written 8am this morning:

sountrak: georg levin: mrs. superficial

i woke up this morning not feeling too good. i honestly don't know what happened because when i went to sleep, i was fine. now i have the chills, i'm tired and my sinuses are inflamed to the nth degree. it doesn't help that it's humid outside.

all my experiments this week worked, so it's the end to a good week. i also updated my lab notebook to the present; all you scientists know what a hassle that is, since we can't be bothered with such things. and if you update your notebook on the daily, you must not be working hard enough.
anyways, that's updated and i organized most of my data and other random papers that may be needed if anybody would ever bother to repeat my experiments in a nifty binder. i hope the other labmates don't think me snobby; i can't help but be organized. i'm wearing the shirt that timon got me from MIT and overall, i'm feeling rather smart indeed (don't you see my delusions of grandeur?) but really, i want to be good. i don't want to be a waste of space and government money. i'm insecure about alot of things (trust me, alot of things...), but this science thing is supposed to be my niche. i never think i'm as good i could be, which only helps me strive to be better.

anyways, i'm typing this from lab, emailing myself (you know they monitor internet over here...). labs are still empty this morning. of course it's the friday of memorial day weekend, so people are coming in later if not at all today. it's hard because i'm an early bird; i like to wake up (when i can wake up) and get things done and leave and enjoy the rest of the day.
the first lab that i worked in, i remember: the first day, i came in around 9am... you know, normal... but he sat me down and let me know that i needed to come in 7am everyday and that he required everyone to come in that early.
of course, being in high school (and knowing that my other friends working in labs were going in much later), i thought he was insane. but then i began to see his reasoning; i would get alot of work done (or at least alot of notebook updating done) to leave ample time to plan out experiments. even shared equipment would be free to use since nobody was there. and i think my parents loved the fact that i would have to wake up so early; instill some sort of discipline in me or something.
so now, every lab that i worked in, i can't help but come in early. i think it's easier with a biochemistry-based lab, because things are always waiting for you to work on (i.e. the lab that i was in before grad school; i got alot of work done there). in an immunology lab, where i am now, especially working with animal models, there is alot of waiting (and i'm not a patient person at all... but i guess that's what immunology is trying to teach me...
this is going to be a long dissertation...). so of course, people tend to come in late and stay late. i just can't. but i guess it's okay that i still come in early; time to organize my lab notebook and all.

anyways, enough science talk. i'm typing on the mac powerbook that they configured for me. i like it because i can take it home and use it when i don't want to work on my pc notebook. i hate it because i can take it home (and thus work can come home with me).

can't you tell that my life is a little slow right now. that's all i ever do
now: work and home and sleep. it's sad to me because it seems like everybody is out *doing* something. i just don't have the time.. and even if i did make the time, i don't have the resource (i.e. cash!). the bane of my existence right now.
despite all this, i'm going out of town this memorial day weekend.
sometimes, like i always say, you gotta leave the state for awhile. i love dc/md/va, but really, sometimes i need a break.

and on that note, have a great memorial day weekend.

peace.

sountrak: oasis: wonderwall

being somewhat of a perfectionist, i really like it when my experiments work, work well and work the first time. that so didn't happen last week.
anyways, it's over. another week to start afresh. and correct. and hopefully successful.

i must be one of the worst people to own a cell phone. i barely keep it on me and i'm never around to answer it. i always end up finding messages from exasperated family and friends wondering where i am. driving home from al's graduation last, last weekend, i found one of said messages from, of all people, B. "i haven't talked to you in awhile," he said. there's a reason why, i scoffed in my mind. but trying to be a better person everyday, i called him back the next evening. i don't particularly know why, knowing where it will all lead to in the end (like it always does), but we're talking again. maybe i just like to wallow in misery.

why does it feel like too many people are dying this year? another one of our church members passed away last night; he had a massive stroke and hemorraging of the brain. most of his family is overseas; i don't know if they made it to dc in time. so, we're going to have another funeral. i think our church is weary, tired. even the children don't ask why anymore. i knew this person somewhat well; he would always joke around with me and give me huge bear hugs. i couldn't go to the last funeral because it was just too much. i should go to this one.

luckily enough, it looks like i'll be going to kenya this july. things haven't been worked out as in dates, but it's almost definte.

other things of note:

- interesting article (wash-po) about HIV vaccines. i think one of the things that really concerned me was the stories of the researchers. once well renown and now reduced to scouring for money, just for taking a risk that nobody else wanted to take. science is really like that; it's scary to me.
- despite all the going-ons... i was able to cook in the kitchen this
weekend: vegan pumpkin pie, mango bars, vegan brownies and vegan chocolate chip cookies (of course, not milk chocolate). 3 out of 4 ain't bad; i ended up burning the mango bars (but i like burnt anything, so i keeping it to eat it!). i should have used tofu instead of the other egg substitute. maybe i'll try again this week, also with some vegan pound cake. i'm pleased; now i have something to satisfy my sweet tooth.
- i'm a somewhat... active driver. this guy last week tried to cut me off, as i was driving to work. i wasn't having it at all. i mean, just because i'm a woman i can't drive? guys need to learn not to mess with me.
- another funky science article. i think if i ever had a child (and that is a big if) and it was screened and found to have the gene that would lead to alzhemier's disease, i would still have that child. because isn't life more about the journey than the end?

