Friday night...

Friday night was totally exciting...it consisted of writing methods and grooming the cat. Although Erin's text messages were definitely funny when at midnight I was texted to come to Sports, then Jake's, then Sports, then well I forget the last text message. This girl is hilarious! Apparently both cats were left outside all day (730-6) and Akasha got something stuck in her tail which resulted in me giving her a new tail cut. I feel bad for her. See to the right side of her tail in picture 2..definitely my work of art.  

Check it out...

www.wecansolveit.org

Check it out, take action, be part of the solution.  

Talkie talk

Advisor: Do you know why your birds sang so much during the breeding season?

Me: No (other than the obvious answer of singing to females)

Advisor: Because they like to hear themselves sing. That's the reason why I talk so much...because I like to hear myself talk. 

Any former student will understand this conversation without any explanation. 

Part 2: The squirrel is back

How do I know this if I am in TN? Because in one of the emails from my advisor (which I really do enjoy reading at the current time of 1 am) he exclaimed that this squirrel is back in action. Last week we had a horrible storm which knocked the tree down that the squirrel(s) used as a road from the ground to the roof of the house. After the May 08 storm that knocked the tree down, we thought for sure the squirrel(s) must have set up shop somewhere else. However, today  my advisor noticed a squirrel was watching him the entire time as he was walking past the house today and decided to have a stare down with the squirrel. Because of course, what else would you do but stare a squirrel down when spotting one? After staring, the squirrel pulled his head back and ??? (I know...I know...what the heck happened next?-of course you will never know because I wasn't there to document the details). So my advisor's hypothesis is that he must use the powerlines (which are so close to my room that at any moment they fall during a storm, I will be in the hospital on 2nd street, please come find me and rescue me)  to the house to get to the cedar trees to get on the roof. There are a lot of contingencies there. So what are we going to do? Set up DV cameras from 4 angles and let it run for 24 hours.  Yes-this is how the lab works-believe it or not. So hopefully in less than a week I will get the cameras from the home study (of course the squirrels take priority over any infant project) and set them up to gather data on how our little friend goes up and down the house. 

Look for the return of the squirrel part 3 in future blogs......

On another note...had a lovely lunch with Laura White today...very exciting to catch up..except I have a really bad memory. Of course Laura remarks: remember the time we went on a walk and you asked me if you should make out with that boy down the street? Me: WHAT? Laura White that was definitely not me (and I want names)! 

Love ya girl! 

Kids...

I babysit two adorable kids (1 and 2.5 years old-Fannie May and Cal Ripken Sr) and I had the greatest conversation with the 2.5-year-old today.

Fannie May: Are you a boy or a girl?

Me: Girl

Fannie May: Girls sit down to pee and boys stand up to pee unless they have to go poopie. Do you need to go poopie?

Me: Nope

Fannie May: Are you surrreee?

Me: Yep, I'm pretty sure.

It was like normal everyday conversation for her...hilarious.  

Three more days till freedom (aka 5 hour drive thinking about all things I need to be doing at that moment and going into panic mode). The only thing between me and driving is about 50 hours of work crammed into one blissful weekend with two imacs, lots of songs, and since I will only be measuring the songs.......PANDORA'S BOX!!! 

A week from today...

and Im back to where I should be...in TN!! whoohoo! Can't wait!!!! Always excited to go back to Nashville...now if I could only make it over to Knoxville and the Smokies that week too! Above picture is one of my favorite spots in Nashville...the Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park. So excited to go to Tin Roof, Bluebird, Beer Cellar, and the Opry (definitely will have to drag Jon to go to this place)!!! Keith Anderson is playing!!

Conversations

1. Conversation with Catherine who is just about to graduate hs and go to college

Me: Are you excited about going to UT?

Cat: Yes.

Me: What do you think will be your favorite part about going to college?

Cat: Getting drunk.

2. Another conversation with Catherine (As the phone rings, I'm in the middle of draft 100 of a paper and I think to myself: this better be really important, like an emergency or something close to it)

Cat: Jen, mom said said something really mean to me. 

Me: Oh really? What did she say?

