Yayyyy! and Ewwwww! and Yayyyy!

Yaaaay! #1:
The Pistons won tonight! Miami is now leading the series 3-2 and the next game is in Miami, so we definitely still have a rough road ahead. But at least the road didn't end tonight.

Ewwwwww:
I got some bug bites on my left ankle the other day, and then got red and splotchy and itchy. To avoid scratching them, I put bandaids on them yesterday and today. Tonight, when I took the bandaids off, the splotches were SQUARE and PURPLE. Because I can, I am posting a disgusting picture. Enjoy:Yayyyyy #2:
Boyfriend got an interview today for an internship in China this summer. They are interviewing several other candidates, though, but he should hear early next week if he gets it. It sounded like the interview didn't fail completely, but I am trying hard not to get my hopes up. Why am I so excited about the prospect of Boyfriend going halfway around the world for the summer? Because hey, he's already out of driving distance, and an internship in China is better than no internship at all. Plus, it's a stepping stone to a job (hopefully in this country), right?

Culture shock

I stumbled upon a new favorite blog today. Clueless in Carolina makes my list for a few reasons:

-The blog is about life in the South
-The blog is about transracial families (interesting to me because Boyfriend is Chinese, as from-China-English-as-second-language Chinese)
-I LOVE the sarcastic, no-frills writing.

When I find a new blog that I like, I try to read it from start to finish. Maybe "try to" is not the right word. It's more that I'm excited to read it, to hear this person's story and learn what she is all about (I have yet to find a favorite male blogger). And in reading Clueless in Carolina's blog, I realized something. She mentions USC in one of her early posts - specifically, she mentions a USC-Auburn game.

I think, "When did USC and Auburn play each other? This post is not the right time of year for bowl games, and they're from 2 different conferences."

DUH. USC=University of South Carolina, not University of Southern California. Being a Michigan alumna, and having gone to the USC-Michigan Rose Bowl in 2004, when I think of USC and sports (especially football), I think of those damn Trojans. Damn them, with their LA-looking head coach and their LA-looking quarterback. Damn them with their theatrical marching band and scantily-clad-warrior-looking-mascot. I prefer my football stars to be scrappy Detroiters, my head coaches to have jowls, and my marching band to play the best damn fight song in the country without the need of a mascot.

Alas, there was a day when I used to make the other incorrect assumption - when people in Michigan would talk about USC and I'd wrongly assume University of South Carolina. Having lived in SC for 5 years, it was a natural assumption. But sadly, in the North, the only mental connection made with University of South Carolina sports usually goes something like: "Oh yeah, my cousin/brother/friend had one of their hats. It said COCKS on it. Hahahahahaha."

Looks like I need to start gathering some Southern sports knowledge...I am way behind!

Memorial Day

Family left a few hours ago to drive back to Michigan. I am glad that they came, but I am also glad that I will get a day to myself to rest and take it easy before the week starts again. Not that the week will be very busy - I am going to a conference at WashU for part of the day tomorrow and Wednesday.

I wish the library were open on Memorial Day - there are 2 books there on the hold shelf, waiting for me! One is a book I requested quite awhile ago, called "Turning Angel" by Greg Iles. It's fiction, and I forget what it is supposed to be about because I requested it so long ago, but I remember that I liked another of his books. The other book is "Why are all the black kids sitting together in the cafeteria?" by Beverly Daniel Tatum. I had been meaning to read that book for a long time - we discussed inviting her as the speaker for my fellowship's annual conference, and at that point I requested the book but never went to pick it up when it came in. Then, I got my UM Alumni magazine that includes a list of summer reading picked out by professors. That book was on there, so I finally decided to request it again. And now I want to pick it up but can't!

In other news, talked to Boyfriend this morning about moving to Chapel Hill. He seemed unexcited about it at first, but then I think he warmed to the idea. I have to let him know what I think of it when I visit there in a couple weeks. I will post my impressions on here too! (For all of my zero readers! Yes!)

Speaking of having zero readers, I am thinking of signing up for AdSense. I've noticed people seem to justify why they are putting advertisements on their blogs. I don't really feel bad about doing so, and this is why:

1) I have ZERO READERS. So I won't be making any money off of it.
2) I also won't be pissing off my readers, because they're non-existent.
3) So, any new readers I get will have to deal with the fact that I am having AdSense stuff on my blog.
4) I am a grad student, and I can use all the money I can get! At least until I finish paying off my car loan, which won't be for another 2 years or so.
5) [ADDED 7/18/06] I will be boosting the Ann Arbor/Michigan economy (which is sorely in need of a boost).

I'll probably try to set that up soon, and see how it looks. If it's hideous, no ads for me.

UPDATE [9/17/06]: No more AdSense - I made a total of $7.32, which is not enough to justify uglifying my template.

