Worth it?

Nothing worthwhile comes easily. The amount of hard work you put in reflects the value it holds within your heart.

So....Tir...ed......zZZZzz

I am so tired that I can no longer feel my face!

Oh sleep, why do you evade me?

I don't understand...

...There has to be a better way?

Wandering soul trip to India + Southeast Asia this summer? I sure hope so...

<3

We are better than this

The last few days have really made me realize something... Before we set forth on our ambitious projects to change the world--as doctors, scientists or engineers, we have to first focus on treating those closest to us, those we encounter in our daily lives, with more respect and love. To be horrible to those you see everyday, yet to claim to have ambitions of positively impacting greater humanity, is perhaps the greatest hypocrisy of all. We are ALL guilty of this at times, absolutely myself included.

We can do better.

My memory

If you know me well, you know that I have a crazy long and detailed memory. Even my short-term memory has served me pretty well, I got through all of K-12 and college relying solely on my short-term memory. It wasn't really until a year and a half ago when I began my quest in the sciences that I actually started studying to learn and understand--it's interesting what can happen when you find a subject you like, right?

Anyways, back on topic. Having my memory was pretty fun as a child, I would be the only member of my family who remembered where we parked at shopping malls, and other inane details such as the license plate numbers of our cars (I still remember the license plate number for a car we haven't owned for 14 years) and the makes, models and details of random cars.  As I entered my teenage years, my memory helped me get closer to people faster as I would remember almost all of our conversations and their emotions related to them, so we could always pick up where we had left off at our last meeting.

However, as I approached my 20s, I found it difficult to forget some questionable memories of my childhood as they still remained fresh: the clothes worn, the words said and the expressions on our faces remained deeply etched within my mind. I actually found it to be quite irritating. How could I move forward, in a healthy way, towards adulthood when my heart was still smarting from these decade old incidents that felt so fresh in my mind?

And then my big accident happened, in the fall of 2006, that resulted in a nasty head injury. And I had a temporarily fuzzy memory that lasted a few years. While the memories eventually returned, I learned how to develop a different perspective about my childhood memories, and was able to embrace them.

Despite the fact that I have learned to evolve my perspective, I remain annoyed by my memory. I still remember the most ridiculous of details and happenings of my life. Some of my friends are quite amused by this ability and call me to discuss their wardrobe choices for events, as I have a visual memory of most of the clothing they own. However, some are taken aback by what I remember and give me a suspicious look when I recall a detail about their lives--to the extent that sometimes I have to act like I have forgotten, so as to avoid these funny looks I get from people.

Like many, I especially struggle to forget men from my relationship past, where things ended badly. But, mostly, I can't help but wonder: Do others simply choose to forget, because it is easier to move forward when the past isn't holding you down? Do they act like they've forgotten so those memories don't resurface again? Or do they actually not remember?

...I can't be the only one that remembers, right?

Le sigh.

And when there's nothing else, there's always Beaker...

I watched Sesame Street (or Sessy Street as I said as a baby) religiously as a child. I still have a soft spot for the Muppets--I find Beaker to be adorable! Here is his version of Ode to Joy:

Meep!

For the love of God, wash your hands!

I love this picture for the following reasons:
1. The man in picture is wearing a Boston Red Sox hat, and I <3 the Boston Red Sox.  If you don't, it's because you haven't been to Fenway yet and felt the magic.

2.  My Clinical Pharmacology professor once told the class that some horrifyingly high percentage of people (70-80%) don't wash their hands at all after using the restroom. If this statistic is indeed correct, I must say that this is so incredibly disturbing to me. Seriously people, wash your hands! A little soap and water goes a long way in disease prevention. I'd like to think this photograph is accurate in its portrayal that us science folk are more likely to wash our hands after (and before).

Related side note: I once dated a boy who didn't wash his hands after using the restroom. Needless to say, I broke up with him shortly thereafter.

Picture stolen from: http://survivingtheworld.net/Lesson1247.html

(Yes, I am posting an awful lot lately...but there's nothing like finals and writing an orphan drug application to get you to procrastinate!)

Where I've been and where I want to go...

I was bored and had a bit of downtime between meetings, so I started playing around with this map of places I've been, and places I want to go. I never realized that I want to travel to so many places! I better get my passport warmed up and find a travel buddy (Not to mention money..). Clearly, I want to see the world.

Here is what the colors on the map mean:
Maroon = I've lived there
Blue = I've been there
Lime Green = I want to go there

Yes, Antarctica too! ..why not, right? I've actually heard that there's a boat/ferry that you can take from the tip of Chile or Argentina to get there, and it's not too expensive, so it's not as far fetched as it seems.

Proof!

I've decided to post proof of my love of cooking/baking. See below:

 My homemade Thanksgiving fruit tart! Complete with a whole wheat tart shell and a 75% egg white filling. Of course the folks eating it didn't know it wasn't deathly unhealthy...people seem to complain when they know a dessert could not be in its full-fledged calorie-laden form.

