WaxUpWaxOff

Quite Strange

Fri, 20 Mar 2009 14:12:37 GMT

All the tabs on my computer are currently about legal issues involving prostitution or dentistry. Talk about varied interests. . . . although I am living in the redlight district b/c of dental school.. . . .

Tell Your Friends

Fri, 20 Mar 2009 03:41:13 GMT

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=250392919513

The photo sucks, I know.

Random Email

Tue, 06 Jan 2009 07:11:33 GMT

I felt like sending this to Dr. Amazing Math Guy, who is probably my favorite professor from undergrad (especially since Dr. PoliSci was my coach and Dr. Ace was my PI). After sending it, I figured I'd send it out to the internets and see what you guys think. ---

I often think of the comment you made over the summer "I think the best thing is to be from the East Coast, live on the West Coast, and surround yourself with other people from the East Coast."

The more I think about it, the more I feel I am in the "From the West Coast, living on the East Coast, and surrounding herself with people from the West Coast" category. This recent trip home has left me with an itch for all things California - the music, the clothes, the "culture."

It seems you can take the plastic out of your wallet, but you cannot take the plastic out of the girl. Sometimes I feel Southern Californian through-and-through, with all the contradictions, superficialities, and stereotypes. I wonder if I'll ever take anything seriously, take responsibility, or even take to the 405 at 5pm on a Monday.

It's a strange, enlightened, dittzy thing to think or want to share, but I figure if anyone would understand, it'd be you. It's crazy. In a sense, it's like embracing the "ignorance is bliss" philosophy I throw around when my deficient memory is pointed out in awkward social settings. I've been to over 30 countries (my parents recently made me count . . . sick family hobby), and while I only remember a handful, I can say with certainty that no place has made me rethink the concepts of "home" and "from" like this short year and a half I've passed in Boston.

As much as I like it out here, I miss the subversive and understated elegance of professors in shorts and faded baseball caps :D

--- And thanks for the comments on the previous post. I'm just got them, and I'll work on feeling fabulous!

Funny Feelings

Tue, 09 Dec 2008 14:15:10 GMT

It's a funny feeling when you finally realize: Mom isn't CRAZY.

Well, crazy might not be the right term, but my mom, more than any other mom, has her quirks. For example she thinks it's polite dinner conversation to tell everyone at the table that my vagina is, in fact, Golden. In her defense, such exclamations are more of a strange family trait, like Tourette's, and considered very polite.

Long story short, my mom has been going around for years singing a little broken piece of some song she heard that one time on the elevator in Macy's. Since she has no sense of tune (sadly another family trait), all I could discern from her croonings was the refrain "Baby it's cold outside." I told her she was making things up. No such song existed since I hadn't heard it and since she hadn't heard it since that fateful shopping trip.

Well folks, today I learned that the song really exists. My mom is not crazy, and I am a horrible, horrible person.

Tech Help!

Wed, 03 Dec 2008 20:23:26 GMT

Long time no see, eh? Sorry lj babies, but I'm back with a techie question.

I want THIS:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834220442

and I want to put Office on it. I don't think I have a copy of Office . . . so . . . how do I go about getting it on my computer?

(Also . . how could I up its performance when I get it? I know ZERO about techiness . . )

A Closer Look

Tue, 11 Nov 2008 09:30:53 GMT

http://awesome.goodmagazine.com/goodsheet/goodsheet009First100Days.html

Unexpectations

Thu, 31 Jul 2008 03:04:21 GMT

I never expected to be so excited about going home. EVER. It's not the idea of going back to California (the most awesome and amazing place on the planet) but also the idea of going home to the people I LOVE. I'm so looking forward to long stretches of time with everyone, and I'm so disappointed when I look at the calendar and see short little days and perhaps afternoons with the people who are so important to me.

If you had asked me even a month ago what my ideal August would be, I would have rattled off a list of countries and expeditions I was planning on taking - ALONE. Right now, I'm looking forward to simply being in the COMPANY of the people I love - not necessarily talking or doing anything in particular, just simply being comfortable, happy, and hopefully slightly buzzed.

ALERT California Residents

Wed, 30 Jul 2008 08:22:57 GMT

I will be Orange County-Los Angeles accessible Aug 2-5 and 19-21. I will be Las Vegas accessible Aug 5-9, San Diego accessible Aug 11-14/15, and Bay Area accessible Aug 15-18.

I WANT TO SEE EVERYONE. I think this Sunday after 11pm is already taken. Please select another time.

Bay Area ALERT - I'm looking for places to crash/people to visit. Any takers?

