Trapped in the Midwest

One western New Yorker girl's adventures in graduate studies trapped in the Midwestern United States!

Thursday, September 21, 2006

"Help, there is a fire under my ass!"

Tuesday I got home at like 7:30! That is way late. I made some tasty couscous and then proceeded to bask in the glow of the boob-tube (which didn't have any boobs whatsoever on it all night). I watched "The Class", "How I Met Your Mother", parts of "2 and a Half Men", and a little bit of "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip". The first 2 were good, the middle one I didn;t watch enough to care, and the last royally blew. Saurah Paulson plays some uber-Christian beotch, which amuses the hell out of me cuz she's been dating a woman for like ever.

Wednesday morning I had a weird adventure dream involving Derrick from the gay group. I was woken up by my cat sitting onmy nightstand and knocking off my cell phone because I did not give him his food at night (so he leaves me alone!).

Swapna showed up to teach the froshies. I swear to God, teaching these kids is like herding fucking sheep! I think the sheep would be brighter than the students.

We moved the microtome and all my crap back to the Med building, just to someone else's lab. I proceeded to slice and image nearly a whole half of a snake head in about 4 hours. Not bad! Things came out mostly clear, and it was actually not too frustrating. I still have much to learn about this crap.

I ditched out at 4 to go home and eat and relax. I ended up taking a shower and going to the grocery store. I REALLY wanted to try those new fruity Cheerios. They really are just like mini Fruit Loops, but still tasty.

I got back just in time to watch "House" which was awesome. He figures out what is wrong with the guy by looking at some little nympho's red thong booty who has taken a liking to him as she walks away. Bloody brilliant! During "House" I also watched the new "NCIS". It was all about the sexy Ziva! She plays an Israeli on the show, but was really born in Chile. I love Abby and her farting hippo. It was awesome too.

I woke up tired on Wednesday. I didn't even take the time to grade my lab's quizzes and turn-in sheets yet. I had Histology (we learned about bone and cartilage cell crap). I stealthily graded quizzes while she blabbed. I did never finish the turn-in sheets though. I ditched out of lab super early to go meet with George, Angie, and Dr. Doung about the BBC crap. It went well. I showed them my sectioned block images and how I was slicing and imaging things.

After the meeting I had lab. It was again uber-boring, but it went so quickly! I finshed like 35 minutes early.

Although I was sleepy I went back to the Med building to play with the reconstruction program. I still have things to figure out. This program has really put a fire under my ass to get shitr together and coarsely figured out. I hope I can keep my dedication after my little vacation ends. Unfortunately, the BBC will not be able to film the model while here. They will have to wait. On that point, apparently we are the last stop for footage for the program and it will be airing in December some time. George is hoping I have a decent model by the end of October. So am I. That would put me closer where I need to be.

While getting frustrated, I decided to again, ditch out early and go see 'The Black Dahlia'. I turned off the camera, dessecting scope, computer, and lights and locked the door.I headed upstairs to say by to Beth. Lo and behold, her family had stopped by to get some form from her. I met her husband and her 2 kids. Her little girl likes snakes and her little boy is adorably energetic. I chatted with them and then bailed at 3:45 so I could catch the 4 o'clock show.

Zooming to the theatre, I made it there a few minutes after 4 while the trailers were airing.
The movie 'Children of Men' look really good! So, the movie...all the reviews I read were true. It was a bit cheesy and was so "noir light". Brian de Palma, what are you doing to us?! Josh Hartnett generally sucks, especially when he is all angry and crap. The other guy was also cheesy. Scarlett Johannsen was smokin' hot and cheesy. Though her magnificent ta-tas stayed under wraps. Hilary Swank was fake accenty cheesy, and Mia Kirschner was channeling her character from "The L Word". Mia was the best out of the main people. Who was in the movie that surpsied me was Jemima Rooper (famous for her Thelma the dead lesbian ghost from the UK's show "Hex". She plays a friend of Betty Short (Mia). They do each other in a stag film. Not too bad! And I got to se her boobs. Mmmm... What was amusing was all the cops watching the film getting disgusted and pissed off about it.

k.d. Lang was in the movie as a singer at a lesbian night club. She was looking kind of old, but sounded fantastic.

