| This is my "I'm a science officer now! :D" icon. |
[Nov. 14th, 2009|06:06 pm] |
Yesterday was my and Jon's fifth anniversary. It was really nice. Jon took me to Peter's in Fells, and at first I was kind of underwhelmed because the place is tiny and really noisy, and the wine list was less than impressive. Also...they didn't just seat us near the bathroom. They didn't just seat us near the kitchen. They gave us the table right next to both. But! The food was really good and we ended up having a romantic night anyway. Jon had the fillet and I had--get this--lamb chops over ratatouille with duck confit style beans and lamb sausage with cheese ravioli. All that in one little dish! It was pretty damn good. We ordered one of each of the desserts, red velvet cupcakes with ice cream and something that was basically tiramisu broken down into its separate parts. Both were delish. I was fucking stuffed to the point of discomfort when we got home, but it was so worth it.
This week was my first as a research assistant at the Center for Learning and Health at Johns Hopkins. It is pretty cool. I'll be mostly working on a study that's been going on since 2007 that's meant to develop a workplace for cocaine and opiate addicts where the opportunity to be employed and learn job skills is contingent upon drug abstinence and enrollment in a methadone treatment program. Spoilers: cocaine addiction is fucking hard to treat. WHO KNEW, RIGHT? Anyway, there are some really cool people participating in the study. Pretty much everyone starts out looking, well, like a crackhead, but those who stick it out for the full six months usually leave with awesome clerical skills and sometimes even a GED, if they've opted to use their time in the lab to pursue an education. Hopkins tries to get them jojb placements after they leave the study, but unfortunately, this treatment seems to have little impact on employment at the six-month followup. : / Only a very small percentage of people stay clean and find employment, so we're looking into developing an employment program that is self-sustaining so that people can work there longer than six months.
But anyway. I'll be presenting a poster about that research at MABA, which is the con for the Maryland Association for Behavior Analysis. I'm thinking of cosplaying as B. F. Skinner, or maybe one of the pigeons in his self-concept study. Not really, but how cool would that be if people cosplayed at behavior analysis conventions?*
In other news, I am broke! Apparently, you no longer receive paychecks if you become unemployed! Also, my student loan check has failed to materialize! Haha, I sure hope I can pay my rent at the end of the month! :D
I'm fucking starving, so I'm gonna go make some burritos now.
*(Answer: Not cool at all.) |
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| (no subject) |
[Jul. 3rd, 2009|10:37 pm] |
You know that Gmail application that prevents you from sending drunk emails by giving you a minute to solve a few simple math problems? Well, I just had to do that (presumably because it is 10:30 pm on a Friday night). How sad is it that I had to skip one problem and come back to it? I'm not even drunk.
Even sadder: I was emailing my dad to get information so I could fill out my FAFSA. On a Friday night. ~*Exciting Social Life*~
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| My first battle wound |
[Feb. 20th, 2009|06:06 pm] |
I got bit by a consumer at the ARC today while trying to block self-injurious behavior. I probably should have been more careful--the kicking and scratching was clearly a warning. So now I have a sore, swollen thumb and a bruised ego from having to terminate the session and being really shaken up. I was told that the guy that bit me had never behaved aggressively in session before, so I don't really know how to feel about that. The grad student in charge of that study took me to the campus infirmary, where I was told that the bite didn't put me at risk for infection since I had already been vaccinated for Hepatitis B. I really hope nobody asks me to run this consumer again. Meagan said they'll move him out of the current condition, since treatment had very clearly failed long before today's incident but they needed a few more data points to be sure. Suck.
I really want to get face-meltingly fucked up tonight, but everyone is already sick or busy. LAME. |
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| (no subject) |
[Dec. 22nd, 2008|01:56 am] |
I'm typing this from my childhood bedroom at my father's house. I have a really weird sense of unease right now, and I don't know why.
I miss my cats already, even though I only said goodbye to them about nine hours ago. Alyssa is taking care of them, so they'll be fine, but I worry about them a lot since that one time Liz left them without food or water for four days while I was in Italy. Way to go, Liz.
My father told me before going to bed that he thinks this will be my grandmother's last Christmas. I...don't know what to think about that. On the one hand, yeah, maybe. Her health has taken a downturn in the last two months. On the other hand, it's nothing life-threatening. But still, she's the only grandparent I've ever had, so it's not fun to think about.
