I miss our volleyball games and all the smack-talking and bickering. :)
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
Birthday revisited
Was sifting through pictures and found this one of my birthday. Aren't these friends the best?
I miss our volleyball games and all the smack-talking and bickering. :)
I miss our volleyball games and all the smack-talking and bickering. :)
Monday, December 03, 2007
California girl
I've moved back!
Actually, I really have no (semi-)permanent home for the moment. About a third of my stuff is still in NYC (car included), about a third is in Ann Arbor (fabulous bed included), and the rest is with me in CA. I am literally all over the country.
At the moment, I'm enjoying being fed by my parents again and am going through all of my middle school to college clothing to make some room for an updated and perhaps more chic wardrobe? (one tends to hope) Quite a few items are going to the Salvation Army. Some memorable items such as a white sweatshirt that I puffy-painted a bumblebee on (probably grade school - middle school level) are staying in my closet. I can't bear to part with that gem. My lovely senior prom dress, which I contend is STILL lovely, is also staying, along with the matching wrap that I will probably never wear again. But the memories!! I also tossed a table centerpiece that I had nabbed from prom. Wow, I had that for 10 years! About time I let that go. I am also contemplating taking down the pictures of hot celebs that I put up on my wall during high school and my 1994 poster of the USA Olympic Women's basketball team with autographs (who am I kidding, that's staying up).
It's odd to think that I've been away for 5+ years. It doesn't sound that long, and before I came back, it certainly didn't seem that long! But now I realize that I'm going to be experiencing a very sunny December for the first time in 5 years. The beautiful weather is weirding me out a bit. It has snowed in both MI and NY, and I have to admit that I really love the first snow and wish I were there to experience it. But oh boy will I love not having to lug around a huge coat with me wherever I go!
Actually, I really have no (semi-)permanent home for the moment. About a third of my stuff is still in NYC (car included), about a third is in Ann Arbor (fabulous bed included), and the rest is with me in CA. I am literally all over the country.
At the moment, I'm enjoying being fed by my parents again and am going through all of my middle school to college clothing to make some room for an updated and perhaps more chic wardrobe? (one tends to hope) Quite a few items are going to the Salvation Army. Some memorable items such as a white sweatshirt that I puffy-painted a bumblebee on (probably grade school - middle school level) are staying in my closet. I can't bear to part with that gem. My lovely senior prom dress, which I contend is STILL lovely, is also staying, along with the matching wrap that I will probably never wear again. But the memories!! I also tossed a table centerpiece that I had nabbed from prom. Wow, I had that for 10 years! About time I let that go. I am also contemplating taking down the pictures of hot celebs that I put up on my wall during high school and my 1994 poster of the USA Olympic Women's basketball team with autographs (who am I kidding, that's staying up).
It's odd to think that I've been away for 5+ years. It doesn't sound that long, and before I came back, it certainly didn't seem that long! But now I realize that I'm going to be experiencing a very sunny December for the first time in 5 years. The beautiful weather is weirding me out a bit. It has snowed in both MI and NY, and I have to admit that I really love the first snow and wish I were there to experience it. But oh boy will I love not having to lug around a huge coat with me wherever I go!
Sunday, November 18, 2007
Deeeeeeetroit!
Ooooh, Detroit slipped! No matter how data was misused, Detroit is still ranked one of the most dangerous cities. #2 isn't much better than #1.
Experts say 'most dangerous city' rankings twist numbers
Group ranked U.S. cities based on FBI crime statistics. Their analysis says Detroit is most dangerous, followed by St. Louis. Experts, including FBI, say the report misuses statistics, gets misleading results. Critics say report works against understanding of crime, hurts low-ranked cities.
Ranked Most Dangerous
1. Detroit, Michigan
2. St. Louis, Missouri
3. Flint, Michigan
4. Oakland, California
5. Camden, New Jersey
6. Birmingham, Alabama
7. North Charleston, South Carolina
8. Memphis, Tennessee
9. Richmond, California
10. Cleveland, Ohio
Ranked Safest
1. Mission Viejo, California
2. Clarkstown, New York
3. Brick Township, New Jersey
4. Amherst, New York
5. Sugar Land, Texas
6. Colonie, New York
7. Thousand Oaks, California
8. Newton, Massachusetts
9. Toms River Township, N.J.
10. Lake Forest, California
DETROIT, Michigan (AP) -- In another blow to the Motor City's tarnished image, Detroit pushed past St. Louis to become the nation's most dangerous city, according to a private research group's controversial analysis, released Sunday, of annual FBI crime statistics.
The study drew harsh criticism even before it came out. The American Society of Criminology launched a pre-emptive strike Friday, issuing a statement attacking it as "an irresponsible misuse" of crime data.
The 14th annual "City Crime Rankings: Crime in Metropolitan America" was published by CQ Press, a unit of Congressional Quarterly Inc. It is based on the FBI's September 24 crime statistics report.
The report looked at 378 cities with at least 75,000 people and their per-capita rates for homicide, rape, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary and auto theft. Each crime category was considered separately and weighted based on its seriousness, CQ Press said.
Last year's crime leader, St. Louis, Missouri, fell to No. 2. Another Michigan city, Flint, ranked third, followed by Oakland, California; Camden, New Jersey; Birmingham, Alabama; North Charleston, South Carolina; Memphis, Tennessee; Richmond, California; and Cleveland, Ohio.
The study ranked Mission Viejo, California, as the safest U.S. city, followed by Clarkstown, New York; Brick Township, New Jersey; Amherst, New York; and Sugar Land, Texas.
CQ Press spokesman Ben Krasney said details of the weighting system were proprietary. It was compiled by Kathleen O'Leary Morgan and Scott Morgan, whose Morgan Quitno Press published it until its acquisition by CQ Press.
The study assigns a crime score to each city, with zero representing the national average. Detroit got a score of 407, with St. Louis close behind at 406. The score for Mission Viejo, in affluent Orange County, was minus 82.
Detroit was pegged the nation's murder capital in the 1980s and has lost nearly 1 million people since 1950, according to the Census Bureau. Downtown sports stadiums and corporate headquarters -- along with the redevelopment of the riverfront of this city of 919,000 -- have slowed but not reversed the decline. Officials have said crime reports don't help.
Detroit police officials released a statement Sunday night disputing the report, saying it fails to put crime information into proper context.
"Every year this organization sends out a press release with big, bold lettering that labels a certain city as Most Dangerous, USA," Police Chief Ella Bully-Cummings said in the release.
"It really makes you wonder if the organization is truly concerned with evaluating crime or increasing their profit," said Bully-Cummings, who noted the complete report is available only by purchase. "With crime experts across the country routinely denouncing the findings, I believe the answer is clear."
The mayor of 30th-ranked Rochester, New York -- an ex-police chief himself -- said the study's authors should consider the harm that the report causes.
"What I take exception to is the use of these statistics and the damage they inflict on a number of these cities," said Mayor Robert Duffy, chairman of the Criminal and Social Justice Committee for the U.S. Conference of Mayors.
The rankings "do groundless harm to many communities," said Michael Tonry, president of the American Society of Criminology.
"They also work against a key goal of our society, which is a better understanding of crime-related issues by both scientists and the public," Tonry said.
Critics also complain that numbers don't tell the whole story because of differences among cities.
"You're not comparing apples and oranges; you're comparing watermelons and grapes," said Rob Casey, who heads the FBI section that puts out the Uniform Crime Report that provides the data for the Quitno report.
