so its been a while... but after a hiatus consisting of lots of traveling, getting sick, and more traveling, i am back in action.
last week i went down to florida to see my parents. their house is so great. the area is still in development, but they are building like crazy, so hopefully there will be more fun stuff to do soon. but their house is beautiful, and so relaxing. i went swimming and running and exercised every day i was down there. i didn't get much time to lay in the sun, it was pretty cloudy most of the time, but it was still a fun trip. i should have stayed longer, in retrospect. but next year, i will have graduated, and i can go down for a few weeks or more and lay at the pool and the beach for a while. ahhhh, permanent vacation.

i've also gotten nowhere with my life plan. i've concluded that i really don't want to continue working at the bench doing research. after yet another construct that turns out to have a mutation that i need to remake, i have lost all patience and motivation. i just want to get the hell out and into a real job. what that will be, i have no idea. if anyone has suggestions, i'm wide open! bring it on, cause right now crashing on my parents' couch sounds fabulous.

last night was amy and al's graduation party! i had a blast, and was channeling my inner hippie and refused to get all fancily dressed up. so i wore a hat, long sleeve t, and sneakers. i was so comfy, and plan on keeping up the trend of flat for as long as possible. or at least until i forget how painful heels can be.

and here is a funny story about amy: months ago, we were out dancing, and we were all pretty inebriated. amy was off the charts though. so i was dancing with a new boy for one song, and amy leans over (never having met him before) and says "this is my friend holli!"

"thanks, amy." dancing continues.

maybe 20 minutes later, i sidle up to the bar, and the same boy happens to be next to me. amy leans over again, to the same boy she doesn't know, and says "you should date my friend holli, she's really good in bed!"

"thanks amy."


i always tease her about it, and she is mortified, but wait, it gets better! last night, she was talkign to a guy (not her boyfriend) and i walk over because he was super cute and i assume amy will be my wingman. and oh what a wingman, i should have learned. there's really only one way to introduce somebody worse than saying she's really good in bed.

again, drunk off her ass, she sees me and says, "this is holli! she's single, and really-"

at this point i give her a LOOK, fearing a repeat of last time. she pauses and continues,

"she's NOT really good in bed!"

"thanks amy."

i just got back from the conference on cell death in breckenridge, and it was great. my work went over really well, and i even got some job offers, though i think i can probably get something better. we will see though. right now my boss and i are writing my paper, and we are trying to send it out on friday. next week i'll start looking at possible post docs i think.

but aside from science, i got to do lots of fun things too, like snowshoeing and dog sledding! the dogs were so unbelievably cute, and it was lots of fun. i actually got to drive the sled, it was great!

i met some great people too. one of the things i love about being in science is that you get to meet so many people from all over the world. i was hanging out with a girl from belgium and a girl from spain, and met a cute boy from germany, whom i had fun flirting with. unfortunately, i only hung out with him the last night and didn't make any moves on him, and i suspect he was a little shy, so nothing happened between us. but, i think i may have a pen pal at least. a sexy german pen pal. rrawr.

so i watched the scientology tom cruise recruitment video. and it really seems like a cult to me. not the cult in which everyone kills themselves, but at least according to the traditional meaning of the word, a group of people following the same set of beliefs (that tend to be alternative to the norm, according to some definitions). from the video, i'm sure scientology has helped tom cruise, a lot. perhaps it has enabled him and many others to lead better lives. it seems that scientology is a way to better your surroundings, and take charge in your life to change things for the better. and feel like a rock star/marine while doing it. at least, that's what i gleaned from it.

however, if scientology were the answer to the world's problems, why the hell is it so secretive? if you found the "true path" to enlightenment, god, happiness, truth, whatever, wouldn't you want to tell it to the whole world? graffiti on subway walls, fliers on cars, that annoying guy with the megaphone who preaches on the corner? i suppose scientology banks (literally) on the feeling of joining the chosen elite, a secret club only you are allowed into. but seriously, have they not matured past 8 years old? only those who know the secret handshake are allowed into the treehouse? and by the way, the secret handshake costs you at least $15000. we'll let you stand under the tree for a while for less, but only after you've shelled out the cash will we let you up. if money wasn't so important to them, i might be a little more sympathetic. but i don't understand how they can justify equating spiritual enlightenment with money! i would love to see tom cruise answer questions about that! or better yet, i would like to see a scientology outreach program to the poor and underprivledged who haven't got their lives together. they would probably benefit most from the ideas about evaluating the negative influences in your life. but i guess then the treehouse wouldn't be nearly as cool and exclusive. scientology truly is a religion(?) that reflects the times, when capitalism rules the world. now even enlightenment can be bought for the right price.

and if any scientologist wants to harass me for criticizing his or her beliefs, i kindly request that you address my concerns before tapping my phone.

and another afterthought. as a scientist, i'm offended by the similarity of the term "scientist" to "scientologist". only "olog" separates me from crazy. i'd prefer them to refer to themselves as scientologicians, more similar to the scientician, who according to the urban dictionary and the simpsons is "an authoritative individual of questionable medical, scientific and/or scholastic merit".

i really wish i had more interesting things to blog about than work. but i don't. because work has consumed my entire life. ick.
a paper came out very close to what i am working on, so close that my stuff isn't really as interesting anymore. blech. so much for positive thinking. and i am no closer to publishing than i was a month ago, though we have set an arbitrary dealine of two weeks at which time we will send out whatever we have. and screw it if we don't have new things. at this point i do not care where it gets published, i jsut want to not have to deal with it again. at least until i start writing my thesis.
i am also planning my trip to colorado! i go in 11 days, my first conference! so i am trying to figure out what other fun activities i can do while everyone else goes skiing (because i don't ski, how convenient) i am thinking time at the spa will be fabulous. maybe horseback riding if it isn't too expensive. or dogsledding. or snowmobiling. fun fun.

oh, i have boy updates. nothing exciting. but i went out with this guy, and he just isn't for me. too.... just not for me. but he doesn't take a hint, and he jsut keeps texting and calling and texting me! its like he doesn't know proper dating etiquette (part of the reason he is not for me). i am tired of dating these young boys who don't know how to treat a girl. i need a man damnit. where have all the real men gone?

i am so happy to read about everyone else graduating, finishing up school, moving on with their lives.... i unfortunately AM STILL STUCK HERE. bah. i have seen people struggling to get into school, struggling to get jobs, and are now on the cusp of venturing into the real world. and its snowy and rainy and cold out, which makes me wish even more that i was in california, right now. 

but i try not to think about it that much. just get from one day to the next, doing my work, and trying not to let things get to me too bad. but i go through phases, mostly influenced by whether my science is actually working or not. but at least now i have a really great rotation student to help, and my fabulous undergrad is coming back this semester too, so i'm hoping to be more productive than ever. feel the excitement people. woo, hoo.

also, i finally highlighted my hair again! the blond is coming back. i was convinced by allie and jessie, who both thought that blond hair = male attention. and within only 10 hours of blondifying my hair, i met a guy. i don't think it will be anything serious, but at least he iscute and someone to talk to. even if he seems a little young for me, and is a staunch liberal and super into politics. i've talked about more politics with this kid than i have in the past year, and i don't even like talking about politics that much. and he wants me to watch this movie with him about racial issues on monday, to honor mlk jr, as he put it. i would rather watch the star trek movie marathon on spike. somehow, i don't think that is a good sign.

quite possibly the funniest thing ever

sara, this one's for you