Tonight I wrapped most of the presents that my parents are giving to my siblings. There weren't many--my sister and I aren't getting anything. I don't know why Megan isn't, but I asked for a new mattress as a combined Christmas/birthday gift, so I'll get that next time my father comes to visit me in Gainesville. Chelsea is getting all of One Tree Hill on DVD, and Chad is getting a ridiculously fancy alarm clock. Two presents that I ordered a little over a week ago have not arrived yet, which worries me. They're for non-family, so I don't need them by the 25th, but still. Everything else is here, what could be holding up stickers and coasters?
In other news, I am finally free of (almost) all obligations for about two weeks. WHO WANTS PRESENTS/COOKIES/CARDS? If you're in Melbourne, Palm Bay, Gainesville, or St. Augustine, I can make you some edibles! If you're anywhere else, I can send you something that won't melt in the mail! Comments will be screened, so leave me your mailing address if you want something, or tell me when and where we can meet up if I can physically hand you something.
ALSO! I need your most fattening recipes! Bonus points for non-desserts! |
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| Airing dirty laundry on LJ |
[Sep. 23rd, 2008|07:09 am] |
I posted here a while ago about partying at Liz's place. I think I mentioned briefly a guy who was a huge creep to me and another girl there all night. I didn't mention how after the party I met with Liz and told her that he made me feel extremely uncomfortable because he kept touching me while I was drunk in ways that only my boyfriend is allowed to touch me, even though I never gave him permission. Liz admitted that other people had complained about his inappropriate behavior towards them, and she promised me she would have a talk with him. Not long after that, I saw him on campus, and even though he repeatedly tried to get me to hug him, I refused to let him touch me. At dinner soon after that, knowing that he did not have permission to touch me, he forced a hug on me while I tried to push him off. I made it very clear to him again right then that he was not allowed to touch me. He sought me out again, seating himself next to me at dinner. Liz's sister switched places with me to spare me, and I ignored him for the rest of the night.
( Text text text )
So where am I going with this? Well, mostly I just wanted a record of that event here. Also, this is just one shitty thing in a recent string of events that have cued me into the fact that my social life blows. You know, like inviting thirty people to a potluck and having no one show up. Nice.
Jon and I were wondering why nobody seeks out our company very often, and how nine times out of ten we're the ones trying to get people to hang out. We're not bad people. We're smart. We enjoy a variety of activities and can converse well enough on many topics. Am I "that girl" that people avoid? If so, can somebody maybe let me know what is so offensive about me? Jon too? We're both pretty sick of all our so-called friends hanging out together without inviting us, not telling us things, and just generally being douchebags seemingly out of the blue.
Clue us in. |
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| (no subject) |
[Jun. 26th, 2008|02:28 am] |
So. The Italian consulate sent off my visa and passport via USPS first class mail on Tuesday to my Gainesville address. I found this out on Wednesday, when I went to Miami to retrieve my documents in person. Now I'm back in Melbourne, at my father's house. What does this mean for me?
Odds are good that I'm not going to be getting on a plane Saturday. Unless, by some miracle, my stuff makes it Gainesville by Friday, I'll have to rearrange my trip. I don't know when the package will arrive, so I won't know if I should try to move my flight to Saturday evening, Monday evening, or even Tuesday. Classes start on Monday.
I don't really know what to do at this point. Part of me just wants to give up and take Italian II at UF during the second six-week summer semester, because I am sick of everything going horribly wrong with this trip. Seriously, everything that can go wrong has gone wrong, and some things have gone wrong two or three times. I feel like if I actually try to go to Rome, my luggage will end up in Zimbabwe and my wallet will be pilferred at some point. I've been very careful with my feelings about this trip. I didn't want to start getting my hopes up too much, because there has not yet been any guarantee that I'll even get to Rome. Whenever people have asked me if I'm excited about going, I've lied and said yeah, I'm practically wetting myself with excitement. Really, I've just been sort of scared and really nervous. Right now I'm just numb.
I'm not going to give up yet. My father is taking me home on Friday in case the mail does show up that day. If it does, I'll get on my plane. If my stuff hasn't arrived by Saturday, I'll probably see about getting refunds and registering for summer classes at UF.
