post-quals celebration ideas

1) An actual party (which will, in fact, occur. or so I am told)

2) Re-pierce nose

3) Dye hair pink

4) Re-watch the entirety of the West Wing

5) Re-read The Brothers Karamazov

6) Finish the complete works of Flannery O'Connor

Votes?

Things I spend too much time thinking about

I am overly fascinated by how websites come up with recommendations/suggestions. Today, as I do many days, I was looking at my Amazon recommendations. I've added 2 books that I heard about on The Daily Show. 2. I figured out that Amazon keeps recommending books that have authors interviewed by Jon Stewart. It's like my 6 degrees of separation. I take the title and "recommended because you. . . " and try to figure out how the algorithm connected the 2. Clearly, I have too much time on my hands, post-surgery. This is most fun with movies. Oh, these have the same director or one actor. Most fascinating is people who like this also like this. It's disturbingly accurate. Possibly magic. When facebook does this, it moves to creepy. Mostly because I really do know those people or at least know who they are.


Peace.

weekend

A few thoughts as the weekend (Holy Weekend) begins:
1) Grad Pub is kind of silly. Sitting outside with friends is lovely. Especially when you end up sitting on the curb with cheap beer and free tortilla-wrapped food-things.
2) I am making some kind of dessert thing for Easter with Roommate's family. As of now I'm not quite sure what exactly it will be. Suggestions welcome
3) Sara Watkins = Spectacular
4) I would like my thunderstorm now. I've been watching forecasts on AccuWeather and NOAA all day and the radar too. It'll probably be just rain though. . . like it's been all spring.
5) We got an air filter to take care of the downstairs neighbor's smoke that sometimes infiltrates our apartment. I might love that air filter more than is reasonable.
6) Holy Week services are always really lovely.

Papers, Paperwork, Passport

So I have to get a passport. Having only been to Canada when there was no need for a passport, I have to apply for one. This means special photos and Dad mailing my birth certificate (Dear USPS, don't fail me now).
Apparently, I read a lot more papers than most of my colleagues. Not all, but most. Example: today I did a brief literature search. It took me about 10, maybe 15 minutes. There is now a new 2-3 inch stack of articles on my desk. In addition to all the journal articles, I've read all of the relevant parts of The Reptile Ear, which has these fantastic anatomical drawings form the '50s and '60s. They are really quite beautiful. Also, I'm working through herpetology, evolution, and neuroanatomy textbooks. And then there's reading for class and not-class.
Now I know why I took a speed reading seminar.
In case you didn't know, I really hate paperwork. REALLY hate it. There's a fair bit of it to apply to this course in Denmark. Sheesh.
But all is well, because I just watched THE OFFICE.


Peace.

Post-Spring Break Awesomeness

I've gotten pretty darn good at whatever syndicated crossword the UMD paper publishes. Aren't you proud? Now, I know exactly what/when I'm doing this summer. Hooray. Cape Cod in late June/early July and Denmark in August, here the rest of the time. Research stuff is going well. I'm reading about 100-150 papers/week between class and research. Tomorrow I have to give a brief (8 minute) presentation, so I am clearly avoiding putting finishing touches on the power point. The yoga class I'm taing started tonight. That was fun. It's the kind that you do in a hot room, so that's new.
That's about all I've got.


Peace.

thoughts, random

It is really terrifying going to the grocery store on super bowl Sunday. Especially when you realize, only once you get in the store, that it's super bowl Sunday. Even though you were going to get food for a super bowl party. 25 minutes in line, mostly because people do not understand that self-checkout is only a good idea if you have (a) few items and (b) the ability to use the kiosk. You should file this away.

I have been given a task. It is to find the most ridiculous Obama paraphernalia in the District and photograph it. So here is the long-awaited ITEM 1:

Yeah. Awesome. I came so close to buying them, but they did not look very tasty. Actually, they looked rather gross.

1st week of class was good. Due to snow/ice, I missed my Tuesday afternoon class and the Wednesday meeting of my MW class. Class updated coming after they have all been attended.

Also, it is really irritating that I can't see more than my homepage on the facebook. How will I know anything about my friends' lives now?

Peace.

ooo. . . 1st 2009 post

Hey! New year! Neat! Too bad I'm possibly the most not-fun-on-New-Year's-Eve-person ever. Not that it bothers me.
I really should blog more.
I'm in OK until the 22nd. (hint) Glad too be here. It's pleasant. I'll be glad to get back to lab and work and class, though. Until then, I'm pretty content to read and knit and talk to the dog and ride the horse and see the people that I've missed so much.
I've been thinking about this:

(Awesomeness courtesy of Indexed)

Also: TEXAS SUCKS!

Peace.

Katie

Fake Presidents

Just a gift suggestion

This library is amazing. Possibly beyond words.