Its 9:50 am, 1 test down, one to go

In another hour, I will be done with my biochemistry exam, which will hopefully go amazingly well (pray!) and then it will be an hour of Organic lecture and sleep. Maybe vacuuming the floor first (it really needs it. Not sure what I am going to do this break at all. Maybe see some folks, but really, who knows! Ah well!

On another reassuring note, not about me, Dad has been unemployed since Monday (by choice) and already has a good lead on a new job. He has some flexibility but I know it is reassuring to him. Teaching was difficult and I believe he has decided to pursue it in informal settings rather than the formal one he had been thinking. Despite the difficulties, I envy him to a certain point. Afterall, as a career changer, he has a career to go back to! I am so proud of my Dad for his courage and humility, his willingness to take on big challenges and to know when he is not the right man for every job. I hope I have as much sense, but I may be just too bull-headed.

Another word of wisdom

Never talk yourself into thinking that you will feel better the next day after a semi-fall off a . . . well, pretty much anything. You will feel much, much worse by tomorrow. And frankly, maybe even worse the following day. Putting on clothes will beginning to be a major event, one which you should prep for by taking ibuprofen.

Any also, let me say, that although falling in a bush from a bike while talking on a cell phone maybe damaging to the ego, it leaves significantly fewer effects in the form of bruises, abrasions, scratches or embedded dirt on the palm of your hands.

Microsoft Office Suite owns my soul

I am currently in classes, running four Office suite programs. Danielle, I know you love it! My calendar is open in Outlook, I am taking notes in Powerpoint for biochemistry, I am finishing a lab in Excel, and writing a prelab in Word. Google is almost equally represented (see gmail and blogger as well as google desktop) but I do love and hate Office suite. It makes all the yucky tasks (like homework) alot easier. Though I do have some function ideas for expanding Excel!

Life is life, no matter how you shoot it

I felt a good deal more wary riding to school this morning, after yesterday's mishaps. Though I am a good car driver, I think I might be a bad bike driver. Hopefully more experience will clear up these problems, but I am used to quiet recreational riding, but riding in Georgetown traffic is a good deal different. Cobblestone, narrow streets, clogged with drivers just as anxious to get to their destination as I am, and just as distracted. Is it any shock that mishaps look frequent in the offing?

Weekend in pictures (partially!)

Bradley and Brittney's wedding went off with out a hitch (except the two that were supposed to get HITCHED! Haha! I crack myself up). My pictures are totally incomplete, so please no one see this as me playing favorites. It was just that a whole bunch of pictures did not even come out because the camera did not like the variable lighting. Anyone with pictures of this event is requested to give them to me. Please?

It was a great weekend to be in Seattle. But wow was that really, REALLY quick trip. I feel like I have whiplash. Oh well! Back to the grindstone.

Post Script. Small thanks to Declan and Mary Alyce for getting the Aly and AJ song "Potential Breakup" permanently stuck in my head. I can't get it out!!

Malia's daily words of wisdom

When riding a bike, avoid the beautiful cobblestone streets of Georgetown (or anywhere) and especially the old street car rails. They will jump up and bite you in the butt. Hard.

Second word of wisdom: if you are unfortunate enough to fall on the cobblestone streets, avoid being so rattled that you fall again on the corner of Wisconsin and M st., briefly stopping traffic.

Travel out

I am about to conclude that travelling and PMS are a bad combination. In fact, I believe I have proved to myself (and hopefully not anyone else) that PMS and coexisting with anyone else is a bad combination. I am sitting waiting in BWI airport. I think I can conclude that I hate it. It is a totally unfair judgment, I admit, but my day already at 4:45am is completely crappy. Shall I start at the beginning so you can feel either: a) annoyed with me for sharing stupid problems in excruciating detail or b) uplifted since your life is so much more together and lacking in day-to-day problems.

