9/28/2005 09:16:00 PM|W|P|taoofcoffee|W|P|Tests, tests, tests Sheesh. I am about to go crazy with all of these tests. My stomach is just barely starting to recover after the torment I subjected to it in anxiously awaiting my Ichthyology lab test this afternoon. Seriously, it was as if I were trying to use my weak stomach like a crop or something. Like it was full of Gastrostomes (that's rocks in your gut to help you digest, for all of you non-scientific types). So, now I am drinking a glass of Fume Blanc and listening to some Pink Martini to help me recover from the day's stresses. I just received the results from my Plant Systematics test; I got a 96. Not too shabby for only studying an hour. I think I did well on my lab test today. I'm pretty sure I only missed a couple of questions. I certainly sweated this test enough to deserve a good grade. I got a 100 on my Mammalogy lab test last Friday. Is this a sign of things to come? I can only hope. I still have an Ichthyology test this Friday which I have yet to study for. Also, I haven't even taken a Stats II test yet. No sense in getting my hopes up quite yet. One thing is for sure- this semester is going to be chock full of me cramming like crazy. I have a serious case of Senioritis. Oh, yeah. Plus there's the Graduate school thing. On top of everything, I need to start looking for GRAs, Professors to work with, and to take the GRE. Wow. I need another glass of wine. I blew my diet today by getting some cupcakes out of a vending machine in the library. My stomach revolted almost immediately after consumption. Really, it was not impressed. I know better, but it was the least revolting-looking thing in the vending machine. I'm not sure what to think of school this semester thus far. I am pretty happy with my classes except for Stats; Dr. Mortezavi is the most egocentric professor I have met. My mind is plagued with more distraction than I can handle, as well. It seems as though every semester I develop a major crush on one or more of my classmates. This semester is no exception. So, when I should be paying attention to the lecture, I find myself, instead, paying attention to the way ______ shirt stretches across his shoulders. I am a case- that's for sure. Good night, all of you good people. P.S. Listen to Pink Martini's Amado Mio and be happy.|W|P|112796504094242940|W|P|Tests, tests, tests|W|P|taoofcoffee@gmail.com9/24/2005 06:44:00 PM|W|P|taoofcoffee|W|P|LMAO I got this from a link on A's site. It's from PostSecret. I haven't laughed this hard in a long time. :-) |W|P|112760921402506919|W|P|LMFAO|W|P|taoofcoffee@gmail.com9/24/2005 02:36:00 PM|W|P|taoofcoffee|W|P|My Apologies For interruption of service while I renewed my domain, lack of posting, and for promises unkept. Otherwise, I am not sorry. :-) Sorry I haven't kept up with the diet plans.... So far today: 3 cups of coffee bran flakes with raisins a banana banana cream pie flavored light yoplait Diet for the past few days 09/23/05 B: Maple & Brown sugar oatmeal A banana 3 Cups of coffee L: Flat Out wrap with lowfat, vegetable, cream cheese spread, ham, and havarti. A banana 1/2 a small bag of russet kettle chips Luna Nutrition Bar D: Carrots 2 Pepperidge Farms Oatmeal & Cranberry cookies A bowl of Cocoa Puffs 9/22/05 B: Bran flakes with raisins A banana 2 cups of coffee L: Natural peanut butter & black berry all fruit spread on Health Nut bread Luna Nutrition bar D: Cheese Tortelloni with tomato & pesto sauce Sauteed zucchini and yellow squash 9/21/05 B: Cinnamon roll oatmeal 2 cups of coffee L: Ham & havarti on Health Nut with mustard carrots Luna nutrition bar D: Flat out with leftover chili and black beans 9/20/05 B: Plain Health Nut english muffin 2 bites of oatmeal before Sapito stole it from me L: Ham & havarti sandwich on Health Nut with mustard Carrots Luna bar D: D: Mexican pizza (flat out wrap, topped with chili, corn, black beans, and cheese; baked) 9/19/05 B: Bran flakes w/raisins 2 cups of coffee L: Flat 0ut wrap with leftover teriaki steak stirfry D: Angel hair pasta with spaghetti sauce and chicken sauteed zucchini and yellow squash |W|P|112759428958397577|W|P|Diet|W|P|taoofcoffee@gmail.com9/23/2005 11:45:00 PM|W|P|taoofcoffee|W|P|Soren Rundquist: Park Ranger of my Dreams... Tonight I shall have sweet