soundtrak: mingle: 11 minutes

the 'I'm too lazy to write a real entry' list:

- i was really going to write an entry for real, but then i just got tired.
- i had my pathogenesis midterm today. it wasn't that bad, so i'm glad that midterms are over with. even though i only had two, it's felt like an eternity.
- going back to work today, i almost forgot where the lab was. i was just so mentally tired from the exam. the kicker was when dr. a walked in and said, "oh, we weren't expecting you today." totally killed it for me.
- earlier, of course, from gtown, i took the train with whm, one of the guys in my program. he was going home to take a nap (boo #1) and then go down to see the cherry blossoms (double boo!). i ended up spending most of the afternoon staring at the machine that we were using that wasn't working. joys, i tell you. the bonus though: i'm getting a powerbook. oh yeah! of course it's a work laptop, but it's all good. dr. a ordered one for me, but she's giving me her 'slightly used' one and taking the new one... hmm. yay; now i can carry my work home with me. fabulous.
- i really wouldn't be sitting in this chair, too lazy to do anything (and i do mean anything); i would be out somewhere doing something... but alas, i have no money. like the federal government, i'm on a spending freeze until i get paid next week. it's hard for real though, but i really don't have any money.
- talking about money, all these expenses keep on popping out of nowhere (not including transportation fees: gas (i mean, what is going on with that) + metro (hmm...)). apparently, i have to start paying my car insurance this year. i have the lowest rate in the whole family; ~$600/year (and knowing how i speed and weave, that's amazing). why do i have to pay the whole thing next month? gah! (i mean, just because i got funded...). and then, on the total random, i really need to get my hair done. my style is not kicking it right now and nic's wedding is next month. i figure if i get it done for that, i can keep it for al and timon's graduations. but you what that is... like $200 minimum. I'm trying to find a new braider (because i really don't have the time to be sitting in that chair for a whole day), but nobody can do it with the quality that my current braider does now (hence my messed up hair in less that two months by this new girl i went to... never again...)
- sorry for that random hair thing.... talking about nic's wedding, i've been so busy with lab + school + church, that i forgot to RSVP for the wedding. of course that was quickly remedied when nic called saturday afternoon and told me that she added my name on the list and she didn't want to hear any excuses (i didn't make her shower either... i'm such a bad friend)
- um... marcus, where are you? just know you are missed.
- happy belated bday to mic. now we're both 25... ok, i'm not going to lie anymore. i am 26. but it's good to know that there are people out there that still think i'm 23 (so i was told last week). i could pass if i wanted to. 26 is my year though, to switch it up and change it around. two months in and it's all good.
- i would have put up a new radio.blog today, but if you haven't guessed from this list by now, i'm too lazy to do it. maybe later. i'll let you know. also will update credits soon.
- could i get some feedback on the radio.blog for real though? it seems i always get alot of visitors, but all you guys come for is the music. just want to know if you like it or not.
- dad is leaving for kenya this week. moms and timon are visiting MIT next weekend (the brother got into MIT... imagine how dumb i feel right now). my next weekend is pretty free, no studying or meetings or whatever, so i'm trying to figure out what to do. i'm still planning my large summer bash, so party is out. the house is huge for just one person. any suggestions?

anyways, i have bored you long enough.

peace.

soundtrak: silence

the ____ list:

