9/30/2004 11:42:00 PM|W|P|taoofcoffee|W|P|Tired. I am feeling like poo (excretement) today. Huge headache, blah, etc. Another unproductive Thursday. I always place huge hopes on Thursdays, like they are my saviour or something. Like, "I have no classes on Thursdays so I am going to clean, study, spend time with the kids, repave the driveway and stucco the house!" I am lucky if I manage to rinse the coffee pot. I should just quit with the expectations already. I am getting excited for the Fisheries Mgmt fieldtrip next Friday. Should be pretty cool. I didn't write last night, but let me just say that 90% of last night's Fish & Wildlife club meeting was complete bullshit. I am just getting really sick of the narrow minded attitude of most of the guys in there. Everything is about Game. I am not a game gal. I am a tree hugger, dammit. I don't want to yammer on about hunting and crap like that. I joined because I thought the possibility existed that I would be exposed to cool opportunities or meet like individuals. Not at all. Talk about your future Game Wardens (now: Conservation Officers [bullshit]) of America meeting. I feel so out of place. Sometimes I feel like I am so at the wrong school. No one seems to care about the types of animals I want to work with. It's all about fish, birds and deer. *sigh* I should have gone to U of I. Rose called tonight. I haven't heard from her in a 'coons age. She felt sorry for me because of my current sitch, but I assured her that I am actually doing better than I have in years. I hate it when people feel sorry for me. Yeah, I get crapped on but not as bad as so many others do. Feel sorry for them. She is still slaving away for Allsups, poor girl. Some people never learn. Otherwise, she seemed okay. She was shocked to hear that my Dad died. I didn't want to talk about it. I just read this blue marlin paper for our Fisheries discussion tomorrow. There are tons of problems with it so it shouldn't be difficult to come up with questions for tomorrow. I am doing a little research tonight on some questions I had with it. What a geek I am. Tired. Tao|W|P|109660932579251198|W|P||W|P|taoofcoffee@gmail.com9/29/2004 04:55:00 PM|W|P|taoofcoffee|W|P|Well, I survived the tests. It was actually a lot easier than I thought it would be. A lot of the students from class said that Doc made it easy on us for some reason. I don't know why he would do that, but I definitely felt "over-studied." I was up till 1:30 this morning studying my butt (and thighs) off. The neat thing is is that I actually feel like I *know* what is going on now and am not just memorizing words. The format of the test was set up such that it facilitated my explanations. I don't feel so clueless any more. Good stuff. My bowline knot kicked ass! I spied on the other classmates tying theirs and a lot of those "rancher" type guys had to try two or three times. Take that, heeeyaah!! Kickin ass and taking names.... I am waiting here for the Fish & Wildlife club meeting to begin. I am the official web designer for the group and I need to find out what information they want on the site. I feel drained and would just as soon go home and retire early. I hope I can sleep in a little tomorrow. I need to get out and do some bird watching for Dr. Keller tomorrow morning. It's freakin hot in here. This campus is so maladjusted. Some rooms are freezing because they've been crankin' AC all day while others feel just plain sauna-esque. This library is definitely on the sauna side of the spectrum. I still have the fisheries discussion paper to read for Friday. I should be doing that now but, to be perfectly honest, I am all schooled out right now. I need to just veg and surf the net or something. My synapses have fired too many times already. I also don't feel like doing the geek dispatch right now. Maybe later but definitely not now. I am happily married. I am currently harboring two micro-crushes on the unlikliest of fellas. I should stop. What do you do when you find yourself attracted to someone when you know that you would never, ever, ever act on it? Can you enjoy the crush for what it is or should I be flogging myself with a wet noodle right now? I'd like to vote for enjoying the crush. It's actually been years since I have even been attracted to someone other than my husband, so I think I have a little leeway?? No, I don't. I suck. But sometimes it is okay to suck. I feel sufficiently exposed now so I should probably end here before I open a "confessions" section. Ew. Tao |W|P|109649961862719360|W|P||W|P|taoofcoffee@gmail.com9/28/2004 05:02:00 PM|W|P|taoofcoffee|W|P|Alright. Screw fisheries managment right now. I am grieving. I keep thinking about when my Dad lived in that tiny apartment on Water St. and how I talked to him about the Twin Peaks soundtrack. My Dad loved a lot of different kinds of music and jazz was definitely one of them. I figured the progressive and moody jazz of Angelo Badalamenti was something my Dad would dig- which he did. I burned him a copy of the sound track and he loved it. I miss having someone to discuss music with. Dammit, I miss him! I can't help but think about what a crappy daughter I was. I mean for years I completely gave up on him. I wrote him off. There is no going back and changing that now. I hope he forgives me. I was such a stupid teenager. The big picture was so small back then. And now I am so small. Two tests tomorrow and I am not worth a shit. How the hell can one study when all they can think about is their dead father? My GPA was nice while it lasted. Tao In the words of the late, great, Kurt Cobain, "I miss the comfort in being sad."