Tidbits and Travelings

So, I spent a week at the beach, and although my CA friends would tell different, I still think that Rehoboth Beach is up there in my top 5 great beaches of all time. It was nice, and peaceful. It was good.
So, here goes in my update:

Farrah Fawcett: Rest in Peace my dear. You were a true beauty icon. Your fluffy blond hair is still the talk of millions. I only wish you could have survived longer.

Jon and Kate Plus 8 Minus 1: OMG that’s all I have to say about this one. I’m so over it. It’s like Breaking Bonaduce. It’s a train wreck, and it’s truly disappointing to me that TLC is still marketing them like a champ. It’s frustrating and annoying and although I’m part of the problem because I am writing about this; it doesn’t dismiss the fact that I gotta feel bad for the kids.

Billy Mays: If it’s that he had a heart attack, than fine. Terrible. If it’s about him in that airflight that basically crash landed….welp; if we ever thought that the air industry needs a reload perhaps this will cause the time. It’s a hard situation but it’s one of those things that I can’t stand because it’s an overall frustrating situation.

Tony Hawk in the White House: Okay, so you’ll have to google this, but Ashton Kutcher challenged Tony Hawk to go skating down the hallways of the White House. Needless to say, no need for such a controversy. It was cool though, and I’m glad that he did do it. Google it to see the pictures. I cackled at work. Cackled.

Wedding Plans: So, I looked at three venues in Delaware. I loved the last one, but I think that it might be overly complicated. I would have to rent/lease/borrow/steal everything. A tent, tables, chairs, silverware, everything. I think we could pull it off; I just think that it might be a lot harder than expected.

Transformers 2: Don’t listen to the hype. This movie was HOOKED UP. A fantastic movie that did a silent reminder of why I liked the tv show, why I liked the action figures, why I liked the entire story. Oh, and while I’m at it…Peter Cullen you’re a voice over god. You’re not necessarily anything to look at, but you have created the voice of reason, life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. For that, I thank you.

Onto Harry Potter!!!
And finally….

Michael Jackson: So, with mixed feelings I am mourning the loss of Michael Jackson. He was anorexic, on what felt like thousands of pain killers and medications and now it is coming out that he was “overly stressed”. His two kids are now without a father. Does it excuse the fact that he was accused of child molestation, giving alcohol to a minor, abduction, and conspiracy? No. It doesn’t. Perhaps it’s just the legal side of me that comes right out and thinks that although it’s just the same these days of being convicted in the public eye. He was found not guilty of all charges. I think to a certain extent I feel bad that his weird creepy lifestyle will live longer than the fact that he was a culture icon. That he sold more records than anyone…ever. It’s an icon that changed the face of Motown. Ever since I heard the news on Thursday at the beach, I came to the conclusion that I didn’t quite know what to think.

Happy Go Skateboarding Day!!!!

Just wanted to add a quick photo from last year’s Go Skateboarding Day…just to ask you a question: What are you doing inside reading this? Borrow a board, build a board, go out and have a good time. It’s your only chance to go out and do it legally.

OMG!! Rumor has it, 23rd Season in DC!

That’s right folks, for the obsessive compulsive reality show person that I am…the one that I really watch is the Real World. Welp, just in time for the beginning of the Real World Cancun the filming is starting in DC for the Real World: DC. Shocker. When the previous mayor was in town, there was no way they could get into town, but who knew that Adrian Curry would turn Dupont Circle into a debauchery.

So bring on the drama!!! Hopefully it will bring money to the badly needed District of Columbia. The next closer reality show, other than Duff of course, is Jon and Kate…and I wouldn’t call that a good one.

Tales of a Wannabe Graduate Student ~ Reasons to stay, and reasons to go…

So, the saga continues, and it looks now that my focus has to completely change. The interesting thing is that there are times that I just want to quit school. I think that’s why I started this column and called it what I did.

So, as it stands I have:
1. A method that I’ve worked on for 2+ years that doesn’t work.
2. 8,000 ideas of what to do instead of it.
3. I need to finish it so that I know that for sure it’s not going to work.
4. A fiancee that’s in Chicago that’s taking a lot of my shit. I’ll admit it, he is. But, his graduate work was a bit different than mine.

I just don’t know what to do next. I’m so angry I could just spit.

On an upswing, for those of you that remember what my family went through during the summer last year, the guy plead guilty. I hope he gets sentenced for a long long time. Check the Laurel Leader for followups. If there was anything that would make me stay and finish this out, it’s odd…it’s that entire situation.
Why do you say? I don’t know, perhaps it was the pull that the forensic work that was performed. To stay in trace evidence was something that just pulled me even more now that I’ve been personally affected by it.

Sorry it seems strange. It’s been a bad time recently.

Tales of a Wannabe Graduate School Dropout ~ NOT quite down for the count…

So regardless of my lack of enjoyment anymore of school, I have now decided one thing:
This is about me.
It’s all about me and all I wanted. I have always wanted to do casework as well as making positively sure that I am on my way to working as a professor.

The fight’s not outta this girl yet. I’ve dealt with much stronger, much scarier foes than this.

Tales of a Wannabe Graduate School Dropout ~ Is it time to go?

You know it’s funny with so much going on right now, it’s sometimes necessary to take a step back, get a firm kick in the rear, and move forward.

That kick came yesterday. I cried to my sister’s house to take care of her kids, took care of them, cried watching the Stanley Cup finals (because you know there was a reason for that…hehe), and cried on the way home. The hail storm got involved there, which wasn’t good.

