It's been a while. This is just an update on what's been going on with me in the past couple of weeks.
1. I went Black Friday shopping and bought 2 crock pots. One large (5qt) and one small (2qt). I am officially the queen of crock potting. I have some spicy chicken and organic butter beans going now. YUM. I'm all for these one pot meals where I set it, take a nap, wake up and eat. It's great.
2. The current satin cap I use to hold my locks while I sleep is getting to small. Any suggestions of a bigger one? I know it's getting too small because its starting to tug on the locks at the nape of my neck and its getting a little irritated back there. I have to stuff my locks in this cap now. I'm just looking for something bigger that wont slide off my head at night. I've seen loc socks (sp?) but they are open on the ends right? I don't like that.
3. Christmas is around the corner. WOOHOO. My mom is coming down. I get to see a long lost friend (HEL) and chef's cousin is visiting us for the new year. I'm pretty excited. I was wondering what I should get Chef for Christmas but then I got an email in my inbox yesterday that the farm that supplies my CSA has xxxxxxx for sale. SWEET. I think I will get him one of those. Chef's other passion (besides cooking) is gardening. I definitely think he would appreciate it.
Sunday, December 12, 2010
Saturday, November 27, 2010
Black Friday Sisterlocks Interrogation
So, I was out and about this past Friday searching for deals and steals and Walmart and Target. Walmart opened at midnight and everything I wanted from there went on sale at that time so I was good to go. I was in and out of Walmart by 1:30am. So I headed over to Target to stand in line until 4am. So here is where it got interesting. In front of me were two women, both natural but one had a "weave puff" on her natural ponytail. I think that's what you call them. The other had her hair wrapped in a scarf. Behind me was a grandmother, one of her daughters and her granddaughter (not the child of the daughter that was there). So as soon as they got in line the granddaughter says to her aunt, "I love her hair." That naturally made me want to see what was going on in their heads right? Or maybe that's just me. The granddaughter had extensions to look like locks, her aunt had a natural afro puff. That was my fav style when my hair got too long to manage so I definitely understood what was going on there. And I later found out that the grandmother has been natural all her life and faithfully presses her hair every two weeks (that's determination I never had plus I would have to press my hair every other day the way it responds to the elements and everything)
So, the granddaughter got up the courage to ask me what was going on with my hair. Were they twists?..or what? I said, "Actually they're locks." She said, "Sisterlocks!?!?!" with so much enthusiasm. YUP!. She told me she had never seen Sisterlocks on anyone and she absolutely adore them on me. She goes on to tell me that she had traditional locks for a few years but not to long ago combed them out because they were getting thin and breaking off due to they styles she was wearing. The also told me that she wasn't aware of how bad it was until another girl in her highschool class mentioned that she had a patch of missing locks in her head. She said she went home that day and combed them all out. She said she loved having locks but the size of her traditional locks were uneven and it looked very scalpy at times. She said the look of my hair is something she would love to have. I did have to explain to her that my hair is insanely thick and that everyone's locks look different. She then tells me that her mother (who was wisely at home sleeping at 2am) also had traditional locks. What's funny is that my Sisterlocks consultant maintains her mother's locks so they know all about her. What is unfortunate is that the girl maintained her own locks and I think that can be pretty stressful for a 9th grader and that is what probably led to the damage of her locks. She did admit that she overtwisted them from time to time. She assured me that if her mother saw my hair she would comb her locks out too and get Sisterlocks installed. She then asked me how much it costs to get them installed, how long I've had mine, and how much it is to maintain. She then turned to her grandmother and said, "Don't buy me any presents for Christmas. Just give me $100 towards the cost of my Sisterlocks." I'm glad I can be a good model for my consultant, who works miracles on the afro under my locks after 5 weeks. And I was glad I could be an educational tool for those not familiar with Sisterlocks and those that are thinking about getting them. *I forgot to mention that there was also a caucasian, mother-daughter duo also asking me about my hair. Questions like, "so how long will you keep them in?" Boy were they surprised when I said, "Forever". They then asked if I could wash my hair to which I replied, "Absolutely and sometimes even curl it if I feel like it" (no heat of course, just rollers). It was a pretty enlightening experience for all involved. Talking with them about my hair made the time fly by and before I knew it I was scurrying around target looking for that George Foreman Mega Grill and T-Fal pot set. YES!
I did want to share my hair happenings though. So my sisterlocks won't lie down. Maybe it's because they are so thick that they just sit on top of one another and poke out. They are growing but they still don't lie down. I've included some pictures for you to see what I mean.
I chose a lock at random but towards the front of my head. It's no longer than the rest but it's nestled up high on the side of my head.
So I stretched it out. We have some pretty serious length here.
Here it is not stretched out. A little below my chin.
There are absolutely NO locks that fall anywhere near my chin. When each of them stands alone you can see their growth but all together. NOT. It's the big hair thing. The same thing goes for the locks in the back. They hang down but they actually prefer to curl up. I still love my hair but it has a mind of its own.
So, the granddaughter got up the courage to ask me what was going on with my hair. Were they twists?..or what? I said, "Actually they're locks." She said, "Sisterlocks!?!?!" with so much enthusiasm. YUP!. She told me she had never seen Sisterlocks on anyone and she absolutely adore them on me. She goes on to tell me that she had traditional locks for a few years but not to long ago combed them out because they were getting thin and breaking off due to they styles she was wearing. The also told me that she wasn't aware of how bad it was until another girl in her highschool class mentioned that she had a patch of missing locks in her head. She said she went home that day and combed them all out. She said she loved having locks but the size of her traditional locks were uneven and it looked very scalpy at times. She said the look of my hair is something she would love to have. I did have to explain to her that my hair is insanely thick and that everyone's locks look different. She then tells me that her mother (who was wisely at home sleeping at 2am) also had traditional locks. What's funny is that my Sisterlocks consultant maintains her mother's locks so they know all about her. What is unfortunate is that the girl maintained her own locks and I think that can be pretty stressful for a 9th grader and that is what probably led to the damage of her locks. She did admit that she overtwisted them from time to time. She assured me that if her mother saw my hair she would comb her locks out too and get Sisterlocks installed. She then asked me how much it costs to get them installed, how long I've had mine, and how much it is to maintain. She then turned to her grandmother and said, "Don't buy me any presents for Christmas. Just give me $100 towards the cost of my Sisterlocks." I'm glad I can be a good model for my consultant, who works miracles on the afro under my locks after 5 weeks. And I was glad I could be an educational tool for those not familiar with Sisterlocks and those that are thinking about getting them. *I forgot to mention that there was also a caucasian, mother-daughter duo also asking me about my hair. Questions like, "so how long will you keep them in?" Boy were they surprised when I said, "Forever". They then asked if I could wash my hair to which I replied, "Absolutely and sometimes even curl it if I feel like it" (no heat of course, just rollers). It was a pretty enlightening experience for all involved. Talking with them about my hair made the time fly by and before I knew it I was scurrying around target looking for that George Foreman Mega Grill and T-Fal pot set. YES!