Though the real murder was never solved, they did in the movie. Fairly twisted. Fiona Shaw (another Briton and happens to be dating the fabulously bisexual Saffron Burrows) was amusingly psychotic. Like Aunt Petunia from 'Harry Potter' only like 1000 times worse.

Overall, I would wait to rent it. Don't run out and see it. Or go to the super cheap $2 theatres.

I zipped off home and had more couscous for dinner. My new DVD arrived. It was something I was very excited to see and I am super glad I bought it. It was 'Hard Candy'. It was awesome. Basically, a 14 year old girl meets a 32 year old guy online and turns the tables on this pedophile. She does an awesome job for being so petite and skinny. Ellen Page is marvelous!

In the middle of the movie, tv came on so I stopped it. I watched "Bones" and "The Biggest Loser" (aka Fat Camp, as Kailea calls it). Both shows are always good so I flip-flopped. I finshed watchinfg the movie while I was still talking to Kailea baout her dying. They took 8 vials of blood from her for tests on Tuesday. She gets to go back on Monday.

After some ok sleep, today I woke up at like 6, but did not move until 6:30. Even then I was not dressed until 7:30. I had more mini Fruit Loops and bailed. I-Han finally got rid of all the recycleables!!! No more beer, tea, or milk things on the floor and counters anymore!!!
I am a terrible housemate. This morning he asked if he could turn the air down. I said sure, but I will probably make it cold again when I get home tonight.

Arriving at school I found ok parking and headed to the science building to, no, not read for class I had in like 30 minutes), but play on the internet. I got to class and it went so fast. We finshed 30 minutes early. I actually contributed some good stuff today. Not too much, but enough. I don't know that much about birds.

I found George and he and AK (original snake guy) were being filmed by some local crew thing. They want to film me some other time. That is fine, I do require some warning though. I don't want to have furry eyebrows, ripped jeans, or a shirt that says "Oregon: Dam Beavers!" on it.

I went to the TA meeting and totally did not pay attention. I decided it would be more fun to alphebetize my students quizzes and turn-in sheets that I have to grade. I think I'll bring them to the airport with me so I am being functional while I am bored senseless.

Back to find George, but I found Angie looking for AK, so we chatted and then Jared (python buy) found someone's little fence lizard running around the lab. Shush! No one needs to know that an animal went missing that was NOT stolen. "Aaaaaah! It is a dangerous venomous fence lizard! Don't let it bite your toe off!". They are so cute. They look like teeny snack-sized dinosaurs.

I went over to the Med building to play on the reconstruction program again, but things were not working out so I am here now blogging. I will not get around to it again until Monday some time. If I forgot to mention, I am heading to North Carolina for the weekend for my friend Eileen's wedding reception. She got hitched in Vegas, and is having a huge outdoor BBQ at her husband's father's house on some lake in northern NC. Should be loads of fun. I have not seen her since May 2003. Dan (Columbia PhD Economics guy) who I have not seen in well over a year is picking me up in Richmond. Erich (Carnegie Melon PhD BioStats Chinese guy) who I have not seen since like spring 2004 is also coming down. The 3 of us are staying in a hotel together. Not sure who else I know from college that is coming, but I think it is just the three of us from our little crew with Eileen. No Greg and no Lyd sadly.

So I am off. I have to go pretend to do more work and go home to clean up al the scattered cat litter, do the dishes, take a shower, pack, and veg out for a bit. I have to make sure I-Han knows how to take care of Eddie while I am gone.

So much good tv on tonight it is sick. "My Name is Earl", "The Office", "CSI", and "ER" are all premiering tonight. Whew! I only get like 5 hours of sleep tonight. I am waking up at like 4 to leave to drive to Indy for the airport. Always fun. I already made sure I put my Ditty Bops CDs in the car so I can sing to stay awake so early. Bye!

Random fact of the day: After my little trip to NC I will resume my summer diet. I seem to have gained back most of what I lost before I went home for 3 weeks. Damn Rochester yumminess and stress!!! It should not be that hard to get back into. I am just afraid I'll be peeing every 20 minutes when I start drinking like 100 oz of water each day again. It takes a good week to stop peeing so much.