All this crying led me to one point. One, it doesn’t matter what emotion I’m feeling, I cry. Lame I know. Two, when is it that you listen to the Gambler? What do I mean you ask? When do you know when to quit?

There’s nothing that I’ve ever encountered that I couldn’t teach myself. I am even to this day convinced that if I wanted to, I could train myself to throw a 95 mph fastball. I don’t want to do that though.

So, thank you advisor for the swift kick to the rear.

It’s made me more determined than ever.

Tales of a Wannabe Graduate School Dropout ~ I miss my sister…

You know, it’s interesting. I’ve had a birth defect well, since birth, but they figured it out when I was 8. Well, after my sister had children…she developed such bad GI problems that she was in and out of better for what felt like years. So, when she went gluten, whey, and lactose free, as a family I have struck out to make sure that she feels included.

Because I gotta tell you, there’s nothing worse than not being included. I know that when I am at school and everyone is playing softball, going out and doing stuff I am NEVER included. It’s largely because of my age, it’s also because of my disability. Not a bad thing, just sayin’. I don’t think there’s a person in my department that would acknowledge that it was done on purpose, but still.

So, I got all excited that I found this place online…CakeLove and it was one of those things that I was all excited because they had Vegan and Gluten-Free varieties, I knew I just KNEW that what a FABU idea to get chocolate cupcakes for my sister.

Boo. I drive my butt to Canton, and let me tell you driving to Canton I hate driving to Canton. There’s just not a good way to get there. It’s always either traffic laden because it’s a rather up scale neighborhood, or it’s just constant red lights. So, I drive out there, and low and behold talk to the guy and they have vegan cupcakes! So exciting! With Wheat flour. *ugh* So, I ask the gluten-free cupcakes…yes mam, we have them they say.
With milk in the batter and in the icing.

I can’t win for losing. So, this was a blast from the past for my sister. Don’t take the first line personally. I don’t mean that. It’s just a song that always makes me think of her.

Welcome back humidity, we haven’t missed you…

So, because Geekhiker was talking about June Gloom the other day, I have to admit it got me thinking about the rain in Spain that has been falling in my back parking lot now for what seems like weeks.

See, rain is a customary feature of the Mid-Atlantic weather pattern, as we get hit by what most people call here gross out August. Yes, that’s when you can walk outside your front door and the steam hits you so bad you never thought you could lose three pounds by sweating. Nope, while the West Coast enjoys a good dry heat summer, we have the wet humidity that you only thought was possible in Florida.

So, welcome back summer. I’ve missed you.

Tales of a Wannabe Graduate School Dropout ~ Conflicting Issues for Women

As much as the whole recent events more than watching the weather tends to bother me, I had to bring up a certain instance that came up this weekend that threw me into such a frenzy that I didn’t quite know what to do.

Dr. George Tiller, a physician performing legal abortions in Wichita KS was killed on Sunday as he was walking into church. He was targeted as one of the few physicians in this country that can legally perform late-term abortions. Have I said the word legal enough? So, here’s what I think and so if you’re ready to flame this blog, be forewarned that I’ll just delete your comment.

Yup, that’s right, I’ll delete it.

So, here goes: Do I agree with women that seek out late-term abortions not because they medically need them but because they want them? No. Do I agree with late term abortions in general? No. But, given the fact that Roe v. Wade is still considered a case that’s over…yes folks, it’s over…
…than I can’t take a choice away from another woman. I don’t believe that my Catholic upbringing makes me obligated to be pro-life. I think my Catholic upbringing says for one thing…it says that I have to open my heart and allow the free will that God gave us needs to be used in an applicable manner.
Like it drives me crazy when people ask me constantly how I can rationalize my biological scientific background and being Catholic. I don’t think they have to be counter intuitive. It’s a hard situation where I can’t really voice. It’s a hard situation. All I know is this: It’s not the Catholic thing to do to MURDER someone while they are on their way to church. MURDER isn’t Catholic. Whether you believe that abortion is murder, that’s fine that’s your choice. But to hell and high water if I think that it’s okay that someone who is out there supporting the rights and privileges of women be killed because of doing that.

Rest in peace Dr. Tiller. Thank you for supporting the rights of women.

Tales of a Wannabe Graduate School Dropout ~ Coping with the past

So, I gotta tell you, my car has never looked the same. Yes folks, Slumber Parties is finally dead in the W household. Not that the company is a bad thing, just not a fit for me. It’s like fast money, well there are plenty of industries out there. It’s an interesting thing because I tried to use that as a way to have a certain lifestyle while I was starting graduate work.

How wrong I was man. But, life moves on and you do your own thing right? It’s interesting, as I start to clear out the stuff from that business I realize at times how much I’ve made horrific decisions and been completely fine, or like in that case, I’ve made decisions and they’ve blown up in my face. I have been reading this great book about remarkably a woman that spend a lot of time stripping, and it made me feel like that to a certain extent. Going down to the core of what makes me a woman, and breaking myself up. It was weird because not unlike stripping, all I was thinking about was the money. It didn’t make sense.

So, life moves on. Or it doesn’t. It’s funny, everything is in limbo because of this crazy proposal. My wedding planning, me getting finished with school, moving, everything. It’s on hold for one paper that I feel like to a certain extent I’ve been pouring my soul into. It’s still not right. It’s almost as if the pressure is getting to me.