I did want to share my hair happenings though. So my sisterlocks won't lie down. Maybe it's because they are so thick that they just sit on top of one another and poke out. They are growing but they still don't lie down. I've included some pictures for you to see what I mean.
I chose a lock at random but towards the front of my head. It's no longer than the rest but it's nestled up high on the side of my head.
So I stretched it out. We have some pretty serious length here.
Here it is not stretched out. A little below my chin.
There are absolutely NO locks that fall anywhere near my chin. When each of them stands alone you can see their growth but all together. NOT. It's the big hair thing. The same thing goes for the locks in the back. They hang down but they actually prefer to curl up. I still love my hair but it has a mind of its own.
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
The story of my life...
Instead of driving the 1.8 miles to the park and ride, I leave my car in the garage and bike to the stop. Well this morning, while listening to an audiobook on my iPod, I was riding along and my bike tire got caught on the side of the sidewalk. It was in between the gravel/grass and the sidewalk. I tried to correct it by trying to get back up on the sidewalk and DOWN I WENT! I slid across the pavement, my basket with my work bag went flying and it seemed like everything was going in slow motion. I do however remember letting out a F*** as I was falling. I knew it was happening and I knew it was going to hurt. Well, some worried pedestrian asked me if I was okay and helped me gather my belongings. I had to take a pause for the cause and fix the chain on my bike (I went down so hard I knocked it loose). But holy crap did my arm hurt. I looked at my right arm and close to my elbow was a patch, about half the size of an index card, missing skin and oozing all kind of goodies, but filled with twigs gravel and dirt. Gross.
I had a decision to make. I had already biked 3/4ths of the way to the stop...do I turn around and go home and make Chef fix me up or do I tough it out, ride the bus injured to work and fix it when I get there. I chose to tough it out. It seemed like a good idea at the time but that was the longest 20 min bus ride EVER. My arm hurt so bad! It stung. Luckily for me I work with a med student and made her doctor it up for me (she made a few "yuck" faces first though) and since we work in a research laboratory we decided it would be best to put 100% ethanol on it. FUN TIMES...I wanted to punch her in the face it hurt so bad.
The thing is, I fell at about 6:40 this morning, still managed to get to the bus stop on time, bloody..but on time. I even participated in my noon Zumba class. Now that it's almost 9 and my body is SORE from the fall and Zumba I am rethinking my decisions. I took a shower and realized that I had scraped my side and busted my knee. These are kind of scrapes you don't know exist until warm water burns the crap out of them. I'm gonnna be in some serious pain in the morning. So yea, the lesson of today is to always wear a helmet. That's probably the only reason I didn't scrape the right side of my face along with my right arm, side, and knee.
I officially feel like a five year old that had their training wheels taken off.
I had a decision to make. I had already biked 3/4ths of the way to the stop...do I turn around and go home and make Chef fix me up or do I tough it out, ride the bus injured to work and fix it when I get there. I chose to tough it out. It seemed like a good idea at the time but that was the longest 20 min bus ride EVER. My arm hurt so bad! It stung. Luckily for me I work with a med student and made her doctor it up for me (she made a few "yuck" faces first though) and since we work in a research laboratory we decided it would be best to put 100% ethanol on it. FUN TIMES...I wanted to punch her in the face it hurt so bad.
The thing is, I fell at about 6:40 this morning, still managed to get to the bus stop on time, bloody..but on time. I even participated in my noon Zumba class. Now that it's almost 9 and my body is SORE from the fall and Zumba I am rethinking my decisions. I took a shower and realized that I had scraped my side and busted my knee. These are kind of scrapes you don't know exist until warm water burns the crap out of them. I'm gonnna be in some serious pain in the morning. So yea, the lesson of today is to always wear a helmet. That's probably the only reason I didn't scrape the right side of my face along with my right arm, side, and knee.
I officially feel like a five year old that had their training wheels taken off.
Sunday, October 24, 2010
How about a real hair update - with a pic
I know I keep telling you my hair has changed but I have yet to post any pics. LOL. Well... Here you go. The first one is about three months in where the shrinkage was at an all time high and the second was from today... literally 3 min ago. So today I am at 9 months locked and still have no regrets. I took both the pics on my Macbook so please forgive the quality.
It's the holiday season
I love the holidays, partly because I have seasonal depression and seeing some family makes me feel a little better.
This holiday season, I will be spending time in my new home with my husband and my dogs. I'm already preparing for my downsies by occupying myself beyond belief. I have become Ina Garten (Barefoot Contessa) in the kitchen. Every weekend alone, I'm using my creative mind and cooking up a storm. Last week I made brownies, pumpkin cookie bites, and coconut curry pumpkin soup. I am on my game. The challenge here is to make everything as healthy as possible without sacrificing on taste. *Except for the brownies, they were for a bake sale. Yesterday I stuffed some acorn squash with wild and white rice with turkey sausage. YUM! It was very filling. I really could only eat one half of the squash. While on the topic of food and eating better, I must admit that I grew up eating meat with every meal. Bacon or sausage for breakfast, some sort of meat for lunch, and a heaping helping of meat for dinner. I am trying now to incorporate meat with only one of my meals and that is usually dinner. I am also addicted to turkey bacon and sausage. I'm not against pork AT ALL but turkey bacon is the best and it just so happens to be healthier.
The real challenge will be to see what I can come up with for Thanksgiving!
This holiday season, I will be spending time in my new home with my husband and my dogs. I'm already preparing for my downsies by occupying myself beyond belief. I have become Ina Garten (Barefoot Contessa) in the kitchen. Every weekend alone, I'm using my creative mind and cooking up a storm. Last week I made brownies, pumpkin cookie bites, and coconut curry pumpkin soup. I am on my game. The challenge here is to make everything as healthy as possible without sacrificing on taste. *Except for the brownies, they were for a bake sale. Yesterday I stuffed some acorn squash with wild and white rice with turkey sausage. YUM! It was very filling. I really could only eat one half of the squash. While on the topic of food and eating better, I must admit that I grew up eating meat with every meal. Bacon or sausage for breakfast, some sort of meat for lunch, and a heaping helping of meat for dinner. I am trying now to incorporate meat with only one of my meals and that is usually dinner. I am also addicted to turkey bacon and sausage. I'm not against pork AT ALL but turkey bacon is the best and it just so happens to be healthier.
The real challenge will be to see what I can come up with for Thanksgiving!