|W|P|109641256356653536|W|P||W|P|taoofcoffee@gmail.com9/27/2004 02:50:00 PM|W|P|taoofcoffee|W|P|I have had it up to my eyeballs with the guys in my classes that chew tobacco!! It's so disgusting to not only watch them dip, but have to listen to and see them spit it out in their little spit cups. The absolute worst are the ones that spit it into Coke bottles so that you can actually *see* it. Gag!!! It is so freakin' vile that I can barely type about it. You can't light up a cigarette in class so why is it okay to chew in class? It's disruptive (I know I sure as hell can't concentrate when I hear them spit- it makes me queasy) and just plain foul. I can't believe that none of my professors have called them out on it! This morning before class started, the guys were actually passing around a container of Copenhagen so everyone could get a good dip. There were at least 7 guys chewing in my Fisheries Management class this morning. I would like to say that my opinion of them, personally, goes down the tubes when I see behavior like that. I think it is very disrespectful to, one, their classmates and, more importantly, the professor. I am just downright pissed right now. Not only that, I get the feeling that these guys are constantly trying to intimidate me by telling me how difficult this degree plan is. If they had any knowledge of the kind of barriers I've had to overcome in my life, well, they sure as hell wouldn't think that Fish & Wildlife would knock me down. As if. Wow. Now that I have that off my shoulders, I feel about 15 pounds lighter! ;-D I learned a lot in school today. Genetics didn't suck, which was nice. We talked about euchromatin, heterochromatin, nucleolus, kinetochore and chromatids. A lot of it was review from the ghost of Biology past, so I wasn't completely boggled. Being able to follow along makes a huge difference, IMHO. In Fish. Mgmt., we learned about Passive Entanglement Devices, their advantages and their disadvantages. Most of it I had heard in my Intro Fish & Wildlife class so it was another case of being able to follow. Except when Doc started talking about Catch/unit effort and non-parametric sampling. I was looking for an escape exit. He said to us, "Why is that you guys always glaze over when I start talking about statistics? Quit glazing. This is important." I felt bad, but some of this info is so far over my head, I would need to sit in a lawn chair suspended beneath helium balloons to catch it. In Vert. Zoo, we talked about Gnathostomata (jawed vertebrates). We spent the majority of class discussing why and how jawless fish made the big move. It was cool. We learned that according to Mallat, jaws were not developed for feeding but for respiration. Fish basically evolved their branchial arches until they became the jaws that they have today. With each step of their evolution, the fish were able to respire and use oxygen more efficiently. It wasn't until the jaw fully developed that it became advantageous for feeding. Neat, eh? Ecology started out bleh, went up the hill called "fascinating" and crashed back down to "shoot me." We discussed water relationships again, which was a'ight, but not a'IGHT. The fascinating (to me, at least) stuff was about the way that dissimilar organisms use similar means of water regulation. Such as Saguaro cacti and Camels*. I thought that was great. Then we were on to energy and nutrient relations and talked about photosynthesis. Don't get me wrong, if we are discussing photosynthesis in its most superficial terms, it's great. When it gets down to ribulose biphosphate or phosphoglycerid acid, I'm hanging on by a thread. There is a glimmer of hope here, y'all. Looks like Wednesday we'll be going over pred/prey relations. My favorite. I talked to Doc about some questions on the upcoming test. He's such a nice guy. I am definitely still worried about the test, but it helps going to the source and not going by the rumour mill. I must admit, I am in complete awe of his intelligence. Humbles me, it does. On that note, I must return to studying. I don't want to make an ass out of myself Wednesday. (I did conquer the Bowline knot, so yea!) Ciao, Tao P.S. The spell checker suggested that I replace "freakin" with "foreskin." Whaddya think? *geek note: While Saguaro cacti store water in their "limbs," camels don't actually store water in their humps. They store fat, which produces water when it is metabolized. Awesome.