Happy Birthday to me

Birthdays are kind of a big deal in my family. We always make it a point to get together. This past weekend we all met at my parents' place and so essentially it's like my birthday already happened.

But this day is extra special because it is my last day of work before I run off into the woods where I will love it and hate it (only on the excrutiating downhills and asthma attack inducing uphills) but will NEVER return. Well, maybe a quick jaunt to a nearby town for a shower and beer is in order...but other than that, it's woods-ONLY. This is my birthday wish. Actually, I have several and here is a short list (this list is completely selfish -something I think is acceptable on one's birthday- so nothing like, "I want world peace.")

1. Go on vacation for an indefinite amount of time. During this vacation period, I will climb, hike and actually use my sewing machine for the pants I started, but never finished.
2. Magically get hair that isn't super straight or super black so I can do things like dye it and get bangs. (Bangs, I have been told by Mike, are forbidden since they never look good. Since I have never had them, I think it would be fun.)
3. Grow a little taller so I can stop chopping off about 5in of every pair of pants I buy.
4. Finally find a pair of jeans that fit (my current pair finally got a HUGE rip under the back pocket. It is a bit obscene. But what's more obscene is how I look in any jeans with lycra in them...think wet suit...Katie can testify.)
5. Graduate.

I think these are all possible. Oh...Happy Birthday to me...

A piggy's blurb

I have been incredibly busy this week and will continue to be at this insane pace until we leave for the MA AT hike. Whenever I am this busy, several things always happen. Two main things are my food decisions and my ephemeral day dreams.

Food decisions- By this, I mean poor food decisions.
Today is a perfect example of poor food decisions. For breakfast I had an apple fritter from Starbucks followed by three bananas and a venti coffee. These do not go well together. Many moments of "oooohhhhhhh...[take some more bismuth pills]hhhhhmmmmmm.....belllyache..." occurred.
By lunch I was starving again and since my short term memory in times of stress are incredibly poor, I decided to have a turkey burger from Dallas BBQ. This is a fine decision, but eating it and the side of yellow rice under 9 minutes are not. How do I know I ate it under 9 minutes? Because I had 9.32 min left on my timer and I was done before the timer went off (with about 40 sec to spare).
So now I am back to the "ooohhhhhssss" and such from earlier this morning and have consumed more bismuth pills than recommended. I think my teeth actually look pink.
This therefore makes me a piggy. I know how the piggy eats and if you saw me wolfing down my burger, leaning over my plate at my desk, you would have mistaken my plate for a trough.
But I have to say, this was not the worst food decision I made. I make worse ones when sick. I think the time I decided that New England Clam Chowder would be tasty with some ground beef was the worst. I paid for that one.

Anyway, Dan's recent post made me think about what my blurb would be like and have been day dreaming about it.

1. Hyunmi was born in the boogie down Bronx.* She is currently a PhD candidate researching the genetics of skin and hair diseases at Columbia University. * She is an accomplished rodeo rider and curler. In her previous life she was a court jester, saber tooth tiger, and a praying mantis. She is currently trying to finish her thesis so she can start life for the first time in years.*

2. Hyunmi is a New Jersey girl with a love for all things edible.* She was once found eating candy found on the street (unwrapped) as a small child, invited strangers home, and was allowed to drink Mountain Dew as often as she liked growing up.* This, many think, is what contributed largely to her maniacal ways. Though she has no criminal record, there are many questionable family "crimes" that have gone unsolved (mainly- Who kept cutting holes in Mom's clothes?) .*

3. Hyunmi was a PhD candidate in genetics research but left after two years due to her being denied her basic rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness while in graduate school. She is currently being employed by no one and spends most of her time climbing the great crags of the world and speaks 12 languages. Her greatest accomplishments include her globally acclaimed culinary skills and for developing the world's first human pouch (think marsupial).

Then I realized that I have done nothing that requires me to write a blurb. So I went back to being ordinary lab Hyunmi. I think I would have been an awesome rodeo rider.

*These statements are true. I wish some of the other ones were instead.

Happy Happy!

Good news! Actually, great news. Josh and Yilin are getting married! Whoo hoo! A grand cheer all around. I am so happy for you guys. But slightly sad that Yilin didn't abuse Josh while he was proposing or that she didn't cut him off from his speech...with her fists. I was hoping that I wouldn't be the only one with an...un-lady like reaction.

Anyway, congrats to the happy couple!