Monday, September 27, 2010
It's just one of those days
You know when you have a to do list over a mile long and instead of taking the time to knock those things out you procrastinate and complain about how long the list is... it's one of those days.
I'm procrastinating by doing one of the things on my list though... blogging. It's raining donkeys and cows outside, I want to go home, and I'm hungry (but I already ate <--- I hate it when that happens).
Anyway, my mom came to visit us this past weekend and check out our new abode. She loves it by the way. We got to catch up and act like teenagers again. HAHA. I admit, I am not one to judge seeing how my life is filled with flaws and imperfections but sometimes I do feel the need to comment on the lack of common sense that seems to be corrupting the world. My mom and I are ALWAYS on the same page when it comes to that stuff. She's pretty cool to be around.
Sidenote: I've discovered that I'm the mean neighbor in the neighborhood. It's no secret that I don't like people, that's why I am in a field where genuine human interactions are minimal. I know more about my Scepter hand held cell counter than I do about most people I talk to on a daily basis... and I like it that way. Being in a neighborhood where human interaction is encouraged just makes me feel awkward, and I'm pretty sure it makes me look awkward to all my neighbors. About two weeks ago my neighbor across the street was up for some friendly conversation and I made it purposefully awkward. I was outside checking the mail (and when is it okay to accost people that are just checking the damn mail?) and she yells from across the street, "So, are you living there now?" I reply, "Uhhh, yea," and walk back in the house. This interaction was perfectly acceptable to me considering I did not want to answer questions about myself or know anything about what goes on over there across the street but in hindsight I probably just looked a little awkward. The strange thing is, I'm okay with that.
Lets talk about my hair. My loctician says its growing (out not down). I don't care either way because I'm really enjoying it at this length. Though I think having big hair is inevitable...It's a part of me. My hair moves and shakes and looks completely different than when I first got them in. About two re-ti's ago an entire lock in the back of my head slipped out. Not slipped out as in fell out (I think I would die if I lost a loc) but unraveled. 6 months in the game and this loc decided to give up. Boy oh boy was that section of hair crazy long. I had it loc'd back up and we've been tight ever since. The locs in the back of my head seem to be sealing and everything so I don't know what was going on with the rogue loc. I also wanted to share that at my last re-ti, my loctician was retwisting some very long traditional locs on this guy's head. GUESS WHAT!!! His ends were curly. So maybe my ends will always be free and spring-loaded. He had to have his locs for at least 5 years and his mature locs still had curly free ends. It put my mind at ease to know that my locs can still mature and be free on the ends.
That's enough of the rambling for now
I'm procrastinating by doing one of the things on my list though... blogging. It's raining donkeys and cows outside, I want to go home, and I'm hungry (but I already ate <--- I hate it when that happens).
Anyway, my mom came to visit us this past weekend and check out our new abode. She loves it by the way. We got to catch up and act like teenagers again. HAHA. I admit, I am not one to judge seeing how my life is filled with flaws and imperfections but sometimes I do feel the need to comment on the lack of common sense that seems to be corrupting the world. My mom and I are ALWAYS on the same page when it comes to that stuff. She's pretty cool to be around.
Sidenote: I've discovered that I'm the mean neighbor in the neighborhood. It's no secret that I don't like people, that's why I am in a field where genuine human interactions are minimal. I know more about my Scepter hand held cell counter than I do about most people I talk to on a daily basis... and I like it that way. Being in a neighborhood where human interaction is encouraged just makes me feel awkward, and I'm pretty sure it makes me look awkward to all my neighbors. About two weeks ago my neighbor across the street was up for some friendly conversation and I made it purposefully awkward. I was outside checking the mail (and when is it okay to accost people that are just checking the damn mail?) and she yells from across the street, "So, are you living there now?" I reply, "Uhhh, yea," and walk back in the house. This interaction was perfectly acceptable to me considering I did not want to answer questions about myself or know anything about what goes on over there across the street but in hindsight I probably just looked a little awkward. The strange thing is, I'm okay with that.
Lets talk about my hair. My loctician says its growing (out not down). I don't care either way because I'm really enjoying it at this length. Though I think having big hair is inevitable...It's a part of me. My hair moves and shakes and looks completely different than when I first got them in. About two re-ti's ago an entire lock in the back of my head slipped out. Not slipped out as in fell out (I think I would die if I lost a loc) but unraveled. 6 months in the game and this loc decided to give up. Boy oh boy was that section of hair crazy long. I had it loc'd back up and we've been tight ever since. The locs in the back of my head seem to be sealing and everything so I don't know what was going on with the rogue loc. I also wanted to share that at my last re-ti, my loctician was retwisting some very long traditional locs on this guy's head. GUESS WHAT!!! His ends were curly. So maybe my ends will always be free and spring-loaded. He had to have his locs for at least 5 years and his mature locs still had curly free ends. It put my mind at ease to know that my locs can still mature and be free on the ends.
That's enough of the rambling for now
Saturday, August 21, 2010
Wedding Pics
Looking through the pictures on the CD we received from the photographer made me realize how much fun we had that morning and how much love was captured on the film. I like candid photos and not posey pictures because it captures individual personality. I think our photographer did a good job capturing the important moments. I make a lot of crazy faces, they were definitely throughout the film. HAHA. I'm glad I get to share this with you all. Enjoy.
p.s. I spritzed my locs with some water the night before my 6:30 am wedding, sponge rolled them and took them out at 5 in the morning. That's my hair look for the wedding pics. Once the sun rose it got really hot and all of my curls dropped.
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p.s. I spritzed my locs with some water the night before my 6:30 am wedding, sponge rolled them and took them out at 5 in the morning. That's my hair look for the wedding pics. Once the sun rose it got really hot and all of my curls dropped.
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Friday, August 6, 2010
A Fresh Start
This blog is dedicated to Becky. She reminded me that I have a blog and so I decided to post today.
It is August 6, 2010 and let me tell you what has been going on in my life. I got married, on my birthday (July 30) and my husband and I are buying a house. Pretty big steps. We started the home buying process before we got married knowing that we wanted to be married before we close on the house.
We found a lovely home with a privacy fenced in yard or the dogs to run around. I can't wait to move. We have essentially been packed up for a month now, we are just waiting on the sellers to finish some repairs so our loan can be underwritten. Living out of boxes is no fun. We are set to get the keys on Aug but I already know that's not gonna happen. It's looking more like the week of the 16th. Here is a picture of our new abode.
Enough about the house, lets talk about my wedding. My husband and I got married on a local beach at sunrise on my birthday. We didn't want to make a big deal of it so no one was invited. I curled up my locks, got a wedding dress and said I do. His aunt did surprise us and come down for support but we didn't have to babysit her or anything. We had a photographer take some pics and as soon as we get them I will post them up.