The FBI posted a statement on its Web site criticizing such use of its statistics.
"These rough rankings provide no insight into the numerous variables that mold crime in a particular town, city, county, state, or region," the FBI said. "Consequently, they lead to simplistic and/or incomplete analyses that often create misleading perceptions adversely affecting communities and their residents."
Doug Goldenberg-Hart, acquisitions editor at CQ Press, said that the rankings are imperfect, but that the numbers are straightforward. Cities at the top of the list would not be there unless they ranked poorly in all six crime categories, he said.
"The idea that people oppose it, it's kind of blaming the messenger," Goldenberg-Hart said. "It's not coming to terms with the idea that crime is a persistent problem in our society."
The report "helps concerned Americans learn how their communities fare in the fight against crime," CQ Press said in a statement. "The first step in making our cities and states safer is to understand the true magnitude of their crime problems. This will only be achieved through straightforward data that all of us can use and understand."
The study excluded Chicago, Minneapolis, and other Illinois and Minnesota cities because of incomplete data.
Copyright 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Experts say 'most dangerous city' rankings twist numbers
Group ranked U.S. cities based on FBI crime statistics. Their analysis says Detroit is most dangerous, followed by St. Louis. Experts, including FBI, say the report misuses statistics, gets misleading results. Critics say report works against understanding of crime, hurts low-ranked cities.
Ranked Most Dangerous
1. Detroit, Michigan
2. St. Louis, Missouri
3. Flint, Michigan
4. Oakland, California
5. Camden, New Jersey
6. Birmingham, Alabama
7. North Charleston, South Carolina
8. Memphis, Tennessee
9. Richmond, California
10. Cleveland, Ohio
Ranked Safest
1. Mission Viejo, California
2. Clarkstown, New York
3. Brick Township, New Jersey
4. Amherst, New York
5. Sugar Land, Texas
6. Colonie, New York
7. Thousand Oaks, California
8. Newton, Massachusetts
9. Toms River Township, N.J.
10. Lake Forest, California
DETROIT, Michigan (AP) -- In another blow to the Motor City's tarnished image, Detroit pushed past St. Louis to become the nation's most dangerous city, according to a private research group's controversial analysis, released Sunday, of annual FBI crime statistics.
The study drew harsh criticism even before it came out. The American Society of Criminology launched a pre-emptive strike Friday, issuing a statement attacking it as "an irresponsible misuse" of crime data.
The 14th annual "City Crime Rankings: Crime in Metropolitan America" was published by CQ Press, a unit of Congressional Quarterly Inc. It is based on the FBI's September 24 crime statistics report.
The report looked at 378 cities with at least 75,000 people and their per-capita rates for homicide, rape, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary and auto theft. Each crime category was considered separately and weighted based on its seriousness, CQ Press said.
Last year's crime leader, St. Louis, Missouri, fell to No. 2. Another Michigan city, Flint, ranked third, followed by Oakland, California; Camden, New Jersey; Birmingham, Alabama; North Charleston, South Carolina; Memphis, Tennessee; Richmond, California; and Cleveland, Ohio.
The study ranked Mission Viejo, California, as the safest U.S. city, followed by Clarkstown, New York; Brick Township, New Jersey; Amherst, New York; and Sugar Land, Texas.
CQ Press spokesman Ben Krasney said details of the weighting system were proprietary. It was compiled by Kathleen O'Leary Morgan and Scott Morgan, whose Morgan Quitno Press published it until its acquisition by CQ Press.
The study assigns a crime score to each city, with zero representing the national average. Detroit got a score of 407, with St. Louis close behind at 406. The score for Mission Viejo, in affluent Orange County, was minus 82.
Detroit was pegged the nation's murder capital in the 1980s and has lost nearly 1 million people since 1950, according to the Census Bureau. Downtown sports stadiums and corporate headquarters -- along with the redevelopment of the riverfront of this city of 919,000 -- have slowed but not reversed the decline. Officials have said crime reports don't help.
Detroit police officials released a statement Sunday night disputing the report, saying it fails to put crime information into proper context.
"Every year this organization sends out a press release with big, bold lettering that labels a certain city as Most Dangerous, USA," Police Chief Ella Bully-Cummings said in the release.
"It really makes you wonder if the organization is truly concerned with evaluating crime or increasing their profit," said Bully-Cummings, who noted the complete report is available only by purchase. "With crime experts across the country routinely denouncing the findings, I believe the answer is clear."
The mayor of 30th-ranked Rochester, New York -- an ex-police chief himself -- said the study's authors should consider the harm that the report causes.
"What I take exception to is the use of these statistics and the damage they inflict on a number of these cities," said Mayor Robert Duffy, chairman of the Criminal and Social Justice Committee for the U.S. Conference of Mayors.
The rankings "do groundless harm to many communities," said Michael Tonry, president of the American Society of Criminology.
"They also work against a key goal of our society, which is a better understanding of crime-related issues by both scientists and the public," Tonry said.
Critics also complain that numbers don't tell the whole story because of differences among cities.
"You're not comparing apples and oranges; you're comparing watermelons and grapes," said Rob Casey, who heads the FBI section that puts out the Uniform Crime Report that provides the data for the Quitno report.
The FBI posted a statement on its Web site criticizing such use of its statistics.
"These rough rankings provide no insight into the numerous variables that mold crime in a particular town, city, county, state, or region," the FBI said. "Consequently, they lead to simplistic and/or incomplete analyses that often create misleading perceptions adversely affecting communities and their residents."
Doug Goldenberg-Hart, acquisitions editor at CQ Press, said that the rankings are imperfect, but that the numbers are straightforward. Cities at the top of the list would not be there unless they ranked poorly in all six crime categories, he said.
"The idea that people oppose it, it's kind of blaming the messenger," Goldenberg-Hart said. "It's not coming to terms with the idea that crime is a persistent problem in our society."
The report "helps concerned Americans learn how their communities fare in the fight against crime," CQ Press said in a statement. "The first step in making our cities and states safer is to understand the true magnitude of their crime problems. This will only be achieved through straightforward data that all of us can use and understand."
The study excluded Chicago, Minneapolis, and other Illinois and Minnesota cities because of incomplete data.
Copyright 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
Yum Yum Yum Pinkberry
Only in the L.A. area and New York. Sooo good...
Thanks, Weilyn, for introducing me to joy in frozen form!
Thanks, Weilyn, for introducing me to joy in frozen form!
Wednesday, November 07, 2007
Lucky Charm
On Halloween, Tim (the lucky charm from Ann Arbor) won lottery tickets to Wicked! This was attempt #4 for me, and while I'm not the one who won, I still got to see it! This was a fun musical as we are all familiar with the story of the Wizard of Oz. However, this story is told from the witches' perspective, beginning before Dorothy's arrival to Oz and ending after the meeeellllting of the Wicked Witch of the West.
Hooray for $26.25 second row lottery tickets!
And thanks to the IEEE UFFC for holding this year's conference in New York City, so that I could see all my former labmates!!
Hooray for $26.25 second row lottery tickets!
And thanks to the IEEE UFFC for holding this year's conference in New York City, so that I could see all my former labmates!!
Monday, October 29, 2007
Thursday, October 25, 2007
Can't wait to be an old woman
Why?
Because I have seen the following things in daily life, and it has been okay because this person was old. Hence, when I am old, I can do all the following crazy things and nobody will think anything of it.
