Friday, November 4, 2011

Freebird!

Bored of the same old-same old, last friday I shook things up. I dropped my school stuff off at home, along with my inhibitions, and caught a bus back to the campus side of town. Fellow yogis are probs familiar with the mental construct of leaving all your thoughts in something like a basket, outside the door, where you can pick it up after class if you like. Riding along without all my school stuff, and all my school thoughts, I felt liberated, just as I knew thought I would.

I wanted to eat at Freebirds for dinner.


I ordered a Monster-sized veg burrito.


(Its literally called the Monster size, the 3rd biggest, between Freebird and SuperMonster)


And it was awesome.

Next I went to the really lovely starbucks just a couple blocks down. This downtown College Station district called Northgate is pretty cool, kinda historic looking, and quasi-Western, as some buildings are old Saloons.

The barista was super cute! I had kinda approached the counter so his coworker cut off mid-conversation, and I was like, Oh no, I dont know what I want yet. But he was like, Oh no, thats my job, I can suggest the best things..like the Chidazzle. I was is that new? haha Turns out he made it up and I totallly loved it, it was A hot Chai with raspberry and a touch of vanilla. Totally rocked! Mostly because it was not on the menu and because Bo (the baristas name) was just genuinely really nice. We exchanged numbers when he kicked me and my iPad (i watched a movie on netflix) out at 11pm.


And I'm doing the same free-as-a-birding tonight! Except I am starting off at starbucks tonight, with a hot mug of coffee. The chill of autumn is finally extending to Texas. I feel cozy though, wearing my blue and oatmeal cardigans and my favorite tawny umber-coloured scarf from Avoca, which aunt terry and uncle nat brought me. Ya, I came directly from yoga class tonight, but having my school stuff with me is just fine, better than fine actually; I kinda want to read some of the journal articles that I have with me. Its all about the state of mind. I feel like I'm doing exactly what I want to be doing in this moment.

Tonight in yoga, when I heard, "take a few minutes to center yourself," instead of centering on the moment (by sliding my basket of thoughts outside) I observed that my mind began opening my basket instead, trying to sit each thought right-side up, if you will. But I caught myself, I just slid out of my ego for class, which is sooo refreshing.

Know what else directs my attention outta my cranium? FRIENDS. (yes, the tv show, too, 10pm central time nickelodeon :p) I have been making new acquaintances like crazy lately, which I'm really happy about, but I'm hoping to catch up with my the friends I think about all the time in NC this weekend..I've already left about 10 voicemails for friends whose voices I cant wait to hear.

Wednesday, November 2, 2011

A difficult yoga practice followed by lemon love

Om
       Ohmygah, so fitting that after I mentioned to not worry about feeling squished on the 7 billion person planet (space is not going to be so much of an issue; resources on the other hand...) Yoga Beatz, the yoga flows to music w/ words, class that I like at the Rec tonight was too popular!  Whenever a yoga practice is crowded, I remind myself that it will just feel extra-Indian today.  But it was more difficult tonight for me to not be bothered by swan diving arm collisions, for whatever reason.  I admittedly was not feeling enough compassion for the boy who came in late and rolled out a mat next to me.  I can see should have felt chosen, as a kind looking person, rather than singled out among to be squished out of the 50 other kids in the room.  The one bright spot is that I didn't outwardly express any space discomfort with body language, and kept it to myself (along with my limbs, after one too many swan dives).
When I practice yoga in my apt., I often utilize this super cool cartoon flipbook.  Thanks Aunt Terry!

         After a catching the new Modern Family (guest character named Katy on tonight's episode!) on an elliptical, I hit the shower and biked home.  I always have a snack before leaving, and this week I've been enjoying Lemon LovU bars. What?  You don't know those?  They're like these...
Mmmm Luna bars in my fav flava
              Except homemade!  I made the bar with brown rice krispie cereal, hemp protein powder, lemon juice, fresh ginger, brown rice syrup, and guar gum and frosted them with a lemon juice-coconut butter icing.
Whole pan of awesomeness, cut into bars and wrapped in foil.