So now, I'm married and moving and must say that having Sisterlocks was the best investment EVER! If I had to worry about my hair everyday I would be so much more stressed out. I've been wearing them freestyled a lot more lately and just let them do their own thing. They have changed so much. I am coming up on my 7 month anniversary with them and they seem to be growing outward and not downward. I still have big hair. It's something I'm used to. Going to get them re-tightened every 5 weeks at $100 bucks is getting pretty old though. I thought that I would miss my afro, but that hasn't happened yet.
This blog is short and sweet but I will be making sure I update you guys more often.
It is August 6, 2010 and let me tell you what has been going on in my life. I got married, on my birthday (July 30) and my husband and I are buying a house. Pretty big steps. We started the home buying process before we got married knowing that we wanted to be married before we close on the house.
We found a lovely home with a privacy fenced in yard or the dogs to run around. I can't wait to move. We have essentially been packed up for a month now, we are just waiting on the sellers to finish some repairs so our loan can be underwritten. Living out of boxes is no fun. We are set to get the keys on Aug but I already know that's not gonna happen. It's looking more like the week of the 16th. Here is a picture of our new abode.
Enough about the house, lets talk about my wedding. My husband and I got married on a local beach at sunrise on my birthday. We didn't want to make a big deal of it so no one was invited. I curled up my locks, got a wedding dress and said I do. His aunt did surprise us and come down for support but we didn't have to babysit her or anything. We had a photographer take some pics and as soon as we get them I will post them up.
So now, I'm married and moving and must say that having Sisterlocks was the best investment EVER! If I had to worry about my hair everyday I would be so much more stressed out. I've been wearing them freestyled a lot more lately and just let them do their own thing. They have changed so much. I am coming up on my 7 month anniversary with them and they seem to be growing outward and not downward. I still have big hair. It's something I'm used to. Going to get them re-tightened every 5 weeks at $100 bucks is getting pretty old though. I thought that I would miss my afro, but that hasn't happened yet.
This blog is short and sweet but I will be making sure I update you guys more often.
Saturday, May 1, 2010
When was my last post again?
I have really been sucking at this once a week thing. My life has been pretty hectic for the past month or 2. Jumping over major hurdle after hurdle. I have my oral qualifying exam on May 11 and I have spent the past 2 months writing my proposal that is due this coming Wed. Luckily for me I am a fast writer, finished early and got it in to my boss for his revisions and it should be ready to submit to the rest of my PhD committee by Wed. Closest hurdle next is my final exam on Monday at 10am. After that, the big oral exam followed by an immediate massage. I'll log all about that stuff but this is offical notice that I am on hiatus for 2 weeks. See you then.
Saturday, March 27, 2010
I Know It's Been A Month But...
it was for good reason. I think I let you guys know that I was going to be crazy busy for a while. Well, the storm is far from over but I'm taking a breather right now. I had my first re-ti on the 26th of Feb and I'm up for another on Tuesday (3/30). I still absolutely love my hair and have found a cure for the itchies. NEUTROGENA T-GEL. I ended up getting a really good deal on some and tried it out before I got a chance to try the ACV but now I have no need. I had a lot of slippage on the top of my head but that's because the texture up there is more loose. But this month things are looking pretty good.
The past month has been interesting. I got Chef a 28 gallon fish tank for V-day and in return, I got a BEAUTIFUL tennis bracelet.
The weather has begun to warm up quite a bit, but little Gigi's allergies are on high alert. She has been to the vet a couple of times already this season to get her allergy shots because her daily antihistamine isn't enough to suppress the shenanigans happening outside. She scratched herself up so bad this time that she was put on antibiotics for a while. The sores on her "shoulders" have cleared up and now we're back to her daily dose of allergy meds.
Onto another situation... So I'm a scientist right; part of the reason I have been MIA for a while is because I was working on a lab publication. My lab was writing a review and of course if I wanted to be second author behind the PI I had to put in some work. That's all submitted so I have a little breathing room, but not much.
I can't find my camera but as soon as I do, there will be pics.
The past month has been interesting. I got Chef a 28 gallon fish tank for V-day and in return, I got a BEAUTIFUL tennis bracelet.
The weather has begun to warm up quite a bit, but little Gigi's allergies are on high alert. She has been to the vet a couple of times already this season to get her allergy shots because her daily antihistamine isn't enough to suppress the shenanigans happening outside. She scratched herself up so bad this time that she was put on antibiotics for a while. The sores on her "shoulders" have cleared up and now we're back to her daily dose of allergy meds.
Onto another situation... So I'm a scientist right; part of the reason I have been MIA for a while is because I was working on a lab publication. My lab was writing a review and of course if I wanted to be second author behind the PI I had to put in some work. That's all submitted so I have a little breathing room, but not much.
I can't find my camera but as soon as I do, there will be pics.
Saturday, February 27, 2010
Wine Tasting 2010
So... Last year this time I was in the ER getting stitches from my rampage. Maybe drunken, maybe not. Fast forward one year and now I'm in the ER waiting on one of my friends to get out of the ER because she took a serious fall while intoxicated. Let it be known, if you go out drinking with me, I or you may end up in the ER.
UPDATE: There was a broken arm of a friend involved but she is doing much better.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
UPDATE: There was a broken arm of a friend involved but she is doing much better.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Sunday, February 14, 2010
V-day
I'm out and about waiting on some stores to open so I can get Chef his gift. I decided to check out this blogging on the go thing in the mean time. I know it's last minute but if Chef knew a gift of his was in the house it would kill him not to know what it is. While he's at work cooking for all the lovebirds this morning I get to go out and buy his gift. I'll post a pic later but let me tell you, Chef has been begging for this one for a while.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Saturday, February 13, 2010
Snow Mayhem
1. I live in the South
2. I used to live in the North
3. I know how to drive in 3 inches of snow and more.
4. Southern natives cancel life in the threat of snow.
My mom, who is a northern transplant by way of the deep south is getting over record breaking snow of 72+ inches. They were literally shut down due to the blizzard of 2010. Since global warming seems to be a clever scheme, my wonderful state of South Carolina has been experiencing record breaking low temps and snowfall.
It all began yesterday, light drizzle all morning and then the temperature began to slowly drop. All of a sudden, schools were closing and my school was dismissing all staff at 3pm. Luckily for me we have "Fermentation Fridays" in lab with good quality beer so I refused to go outside with all the crazies panicking for no reason. I waited it out and left lab at about 4:45.