- ncaa tourney update: duke lost? *chi burns brackets*
- i'm really tired. this week was not spring break for me, but i took off work to study for midterms (one which i had today; the other on tuesday). even though there was purpose to my time off, i feel like it was a wash.
- the cell midterm wasn't as bad as last year; i knew all the answers to the questions. to tell you the truth, i didn't really study at the beginning of this week. i spent sunday, monday, tuesday and wednesday on the computer, watching daytime tv (and feeling dirty about it the entire time), and not showering (that's right, i said it!) i finally got my act together on thursday; i guess it was a good thing that i went over the histology lectures two weeks ago, or i would have been majorly screwed.
- i really wanted to go see the cherry blossoms this weekend, but i have to study for said other midterm (which i really haven't started studying for; yes, i know that's bad of me). they're blooming this weekend despite all the cold weather. i wish i had somebody to go with.
- i'm watching over a cute kenyan-american girl this weekend. she's seven years old and so smart; i guess all kids are smart born in the early 2000. technology is a breeze for her, which is weird, living with adults that don't know what's going on half the time (i'm really not dissing my parents, i'm just saying... i have to explain things more than once, ya know?). actually, moms is supposed to be taking care of her, but it seems that most of the caregiving has landed in my lap (i just tucked her in... awww). did i mention that i really don't want to have kids? i keep on having these "experiences" that keep on reminding me...
- so there's this guy... but i won't get into it. i don't know if i'll ever talk about it here. all i can remember is D's hex and i figure it's all this spring fever stuff (it's not even warm yet! gah!)... i don't know, we'll see...
- there's been this idea of a summer party bouncing around my head for the past week or so. it's going to be big, it's going to be huge. i'm going to invite everybody i ever knew.. *enter maniacal laughter here*
- totally random: i keep on getting stopped by people asking me if i'm african. yes indeedy, i look 100% kenyan (well, i am...), but usually there is disappointment with the reveal of my american (and distinctly maryland, i'm told) accent. i don't speak kiswhali or various other tribal languages (i understand just enough to get by, thank you very much... if i was ever stuck in the middle of nowhere, which really has happened to me...). sue me! gah!

anyways. i'm tired. shutting off saab II (if you didn't know, that's the name of my laptop) and heading to bed. have a great weekend.

peace.

soundtrak: nightmares on wax: flip ya lid

weekend's end list:

- the ncaa tourney has been crazy... all my brackets are messed up. most of the games that i've watched have been unbelievable... down to the last minute. i love college basketball; all for the glory, not for the money.
- maryland however really disappointed me this season... and then they got knocked out the nit tourney... i hope they fix it next season.
- two words: spring daggone fever. oh. my. gosh. running rampant everywhere near you. i know i keep on bringing it up, but this spring, we might just break a record. i've been cat-called, propositioned and hit on so many times it's not even funny. the thing is, i don't even try to dress provocatively (trust me, i don't) and i keep to myself (don't talk to strangers...). heck, i'm not even that cute. these dudes are digging at the bottom of the barrel. anyways... i'm just trying not to catch the fever, that's all. the cure? harsh reality and the painful truth. ouch.
- new music; nightmares on wax, from their new album (flip ya lid, you wish, african pirates), and dj shadow from 1996 (whoa buddy... takin' it back; high noon, what does your soul look like part one). maybe i'll put them up soon.
- i've been thinking about naj lately; i hope that everything is going well. i know what it's like to feel that hopeless despair and feel like nobody is there for you... so i hope i can be a better friend to her by just reaching out and being there.
- the banner is on cherry blossoms because they're coming out soon. i'm excited and i love to go out and take pictures of them. i want to go this year, but i'm not sure who will go with me. i gotta ask around.
- i took off work this whole week to study for midterms. it's that hardcore; i need to concentrate.

later people. nite.


peace.

soundtrak: coldplay: the hardest part

today was just a bad day today. this whole week, i've been waking up late for class (6-7am, compared to my 4am). i think spring break messed me up. it's been progressively getting worse as the week continues. today was just bad. i woke up at 715 with a start. i moaned, jumped out of bed and never stopped running. i barely made it to class on time. why do i feel like everything is out of control? after class, ran into aabs, but had to run for the shuttle (that almost left me too). walking down the metro steps, i twisted my other knee (just when my other knee was feeling better; i was healed even).
i really didn't even want to stay at work; i just wanted to go home and cry. i been reading papers this week trying to decide on my dissertation project. i think i know what i want to do; i just need to work on my question a little bit more. i went to this interesting lecture for class that just opened the door for more questions. i think i also found one professor that can be on my committee; he's a cool guy.

i forgot to mention that i called T this weekend. it's been awhile since we've talked. he's doing his thing and i'm doing mine. but we're still trying to find the time to call. we talked tonight, so that was good. crispy, T wants you to call him.

it's that time of year again. spring fever that will eventually turn into summer madness; you gotta watch out for the summer madness.... ugh. i'm actually glad that it got cooler after this glorious weekend. spring makes me think about things people that i don't want to think about (i.e. bbq).

and i guess that's about it. i'm doing this post off the fly. i should get some sleep so i can actually wake up early tomorrow. later.

peace.

soundtrak: nightmares on wax: mind eye

the big update list:

