Thursday, June 25, 2009

where it's at

Hello homies.

Wow. It seems like it's been a while since my last rendezvous with this bloggy-blog, so here we are. I've realized that I usually like to blog on sunny days. As it must with most people, the weather really determines my mood most of the time, and as such, I have been quite down for the past couple of weeks. Barring a few key exceptions, which I will outline later.

But yes, SUN! I saw the forecast yesterday and humbly prepared by going to bed early (yes, I was in bed by 11:15 and asleep soon after, Wegs!) with the intent of getting to the lab early and finishing early and going outside before dark! Alas, I slept through all FOUR! of my alarms. But still managed to wake up at 8:15, an hour after I had planned. But then we decided to run Western blots--yes, the devil process--today again, but I managed to slip out at five for dinner and finish up the blot by 6:30-ish. And then I went running!!!!!

It was a good run; I did my usual loop around the Charles, which is about three and half miles. And when I say usual, I mean that I've only done it a handful of times. Still. I get prouder and prouder of myself every time. I just have to be consistent about doing it. I want to run four miles every other day if possible. Motivation needed. Good weather would be nice.
So after my run, I sat at the BU beach and watched the sun set. Two words, because the sun was in the act of setting, and I watched that. I was there for almost an hour. For the longest time, I thought to myself, If this isn't nice, I don't know what is. A tribute to my buddy Kurt Vonnegut, whom I call a buddy--even though we never met in person--because we met through his books and I give him the respect that I would give to a buddy. Fun fact: I do not know how to use the word "whom."
Two girls were laying on the beach writing in notebooks. After a while I heard one reading to the other what she had written. I couldn't really make out the exact words, but it sounded good. She was really into it. It was quiet. It looked like something I would like to do.
It was nice looking out over the water, which was slowly turning a very purposeful shade of yellow, nearing orange but not quite there. I'm still not convinced it's a real color. The river changed its character, made it a little darker. I've never seen that hue before; I should go out more often.

Anyway, I realized again today how different I've become over this past year. I think it's just being here that changed me. It's strange because I feel like I fit here, because things move so rapidly that you barely have time to acknowledge them before they're gone. I am very fast-paced person, I admit, and it's strange and interesting that living in a setting that moves as quickly as I do actually makes me slow down and look around and stop to smell the roses and appreciate things more. You know, living life... that's where it's at.

But yes, wrapping up now. I promised to tell you all about the things that made my week--maybe more than my week--really really good. 1: DRESDEN!!! Yes, I am going, yes, I am going to have a blast, YES, I will travel Europe! It is most excellent. 2: Wegs and I got Mr. Meanie Housing Manager to agree to let us room together!!! Actually it was mostly Wegs sending him a very curt and polite email in which we threatened to send our thug friends after him if he didn't change the assignment. And we didn't even have to pretend to be lesbians after all...

That's all for tonight, folks!

Sunday, June 21, 2009

t-minus one week

Greetings, Earthlings. So after much pressure from one Shellykins, I have decided to write a brief post to appease you all, dear devoted readers. Short and hopefully sweet.

It is Sunday. This we all know. However, what you all may not realize is that this particular Sunday is of great hidden significance. Forgive me. Not so hidden. Yet in exactly one week, I shall have a few fellow 9Bers actually living in close proximity to me! This is exciting because right now I feel like I have no friends on campus, which is a legitimate and true statement, and I spend my evenings whittling away time watching Arrested Development and Flight of the Conchords, and bothering people on AIM. Not to mention blogging.
Nothing wrong with all of that, of course. But it would be nice to have some company to share it with, hence my eager anticipation for the arrival of Wegs and Sarita. Strangely, it is also supposed to be beautiful weather for their arrival, and after two weeks of on-off rain, this is much welcomed.
This is from when it was actually nice out. As in, the same day I went out to the dock. Also, the bad weather has been making me fatter, since I really do lack motivation on rainy days to go running through puddles. Hopefully that ends soon, as a group of us are planning to go swimming at FitRec to work out! Hurrah.

I've been reading "On the Road" by Jack Kerouac recently, and can't wait to finish it. I hate doing a half-assed job, and so I can't just put it down now that I'm a hundred pages in. It's not that bad, but I can't stand reading for too long without some sort of major plot action or surprising character development or something that directly challenges me to think. I think I've gotten severely worse with this since Lit class senior year, but I suppose that is also my Entitlement-era ADD kicking in. Sigh. What I really want to read is both the English and original French versions of "The Fall" or "La Chute" by Albert Camus. Damn, how I love the Frenchies. So provocative are they.