I had a dinner date with Carter's mom and I refused to give that up over a threat of southern snowfall so Chef and I left our house at about 6. At this time it still wasn't snowing. It was what I like to call a wintry mix. Whatever, we didn't care. We hung out for a little bit and decided to head out for dinner. While at dinner, I noticed one of the bartenders take table salt and sprinkle it outside. REALLY? TABLE SALT? I'm not judging, do whatever you need to do to make you feel safe. By the time we left the restaurant there was some slush that had accumulated on the Catmobile. We went back to Carter's parent's house and we were there for maybe 2 hours and their power went out. SC is so not prepared for anything. We helped her light candles and decided to come home and check on our own animals. On the drive home, trees had fallen, transformers were blowing left and right and there was maybe 3 inches of slush on the ground. Lucky for Chef and me we got home at about 9:30 and they closed the bridge we crossed 10 min earlier because it was deemed "impassable". Um.. We didn't have any problems but then again I've done my fair share of snow driving in a way worse conditioned vehicle than my 2009 CR-V. About 5 minutes after we got home our transformer blew too but we were only without power for about 10 min. The pups were okay and by the way things looked outside, I promised the pups I would take them out to play this morning. This is Sincere's first snow but not Gigi's. Before we adopted Sincere, Gigi and I used to travel up north for my winter breaks. She loves the snow...to a certain extent.
This is our neighborhood. I never thought I would actually get to see my abode covered in snow. Kinda cute. Definitely don't want this shenanigan to continue though. The people down here created a clusterfuck on the roads. They get a pass this time, apparently the last time there was significant accumulation was in 1973. There's a new generation of crazies on the road. I'll go out when they go in.
Doggies in the snow. After about 45 minutes, Gigi was so over it. Check out the sweet coats my mom got the dogs for Christmas. Sincere really needs it, he's pretty sensitive to the cold. He really did love pouncing around in the snow. We had a great time.
2. I used to live in the North
3. I know how to drive in 3 inches of snow and more.
4. Southern natives cancel life in the threat of snow.
My mom, who is a northern transplant by way of the deep south is getting over record breaking snow of 72+ inches. They were literally shut down due to the blizzard of 2010. Since global warming seems to be a clever scheme, my wonderful state of South Carolina has been experiencing record breaking low temps and snowfall.
It all began yesterday, light drizzle all morning and then the temperature began to slowly drop. All of a sudden, schools were closing and my school was dismissing all staff at 3pm. Luckily for me we have "Fermentation Fridays" in lab with good quality beer so I refused to go outside with all the crazies panicking for no reason. I waited it out and left lab at about 4:45.
I had a dinner date with Carter's mom and I refused to give that up over a threat of southern snowfall so Chef and I left our house at about 6. At this time it still wasn't snowing. It was what I like to call a wintry mix. Whatever, we didn't care. We hung out for a little bit and decided to head out for dinner. While at dinner, I noticed one of the bartenders take table salt and sprinkle it outside. REALLY? TABLE SALT? I'm not judging, do whatever you need to do to make you feel safe. By the time we left the restaurant there was some slush that had accumulated on the Catmobile. We went back to Carter's parent's house and we were there for maybe 2 hours and their power went out. SC is so not prepared for anything. We helped her light candles and decided to come home and check on our own animals. On the drive home, trees had fallen, transformers were blowing left and right and there was maybe 3 inches of slush on the ground. Lucky for Chef and me we got home at about 9:30 and they closed the bridge we crossed 10 min earlier because it was deemed "impassable". Um.. We didn't have any problems but then again I've done my fair share of snow driving in a way worse conditioned vehicle than my 2009 CR-V. About 5 minutes after we got home our transformer blew too but we were only without power for about 10 min. The pups were okay and by the way things looked outside, I promised the pups I would take them out to play this morning. This is Sincere's first snow but not Gigi's. Before we adopted Sincere, Gigi and I used to travel up north for my winter breaks. She loves the snow...to a certain extent.
This is our neighborhood. I never thought I would actually get to see my abode covered in snow. Kinda cute. Definitely don't want this shenanigan to continue though. The people down here created a clusterfuck on the roads. They get a pass this time, apparently the last time there was significant accumulation was in 1973. There's a new generation of crazies on the road. I'll go out when they go in.
Doggies in the snow. After about 45 minutes, Gigi was so over it. Check out the sweet coats my mom got the dogs for Christmas. Sincere really needs it, he's pretty sensitive to the cold. He really did love pouncing around in the snow. We had a great time.
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Hair Update
REALLY! This is my second post in one day. So shoot me. I wanted to let you know how my locks are coming along. I have a serious case of the itchies. I will be going to the store TODAY to get some ACV (apple cider vinegar) to combat this craziness. With the itchies come the scratchies and with the scratchies come the hair flakes. I'll pass on looking like its snowing around my hairline. NO THANKS. About 4 locks have completely unraveled but they are technically my sideburns. I do have one at the back of my head and another one around my hairline in the front. Let me say that I curled my hair using my cloth sponge rollers for the cocktail party and I still am very curly. They last about a week now and I only spritz my hair with water before I roll it up. Pictures to come. I know I keep promising them but I'm serious this time.
Better Late Than Never
I know I'm a little late with the post but the past week and a half has been ridiculous for me. Let me break it down and let you know what's been going on in my life lately. I usually try to post on the weekends but that seemed to be an impossible task this past weekend. On the 6th our Graduate Student Association threw our annual cocktail party for the students and pretty much for anyone else that wanted to come. I have come to find that a qualification of being in a PhD program is that you must be a functioning alcoholic or something. We rented a nice building in the heart of all the bars and action downtown and had an open bar catered event for three hours. We had our fair share of skeptics about how we were gonna pull this off but it ended up being quite spectacular. The best part is, once you're wasted, you don't have to go home. Walk that drunk off and go to a bar or my personal fav dance it off. I had a blast because Chef came out and had a good time too. Since he only likes one kind of beer, they reserved a six-pack for him.
While rebounding on what Chef has dubbed "Sunday Funday", it dawned on me that I had an exam on Thursday. "Sunday Funday" is when all of Chef's chefs (and I) get together to bond and have a good time. Usually involves food and beer and this time, it involved a Superbowl. I had not started studying and forgot I was in the class for a little bit. I started studying on Monday and realized that "Waffle Wednesday" was coming up. "Waffle Wednesday" is when Chef's chefs come over to our place for breakfast for dinner. The main star is Warrick the waffle maker. We eat waffles, bacon, sausage, eggs, and homefries of hashbrowns. Delicious. Puppy Carter usually comes over to keep Sincere occupied too. I'll take pictures next week so you guys can understand the seriousness that is Waffle Wednesday. Its all family style, you know, passing the big plate or bowl of food around. We're trying to get one of the other chefs to start Taco Tuesday or something like that. Any ideas for other days of the week are graciously accepted.