|W|P|109632098530825551|W|P||W|P|taoofcoffee@gmail.com9/26/2004 01:07:00 AM|W|P|taoofcoffee|W|P|Maybe I shouldn't have gone running tonight. Whatever sinus issues may have been playing hide and seek are now playing "you're it." Ouch. My head hurts. This weather we're having is fabulous. I just love the rain. I am experiencing the side-effect of sleeping in: not being able to sleep. I don't feel like I have had a very productive day, as is my usual Saturday mantra. Why do today what I can put off till tomorrow? There's this really strange song right now. Kind of spoken word with a pop track, complete with soul singer, in the background. Going on and on about obesity and Bill Gates and legalizing marijuana. The latter statement being something high (no pun intended) on my platform when I run for president of the USA in 2054. *snicker* Seriously, I don't smoke weed now and haven't since I was 20, but I fully support legalizing it. I think it's a crime that alcohol is legal, which is totally dangerous & violent in the wrong hands, whereas pot is fairly harmless and sends folks to jail. I could go on about this for days, but I'll save it for another time. Suffice it to say that I think this country has its head up its [add expletive here]. For the record, I don't drink, either. Wow, that was weird. Almost like an out of personality experience. I *hate* politics, but, as I grow older, I find it completely unavoidable. Pooey. On a lighter note, I finally remembered to buy fish food for my friends with fins. They've been on a cucumber diet for the past two days. Don't get mad. They like it, I assure you. Now they can resume a healthy balance. I need to stop. I'm out of control with the mundane. Tao |W|P|109617998901363461|W|P||W|P|taoofcoffee@gmail.com9/25/2004 04:58:00 PM|W|P|taoofcoffee|W|P|Hell yeah! Alt Nation just played my request! This is why they rock so much. What other station would play Soundgarden's "Burden in my Hand" (get the mp3) but Alt Nation? None of the crap on the air waves here, that's for sure. I'm so happy. It's the little things. Not only that, Alt Nation has been playing killer music the whole time I have been transcribing my notes (just finished). And now? Beck - Loser. One of my all time favs. Life is good. Tao|W|P|109615369110711405|W|P||W|P|taoofcoffee@gmail.com9/25/2004 10:01:00 AM|W|P|taoofcoffee|W|P|Damn it to hell! Blogger did it again! Blogger is a booger!! (Easy on the ex. points, girl!) I wrote another eloquent passage for the benefit of you great people but it ended up for yours truly only. Argh. I can't stand it when that happens! Well, here's the gist of what I was posting: My coffee tastes like a bean dream this morning. Fabulous. I had a Peaks quote and everything, but now it feels lost in the moment. Sorry. I slept in today. Orgasmic, it was. I would like to thank all the bedding who made it possible: flannel sheets, down comforter, puffy pillows. I couldn't have done it without you. I didn't even have any of my usual weird-burger dreams, so that's cool. We had terrific thunderstorms last night and rain this morning. The lightning show in the pm was all that and a cup of Foglifter. Now everything looks that intense green that I heart so much. :-) I am transcribing Fisheries Mgmt notes into Word today. I know a lot of people think that practice is useless, but I feel like it helps me. So, *raspberry++ on you*! My big sis got a job! (She graduated back in early August.) She was super worried about it, so I am SO happy for her! You rock, Re! Yeah, that about takes care of it. Tao ++If someone reading this doesn't know what a raspberry is, I feel sorry for you. P.S. I need to listen to Jeff Bukley to sooth my soul.|W|P|109612910155945965|W|P||W|P|taoofcoffee@gmail.com9/24/2004 07:02:00 PM|W|P|taoofcoffee|W|P|Phew. Better now. Back from the Doctor and the prognosis is: I am an official hypochondriac. Just kidding. I guess it is excess fluid backing up in my sinus cavity. Strange thing is that I can breathe wonderfully, feel no pressure or any other sinus-type symptoms. No fever, dizziness, vision problems, nada. So, I was ordered to go buy the Wal-Mart equivalent of Afrin (I'm not shitting you, that's what the doc said!) and follow up with my PCP next week. As if. Well, I'm going to kick start the geek dispatch since it's officially the weekend and I'm feeling just fine. Genetics, ah, genetics. Does it ever get any better than this? Prolly not. Okay, today was Autosomal recessive/dominant disorders and sex-linked recessive disorders. Actually, it was fairly interesting for a change. Then Dr. Cho had to screw up a good thing by dissecting chromosomes again. Barf. We had a lively discussion in Fisheries Management over some Primary Literature we had previously read. (We do this every Friday, btw. We are all expected to come up with two meaningful [who needs that?] questions every week to contribute to the discussion.) Today was the first day that I actually enjoyed this chore. I think it helped that my group consisted of a lot of kick ass guys. Vert Zoo started off horribly! It felt analogous to accidently showing up naked to homeroom wearing your ass-less chaps. Yeah, that good. Dr. Keller gave us a pop quiz that I managed to miss all but one question on. However, I now know what a heterocercal tail* is. The rest of the class was decent. We talked about Ostracoderms, Hagfishes (weirdest organism, ever) and Lamprey. General Ecology was so-so. I usually enjoy the hell out of this class. Not only because of the content but also because of Doc's excitement over certain phenomena. Today was mainly on osmotic pressure so I may as well have been taught how to make a tuna fish & kiwi on a low carb tortilla for all the brain power I donate on the issue. Not my cup o' tea. Vert Zoo Lab was a little painful because it was the fish diversity lab and basically, you have to go around and examine all of these speciments and determine what distinguishes them from other fish with similar morphology. If that sentence ran any further, I would need to start placing bets