Goobers enjoying Thanksgiving dinner(made by me, ingredients prepared by mom--bless her heart for putting up with my craziness in the kitchen). The gentleman with the super shiny bald head would be my father, and the (not-so) young man sitting next to him with a ridiculous expression on his face may or may not be my big brother. Okay fine, he's mine.

I can't wait for this year!
Okay, enough shenanigans. I'm off to bed.

Night Owl...again!

It's 2:45am, I have class early(for me) in the morning, yet I fail to be able to fall asleep. There is something about the peace and stillness of the night that draws me so. For me, it is the birthplace of many a fruitful thought and countless hours of fervent productivity. How fitting is it that one of the meanings of my first name is "night"?

This is a bit odd, but I am wishing I could bake a cake and have somebody to feed it to, at the moment.  I love feeding people. So much so, that cooking grand feasts for my family around the holidays is one of my very favorite things to do. Mmm, is anybody hungry?

buenas noches.

Animal Crackers (Cookies)!

Remember Barnum's Animal Crackers that were all the rage in elementary school? I was quite a fan of them as a child, I'd pout and whine to my health-conscious mother until she agreed to buy them for me--only if I ate no more than four per day. 

To this day, whenever I see a box of them(or the like) in a grocery store, I get a bit giddy and get a strong urge to buy them. Normally, I'd give in, but I'm making a serious effort to be healthier lately. So when I saw a box of these beauties at Trader Joe's today, and I didn't allow myself to buy them, I wept a little inside.

...they even had icing on them! mmm.

Yes, I just wrote an entire blog entry on fun-shaped cookies. That is all. :-)

Crazy eHarmony Cat Lady Video

So this video has just started to go viral on YouTube, Facebook and other social media websites. It is a video created by a young woman attempting to post an introduction video, to enhance her dating profile, on the dating website eHarmony. What makes me wonder is why she would actually post such an embarrassing video where members of the public could see it? Hmm...something tells me that this young woman won't be getting too many dating inquiries.

"Hi my name is Debbie...and I love cats...and I love to run...and I think about how cute they are, and their ears, their whiskers and their nose...I just love them, and want them. And I want them in a basket, and I want them in little bow ties, I want them to be on a rainbow!!"

I know many of you love cats, but can you say that you love cats THIS much?  

Ummmm....yeah. If you're ever feeling like you might be a little odd or insane, go back and watch this video, and I assure you that sentiments of normalcy shall promptly wash over you.

Animal Humane Society Talking Cats

While taking a break from late night work, I was watching some trashy reality TV online and this commercial to promote the adoption of cats from the Animal Humane Society came on:

I am normally not a cat person, at all. But, this particular commercial just made my heart melt.

Check it out...and maybe consider adopting a kitty?

Wise words from the King of Rastafari

This quote is written from the male perspective, but I feel that most of it can be applied to both genders.

Ladies and gentlemen, take heed. Live it:

You may not be her first, her last, her only. She loved before, and she may love again. But if she loves you now, what else matters? She's not perfect - you aren't either, and the two of you may never be perfect together. But if she can make you laugh, cause you to think twice, and admit to being human and making mistakes, hold on to her and give her the most you can. She may not be thinking about you every second of the day, but she will give you a part of her that she knows you can break - her heart. So don't hurt her, don't change her, don't analyze and don't expect more than she can give. Smile when she makes you happy, let her know when she makes you mad, and miss her when she's not there.
-Bob Marley

How many of you can say you live this? I don't. Most people my age don't. And I've never experienced it.
Bob Marley died at the relatively young age of 36...so can we really say that the application of such wisdom in relationships is limited to those who are advanced in age, and supposedly more mature? I think not.

Snow...in APRIL?!

This was a photo sent to me by one of my friends in Massachusetts this morning. She couldn't seem to get over the fact that it is the end of April, and it was still snowing. As someone who lived in Massachusetts for 5 years, this doesn't surprise me one bit...but seriously, all of you Californians who are complaining about the "cold" we experience at night, it would seem that we actually have it pretty damn good!

Night Owl Status

So it's nearly 3am, and I am up late, yet again, pondering the meaning of the world. And by pondering the meaning of the world, I mean writing another ridiculous paper for my master's program. It's about the use of online assessment tools to enhance the practice of adult education in the workplace. Yep, it's totally as exciting as it sounds.

While up this late, deep thoughts come into my mind such as: Damn, I'm really craving a bagel right now. Should I start trading in the stock market again? (too deep for this hour). Should I paint my fingernails hot pink? I wonder why I thought Donald Trump was so awesome until he began his run for President? Why is Donald Trump's hair so ugly, you would think a man that rich could afford a decent hair cut? Etc.

Hey, I never promised all of my blog entries would be insightful.

So, what are some of the musings you have late at night?