Cat: She told me that I need to take care of myself and that some people care about their appearances.

Me: What? (half ignoring her)

Cat: I just got home from track and field practice and had a hair appointment. I didn't have time to take a shower [gross] and I was going to open the garage to get into my car when mom told me not to open the garage because she wasn't dressed appropriately and didn't want the whole neighborhood to see her. Then she told me some people actually care what they look like. 

Me: Oh I can see her point.

Cat: You know what? I've had it with you guys. 

Conversation with mom about graduation gifts.

Mom: I have the perfect graduation gift for all of Catherine's friends. OK, tell me what you think. When you graduated from hs, the newspaper had an article that said if you take a pink blanket to school, you will feel less homesick. So I'm thinking of getting everyone a pink blanket. 

Me: NO.

Mom: Did you just say no? As in N-O?

Me: No, that's a stupid idea. [google search in 2 seconds flat for a graduation gift idea] What about a book? 

Mom: Did you ever read the books people gave to you?

Me: Yes, I didn't know how to do laundry. 

Mom: [probably doing her own yahoo search] Ok this website states that students who take a pink blanket to school are less likely to be depressed than students who take a white blanket while students who take a blue blanket...

[this is exactly where I started thinking about what to have for dinner]

Me: Do you know how stupid this sounds right now?

Mom: I'm getting them all pink blankets.

That my friends, is real scientific evidence for you...

Squirrels...

I hate squirrels. My undergraduate advisor reinforced this idea when I was out in the field with him one day when he tried to run over a squirrel that ran in front of his car's path. He then told me he also hated squirrels. He continued to demonstrate his hatred for this animal by chasing squirrels off the seed stand and throwing sticks at the squirrel (bad aim of course).  

This past weekend I was awakened by my advisor chopping down a tree (I live at the lab). The tree, which stood about 9 feet, was apparently causing problems since it was basically growing on the house. The tree was chopped down and thrown into the pile of other trees and stuff collected around the farm. Fast forward 12 hours later and I am standing outside talking on my cell phone (since the house has no cell reception-score for me!) and hear something hitting against the side of the house which I find out is the gutter. The cats are, of course, are the first to check it out. After Akasha starts poking at something, I run over to find what poor animal is now her victim-a small squirrel. Afraid of what she may get from the squirrel, I throw the cats inside and try to get the baby squirrel, who is now stuck in the downspout, out into the wild. Minutes later the advisor comes down and frees the animal. We then realize that tree that he chopped down 12 hours earlier was actually their (we assume there are more up there) only way up and down the gutter. So the chopped tree is now back leaning up against the house for those darn squirrels so they don't have to slide down the gutter. 

Right

I just have to say this...Wright needs to keep his mouth shut so Obama can do his job. Hopefully damage control didn't come too late on Obama's part.  

Stepping it out

I am a big fan of the exercise classes at the SRSC. Luckily, access to the gym is included in the activity fee (which I dont pay) and all of the classes are free! So one of my favorites is Irmina's (who is Polish and adorable) Step II class. Now I remember the first time I took this class my first year of graduate school, I looked like a uncoordinated drunk donkey on drugs. Actually Erin, Gillman, and I went and we definitely provided the class with some much needed amusement as there are mirrors on every side of the freaking room-no need for hiding. But today was definitely amusing as a first timer decided to try out Step II. Hint!!! In order to not look like a fool in Step II, you should probably try Step I first! Just a hint. 

Well tonight started off with everyone coming in and setting things up and of course the asian kid has to put her step right in front of me?? Hello? We are in a huge room with lots of mirrors..move to the left or right. I gave her the stare down..she moved. Next asian kid decides to try step for the first time...poor kid. He ran out the door after the first mambo combo, looks kinda girly for a guy to be doing these dance steps. But it was highly amusing for the first 5 minutes of class. At least the pregnant lady who I think we have to rush to the hospital when I see her because she is so big wasn't there, she makes everyone, including the instructor look out of shape. 

I love summers and the SRSC (hey its not crowded in the summer-grad students get off the complaining train about this one!).