on the Boston Marathon.... My head is doing that weird thing again. I do hope this peters out soon. Okay, so now that I have accomplished what I set out to accomplish, I'm takin' off. Tao *geek note: A heterocercal tail is one that has a larger upper lobe and a smaller lower lobe. The vertebrae actually follow into the large lobe only. The advantage of this tail is mainly for the propulsion it allows but it also aids in buoyancy in fish that lack a swim bladder. |W|P|109607851242186429|W|P||W|P|taoofcoffee@gmail.com9/24/2004 03:23:00 PM|W|P|taoofcoffee|W|P|School was rough today. I am really not feeling well right now. Something weird is happening inside my head and I have been on the verge of panic all day. Am I going to pass out in class? While I am driving? Am I having an aneurysm? I have been so freaked out about that I wasn't able to pay attention to anything in class today. As soon as I am finished typing this (and finish my lunch), I am going to the hospital to wait for three hours to get looked down upon. Maybe, when they are done scoffing at me for wasting their precious time (you are getting paid, aren't you asshole? wouldn't that explain the hefty bills?), I can actually get an answer to what is happening to me. It started Monday and has progressively gotten worse through the week. I can barely think right now. And to be completely honest, I'm scared. I know that it is typical for someone in my family to think worst-case scenario in the beginning and I am no different. I am probably being overly dramatic, but when this type of thinking starts, it's hard to stop. Well, I've finished my lunch, so I am off. I'll keep you posted. Knock on some damn wood, will ya? Thanks, Tao I'll post more later with my geek stuff for the day.|W|P|109606148096816913|W|P||W|P|taoofcoffee@gmail.com9/23/2004 07:04:00 PM|W|P|taoofcoffee|W|P|WARNING: click on this link only if you are of a depraved mind. Thank you. The Strange Case of the Shocker "Two in the pink and one in the stink", "two in the coot and one in the boot", "going to town with one in the brown" [I know I shouldn't laugh at something so crude, but I can't help it. It's wrong, but it's funny, dammit!] Truly bizarre. Tao|W|P|109598787180819192|W|P||W|P|taoofcoffee@gmail.com9/23/2004 08:15:00 AM|W|P|taoofcoffee|W|P|I totally forgot to mention the strangest thing that happened yesterday. When I got up and brewed my coffee, the coffee maker was singing at me!! Not only was it singing, it sounded like whale song! Now, I know what you many be thinking, "Waaaaiiit a minute! She was just talking about whale song a few days ago. She's just grasping at straws." No, I swear to you on my father's grave that it sounded like whale song! In fact, my seven year old was looking all around the house for something, and when I inquired about it, he said, "I'm trying to find where that noise is coming from." *lmao* I told him it was the coffee pot and you should have seen the look on his face! Priceless. That coffee pot is an odd one indeed. I know I should start shopping for a new one but I am tempting fate by holding on to this one even as it subjects me to its odd behaviors. (I have been buying the same model of Mr. Coffee coffeemaker for the past 4 years. [They upgrade it a little, but it's basically the same.] The first one died after about 7 months, the second lasted but two months, the third lasted over a year. This one is my champion and I am quite hesitant to let go.) Curses on Drosophila melanogaster!! I had a real problem with these bastards about 2 years ago and I swore I wouldn't let it happen again. Yet, I am plagued by them. It's because of the crickets. Whenever I buy a box of a thousand crickets, they ship with about 7-8 pieces of apple in them (loaded with fruit flies, of course). When I dump the box into the cricket enclosure, the apples and all their residents go in with them. Over a period of about two weeks, a good 50 flies may hatch. Every time I open the enclosure to get crickets, I get a face full of D. melanogaster. Rats! I could throw the apple pieces away, but when I first get the crickets, there are so many of them that I am scared to reach around in their enclosure for apple bits. Yes, I am a huge wuss, thank you! Anywhoo, the nasty little fruit flies have found a nice existence here at mi casa. I am waiting to get low on crickets again before calling pest control. Last time he sprayed, it killed all my crickets. Can't have that. Speaking of crickets, they have been catapulting themselves out of Zeke's tank a lot lately. I have found myself cohabitating with crickets. At night, you can hear them chirping all over the house. Not such a warm, fuzzy feeling. Also, Zeke himself has been testing limits (he's a teenager, after all). He's been almost successful at sneaking out of his tank. I really need to fix the screen top. It's a major breech in security. ;-) Yeah, that's about it for now. I have to study. I'm so disappointed about my Genetics test that I don't want to keep experiencing that feeling. Catch ya later, cheesy taters, Tao|W|P|109595045359017281|W|P||W|P|taoofcoffee@gmail.com9/22/2004 01:51:00 PM|W|P|taoofcoffee|W|P|Waiting for Fisheries Mgmt to begin. If I had to describe today with a completely made up word, I would have to say fangeekintastic! *lmao* It really wasn't. I really blew my Genetics test this morning and that one was