I took my exam at 8am this morning and feel relieved. I honestly don't care what I get but I'm just glad that it's over. I have dinner plans with Puppy Carter's mom tomorrow evening and our school's annual winetasting on the 26th of this month. I forgot to bring my camera to the cocktail party so I'm sad I don't have any shenanigans to show but there was a lot of shenanigans that went down that evening. We ended up with overnight house guests that went to brunch with us on Sunday Funday. I will make sure I bring my camera to the winetasting because that night usually conjures up the crazy in everyone. I ended up scoring tickets for Chef's friends so he won't feel too weird there. Tickets come at 2 per student so I had some extra students getting tickets for me.
Yes, I have been pretty busy the past couple of weeks and it's not really going to slow down soon. At least I have a three day weekend to catch up on some much needed sleep.
While rebounding on what Chef has dubbed "Sunday Funday", it dawned on me that I had an exam on Thursday. "Sunday Funday" is when all of Chef's chefs (and I) get together to bond and have a good time. Usually involves food and beer and this time, it involved a Superbowl. I had not started studying and forgot I was in the class for a little bit. I started studying on Monday and realized that "Waffle Wednesday" was coming up. "Waffle Wednesday" is when Chef's chefs come over to our place for breakfast for dinner. The main star is Warrick the waffle maker. We eat waffles, bacon, sausage, eggs, and homefries of hashbrowns. Delicious. Puppy Carter usually comes over to keep Sincere occupied too. I'll take pictures next week so you guys can understand the seriousness that is Waffle Wednesday. Its all family style, you know, passing the big plate or bowl of food around. We're trying to get one of the other chefs to start Taco Tuesday or something like that. Any ideas for other days of the week are graciously accepted.
I took my exam at 8am this morning and feel relieved. I honestly don't care what I get but I'm just glad that it's over. I have dinner plans with Puppy Carter's mom tomorrow evening and our school's annual winetasting on the 26th of this month. I forgot to bring my camera to the cocktail party so I'm sad I don't have any shenanigans to show but there was a lot of shenanigans that went down that evening. We ended up with overnight house guests that went to brunch with us on Sunday Funday. I will make sure I bring my camera to the winetasting because that night usually conjures up the crazy in everyone. I ended up scoring tickets for Chef's friends so he won't feel too weird there. Tickets come at 2 per student so I had some extra students getting tickets for me.
Yes, I have been pretty busy the past couple of weeks and it's not really going to slow down soon. At least I have a three day weekend to catch up on some much needed sleep.
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Random Thoughts...
Before I start this post, I wanted to share that my mom is an avid reader of my blog but in no way will that change the content of what I write. You know that saying, "The apple doesn't fall far from the tree." Well in this case the apple is still on the tree because I think we are the same person. Anywho, in response to my last blog post, my mother called me to inform me that when you click the pictures to zoom in not only can you see the moles on my fingers and freckles on my face but also the hair on my back... Thanks Mom.
Now the real post...
I think I may start a series of random thoughts. I believe that my random thoughts are unique in that I think deeply about things that other people just "accept." For example, who said that "bad words" are "bad" words. I think those four letter words are perfect for use as emphasis, and I don't think they are bad. But I'll save that post for a later date.
Today's random thought is brought to you by my wandering brain in the wee hours of the night/morning.
If you are from America, you are American; China...Chinese, Italy... Italian, Germany...German, Japan...Japanese, Spain...Spanish? REALLY? Who decides the endings of these words. It makes no sense to me. The inner OCD is telling me that there should be some consistency with these kinds of things.
If the last letter of your country ends in -n, add -ese. That goes to you Spainese, Iranese, Swedenese,and Jordanese people out there. The Japanese and Lebanese already have the right idea (they get to drop the extra syllable, Lebanonese is a tongue twister).
If the last letter of your country ends in -y, add -ian. Thanks for setting the example Hungarians and Italians. We have to get the Germanians, and Turkeyians, and Norwayians on board. Paraguayans, and Uraguayans get a get out of jail free card on this one. They have the right idea.
Lets deal with the countries that end in -a. See above.. add -ian or -n. This only applies to Chinians and Croats from Croatia but I prefer to call them Croatians. Canadians, Mongolians, Colombians, Ethiopians and Argentinians got it right.
So that is how I feel about referring to your native country. Let's keep it consistent out there. There might be a lot of confused children in school, and this could contribute to that confusion.
Now the real post...
I think I may start a series of random thoughts. I believe that my random thoughts are unique in that I think deeply about things that other people just "accept." For example, who said that "bad words" are "bad" words. I think those four letter words are perfect for use as emphasis, and I don't think they are bad. But I'll save that post for a later date.
Today's random thought is brought to you by my wandering brain in the wee hours of the night/morning.
If you are from America, you are American; China...Chinese, Italy... Italian, Germany...German, Japan...Japanese, Spain...Spanish? REALLY? Who decides the endings of these words. It makes no sense to me. The inner OCD is telling me that there should be some consistency with these kinds of things.
If the last letter of your country ends in -n, add -ese. That goes to you Spainese, Iranese, Swedenese,and Jordanese people out there. The Japanese and Lebanese already have the right idea (they get to drop the extra syllable, Lebanonese is a tongue twister).
If the last letter of your country ends in -y, add -ian. Thanks for setting the example Hungarians and Italians. We have to get the Germanians, and Turkeyians, and Norwayians on board. Paraguayans, and Uraguayans get a get out of jail free card on this one. They have the right idea.
Lets deal with the countries that end in -a. See above.. add -ian or -n. This only applies to Chinians and Croats from Croatia but I prefer to call them Croatians. Canadians, Mongolians, Colombians, Ethiopians and Argentinians got it right.
So that is how I feel about referring to your native country. Let's keep it consistent out there. There might be a lot of confused children in school, and this could contribute to that confusion.
Sunday, January 24, 2010
My Locks are Changing
Today was hair wash/football day. I braided and banded my hair and washed it really well. I have to make sure to get all the extra scalp out of my head. I thought the Sisterlock starter shampoo would smell better and be thicker. I guess I am used to moisturizing shampoos that come creamy and thick. This will take some getting used to. Not to mention that starter shampoo made my hair squeaky clean. So clean that it felt dry while I was in the shower. My scalp definitely needed some oil after that stuff. Chef oiled my scalp for me after I washed my hair and separated my locks. Sorry but I am really not gonna post any pics of me looking like a crazy kid with those random braids all over my head. Here is what my hair looked like post wash.
Since I suffer from handsinthehairitis now I am beginning to notice some changes happening with my locks. Because the hair on the top of my head is pretty much straight all of the locks up there felt very rope like. There is no curl or bend to them whatsoever. I had mentioned to my mom a couple of days earlier that I had found a lock that thickened up and shrank quite a bit and that I would take a picture of it. Well here it is. This lock is squishy and at least twice as thick when compared to the rest of the locks on the top of my head. I don't know whats going on but hopefully it's not unraveling.
