The Final Days of Unemployment

I was literally in the midst of a lamenting update for this very blog last Thursday when I received the email that signaled the beginning of the end of my months-long job hunt.
Oh yes, I did finally get a job. How about it?
Anyway, in my last few days of unemployment (my start date is not yet set, though it will probably be in less than a week), I've been doing some NON-job search things I haven't been able to enjoy as much over the past few months. I've been really wanting to play around in Photoshop lately, but I've not really had any projects or much inspiration to work with. So I decided to take a lead from Learning to Love You More, a kind of community project online, and do one of their assignments. Maybe I'll eventually do more of them. I mainly just wanted something to work on, as a diversion from GRE studying (which is also my way of noting that I didn't spend a whole lot of time on this; it was mainly for fun). Also maybe later, I'll say more about the job thing (!).

Assignment 10: Make a flier of your day.

Order: Rodentia

• I don't know if you know this, but I have a rat. I actually had two rats, but one died almost immediately after I got her. Now I'm stuck with Maggie, who enjoys sunflower seeds, vacant cardboard boxes, and climbing. Also she might be blind and she has a strong distaste for humans. As in, any hand that comes near her will be mercilessly attacked. This is kind of unfortunate, because I've had rats in the past, and they were friendly. They would sit on your lap to watch scary movies and they would explore the couch or coffee table calmly and well-behaved until you scooped them up to return to their home. If you approached Olivia or Uli or Lola with a friendly finger (may they all rest in peace), they'd sniff and/or lick it cutely and either wander off or climb aboard your hand. Maggie just bites or poops repeatedly until you leave her alone.
  
  
  So let me know if you want a pet rat; I can hook you up (leather handling gloves not included).
• There was something living in my wall or pipes recently. On Friday there were distinctly rodent noises coming from my bathtub. I actually recorded them and had a small video clip ready to accompany this paragraph, but it was a really uneventful clip that included way too much of my droning voice. It's gone now, but it was loud and a welcome distraction for approx. one afternoon of GRE studying.
• Baby squirrels are also distracting. This one lives somewhere near my patio and is not afraid of people. Is it bad that I care more about it than I do about Maggie? Because I do. I put her food out for it.

Dear Residents:

From a note found on my door last night:

October 17, 2009

Dear Residents:

This notice is to inform you that an Alligator has been spotted by a couple of residents fishing last night in our lake. We have informed the Wild Animal Rescue and they will be here this week-end to bait it and catch it.

Please use caution when walking in the lake view area.

...

Thank you

Management


My afternoon just got busy.

Anatomy Chart

Sort of. Not really.


1. Fresh ground coffee from the grinder from my parents
2. Clean energy filters from Jeremy
3. Organic French Roast from Aunt Janelle and Co.
4. Coffee maker from Jeremy
5. Big black mug from Rachelle
6. (unrelated) Perfect kitchen shelf built by my dad
7. (unrelated) Favorite coffee mug sitting in place of honor

So thanks to all, for contributing to a most premium quality pot of coffee. Special thanks also to the fall, finally showing its face in this weather-confused state and providing good rain and cold, cold mornings and reasons to wear scarves and layers again.

Cheers.

Three Things

1. Recent Conversation
You might as well replace the names with Sheldon and Leonard. Or something.
Jeremy: Your ear is pointed on the inside. (pause while turning my head) Both of them are pointed! You have pointed ears, on the insides.
Jori: I am 1/16th Vulcan.
Jeremy: On which side?
Jori: Dad's.
Jeremy: Oh. I can see that.
And then we were both quiet, because we were watching Beneath the Planet of the Apes, the second installment in our recent Planet of the Apes-athon. So. Is that, or the later (much longer) conversation we had about the theory behind the Planet of the Apes, nerdier?

2. Iran
I mean I ran. Running with thousands of people is unbelievable. I went home for The Race for the Cure and it was just exactly as awesome as I remember. No, more awesome, because this year (in a lapse of judgment) I agreed to sign up for the competitive run. What I originally thought was a tragic mistake actually turned out to be a pleasant surprise of epic proportion. Running with that many people is exciting and addictive and challenging and I quite like it.