Wed, 30 Jul 2008 05:25:34 GMT

PS - the bicycle has been named Sue Whee thanks to Nikki. I couldn't help the intended or unintended Wayne's World reference. She's a total BABE.

Was I at Comicon?

Wed, 30 Jul 2008 05:22:51 GMT

So I was browsing the Internets when I stumbled upon this photo.

The girl on the right IMMEDIATELY caught my eye. Her ****face**** looks EXACTLY like mine - she's pulling the same dumb pose and stupid expression that I'd pull too! . . . . I think I even catch a glimpse of my underbite . . . . (please excuse the dental student).

I want to meet my double!!! (Image taken from NotCot w/o permission)

Bicycle Purchased

Thu, 24 Jul 2008 05:22:01 GMT

First, I have the awesome-est friends. Thank you so much EVERYONE for all the help - from 1) being all "duh, get a good used one 'cause you're not going to use it, and you live in Chinatown." to 2) being all "Here's a website!" and "I'll ask a friend!" I appreciate each and every one of you, and I'm hugging and kissing each and every one of you very awkwardly right now.

Second, I bought a bike! I decided to wait and see what I could get used on craigslist or in a shop. Searching the Clist, I found that a lot of guys are trying to sell the bike their SHORT girlfriend no longer uses - SWEET. I opened up a bunch of windows and sent out a bunch of emails. I was lined up to see two when Monday during work I pulled up a newer add. It just spoke to me. It felt right. I called the fellow listed, and he informed me that he buys bikes in NH and resells them on Clist every two weeks. He prices them competitively, and they go fast. I left the lab during an extra-long "wash" step, took the train to Malden, and bought the bike! The guy was AWESOME and knocked some green off of it because he suggested getting new tires after the winter. The bike is a lithe, sexy thing, and I'm open to any and all names for her (riding a boy would be too much between my legs). She's red with a Mixte frame, 10 speeds, hybrid.

I'll post photos as soon as I have some (the Clist ad was deleted, poo).

Help Needed

Fri, 18 Jul 2008 23:15:51 GMT

I'm 5'2" and weight 105 pounds. I live in a very flat city, except for the portions with "Hill" in their name - like "Beacon Hill." I'd have to go 20-30 miles to reach sizable inclines. I have limited upper body strength (read: NONE).

I want to buy a bike for commuting and pleasure. It needs to be compact enough to fit in my dorm room and light enough to carry up two flights of stairs.

1) What do I need?

2) Gears - 1? 24?

3) Frame height?

4) Price range?

I've asked around, and everyone suggests getting a good quality 1-speed roadbike. It'd be light enough to carry and it'd fit my needs. Seems that they might run me about $650 for a new IRO or GT or $500-450 for a custom (new mechanical parts, used other parts) built onto a new Parke frame (the frame retails $250 on eBay). Isn't that excessive? Is it too much for my needs?

Input PLEASE!!!!

I know nothing about bikes, but 500 seems a bit much.

The Real Dental School, Yo

Tue, 15 Jul 2008 08:31:27 GMT

I'm behind on the times, so I would like to apologize ahead of time for reposting the viral Smirnoff videos that everyone's already seen and LOL-ed at. There is a reason I'm posting them, if that's any consolation to you.

1) They explain, perfectly, what attending MY dental school is like. You could say there's two groups that are very similar and very different in key ways. (There are technically three groups, but I don't expect anyone making a Roasted Barley Tea Partay Video anytime soon.) And YES, the preppy girls are 100% that hot. Damn them and their perfect hair and sexy/conservative style! (Plus, they know how to handle a horse between their legs.)

2) The East Coast references are suddenly relevant to this little transplant (me!). I feel very fortunate to have had all the opportunities to do all the little things in this part of the world that I have done so far. I would like to thank the amazing people in my life that made this possible - and The Academy - and my MOM - and perhaps the American Dental Association, which tries so hard to keep dentists both honest and in business (simultaneously! -- HaHaHa!!! Please Administration, don't suspend me from Second Year of Doom; see earlier post).

3) The East Coast CANNOT be known for rollerblading. It's not fun in the cold and fully clothed. End of discussion.

One Half of my Class

The Other Half of my Class

I Like Vegetables

Tue, 15 Jul 2008 05:51:52 GMT

This is the kind of video that restores your faith in the Internet and YouTube and all their GOODNESS. They're not just for fuzzy, semi-pornographic girl-on-girl clips from awkward teen films.

Being a reformed vegetarian and die-hard meat-eater, I often joke about the carnage of meat . . . because that's half the fun. Hence, I love the bit where the Tiger-Box eats the Croco-Box's dismembered behind. Much like the Tiger-Box, however, I feel like POO after vast and glorious MEAT CONSUMPTION.

