Mumps

Apparently the mumps are going around campus. What the hell? There are immunizations for the mumps, you know. It's the MMR shot, and it takes care of measles and rubella, too. Back in my day, everybody got them. In fact, when I worked in a hospital not so long ago, I had to have a booster before I started.

Before I went to college The First Time, I had to get some booster shots before they'd let me in. I believe the MMR was one of them. Now apparently people can make a choice not to get immunizations. It's their choice to be locked up for a week until they stop being contagious, I guess, but unfortunately people don't know they're contagious for about two days. So they run around infecting all the other people who haven't had the shot.

Funny how that works.

UPDATE:
My bad. Looks like people are getting it even if they had the MMR. Yikes.

Unpleasant Picture

Just saw a flash of the headline, "MLB to bring in ex-Senator to probe Bonds".
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Which reminds me (and take that as you will), I've been perusing the Cubs' schedule. Why can't they play in Atlanta in August instead of September?

No reason.

He Doesn't Look Drunk

When I picture Shank, which isn't very often no matter what he likes to think, I picture him as drunk and pissed off. He doesn't look either. What a letdown.

But his wife's a hottie.

Rumors of My Demise...

I don't post for like 3 days and people send panicked e-mails all of a sudden. This blog isn't going anywhere. I was gone for the weekend. Everybody relax.
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My mom was asking (again) what I can do with my degree when I graduate. I told her, and she thought about it for a moment, then said, "Or you could just keep getting higher degrees."

Grad school? Yikes. I'd be in school for the remainder of my child-bearing years. Although I must admit the whole staying-in-academia idea is not a bad one. Especially when the alternative is to grow up and get a real job. I understand the appeal.

Wha?

I never thought Britain was a nuclear power. Apparently they did. Weird.
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It's going to snow again tonight, which makes me think about moving south. this kind of thing reminds me why I won't.

All That Stress For Nothing

I was given a paper assignment March 2 for a paper due today. I planned to write it over Spring Break, but I never got around to it. Then I planned to write it Monday, but never got around to it. Then I planned to write it Tuesday, but never got around to it. Then I planned to write it yesterday, but never got around to it. I decided to take a nap instead, and worrying about the paper kept me from falling asleep for awhile. But just awhile.

Finally, today, I was forced to write the paper. I am a procrastinator, but I'm not stupid. So I sat down first thing this morning to write the paper, instead of waiting until the last possible minute (the paper is due late this afternoon).

And the paper only took two hours to write. Including forays into the kitchen for drinks and snacks. Including time talking to my roommate about the Black Angel. Including an online chat with the bf.

Yay, me. Now what will I do with my time?

I Always Feel Like...

...somebody's watching me. (Am I dating myself with the 80s lyrical reference?)

Yesterday for one of my classes, we met in the library to "learn" how to find different kinds of sources. I say "learn" with quotes because some of us already know how to do that sort of thing. And by "some of us", I mean "me".

Anyway, two hours in the library with a professor and my class. I didn't notice anyone I know when I was there, but today I've had 3 people ask me what I was doing in the library yesterday with so many people. One person asked me while I was at work, another asked me when I was at the store, and the third asked me while I was on campus for about 4 seconds.

For someone who doesn't socialize much, I seem to run into people I know all over the place.
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I have enjoyed a Cadbury caramel egg this season. I also enjoyed a Cadbury cream egg, but not as much. Obviously. Because the caramel ones are better.
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I was going to take classes this summer, but the more I think about it, the more I think a summer of camping sounds like a better idea. Or a couple weeks, anyway. Chilling in the woods for two weeks. Heaven.

Happy Spring

I shouldn't tell you this, but there is a webcam pointing at the Old Capitol building. Most of my classes are in the two buildings on either side in the front.

Anyway, the point being, look at the lovely weather we're having:

(click to enlarge)

(And FYI, the barrier is around the Old Cap because it's being refurbished.)

Make It Stop

Guess which movie I saw yesterday. No Googling.

I have some lyrics stuck in my head on an endless loop..."Don't hafta spend your life addicted to smack, homeless on the streets, giving handjobs for crack."

It's easy, mm'kay?

***UPDATE: Yep, "South Park: Bigger, Longer, Uncut" is what I watched. For the umpteenth time.

Now guess how many times I'll purposely see "Mission Impossible 3". C'mon, guess.