Miscellaneous

Uh-oh...my blogging frequency is decreasing...this is what I was afraid of! I would like to keep this blog as a way of keeping in touch with friends while I'm in grad school (and as a way of making new friends inside the computer), so it's important that I not neglect it! Yesterday (Friday), my mom and sister came to visit me in St. Louis for the Memorial Day weekend. Today, we went to the Soulard farmers' market again, and I bought some herbs to plant in pots. Then we hit Home Depot for some soil...my mom brought me some pots I bought in Michigan that had been sitting in her garage until now. I've got the herbs all potted and sitting on my balcony right now, but the sunlight is not the best out there. I'm hoping the little guys will survive...cross your fingers for me!

After that, we just hung out at my apartment for awhile (I have 118 stars now!) and then hit the mall. I didn't buy anything today, but yesterday before mom and sister came I returned some stuff to the Gap and got a new shirt and pair of straight-leg "capri" pants. I'm not really sure what length "capri" pants are? These go like halfway between my knee and ankle, and the straight-leg part is GREAT. I never wore any pants that weren't full-length before, because I have wide hips and a somewhat substantial butt, and those tapered-leg capris looked hideous on me. I am wearing these new ones now and loving them!

In other news, it looks like I'll be going to Chapel Hill from June 7th-9th, and after that I'll go to Detroit, then probably Chicago, then maybe Kansas to visit a friend who's moving there this week. Then I'll come back to St. Louis and start some thesis research! Since Boss's lab is moving to CH this summer, I'll be working with his statistical collaborator this next year while I finish my second-year grad student requirements.

Sorry if this blog seems to frequently talk about my plans for scheduling my thesis research! Once I start actually doing it, I'm sure it will be the last thing I want to discuss.

OK, going to watch the Pistons game now since it just started! Deeeeeetroit Basketbaaaaalll!

114 stars!

Disclaimer: This is a HUGE NERD POST.

When I was about 6 years old, I got a Nintendo for Christmas...the original NES, with Mario and Duck Hunt. I loved it...once I had a babysitter who could beat Mario in ONE LIFE and I thought she was the COOLEST PERSON EVER. One of my clearest memories of my childhood was sitting inside the summer after first grade with my friend Katie because we both had the chicken pox...but that week was made bearable because Mario 3 had just come out (and because we passed it on to our younger siblings, ha)! We were somehow able to rent it from Blockbuster, and we played it alllll week. I think we only ever got to World 2, the desert one. Or maybe World 5, but only because we warped there. A year or so later, I got a Game Boy for my birthday, and then a few years after that we got the Super Nintendo when it came out. Fast forward to middle school, and my sister and I received an N64. I played Super Mario 64 until I rescued the Princess and then quit.

In SM64, rescuing the Princess requires that you have at least 70 Stars, which are collected in any of the 15 levels and in other various parts of the castle (the entryway to all the levels). Like I said, you only need 70 to rescue the Princess, but there are a total of 120 in the game. My sophomore year of college, I got sick and played SM64 until I had about 80 or 81 stars.

THEN, last time Boyfriend came to visit, we started playing it one night and I got a few more stars...and I rekindled my Nintendo addiction. It didn't help that there was much hype at the time about the upcoming Nintendo Wii console - it all just got me more excited.

Well, tonight I reached 114 stars, and I am very proud of myself! One of the 2 stars I got tonight is considered by some to be the hardest in the game! (100 coins in Tick Tock Clock). The other is thought to only be attainable if you enter this Tick Tock Clock world such that the platforms in the world are in motion (you have control over this.) BUT...I was able to get the other star with the platforms stopped! (For anyone who might stumble upon this page by googling Nintendo-related things, I did it in the same run as when I got the 100 coins...I was up at the top of the clock and decided there was no way in hell I was going to play this world again, so I long-jumped from the clock hand to the platform under the Thwomp, then triple-jumped from one side to the other, wall-kicked off the wall and ended up on the conveyor belt.)

6 more stars to go and then I'm going to throw myself a damn party.

Update

Update on 2 things:

1) My program advisor said that indeed, I should not have gotten an A- for my rotation last semester. Hopefully that will now be changed and I will have my 4.0 again!

2) I *did* finish the lamb. It was a kabob recipe and I will not post it here because it didn't turn out spectacularly. I believe that may be because I got the wrong part of the lamb - I needed leg of lamb, but I only wanted about a pound's worth. The only way they could give that to me at the farmers' market was to give me the whole freaking leg, so they offered me shank instead. It was OK, but it was pretty fatty and kind of disappointing. And speaking of my culinary skills, I am ON A ROLL. I baked a pie today! Strawberry rhubarb...it was the first time I made a s.r. pie AND the first time I had tasted one! I liked it, but I'm not sure the taste is what I imagined it would be. It is "Strawberry Rhubarb Cream Pie" from allrecipes.com.

That's all for now...oh and I liked the finale of "24" - American Idol and the Pistons are on tomorrow night!

Thesis lab and Detroit sports

This morning, I met with Boss and asked him a few of my remaining nagging questions. Everything sounds great, and I am really excited...especially since Boss signed my Thesis Lab Affiliation Form! I have a thesis lab now! I didn't know why I felt so happy about it until I realized that now the uncertainty in my life is nearly gone - once again, I have a plan! A direction!

In a few days I'll probably start freaking out that my plan is not nearly detailed enough...but for now, I have a lab!