This day was destined to be bad, really. I putzed around last night, aimlessly killing time as I failed to focus on the important task of getting sleep after Samantha left around 7pm. Finally around 1 am, I drifted off, preparing to wake up in less than 2 hours. Unfortunately, it wasn’t my alarm waking me up, it was the shuttle calling to tell me that they were going to be 35 minutes early. Pulling out my great eloquence (ha!) I told the driver that he would have to give me at least 10 extra minutes to be ready, definitely underestimating, give that I wasn’t even dressed, let alone double-check packed and ready to walk out the door. I pulled it out, and took great satisfaction in not answering the two calls the driver made as I walked out the door, listening to my cell phone ring out Carrie Underwood’s Before he cheats. Anger girl-done-wrong music notwithstanding, I bumbled out the door into the cold with my bags. The driver got out to open the back for me and I tried to put the handle of my broken check bag down enough to fit easily. The telescoping handle, ridden with problems for the last trip as well, broke in two completely. The Eddie Bauer logo and nicely proportioned interior lining notwithstanding, the bag is piece of crap. I have had another, cheaper bag longer and the handle still works fine. The seams are coming apart from overlarge packing and criminally negligent baggage handlers, but the bag still rates better in my book. I guess I will throw away the nice looking one after this trip and just duck tape the old one.

I reached BWI at 3:55am, almost 2 ½ hours early, which didn’t set me up for enjoyment. Nor did the fact that the entire Continental Airlines counter was completely unmanned until 4:15am. Nor the closed security checkpoint. It looked completely desolate until they rolled up the gate, and there were 25 or so TSA folks, laughing, joking, generally not paying attention to the people going through except when they failed to understand requests over the hubbub. It took close to 5 minutes for the guy in front of me to understand that his laptop had to be completely out of its case because the woman kept telling him and then calling to her friend across the room about something or other. Have fun at your job, that is wonderful. But pay attention and don’t be so damn cheerful at 4am. Or if you must, do it at less than a yell from everybody, please?

So now I sit, waiting, until very recently completely by myself. Thankfully an “Irish” food place is open by the gate selling egg sandwiches. At least my stomach is not completely eating a hole in itself. Which is good because I am going to be getting on a small, extremely loud puddle-jumper to Newark in 35 minutes (hopefully, anyway). I hate flying cheap flights. They are generally completely bizarre conformations, sending you on little planes to nowhere, when you know the same company runs a completely respectable more convenient flight. From somewhere way more normal. Like DCA. Which is not out in the middle of nowhere.

Mostly I am tired and peevish. Which is not the way I really want to be going into a joyful family weekend.

A cane is on my birthday wishlist

Somehow 25 seems like an actual adult. As the my birthday approaches, and despite the fact that I am doing what I believe I need to be doing, I worry and fret. I am a student, unemployed, and most emphatically single. Apparently my desire to adopt is good. By the time I get around to having a family, it might be my only option. A wise person takes stock often and gently, evaluating and allowing for growth and different time frames, individualistic traits. I guess I always figured I would have things a bit more together now. Maybe I would finally feel truly confident about being an adult. Am I not just a kid playing grownup?

I love my bike (still!)

It is so wonderful to not have to wait. Or wait and feel silly that I just waited longer than it would take to walk. But wearing a heavy back pack definitely makes going up hill a lot slower and more arduous.

On an unrelated note: this coming Thursday I am flying home for wedding (I am so excited for this event). Ironically, because this weekend is long one, and I am already planning on missing Friday's lectures, it turns out that week will be frightfully low on classroom interaction. Today I had organic chemistry lab, which wound up quickly and relatively painlessly. Tomorrow one of my classes has already been canceled. The net real total of need-to-be-in-class classes are down to two: the organic chemistry (already done with) and biochemistry lab tomorrow. I could almost have skipped the whole week! Man, bummer!

River Flows

The river flows past

Collier Overlook

Start of our hike

Shenandoah River Park Hike

Samantha and I rented the Zipcar and drove out past Front Royal, only 15 miles from West Virginia and hiked along the Shenandoah River. It was gorgeous and wonderful to be completely (COMPLETELY!) out of the city. Samantha laughed at my interest in the slave quarters we passed. Its ok. I laugh at her all the time too.