Jon is on a plane to Germany right now. We're supposed to meet up in Florence in a couple weeks. I miss him already, but I hope he has fun. |
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| (no subject) |
[Jun. 23rd, 2008|08:54 pm] |
So it turns out that I'm back in Melbourne. I made the decision to come here yesterday without really thinking it through too much, but I think I made the right decision. You see, there has been another setback in my plans to get to Italy--the Italian consulate in Miami still has my application materials and my visa, and I leave in five days. I'll be riding along with Jon and his parents to Miami on Wednesday in order to retrieve my documents, which includes my passport. I and a member of the International Center team at the university have been trying to contact someone at the consulate to see what is going on for about a week now, but I guess email, telephones, and fax machines are too advanced for the people who have my important documents in their possession.
So far, here are all the shitty things that have happened to me so far this summer:
STA travel books flight for wrong departure date
Delayed start of visa application process due to uncharacteristic lateness on my part and the resulting diva-like behavior of my adviser
Can't give plasma and collect payments due to crappy immune system (aka I lose the opportunity to make $300)
Return of the cyst
Cyst means I can't continue my regular exercise routine
Gym I work at closed for the rest of the summer (aka I lose the opportunity to make about $600)
Week-long sickness
Visa and passport currently on holiday in Miami
Suntrust visa credit card still hasn't arrived (in case of emergency while abroad)
If I were superstitious, I would think the universe didn't want me to go to Italy.
With my luck, I'll get a full-blown acute cyst again while in Rome, and I'll have to spend the whole trip in a hospital, and both my cards will be frozen because I'm trying to use them abroad, even though I've notified both banks of my travel plans. That's if I even make it to Italy at all.
Current To Do list:
Haircut
Buy headset
Buy converter
Start on research project
Print out flight itinerary and booking confirmation
Burn CDs |
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| (no subject) |
[Jun. 11th, 2008|12:48 pm] |
I haven't been online much since my last update. A lot of you guys are going to be getting comments from me to your week-old entries after I update, so be prepared.
Anyway, I also have photos and a recipe.
I make a lot of soup, and this is totally the best batch I've ever made. I haven't had the leftovers yet, but hopefully they're better than the carrot soup leftovers. I forgot to say last time to only make enough carrot soup for one meal, because the stuff is great fresh but gross the next night. I haven't tried freezing the soup, but I'm told that it helps keep the flavor and texture better that just refrigerating it. |
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| BREAKING NEWS IN KXO'S LIFE |
[May. 28th, 2008|12:28 pm] |
You guys remember me talking about that lab I took for credit this past semester, the one with the Florida foster care system stuff? I was continuing with that as a volunteer this summer, and had been hoping to continue as a volunteer until graduation in a year. Well. The state just canceled their contract with the university, so now all that has evaporated. I just found out about this when I showed up at the office today. But don't feel bad for me! I was only a volunteer, but 70 people just lost their jobs, including three grad students who have to find a new source of funding. The program supervisor of the grad student I was working under also lost her job, as did her husband. They have a five-year-old and are in the process of adopting another little boy from Africa, but now neither of them has a job. Christina (grad student I was working under) and the other two grad students who worked there will still be able to continue their educations and still get their tuitions and salary paid, but it will have to come out of Dr. Vollmer's overhead account.
This is why tax cuts are not always awesome, guys. The state has lost a ton of revenue thanks to stupid fucking tax cuts, so this program, meant to improve the foster care system and teach people better parenting skills, has been gutted almost entirely. My university also lost tens of millions of dollars in funding from the state, and had to cut programs to make up for the deficit. Luckily my department suffered absolutely no cuts because Behavior Analysis brings in massive grants, but others didn't fare so well. The graduate philosophy department has lost all of its funding, several language programs have been frozen for the next four years, and 118 people lost their jobs. This university is the state's best, but this is going to severely hurt us.
I AM JUST SO MAD RIGHT NOW. AUGH. BALLS ON EVERYTHING. |
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| ~____~ |
[May. 13th, 2008|05:31 pm] |
Oh maaaaaaaaaaaaan, guys.
