Ready, Set...

Yeah, baby, the Minnesota State Fair is just around the corner! This year, I'm making every attempt to drag Mom along too. (Which makes it us and the entire rest of the state's population converging on the fairgrounds & creates traffic insanity.) Oh, and if you thought I was kidding last year about the food, Fairborne's Fabulous Fair Food Finder lists all the food that will be available at this year's Fair.

Begin the Beguine

And so it goes...I await my September return to my One True Love, aka Mol Bio, with both exhilaration and trepidation. The program director informed me this afternoon that "[t]he usual first year of curriculum includes Biochemistry, Molecular Biology and Cell Biology in the first semester, and then Genetics and Developmental Biology in the second semester." (In response to my query of what out of my old materials I should be reviewing starting next week.) No escape from Biochem, it would appear. Essentially, this will be like Junior year, except more intense: in addition to the core courses, the fall semester also includes a literature analysis course, a student research seminar (which I'm guessing involves presenting what you're doing in lab), a lab rotation, and a Joint Degree Proseminar; the spring includes another lab rotation and research seminar.

But, there will be pretty pictures in my textbooks and all kinds of Really Cool Stuff...!

The Impossible Dream?

Double entendre for this post I suppose: not only have I fallen far short in my exercise and weight loss quest, but now this article yesterday on MSN doubts whether I (and "my kind" as some people call us--you know who you are if you ever read this, my dear) can have real success in our quest for an integrated future that would not try to force us to choose between Career and Family (or at least ease the burdens).

First things first, though. I confess I promptly forgot that I was, in fact, supposed to be keeping an exercise log. This mental slippage was aided and abetted in part by an injury incurred during my brief trip back to Princeton: apparently walking along a curb with construction on one side and traffic on the other while carrying one's suitcase is actually a recipe for losing one's balance, tripping, and falling into the rubble. True brilliance, no? However, vast experience being the Paragon of grace and beauty inures one to such occurrences and provides one with the composure to take such things in stride, albeit a mildly interrupted stride. Incidentally, kindly passersby will offer napkins and bandaids to a young lady walking down Nassau St. with blood running down her leg. I suppose the bloody leg is a bit of an unusual contrast to the professional dress. (Favorite black work skirt is 2-0 for the summer in escaping near-certain disaster brought on by the ever-graceful wearer.) But I digress. The resulting scraped knee was very minor once cleaned up except for one small but fairly deep gash which I was pretty sure would not close unless more or less immobilized for the weekend. So, no gym :( But it was vastly improved by Monday and I have dutifully exercised since...with the highlight being scraping a full 20 seconds off my 1500m rowing time! Also now posting regular readings of spm's (I assume this is one's stroke rating?) of high 30s up to 40. Minimum goal for this evening is to keep those 20 seconds off...wish me luck.

Commentary about the women & work article coming later...I have work to do and a lunch appointment. Recess is beautiful...

By the Way

Before I forget, sometime in the not so far distant future (ie probably sometime between August and September), I'm going to be switching to a new AIM screen name. So, if you chat with me (regularly or occasionally or hardly ever), drop me a line or whatever and I'll give you the new one.

Accountability

Sitting in the Starbucks on Connecticut Ave., trying to make myself work on something due tomorrow. Yes, I realize, it's Sunday evening. Aside from being generally lazy today, I do have legitimate excuses: The majority of my workday Friday was spent not reading documents but making phone calls to figure out how to get a car loan and then attempting to relay that info to the Folks. (Who had finally talked me into agreeing to buying a car--that right there may be a first in recorded history, or at least a rare event.)

So, here I go...and don't get me started on how ridiculous the FDA (or any agency) can be...Suffice it to say that a few weeks on the Hill attempting to extract any kernel of information, no matter how small, from a regulatory agency ought to be more than sufficient to convince even the most reluctant soul that giving more power and scope to the federal government is not the best of ideas. In fact, I have even developed a sympathetic ear for consumer groups and the like who are also dealing with drug safety issues. I know, who woulda thunk? Given that I will be retaking StatInterp at some point, I eagerly anticipate making a heated exposition whenever someone raises the agency expertise argument as a justification for deference to regulatory agencies. Expertise? Good luck, odds are pretty good they don't even know what's on their own damn website!! Should we reach the point at which it becomes necessary to issue subpoenas, I want to walk down the street and hand deliver them, baby. With pictures.

Anyway, the real reason for this otherwise unprofound and pointless post is that Ben, ever helpful, has spurred me to accountability on the exercise front. I joined a gym this summer, but have had a less-than-perfect track record of attendance and success. Given that the goal is to lose 6 lbs by August 5th, for my own reasons, and 4 more by August 24th, it would appear a little accountability is in order. Ergo, the creation of a public record...Today: Rowed 1500m (8:30something); hip flexors and abductors, 30 & 40 lbs each; hamstrings 6 reps each; leg raises 12 reps each; biceps 8lbs; chest press 8lbs; triceps 5lbs; abs, can't remember; ball squats with weights until legs jellied; walk to gym and back, 2 mi. Anticipated workouts for this week...Monday, Tuesday, possibly Thursday if I can get into Dillon, Friday.

Crystal Ball

My wishes are granted! My grandfather turns 91 this month & I have long hoped to be as fortunate. Happily, this website predicts that I will live to see 91...barring any unforseen circumstances between now and then, of course.

Makes you wonder about what the future could hold, no?

However, the present holds papers that need to be read and testimony that needs to be written...

Book Ties That Bind

Book Ties That Bind

Link of the Day

Salutations from the National Swamp! I've confess I've been working here in DC since May 31st and have, as usual, been an abominably poor correspondent. Many apologies! But they've kept me fairly busy around here--life as an intern is rarely dull--and my host's internet connectivity is somewhat limited for the time being. I will remedy the lack of posting eventually, really...

Today's link is to the HER Foundation, the Hyperemesis Education & Research Foundation. I only just found out about it today, but since this is something that just came to our attention and that we'd like to help out, I thought it couldn't hurt to give it a little publicity! If you have a moment to click around, please do, and share it with the women & expectant parents that you know or who may have been affected by this disease.

By Any Other Name...

It ocurred to me the other night, when I couldn't sleep due to the caffeinated sugar high, that I will need to retitle this puppy (and the Xanga) for next year, since I will not be a 3L. Unfortunately, caffeinated sugar highs are not conducive to witty titles. Suggestions?

(Cross-posted at Xanga, because I think that one actually gets read.)

Nothing Here for Now

Presently, I've registered with Blogger so I can comment on other folks' posts if the feeling strikes. My own posting will remain @ Xanga for the time being, so that I can continue to be as goofy and random as I want. Here, I feel a bit more pressure to have "good" posts :)

~*~ Steph