Like Luna Bars, LovU Bars have the idiosyncrasy of being eaten icing side-down.
I do love a beet.  And Mom, of course. 

Scooch over..we've reached 7 billion!

       My blog title officially (theoretically) became justified on Monday, when the world's population crossed the 7 billion threshold!  "0.142857.." is the decimal version of the 1/7 fraction and "ppb" is just parts-per notation, like  Hey the amount of chlorophyll-A in this sample is 16.1 ppm would be 16.1 parts chlorophyll for 1 million parts water.  And so I am (and you are) just 1 person in 7+ billion on the Earth today.  Feeling claustrophobic?  Don't.  Did you know 7 billion people standing shoulder-to-shoulder would only occupy the area of the city of Los Angeles?  True story.  Other true stories:  Cool special edition 7 billion series from NPR.

       What else happened Monday?  Well, it was Halloween.  Americans carved pumpkins.
I'm actually gonna eat this pumpkin so the  skull is just an "effect."
     People watched scary movies.  I found a real gem, "Vampiros en la Habana."
A fav scene: The vampire group celebrates with a round of O+ (my blood type).

       And chocolate was eaten
Best brownies eva!
    Katy's new fav brownies
-1/2 C. dates
-1/2 C. raw walnuts
-scant 1/4 C. cocoa powder
-1.5 T coconut oil
Blend the ingredients together in a food processor until the mix resembles potting soil.  Then press into a small baking dish and freeze for 1 hour.  Cut into squares, eat and let euphoria wash over you. Recipe makes about 3 brownies.

Sunday, October 30, 2011

squash and costumes..yes its definitley halloween

Yesterday I was so stoked to see a small collection of kabocha squash at brazos natural foods. It's red-orange flesh is rendered sweet and amaaaazing upon simple oven-roasting. 
score!  kabocha
 I think the alluring thing about the bigger squash is that it takes some Umph (and a good heavy knife) to prepare them for baking, which is in turn, really easy.  Having squash around really makes me happy--they totally lend a nice presence--they make me think of being at the State Fair with my family, where I'd see like 800 lb pumpkins alongside really pretty Best in Show squash and also of the Berenstein Bears story in which Papa Bear reads books to the pumpkin he's growing out in the punkin patch.
I placed it on my bar to sit by its squash cousin..a cute lil pie pumpkin that I also have plans to bake this week.
Plusss, these squashes make me think of carving pumpkins with my Dad in our garage.I would draw out a design and he would operate the knife.  I remember feeling impatience on at least one occasion as I got older because I didn't get to actually carve it myself, but I am so glad I never had to skip trick-or-treating because I was in the ER.  And I was always proud of the pumpkins we created.  My favorite one was one we did of a pirate.

The weather is finally cool enough to run comfortably outdoors!  Well it's actually been cool the past few weeks, but it went from mega-hot to considerably cooler in such a short time that I needed a bit of time to get used to it!  That said, yesterday afternoon I wanted nothing more than to go explore on foot! 
I'd just finished watching Harold and Maude and was ready to seize the day.
I went out for a run around my neighborhood and ended up over to the track at the nearby high school, where I ran with my friend Carlos last Sunday.  It's a really nice, springy red track in a big stadium, because track is so big here..jk, I'm pretty sure it actually has something to do with that finely manicured green stuff with white stripes on the inside of the track.  So it's really a treasure to have such a nice track (open to the public!) so close by.  I can hear the sound of silence as I run through the neighborhood here..not like a creepy silence, just a really calm one.  All the streets have "Oak" in the name and many of the houses have big maroon Aggie flags stuck on mini-flagpoles in their lawns, so I got a bit lost on the corner of Oak Briar and Lazy Oaks, but asked a woman walking her dog what street I was headed for and got turned in the right direction.  I loved seeing red, orange, and yellow mums out on people's front porches--my mom, Brother  and I always picked out mums and gourds for our Halloween display when we would go get our pumpkins in the rural areas near our house.  