1. Can wear crazy hot pink blush.
2. Can wear pants with giant hole in crotch (underwear present of course).
3. Can be an old Italian lady out for a nice buffet lunch by oneself and ask next young person in line to fill entire plate full of selected foods after selected foods.
4. Okay, this one isn't crazy, but I'm really looking forward to it. Walking around during the daytime with fellow old ladies in knee-length skirts and sensible shoes. (Observed in Italy and Spain.)
5. Can wear crazy clothes from my young days. See crazy tango lady in fishnet stockings.
Will add to list as things come up.
Because I have seen the following things in daily life, and it has been okay because this person was old. Hence, when I am old, I can do all the following crazy things and nobody will think anything of it.
1. Can wear crazy hot pink blush.
2. Can wear pants with giant hole in crotch (underwear present of course).
3. Can be an old Italian lady out for a nice buffet lunch by oneself and ask next young person in line to fill entire plate full of selected foods after selected foods.
4. Okay, this one isn't crazy, but I'm really looking forward to it. Walking around during the daytime with fellow old ladies in knee-length skirts and sensible shoes. (Observed in Italy and Spain.)
5. Can wear crazy clothes from my young days. See crazy tango lady in fishnet stockings.
Will add to list as things come up.
Friday, October 19, 2007
Autographs and New Scanner
and this is always fun, looking at all the places you've been:
I did this on tripadvisor.com. I've posted my first review for the benefit of fellow travelers. Oh how I appreciate everybody else's reviews! How else was I supposed to find out that for this one hotel, the toilet was physically located inside the shower?
Monday, October 08, 2007
Columbus Day Weekend
Thank goodness! I needed a long weekend and a break from work! :P
Being alone this weekend was pretty fun. Of the few people I know, everybody was either out of town or busy. So I ventured around the city by myself. And... I can have a lot of fun by myself!!
Saturday I went to see if I could see a premiere movie at the New York Film Festival. It was a Coen brothers movie called No Country for Old Men. However, as a centerpiece film, it was a sold out showing and there were no cancellations. Ooooh, was I mad. As a Sundance Film Festival veteran, I arrived at the theater 3 hours ahead of showtime, and the people at the box office told me wait at the "first Hugo Boss window" at 8 pm. The theater is located at The Shops in Columbus Circle, so there were also lots of stores there. Anyway, there was no line to be found, so I went to get some dinner and then got back at 7:30 pm. There was nobody there. Dooo di doo. I was prepared. I had magazines. Well, 8 pm arrives, and still, I don't see anybody near me, but a few windows down, I see a line start to form. Wha? Oooh... the guy at the box office meant the window "straight in front of us." Hmph. Anyway, the first 2 people in line got tickets. That could have been me!
But no problem. I don't regret not getting in b/c those tickets cost $30-$35!! Instead, on Sunday, I went to enter into the lottery for tickets to Hairspray. And guess what? I won!! I NEVER win anything!! Hooray!!! Front row tickets for $25. I got the up close and personal view. I saw spit flying, and I saw up people's skirts. :P It was a REALLY REALLY fun show. And afterwards... I got a bunch of autographs, including Lance Bass (short surprisingly, maybe 5'5"-5'6") and Ashley Parker Angel!! I actually *MET* Ashley Parker Angel!! And HE initiated the greeting! And I didn't see him ask for anybody else's name!! I like to think we had a connection. :P His eyes twinkled. :D
And today I participated as a member of the live studio audience at the Tonight Show with George Clooney as the guest. And then there was Kid Rock as the musical guest, and he was pretty underwhelming. Watch tonight. You'll see what I mean. The guy is NOT charming or charismatic nor in the itty bitty least bit witty. Not like George Cloooooney. :) Hahaha. It was pretty fun to see them tape.
Augh, now back to the old grind.
Being alone this weekend was pretty fun. Of the few people I know, everybody was either out of town or busy. So I ventured around the city by myself. And... I can have a lot of fun by myself!!
Saturday I went to see if I could see a premiere movie at the New York Film Festival. It was a Coen brothers movie called No Country for Old Men. However, as a centerpiece film, it was a sold out showing and there were no cancellations. Ooooh, was I mad. As a Sundance Film Festival veteran, I arrived at the theater 3 hours ahead of showtime, and the people at the box office told me wait at the "first Hugo Boss window" at 8 pm. The theater is located at The Shops in Columbus Circle, so there were also lots of stores there. Anyway, there was no line to be found, so I went to get some dinner and then got back at 7:30 pm. There was nobody there. Dooo di doo. I was prepared. I had magazines. Well, 8 pm arrives, and still, I don't see anybody near me, but a few windows down, I see a line start to form. Wha? Oooh... the guy at the box office meant the window "straight in front of us." Hmph. Anyway, the first 2 people in line got tickets. That could have been me!
But no problem. I don't regret not getting in b/c those tickets cost $30-$35!! Instead, on Sunday, I went to enter into the lottery for tickets to Hairspray. And guess what? I won!! I NEVER win anything!! Hooray!!! Front row tickets for $25. I got the up close and personal view. I saw spit flying, and I saw up people's skirts. :P It was a REALLY REALLY fun show. And afterwards... I got a bunch of autographs, including Lance Bass (short surprisingly, maybe 5'5"-5'6") and Ashley Parker Angel!! I actually *MET* Ashley Parker Angel!! And HE initiated the greeting! And I didn't see him ask for anybody else's name!! I like to think we had a connection. :P His eyes twinkled. :D
And today I participated as a member of the live studio audience at the Tonight Show with George Clooney as the guest. And then there was Kid Rock as the musical guest, and he was pretty underwhelming. Watch tonight. You'll see what I mean. The guy is NOT charming or charismatic nor in the itty bitty least bit witty. Not like George Cloooooney. :) Hahaha. It was pretty fun to see them tape.
Augh, now back to the old grind.
Saturday, October 06, 2007
Catch-up
Hey everybody (my handful of readers - that's one hand)!
Wow, it's been a really long time since I've written in my blog! See... I knew I wouldn't be able to keep an account on Facebook. However, I may change my mind as I am no longer in Ann Arbor. Boohoo! Notice the new location of Mayz on the sidebar.
Well, after I defended and officially turned in the final version of my dissertation, oh yeah, I officially turned my dissertation at the beginning of September. Hooray! Am Doctor! Nobody really cares... :P Anyway, after tying up loose ends and turning in my dissertation, I met up with Audrey in Miami for our trip to South America! First time for the both of us! We spent 16 days abroad, running ourselves ragged with traveling in Peru and Argentina, but it was a great time and you can read more about it here. Audrey is always so good with recounting trip details, especially since she has all the pictures. Why does she have all the pictures? Because my camera got stolen. *sigh* *double sigh*
Anyway, after I got back, I had to quickly pack my stuff up to head to NYC! I was both excited and very sad, both emotions that accompany every transition I guess. I got back on Friday, and had to quickly get some souvenirs together to give to my advisors as thank you gifts. I got to their offices in time, gave them their gifts, and I have to say it was pretty weird to be saying an official goodbye. I spent Saturday procrastinating a little, went through my mail, etc., and started packing. I made another trip to lab to gather my things, and that's when the tears starting coming. I spent 4 years sitting at that desk! I remembered all the work that I did in that corner, all the times that I yelled over to my labmate Kevin and mentor Oliver, and I couldn't believe that it was all over.