dreams about Soren Rundquist, the sexy park ranger who gave the bat presentation at Carlsbad Caverns tonight. Soren is a healthy, corn-fed Iowan who spent more time in my binocular's sight than did the bats. Thank you, Soren, for the eye candy tonight. I'm sure you are more than just a pretty face, but for me.... ;-) I'll try to write more later. Or tomorrow, I mean. I'm tired. |W|P|112754088742633854|W|P|Soren Rundquist|W|P|taoofcoffee@gmail.com9/17/2005 09:42:00 PM|W|P|taoofcoffee|W|P|Something New I am going to try and post what I have eaten for the day. If I can keep up with this, I can monitor how well I am eating. :-) Today's menu: Breakfast 1 "Health Nut" english muffin with All Fruit Spread 3 cups of coffee Lunch 1/2 a "Flat Out" with black beans, sauteed onions and peppers and cheese 1 oz. piece of dark chocolate Dinner Angel hair pasta with pesto Sauteed zucchini, yellow squash, and tomatoes with garlic, thyme & lemon peel Small chunk of sour dough baguette Glass of Sangiovese ____________________________________________ Finally, a stroke of good luck for little Jen-Jen. I went to the local video store to reward myself for mowing the lawn, doing the dishes and vacuuming the house today. I found Intolerable Cruelty (recommended by a friend, plus it's a Cohen Bros. [my favorites] film) quite easily, which is a refreshing change from the usual 1/2 hour search I go through when trying to find an older movie. I picked up two used paperbacks, The Witches of Eastwick and Roger's Version by John Updike and get this.... The checker guy GAVE me the books. :-) I doubt he had the authority to do that, but do I care right now? Nay. I have been ripped off in trade by them so many times that I deserve a couple freebies. So, that's my good luck for today. |W|P|112700805542647435|W|P|Menu for Today|W|P|taoofcoffee@gmail.com9/17/2005 11:10:00 AM|W|P|taoofcoffee|W|P|It's not nostalgia, exactly.... I wish I could visit a time where people still walked downtown to shop and window shop. Where bedding wasn't purchased at Bed, Bath and Beyond, but made at home on a quilting frame and sewing machine. A time before plasma TV's and satellite television turned us into a nation of couch potatoes. When you knew your neighbors names and conversed with them on a regular basis. When families spent quality time together doing something not involving electronics. I want to bring back picnics in the park on the weekend. I want to go to a dance that involves waltzing and fox trots. When your vegetable garden provided you with food year round and gifts of canned goods were the rule, not the exception. I want to go to a time where children still posses a large degree of innocence. I want to look on the outskirts of a town and see miles of farm land, not big box retailers and miles and miles of subdivisions. Yes, I know all of this is terribly idealistic, especially from a realist such as myself. I can't help but yearn for these things all the same. Today's society is so violent, so brusque, so businesslike and lacks intimacy. I, myself, know only one of my neighbors names. I have strangers on all other sides of me. The town I live in is starting to adopt the urban sprawl you see taking over American cities every day. It's no wonder I spend so much time in nature, alone, and contented. I can only imagine how heartbreaking it is for our elders still living to see the decline in American society. I know that, had I grown up in this mythic era of yore, I would have probably ended up pregnant and barefoot in the kitchen. That disturbs me a great deal, mind you. However, we all have to make trade offs in our lives. Sometimes I can't help but wonder if living in that time would have been better or worse? Have a wonderful Saturday, y'all. |W|P|112697785489836248|W|P|Not nostalgia, but...