3. Lunch

It was supposed to be a sardine pasta salad with cucumbers and fresh herbs, but I chickened out upon opening the can and playing around with the sardine chunks for a few minutes. Oh, I enjoyed removing the fish spines and playing with them and being all in awe of skeletons in general. But when it came to adding the oily, still-having-skin-on fish bits to something I was going to actually consume, all bets were off and I opened a can of trusty albacore instead. And it was extremely delicious. It was like eating an herb garden.

Oh and on a related note: Food photography is no easy task. I was going to fatly post about some brownies I made last week, but the accompanying photographs were so disappointingly lame and terrible that I abandoned the effort.

The One Where I Talk Too Much About the Weather

You know I've been in far too hot a place for too long when I go for a run in 86 degree weather and think of words like "brisk" and "chilly." 86 degrees is not brisk. But relatively, it is pretty exciting to still be below 90 first thing in the morning. The worst was a couple weeks ago, just after I moved in, when it would get down to 101 in the evenings and you'd use phrases like "finally cooling off a little."
Well. If you've spoken to me or of me at all in the past few weeks, you know of the losing battle we fought against the cockroaches of Bethany, OK, which subsequently led to another week in Kansas and a scramble for an inhabitable residence. I have one now, of course, but due to the fight we fought a few weeks ago, I still shudder when I see any insect of any variety anywhere in my new place. Believe it or not, a few have shown up here, but by a few I really do mean two or three in the past three weeks. And you better believe that I don't afford them a quick toilet paper death. Not even. I, the one who usually shoos insects out a window or door instead of stomping or squashing, have been sprinkling them with boric acid and letting them suffer. I still let spiders live, though.
ANYWAY. Two or three hasn't been so bad, but I am still haunted. And this next part, I thought I imagined. I noticed this spot on the ceiling above my bed. Not a dark spot like anything living, and definitely inanimate. Just like a small trick of light or a large inconsistency in the ceiling crumbles. It kept catching my eye though, so last night I decided to take a look up close. You might have to click it to enlarge it to see what I am talking about.

YES. THAT IS A COCKROACH PAINTED ON TO MY BEDROOM CEILING ABOVE MY BED.

Exit Cue

Take a look at those highs for Bethany. Admittedly, the highs in Lenexa aren't much lower, BUT THEY ARE LOWER. I take that triple digit in the middle as both an offense and an exit cue. I'm heading out for a while, to a place where I can sit by the pool and reap the benefits of a highly developed library system and go on bike trails with hills and with no hurricane-force winds. Maybe even motorcycle rides, if I'm lucky.
And then, if you haven't heard... I'm moving. It's actually way more sad than I thought it would be, because the dogs notice. They notice when one of us packs a bag to leave for the weekend. So the moving boxes and the emptying room appear to be a little stressful for them. If you know these two, you'd know it's such a downer to see them both so melancholy.
And... I just dropped my toast butter-side down, so I'm going to make those two dogs very happy. Although last time they were given toast, they just buried it.

Look Out

This is going to be a dull update. Proceed with caution.
I am looking for a job very frantically. The positions I've applied for include, but are not limited to:

• Diagnostic lab technician
• Pathology lab assistant
• Multiple lab technician positions in clinical pharmacology, immunology, and other labs
• Assistant lab animal tech
• Bookseller

And I've not heard back on any of them. So. Every day I get up, do the job search thing for a couple hours, and apply for at least one new job. When I've exhausted my resources, I typically go do something outdoors, like go for a bicycle jaunt or walk the dogs for a second time around a lake (still running every morning), generally get more of a sunburn, or GET YET ANOTHER BIKE STOLEN.
Right now I'm thinking about working for a year, then going to medical or graduate school, depending on the grand revelation on which I'm still waiting.
So. I have a bunch of pictures of the quick-snapshot nature taking up the memory on my camera, so I figured I'd dump them on to the blog just to do it. This is what's new.

A while ago, we went out to Kevin's house and made sushi and played MarioKart and had a grand old time. Making foods and playing MarioKart is pretty standard procedure, during the semester.