It was SO hard to say goodbye to all my friends in Ann Arbor because they have shared such an important time in my life. I remember my friend Bev saying that her mom thought that grad school was the happiest time in her life. When I got to U of M, I couldn't understand it, but now I can. I have to say that it has been the happiest time in my life. College was great, but I didn't have the freedom that I did in grad school. It's a semi-job in that you get paid, but on the other hand, you are able to dictate how you spend your time, your pace, and direction. I got to travel a lot, something that was impossible in college b/c I was taking classes. This was also the first time that I felt that I had control. Now this is both a good and bad thing, as I have often been jealous of those in law/business/med school for being told what you need to do and know. It's all mapped out! I have also been pretty happy to not study for tests or do homework. Everything has a tradeoff. I have met some pretty amazing people in grad school. I hold a lot of respect for the vast majority of them :P. I loved it how well we were able to relate to each other, in both our personal and academic lives. The field of biomedical engineering encompasses a lot of different kinds of engineers, and despite how different our research was, everybody showed interest in what each other was doing. Genuinely. We would spend our spare time talking about it -- this does not count as shop-talk or nerdy. Okay, maybe a little nerdy. It has been such a FANTASTIC experience.
So I left Ann Arbor in tears, thinking about the great friends that I have and the good times we've had together. I had a good 10 hour car ride to think about it! Pete got a one-way ticket to help me pack and drive with me to NYC. Actually he drove the whole way. The car was pretty cramped. Stuffed to capacity, and well, I was pretty impressed that we could fit all that in. Then a few days later, I was all settled in my new little sublet. I only have 2 months to find a job; otherwise, back to California I go!
My first day living in the big city consisted of (1) man driving truck hollering at me, and then stopping to get out of truck to talk to me, ick, I was able to keep walking without having to talk to him (2) 30 something man taking my hand in the subway and looking me up and down! Eeeewww! And that's exactly what I said out loud. Disgusting!! I was caught without my antibacterial soap. I washed my hands the first chance that I got. Nasty nasty man.
Then yesterday, I went for a run in Central Park. For my birthday, Nadder got me a Nike+ chip, so I tried it out. Very very cool. Haha... I only set my goal for 2 miles as I haven't been working out, but a female on my iPod talks to me and encourages me, and tells me how much distance I have left. 400 m left, 200 m left. Congratulations, you have met your goal. Why THANK you!!! Anyway, I discovered how difficult it is to run on the streets in Midtown. Basically impossible with so many people walking around. All I was doing was trying to get to the park to run. And, btw, I thought that it would be pretty pleasant to run in the park, but every now and then I got whiffs of horse poop. Nice. It's okay though, I know that there are more trails there, perhaps less horse presence, but I just didn't want to get lost in Cenral Park my first time.
Today, I'm going to see if I can get into a premiere at the New York Film Festival. It's a movie by the Coen brothers so I hope that 3 hours til showtime is enough to claim some standby tickets. I mean, ticket. I gotta get me some friends. :P Wish me luck!
Wow, it's been a really long time since I've written in my blog! See... I knew I wouldn't be able to keep an account on Facebook. However, I may change my mind as I am no longer in Ann Arbor. Boohoo! Notice the new location of Mayz on the sidebar.
Well, after I defended and officially turned in the final version of my dissertation, oh yeah, I officially turned my dissertation at the beginning of September. Hooray! Am Doctor! Nobody really cares... :P Anyway, after tying up loose ends and turning in my dissertation, I met up with Audrey in Miami for our trip to South America! First time for the both of us! We spent 16 days abroad, running ourselves ragged with traveling in Peru and Argentina, but it was a great time and you can read more about it here. Audrey is always so good with recounting trip details, especially since she has all the pictures. Why does she have all the pictures? Because my camera got stolen. *sigh* *double sigh*
Anyway, after I got back, I had to quickly pack my stuff up to head to NYC! I was both excited and very sad, both emotions that accompany every transition I guess. I got back on Friday, and had to quickly get some souvenirs together to give to my advisors as thank you gifts. I got to their offices in time, gave them their gifts, and I have to say it was pretty weird to be saying an official goodbye. I spent Saturday procrastinating a little, went through my mail, etc., and started packing. I made another trip to lab to gather my things, and that's when the tears starting coming. I spent 4 years sitting at that desk! I remembered all the work that I did in that corner, all the times that I yelled over to my labmate Kevin and mentor Oliver, and I couldn't believe that it was all over.
It was SO hard to say goodbye to all my friends in Ann Arbor because they have shared such an important time in my life. I remember my friend Bev saying that her mom thought that grad school was the happiest time in her life. When I got to U of M, I couldn't understand it, but now I can. I have to say that it has been the happiest time in my life. College was great, but I didn't have the freedom that I did in grad school. It's a semi-job in that you get paid, but on the other hand, you are able to dictate how you spend your time, your pace, and direction. I got to travel a lot, something that was impossible in college b/c I was taking classes. This was also the first time that I felt that I had control. Now this is both a good and bad thing, as I have often been jealous of those in law/business/med school for being told what you need to do and know. It's all mapped out! I have also been pretty happy to not study for tests or do homework. Everything has a tradeoff. I have met some pretty amazing people in grad school. I hold a lot of respect for the vast majority of them :P. I loved it how well we were able to relate to each other, in both our personal and academic lives. The field of biomedical engineering encompasses a lot of different kinds of engineers, and despite how different our research was, everybody showed interest in what each other was doing. Genuinely. We would spend our spare time talking about it -- this does not count as shop-talk or nerdy. Okay, maybe a little nerdy. It has been such a FANTASTIC experience.
So I left Ann Arbor in tears, thinking about the great friends that I have and the good times we've had together. I had a good 10 hour car ride to think about it! Pete got a one-way ticket to help me pack and drive with me to NYC. Actually he drove the whole way. The car was pretty cramped. Stuffed to capacity, and well, I was pretty impressed that we could fit all that in. Then a few days later, I was all settled in my new little sublet. I only have 2 months to find a job; otherwise, back to California I go!
My first day living in the big city consisted of (1) man driving truck hollering at me, and then stopping to get out of truck to talk to me, ick, I was able to keep walking without having to talk to him (2) 30 something man taking my hand in the subway and looking me up and down! Eeeewww! And that's exactly what I said out loud. Disgusting!! I was caught without my antibacterial soap. I washed my hands the first chance that I got. Nasty nasty man.
Then yesterday, I went for a run in Central Park. For my birthday, Nadder got me a Nike+ chip, so I tried it out. Very very cool. Haha... I only set my goal for 2 miles as I haven't been working out, but a female on my iPod talks to me and encourages me, and tells me how much distance I have left. 400 m left, 200 m left. Congratulations, you have met your goal. Why THANK you!!! Anyway, I discovered how difficult it is to run on the streets in Midtown. Basically impossible with so many people walking around. All I was doing was trying to get to the park to run. And, btw, I thought that it would be pretty pleasant to run in the park, but every now and then I got whiffs of horse poop. Nice. It's okay though, I know that there are more trails there, perhaps less horse presence, but I just didn't want to get lost in Cenral Park my first time.
Today, I'm going to see if I can get into a premiere at the New York Film Festival. It's a movie by the Coen brothers so I hope that 3 hours til showtime is enough to claim some standby tickets. I mean, ticket. I gotta get me some friends. :P Wish me luck!
Monday, August 06, 2007
Basil Update
Grown up right nice. See their younger selves here.
(Note difference in scale between the two plants by the railing behind them.)