Aight, well I'm gonna peace out now, Cub Scouts. Enjoy your Sunday evening.

Thursday, June 18, 2009

granny smith

Hola, my amigos! It's been a while since I've written anything and (since Imaly just so kindly reminded me) I should probably update all you keen listeners/readers on my ever-so-interesting life!

Well TGIF for one! I was just on the phonesies with ze father, who confirmed that it is indeed Thursday, which means that tomorrow is Friday, which means free breakfast for me and also the weekend soon! I actually got results in my experiment yesterday, which was exciting. We just don't know if they're good or bad results. Lalala. But hopefully I will be transfecting DNA tomorrow, which sounds exciting and badass. I hope it is.

So speaking of the weekend, I want to do fun things this weekend... except it's freaking rainy! What ever shall I do? Mayhaps I will go back to Newbury Comics and return the Iron and Wine CD I bought last weekend... because Shelly got me the same CD! Yay I can't wait to listen to it!

Blegh. Well I should get to bed soon. Grandma time!

Saturday, June 13, 2009

cruisin' around, raisin' hell

Ah, the weekend! So I've been here two weeks now and I finally went out and did stuff that I wanted to do, since I have a buttload of free time on the weekends. Thankfully, it was beautiful out, sunny and high 60's and just a tiny hint of a breeze.
Oh yes, and I finally found the laundry machines. They're located in pretty much the creepiest place ever. Like horror movie creepy. Ooooh.

But anyway, I went for a run today, which really made me feel good. Even though my knees kinda killed at the beginning. But that's the thing about Boston: walking down the Esplanade, I see so many people running or rollerblading or biking or otherwise workin' on their fitness (he's my witness). And then I feel like crap if I'm not running (feel free to disagree here). I think it happens in just about every big city (the fittest city I've seen is San Francisco, where everyone is toned and tan). I'd like to think I could be the same. So the run made me feel a little more accomplished. I want to be able to do four to five miles by the end of summer. All you runners out there, yes, it sounds pretty pathetic, but it's a good goal for me.
Along the Esplanade, there's this new "Parcourse FitCenter" or something like that. There's some contraptions -- very simple ones, mind you -- set up there for people to do pull-ups and all sorts of other fancy exercises. I've never seen girls there. The guys I have seen there while running past have all been exceptionally built and good-looking. I should stop by more often. And that's one of the best parts of summer... guys taking off their shirts left and right. The only thing you have to watch out for on the Esplanade is old guys who have lost their shirts... ew. And so we try to ignore them.

I stopped at City Co. briefly on my way back from my run... got an iced tea. The guy at the counter called me "hun." I was a bit weirded out by that. Should I be weirded out by that? Anyway, I was sitting on a bench in the shade when this little bird, maybe a baby sparrow of some sort, popped out of nowhere. This bird did not walk. It hopped, very cute-like, in a semi-circle around my bench. Halfway around, pausing only a split-second and barely missing a beat, it popped out a miniscule little turd on the sidewalk. And then proceeded to continue being cute. I found it oddly funny. I guess you had to be there.

I went to Faneuil Hall later this afternoon, had some clam chowda, watched some street performers. They were this duo that did circus-like tricks, like juggling bowling pins and knives and such. And acrobatic stunts. They were pretty cute (looks AND personality, which is the best part). I gave them a dollar, which was surprising even to me. But mostly because they used this little kid (probably 5 or 6 years old) as a volunteer and basically made his day. He was very cute also. But not in the same way.
I got two CD's at Newbury Comics, both of which I am quite excited about. One is the Garden State soundtrack, which includes music by THE SHINS! Hooray. Then, there's The Shepherd Dog, an album from IRON AND WINE!!! which I am obsessed with. Also I reconnected with my old Coldplay CD that I bought in the fall with Wegs. Lots of listening tonight.

Mhm mhm. And now I have returned from my epic journey to my good ol' computer. It has been a good day. Doing some light reading on the BU Beach tomorrow if weather allows? Mayhaps.

