Running

I've been a runner for almost nine years, and I've never had it define me so much as it does here. It's a bit odd - when I was competing and actually representing various schools I was never known as a runner. I doubt many people at undergrad even realized I ran, and couldn't have cared less.

Here, it is the complete opposite. I walked in my advising dinner - and they were talking about me and running. At the Halloween party, some guy came up to me and said something like "You're B. the runner, right?" The whole situation strikes me as a bit strange and embarassing. It's not that big a deal, I mean. I think C. started it when he sent out an e-mail to the entire class and included a line like "and if you are looking to run 12+ miles, talk to B."

It's just funny how these things keep coming up.

In other news, I haven't heard from Jim in several weeks and I'm a little worried. Jim? Are you still there?

Abortion

So, my ethics class actually tackled the topic of abortion on Wednesday. It was actually far more interesting than I had expected. A couple points were made that I thought were interesting.

1) Abortion was actually legal before the Civil War. Like, advertisements in newspaper legal. Very legal. It was actually outlawed because a lot of the products and services being offered were dangerous to women. Apparently there were a lot of poisoning and botched procedures.

2)Abortion was pretty common throughout the 1920s - 1950s. I was skeptical at first - I mean, if these were backroom procedures, how could they quantify them? I asked about it, and apparently the number was determined through some kind of forsenic records. Some historian somewhere went through the records of hospitals around the time period and counted the number of deaths related to births/massive infection - the number isn't very firm (the range is huge), but the lowest bound is far greater than I ever would have expected (200,000).

3)Abortion is common today. It was estimated that a third of women would have an abortion at some point. It has a bimodal distribution - a big peak in the teens (obviously) and a big peak in the forties (that was a little surprising).

4)Legally, the law only says that women are allowed to have an abortion (at certain points in the pregancy). It doesn't state that the government has to assist in any way (primarily a financially point).

5)Most states require women to go through counseling before they are allowed to have the procedure. This feeds back into the previous point.

I actually didn't have any problems with points #4 and 5. I don't particularly like abortion when there are other options (I think abortion in incest, rape and medical necessity cases is pretty black and white.) but I support the right of women to make that choice. I feel like if a woman is so desperate that she will stick a knitting needle up her vagina, than she might as well have access to sterilized tools and a safe environment.

That's the crux of the argument to me. I don't think outlawing abortion will magically make the problem go away. It will just jeopardize the safety of a lot of women, mostly poor women.

Twice!

Heh, so it has been implied that I have the potential to become a crazy cat lady. For the record, I would like to recount the following conversation.

Dad: So, did you get that cat video I sent you?
Me: No, I deleted it because it looked like a virus.
Dad: Oh, well, I know you were thinking about cats.
Me: Yeah, I decided to wait and then maybe get a pair when I have more room.
Dad: That's what I was thinking! If anything was to ever happen to Kitzel, I think I would get a pair of kittens.
Me: Then they could be play buddies!
Dad: Exactly.

This would bring the house cat population up to four. Add in my three, and we could have up to seven cats in the house at one time in the future. Of course, Kit will probably be around for another five years, so this isn't imminent. Plus, by then Hannah will probably have moved out and taken Dankers with her, so the family would have seven cats, but no more than three in any one household. I forsee some epic holidays in the future though.

Uncle Charles will never come back to our house.

Post

I feel an irrational urge to post until certain entries have vanished from the front page.

ugh

I tried to read the section of the textbook on covalent and ionic bonds. I really did. It just wasn't happening. Man, think I'm screwed for the test?

Baked goods

I should bake for my roommates more often. It is quite satisfying. I mean, it took about three hours and I still have the baking dishes to wash, but it made me happy. Just having people coming up the steps and saying "something smells good" and referring to my stuff as the "most beautiful ever" was very nice. I might have to plan morning muffins for the future.

Flowers and babies - aka the girly girl post.

I kinda want to go to the Philips Conservatory and see the new exhibit. This brings up the interesting question of who to ask, because certain impressions do not want to be made on certain people. ::sighs:: Maybe my (borrowed) four year-old will want to go. Unlikely.

In other news, I was invited to Annie's first birthday party! I am psyched and not just because I get to go pick out a Gund stuffed animal. I bet she's walking and everything - it will be exciting. I have missed some crucial monthes - but that's okay. One day I will have my own. Sadly this day is a very long time away. I think the fellowship is a safe time to have kids and I'll be 28 (?) then. I think. I mean, in 2009 I will have just turned 26. Residency is three years. Okay, I'll be 29. That's not too bad - my Mom had me when she was 26 and my sister when she was 29.

Bleah. I need some hobbies that don't include outlandish future timelines. Wait - I wasn't in the mood for actual productivity tonight. Now I feel guilty about not accomplishing anything on that afgan. Damnit. I should rent a movie this weekend and try to make some serious progress on that thing. Otherwise I will miss that 2010 deadline I set (I started it as early as 2000).

Halloween

In an alarming turn of events, the Halloween party is a bit more serious than I had previously believed. You have to pay to get in and (uh oh) you have to have a costume.

Shoot.

So - yeah. I have no idea what to do with this. In the past my costumes have been whatever I can slap together from my wardrobe with a bit of facepaint. I had better costume pieces at home, but I didn't think to grab any of them when I was at home. I'm not really sure what I am going to do about this, but a trip to target may be coming soon. Yeah, I suck, I know.

Yeah Missouri!

"The albino squirrels come from Marionville, Mo.," he said. "Their Lions Club is in charge of albino squirrels. I've been a Lion member for 40 years. Several years ago I saw a magazine article about the 'Albino Squirrels of Marionville.' I wrote the Lions Club and said, 'If one of your squirrels gets a heart attack and dies or gets killed by a car, if you wouldn't mind, would you mail it to me?'"

Sanfillippo soon forgot about his letter. But six months later the family beagle, Sammy Boy, started going nuts. "I said to my wife, 'Honey, did you feed the dog today?' " Sanfillippo recalled. "She said, 'Yes.' He had been outside already. I said, 'My gosh, he doesn't act like this every day.' So I took him off the leash, and he went right to the front door. A UPS box was sitting at the front door. Sammy Boy could tell what was in the box."

Eight dead albino squirrels had landed from Missouri.

Taken from The Roadkill Museum.

Mini-survey

So, which is better?

Montana or Alaska?

I like both programs and I am considering submitting two applications. I should probably check and see if that is permitted before I do. I don't see anything saying I can't, but it might negatively affect my applications.

I get out of school May 26th. Ideally, I could spend four weeks at one of these programs. That would still give me four weeks at home, or four weeks in a lab. I think it has potential.

So tired.

Thank goodness for my cat. I've had a horrible couple of days - the cat has really been the only bright spot. He was so pleased to see me - curled right up in my lap and laid his little head on my knee. He's been sleeping on my chest too. This is doubly nice, as it has gotten cold and the heater isn't on in the house yet. So, I feel loved and warm. I did appreciate his murder of the annoying moth too. Stupid thing kept on buzzing me. Everyone wins (except the moth).

In other news, I am terribly worried about the upcoming exams.

*sniff*

Bad Day. Sad now.

Lost and Found

My cat just ran into the room, very excited, with what appeared to be a turkey neck.

I have no idea where he got this neck from. Looking around the kitchen, I don't see any possible turkey-neck sources.

I hope no one was planning on eating that....for so many reasons.