(Note difference in scale between the two plants by the railing behind them.)
Thursday, August 02, 2007
Defense Weekend
Hooray for me!
After the defense
And then a quick trip to Cedar Point in Sandusky, OH, where great fun was to be had before quickly returning to Ann Arbor for my sister to catch her flight back to California.
After the defense
And then a quick trip to Cedar Point in Sandusky, OH, where great fun was to be had before quickly returning to Ann Arbor for my sister to catch her flight back to California.
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
Doctor, me???
A title that I'm feeling pretty weird about. Of course, not a whole lot of people are going to call me that since I'm not entering academia!
ALL DONE!! I DEFENDED LAST FRIDAY, JULY 27, 2007!!
It hasn't sunk in yet, but it's been such a wondeful experience, I love the people I work with, and all my friends are such supportive and fabulous people.
More to come with pictures...
:)
(I'm procrastinating right now. I have revisions to do :P )
ALL DONE!! I DEFENDED LAST FRIDAY, JULY 27, 2007!!
It hasn't sunk in yet, but it's been such a wondeful experience, I love the people I work with, and all my friends are such supportive and fabulous people.
More to come with pictures...
:)
(I'm procrastinating right now. I have revisions to do :P )
Thursday, July 19, 2007
Tornado Warning
No better time to catch up on my blog! I'm supposed to be at a meeting, but I've been sequestered in the libary. Drat. :P I think I've been led into the basement and to the center of the building. It's weird. They just left us in the hallway. Yet, I still have wireless access. Wonderful. Meanwhile, I'm thinking about my basil plants as they sit out on my porch exposed to the elements. I kind of want to see this so-called tornado that the midwest is supposed to have. I'VE never seen any! Pah! In my whole 5 years.
In other news... I turned in my written dissertation to my committee last Friday. !!! Eeps! I should feel more accomplished than I do right now, but I realize that it's only a rough draft, to be ripped apart during/after my defense. I did have this un-wipable grin on my face for the rest of the day though. :)
However, the impending doom of this defense is looming... I hate public embarrassment. My whole family is coming into town, and I think a bunch of my good friends and sort-of good friends are coming. Now, I'm okay with being embarrassed in front of my family, but people who know me and somehow think I'm smart?? Aah! I know one committee member is going to grill me, and I'm afraid. AFRAID!! The committee is filled with physicists, and I'm... not one.
Wish me luck!
In other news... I turned in my written dissertation to my committee last Friday. !!! Eeps! I should feel more accomplished than I do right now, but I realize that it's only a rough draft, to be ripped apart during/after my defense. I did have this un-wipable grin on my face for the rest of the day though. :)
However, the impending doom of this defense is looming... I hate public embarrassment. My whole family is coming into town, and I think a bunch of my good friends and sort-of good friends are coming. Now, I'm okay with being embarrassed in front of my family, but people who know me and somehow think I'm smart?? Aah! I know one committee member is going to grill me, and I'm afraid. AFRAID!! The committee is filled with physicists, and I'm... not one.
Wish me luck!
Tuesday, July 03, 2007
Adventures at work
amayzlo:
omg.
r_45pete: what?
amayzlo:
my finger is stuck in my desk drawer
r_45pete:
no
still?
amayzlo:
yeah
left hand
r_45pete:
what the f***
how?
why?
how are you typing?
amayzlo:
can't get past the 3rd finger knuckle
r_45pete:
no f***ing way
amayzlo:
hahhaha
omg
r_45pete:
yeah I wanted to laugh but thought Id leave that for later
...
amayzlo:
hahaha
okay, i yanked it out
r_45pete:
is it later yet?...
amayzlo:
yup
r_45pete:
ok hahahaa
you OK?
amayzlo:
i mean, how the heck did that happen?
r_45pete:
yeah?
was there some candy in there ?
omg.
r_45pete: what?
amayzlo:
my finger is stuck in my desk drawer
r_45pete:
no
still?
amayzlo:
yeah
left hand
r_45pete:
what the f***
how?
why?
how are you typing?
amayzlo:
can't get past the 3rd finger knuckle
r_45pete:
no f***ing way
amayzlo:
hahhaha
omg
r_45pete:
yeah I wanted to laugh but thought Id leave that for later
...
amayzlo:
hahaha
okay, i yanked it out
r_45pete:
is it later yet?...
amayzlo:
yup
r_45pete:
ok hahahaa
you OK?
amayzlo:
i mean, how the heck did that happen?
r_45pete:
yeah?
was there some candy in there ?
Monday, July 02, 2007
Seoul and Japan Trip
A few pics from my trip!
The gang on a night out in Seoul after a long day at the conference.
Palace... I don't remember the name...
High rises in the back of a historic treasure. Pretty common for Seoul.
Me in Shibuya!
Ah! Crazy number of people crossing.
Fun shopping!
Fish market
Engrish in Hakone. Read the fine print.
Golden Palace in Kyoto.
The gang on a night out in Seoul after a long day at the conference.
Palace... I don't remember the name...
High rises in the back of a historic treasure. Pretty common for Seoul.
Me in Shibuya!
Ah! Crazy number of people crossing.
Fun shopping!
Fish market
Engrish in Hakone. Read the fine print.
Golden Palace in Kyoto.
Wednesday, June 06, 2007
Encounters with Daily Strangers
Contact with Old Man Bus Rider! For the past few encounters, I've started smiling and saying good morning to him. Yesterday, I found out that he works at Nickel's Arcade for a few hours every morning. :) That makes me happy. It was weird because he has a hearing aid, which meant that I had to speak loudly, which was even more uncomfortable than I had imagined.... yelling in a quiet bus full of groggy people.
I also saw gimpy tumor squirrel again around the same place. Naturally... of course! Squirrels have homes too. Let's try to remember that.
I also saw gimpy tumor squirrel again around the same place. Naturally... of course! Squirrels have homes too. Let's try to remember that.
Thursday, May 31, 2007
Basil
I have 2 kids:
Say hello to Basil, Jr. (Basil died last year)
and Basil, III
They have grown a lot since I first got them! I'm the type of person who likes to watch the grass grow, so I'm quite proud of my Basils! Wish me luck on keeping them alive!
Say hello to Basil, Jr. (Basil died last year)
and Basil, III
They have grown a lot since I first got them! I'm the type of person who likes to watch the grass grow, so I'm quite proud of my Basils! Wish me luck on keeping them alive!
Saturday, May 26, 2007
Congratulations, Counselor!
My sister graduated!
We went to dinner at Boulevard in San Francisco and it was DELICIOUS! Because we waited 20 min for our reservation, they gave us complimentary appetizers. They served a thin slice of ahi on top of whipped avocado, and it was all topped off with caviar. Mmmm... Next, sweetbreads, which had the consistency of a clam and tasted like yummy bone marrow. Below are our entrees, which were goo-oood. Clockwise around the table: halibut, lamb x2 (prepared in 3 different ways, including lamb cheek shepherd's pie), and guinea hen with morel mushrooms.
I always forget what a small world it is. Audrey's good friend is good friends with my good friend!
We went to dinner at Boulevard in San Francisco and it was DELICIOUS! Because we waited 20 min for our reservation, they gave us complimentary appetizers. They served a thin slice of ahi on top of whipped avocado, and it was all topped off with caviar. Mmmm... Next, sweetbreads, which had the consistency of a clam and tasted like yummy bone marrow. Below are our entrees, which were goo-oood. Clockwise around the table: halibut, lamb x2 (prepared in 3 different ways, including lamb cheek shepherd's pie), and guinea hen with morel mushrooms.
