Bucket List #1

Some time ago, I started to write a bucket list. It may or may not have had something to do with the release of the movie Bucket List (which I never actually saw, to tell the truth). I just thought that it sounded like a fun list to make; I really love making lists. As of a week ago, I was able to cross something off!

#1. Live in a state other than Minnesota for at least a year.

I moved to Las Vegas, Nevada to get my master's degree in geology. If all goes as planned, I'll be done in the spring (or summer?) of 2011. Then I'll be able to cross off #26 on my list.

5 Ways I Procrastinate Online

I've been meaning to do this post for a while, but get this... I was busy not procrastinating and working on my Geological Society of America annual meeting abstract that was due yesterday!! But now, I am back to procrastinating. Though, in all fairness, if I hadn't have woken up this morning with a giant headache, I would be at school working on my thesis.

There are many ways to procrastinate online, and I would like to share with you my 5 favorite ways to do so. In no particular order:

1) Lolcats at icanhascheezburger . The kitties are just so cute!!

2) PhD Comics (Piled High & Deeper). Anyone in grad school should appreciate the humor of these comics. There's even an "emergency button" in case your advisor walks in.


3) Various blogs. See my blogs I follow on the sidebar :)


4) Yahoo news stories. If it weren't for FOX (we only get one TV channel) and Yahoo, I would probably never know what is going on.


5) Facebook. Because, well, yeah... I'm a student who got sucked into the trend.

Images:
1) icanhascheezburger.com
2) phdcomics.com
3) blog.ning.com/2008/04/augmenting_your_blog_or_websit.html
4) yahoo homepage screenshot
5) brainz.org/completely-unscientific-yet-accurate-look-social-sites/

School's Out

School ended a few weeks ago, which means no more classes or teaching for a few months! Yay! I've been keeping fairly busy though (trying to finish up thesis-proposal-related paperwork to make sure I'm on track and getting things together for research). So, even though I'll be doing research all summer, I'll have a lot more time for fun activities.

For my research, I'll be going to northern California soon to collect weathered rock samples for my thesis research. We'll be in the mountains; it's supposed to be a place with amazing scenery! After samples are collected, which shouldn't take long, the rest of my summer will be spent doing lab work.

We're also planning a road trip back to Minnesota for a bit this summer, because I haven't been home since December. Not only will it give Erik and I a chance to hang out with family and friends, it will be a nice escape from the 100+ degree heat of Las Vegas. My family also has a ton of June/July/August birthdays, so I'm hoping to be back around birthday party time to be able to see everyone!

That also means that I have a ton of cards to make before we leave! This weekend I'm hoping to do a bunch of anniversary cards and start planning the birthday ones. I feel like most of my blog posts as of late have been about cards, so I'm contemplating the idea of starting a separate blog for that. Any thoughts?

I'm also making it a goal to be more active this summer. I didn't ever exercise while in Morris, but I didn't own a car and you could walk anywhere; I also played intramural volleyball. Here in Vegas, walking places is pretty much out of the question (I've got a 20-30 minute commute to campus), and as far as I know intramurals are for undergrads (not to mention, I don't need more reasons to be on campus all day!!). So yeah... although I never really "exercised" in the past, I know I'm definitely less active than I used to be.

Erik and I are going to try going on more walks and hopefully make time to play tennis or go swimming. I bought a jump rope today as part of this "do stuff!" idea. Maybe I'll even start trying yoga (we already have a mat and a ball).

Me? Royalty?

Kathleen from Easy for me to say... has graciously included me in a blog award. "The Queen of ALLL Things - Awe-Summm!!!" Award, to be precise. As a part of this honor, I am supposed to list 7 "awe-summm" things about myself, and then pass this award off to 7 other awesome bloggers. I might not get to seven, because I don't know if I closely follow that many blogs, but I'll try to get there (one might be a king, though... I wonder if that is allowed... probably not, I guess).

1) I am generally a very organized person.
2) I'm not afraid to fall down (especially during volleyball, or soccer and basketball..... which has allowed for some good digs and some penalties called on other teams, respectively, haha).
3) People say that I have amazing eyes. I get them from my dad, though his are more blue than mine. Mine are more of a blue/green/gray with flecks of gold.
4) I am starting grad school in August! (nervous, but excited!)
5) I have kept my cactus alive for almost two years now, and my other two plants for one year! Maybe I will add more plants when I get to the new apartment.
6) Though I am very picky about food, I am getting a lot better about it. Thanks (largely due to Erik) I am trying new and healthier foods.
7) I............. um.... can make some really tasty pancakes. Not my recipe, but they're really good!

And now to pass this award off to some other awesome bloggers:

1) Shannon at Juhnke's Junket (Miss you! Keep up the D.C. stories!)

2) Melinda at Kia Ora Aotearoa (Sharing her awesome adventures in New Zealand)

3) Allison at Sonny (Miss you too! You should post an entry!)

4) Kathleen at Easy for me to say... (Yes, you just won this, but you are pretty darn awesome! So you're getting it again from me)

Fun Questions

I tried to post this last night, but then blogger said there were issues with the html business... so I'm going to try to post it again.