supposed to be the easiest of the semester. The thing that kills me is that I studied my ass off!! Apparently, I am just going to have to start working on my thighs as well... I learned so many geeky things in Fish. Mgmt., Vert. Zoo, and Ecology today that I don't know where to begin. Okay, Lake Baikal, Siberia is the deepest lake in the world, being that it is >1600m. deep. Pret-ty deep. Not only that, I finally learned why my favorite lake, Bear Lake, has great wave action in August/September. Neat. In Vert. Zoo we talked about Historical Geology (one of my fav. subjects), always a good thing. I actually don't remember what geek attribute I learned but don't think there weren't plenty of opportunities! Ecology was a gas!! Doc got really excited over skunk cabbage! Because it's endothermic! He wanted us to put an exclamation point in our notes because it's so amazing! Are you sick of my points yet?! Phew. That was rough. I am tired and I am starting to feel overwhelmed by all of the content I am expected to learn in these classes. I feel like I have crammed in all of the Discovery Channel documentaries from one year into one week. Not good for the grey matter. I know I have a shitload of studying to do for the upcoming Fish. Mgmt. and Vert. Zoo exams. I am going to try not to let it freak me out. Dr. Keller is the hero of the day for pushing his test back a week to have mercy on us Fish Mgmt students who had those two tests the same day. You rock, G! Definitely going to have to try to unload los pequeños monstruos on the in-laws. I am going to need all the silencio I can get this weekend. All of this studying means, of course, that I will not be able to work on my website for awhile and that bothers me a lot. I hate unfinished things. I really need to work on Brewing Co. as well. I miss Twin Peaks. It brings me sanity. Okay, here's the deal: if I can maximize my study efforts this weekend, I get to watch episodes two and three of Twin Peaks. If I report back here that I wasn't able to escape into the world of Picos Gemelos, may God have mercy on my soul! Your girl, Tao * I had the best Guatemalan banana today. Del Monte, you know how to pick 'em!|W|P|109588466169078170|W|P||W|P|taoofcoffee@gmail.com9/21/2004 10:50:00 AM|W|P|taoofcoffee|W|P|Still looking for a menu. AKA "the boredom dispatch." Tao|W|P|109578548647713549|W|P||W|P|taoofcoffee@gmail.com9/21/2004 08:27:00 AM|W|P|taoofcoffee|W|P|Oh, jeez. I had a phenomenally horrid case of insmonia last night. I didn't fall asleep until 2:30. I am feeling zombified this morning. I had to call and cancel my eye exam because I feel like a cold turd on a paper plate. Never good. Fiona, keep the bad thoughts away. Thanks, dude. I am having such a difficult time finding a DHTML menu that doesn't suck in one way or another. The current one sucks (especially in ie, not too bad in scape). Thought I had found the answer to my prayers but then it would just not show up on the page for some reason. Customer support? Hellll nooo! Later gators, Keep it *geek note: Lemmings don't actually commit mass suicides. This is a myth propagated by the Walt Disney folks. Keep it real, losers!(In actuality, they will have a string of successful years and then a crash where their population drops -not by choice- and then the cycle repeats itself.) |W|P|109577682240885885|W|P||W|P|taoofcoffee@gmail.com9/20/2004 09:08:00 PM|W|P|taoofcoffee|W|P|I'm listening to the Edward Scissorhands Theme by Danny Elfman right now. It's a nice mood placer. ;-) Fairly intense at school today. Genetics was Sex chromosomes, test crosses and mono/dihybrid cross stuff. Fisheries Mgmt was all about the physical properties of fisheries. More epilimnion and benthic and littoral to listen to. Doc. asked me to come work in his lab. I think I will. Vert. Zoo was more systems. *sigh* We did get to design our own vertebrate after learning about all of the systems. One group came up with this flying man-type creature called "Timmy" that I am sure I will have nitemares about tonight. At least it broke up the monotony. Ecology was more on properties of water and then a segueway into the wonderful world of temperatures. My brain feels maxed out as usual. At least tomorrow is Ec. Lab only. I need to go out and do some bird watching for Dr. Keller. I have an eye exam first thing in the morning. I need to get some glasses to wear around the house after I take my contacts out (or before I put them in). I am a little sick of freaking out over spots I see on the rug, thinking it's a bug, when its only a spot. *L* It gets old. Sapito completely destroyed my old pair, that turd. Got the new NG in today. I haven't even finished last months. (And I was really excited about that because it has a HUGE article on Global Warming!) So, I really need to get going on catching up with those. Here's the problem- I have so many excellent new novels lying around that NG gets neglected. Even my new novels are getting neglected while I try to work on my website. I'm still mad at myself for getting 3/4 through Even Cowgirls Get the Blues and then ditching it in favor of Fluke. Bad Jenny! So many books, so little time.... I am going to dedicate myself to Genetics studies tomorrow. I really want to kick ass on the test. Then next week, I have two tests on Wednesday. Looks like I better try to donate the kids to their grandparents this weekend. ;-) Doc got really excited in class today about some ectothermic class today. I wanted to laugh so bad in class today. Doc is just too much sometimes. I'm Audi-5000, Tao *geek note: This has to be the ultimate in geek terminology- poikilothermic, meaining organisms who are unable to regulate their body temperature by means of endo- or ectothermy. Sucks to be them.