|W|P|taoofcoffee@gmail.com9/16/2005 08:29:00 PM|W|P|taoofcoffee|W|P|A Toast to Amanda: Amanda, tonight I drink a glass of Sangiovese in your honor. You will probably never know the place you occupy in my heart. You have been there for me in times when I really needed a friend. You have put up with my whining and complaining, my crying and my shouting. You have always given me encouragement and reaffirmed my ability to succeed when I wanted only to give up. You are certainly one of the only people who knows and loves the inner workings of my mind. Not only do you know them, you are like an extension of them; a yin to my yang. I don't have to explain random, weird behaviours to you; you understand them for what they are. The times I have spent with you (and your family) have been some of the happiest, most joyous occasions of my life. I feel as comfortable wandering around your house as I do mine. Your hospitality is the epitome of the phrase: mi casa es su casa. Your family, too, holds a dear place in my heart. Your parents gesture of bestowing me with a "Camp" bumper sticker (which I display prominently in my back window) was very touching. The fact that your brothers allow me to tease them as if they were my own brothers pleases me to no end. Viva la Familia Hicks! No doubt I will call on those fond memories as my school year becomes increasingly difficult. All I can say is that your friendship is most dear to me and I am so grateful that we met. Who would have thought a chance online encounter would become a lasting friendship? Amanda, you are one of the smartest, most talented people I have ever known. I know that, no matter how long it takes, you will eventually find your calling. I know that you have significant talents in multiple fields. I know you will go where your heart takes you. I know you won't settle for less than you deserve. You should never feel ashamed of watching the DoddleBops or for owning a Britney Spears CD. You are who you are and I love you for that. You should never doubt yourself or allow others to cause you to question your worth in ANYTHING. If other people can't appreciate you for the person that you are, well that is certainly their loss. The beautiful thing about you is that you appreciate other for who they are, not their IQs or taste in movies or ability to quote classic fiction. You don't set limits on your friends. You can tell this by the diverse array of souls who are lucky enough to call you their friend. You radiate your brilliant personality and we flock to be near you. You are a beautiful soul, Amanda. |W|P|112692548916304940|W|P|A Toast to Amanda|W|P|taoofcoffee@gmail.com9/14/2005 02:43:00 PM|W|P|taoofcoffee|W|P|Cell Phone Blues Walking across campus between class periods, I have discovered that I have about a 60-70% probability of encountering someone talking on a cell phone. Why is it that people feel the need to be in touch with everyone at all times. Where is the mystery in that? What did these people do before cell phones? Did they drool and stare at walls? They obviously need to be entertained at all times since they are constantly on their phones. I bet their parents are proud that they have spawned offspring that can't seem to go from point A to point B without the support of their cell phone. I say "screw cell phones and the horse they rode in on!" I'm bloody sick of them and wish them to go away. I hate listening to trendy ring tones, watching people text message each other (does anyone know how to write letters anymore?), and especially the fact that, at concerts, people no longer hold up lighters; they hold up cell phones. It is so gross it makes me sick to my stomach. Talking on a cell phone all day doesn't make you important. It wastes your day. All the time you are spending on your phone could be spent observing nature, behaviour, having original thoughts, contemplating things, on introspection. |W|P|112673063734592265|W|P|Cell Phone Blues|W|P|taoofcoffee@gmail.com9/13/2005 04:23:00 PM|W|P|taoofcoffee|W|P|Stardate: 752114.way too long I have totally neglected my blog and I feel terribly about it. It's not as if I haven't had things to write about. I just haven't taken the time to write them down. 1st things first: home. When I arrived in NM, my house was in all sorts of disarray. The zenith of the disaster was my fridge, which had ceased working sometime between May 14 and August 28. My guess would be somewhere in the Mid June region. The freezer was, of course, full of meat. I don't even want to try and quantify the smell and sights that assaulted me when I opened the door, so we'll leave it at that. Thank heavens my Mom and Step-Dad were there to lend moral and physical support. I could not have gotten through that week without