I always forget what a small world it is. Audrey's good friend is good friends with my good friend!
Thursday, May 24, 2007
Lunch time
I rarely go out to eat for lunch, but I just got back from California yesterday so I didn't have much in the refrigerator. I treated myself to two slices of organic pizza. It was a nice day, so I headed over to the Diag to sit on the lawn and have a lovely little picnic. Of course, I didn't want grass stains and was wearing a skirt, so I put down my notepad and sat on that. Mmm... one slice gone. I picked up my second slice and started to eat it when the sprinklers (facing away from me) started to go off. Uh oh! I got up, picked up my notepad and then felt water on my head and back. Think quick! I covered up my pizza with my notepad -- now my notes were wet and had pizza sauce on them. Great. Way to rain on my parade.
I went to sit on a concrete bench in a concrete plaza. But! When I sat down this odd little squirrel came out from underneath the bench. It ran funny. Like it had stiff hind legs. I think it may have had a tumor hanging from its abdomen. I watched it hobble away from me, and then watched a guy stop in his tracks to watch it for a couple minutes, and then take out his phone to take a picture of it.
Eventful lunch for Mayz!
I went to sit on a concrete bench in a concrete plaza. But! When I sat down this odd little squirrel came out from underneath the bench. It ran funny. Like it had stiff hind legs. I think it may have had a tumor hanging from its abdomen. I watched it hobble away from me, and then watched a guy stop in his tracks to watch it for a couple minutes, and then take out his phone to take a picture of it.
Eventful lunch for Mayz!
Wednesday, May 16, 2007
Thursday, May 10, 2007
GRADUATION 2007
I'm delayed in posting pictures, but still, most schools haven't even had graduation yet. Crazy, huh?
And the chocolate cake with graduation hat:
And the chocolate cake with graduation hat:
Monday, April 23, 2007
Thanks, sis, for sending me this song. Love the crackling voice!
In other news, my sister has also given me homework.
Watch Grey's Anatomy Seasons 1 & 2
Due Date: May 18
I'm going home May 18, and at that time, will receive Season 3 from her. Now, I've seen a few episodes and know the basic story line but have never become a religious watcher. My sister told me that I had to watch from the beginning to acquire character attachment. I've finished Season 1 Disc 1, and now am in love with McDreamy. Those sneaky twinkling eyes...
NEW HEROES EPISODE TONIGHT!! DON'T FORGET, EVERYBODY!!
In other news, my sister has also given me homework.
Watch Grey's Anatomy Seasons 1 & 2
Due Date: May 18
I'm going home May 18, and at that time, will receive Season 3 from her. Now, I've seen a few episodes and know the basic story line but have never become a religious watcher. My sister told me that I had to watch from the beginning to acquire character attachment. I've finished Season 1 Disc 1, and now am in love with McDreamy. Those sneaky twinkling eyes...
NEW HEROES EPISODE TONIGHT!! DON'T FORGET, EVERYBODY!!
Tuesday, April 10, 2007
CELEBRITY SIGHTINGS
I have to keep track. :)
I sat across the aisle from Dan Rather on my way over to New York this past weekend. I love free upgrades. Oh, hello, Dan Rather.
I contained myself through the entire 2 hours that I was sitting next to him, all the while wondering why the woman sitting on the other side of him hadn't said one word to him yet. I would have to yell across the wide aisle, and she was *right* next to him! I'm also chicken. I waited until we were deplaning and for him to tell me to "Go ahead" to talk to him. That means that I said "Thank you" back to him. :)
So here's the count (concerts don't count):
Freddie Prinze Jr.
Claire Forlani
Mandy Patinkin
Angie Everheart
Ziyi Zhang
Chris Kattan
Jennifer Aniston
Frances McDormand
Joan Cusack
Catherine Keener
Josh Harnett (x2)
Lucy Liu
Enrique Iglesias
Uchenna & Joyce (Amazing Race)
Laura Linney
Phillip Seymour Hoffman
Regina King
Mike White
Adam Brody
Molly Shannon
John C. Reilly
Tom Arnold
Kevin Bacon
Camryn Manheim
Terry Hatcher
Alan Alda
Kathryn Morris
Daniel Dae Kim
Roger Fan
Dan Rather
I sat across the aisle from Dan Rather on my way over to New York this past weekend. I love free upgrades. Oh, hello, Dan Rather.
I contained myself through the entire 2 hours that I was sitting next to him, all the while wondering why the woman sitting on the other side of him hadn't said one word to him yet. I would have to yell across the wide aisle, and she was *right* next to him! I'm also chicken. I waited until we were deplaning and for him to tell me to "Go ahead" to talk to him. That means that I said "Thank you" back to him. :)
So here's the count (concerts don't count):
Freddie Prinze Jr.
Claire Forlani
Mandy Patinkin
Angie Everheart
Ziyi Zhang
Chris Kattan
Jennifer Aniston
Frances McDormand
Joan Cusack
Catherine Keener
Josh Harnett (x2)
Lucy Liu
Enrique Iglesias
Uchenna & Joyce (Amazing Race)
Laura Linney
Phillip Seymour Hoffman
Regina King
Mike White
Adam Brody
Molly Shannon
John C. Reilly
Tom Arnold
Kevin Bacon
Camryn Manheim
Terry Hatcher
Alan Alda
Kathryn Morris
Daniel Dae Kim
Roger Fan
Dan Rather
Thursday, March 29, 2007
Monday, March 26, 2007
ST. PADDY'S DAY IN CHICAGO
I had a pretty Irish St. Patrick's weekend. Although, being a bit sickly throughout the whole weekend trip, I didn't drink a drop of alcohol. However, I still had a great time as I got spend the weekend with good friends and sorely missed friends. Three of us from Ann Arbor trekked over to Chicago Friday night, met up with Jessi (who flew from Denver) and Marwa (our "local" ;) ) at a bar near Marwa's 21st floor apartment. We closed the bar, and then set an alarm for the next morning so that we would have the potential of watching the parade the next day and the dying of the river. Yeah right. We could see the river from Marwa's apartment, and we gave up on the parade pretty quickly. But what was with the river? We waited and waited for the river to turn this bright radioactive-looking green, but it never happened. Only when we roamed the streets did we see some green. Why so skimpy this year, Chicago?
That night, we went to a place called The Abbey, paid the best ever spent $10 cover, and listened to a handful of Irish bands... and then bagpipers!
Next we watched about a half hour of Irish dance. Adults, teenagers, and kids came out and performed routines in front of their proud parents and friends, and a bunch of drunken party-goers. Hooray! Very cultural of us.
The next day we went to Millenium Park, where the famous shiny bean is. Look, we're like cartoons. Torsos the same length as our legs. :)
I had a pretty Irish St. Patrick's weekend. Although, being a bit sickly throughout the whole weekend trip, I didn't drink a drop of alcohol. However, I still had a great time as I got spend the weekend with good friends and sorely missed friends. Three of us from Ann Arbor trekked over to Chicago Friday night, met up with Jessi (who flew from Denver) and Marwa (our "local" ;) ) at a bar near Marwa's 21st floor apartment. We closed the bar, and then set an alarm for the next morning so that we would have the potential of watching the parade the next day and the dying of the river. Yeah right. We could see the river from Marwa's apartment, and we gave up on the parade pretty quickly. But what was with the river? We waited and waited for the river to turn this bright radioactive-looking green, but it never happened. Only when we roamed the streets did we see some green. Why so skimpy this year, Chicago?