Kathleen over at "Easy for me to say" tagged me in this survey-dealy. I'm not going to tag anyone, because most of the people who read this have already been tagged by her. :) But, if you haven't been tagged, but want to continue these fun questions, go right ahead.

Here's how it works:

Respond and rework
answer questions on your blog
replace one question
tag eight other people.

1. What is your current obsession?

Planning things for the big move. Whether it's thinking about furniture arrangements, how we're actually going to get there, how transportation is going to work out once we're there, and buying random little things to put in the apartment, it's pretty much all about moving to Vegas. Today, for example, I bought measuring spoons (the measurements on my old ones rubbed off, and you can't read them), a butter dish, and an olive oil drizzler.

2. Which item of clothing do you wear most?

A black belt (not the martial arts kind, but rather the generic, hold-up-your-pants kind). I have larger hips and a smaller waist, so in order to have pants that aren't too tight on my legs/thighs, they are often too big at the waist. So, I need to wear a belt pretty much all the time, and it's usually the black one.

3. What's the funniest knock-knock joke you know?

Knock knock.
Who's there?
Cows!
Cows who?
Cows go "moo" not "who!"

4. Last thing you bought?

A hot chocolate and a French toast bagel at Panera. Mmmmmmmm... The best hot chocolate I've ever had is from Panera, so I get that a lot when I go. I usually also get a cinnamon crunch bagel, but they were all out of those, so I had to settle with a French toast bagel (still quite yummy though).

5. What are you listening to?

The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien.

6. If you were a God or Goddess, who would you be?

I've always admired Athena, Greek goddess of wisdom, war, and the arts. She's smart, can kick butt, and she's a woman. So it'd be really cool to be her. More realistically though, I'd probably be a goddess who's a bit more timid and earthy.

7. Favorite holiday spots?

As far as places to go on holidays, I'd have to say my grandma and my grandparents' houses, because it's where we've always gone on holidays. But, if this means holiday as in a vacation, I'd probably have to say anywhere with mountains, lakes, forests, or the ocean (or any combination of those).

8. Reading right now?

"Turning Japanese: Memoirs of a Sansei" by David Mura. I'm not very far into it yet, but it seems pretty good. It's written by a third-generation Japanese-American poet who won a grant to do poetic works in Japan (for a year, I think). So he's kind of reconnecting with his heritage, though that wasn't actually his goal (I think at some point in the beginning he said he'd rather have gone to Paris). Anyways, I bought it during a point in my life where I was really interested in Japanese culture and my previous "knowledge" mostly just included watching "The Last Samurai" and reading "Memoirs of a Geisha." So... I bought this book to get a more realistic and more current account.

9. Okay... what were you thinking just then?

Why does everyone have to switch to digital or cable TV? Wasn't the whole idea so that we'd get a better quality picture or something like that? Then why does the signal cut out all the time?!?! (Probably just a big conspiracy to get everyone to buy cable...)

10. List three things that are on your "Bucket List."

1) Road-trip without a super-structured plan.
2) Watch and enjoy the sunrise and sunset in the same day.
3) Read all of the books that I own (maybe excluding some textbooks, because that would be a lot).

11. First spring thing?

Tulips!!!! I love it when the tulips start to bloom! This is the first year I actually realized the tulips in Morris, because it was the first time I lived off-campus. Walking to work this spring was so enjoyable because so many of the houses had tulips planted in their front yards. So pretty!

12. Funniest thing you saw in your life?

Hm... I keep coming back to this one because I expect one moment to just pop out at me, but it's not happening yet. Since that's not looking like it'll happen, I'll just mention a couple of the funnier moments. The ducky dance during Spring Break of '08 was pretty funny, but it was made even funnier when ducks actually invaded our campground the next day. Another funny thing was watching two kittens wrestle playfully at the pet store today.

13. Favorite film?

I can't just pick one, so here are some of my favorites:
- The Original Star Wars Trilogy
- Love Actually
- Runaway Jury
- Juno
- Aladdin
- Mulan
- Identity

14. Share some wisdom.

It's not my wisdom, but here are two of my favorite quotes.

"Devote yourself to loving others, devote yourself to your community around you, and devote yourself to creating something that gives you purpose and meaning."
~ Morrie Schwartz

"Aim for success, not perfection. Never give up your right to be wrong, because then you will lose the ability to learn new things and move forward with your life."
~ Dr. David M. Burns

15. If you could be a tree, what tree would you be and why?

Weeping willow. I just think that they're really cool and pretty. But they aren't always the obvious choice. I really like that they make a sort of "shade cave" that you can just sit under and enjoy the day.

16. Fictitious character who made a lasting impression on you?

Well, I would have to say that Edward Cullen is an amazing example of an important fictitious character. What could be better than a strong, sparkling, and handsome vampire? Need I say more?

... Totally kidding on that last answer, btw. I like the Twilight books, and Edward is pretty neat in the I-know-these-books-aren't-really-good-but-I-like-to-read-them-for-fun-anyway kind of way. I really can't pick a character who's had a lasting impression on me. I'm actually kind of bad at picking role models and heroes and have never really felt the desire to assign anyone to that role in my life (which is why I replaced the hero/heroin question from above, hehe).