them. Things are still improving slowly but surely. I am still cooking and eating good, healthy, foods that are mostly free of preservatives. My skin is still looking pretty good. The kids are actually eating vegetables and fruit. Get this, my kids actually request RAISINS for dessert! I love it. We're all doing well. More from home to come. There is too much to spew forth in one sitting. Secondly, school. I think it would be the perfect semester if it weren't for that pesky Stats II class. Otherwise, Ichtyology, Mammalogy, Plant Systematics and Soil Science is what I have on the brain for the next few months. I am actually enjoying all of my classes right now (with the exception of Stats II). I know it's going to be very difficult, but these Biology classes are my BREAD and BUTTER. :-) So many familiar faces in all my classes that I feel right at home there. I have been making good use of it, too. Already I have been involved in three impromptu study groups. I have a feeling my classmates are going to be very helpful this semester. What else for now? Grad School. Yeah, I think I'm going to bite the bullet. I am looking at universities in the Northwest first to see if I can find GRAs to apply for. I definitely won't do Grad school unless I can find a funded research project and a tuition waiver. There is no way I am going to put myself further in student loan debt than I already am. Bottom line is that I don't feel qualified to work as a Wildlife Biologist with a Bachelors degree. I will keep my mind open for Grad school. If the best (or only) opportunity is in Missouri or Arkansas or South Dakota, I shall go. Hey, if I can live in the high plains for seven years, I can survive anything. Thirdly, everything else. I am staying too busy to let my mind dwell on unpleasantries. I love my new highspeed DSL from Qwest. I don't miss satellite TV. I realized the internet satisfies my entertainment needs more than TV does. I have watched approximately 9 hours of TV in the past five months. I am a bonafide NPR junkie. I listen to NPR about 2-3 hours a day. I have it as one of my favorites programmed on my Sirius receiver. Also new on the Sirius receiver- the Bluegrass station. Yes, I am getting sucked into the land of fiddle, banjo, mandolin, dobro, and bass. Not only am I listening to a lot of Bluegrass, I am attempting to learn how to play the fiddle. I have busted out my old violin and attempted to start shedding some of the rust on my playing ability. My old violin has major issues, not to mention both of my bows are TRASHED, so.... I ordered myself an early birthday present: a new violin. Should be here in just a few days. I am really, really excited. I have felt that playing music has been missing in action (it has, really) and it's something I want back in my life. So, my son doesn't know it, but Santa is bringing him either: a drum set OR a guitar. I want so much for my kids to love music as much as I do. That's the news for now! P.S. Oh, I am also trying to learn Spanish. :-)|W|P|112665168290560168|W|P|Update|W|P|taoofcoffee@gmail.com9/01/2005 12:09:00 PM|W|P|taoofcoffee|W|P|Back to School Okay, I know I haven't posted in a coon's age, but I am still not ready to do a summer synopsis for you. There is way too much to say and I don't have enough time right now. Today in Soil Science, my teacher got on his "soap box" about selectively cutting old growth forest. Wait a second, is there such thing anymore? I guess that's beside the point. Any ways, he made some good points, albeit not entirely informed and then some wiseacre in class makes a crack about tree huggers. I wanted to bean him in the head with my Nalgene. Also, the teacher asked why the Tetons are considered to be the most rugged in the U.S. I said, "Because they are the youngest." Correct, of course. Not enough time (geologically) has passed to weather them very much. So, then this dude sitting next to me turns to me and says, "Where are the Tetons?" WTF. How can you not know where the Tetons are? Going to Soil Science is like traveling into another dimension. The AG Dimension. It scares me. That's the news for now. P.S. Not only do I hug and kiss trees, I will, on occasion, sniff them as well.|W|P|112559830405915485|W|P|Back to School|W|P|taoofcoffee@gmail.com