I just got done giving plasma, but because I had to wait an abnormally long time to do so (FDA inspections at the plasma donation center quadrupled wait times), I was late to work. I couldn't call them and let them know I was late because I had left my phone at home, so when I got to campus, I hauled ass on foot to try and get there only ten minutes late. Well, the last thing you're supposed to do after giving plasma is haul ass completely across campus. Really, the only thing you are supposed to do is rest, eat some food, and drink a ton of water. About halfway through my trip I started feeling so horribly nauseas that I had to sit down on the pavement and rest my head between my knees. I thought I was going to throw up or pass out, or maybe even both at once. Somehow I made it to work, but as soon as I dragged myself through the door, I had to sit down and request water, which my supervisor hurried to get for me. I must have been pale as death, and I was really clammy and out of breath.
I ended up telling my supervisor that I was late because I had passed out at the plasma center and they had kept me there to monitor me, since that's a much shorter story and would require fewer words to come wheezing out of my mouth between desperate gulps of breath. I made it fifteen minutes late, but I don't think he'll write me up.
I still feel like shit, even now. I need food and water, but I can't even get up out of this chair without wanting to lie down and just breathe. Just sitting partially upright is taxing. I pushed my poor body way too hard way too soon after losing 880 mg of fluid.
UGH. I HAVE TO BE HERE UNTIL 11 PM, GUYS. D: |
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| Epic Fail Girl |
[Apr. 23rd, 2008|02:42 am] |
I blew my oral exam. I felt totally ready, and had practiced what I would say to anything she could ask me, but the moment I sat down I got so nervous that I totally froze. I forgot how to say, "I'm hungry". I forgot the city my father grew up in, I forgot the next closest major city (how do you forget the name of Los Angeles?), so after a few seconds of sitting there lamely with a horrified face, I just said he was from San Francisco, which probably sounded like a total lie. God. I was so embarrassed and ashamed of myself after leaving. Less than an hour before I had conversed in Italian with Candice without a single problem, what the fuck.
Music:
Tori Amos - Siren
hide - Dice (Man, I think I downloaded this in eighth grade. That was like four computers ago.)
Brenda Fassie - Vuli Ndlela (Where did I get this song?)
Well, wish me luck on the listening comprehension part of my Italian final today. I'm probably going to need it no matter how prepared I am, jeez.
ETA: Jimmy John's $0.48 day-old loaves are the best way to get breakfast and lunch on campus for cheap. Note to self, start brining some kind of spread to school. |
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| (no subject) |
[Apr. 18th, 2008|10:41 pm] |
WARNING, THIS IS GROSS.
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| (no subject) |
[Apr. 18th, 2008|07:08 pm] |
Today's Music:
MC Chris - DQ Blizzard
Matthew Good Band - Advertising on Police Cars
Gogol Bordello - Start Wearing Purple
Since it's been a while since my last icon post...
My blisters have gotten worse. Every time I do more than sit still, they start to swell up and hurt. AWESOME. I managed to put on a shirt so I could take my behaviorism test, but I was ready to rip it off and burn it by the time I was finished. Waiting for the bus in the sun was extremely uncomfortable. WHY AM I SO PALE?! Balls. Will I be able to make it to work tomorrow? I really need the cash. I've had to miss 9 hours of work and a trip to Nabi because of this burn.
EDITED TO ADD: I AM OFFICIALLY PEELING. |
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| My turn to have a shitty day |
[Apr. 10th, 2008|12:11 am] |
So my day had been going fairly well, a little above average, until I checked my email after I got out of the lab. Some stupid bitch had suggested in the comments of ![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/community.gif) stupid_free that, because I have no sympathy for parents who enable their partners to rape their children, I obviously haven't gotten over being abused by my mother as a child and should get back into therapy. Wow. Absolute lowest fucking way to try and win an internet argument ever. I was so pissed off after reading that comment that I could barely think straight, plus I was tired and nauseous from not having eaten all day (it was 4:00). I decided to go home, eat my leftover pasta, and take a short, calming nap before work.
When I got home, I discovered that, right outside our living room window, one of the stray kittens I had been feeding was headless and flattened in the road 15 feet from our apartment. I completely broke down about 30 seconds after that discovery. Jon took my shift for me at work and postponed going to a sea plane show with his dad so he could be here with me tonight.
