undergrads to rant about, I'm not quite sure what to finish this post with except for..... HAWKESLY! Seeing him tomorrow night, so excited, although I don't seem to have developed the tourrets that Ashleigh has. With that bit of non-PCness I guess I'll get back to work.... ;)
Sunday, February 24, 2008
Thursday, February 21, 2008
Welcome to CANADA
Dear undergrads sitting next to me in the library study area: complaining about being cold will not bring you sympathy when you're wearing a TANK TOP with half of your stomach showing. It was -17 this morning, you're sitting next to a window. Could there possibly be a draft? The sweatpants you're wearing are a good start on the bottom, as are your giant weird moon boots but I think you're working against yourself with your choice of wardrobe for your top half.
I'm currently sitting here because my primers that I need to start working today aren't here yet, and I can have my coffee here as I work (fine, look at articles while I check facebook, but I am organizing my thoughts....). You are likely sitting here studying for your upcoming Biochemistry midterm while skipping another class to do so. I think I'm beginning to see a trend in your logic.....
I'm currently sitting here because my primers that I need to start working today aren't here yet, and I can have my coffee here as I work (fine, look at articles while I check facebook, but I am organizing my thoughts....). You are likely sitting here studying for your upcoming Biochemistry midterm while skipping another class to do so. I think I'm beginning to see a trend in your logic.....
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
Ahhhhh
Ingredients for a great night:
-eating KD and dogs
-American Idol with cute boys singing and Paula being absolutely batshit (your voice is coming from beautiful colours.... WTF?). I want to know what she's on.
-my roommate's magic hands getting rid of the tension in my neck
-Barack slapping down Hillary in Wisconsin
-the West Wing on DVD, and early to bed (also not having to get up super early tomorrow!)
Combined with the possibility I may have solved one of my lab troubles, I'm having a pretty good night. Hope you are too.
-eating KD and dogs
-American Idol with cute boys singing and Paula being absolutely batshit (your voice is coming from beautiful colours.... WTF?). I want to know what she's on.
-my roommate's magic hands getting rid of the tension in my neck
-Barack slapping down Hillary in Wisconsin
-the West Wing on DVD, and early to bed (also not having to get up super early tomorrow!)
Combined with the possibility I may have solved one of my lab troubles, I'm having a pretty good night. Hope you are too.
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