Weekend update

Wow, I actually DID something this past weekend! (Sad, but I've been leading a pretty boring life lately. Well, boring as in I don't have anything to write about, but I'm actually enjoying how low-key things have been.)

Worked at the Aquarium Saturday day, then went to Jen's graduation/going away party at the Long Beach Yacht club that night. She's heading off into the NOAA Corp (that's National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration for those of you who don't know what NOAA stands for) in about two weeks--congrats on finishing school and landing the job Jen!! The party was fun, but what party with an open bar isn't fun? I also got to see a couple of friends, JoAnn and Steph, who I haven't seen in a while, so it was nice catching up.

Sunday morning, I was back at the Aquarium for a staff meeting, then hung out with Wendy and Kiernan for a bit. Sunday night was our first book club meeting of the year, for Memoirs of a Geisha. There were a few no-shows, but a strong attendance overall. We had good discussions, and I think everyone really enjoyed the book--I was probably the one who liked it least out of the group. Next up for the book club is Eragon. I've heard mixed reviews about this one, and am curious to see how it is, especially being a fan of Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings...

My birthday is coming up next week. Just doing dinner this year, no party. I'm a little partied-out, after five years eating drinking puking and cleaning.

Later on in February, Terrin, my roomate while in Australia will be in Cali for a week. We'll be hanging out, and it will be great to see her again!

And I just might be taking a little vacation to the Pacific Northwest in March, and hoping to see Haley and Mesha!

Quote-o-the-day (with a bonus vocab-word-o-the-day)

"When I look at the night sky and consider my relationship to it--one puny organism, out of billions of puny organisms, just sitting in the remains of an ancient chapel, breathing in and out, watching for shooting stars, trying to pick out the constellations, still--this moment both grounds me in the tactile reality of dirt, air, and skin and also lifts me up to believe that there must be someone, something up there, there must be. While floods and famine and cancer certainly suggest the universe is pure chaos and randomness, the beauty in the elaborate and connected natural order of things--of the veins of a leaf, of a river, of a bolt of lightning, to the veins in my hand--suggest there is purpose and meaning and, yes, maybe even somthing bigger and better than us. And more than the incredible natural order of the universe, there is love: how can love be the product of anything short of divine?..."
-The True and Outstanding Adventures of the Hunt Sisters, Elisabeth Robinson


Epistolary: written in the form of a series of letters

(The above quoted book is an epistolary novel, and the first one I've ever read. Took some time getting used to the format the story was being told in, but I started to enjoy it more as I got further into it.)

Where have I been?

Nowhere really, Life has just been quite uneventful and uninteresting lately, hence the lack of posts. I'll write more once things pick up.

Unsatisfying Meals

My wisdom teeth were removed this past Thursday, so for the past week my mouth has been sore, my cheeks puffy and feeling like I just had botox injections, and I've been subsisting off of soups, apple sauce, mashed potatoes and other soft mushy foods. Eating has become a bit of a chore and so unsatisfying--I actually skipped dinner last night because the thought of how tedious feeding myself would be made me lose my apetite. oh, I can't wait until I can bite into a nice juicy hamburger again--to actually enjoy a meal, mmm...

Goodbye '05

Another year slips by, oh-so-quickly!

A quick review of the year...

This was my first complete year being out of school and on my own, and I think it has gone pretty well. My job searching ended early on, and I managed to land a position with a salary, retirement plan, and health insurance. That was all I was really hoping for at the time, to get a taste of adulthood, responsibilities and supporting myself (wait, WHY did I want that again? I can't quite remember anymore...). Along the way, I discovered the biologist and environmentalist in me, realizing how much science really means to me, and I think that discovery is more important than anything else I've done this year.

Squeezed into the 40-hour weeks, I've managed to have a little fun too. Going to to NYC and hanging out with Leo, Jun, Terrin and Chrystal, and seeing Chicago on Broadway. Seeing the blooming wildflowers in Death Valley, camping at McGrath, partying in Vegas. Going on the Death Boat 2005 cruisin' adventure, and camping in Baja. It's been a good year, and I hope '06 is even better.

All the best to everyone this next year, hope your dreams are fulfilled and life brings you much love and happiness! Happy New Year!

Merry Day After Christmas

Hope you all had a wonderful holiday!

I'm sick and felt like poo the whole weekend.

For the record, "fishes" IS a word!

The other night, a friend was over and browsing the books on my shelf. When she came across one of my textbooks, titled 'The Diversity of Fishes', she laughed and mentioned that one of her professors would cringe at seeing the word "fishes". This comment kind of annoyed the biologist in me (more specifically, the marine scientist in me). I understand that people who are not familiar with the use of the word (which I think would constitute most people) would consider it poor grammar or a grammatical error. But trust me, when used in the right context, "fishes" really is a word! Note the following Wikipedia article:

Note on usage: "fish" vs. "fishes"
"Fishes" is the proper English plural form of "fish" that biologists use when speaking about two or more fish species, as in "There are over 25,000 fishes in the world" (meaning that there are over 25,000 fish species in the world). When speaking of two or more individual fish organisms, then the word "fish" is used, as in "There are several million fish of the species Gadus morhua" (meaning that G. morhua comprises several million individuals). To see both in action, consider the statement "There are twelve fish in this aquarium, representing five fishes" (meaning that the aquarium contains twelve individuals, some of the same species and some of different species, for a total of five species). The usage of the two words is similar to that of the words "people" and "peoples".
-Wikipedia

Boat Parade

Joined Jen & her family on their sailboat this past Saturday to watch the boat parade/parade of lights in Alamitos Bay. It's where people decorate their boats with holiday lights and drive them around in a parade on the water. It was fun seeing the lit-up boats, but what was even better was checking out the lifestyles of the rich and famous--looking at all the mansions along the water on Naples Island. They're all very expensive and beautiful houses--my favorite was one that had four huge windows on the first floor, and each window had a differently decorated christmas tree in it.

"Love is a Force of Nature"

Saw Brokeback Mountain last night. It was moving, heartbeakingly haunting. Those are the few words I'll leave it at, since I'm still sifting through my feelings about it...

When you all have the opportunity (if or when it's in wide release), definitely check it out.

Twelve days of...

Working, not Christmas. Yep, I've just completed working twelve frickin days in a row, and am so excited that it's finally over. I had a whole weekend off (what a concept!)--it was a very short but much needed break. The past two weeks were not-so-great, with car problems and work issues, but I survived. Good thing tomorrow is a new week, and a fresh start!...