|W|P|109573732707093386|W|P||W|P|taoofcoffee@gmail.com9/19/2004 04:54:00 PM|W|P|taoofcoffee|W|P|There's a fabulous thunderstorm happening right now. It's been so long since it's rained- I am just loving it. I started the arduous task of transferring my mp3s onto disk. I haven't even scratched the surface. It's going to be a huge pain in the ass, but what can you do? I actually got down to only 2.54GB left on my HD. Not good. So, I am going to back them all up and delete them off of the hard drive. They're just taking up too much space. Talked to my girl Amanda on aim today. It was great to chat with her again. I don't think we've both been on the net at the same time for about a year. So, last night it was k and today a. I'd say that's a pretty damn good weekend. :-) I finished my Ecology Lab homework assignments today and studied for the upcoming Genetics test. Dr. Cho just sent our quiz results via email (10/10 for me) and a study guide for the test. There is a lot on here that we haven't gone over. I better get crackin. I am definitely going to try to knock out a lot of the vert zoo primary literature summaries right off of the bat. That's just one thing I don't want to have to worry about amongst all the other work. Ich. It's hot in here. I've had the dryer running for hours and the utility is right next to the office, so I'm baking. Somehow the ceiling fan just isn't cuttin it. I worked on the books and favorites pages for this site. Nice to be making some headway. Music will be next, me thinks. A lot of this has taken way more time than I had originally estimated. That's because I run Netscape 7 at 1024x768 and I hadn't checked it at all in ie. Boy, what a nitemare!! In ie it looked butchered. So, last night I went through and made a bunch of adjustments. It sure sucks that so many people insist on using ie. Down with the Microsoft machine!! I haven't tested any of the newer browsers because I am downright scared of what it will look like. *L@me* What a wuss. So, the new site is coming along slowly but at least it won't suck. I promise you that. That's it for now. I really need to get on the study tip. See you in the trees... Tao|W|P|109563511234923220|W|P||W|P|taoofcoffee@gmail.com9/18/2004 03:26:00 PM|W|P|taoofcoffee|W|P|Get this- Hasting's just offered me a job to manage their coffee shop, The Hardback Cafe. During the interview, I am going on and on about coffee quality and the rewards of being a great Barista and the interviewers eyes are all lit up and she look drunk on excitement. I start going on about how to implement quality control in this kind of atmosphere, etc. and I thought she was going to fall out of her chair. She is just so jubilant at this point. And then she asks me what hours I am available to work so I give them to her: 15 hours a week. *LMAO* The look of disappointment on her face was epic. I shouldn't laugh, but, come on? I don't want to manage another coffee shop!! I want to be a Wildlife Biologist, dammit! So, that was obviously the highlight of my day today. Yesterday it was dissecting a shark in Vert. Zoo lab. Me & my lab partner's specimen was sadly sub-par. He didn't have a pancreas, a pyloric sphincter, an esophagus, a decent heart, and something had exploded inside him before we even got him open. There was nasty, yellow goo all over. I had fun probing him, though. Once you could get past the God-awful smell, it wasn't bad at all. We had a pop quiz in the lab as well that made me feel like a huge dumbass. I think I had better start studying more. I really want to get a handle on this material. I am so glad I am not "working" right now. I hate that term "working." Of course I am working, I am just not getting paid for what I do. I am going to start assisting Dr. Keller with his Warbler research. He said that he was having a tough time with it, so hopefully I can help. :-) What else? Not much. I just have tons of homework and studying to do. Oh, and I think I need to block the ebay website on my computer. I am becoming seriously addicted to it. I am such a spaz. I don't even have the money to be bidding on anything, yet I still do. Bad Jenny. It smells like lizard poop in here (thanks, Zeke) so I guess I had better start cleaning his habitat. I can't think with the smell of fresh poo in the air (stale poo, maybe. Fresh poo, no way!). Desean las heces vivas del lagarto, Tao|W|P|109554391028044496|W|P||W|P|taoofcoffee@gmail.com9/15/2004 02:35:00 PM|W|P|taoofcoffee|W|P|I am between classes right now. I have finished with all the "lecture" classes and am now waiting for Fisheries Mgmt. Lab to begin. Last week we talked about planning for sampling and learned how to tie a Bowline knot. Felt a little like being a boy scout. Let's see....today in Genetics we talked about Form of Reaction and began talking about Mendelian Genetics. You know, I have heard Gregor's story so many time now that I kinda feel like I know him. (Whoa!! This guy just walked past singing "No more mister nice guy" by Alice Cooper, jamming