Long story short, I've been cutting back on my meat binge. I've also been working out. I'm turning into all those people I hated that made me go veggie in the first place. My, how the world changes.

The Dental Bloggery Part 1

Fri, 04 Jul 2008 06:55:17 GMT

This was quite a surprise for me, especially since it comes at a time where I am looking to re-issue this blog in a more professional form (a statement I make every other week).

Marquette Dental Student Suspended Over Blog Posts

My personal opinion, according to the blatantly one-sided story presented in the article, is that the school administration acted unfairly and that due process (we are Americans, damnit!) was not rendered. Having an Ethics Committee special meeting about the blog to review proper conduct and public comments made outside of the dental school would have been appropriate had they wanted to curb stray statements. Suspending an honor student on a Merit Scholarship for his honest opinion – especially opinions made without “naming names” – is ridiculous.

Two things really bother me about the “situation” –

1 – The school has an Ethicist. What is the purpose of such a person if the school administration tells them not to appear at an ETHICS case? What is the purpose of such a person if they issue a statement saying the student did nothing wrong and you choose to IGNORE it?

2 -- Showing the student the class composite at the hearing and asking him “to circle the ones who have the intellectual maturity of a three year old” is unprofessional on the part of the school. Trying to warp a vague comment into a personal attack (i.e. a very mean lawyer move) on his dental class is characteristic of a court trial with a jury of his peers and due process – not a panel of grey school administrators.

In my case, my class has made comments about the lengths the dental school goes to regulate our conduct. There are, most definitely, reasons for this. After all, the school turns out Professionals – hopefully professionals that the community feels comfortable entrusting with their health. Many people in the class have expressed that even within the University, we are more restricted than the medical school. There are explanations and rumors as to why, some smart and some stupid, but, in general, I expect better of my school’s administration than the above proceedings. I respect my administration, especially their emphasis on student involvement in all aspects of student life (promotions, ethics, scheduling . . . even library hours).

I keep a blog, and I keep attendance. I expect my school to allow me to express my opinion regardless of the medium I choose. A statement on a blog is no more than a statement made in a crowded room – to friends and idle passers-by.

Dental Care Across the Globe

Mon, 30 Jun 2008 18:02:17 GMT

Ever wonder what some people might do to get a tooth fixed?

Dentists in the News

Mon, 30 Jun 2008 07:01:02 GMT

The idea of becoming a dentist still makes me giddy. This is good considering that I am officially 1/4 DENTIST. (I'll add that to the 49% Angel t-shirt I never owned in Middle School.)

Being done feels quite nice.

In related news - A Tiger Goes to the Dentist.

Why I Haven't Played with you in a while

Fri, 27 Jun 2008 04:59:28 GMT

I'm sorry kids. I've been busy. **All** posts are on brief hiatus. I've had so much to post about too.

Just so you know - tomorrow is the LAST EXAM of my FIRST YEAR of DENTAL SCHOOL.

Let's just hope an Asian driver doesn't hit me while I streak down Harrison Ave come 10am tomorrow morning. I'm sorry. Was that racist? I'm too prematurely elated to notice.

I'm going to call all the people I've been meaning to call as soon as my exam is over. I assure you all of them are over 40. All of them are awesome.

Love That Eco-Friendly Engrish!

Mon, 16 Jun 2008 06:03:21 GMT

I don't know what I love most about this cute little Eco-Friendly site smothered in Engrish!

I like to Blab about My dreams

Sun, 01 Jun 2008 16:47:43 GMT

I’m almost certain that I’ve only had this dream in Boston. On that note, I’m also certain that this morning makes it the third time I’ve had this dream. It always seems to come around some sort of change – the beginning of the year, the end of the semester . . . but honestly, I could be forcing it into those time slots.

In the dream, I have a small child, and for some reason as we approach the upstairs bathroom at my home in California, we both realize that Something is in there. It’s a giant anthropoid monster. I always end up fighting it, always with an ax. For some reason, we always end up out in the countryside, I always take a break at some restaurant, and I always end up killing it when it dramatically displays a weak spot. For some reason though, the monsters and I are on fairly decent terms. They give me head starts and such.

This morning though, the dream was odd. I had that distinct “Oh no, this again” feeling as I crouched in front of the bathroom door with my blonde, blue-eyed son. The monster was GIANT this time and female too. She displayed no weaknesses, even when, for some reason, I was able to drag my ax through a throbbing vein in her forehead. I cut open her stomach and sliced fruitlessly at her thighs.

