Things I have been up to

As Christmas nears, things get busier in lab. It might be because I have a lot of deadlines with trying to graduate and all, but mostly it's because I want to get stuff done before things slow down for the week during Christmas. In addition, Mike has finals which means all work (study not work work) and no play for about two weeks. So before the onslaught of all this work, we watched another film (The Fountain- I loved it. It was incredible [but I think all his films are.]), finished knitting Mike's scarf and started a hat for myself.

I also did something that I hope (really hope!) I follow through on. I signed up for the Manhattan Half Marathon. But this isn't just any half marathon. This is the first of 5. It's the first of the Grand Prix- a series of half marathons in NYC with a race being in each borough. It starts in January with Manhattan and ends in October in Staten Island. I'm most looking forward to Brooklyn (running from Coney Island to Prospect Park with a goal to get hot dogs from Nathan's afterwards). These 5 plus the NYC half marathon (I'll definitely be doing that one again) makes 6 half marathons for the year. But no marathon for me. That's crazy talk.

Oddly enough- I had a guy at the gym ask me if I wanted him to hold my hair for me while I did my bent over rows. He was half joking, but it was a little strange.

And finally, there is this article in the NYTimes about rat patrol. Since we have a backyard, I have been a little jumpy about rats. Not that we have had to deal with them, but the idea that they will crawl in and chew my face off is a concern. Upon reading the article, I thought how great it would be to go to one of these rat summits dressed as the Pied Piper of Hamlin insisting that they pay me one dollar per rat head and then throw rubber rats at them when they dismiss me. Getting escorted out by security would be the best part.