out while listening to his walkman. I feel sorry for him if that's the best he can find to listen to!) Any ways, back to good buddy Gregor. He's a monk, a flunky from trying to teach at University, also maybe a pea enthusiast? So,he's kicking it at the monastery, trying to put some direction in his life so he decides, "Yeah, that's it. I am going to raise a true-breeding line of green(garden) peas and start cross breeding them. See what happens." That's all fine and well, but it was not his idea. Thief!! Just kidding, G. So G had heard about this pea plant thing from Jenny from the block and proposed something wild! Let's start writing this crap down! Yeah,then maybe someone out of our super geek circle will know about this. Good idea, G. So,here we are. In Genetics class. After Genetics pretty much robbed me of original thought, I worked on Brewing Co. for about 40 minutes before Fisheries Mgmt. class. In that class we talked about Fisheries Scientists and their role in the scheme of things. Also, Doc talked to us about Basic & Applied Research and how they are not mutually exclusive. Vertebrate Zoo started off with a wimper and finished with a sneeze. We talked about the Synapomorphies and Symplesiomorphies of the Phylum Chordata. I could barely contain myself in class. I just *love* talking Tunicates. And Cephalochordates. Well, how can you follow such a huge act as Branchiostoma lanceletum? I know, rough. Finally, we get to Vertebrata only to talk about the fact that we only have a post-anal tail during development. Talk about getting gypped on that one! How much fun would a post-anal tail be?? Awesome. Ecology was the winner of the day with Tides! Semi-Diurnal, Diurnal, and Mixed tides to be exact. Plus a little Spring & Neap thrown in for good measure. Any topic dealing with the moon in connection with water is a good thing. Trouble was, Doc started talking about Mixed tides in his home state of Cali. and I started day dreaming about the wondrous coast of N. Cali. How exactly does one come back to earth after getting caught up there? I mean, I could practically smell the salt... Rats. So here I am, feeling like nerd supreme with my laptop and Nature Valley granola bar (Roasted Almond). If I don't do something, I am bound to fall asleep and end up late for class. Tonight @ 7:00 is the inaugural meeting of the Fish & Wildlife Club. Of course I will be going but it means yet another 2 hour wait here in Portales. And more time that I wish I could be sleeping. So, I haven't figured out what I am going to do yet, but it will probably not involve studying. I know I am a schmuck for not evolving good study habits. My butt hurts. This bench is mighty uncomfortable. You know, I could go to the library and start looking for an Amphibian paper to summarize for Vertebrate Zoo. Get a jump start on that. I don't want to get bogged down when exams start coming up. I have a Genetics Exam on the 22nd, so I really need to start boogying on that. A'ight. That's it for now. Hasta en la queso, Tao |W|P|109530719615153616|W|P||W|P|taoofcoffee@gmail.com9/14/2004 10:10:00 PM|W|P|taoofcoffee|W|P|Oh, yeah, I kicked Denali's ass tonight! Go me. Plus I signed my son up for Cub Scouts tonight so I am now Mom extrordinaire in his eyes. What am I doing? I need to go to bed! Shout out to my girl, Amanda! My biznitch is the shiznit. Tao|W|P|109522144746568416|W|P||W|P|taoofcoffee@gmail.com9/14/2004 09:58:00 PM|W|P|taoofcoffee|W|P|So I was at the library today, working on my Ecology lab assignment when I decided to see how this site would look on the library computers. Horrors! Drats! Egad! It was bloody awful. Too awful to describe, as a matter of fact. So, I have spent the better part of three hours trying to adjust it to look swell on 800x600. I haven't checked it yet on a 15" monitor, but I will tomorrow. My only saving grace at this point is that I am probably the only one reading this any ways! *LMAO* Well, I have a chapter in Vertebrate Zoo to read & notes from Genetics to study. *Yawn* I am pretty tired as well. Now watch, Science Channel will have something on Wolves... Tao|W|P|109522099810271745|W|P||W|P|taoofcoffee@gmail.com9/14/2004 09:18:00 AM|W|P|taoofcoffee|W|P|The lawyers just called me today about my Dad. They wanted to know all about his medical history, etc. I felt like a stooge saying, "Hmm. I don't know." "Well, I'm not sure." "Yeah, I really don't know." "Ummmm, I think it may have." I mean, come on! How is it that I knew so little about what was happening to him? Talk about feeling like a crummy daughter.|W|P|109517509643657226|W|P||W|P|taoofcoffee@gmail.com9/13/2004 05:25:00 PM|W|P|taoofcoffee|W|P|Well, another day another.....day. Heh. School was okay today. I learned a lot of interesting things. Okay, I definitely think there will be a tie between Ecology and Vertebrate Zoo as to my favorite class. Fisheries Mgmt. at a distinct third and Genetics, the underdog, is so far behind it'll never catch up! It was pretty toasty today. My Genetics class and Ecology class are in the same room- well, any ways, I am starting out backwards or something. Okay, this morning when I went to Genetics it was uncomfortably warm in there. By the time I hit Ecology this afternoon, it was downright Mexican border town. The body odor was horrific and the heat! Well, thank God I am at home now in my nice little climate-controlled