And for Halloween, I went out last night with my friends and I dressed up as...
Uh, what is she?

I dunno, her camera was out of focus

Hmmm..

Oh, a mime!
All I had to do was add some face makeup, which I took all of $1 and like 8 minutes, to the idea I had for a burglar costume.  I wore black from head to foot, and gloves.  Oh, and I added some red lipstick, too.  I must say I wasn't a very good mime, as I talked a lot.  But I did do some miming throughout the night.  My friend Fenix, who is from Colombia said, "You're a mimo?"  And I was like YES (assuming that mimo=mime in Spanish, which it does).  Fenix said that there are lots of mimes in Bogota, and they are even hired by the mayor to encourage citizens not to behave better:  to not jaywalk, litter, or drive poorly.  I found a news story about it:
            "Initially 20 professional mimes shadowed pedestrians who didn't follow crossing rules: A pedestrian running across the road would be tracked by a mime who mocked his every move. Mimes also poked fun at reckless drivers. The program was so popular that another 400 people were trained as mimes."

Oh, did I mention Northgate (the College Station bar/downtown scene) was cuhhhraaazy!  Now I get the feeling for what Franklin St. at UNC is like on Halloween, minus the fires.  Thousands of people in costume, filling streets and bars really is a sight to behold.  I really enjoyed bar-hopping with my friends The Gingerbread Man + Puss in Boots (Eric and Yuhong), a skunk + a mad scientist (Carrie and George), girl Robin Hood + a vampire (Xin-Xue and Carlos), and two free-spirited oragami people (Jan and Fenix).  I got to enjoy a glass of Dogfish Head Punkin, which I had all but given up on having this season, as it came and went so fast from the specialty wine/beer store.

Jan and Fenix challenged the idea that you had to be something that people could identify and say, "You're a ______?"  which is kinda a standard greeting on Halloween. Jan and Fenix wore black body suits (Jan's even covered his face) and they had dozens of colorful oragami animals and flowers safety-pinned to their front side.  Fenix had some really ornate flowers in her hair and had painted her face too.  They had spent all afternoon doing oragami together, which I just thought was more adorable than anything. 

Friday, October 21, 2011

Well isn't it my lucky day

I can't believe how well this day is going.  I am just shocked.

Yes, I have definitely eaten a couple squares of chocolate already, but that was not by stroke of good fortune
For the first time, EVER, I sat down to my analytical chemistry quiz and knew how to answer every single problem!  Granted, it was my third one, so I am being a bit dramatic with the ever and there were 7 problems, not like 20, but I'm not mentioning this happy event just to make concessions!  I am so so jazzed!   This subject is tough for me, so to appear like I know it by acing a quiz is just great.  For all the professor knows, I do know it!  Ohmygosh, maybe I actually do?!  Could I actually be starting to understand this stuff?    This quiz was on Raman Spectroscopy and Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR).   NMR can be utilized by really cool chemical oceanographers, but also by doctors--the property of NMR is the basis for the standard procedure nowadays for getting a good look at the brain, heart, muscle and cancer, without any ionizing radiation--an MRI scan.

So that quiz went down this a.m. at 10:20.  I had gotten to school at about 7:45 to study in my office, but had to evacuate the building shortly before 9, because of a fire alarm, so I did my last hour of study in the library.  I alternated between feeling calm and feeling unprepared, but tried to be brave and think positive and obviously, the positivity won out :D

Then!!  I got a call from the pest guy who had come to check out the situation in my Apt.  He couldn't get any fleas to jump on him even though he said he was crawling around on all-fours.  I haven't mentioned that I have thought that I had a flea problem and have been vacuuming and chloroxing like a madwoman for the past 5 days.  But guess what!!? NO need to apply harsh chemicals to the Apt.--I was so bothered by that, obviously! as I love my lil space and am sorta bent on protecting my health!-- because the apt. doesn't have fleas!!!  I did think it was strange that the lil things weren't leaving any bite marks on me..turns out what I was infested by was a fruit/fungus fly population that has dwindled due to my intense cleaning regimen but will really be gone after maintenance takes care of the refridgerator's water trap that had become full.  Shout out to Brian, the pest guy, for his investigative work!!  He said he would only apply a non-toxic aerosol spray made of pine, as he had seen my toxic-scared notes, bless him.  And he told me to just leave some chlorox in my sink/shower drains once a week (not too often or you will kill off the good bacteria that's there) for a couple weeks.