Two Truths and a Lie

I have always loved this game, but I think I'm kinda terrible at it. So, we'll see if I can trick those of you who read this.


1) I was in the studio audience on a Canadian MTV show and almost got interviewed about being a cheerleader.

2) When I was younger, I never really got into Beanie Babies, but I did compile quite the collection of Pokemon cards.

3) When I graduated from high school, my congresswoman sent me a U.S. flag that had been flown at the Capitol in my honor.

Alrighty, take your pick. Which one is the lie?

Photo: Taken by a co-worker at the Office of Residential Life end-of-training dinner party in 2007.

Fun Times at the Hog Roasts

The Geology Club has had a long-standing tradition of having a Hog Roast (including tasty food, music, and kegs) as a college and community event on the last day of classes each spring. Though this year wasn't exactly a hog roast in the technical sense or open to everyone (just geology peoples) I like to think of it as my fourth hog roast.

Freshman Year: I had been to one Geology Club meeting and somehow found myself elected Vice President for the following year. So I was (along with the other new officers and some new geology majors--none of which I really knew at all) enlisted in helping with the year end hog roast. The day before the big event we got together to cut up the meat and put it into/onto the roasters. This is an ordeal that takes a decent amount of people and big knives. Then, this one kid shows up in a blaze orange jumpsuit and a Journey CD, and I thought to myself "What a joker?! But he seems pretty cool, I guess." On the day of the Hog Roast, we had absolutely gorgeous weather! A perfect day for a big potluck get together outside. Aside from helping out, I spent a good chunk of my time kicking around a soccer ball with orange jumpsuit kid (named Erik) and his friend Donnie.

Sophomore Year: All of the officers from the previous year were seniors and they basically said "good luck" and left us to figure everything out on our own. So, after struggling a bit, we managed to pull off a hog roast that we were told was a pretty good time. Aside from the fact that it was rainy, windy, and cold. But we pulled it off, and we were excited!

Junior Year: This year, me and the other co-president, were just about to get the ball rolling with plans for the annual event when Health Inspector Regulation Dude sends us a letter with a very large list of regulations (many of which would be impossible for us to comply with). Given that most of our food was potluck style, for instance, there was no way for us to ensure that everything was prepared in perfectly sterile conditions. But anyways, after a lot of drama, campus emails, and newspaper articles, the ladies at food services saved our bums and helped us with the technical aspects of meeting these regulations. Weather was fairly cool, and we had a pretty good time.

Senior Year: While not an officer this year, we're a close bunch and so we know all about what's going on in the club. We weren't quite so lucky this year with help from outside groups, and realizing that we can't possibly meet all of the health regulations it was concluded that we would have the event as we wanted, but only for geology related people (thus avoiding public health concerns--yay for small private groups!). The day began with the usual shenanigans of trying to figure out where to cook the meat and such (Jamey's old research lab? sounds good!) and then running around town doing errands. And then, surprise, surprise, Morris is chilly and very windy... brrrr... Being right next to a lake didn't help with the wind at all. Then a cop showed up asking for a permit (which we didn't have... oops!) so we made some quick changes (no more keg, but cans of beer are okay) so as to avoid any legal entanglements. After everyone had supped, people focused their attention on various ways of keeping warm. Some played frisbee, some ran around, some did simple little dances, but eventually those of us left at the park late into the evening ended up kicking a soccer ball around in a small circle. Orange jumpsuit kid was there too, but this time he was sporting an orange wind breaker. Seems he has a fondness for orange.


Photo: (Taken by my Mom) Me and "orange jumpsuit kid." We've been dating now for 2 years and 7 months.

What's my element?

I took a quiz on Facebook today that is supposed to answer the question, "Which element are you?" The possible elements were earth, water, wind, fire, aether, wood, and metal.

These were my results:

"You are Wood, an interesting element indeed. Made of tough stuff, you are. You have an outer shell that can protect you from most things and, unlike Metal, your shell is one built on logic and experience instead of one hastily put up to protect you from being hurt (though it functions in that way as well). Wood has the least personality of the elemental personae and is the most effected by the other elements (needs [air] to breathe, water to drink, earth to grow from, fire destroys it). Though to balance all of that out, you can heal far more easily than the rest (which is good, because if you do fall, bouncing back will be horrendously difficult). You are stable, stubborn almost, but smarts and common sense are your roots that keep you in place. Your place in the world: You are the wizened old soul whose mere existence proves that anything's possible."

I didn't think the questions in the quiz were all that deep, but I really enjoyed reading the summary at the end.

As for an actual update on my life: I'm still plugging along on my senior seminar. I haven't been very good about getting the reading done, but I know that as soon as I can plow through that, I'll have a decent presentation on my hands. It's just a matter of getting it all done. I can't wait until it's over! I'll be able to relax and be somewhat social again. Almost done!

Photo 1: www.tonyboon.co.uk
Photo 2: siteresources.worldbank.org