That night, we went to a place called The Abbey, paid the best ever spent $10 cover, and listened to a handful of Irish bands... and then bagpipers!
Next we watched about a half hour of Irish dance. Adults, teenagers, and kids came out and performed routines in front of their proud parents and friends, and a bunch of drunken party-goers. Hooray! Very cultural of us.
The next day we went to Millenium Park, where the famous shiny bean is. Look, we're like cartoons. Torsos the same length as our legs. :)
Thursday, March 15, 2007
MORNING BUS RIDER
For the past year, I've reliably seen an old man (~70 years old) on the same bus everyday. The 8:57 AM bus. He's usually on by the time the bus reaches my stop, and then he gets off at State Street. He wears a maize and blue jacket and maize gloves. In the summer he wears jeans and often a fashionable white button-down. Recently I have not been keeping a regular schedule, but I don't remember seeing him for a month. I took note this morning to check for him (as I am often caught up taking care of my bumbling self in the morning) and didn't see him. I'm a little worried. :|
For the past year, I've reliably seen an old man (~70 years old) on the same bus everyday. The 8:57 AM bus. He's usually on by the time the bus reaches my stop, and then he gets off at State Street. He wears a maize and blue jacket and maize gloves. In the summer he wears jeans and often a fashionable white button-down. Recently I have not been keeping a regular schedule, but I don't remember seeing him for a month. I took note this morning to check for him (as I am often caught up taking care of my bumbling self in the morning) and didn't see him. I'm a little worried. :|
Monday, February 26, 2007
BUTTER 'N THINGS
There's been a lot happening with my friends here. And with my new interest in making and decorating cakes, I made cakes for their big events. Here's cake #1 for Nadder's birthday, a chocolate cake with coffee butter cream frosting.
And there was an engagement and a graduation. You can see the red velvet cake in progress. I still have to work on my piping. :) Maybe I should move on from the ziploc bag.
And then I made a chocolate cake with ganache for Pete for Valentine's Day, but I didn't manage to get a pic before I left with it... maybe because the butter started to separate from the chocolate. :( I have to work on my chocolate. However, he sent me some lovely lovely flowers. Orange lilies, orange gerber daisies, brandy roses!
There's been a lot happening with my friends here. And with my new interest in making and decorating cakes, I made cakes for their big events. Here's cake #1 for Nadder's birthday, a chocolate cake with coffee butter cream frosting.
And there was an engagement and a graduation. You can see the red velvet cake in progress. I still have to work on my piping. :) Maybe I should move on from the ziploc bag.
And then I made a chocolate cake with ganache for Pete for Valentine's Day, but I didn't manage to get a pic before I left with it... maybe because the butter started to separate from the chocolate. :( I have to work on my chocolate. However, he sent me some lovely lovely flowers. Orange lilies, orange gerber daisies, brandy roses!
Thursday, February 15, 2007
NEWFOUND PROWESS
I have lived on my own before. I've done a lot of things by myself for my place. But ever since I started living with my male housemate, I've sorted just left some things for him to do. Like, for instance, hooking up cable, modems, changing light bulbs... Well he had been gone since last Friday, and on the first day, the light bulbs went out in the ceiling fixtures in the kitchen. Crap! It took me 2 days (as was also busy) to replace it because (1) had to figure out how to get to the light bulbs in the fixtures (2) had to go buy light bulbs (3) had to replace light bulbs. This is ordinarily a task I just let my housemate take care of. I dunno, silly, especially since I'm taller. I was pretty proud of myself for having done this task.
Another empowering event involved the tremendous snowfall we got over the past few day. Now, this might be just something a Californian had yet to experience, but it snowed about half a foot overnight. Normally, my neighborhood is really good about shoveling snow (even before I'm out the door), but I had to make first tracks yesterday morning! When I got home after a day of working, I had to take my car to go to the gym, so I got all dressed to do some dirty shoveling. I shoveled the steps to our house and shoveled around my car! Very satisfying. Got in my car, burned a little rubber, but got out of the snow!
Thank you, thank you.
I have lived on my own before. I've done a lot of things by myself for my place. But ever since I started living with my male housemate, I've sorted just left some things for him to do. Like, for instance, hooking up cable, modems, changing light bulbs... Well he had been gone since last Friday, and on the first day, the light bulbs went out in the ceiling fixtures in the kitchen. Crap! It took me 2 days (as was also busy) to replace it because (1) had to figure out how to get to the light bulbs in the fixtures (2) had to go buy light bulbs (3) had to replace light bulbs. This is ordinarily a task I just let my housemate take care of. I dunno, silly, especially since I'm taller. I was pretty proud of myself for having done this task.
Another empowering event involved the tremendous snowfall we got over the past few day. Now, this might be just something a Californian had yet to experience, but it snowed about half a foot overnight. Normally, my neighborhood is really good about shoveling snow (even before I'm out the door), but I had to make first tracks yesterday morning! When I got home after a day of working, I had to take my car to go to the gym, so I got all dressed to do some dirty shoveling. I shoveled the steps to our house and shoveled around my car! Very satisfying. Got in my car, burned a little rubber, but got out of the snow!
Thank you, thank you.
Thursday, February 08, 2007
Saturday, February 03, 2007
Sunday, January 28, 2007
Dear It's-It, 
Oh how I lovingly remember you from my childhood and how I've reveled in your rediscovery. Your delicious vanilla ice cream embraced comfortingly between two spicy oatmeal cookies (mmm... oatmeal cookies) all enveloped in a chocolate coating makes me want to have you every night.
But why why, It's-It, do you evade me so?
I've looked for you all over Vail, Ann Arbor... I'd take you home from the grocery store in the Bay Area and then fly you over to Ann Arbor with me if I could, but you wouldn't survive. So delicate, poor little It's-It inside your plastic wrapping. You wouldn't be happy anywhere else besides the freezer.
I wish I could enjoy your company wherever I am...
Missing you,
Mayz
P.S. Since I'm too lazy, and you can get the same update from my lovely sister, read her Sundance blog.
Oh how I lovingly remember you from my childhood and how I've reveled in your rediscovery. Your delicious vanilla ice cream embraced comfortingly between two spicy oatmeal cookies (mmm... oatmeal cookies) all enveloped in a chocolate coating makes me want to have you every night.
But why why, It's-It, do you evade me so?
I've looked for you all over Vail, Ann Arbor... I'd take you home from the grocery store in the Bay Area and then fly you over to Ann Arbor with me if I could, but you wouldn't survive. So delicate, poor little It's-It inside your plastic wrapping. You wouldn't be happy anywhere else besides the freezer.
I wish I could enjoy your company wherever I am...
Missing you,
Mayz
P.S. Since I'm too lazy, and you can get the same update from my lovely sister, read her Sundance blog.
Tuesday, January 23, 2007
Heh! Embarrassing...
During the holidays, my sister asked me to distribute secret santa assignments for her friends. I, being the funny person I am, changed the identity on my email address to "The Holiday Armadilloooo!!!" (as Ross in Friends).
A few days ago, I got an email from a job head hunter. Important stuff.