End of semester project, which was a poster with all of the metabolic pathways and their enzymes and meticulous details. This took two all-nighters and several full days, believe it or not. Click to zoom in! You'll love it!

MY DOG THAT I DON'T OWN. But I would have loved to. She joined me on a run one morning, and then she hung out on our front porch the whole day afterward. I wanted to keep her. But I sent her home instead. Plus, Bo and Ajax were really suspicious (jealous) of her.

My new bike, to replace that which was stolen. It's actually really nice. I've already taken it to the library, post office, one 20+ mile ride, and one 8.6 mile ride.

And that's it for now.

For my brother

Today is my brother's birthday. For his birthday, I decided to make him a blueberry pie. He likes blueberry pies. So I baked him one, lovingly and painstakingly.
So. Why is Beauregard hiding fearfully under the table? It's not what you probably think. He was actually very well behaved during the pie baking, and for this picture, he is doing nothing but cowering in sheer terror, due to the violent yelling. Why was there yelling?
Because. I can describe the proteolytic chain reaction that occurs during blood clotting. I can describe in great detail the action and mechanisms of carbonic anhydrase, chymotrypsin, and protein kinase A, and restriction endonucleases, among other things.

I cannot remove a pie from the oven.




So, so difficult to clean up. Sorry, Corbin.

About the Author

Yes, yes. I still have too much time on my hands. Big surprise. The job search is frustrating. The class is at a lull (though about to pick up). The life otherwise contains not enough productivity.
There's been a current moving through the internet (mainly on Facebook), and OF COURSE I told myself I wouldn't join in, but OF COURSE I sat down and typed out a list despite the lie I told myself. Anyway, you are supposed to write 25 things about yourself. I did, and now that I have it, it seems a little presumptuous of me to assume anyone would want to read 25 things about me. But here it is, anyway. I spent the time typing it, so now it must be shared, I guess.


25 Brief Facts

1. My favorite ice creams are coffee, coconut, and chocolate chip. In that order.

2. I keep riding my bike places and then catching rides home, which is inconvenient, come the next time I need to ride my bike somewhere and it is neatly locked up wherever I last left it.

3. I wish it were raining.

4. Looking at me, you would assume I am the sort that loves baking or reading (which I truly do). But I love, love running. I recently discovered how fantastic it is to keep running after the customary two-mile loop. I love the pain and accomplishment (however transient) associated with running long distances. I love how consuming it is.

5. One of my main aspirations in life is to have a garden and make my own clothes.

6. I buy soy milk instead of regular milk. I hadn't put much thought into it at all. But since I've been doing this for so long, every time I drink regular milk now, it's really shockingly weird.

7. I love costume parties, but only when everyone is participating.

8. Despite the pretenses under which I may operate, I do know exactly what I want to do with my life. The trouble is, there are just too many things I know I want to do.

9. I can’t multitask, apparently. I’ve verified this on several occasions. Very recently I drove erratically while trying to air drum to a song playing on my iPod. I was including an air base drum, thus making my pedal foot more active than a normal driver’s pedal foot should be.

10. I can’t figure out how to get my nose ring out. Not that I want it gone, I just want to change it.

11. I know it is cliché and 90s: I love pizza. I had tofu pizza Saturday night, vegetable pizza for Sunday lunch, Greek pizza for Sunday dinner, and leftover tofu pizza for lunch today. That is four meals in a row. I love it.

12. Honestly, I think my love for camping is part of the reason why I prefer to keep my mattress on the floor instead of on a frame, like normal folk.

13. Spring is by far my least favorite season.

14. Listening to music can be (and often is) a visceral experience, I think. Iron & Wine and Nickel Creek are two of the greatest. And Sufjan Stevens.

15. At least 60% of my mental activity is devoted to over-analysis. At least 20% of that goes to over-analysis of hypothetical situations.

16. I keep a permanent file of the best quotes I’ve personally heard (not like.. from books or famous individuals; from real life). Unfortunately, the record is not exhaustive and I deeply regret this. But it remains one of my most important documents.

17. I secretly hope that when we all die, regardless of what happens, we are issued a Complete Series DVD of our life, complete with deleted scenes, alternate endings and special features.

