Dear Sen. McCain,

There are so many bones I could pick with you–not least of which is your bizarre and antiquated unwillingness to acknowledge that condoms help prevent the spread of STIs and pregnancy.  But today, I’m writing a section in my diss. on power, authority, and the provision of health services, so I’ve decided to take a [...]

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Do not compare self to others

Do not compare self to others…
do not compare self to others…
do not compare self to fellow 5th-year student who has six complete chapters and is polishing the seventh to be a stand-alone article submission…
do not compare self to others…
do not compare self to others…

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Dear Sun,

Thanks for reminding your readers that intelligence=pathology in women.  Also that well-educated women are unable to have a good time.  It’s probably because we’re humorless and we hate men.
I’ve got to stop reading tabloids.

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These look familiar

From Etsy, $210 per.
Compare with:

From Dad, $(price of materials + love)

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Woo hoo!

Tax rebate checks going out earlier than planned.  Bring it on, mama needs a new bathroom.
Also, does anyone know whether the rebates are to be counted as taxable income?

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Dear birds,

It would help if, when you do your singing, you present yourself at my office window for identification.  Otherwise, I have to click through a few links here and spend precious minutes trying to compare what you’re doing with what the recorded birds are doing.  Also, if the cardinals could stick to a single song, [...]

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Progress

This morning, I ran 10k in 1:08:30, and my legs and lungs felt (dare I say) good at the end.  I ran in my older shoes, which are wider, lighter, and more softly cushioned than the new ones, but also flatter and less supportive around my ankles.  If I can get the two pairs to [...]

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Note to self: Failure is not necessarily imminent.

It may be time to lighten up on the goal-awareness.  Goals are wonderful, wonderful things, and inasmuch as you’ve had success at things and stuff, it has been because you’ve tended towards the ruthless in self-discipline and maintaining a goal-oriented routine.  But if you learned anything from Friday’s tearful outburst in your adviser’s office, let [...]

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6 miscellaneous notes to self and others:

1. Derby party planning would be easier if it didn’t involve finishing the downstairs bathroom renovation project.
2. Gunshots in the middle of the night are tiresome. Literally.  Staying awake to listen for people or cars coming down the alley afterwards seriously cuts into my sleeping hours.
3. Crying in front of one’s adviser isn’t the worst [...]

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Friday recipe: Never Buy Brownie Mix Again

You know how sometimes baked goods from scratch don’t have the same kind of decadent dirtiness you crave from boxed mixes? I’ve had consistent success with making cakes of a better quality than boxed mixes, but brownies have always been a bit of a challenge.  Since we hardly ever keep actual chocolate on hand, I [...]

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