From Dave **: Hi Andrea, I saw your resume online and was curious if you are in the... Jan 17 (6 days ago)
From The Holiday Armadillooooo!!!: Hi Dave, I am in the job market for a position starting in the Fall (followin... 11:18 am (3½ hours ago)
From Dave **: Would you click the link below and fill out the form so we can more easily up... 11:18 am (3½ hours ago)
OMG. My message was sent from "The Holiday Armadillooooo!!!"???? aaahhh!!!
During the holidays, my sister asked me to distribute secret santa assignments for her friends. I, being the funny person I am, changed the identity on my email address to "The Holiday Armadilloooo!!!" (as Ross in Friends).
A few days ago, I got an email from a job head hunter. Important stuff.
From Dave **: Hi Andrea, I saw your resume online and was curious if you are in the... Jan 17 (6 days ago)
From The Holiday Armadillooooo!!!: Hi Dave, I am in the job market for a position starting in the Fall (followin... 11:18 am (3½ hours ago)
From Dave **: Would you click the link below and fill out the form so we can more easily up... 11:18 am (3½ hours ago)
OMG. My message was sent from "The Holiday Armadillooooo!!!"???? aaahhh!!!
Wednesday, January 10, 2007
WRITE YOUR COMPLAINTS
If any grave wrongs have happened to you by an airline (most popular of course) or other service, I encourage you to write about it. It just seems wrong to let some of these things go.
1st good Example. Three years ago, I took a delayed international Delta flight with layover in... Atlanta? I had to go through customs and recheck my bag. I asked the lady checking in my luggage which gate my next flight to Baltimore was. I had no time to check! I was full-out running. Not easy when you're groggy from sleeping on the plane. Turns out, it was the wrong gate. I checked the monitors and finally got to the right gate. Plane hadn't left yet. They gave my ticket away. Huh. Don't they know that my flight was delayed and we were rushing to the connecting flight? I wasn't the only sad victim. They can't give away my ticket like that when I've already landed in Atlanta. Anyway, I got on the next flight out, but apparently, my luggage didn't make it. It didn't even make it out to my hotel the next morning. I was in Baltimore for a wedding. I rushed out the morning of and bought a dress and shoes.
I had been wronged! I wrote a letter of complaint. They gave me money for my dress expenses and a voucher. :)
2nd good Example. I'm going to a Film Festival this year. You're given random registration times to buy the tix that you want. We had a couple time slots on the first day. Turns out, nasty people are buying movie tix only to turn around and resell them for hundreds of dollars (eBay). They never even plan to go to the festival in the first place. Festival rules explicitly state that the tix cannot be resold for profit. eBay won't take the items off their site. Nasty. We didn't get any of the movies that we wanted to see, and we had a lot of options just in case our first choices were sold out. A friend emailed a complaint about all these nasty people selling on eBay. The festival people were sympathetic and got tix for us. :)
3rd ? Example. My US Airways/America West flight got changed. My outbound flight changed by a matter of minutes. Fine. My 2nd leg return flight got cancelled, so they put me on the next flight, which created an excruciating 4 hour layover. Nasty airline. I called back requesting a co-chaired United flight. Their policy wouldn't allow it. Why? My America West flight is a co-chair. I could have booked the United co-chair flight from the very beginning through US Airways! Makes no sense. They cancelled my flight, they should give just compensation. I wasn't being ridiculous. I wrote a letter of complaint. I have yet to hear from them, but I feel better for having given them a piece of my mind! I was wronged! All I want is some monetary compensation or an adjustment in flight schedule. Pennies to them. Pennies.
If any grave wrongs have happened to you by an airline (most popular of course) or other service, I encourage you to write about it. It just seems wrong to let some of these things go.
1st good Example. Three years ago, I took a delayed international Delta flight with layover in... Atlanta? I had to go through customs and recheck my bag. I asked the lady checking in my luggage which gate my next flight to Baltimore was. I had no time to check! I was full-out running. Not easy when you're groggy from sleeping on the plane. Turns out, it was the wrong gate. I checked the monitors and finally got to the right gate. Plane hadn't left yet. They gave my ticket away. Huh. Don't they know that my flight was delayed and we were rushing to the connecting flight? I wasn't the only sad victim. They can't give away my ticket like that when I've already landed in Atlanta. Anyway, I got on the next flight out, but apparently, my luggage didn't make it. It didn't even make it out to my hotel the next morning. I was in Baltimore for a wedding. I rushed out the morning of and bought a dress and shoes.
I had been wronged! I wrote a letter of complaint. They gave me money for my dress expenses and a voucher. :)
2nd good Example. I'm going to a Film Festival this year. You're given random registration times to buy the tix that you want. We had a couple time slots on the first day. Turns out, nasty people are buying movie tix only to turn around and resell them for hundreds of dollars (eBay). They never even plan to go to the festival in the first place. Festival rules explicitly state that the tix cannot be resold for profit. eBay won't take the items off their site. Nasty. We didn't get any of the movies that we wanted to see, and we had a lot of options just in case our first choices were sold out. A friend emailed a complaint about all these nasty people selling on eBay. The festival people were sympathetic and got tix for us. :)
3rd ? Example. My US Airways/America West flight got changed. My outbound flight changed by a matter of minutes. Fine. My 2nd leg return flight got cancelled, so they put me on the next flight, which created an excruciating 4 hour layover. Nasty airline. I called back requesting a co-chaired United flight. Their policy wouldn't allow it. Why? My America West flight is a co-chair. I could have booked the United co-chair flight from the very beginning through US Airways! Makes no sense. They cancelled my flight, they should give just compensation. I wasn't being ridiculous. I wrote a letter of complaint. I have yet to hear from them, but I feel better for having given them a piece of my mind! I was wronged! All I want is some monetary compensation or an adjustment in flight schedule. Pennies to them. Pennies.
Monday, January 08, 2007
NICE LONG HOLIDAY
I'm went on a nice holiday. It was nice to hang out at home, watch all episodes of Friday Night Lights, and got caught up on the Heroes episodes I missed. TV online is fabulous. What geniuses at NBC.
My family spent a few days in Vail. Here is a picture of my sister and where I should be if there was another person to take our picture.
Later that day, after a much-awaited lunch, I popped myself out of my ski bindings, only to take the binding brake along with me! Very upset. No tools or ski shop mid-mountain.
However, annoyance offset by clam chowder
and snowmobile ride to the bottom lodge.
Other news in holiday break:
Ran into old high school... acquaintance?, who we decided not to say hi to because we decided she wouldn't know who we were.
Saw old college... friend? who had scary crush on me. He decided not to say hi for whatever reason. Ran out of restaurant in a rush. He once told me that he thought that I disliked Celine Dion out of spite because he liked her.
I'm went on a nice holiday. It was nice to hang out at home, watch all episodes of Friday Night Lights, and got caught up on the Heroes episodes I missed. TV online is fabulous. What geniuses at NBC.
My family spent a few days in Vail. Here is a picture of my sister and where I should be if there was another person to take our picture.
Later that day, after a much-awaited lunch, I popped myself out of my ski bindings, only to take the binding brake along with me! Very upset. No tools or ski shop mid-mountain.
However, annoyance offset by clam chowder
and snowmobile ride to the bottom lodge.
Other news in holiday break:
Ran into old high school... acquaintance?, who we decided not to say hi to because we decided she wouldn't know who we were.
Saw old college... friend? who had scary crush on me. He decided not to say hi for whatever reason. Ran out of restaurant in a rush. He once told me that he thought that I disliked Celine Dion out of spite because he liked her.
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