Since I suffer from handsinthehairitis now I am beginning to notice some changes happening with my locks. Because the hair on the top of my head is pretty much straight all of the locks up there felt very rope like. There is no curl or bend to them whatsoever. I had mentioned to my mom a couple of days earlier that I had found a lock that thickened up and shrank quite a bit and that I would take a picture of it. Well here it is. This lock is squishy and at least twice as thick when compared to the rest of the locks on the top of my head. I don't know whats going on but hopefully it's not unraveling.
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Doggy Play Date
Puppy Carter and his dad came over for dinner and a playdate with Gigi and Sincere yesterday. World, meet puppy Carter. He is the most awesome and well behaved puggle ever.
I'm Sisterlocked...
and I hate it. Just kidding. After sitting 13.5 hours I have a head full of locks. I really love them at this point. No complaints. I will be posting my lock stats on the sidebar. I definitely did count them, too much time on my hands. Excuse my wild eyebrows, I'm well overdue for a grooming.
These pictures were taken maybe an hour after they were completed. Look at all that fresh scalp. My loctician spritzed my hair with some water to let the ends curl up a little but they were not behaving. My ends were a little frazzled and contributed to the puffy look.
I wasn't happy with the frazzled look so I took my hair and rolled it up in to sponge rollers. I had maybe 8 rollers in my whole head. I took them out before I went to lab the next morning and it came out GREAT. Nice curly locks without frazzled ends.
Since it is winter, and I have the habit of shedding layers of scalp constantly in the winter, my loctician gave me a very light grease to put on my scalp only to combat the dryness. It not for everyday use but is light enough not to interfere with the progress and maturation of my locks.
These pictures were taken maybe an hour after they were completed. Look at all that fresh scalp. My loctician spritzed my hair with some water to let the ends curl up a little but they were not behaving. My ends were a little frazzled and contributed to the puffy look.
I wasn't happy with the frazzled look so I took my hair and rolled it up in to sponge rollers. I had maybe 8 rollers in my whole head. I took them out before I went to lab the next morning and it came out GREAT. Nice curly locks without frazzled ends.
Since it is winter, and I have the habit of shedding layers of scalp constantly in the winter, my loctician gave me a very light grease to put on my scalp only to combat the dryness. It not for everyday use but is light enough not to interfere with the progress and maturation of my locks.
Saturday, January 16, 2010
Let's Talk About My Hair
My Sisterlock installation date is around the corner and I didn't want to get them installed without letting you know what my hair is like without manipulation. I washed my hair and let it to its own thing and took some pictures. First of all, let me say I HAVE A LOT OF HAIR. Not only do I have a lot, it is crazy thick (thanks mom). My hair suffers from extreme shrinkage and as you can see below, my hair shrinks to about one third its length.
I am not good at characterizing my hair texture on that 3b/4a scale thing so I have no idea what my hair would be categorized under. I do know, however, that my hair is more tightly coiled towards the back of my head on my neck when compared to the more loosely curled tendrils at the front. This combination, when not combed out makes me look like bozo the clown. I measured my hair and its somewhere around 11 inches. I think that's pretty good progress since I promised to stop cutting my hair about 2.5 years ago and my hair was MAYBE 2-3 inches at the time. Talk about a cute little afro. So this is about two and a half years of growth even though I have been natural for 4-5 years.
For those that are not aware of the process, sisterlocks are a method of locking the hair with different patterns (depending on hair type and texture). So to determine which pattern will hold up the best throughout this journey, my loctician installed 3 different patterns in my 'test locks'. I have 12 of them in the bottom right corner of my head/neck and this is what they look like. The lock on the far left in the bottom row is in the exact middle of the back of my head. For some reason it looks like the locked section covers the entire back. NOT! My head is huge. The top row of locks probably line up about a half inch below where my earlobe ends. Its a pretty small section.
I know they are so small right? I think the density of my hair will require small locks. They have been in for about four days now and I think they are holding up quite well. My loctician told me to be as rough as I can with them so she can be sure she is installing the right pattern. Sidenote: these bad boys are so small, I can't tell the difference between the patterns. I might have abused my test locks this week. I put them in a sponge roller - just to see how that would work out. They have been in a headband, two-strand twisted and finger coiled. When I wash them tomorrow I will treat them like the rest of my hair (I'll even use conditioner). Oh yea, the use of moisturizers and conditioners are not recommended in the early stages as they can cause your hair to slip out of the locking pattern. My installation is scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday of next week. I'll make sure to post some pictures of my scalpyness for the world to see. From browsing other blogs, I have come to the conclusion that I may not like what I see for a little while but things WILL change. But, I am prepared to look weird for a while. I may have some tricks up my sleeve to minimize the wierdness.
That's all for now - Back to watching football
I am not good at characterizing my hair texture on that 3b/4a scale thing so I have no idea what my hair would be categorized under. I do know, however, that my hair is more tightly coiled towards the back of my head on my neck when compared to the more loosely curled tendrils at the front. This combination, when not combed out makes me look like bozo the clown. I measured my hair and its somewhere around 11 inches. I think that's pretty good progress since I promised to stop cutting my hair about 2.5 years ago and my hair was MAYBE 2-3 inches at the time. Talk about a cute little afro. So this is about two and a half years of growth even though I have been natural for 4-5 years.For those that are not aware of the process, sisterlocks are a method of locking the hair with different patterns (depending on hair type and texture). So to determine which pattern will hold up the best throughout this journey, my loctician installed 3 different patterns in my 'test locks'. I have 12 of them in the bottom right corner of my head/neck and this is what they look like. The lock on the far left in the bottom row is in the exact middle of the back of my head. For some reason it looks like the locked section covers the entire back. NOT! My head is huge. The top row of locks probably line up about a half inch below where my earlobe ends. Its a pretty small section.
I know they are so small right? I think the density of my hair will require small locks. They have been in for about four days now and I think they are holding up quite well. My loctician told me to be as rough as I can with them so she can be sure she is installing the right pattern. Sidenote: these bad boys are so small, I can't tell the difference between the patterns. I might have abused my test locks this week. I put them in a sponge roller - just to see how that would work out. They have been in a headband, two-strand twisted and finger coiled. When I wash them tomorrow I will treat them like the rest of my hair (I'll even use conditioner). Oh yea, the use of moisturizers and conditioners are not recommended in the early stages as they can cause your hair to slip out of the locking pattern. My installation is scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday of next week. I'll make sure to post some pictures of my scalpyness for the world to see. From browsing other blogs, I have come to the conclusion that I may not like what I see for a little while but things WILL change. But, I am prepared to look weird for a while. I may have some tricks up my sleeve to minimize the wierdness.