Gooooood day.
Two other random fortuitous things--
I was emailed today about being "selected" (ooooooh) to participate in a focus group study for the office of graduate studies on Monday.  I guess to make sure we show up for the hour-long discussion or whatever, they have proferred, "a Starbucks Coffee gift card, a t-shirt, and a number of other miscellaneous gift items."  I don't know what's more exciting: the starbucks (which I just enjoyed for the first time in College Station yesterday, or the mystique of the miscellany.  

And 2nd, I saw a poster for a Bollywood Movie Night in the Student Rec Center tonight!  I am stoked to hang out with other Indian culture lovers.  Some Bollywood is incredibly cheesy, but some is just excellent, like my fav, Jaane Tu...Ya Jaane Na, which I saw at the Galaxy Cinema in Cary years ago.  Whether it actually has a good plotline and has people who can actually act isn't important, I love it all!  

I'm going to my fav Power Yoga class now, then will go to the library to get a new free read since I finished Murakami's After Dark (liked it a lot!).

Happy Friday!!!

Thursday, October 20, 2011

baked goods

I did some baking this weekend--creating 2 goods that appeal to my current appetites for chocolate and the oh so seasonal pumpkin.

pumpkin bread
Moist, date-sweetened, and full of  pumpkin-pie spicey glory

chocolate chocolate chunk bread
I would love to be a citizen of a chocolate Death Valley

cute pumpkin sandwiches!
I took these to starbucks this morning next to the University for a special start to the a.m. today. I'd never been there and the vibe was very nice! Lotsa seating and young and old folk.  I paired the punkin sammiches with a soy capp w/ an xtra shot!  in a for-here mug. I read and enjoyed The Onion, my fav fake news site, and laughed audibly.

sandwich components: almond butter!  love justin's honeyed up take on AB

and chocolate! i looove xoxoxo chocolate.  and it loves me back with the heart inscribed on each square  <3

Sunday, October 16, 2011

Visit to TAMU-G and a Katy fashion shoot

On Thursday, my Isotope Geohemistry class convened at the TAMU-Galveston campus for a tour of their radioisotope labs and to have a class all together.  There are 4 guys in the Galveston class and 4 girls, including me, in the College Station section and we communicate during lecture time using a live web conference system.  John, my advisor, is going to be teaching the 2nd half of the course, Stable Isotopes and Dr. Santshci just finished the Radioisotope portion.  John, Fenix, Lei, Carrie, and I drove over to Galveston after Houston morning rush-hour.
Checking out the waterfront and vessels at TAMU-Galveston


The beautiful TAMU-Galveston campus, and oceanography building right on the water

They had several excellent mosaics in the sunlit Oceanography atrium!  Which was only slightly more attractive than the dusty old display cases we have.
 All in all, a lovely trip.  We had lunch (Greek) and dinner (Mexican) on the eponymous road called "Seawall" which runs right along the beach.  I knew Galveston is not a shining example of coastal management from my environmental science and oceanography classes at UNCW, and there were many hardened structures along this coastline: little jettys and of course, the seawall, which runs for like 3 miles I think.

Annnnd movie right along to today, where I a) lounged around, b) ran errands like getting the li'l Fit's oil changed & shopping for marvellous groceries at Brazos Natural Foods, and c) popped over to Target.  I ventured there primarily for bakeware and sandals, but ended up getting a bunch of T's and sweaters cuz I was in an unusual get-some-new-clothing mood. 
 I got an Insulated cookie sheet, 2 sizes of mini ramekins, and a loaf pan.