So, I'm thinking I'll have a couple more weeks in this current lab. Will have to give "two weeks notice" to Current Boss. She had said before that I wouldn't be expected to present, but then she said something that made me think I might have to after all...hopefully I won't.

Then after I complete this rotation, I'll go visit Chapel Hill with a postdoc from Boss's lab. I think after that trip (early June), I'll go back to Detroit to shop at the new IKEA (opens June 8th, I think? Or June 6th) and hopefully watch the Pistons in the Finals!

It's funny that Detroit is so Pistons-crazy right now (at least that's the feeling I get from the freep.com and detnews.com front pages). Since the Red Wings got booted from the playoffs in the first round, the Pistons are Detroit's darlings. In contrast, the entire city of St. Louis is rabidly obsessed with Cardinals baseball. BUT, I found out a delightfully ironic fact today. The DETROIT TIGERS have the best record in baseball! Better than the Cardinals! HA! Take that, Cards fans! The funny thing is that the Detroit papers don't mention it too much. Perhaps we, like all fans of Cleveland sports teams, are so used to disappointment that it would be too emotionally taxing to invest our hearts in the Tigers so early in the season. But give it a month or two and maybe I'll have to go out and buy myself a hat with the Old English "D"!

----------------------------------------------------------------
This message was sent using IMP, the Internet Messaging Program.

Oh! The suspense!

I refer, of course, NOT to the upcoming season finale of "Lost" (I don't watch it), but to the cliffhanger ending of yesterday's entry - "Will she or won't she prepare her recently-purchased lamb?" The answer is, triumphantly, "She will!" It is marinating as I type. Then the little work that remains is to thread it (and some onion chunks) on skewers and broil. Low maintenance...just like me (shut up, Boyfriend).

Thankfully, this entry's title does not refer to today's Game 7 of the Pistons-Cavaliers series. The last 4 games (3 of which were won by Cleveland) were entirely too suspenseful. The Pistons rightfully dismantled the Cavs today at home, and will face the Miami Heat on Tuesday. The game ended awhile ago, so I've calmed down a bit...maybe I will post mid-game in the future and share my craziness with you all.

That reminds me... I just typed "you all," a phrase that is frighteningly close to "y'all." Since the over-arching theme of this blog is supposed to be my perspective on the South, I can promise that "y'all" will most definitely be a heavily-discussed topic of conversation.

Ok, am becoming a bad chef and letting marinating process (marination?) proceed far too long. Will update on taste in next post (and share recipe if good).

Food!

Roommate and I just got back from the Soulard Farmers' Market...I realllly liked it. It reminded me of Eastern Market in Detroit (but smaller, and with no pig heads to disgust unprepared passers-by). I bought lamb, spices, fruits, pasta, vegetables and a pastry for less than $20! But now, I find myself in a VERY familiar situation. It goes something like this:

1) I buy new kitchen appliance OR cool kitchen gadget OR impulse-purchase ingredient-type food (as opposed to readymade frozen-type food).
2) I think, "This is great, now I'll actually cook and have a nice homemade meal!" (as opposed to heated-up frozen-type meal).
3) I forget to start cooking early, and subsequently I find myself starving and heating up the oven for a nice Trader Joe Frozen Food Aisle Meal.
4) I repeat step (3) for several days.
5) The appliance/gadget collects dust and the food spoils.
6) I throw out spoiled food, realize I have nothing in my house, go grocery shopping, and start over with step (1).

In an attempt to cut the cycle short, I made a SHOPPING LIST before I went today. Not just a "shopping list," which usually contains things for which I have random cravings, but a SHOPPING LIST, that was actually quite well thought-out. It was actually based on a recipe in a cookbook - "Sara's Secrets for Weeknight Meals" by Sara Moulton. This cookbook was actually an item I requested for Christmas last year, and after successfully preparing a few meals from it, I subconsciously relegated it to the same fate as my appliances and kitchen gadgets.

Here's crossing my fingers that I'll actually use both the food AND the cookbook tomorrow for dinner!

First post! Grades, etc.

So, it looks like the decision that I will move to North Carolina next year is nearly finalized. I have another meeting on Monday with Boss to ask him some of my few remaining questions. From then, it's just a matter of filling out various thesis forms, and finishing up my third laboratory rotation* - then I'm officially in my thesis lab! Sort of...it's complicated...I'll clarify later.

On another note, Boss didn't turn in my rotation grade in time, and I got an "N" grade, so I emailed my coordinator to see what the deal was. She emailed him and found out that he is giving me an "S" - for "satisfactory." This confused me, because I got a "real" grade - an A-minus - for my first rotation. That A- is bringing down my GPA! I checked with my roommate, who is also a grad student, and apparently she didn't get "real" grades for her rotations...maybe they'll erase my A-?? Very odd. I emailed the coordinator to see what she thought - I should hear back on Monday about that.

*I realize that no one is reading this, but just in case someone is and that someone is not a current, former, or future grad student in the sciences...every first-year student normally has to "try out" a few labs before choosing a thesis lab. For my program, I have to try 3 labs.