How do I win at life? Let me count the ways...

Hurray, I start my internship tomorrow!

For anyone interested in hearing about my summer in Washington, I've created a different blog here.

I'm so excited!! :-D

Well, since I last posted (in January!) about what I'd read, I've done quite a bit of reading.

( The List )

( What were the good ones? )

It's hard to believe he's actually gone. I don't really want to think about the fact that I've only got one grandparent left.

I really wasn't expecting this.

I shall respond after thoroughly processing, which may take some time; my response will be in a format appropriate to the seriousness of the situation. I'm afraid if I dash off a response now, it will be worded poorly and thus taken in the wrong way. So I will give my diction and tone due consideration, and hopefully this can get worked out.

I am sick and tired of this cold/sinus thing/allergy to spring! Honestly, right now, I think I would be happy if this stupid cough went away.

I went to bed around 12:30. I actually got to sleep (when I finally stopped coughing every 2 minutes) around 3.

THIS IS RIDICULOUS!!

I HAVE AN INTERNSHIP FOR THE SUMMER!!! IN WASHINGTON STATE!!! AT A WILDLIFE REHAB FACILITY!!!! :-DDDDD

Okay, sorry for the yelling, but I'm really, really, REALLY excited about this. It kind of lifted my spirits after being rejected by Alaska yesterday. I want to go out in the Quad and sing and dance and jump and yell for joy!! More than I already did in the hallway. ^_~



ETA: I will be here.

Oh, that's right, I took a quiz.
( See? )

My Zoology lab report is done!! (Actually, it was done almost an hour ago. So again, why am I not in bed? What is wrong with me? Perhaps I am a masochist and secretly enjoy getting up way too early after several nights of sleep deprivation. Or maybe I'm just too good at procrastinating.)

So I had an "impressive application". But they picked students who "better match" their needs.

Maybe they picked people who are purely nocturnal?

I know what I'm going to do if I don't get into vet school. I'm going to work with this guy.



Shall I do sea turtle research this summer? Tomorrow could be key.

Things I love:

-My toaster oven. I felt like double chocolate truffle cookies. So I made some. In my toaster oven. From the frozen dough I got from Jen. They are amazing. Seriously. (Girl Scout cookies are delicious, but it's difficult to get them warm and not have them be all melty-messy over your fingers.)
-Getting out of labs early.
-Looking like a bum because no one cares.
-Having clean clothes. Especially socks. And bras.
-Free music.


The end.

Sorry, bad pun.

I HATE COLDS!!! I have started developing a cough to go with my uber-stuffy nose and (somewhat less, thankfully) sore throat.

Also, I do not want to take my organic test today.

So much grossness.

As long as I'm better by the 16th, it'll be okay.

So... I have a chemistry test Monday. :-@ Fortunately, there's a review session today.

Also, my tonsils are killing me. I woke up and my first thought was, "Ouch!" I seriously hope it's not strep throat.

...maybe I should after all...

The fire alarm went off yesterday morning. 15 minutes before my alarm was set to go off. That is really not enough time to go back to sleep. The worst part is that it only went off for about 30 seconds - enough to wake everyone up and force me to get out of bed and start to leave the room. I was pretty ticked off.

Two of my applications will be in the mail on Monday!! I honestly don't think I'd do the one in Florida, even though behavioral research on dolphins would be pretty cool to do, but since they don't provide housing or transportation and it's unpaid, I just don't think I could afford it. The one in Alaska looks pretty awesome, though. The website says they provide housing and a food stipend, although other places on the site indicate that housing is limited and food stipends might not be available, but as long as I have housing I think I'll be fine. I'd probably end up renting a bike or something to get around - the town is absolutely tiny!!! 3,015 people, according the the 2005 census estimate. That's 10% of NC State's population! Craziness!!

And after I get those sent off, I'll be working on the application for the sea turtle research internship. Which is just down at the outer banks, a lot closer. And once I finish that one, I'll do the one for the wildlife rehab place in Washington!!

Hopefully I'll get one of those...

Otherwise I'll probably just get a job at a vet's office somewhere here, maybe do some volunteering at the museum. If nothing else, that'll let me know whether I actually want to avoid small animal medicine, which is my hunch right now. I just feel like I'd get so bored doing mostly dogs and cats all day every day. I think I'd much prefer exotics of some type, because then it's going to be different every day, and I'll have more opportunity to keep challenging myself to learn new things about new animals. It would be more stimulating, I think.

I have finished 2 books so far this year: The Grey King and Silver on the Tree by Susan Cooper. Had to finish up the Dark is Rising series.