The world of baking possibilities just increased many-fold for me!  I can now make such creations as mini cheesecakes, baked oatmeals, loaves of banana and pumpkin bread, cookies, and scones..so totally stoked! How have I survived without these things?  Baking cookies on the cast-iron skillet was allright, but I think this new sheet will be much more suitable.

Aunt Lucy is my baking benefactor as well as inspiration!  She has made award-winning scones at a competition at her local farmers' market and also bakes for such causes as the Susan Komen foundation.  Thanks for the bakeware support Auntie!!  We have been tossing around ideas via email for a pistachio-rosewater scone that my mouth waters just thinking about.





 Because I know you are so stoked to see me modeling my incredibly hip designer Target clothing, I give you, a rare Katy PHOTO SHOOT.  What makes a katy fashion show unique to high-fashion runways in NYC?  Well, for starters, I am modeling only Tops and wearing the same Plain, black long underwear in every shot.  Play some killa beats whilst you view and scroll slowly for the fullest experience.



No, I haven't gone all corporate.

The Japanese characters and "Tokyo, Japan" totally hooked me into getting this T.

An interesting sweater, a see-through material on the shoulders.  The weather is cooling down to the 80s, afterall.

Geekin it Up. 
Wait, let me get a couple of my textbooks.  Ya, that's more like it.

Sesame Street "LOVE" T and Cardigan in "Oatmeal" (perfect!).

Just trying out a look I might need at some point.  Hopefully not soon.

3 button, three-quarter length sweater.  This look just screams grad student to me.

 This is the point at which I said, this MUST end.  Go do your homework. 

This week, the world lost Steve Jobs (seriously), but also, a dear pair of shoes.  RIP Blowfish gladiators (12/25/2010-10/12/2011)
So I replaced them with a good lookin pair of synthetic leather footbed goodness.  Unfortunately, Apple cannot make so easy of a subsitution.

Tuesday, October 11, 2011

Ohmygah--TX really does have beaches!!

Lovin Padre Island!!  See AmAZiiNG pics from Jan's camera Here.
My weekend at Padre Island Nat'l Seashore was heavenly!!  I was soooo pleasantly surprised that I could Go to class in a city in the middle of cow pastures and oil drills and later that day find myself still in the same state but on an uninhabited barrier island!

Padre Island Nat'l Seashore beach break.  Wave period was pretty short, rolling in one after the other b/c of the shallow shelf of the Gulf Coast I think.

        My soul got some major warming up.  I couldn't believe I was in Texas!!  My o0hmygah-there's-actually-a-nice beach-here!!-disbelief  was beneficial in 2 ways: it confused me into feeling like I was in NC, which I miss very much and 2) made me feel more comfortable with living in TX, because if you're like me, you certainly don't ever think of gorgeous sand and surf when you think of the Lone Star state.  Plus, in my coastal management units in oceanography and environmental science courses at UNCW, I almost always saw that Galveston, TX was a terrible example of what hardened structures can do to a local coastline..not quite "New Jerseyization," but close!  So I was very relieved about this island, which is like 70 miles long and totally protected!  Unfortunately, there was quite a lot of careless litterbug refuse, and according to a (bilingual!) sign I saw at the visitor's center, tar balls and other oil drilling artifacts wash up too.
View from the top of the dunes at daybreak on Sunday.  That's one of our tents there to the right.
 Back to the soul-warming-up..ohman, this vacay was so refreshing.  We set up our tents in the moonlight and strong prevailing winds, everyone laughing and helping eachother out.  Saturday, we just hung out on our spot of sand all day long.  Jan, Fenix, Alicia, and Sammy the dog went for a lil dune hike and Eric went for a run midday, and that's when I took refuge in one of our tents..too hot and oppressively sunny out!  And, I was the only one who didn't get even a touch of sunburn..my mother and years of lifeguarding have taught me well :D  I went birdwatching in the late afternoon and was so happy to observe common and least terns, piping plovers! and a great blue heron standing at the surf's edge?!  And tons of brown pelicans were soaring over us all day, which is what really made me feel like I was at home on WB.  There are actually white pelicans over in the Laguna Madre, and tons of other cool/rare birds that I will have to search for on subsequent trips.
    The water was probably 82*F, and all foamy and delicious.  My sinuses soaked up the saline solution (I suffer from nosebleeds when I'm away from the coast or a bottle of Ayr) and my skin relished the scrubbing it got from rolling in sand all day.  I heart sand. 
     Most people are uncomfortable with sand in their bed, for instance, but not me.  I got very used to it (and sweeping my wooden floor a lot) last year when I lived on glorious Wrightsville Beach and now my sheets feel boring with out it.  Funny combination, now that I think about it--how I prefer high-thread count egyptian cotton w/ the sandpapery tinge of sand particles..I now realize that the sand was just a symbol that reinforced the fact that I was sleeping within a whelk's throw of the ocean, so the sand became a comforting reminder, as that reality had just been a dream (or week-long vacation) growing up.

