20110606

Happiness is...


  • A plate of gluten-free pasta at a party.
  • An email to a professor with a final paper attached.
  • The exhaustion and relief after a two hour presentation.
  • A cap, gown, and hood sitting on your table.
  • Spending time with someone who makes you laugh harder than you ever had before and makes the world a sunny, carefree place.
A funky tree.
Last night was the always fantastic First Saturday hosted by Katie and Nik. As usual, they prepared delicious food (gluten-free pasta especially for me!) and we had a great time playing what has come to be one of my favorite games, What's Yours Like? I also brought along a guest, one of particular charm and cuteness, for quite selfish reasons... I didn't want to not see him on Saturday night. Well, that and I was pretty sure that he would fit right in with some of the human development associated dudes. It was a very wonderful evening.

Earlier this week, I did my final presentation for my development in adulthood and aging course. I ended up doing my grant proposal on diabetes and various psychological factors (particularly attitudes towards aging and body dissatisfaction). I finished up my paper a few days later... it was quite possibly the best feeling in grad school I've had yet. So nice to have some of the quarter's work behind me! Things are wrapping up and I'm able to think about all the fun I'm going to have this weekend and this summer (sans studying for the preliminary exam)! It's basically a smile festival around here. :-)

20110531

Hella Good 10 AM Sandwich

Once you've stopped snickering at the title of this post, feast your eyes...


It's never too early for a sandwich, especially one with pesto, thinly sliced Vidalia onion and tomato, oven roasted turkey breast, and baby arugula -- my favorite elitist vegetable -- between two slices of my favorite whole grain, gluten-free bread. I do so love myself a good sandwich.

I'm getting excited for summer's heirloom tomatoes. What are your favorite summer treats?

20110529

Gradmutation, Mooving, and Substitutions

I am sure that all you blog stalkers were missing the graduation posts. Well, it's your lucky couple of weeks! Those of us on the quarter system are just starting to get prepared to don the most ridiculous outfit people seem to take seriously (any opportunity to wear academic regalia is an opportunity to snag!) and get our pomp on.

Check it:


What it is.

I'm getting a little bit excited, I won't lie. The quarter will be over, I'll be hanging out with my mom and younger sister for a few days, and I'm really excited to meet everyone's families and for people to meet two of the most important people in my life! It's going to be a celebration.

Commencement is on June 9, after I proctor an exam that morning and grade it that afternoon (unless I can bribe another grad student to do it instead... any takers? Seriously...). But the real fun is going to be on the following day when we have a graduate group party. My adviser will say nice things about me, I'll get a little engraved cowbell, and I'll feel pretty great about myself.

It's a strange graduation because, well, I won't be getting my degree. So I'm going to be a Mistress of Science* with that asterisk denoting my expected conferral date of September 2011. I don't really get a break from grad school, so it's not really the end or beginning of anything. I will be back on campus the following week working as a grad student researcher and studying for the preliminary exam. That's the thing about grad school. It never ends.

Never-the-less, I get to wear a hood and funky sleeves! ...Think how excited I'm going to be when I get to wear some stripes!

NEXT: Mooving. I realized today when my upstairs neighbor was quite possibly running on a treadmill in tap shoes that I will be out of my little apartment of love, the Nat Flat #1, in less than a month! That's all I have to say. YAY.

Finally, a few substitutions to my 24 before 24 list! #8. I'm doubting that I'll learn how to crochet and crochet well enough to make a blanket by Thanksgiving. So, I'm cross-stitching a birth record. I have a mean satin stitch! #21. Instead of seeing the San Francisco Ballet, I'm going to hear the San Francisco Symphony. Smiling. That's what I'm doing right now.