Friday, June 12, 2009

Loveliness in the outsidesies

Happy Friday, all! So I got done around five with my stuff at the lab. Busy days, todee and yesterdee. And then today, at the end of a two-day Western blot process, we found out that something was either wrong with the protein concentration of the samples or the chemicals we used. Two days of work out the window. We try again on Monday. Sigh.

But on the bright side (literally), after it had been pouring basically the whole day today, when I got outside it was so sunny and warm! Silly sun, where have you been? So naturally I decided to go to Warren for dinner. Dirty hippie smoothie guy was there. As always. He was at the cheesy strange chili potato station. I had one, just to appease him. He made one especially for me. I HOPE PATT READS THIS. She will be nodding her booty in approval.
There was also this "sweet Thai stir fry" at the next station. I do not think they meant for it to rhyme. Dirty hippie smoothie guy was not at that station. But I got one anyway. The tofu was squeaky. I am convinced it is from an alien planet. It's always so... squeaky. I get it sometimes anyway.

So after din-din, I went to check my mail. Sadly (this is very sad actually), I had no mail! My roommate had one letter, but it was from the bank. So I didn't feel so bad. Actually I still felt like crap. But not like really old, smelly crap that's disgusting. Just like crap sitting on the sidewalk with no one to notice it or send care packages to it.
Then I went to the library. It was closed. This was really bumming. Blimey. I really wanted to get some Toni Morrison to read. Alas.

I feel like I am telling a children's story with this post. I don't particularly care.
I took a venture down the Esplanade.
This is from where you just get off the walkee bridge:

I think that's the boathouse. It's either MIT's or BU's but I can't remember. I walk down there, on the other side of the river, a lot when I'm feeling fit. I think it must be BU's because it looks semi-nice. Lalala.

So then, if you walk down a little further, there's this little dock thingy (it's not a dock but whatevs) that I like to sit on when it's sunny. I only just discovered it last week when I was running. Even though I must have run past it all the time with Wegs and Angela. And when I say all the time, I mean kickball. Actually I mean the four or five times I actually ran during the school year. Ha.


Here's a nice view from the dock:

It's Bostie! I know everyone reading this wishes they were here... with me! Well, maybe some of you will come visit me soon. Hint. HINT.

So anyway, I should save some more pictures for the next time I post, which will probably be sometime this weekend, knowing my penchant for boredom. Penchant is not the right word. Eh.

Toodles for now guys! (Shout out to Imaly for the word toodles. I hope she's reading this :-D)

Thursday, June 11, 2009

sitting inside with fake lights



Bonjour, mes amis! So yet again, I've fallen prey to the seemingly annual temptation of blogging. When I was starting this sucker up, in fact, I came upon one of my old blogs. One post, and no more. Hopefully this one will live to see another day... I am actually guessing that it will, because it's SUMMER! which means nice weather (except not this week. or next, apparently) and lazing around and the ill-welcomed boredom that accompanies a lack of work.

Not that I haven't been working, of course! But my daily routines are very science-y. Interesting, yes, but science-y nonetheless, and when I get back to the dorm, all I want to do is spend some quality time with the good ol' Internet. Hence why my eyes are always shot by the time I decide to turn in for the night. Bah, I shall need laser surgery soon.

So, looking over what I've written thus far, it's been a rather uneventful first post. As all first posts are, undoubtedly. But I've already been under some pressure to be "intellectual" in this blog... the fact is, my life is just as boring as anyone else's. Which is why these blog things never work. I never have anything worthwhile to say! Imagine that!

Right now, I am listening to Iron and Wine's song "Naked as We Came," or in Patt's words, "the naked song." Which reminds me that she also dubbed Iron and Wine to be "summery music." I'm not sure if I agree... this song at least reminds me of a rainy day. I guess rainy days can be summery too, especially right now, since we're due to have rain/thundershowers for the next 6 days. Sadness. This is not how summer is supposed to be!
Now I am listening to Belle and Sebastian, which I think is actually summer music. They're mellow, which I like (everyone who has talked to me a lot this summer is telling me to get on with it now) and they have both happy and sad songs, which I also like! So the happy songs by them are like "yo I'm driving down the highway wid my arm out da window and it's a great summer day! lalala." And the saddish songs are for when you're sitting on the doorstep and it's starting to cool down and the sun is setting but the rays are still hitting half of your face, and you're just like "hmmm. life."

So here I am, thinking "hmmm. life." And my eyes are shot.