180* from other pic--The view out across the ~1.5 mi-wide Padre Island, a rollicking dune ecosystem until you reach the Laguna Madre, one of only 6 hypersaline lagoons in the world!
Magazines are great reading materials because you can a) get them all covered in sand, or even wet and not worry at all..I took a New Yorker (a rather somber issue, dedicated to the topic of Sept. 11th, the memorial, and the decade since the attacks) and actually read it all-- between the day on the beach and the drives there and back.  It was about a 6 hour trip...kinda long, but soooo do-able!  Speaking of transportation, my bff returned to my life today--that's right, my bicycle is all repaired!  And I bought a front head lamp, which is actually required for riding on campus at night!  Punishable by $140 fine.  The new Bike Safety Katy thinks this is a pretty good rule, as giving cars a wave if they're pulling out on to your road just isn't the same.

Friday, October 7, 2011

Spontaneous weekend plans!!!

OHMAN!  exciting plans!

I'm leaving to go spend the weekend on Padre Island National Seashore in just a few hours after I get out of analytical chem class!  (And assuming John is fine with me leaving at noon, haven't gotten to ask him yet!!)  Padre Island Nat'l Seashore is "the longest stretch of undeveloped barrier island in the world (70 miles!), preserving rare coastal prairie, a complex and dynamic dune system, and the Laguna Madre, one of the few hypersaline lagoon environments left in the world."

My friend Fenix let me know that she and her boyfriend, Jan (he's from the Czech Rep.), were going camping with another friend, Alicia, and her dog this weekend--and would I like to come?  It was just after our isotope geochemistry lecture ended yesterday, at like 5:15 pm.  I considered my blank, empty canvas weekend.  The thought of shorebirds and the sound of the sea--and remoteness!  Ohmygosh, yes please!

I am so glad I have a sleeping bag and lil tent, rice cakes and peanut butter, so I'm all ready to go!  I will take some pics of all the remote beauty to share :D  I have no idea what the Texas coastline is really like so I'm so jazzed!

Wednesday, October 5, 2011

Watch "Mary & Max"

      So last night I left the building and realized I felt sorta sleepy!  Didn't go to the Rec and instead made my way towards the general direction of the bus stops.  I asked for directions and found my way..buses are cool!  The world looks different from inside of a bus.  And the A&M buses are big and very full!  You feel like part of a party as soon as you step on board.  I missed the stop closest to my apt. complex because I pulled on a handle (for people standing up to hold on to) instead of the cord running down the wall behind my seat.  The driver made an unofficial stop as soon as he could stop without impeding traffic, so that was nice. 
    I came home and took a hot shower and settled in to watch a movie, and Netflix recommended a really good one,  I daresay, a new fav!!  The film is called Mary & Max.  I knew from the first minute of the film, of the dark comedy, claymation genre, that I would just love it and of course, I did!!  It's the story of two highly unique and endearing characters who become penpals, Max in NYC and Mary in Australia.  Great score by Penguin Orchestra Cafe; the main theme sounded really familiar, but I'm not sure where I've heard it before.  My only gripe with the film is that it said "Based on a true story" at the beginning, and it always bothers me a bit when I think throughout a film, "Is this bit true?  This bit?  and that?"  because I'd rather just be enjoying a story.  In fact, I think the film's writer and director just based Max's character off of a pen-friend of his own.
     Well, I think I'll french press some What's the Buzz coffee and start my isotope geochem problems now.  My analytical class ended very early as it was taught by our TA today, so just thought I'd do a quick post.  My bus ride to school this a.m. was fun and thankfully, uneventful, as opposed to yesterday's excitement.