peace

soundtrak: clap your hands say yeah: the skin of my yellow country teeth

(real entry forthcoming)

YOUR FIRST YEAR OF COLLEGE……*What do ya’ll remember?

*School:* University of Maryland: Baltimore County (an honors univer.... blah, blah, blah)

*Where did you live?* Potomac (because it was new)

*Who was/were your roommate(s)?* Jamie who also lived around my area.

*Do you still talk to them?* of course... when we're both not busy

*Ever get in trouble in the dorms?* um... not that i can remember... i think the people that hung out got in alot more trouble than me (underage drinking, drinking in the dorms, etc)

*Something you remember about when you first lived on campus?* winning the karaoke contest by jumping up on a table and singing "day-o" by harry belefonte (i was so high off sugar...)

*Your campus phone number or other number:* 443... something, something something

*First party attended? * hmm... i was so not a party person... in sus(quehanna) maybe.

*First Bar you got wasted at?* didn't drink... still don't drink.

*Favorite Pizza Place? * i don't remember the name of the place, but i never got the pizza... i always got the mushroom/provolne sub... the best thing on earth...

*Favorite place to go out to eat?* i never really went off campus; i didn't have a car...lol.

*Did you go to the library? * i lived in the library... i studied so much...

*What was your Favorite Floor you’d always be on? * Potomac 3rd south or Sus lobby (always something going on...)

*Club, Athletics, Frat or Sororities, you joined?* GC club and that was it... too busy studying...

*Where did you buy your books? * the bookstore before i started working there and realized that i could buy them cheaper online.

*Who made the best wings? * didn't eat meat... still don't eat meat

*Ever attend a sporting event?* not my first year... if you don't count watching the baseball and soccer games from the library window. went to a ladies bball game with nic senior year; our roomies were playing.

*Ever attend a concert or comedic performance?* i think i did, but i don't remember.

*Have you ever spent the night on campus not in your dorm hall?* yes. at sus with ash. one time i spent a whole week there.

*Favorite night to go out on, and where did you go?* didn't really go out (no car), but thursday night was apparently the night to drink.

*Where did you get coffee?* didn't drink coffee... still don't drink coffee. but everyone loved the coffee from the library lobby.

*Favorite part of Halloween?* people wearing costumes to class

*Go see a play or been in one?* i think i did see a play freshman year

*Did you ever have a job at school? * yeah... the bookstore. i was a cashier and then i worked in the back stocking books... so i could get to edge up on buy-backs...

*What do you hate about your college?* BC (before Commons), there was nothing to do on campus... so if you didn't have a car, you were basically screwed... and also our mascot is the golden retriever... i tell people now and they just laugh.

*What did you love most about it?* fun with friends... acting a fool. you can't do that in the real world (well... you know what i mean)

*Ever leave to go on a road trip, where?* downtown to the harbor, of course. or quick runs to giant.

*Where would you believe is the best location to live in? * the apartments (any of them... terrace or west hill)... you can do whatever you want...

*Graduated or still attending?* finished in 2003

*Will you go back?* i always go back... to study... i swear, it's the best place to study....

*How many parking tickets have you gotten there? * three. and that's because the parking police sucks... and they were only $20...

*Finally, ever gotten arrested?* ha! no

peace.

soundtrak: hugh masekela: grazing in the grass

long day today. i was in church all day. we had this kenyan singing group based in ny/jersey/delaware in concert today. they were very good. it's too bad that i understand absolutely no swahili at all (only luo.. sorry).
after the concert, went out to eat with some church friends and timon. good chinese food and too many inside jokes. i never laughed so hard ever... good times.

i would write more, but i'm too tired. maybe after this next final. oh, i got back the grade from my midterm from pathogenesis: 91% (YES!!). i guess that means that i really have to study for this final now.

peace.

soundtrak: fertile ground: let the wind blow

i'm still on my biochem crew high... *smiles*

cell bio final wasn't that bad. i think i did ok on it. i'm glad that it's over. i have to start studying for pathogenesis tomorrow. went to tar.get today and bought cleaning supplies. driving home, i was excited... i couldn't wait to clean my bathroom... does that make me weird?

it's Lost night; i'm expecting a call from T.

added bonus: i got paid this monday... and i got a stipend increase! ooooooh yeah!

peace.