That's all for now - Back to watching football
Thursday, January 7, 2010
2009 At A Glance
Pictures to give you a glimpse into my life in 2009
January
I bought my first brand new vehicle. 2009 Honda CR-V. Something new to crave. Fully loaded...leather, sunroof, seat warmers (I have Raynauds). She is also known as the CatMobile.
February
I went to a wine tasting with makeup like that, ended up watching the drag show at my favorite gay club. Slit my foot open on God knows what that resulted in what felt like an eight hour emergency room visit and seven stitches.
March
Happy 2nd Birthday Gigi
My oldest baby turned 2 on March 3, 2009. We have been through a lot together but she is the perfect compliment to me. She has survived a double pit bull attack and I can't be any happier that she is still here with me today. Mommy loves you booba.
April
Southern rainstorm. Look at my 4 month old car drowning!! HEL's car is drowning too. That's what we get for driving downtown instead of taking the bus.
May
Happy Anniversary Chef & Dina
On this day, I was treated to a spa day. I had a sea salt body scrub, 1hr massage, and 1hr facial. It was quite heavenly. I returned home to see that Chef cooked an anniversary meal. He never cooks for me. The menu consisted of a spinach and blackberry salad topped with goat cheese with shrimp, shrimp and grits with peppers, and soft shell crab pasta (the pasta was homemade). For dessert was the most mysterious little cupcake.
June
Chef decided to turn the windowsill into his personal garden. Leeks and scallions started the shenanigans. I also started couponing head on and got all that stuff for free.
July
HAPPY BIRTHDAY DINA
Anyone who knows me well knows that I like to celebrate my birthday for more than one day. It usually ends up lasting about a week. So, HEL was going across the country to live the next day so we do what we usually do. Celebrate with drinks! I wore that makeup out and we drank our way down one of the most popular streets downtown. I took some interesting pics along the way. By the way, that drink with the flower in it was quite disgusting and strong but the hibiscus was quite tasty.
August
HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOMMY
I flew 564 miles to visit my mom for her birthday and we did things probably no other mother and daughter would think was good bonding and fun. FISHING! It's very relaxing and we get to talk about girl stuff. My mom is my best friend and I like to keep it that way. We caught a good amount of fish but the other fisherman out there caught Skates. It's like a sting rays cousin or something. Check out the ridiculous sunburn I got. Hi, I'm Dina (Hi Dina). I'm black, and I get sunburned.
I also got to catch up with one of the first people I ever lived with in college,"Gene Lewis." Her life was about to change dramatically and I couldn't bear not to see her before she went away.
September and October
I think I was on a life break here. I started up school again in the fall. I took a cardiovascular class and my research isn't remotely related to the heart. Oh! I almost forgot. I was researching like a mad man to get data for the AACR Conference in Boston in November. So I really was busy.
November
Boston - AACR Epigenetic Targets Conference
I presented my science to more scientists. Since my college buddy "Barrington" lives there (MIT student). I met up with him and had some of the greatest beer I have ever tasted and lobster mac. Boston has the most ridiculous Apple store I have seen in a while. Three stories and clear! I stayed on the 18th floor of the Sheraton Boston Hotel so I have some views out of my hotel windows. PS. MIT has one of most creepy and structurally wacked out buildings I have ever seen.
December
My mom and sister came down to visit right after Christmas and we did some shopping and stuff. After the conference in November, I was pretty much on chill mode awaiting the end of the semester. It came, but just as fast as it came I'm in classes again already.
January
I bought my first brand new vehicle. 2009 Honda CR-V. Something new to crave. Fully loaded...leather, sunroof, seat warmers (I have Raynauds). She is also known as the CatMobile.
February
I went to a wine tasting with makeup like that, ended up watching the drag show at my favorite gay club. Slit my foot open on God knows what that resulted in what felt like an eight hour emergency room visit and seven stitches.
March
Happy 2nd Birthday Gigi
My oldest baby turned 2 on March 3, 2009. We have been through a lot together but she is the perfect compliment to me. She has survived a double pit bull attack and I can't be any happier that she is still here with me today. Mommy loves you booba.
April
Southern rainstorm. Look at my 4 month old car drowning!! HEL's car is drowning too. That's what we get for driving downtown instead of taking the bus.
May
Happy Anniversary Chef & Dina
On this day, I was treated to a spa day. I had a sea salt body scrub, 1hr massage, and 1hr facial. It was quite heavenly. I returned home to see that Chef cooked an anniversary meal. He never cooks for me. The menu consisted of a spinach and blackberry salad topped with goat cheese with shrimp, shrimp and grits with peppers, and soft shell crab pasta (the pasta was homemade). For dessert was the most mysterious little cupcake.
June
Chef decided to turn the windowsill into his personal garden. Leeks and scallions started the shenanigans. I also started couponing head on and got all that stuff for free.
July
HAPPY BIRTHDAY DINA
Anyone who knows me well knows that I like to celebrate my birthday for more than one day. It usually ends up lasting about a week. So, HEL was going across the country to live the next day so we do what we usually do. Celebrate with drinks! I wore that makeup out and we drank our way down one of the most popular streets downtown. I took some interesting pics along the way. By the way, that drink with the flower in it was quite disgusting and strong but the hibiscus was quite tasty.
August
HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOMMY
I flew 564 miles to visit my mom for her birthday and we did things probably no other mother and daughter would think was good bonding and fun. FISHING! It's very relaxing and we get to talk about girl stuff. My mom is my best friend and I like to keep it that way. We caught a good amount of fish but the other fisherman out there caught Skates. It's like a sting rays cousin or something. Check out the ridiculous sunburn I got. Hi, I'm Dina (Hi Dina). I'm black, and I get sunburned.
I also got to catch up with one of the first people I ever lived with in college,"Gene Lewis." Her life was about to change dramatically and I couldn't bear not to see her before she went away.
September and October
I think I was on a life break here. I started up school again in the fall. I took a cardiovascular class and my research isn't remotely related to the heart. Oh! I almost forgot. I was researching like a mad man to get data for the AACR Conference in Boston in November. So I really was busy.
November
Boston - AACR Epigenetic Targets Conference
I presented my science to more scientists. Since my college buddy "Barrington" lives there (MIT student). I met up with him and had some of the greatest beer I have ever tasted and lobster mac. Boston has the most ridiculous Apple store I have seen in a while. Three stories and clear! I stayed on the 18th floor of the Sheraton Boston Hotel so I have some views out of my hotel windows. PS. MIT has one of most creepy and structurally wacked out buildings I have ever seen.
December
My mom and sister came down to visit right after Christmas and we did some shopping and stuff. After the conference in November, I was pretty much on chill mode awaiting the end of the semester. It came, but just as fast as it came I'm in classes again already.
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