Tuesday, October 4, 2011

Feelin invigorated!!

My bicycle posing with my bff Vanessa's bicycle, May 2011.
     Wow, crazy eventful day I can't wait to tell you about--a positive mindset has really been a friend to me today!!  My good friend Michael (at UNCW) once talked about the mental power you could gain from adapting a "bulletproof positive attitude" each day and that idea has stuck with me ever since. Even though I don't achieve it daily, it is a tool that is in my metaphysical toolbox.. and today I totally found it in my hands!

What is she talking about??
Well, lemme tell ya..

      My eyelids started to get very heavy as I was watching a very good YouTube video reviewing Redox (Reduction-Oxidation) reactions in preparation for my Chemical Oceanography exam, so I called it a night around 1:30am.  I woke up feeling refreshed and ready to review at 9am, after a bowl of rice krispies and making a cup of my new fav Original GoodEarth Sweet&Spicy tea.  Unlike my Analytical Chem exam preparation, I never reached a 'freak out-stress out' zone for this test, which I credit mostly to having actually taken a Chemical Oceanography class before in Undergrad, unlike Analytical Chem which is 100% new-to-me!  So yea, I reviewed in the solace of my Apt., and planned to leave shortly after 12pm, which I did, as the exam was at 12:45pm.
     I got my first test of not being fazed out when I totally missed the dumpster when I lobbed my small plastic bag of trash at it as I rode by it..had to get off my bike and pick up the contents which had spilled out..and I sorta hate standing by dumpsters because I can only hold my breath for just so long.  Anyways, I got the job done and off I went, perhaps a bit more hurried than I was before.
     I was already a bit nervous about the noontime traffic, and rightfully so--there were way more cars out and the traffic signal that I turn left at was way more congested..I have to go from being on the far right side of the multiple-laned road to the right-side of the double-left turn lane (just typing that sentence is a bit hairy!) and it is usually not hard and I thought I was doing fine until I realized too late!! that I was making the turn at the same time as 2 school buses!  And the backside of the bus was swinging towards me and I ran up onto this little awkward median to avoid it!  I must have closed my eyes, but I fell with all the skill of a stunt double as I went up and over the median because I have no road rash at all!! I am so glad  I chose to wear my jeans today instead of cutoff shorts or my long underwear (which I almost did!).  And my glasses stayed on my face.  My bike was maybe 5 feet away from me and I quickly grabbed it and the glass jar containing my freshly blended banana-acai smoothie, which had rolled outta my bag..and set off riding..quickly realizing that my front tire was busted and that something else was awry..
     No problem!  I was truly invigorated by being alive! left totally unscathed by the accident so my mind felt really clear, unclouded by doubt or dismay at having an injured bicycle.  My building, though 0.5 mile away, was in view at this point and I was pretty sure I could drop it off at my bike shop (conveniently just ahead on the left!) and still make it in time to the exam.  I quickly told the bike mechanic that I'd had an accident and to please fix my bicycle, and he said, "OK, and I can tell you right now that your fork is bent outta shape."  Ah, lame, I thought but, I must be off!  So off I ran.
I sprinted along this very sidewalk this a.m.!!  (The pic was taken in July) towards that tall bldg. with the satellite dish on top (the Oceanography bldg).
    Well, I made it with time to spare!  Went up to our office and had time to recount the highlights of the accident to Carrie and grab my calculator from my desk drawer.  When I stepped in the classroom (down on the 2nd floor), I just felt so ready--I had prepared well and was happy to be alive! Adrenaline was definitely still pumping through my system and the mental clarity hadn't worn off either.  Plus, I had my banana-acai smoothie which thankfully hadn't rolled out of my life!! :D  I think I totally ACED the 75 min exam!!     
      The rest of the day I have just been floating on a cloud.  I needed to choose a term paper topic for Chem Ocean so I decided while I was eating my deelish lunch of baked acorn squash and granny smith apple that I would do something about the Amazon River delta--if for no other reason than thinking about South America in the back of my mind while I write/research will be nice.  I decided upon the topic of "The use of radioisotopes of radium in the Amazon River as a geochronometer" after a power hour of research and finding 5 references to start out with on Web of Science before Isotope Geochem class. My prof, Shari, said That Should Be Fine, so that's cool!