I love it but my rear end is ambivalent

So I picked up my bike a took it for a spin, straight from the shop. From Georgetown, through Foggy Bottom to the Lincoln Memorial, where I stopped for a picture, then down and around the mall, back my the L. Memorial, Georgetown via Rock Creek Park and then near Dumbarton Oaks and Wisconsin Ave and home again. It was fabulous!

Spinach is great stuff! Mmmm

I bought a bike today. I am super excited about it! It is very simply designed with a lightweight frame, good components. Brand is Specialized. Its a hybrid- part mountain bike, mostly street bike. Not the huge tires of a mountain bike or the infinitesimally small one of a road bike. It is really pretty. (Yes I am such a girl!) I took it for a prebuy spin across the Key bridge into Virginia. It felt so good and freeing. I am so looking forward to searching out new areas and enjoying the freedom of having my own vehicle again! I promise to post a picture tomorrow. Tonight its in the shop getting set up (light put on, ect.). They are going to explain the whole shindig to me tomorrow and everything. Then I am taking it out for a spin. Up rock creek parkway, I think. Really excited about the prospect.

I also bought great new pair of jeans for the ridiculously low price of 15 bucks. How cool is that! Needless to say, I spent some money today. Ugh later, exciting now!

Sleep, blessed sleep

After a few days in a row of extremely late nights (last night was 4:30am), I finally have a night of sleep ahead. I am very excited. All my school things end up due Tuesday morning and Wednesday, which, being a procrastinator, lends itself to some sleepless nights. Ah well, still good. I love learning interesting things. Biochemistry is definitely worth the work. I am really enjoying.

Samantha is coming this weekend. We're not sure how many days she is staying but it should be really a fun time. I am really looking forward to it all.

By the way, got my organic chemistry test back today. It wasn't wonderful, but I didn't fail. Which is great!! Plus I got one question completely right. How awesome is that? I mean, cool. I figured out the molecule based on experimental data. Perfectly! Next time I will do even better!

How old

Do you have to before you stop being stupid about the little things in life? I have been slowly reading a book for two weeks and tonight I made the press for some reason to finish the last half. Now the book is done, but unbeknownst to me it's a crappy series!! I am just not interesting in reading the new book out or the five books I missed in the beginning! Just tell me the end! The short story ended. The dead woman was avenged, the big criminal bought low. But why does the dead little girl still "visit" her mother in dreams? Who does the mother end up with: the nice cop, or the enigmatic arms dealer? And why are girls so stupid we even need to ask that question? I mean, come on? Links in common or no, he is an arms dealer! Ugh, suspense fiction is so very annoying when they can't leave the suspense at the last period of the book instead of trying to carry you through to the sequel!

Despite

Despite possibly failing a test just now, I feel relieved and excited. I had a fairly good day overall. It was amazingly cold. The high was 32 degrees. Freezing. With windchill added in, it was cold enough to delay school in some Western areas of Virginia and Maryland. I got to school half iced over and just in time to miss the first physics question. But I got there in time! Biochem has started to speed up unnervingly but it buildings on foundations. This was smoothed over by the 'cup-o-joe' from Saxby's that went down smooth. Organic chemistry consisted of a question answer period that unnerved me more than anything. But Jonah, Andrew, Dave and I all went to Chipotle after, the Monday tradition, and enjoyed good food and random conversation.

I studied tout seule until our organic lab recitation (where the prof explains the upcoming). Then Lei-ann, Dorothy and I went to dinner (Subway for me). Later Greg joined us. It was fun. We talked about life and crap and everything. It got a lot more stuck in my head than would have otherwise. Lei-ann and I are planning to get together once a week to try this learning technique a little more often. Maybe others will even join us.