I also "read" Happiness is a Squishy Cephalopod, the "Lio" collection that Halli got me for my birthday. <3 I think that's my new favorite comic. Although, "Calvin & Hobbes" probably wins overall.

I just realized it's dinnertime. Mmm, food.

Also, I did NOT do the Krispy Kreme Challenge this morning. That would've basically been suicide.

After this, I feel the need to defend my faith. 'Cause that really ain't what it's all about.

For one thing, I would disagree that God created the mess that led to Jesus' death. After all, He gave us free will and lets us choose whether or not to follow His rules.

God did not kill Jesus, people killed Jesus. Yes, God gave His Son to us - it was an act of love, to allow us to redeem ourselves; we killed Him. Fortunately for us, Jesus loved mankind enough to accept the burden of all our sins so that we could be forgiven for them. The central motif of Christianity is not a murdering father, as the poster seems to believe. It's actually love. Unfortunately for the faith as a whole, there are Christians who don't seem to realize or recognize this, which gives the entire faith a bad name because of the actions of a minority of believers.

...Wait... That sounds so familiar!! (*cough*Islam*cough*)

I do wish Christians would stop committing atrocities in God's name, but I also wish non-Christians would stop acting like those Christians who do such things actually represent everyone who ascribes to that faith.

Since August, I finished the following books:

1. Over Sea, Under Stone by Susan Cooper
   
2. The Dark is Rising by Susan Cooper
   
3. Time and Again by Jack Finney
   
4. Hogfather by Terry Pratchett, in preparation for seeing the TV-movie ;-)
   
5. Life of Pi by Yann Martel
   
6. Zoos & Animal Rights: The Ethics of Keeping Animals by Stephen St C. Bostock
   
7. The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy
   
8. Greenwitch by Susan Cooper
   

( Reviews, etc. )

I didn't have any particular goals for reading a certain number of books this year - I had hoped for 25. I managed 29, so I think my goal for next year will be 30. (I'm so ambitious! ^_~) First on the to-read list: The Grey King and Silver on the Tree to finish up Susan Cooper's series, then the five books of the "Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" trilogy, since I got the whole collection for Christmas. After that, who knows?

Went to see "I Am Legend" tonight. It wasn't as scary as I expected. Very tense and suspenseful, but most definitely not a horror movie. It really is pretty much a science fiction movie.

I cried. Quite a lot. Especially at the end. I was basically sobbing as we left the theater. I don't even know why I cried that much. My theory is that all the stress is getting to me. I can get a little (or, y'know, a lot) emotional when I'm really stressed out. So, I'm going to blame exams.

Man, now I need to see something happy so I'm not feeling sad all night!!

"I see no moral or ethical problems with the captive breeding programs of zoos and aquariums, as long as we base them on sound genetic designs and evolutionary principles. Similarly, I have no problem with government policies that help to limit the reproduction of humans. What I find morally and ethically reprehensible is the inability of most political and religious leaders to recognize the real problem facing this globe - too many people!"
-Robert Vrijenhoek, "Natural Processes, Individuals, and Units of Conservation," from Ethics on the Ark: Zoos, Animal Welfare, and Wildlife Conservation

All I could think when I read that was, "Amen!" I kind of wish I could change my paper topic to something more similar to this, instead of focusing on conservation in zoos, but it's a bit late for that now, considering the paper is due next Tuesday. ^_^' Unfortunately, I don't really have the time to read more books than I am already, which I'd need to do if I were switching my topic. Ah, well. That's a topic for another day, I suppose.

It's true. Went to AC Moore this morning because they were having a sale where certain types of yarn were 2/$1. (That's 50 cents each, for those of you who aren't doing math over break. ;-D) I also got an adorable tote bag to be used to take books to class and/or tote around crochet projects with me, and a cute little "take out" gift box.

First, I was planning to use a "50% off any 1 regular priced item" coupon for the tote bag, but when I got to the register, the cashier was like, "Oh, this is on sale!" It was $4 more than it would have been with the coupon (which is only good today anyway), but I was just like, "Cool!" Then the take out box was 66 cents instead of just over a dollar. And obviously all the yarn was 50 cents a skein.

My total after tax was less than $50 - $47.67 to be exact. Before tax? $44.65.

How much yarn does that mean I bought?

60 skeins

That's right. 60.

For $30. ^__^

And 34 of these 60 skeins? Normally would cost $10.99 each.

So, yeah, I win at shopping. :-D

And I may go back later, to use this 50% off coupon. ;-D