- the hardest part about being vegan is alot of the (vegetarian) foods that i used to eat before, i choose not to eat now. they have dairy products in them. surprisingly enough, my willpower has been fairly strong, especially in the store with cheezits and chocolate cream cookies. i think because i have been working up to this transition point (which i detail a bit more in my 101/1001 blog). if you asked me about five months ago if i could become vegan, i would have surely hesitated. but today i feel great.
- this past week was spring break. i didn't take time off, working 10-12 hour days and trying to catch up with studying at the same time, so i can take off for both my brothers graduating this year (al from graduate school with his masters... whenever he finishes that thesis of his, and timon from high school). i almost feel a little bit bitter; al is already out of school, getting a job and getting on with life (looking for a house), while i'm still in school.. just five three more years...
- talking about work.. it's official! i'm funded!! i'll be in school forever guaranteed... yay! at least they increase my stipend yearly... i'm gonna break the $25,000 mark this year...
- but my lab... i love it. friday was a trip. i was checking my email on the lab computer (i don't have a personal one yet) and dr. a was running an experiment on the other side of the bench. "what are you doing over there?" she joked, "writing about me on your blog?" i almost had a heart attack and i had the whole deer-caught-in-headlights look, but she was just playing (she doesn't know i have a blog... let's keep it that way...). but i love the whole lab... if i'm going to spend how many years up in here, i better have some fun...
- Y is pissing me off right now. i really don't want to get into it, but he's on my 'do not call' list right now. screw him.
- new radio.blog. lots of nightmares on wax (n.o.w.). i just bought the album smokers delight off itunes. it was my first n.o.w album (that i got in high school, from one of the postbacs in my first lab). i still have the cassette tape. mission venice is still my favorite. i give credit to n.o.w for introducing me to the electronica genre. they have a new album out right now. i'm trying to review it some more before i decide to buy it or not. i also got a somewhat new ian pooley album. actually, i think he's releasing something soon. this album i bought, souvenirs, took awhile to grow into. it's not bad. but i can see why people don't like it; it's not his best work.
- it's that time of year again... spring fever is running rampant. this is when people get out of control... i can see it happening... i can see it working... i'm scared...
- naj emailed me back today. the last email that i sent her was just me kind of complaining about life, but i truly felt humbled when she emailed me back today. she found out that she's been clinically depressed for the past couple of months. things are rough for her especially with family and work. usually we commiserate together on how our lives are so similar. in her email, she told me that i have things good now. eveything is going well for me. and i can't complain, it is. and i'm grateful. i just hope and pray that things get better for her.
- the fam and i went out to eat this weekend to celebrate the funding, when dad told us that he bought another house in nairobi... i'm already starting to plan things out in my head: take off three weeks this summer and go on down.
- selection sunday today: go hoyas, too bad terps. march madness has begun.

that's all for now. more later.

peace.

soundtrak: feist: mushaboom

pre-tgif list:

- remember when i was sick a couple of weeks ago? well, it seems that i got most of my lab sick, including my boss (my bad!) and some other person in the lab next door too. they've all been sick for two weeks now... congested and whatnot... and they are seriously mad and not talking to me... dag.
- the experiment i ran yesterday went badly. i though it was due to human error (i.e. me), but then i found out today that the machine that i was using that was supposed to be fixed, wasn't. dr. a was upset because she had this big experiment lined up (i mean, it took days y'all) and she couldn't run it. that's why it's good to have friends in high places; we used the same machine on another floor in another lab. i stayed two hours later than i intended, but i guess that's what i gotta do. i'm learning so much and dr. a is so amazing, i don't mind.
- i've been asking myself this question most of the week: how am i supposed to know? i mean, really know? hmm... i still don't know and i'm still trying to figure it out.
- chi the bungler strikes again... on the train. if you know me, i'm not the one to start conversation. i keep to myself with the ipod on and the itunes rolling. i wish i did this time though. it was so easy and i kept on telling myself to do it... but i didn't. missed opportunities are hard to swallow (well, if you say that... then i bungled twice today... record!)
- just bought more music.. yay! will share soon. oh, and if they're any songs that you like, let me know and i'll send them your way.
- randomness: i'm so bad, i'm not even a bridesmaid... i have yet to even be a bridesmaid... what's up with that?

ok, i'll leave you guys alone now... i gotta go and burn off this extra energy.

peace.