The test can be classified as nothing but difficult. However they seem more doable this semester. Somehow there seems to be more rhyme and reason to it all. Hurrah! Lei-ann drove me home (which was wonderful considering the walk to the car solidified my extremities to icicles) and I even got to flirt a little with a nice looking fellow in the elevator.

It should be noted at this point that my father, who has been going through trial by fire in his first teaching job, starting directly into the classroom as the lead teacher in two subjects, has decided to momentarily retrench in responsibility. What form that will take, everyone involved is unsure. Like everything else in my life away from DC and school, it leaves much . . . unsettled. However, I feel sanguine about the change. I know that all three people involved in these decisions are capable: my father, my mother, and God.

Single bus rider direct to stop

I spent part of this weekend studying organic chemistry and then yesterday I bussed it out to spend the night with Hope and Family. We went out to dinner, hit Target and Wegman's (the wonder grocery store) and then went home to watch a movie and eat brownies. Hope and I went shopping today for a bridesmaids dress for a friend of Hope's wedding. It was fun and topped off by Starbuck's coffee.

Hope dropped me off to run home via bus. When we got to the "kiss and drop" the bus sat there waiting, door open. I hopped on the bus and was quickly followed by the bus driver. And we set off all alone toward West Falls Church Metro. He told me about his house in Arkansas that he just recently bought, where he fell in love the area. He hopes to move there someday soon. So individually chauffeured to the Metro stop, he exhorted me to get home quickly. It was too cold for me to be out and about.

While this take the "mass" out of transit, it was nice to be taken care of so quickly.

To all the undervalued teachers

You never know the struggle unless you have to witness it up close. So this is a large, overwhelming thanks to the teachers who helped shape who I am now, and spent the time to help me along when I did not get it right away.

In another side note, I am done with my physics homework before 2 Am. How cool is that! Now off to bed!!! Hurrah!!

Malia's new favorite website

Even though I don't live in ones of their target cities (Chicago, San Fran, LA, NYC), this is cool and fun look at living in a city and apartment. ApartmentTherapy

Words of the day

When the choice is between quitting tonight and taking a sick day tomorrow, take the sick day. It gives you one more day to think over your resignation letter.

Thank you also to Hope, who gives the optimistic view on dog ownership: "My dog's not psycho, she just has issues."

How a crisis in confidence in MMR led to a resurgence of measles | Society | The Guardian

How a crisis in confidence in MMR led to a resurgence of measles | Society | The Guardian

Another Study Finds No Link Between MMR Vaccine and Autism - Forbes.com

Another Study Finds No Link Between MMR Vaccine and Autism - Forbes.com

Shout out to my Dad!

Because today he starts his first full week of teaching Health and Physics to high school students. And there are few things in life more courageous than starting a new difficult task and persevering when things take time to fall into place.

Always know who you are quoting

I recently placed a quote on my blog by the author, Anais Nin. I guess this just goes to show that wisdom can come from some spectacularly unwise people. While looking something else up, I came across her name for something else and followed the wikipedia lead to a summary of her life. While I can applaud her efforts to break traditional writing guidelines, her topics were less than savory for the average discerning reader. And her life followed a pattern of seeking other people to fulfill herself, at the destruction of any sense of morality and acceptability. Ok, that is mostly my viewpoint (and judgment) on her. Which is a subjective thing. What can be stated without question is that I doubt that there are many people who would state that hers is a lifestyle to be emulated.

That said, it just goes to show that you can learn for all types of people, and all sorts of sources. I hope I am open to learning lessons from all sources in my life.

"Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one's courage."

Taxi gone wild

Taxi gone wild
Try it some time. Great way to kill some time.

I not sad, just lonely

And it sucks. Its not like I am not keeping sorta occupied. Today was my first biochem test and then I met up with my friend Colleen for dinner and then a movie. 27 Dresses. Totally pointless, but cute chick flick.

Just wishing for I don't even know what. I need this time to study and be independent as I make decisions. I guess I just wish at least one of my three best friends lived in my own city. I know (you grumble) I am the one who chose to move away. But still!