18. I really quite like the Episcopal church that I usually attend.

19. I collect things, kind of like the guy in Everything is Illuminated collects things. My collection is far less interesting and meaningful, though. This tendency of mine, to keep plane ticket stubs and things of that nature, makes me fear that I will someday have a house full of boxes of little collections. This stresses me out.

20. It is very important for me to log my running times and distances every day. I don’t know why, because I rarely look back over them or analyze them to any extent, and I never show these numbers to anyone. But I have to do it, every day.

21. Bookstores and libraries are like sanctuaries to me.

22. Chris McCandless fascinates me. Not that I would emulate him, but he fascinates me.

23. My favorite job I’ve had (so far) is Human Anatomy lab assistant, for which all I did was one of my favorite activities (cadaver dissection).

24. When I’m bored or generally activityless, I take my pulse. I try to find it on arteries other than the carotids or radials.

25. I really, really wish my life would include some cinematic-quality scene. At least one, but preferably several. It would make it seem so much more meaningful. Watching things like Across the Universe, Moulin Rouge, and (the end of) Slumdog Millionaire, repeatedly, with wide, longing eyes only reinforces this desire.

Unbelievable

Two posts in one week! Looks like I may have way too much time on my hands.
I just wanted to say that, after years of cringing at the mere thought of consuming chili, I've found a recipe that is not offensive in the slightest. I don't know if I should call it chili, though, considering I cut back so severely on the use of chili powder. It might have just been bean and tomato soup. Either way, it goes quite well with challah.


Ajax found it necessary to monitor my intake of said chili as part of his campaign to share (or take entirely) the bowl on the table. This campaign was unsuccessful.
I am getting ready for a day of sectioning rat brains in the lab. Last week I very painstakingly and lovingly mounted an adult brain on a little platform, then put it in the deep freeze, so it should be ready for slicing and dicing now.
Ha! And I said I would start posting about things of consequence and potentially meaning. Good one, self.

Mazal Tov

I could go and list several of the activities I've done today (like can-smashing and taking out the trash and running), but I'll spare you the details and get right to the point: I am celebrating, if even for a short time. This is why:
This morning after Biochem, I trudged over to the Office of the Registrar, head hung low in acceptance of inevitable defeat. After several unsuccessful trips to said office, I wasn't optimistic about the probable outcome. I've been trying to get my diploma from them for approximately seven months now. I thought I'd go try again. I walked in, reminded them why I was there, and was immediately handed my diploma. What?
Maybe all they wanted was a little humility. Maybe they thought by holding out, they could get me to keep enrolling in classes. Regardless, I've finally officially acquired my degree. Or, the piece of paper that proves that I did, anyway. It even has the correct date on it: May 2008. Really, I am more excited and proud right now than I was during commencement. I should go put on my cap and gown again just to complete the occasion.
Now, maybe I can finally move on and make life decisions. Maybe.

Practices In Domesticity

A year ago, I was posting about middle eastern adventures and thinking about the upcoming semester of cadaver dissection and tropical field research in Costa Rica.
Today, I will post about nothing in particular. It just bothered me that this site was sitting untouched for so long. It was either update or delete. So read on; my sincerest apologies for lack of quality and substance.
I was going to let today count as productive, until I realized how transient the results of my "productivity" really are. On the bright side, it was stuff needing done.

• Ran a couple miles
  
• Went to first day of Biochem (my last first day at this school, most likely)
• Bought school supplies on new budget (read: spend no more than $5)
• Laundry
• Dishes
• Cleaned out cupboard and briefly took grocery inventory
  
• Watched a movie from the library
  
• Read
• Went on bike ride
• Changed bike seat, worked on tires briefly
• Had weekly talk with Rachelle

Notice, though, that the list doesn't include things like finding a job or sorting out what I will do with this still unused college degree. Nor does it involve anything of real substance.
Anyway, the ski trip to Minnesota was just fine. Downhill skiing, cross country skiing, ice skating, paintball, etc, etc. I'd say it was a wise decision, overall.

Maybe the next time I decide to write on here, I'll have something REAL to say.