universe. So, I have spent the afternoon paying bills and running errands. How exciting!! I know, the fun never stops at casa tao. I have yet to tackle the growing beheamoth of dishes that I think I'll nickname "Denali." At least I did the laundry this weekend. Yea for me! I'm sooooooooooooo tired!! I stayed up way too late trying to work on a computer graphic. Why is it that I can sit for hours working on a graphic or a web page until it's done, but I can't sit and study for more than, like, 20 minutes? I am such a freak. Okay, so there was the graphic thing plus, when I finally shuffle off to bed, I flip on the Science Channel (my preferred nighttime station) and they are showing a program on Whale song!! How unfair is that? Of course I had to watch it! So, there I am , 12:30, exhausted and using every ounce of energy I have trying to stay awake for this show. All the time knowing that I have to get up at 5:30. The Science Channel boggles my mind. Why is it that, at 9:00 they're showing something like "How drywall is made" (shoot me now) and at midnight they play Whale song? That's so unfair to an animal geek like myself! Animal Planet is being taken over by the noble animal police of nyc, detroit, miami, etc. And don't even get me started on King of the Jungle II!! Give me Growing up Grizzly anyday. And when will Jeff Corwin be back on? I am starting to have withdrawls.... I know what's wrong with my day. I've only had 1.5 cups of coffee today. I forgot to bring a mug of it to school this morning. Throws everything off balance. Here's to a cohesive tomorrow! Cheers, Tao |W|P|109511790019492792|W|P||W|P|taoofcoffee@gmail.com9/11/2004 04:27:00 PM|W|P|taoofcoffee|W|P|I am totally pissed!!! I had, like, an entire page post written and blogger erased it!! You suck, blogger!! My vengeance is upon you!!! I put a lot of thought and emotion into that and now what do I have? Nada, nothing. Oh, well, here goes nothing or something depending on how you see the glass: I am taking these classes this semester: 1. Genetics 2. Fisheries Management & Lab 3. Vertebrate Zoology & Lab 4. General Ecology & Lab So, it's going to be tough, but I think I will enjoy most of it, excepting Genetics, of course, ew. The more I study Ecology, the more it fascinates and excites me. So, I definitely think that that class will rock. Once we get past clades & phylogenies in Vertebrate Zoo, that class should kick ass as well. It's hard to get excited about Fisheries Management because I don't want to work with fish (I like to fish, but I don't want to have to worry about the way everything affects them). I do find some of it interesting and I think that some of the basic aspects of management should be helpful, it's just that it's hard to get excited about. Genetics just looks horrible. I'm not working anymore and it's a great feeling. I feel human again and not some robot going through the motions. I actually have time to think, feel and create. It's as if this huge weight has been taken off of my shoulders. It's nice. I've had time to clean my house, finally. Funny how my spring cleaning happens in September! I've thrown away tons of stuff that I have been "collecting" (unintentionally, of course) over the past 5 years. And I have been organizing what's remaining. My utility room & my pantry were so stuffed full of boxes & junk that I could barely get into them. Now I can walk in, do what I need to do and not get disgusted about the condition of the room. It's awesome. I was able to start updating Twin Peaks Brewing Co. again. That poor site has been neglected too long!! I have been fixing a lot of broken links and pictures and adding all this content that Amanda and I have been collecting for so long. We have enormous amounts of content, just very little time to hook it up for the fans. I have designed a new layout and have started transferring info to it, but I don't want to unveil it until I have finished with the content on the old site. I watched Twin Peaks last night for the first time in 2 years. It was great! I watched the Pilot & Episode One and made detailed guides on them for Brewing Co. I have missed submerging myself in a place both wonderful and strange.... My study habits still suck. I wish I wouldn't procrastinate so much. When will I ever change? (Not today, obviously!) I am on a health kick. I have been jogging and planning things to change my way of life. Better nutrition, smaller portion sizes, more exercises. I need to start strength training, as well. I think I'll buy an Xtreme Bowflex for my husband for Christmas; that way I can use it too. When it comes down to it, I am sick to death of being overweight. I have no more excuses to fall back on. I am done having kids so this is the time to start! :-) Motivation is hard to maintain after the initial high wears off. I miss Amanda, Kelly and Jennie. They are my closest friends and know me better than anyone else. Why do they all have to live so far away? Well, I am trying not to be pissed anymore and I am going to learn to copy this before I publish, just in case some weird crap happens. I had written a whole bunch about my Dad but it's too emotional to go there now. Until then, Tao|W|P|109493800872592066|W|P||W|P|taoofcoffee@gmail.com9/11/2004 03:49:00 PM|W|P|taoofcoffee|W|P| This is how I feel today!!|W|P|109493935542150940|W|P||W|P|taoofcoffee@gmail.com