Thank You

Thank all of you who worked like dogs and paid taxes so that I can go to school for free next year. Ahhh, sweet, sweet grant money.

Back

I have returned, and for those who have been wondering, I am still single.

And Shank is a stinking liar. He could've been the first blogger to lay eyes on me, and he blew it. He could have made dozens of dollars, selling my picture to the curious, but he missed out. Nyah.

Update to Previous

I didn't hear anything from Shank, so I text-messaged him to tell him where we were at. (Calling was difficult, as it was LOUD.) Didn't hear a peep out of him, so I must conclude that he blew ME off. Or he doesn't have text-messaging, but who the heck doesn't have text-messaging?!

I'm insulted.

Killing Time

I'm all packed and ready to boogie. However, I'm not actually leaving for a few hours yet.

In no time at all, I'll be avoiding too deaf to take Shank's calls, and then he'll be all pissed off like I blew him off on purpose, and then I'll be all like, "Bitch, you didn't even invite me to your wedding." Then he'll be all like, "Women are evil and blah blah blah."

I'm just guessing. :-)

Like it's my fault half my family is in Vegas this weekend, and there's a race going on. People make plans, man. I mentioned this Vegas thing like months ago, and did anyone say they were going to be in Vegas? The answer is no, no one did.

Vegas, Baby

I'm going to be in Vegas in two days and you're not.

(Well, Shank is, but let's pretend we didn't know that.)
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I sort of have an update to that car crash last night...one of the car's seats is sitting on the side of the road today. What's that about??

Impatience

I hate it when I'm waiting for an update, say to someone's health issue, and none is forthcoming. And then I'm all like, goddamnit, why didn't I program their cell number into my phone? But then I'm all like, well, I don't want to be bothering people anyway.

But damnit, I want to know how that person is.
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Someone (not the person above) was seriously injured in a car crash outside my apartment building. I hope it was a spammer. I got home from the bookstore (yay, books!) and saw an impressive array of emergency vehicles appearing to block the road ahead. I took the back way into my apartment complex, and they were right in front of my building, except out on the road. They're still out there.
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My nephew likes to play with my fingernails. He'll be talking to me or sitting with me or whatever, and idly play with them forever. He's very tactile, my nephew.

Too Young

Yesterday at work I said something about Kirby Puckett having a stroke, and one of the guys said, "Well, he's getting up there."

I replied (in some degree of shock), "He's only 44!"

Which the co-worker finally agreed was pretty young to be having strokes.

It's also too young to be dying of strokes. Way too young, especially for such a sweetheart of a guy.

Umm, What?

The Boy overheard this the other day, so I can't verify its accuracy, but I don't doubt its accuracy.

A couple of girls were in a heated political discussion, both of them greatly displeased with the current administration, when one of them exclaimed:

And now Bush is just handing over total control of our ports to Iraq!

And her friend not only didn't correct her (on any count), but agreed with her and joined her outrage.

It's exciting that these two and all their sorority sisters can vote. At least they'll probably vote for the Democratic candidate. ;-)

Seriously, though, I find myself in the odd position of defending the Bush administration more often than I like. Or, if not defending, at least correcting misinformation and filling in knowledge gaps (like I'm so well-informed, generally avoiding politics like I do). So I don't doubt the story about these two girls even a little.

But really. Iraq?! Boggles the mind.

Deferred Payment Plan

It occured to me today that a parking ticket isn't a whole lot more than paying at the ramp for most of the day. And I don't have to come up with the cash for a parking ticket today...they'll just charge the ticket to my university bill, which for a March charge will be due the end of April.

So I parked at a meter and didn't feed it.

Oh yeah. I'm bad.

Mad Researching Skillz

Back from meeting with my professor. Besides saying what a good sport I've been, and fearless about diving into different territories than the others, she also said she's really impressed with the research I've done and the insights I've uncovered. She asked if I'd been working as a researcher during my break from school.

So yeah, the aggravation is totally worth it. Plus she said I'm getting an "A", which I really think is important for me for this particular class.

The next project, she is having me do the research on a semi-related tribe instead of my own tribe. She said the other option she considered was to have me do completely different research, but she didn't want me veering too far off the path that everyone else is on. I'm actually kind of disappointed that I'm leaving my tribe for now. :-( And I hope she takes my handicap into account when grading the next paper--I don't have a month of research into this other tribe to draw from.

If You Know What I Mean

I'm not totally off the reservation, but I go on raids now and then.