I was supposed to study with Candice for an Italian test tonight, but told her about the cat and she understood why I couldn't study. I am so completely worn out right now, mentally and physically. When my last final exam ends it is going to be such a massive relief. |
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| (no subject) |
[Mar. 25th, 2008|08:11 am] |
Whoever said pressing a match to a tick will make it come out of skin was a liar. I just found a tick on my inner thigh about two inches from my pubes and spent the last ten minutes pressing matches to it. The damn thing finally slid out when I held a pair of metal tweezers over a flame and then grabbed it with those. Now I've got a slightly burnt thigh and an almost empty book of matches.
I'm going to think twice next time before going down to the lake in shorts. Jon found three ticks on his body yesterday (and pulled them all out by hand--enjoy those minor infections, sweetie!), so he didn't fare much better. I'm afraid we brought more home for the cats. Craaaaap.
So what did all you lovelies do for Easter? We went to Lake Wauburg and Paine's Prairie and grilled some shish kabobs for lunch. I have pictures, so if I remember I'll post them here.
EDIT: OH, that Italian test I was freaking out about? I got an 86%. Not bad, but not great. I'm going to study more for the next one; I can't afford a B+ in a five-credit course. |
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| GUISE GUESS WHAT |
[Mar. 20th, 2008|04:01 am] |
Okay, so get this. As I was putting the finishing touches on my wake-me-up cup of coffee so I could start my early-morning cram session for the Italian test I have in 5.5 hours, THE POWER IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD WENT OUT.
So now I'm on campus, outside a closed library, taking shelter from the rain and trying to learn the rules of when to say "bello", "bella", "begli", etc. These past 24 hours have been the worst I've had since back in high school right before my mother kicked me out. For real.
WISH ME LUCK ON THIS FUCKING TEST. I'M AIMING FOR AN A, BUT I DON'T KNOW IF I CAN LEARN A WHOLE CHAPTER IN LIKE FIVE HOURS.
AAAAAAAHHHHHHHH |
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| More photos of assholes being offensive! |
[Feb. 25th, 2008|07:18 pm] |
Also under the cut are cats, my latest hair colors, Campus NOW fighting assholery, and a couple cumulative recorders. Tons of photos, sorry dial-up pals.
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| -_- |
[Dec. 19th, 2007|08:16 am] |
I'm in Melbourne right now. I had forgotten how fucking ugly this town is. Everything is so tacky and garish. We drove past a sporting goods store with an EIGHT-FOOT FIBERGLASS SWORDFISH attached to the front of the building.
Jon and I brought my computer into the shop yesterday. It didn't take them long to get back to me with the news that my motherboard had shorted out. Luckily my hard drive was completely fine, but I'll still be needing a new computer. BUMMER. I hadn't realized how emotionally attached I was to my laptop until I was told that it was a goner. I even cried a little. I guess that's to be expected, though. I do spent between six and twelve hours a day in front of a computer, all my hobbies are dependent on the internet in some way, and my only artistic outlet of late has involved Photoshop. Not to mention all the social activity I engage in through LJ.
BALLS BALLS BALLS.
I think Jon is going to order me my new machine today. He's the one that caused the old one's demise, so he's buying the new one. He's only responsible for matching the capabilities of dearly departed Azraph, so the cost to him is only a little greater than what I paid a year and a half ago after the Soup Incident. I'm shelling out the cash for all unnecessary upgrades, so that's $175 extra for a better processor and more memory.
I'm typing this from the laptop that was involved in the Soup Incident. This thing is slow as fuck. It doesn't have Firefox, so I don't know if I'm spelling half my words correctly. I'd forgotten how shitty my spelling was.
UGH, I STILL DON'T KNOW WHAT I'M GOING TO BE DOING ABOUT RESEARCH CREDITS NEXT SEMESTER, WOE. I really need to get off my ass and just send that damn email.
I miss my cats. |
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| Bad news |
[Dec. 13th, 2007|01:54 am] |
Hey everybody. My computer had a run in with a glass of milk yesterday, so you may not be seeing much of me for a while. I don't know yet if anything is wrong with it. At the very least it will need a good cleaning.
Last time this happened my laptop was totally fine, so I think everything will be okay. If not, don't expect icons, updates, capslocking, or anything else for at least a few weeks, probably longer. Everything I had that is irreplaceable has been backed up, but I'll lose Photoshop, a lot of music, a few gigs of movies, and my entire fandom folder (god, ALL my DN doujinshi) if the worst has happened. :( |
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