      My bike (nicknamed "The Man in the Yellow Hat" from Curious George) won't be fixed until Thursday or Friday, as the shop has to acquire a fork that fits The Man. So I will take this opportunity to learn the public transportation system! Carrie helped me out and we found that my apartment complex is on Route 12, "Reveille" Line. The buses are University-run and I'll pick it up tonight over by where I usually pedal past them en route to or from the Rec Center. I never ride buses, so this will be fun! A change of pace (for the slower, I'm sure), but it's only temporary and totally cool.
          I'm off to the Rec Center now--I decided not to try my hips (ha!) at Pilates again this Tuesday..I feel like running tonight and watching Friends on an elliptical. I think I may have very lightly bruised my right rib cage from the fall today, and my left index finger maybe, but that's it! I am counting my lucky stars and will definitely be more careful at that (and every!) intersection from now on (noting that aloud for you, Mom!!) xoxoxo

Sunday, October 2, 2011

The versatile Apt.

Well, happy Sunday. I slept for like 11 hours and woke up feelin' refreshed!  I wasn't a sleep-all-morning teenager, so I guess I'm just a late bloomer.  It's amazing how refreshed you can look and feel after sleep!  Absolutely magical.

Yesterday afternoon I attempted to go hang out at The Village but, alas, there was some sort of private party happening and The Public was not allowed :(  I might go over there in a bit, haven't decided yet..While the Village is an excellent space, it's so peaceful here in my apt. and I have some great local coffee in my possession. 


The 'Colombia Espresso' is not local; I just mixed the 2 roasts together at one of those nice grocery store bulk coffee stations that seem to be ubiquitous these days, from small co-ops to big supermarkets.  But the What's the Buzz is def local, and the 'Mexico Chiapas Onix Organic' is excellent.  The Village exclusively brews What's the Buzz...shouldn't that name have a '?' you say?  Yea, I think so, too, but I think their whole name is kinda lame except for the "Coffee Co." bit, so they should probably go back to brainstorming.  I dunno, on second thought it's not such a bad name..but Crema is just way better.

Anyhow, my single apartment is so chill, it is not just an apartment.   It can be whatever I want it to be. It is my very own Restaurant, my Smoothie Shop, my Movie Theater, my Cafe, my Listening Library, my Yoga Studio, my Spa, my Art Space, my Meditation Room..the only thing it isn't and can't really forseeably be is my Garden.  Of course I will go to any actual, established venues for these creature comforts whenever I want to, but why not exercise my imagination?

Sometimes the dog upstairs scurries about kinda loudly, and the people drop things or turn on their shower late at night, but that's what music and ear plugs are for, right?

On the note of Yoga Studio, I made it in time to a  class at the Rec center 4 days outta 5 last week and totally loved each one.  Yoga, Pilates, Yoga Beatz (while I'm in the mood of suggesting better names, a better name would be Rock Vinyasa, like they call it at Wilmington Yoga Center), and Power Yoga.  Pilates class was waaay hard, like painful!, for me when it came to the section that was all leg/hip exercises.  Whereas I've taken hundreds of yoga classes, I think I've taken 1 pilates class before? Pilates class and yoga practices don't have a lot in common besides the fact that you use a mat for both.  I may keep trying Pilates to see if I can get through the last third of class (legs) eventually.

So, after being turned down from The Village, I enjoyed a nice practice back in the Yoga Studio.