When I ended up at the restaurant in that strange way dreams have of transporting you, I had lost my ax. No worries though, the restaurant staff pulled my ax from previous bouts with the monster out from behind a stack of high chairs. They had remembered through time and metaphysical dreamspace. As I prepared to enter a field and face the monster again, I saw her carrying my son and laying him in an undisclosed location. Never had my child died before, although saving my child is never a motivation. The monster was kind enough though to point out where my dream had dropped off my original ax.

After some time, we got bored with the fighting, but understanding that someone had to win and someone had to lose, we decided to break for lunch at the restaurant. Next to me, she was a normal monster with normal monster needs. Lunch was alright, except that I was slightly on edge. What if she just turned around and decided the battle was back on? Towards the end of the meal, I got up to ready myself, but she started discussing skydiving. As she was talking, she unzipped what must have been a wetsuit, exposing her womanly torso. I couldn’t read the look in her eyes- it was almost a challenge, but it lasted for only a second before she continued chatting along. I didn’t know what to do, standing there, my ax in hand. She was holding all the cards. If at some point she decided that battle was back on, I would have no choice but to accept. She was, after all, the monster.

I had to make a decision, so I half heartedly sliced at her thigh. Immediately after, I regretted it. I looked up, much like a child asking for forgiveness, and she looked down at me, shocked and furious. The rage was boiling in her eyes, and it was too late for formalities. I had to seize the moment, to end the game once and for all. I took the sharp point of the ax and dragged it through her stomach, exposing her bowels. Before she could make a heavy swipe at me, I lunged and began to repeatedly stab at her chest.

As blood gushed out from her heart and bubbled in the air that was flowing out of her lungs, I was overcome by guilt and a distinct feeling of worthlessness. As the steam of her innards engulfed me, I could feel a large, menacing grasp close around my body.

I didn’t know if she was dead. I didn’t know if she’d kill me too in a final, decisive move. All I knew was that I didn’t want to face her. I didn’t want to confront those eyes that would tell me I had cheated. I hadn’t won. I had only killed the monster. I didn’t have the moral and physical strength to face what would happen, so I forced myself awake.

Lying there in bed, I felt so sad and remorseful. I felt drained by the weight of the decision I made in my dream. I tried reminding myself that it was a dream, and that in the dream the monster had killed my child. I wanted to so tell someone that I hadn’t succeeded the right way. I just lay there in bed, wondering if it means something.

File Under "General"

Thu, 29 May 2008 02:24:15 GMT

I’ve been trying to keep track of how much money I spend. This has involved several lined, extra long, super-sticky Post-Its.

Today I checked my receipts with my online credit card statement, and then I tallied up the total for the “month.”

Then I took all the Post-Its, made a big wad with the stack of receipts, and threw it furiously at the trashcan.

There has to be a way to keep track of my spending that does not consume the entire surface area of my desk. I’m opening the floor to suggestions.

-----

In other news, I called mom after calling Bestest Best Friend. I might have brought up the “I want to ditch you for a substantial portion of my free time this summer” Topic, and she responded with:

“I PROMISE, no matter what, you get to leave the country. Without me. PROMISE.”

I have never loved that lady more. She’s so cool.

Smells like SUMMER

Fri, 23 May 2008 15:54:22 GMT

This week marked the end of Physiology, Operative Dentistry, and Biomaterials. I also received the grade on my final practical - I didn't fail!!!! I seriously expected to since during my first little swipe, the gingival margin trimmer broke, taking a huge chunk out of the wall of my proximal box as it flew across the room.

Begin: Summer semester. One of the girls mentioned that the sun stays up considerably longer here than it does in California, which makes sense since we're further North. This means that research, salsa dancing, and the Red Soxs will blend together beautifully.

I'm looking forward to it.

Not Studying Operative (Or doing anything of a useful nature)

Wed, 21 May 2008 08:47:20 GMT

"Hopefully she has nice full lips. Those are my favorite."

By "CLICK" I mean "CLIIIIICK!!!!11"

When Instead of Making You Laugh, YouTube Makes You Cry

Mon, 19 May 2008 05:51:05 GMT

Some pre-nappy online wanderings led me to some Eddie Murphy stand-up that I will not re-post for your own benefit. Let's just say no one needs to see that man in a red leather jacket and matching RED LEATHER PANTS with NO SHIRT.

Must go scrub eyeballs now.

Living the Dream

Wed, 14 May 2008 19:54:51 GMT

“How goes it?”

“It’s really boring.”

“What!? Isn’t this what you always wanted to study?” I laughed and wandered off to the bathroom. Doesn’t every health student dream of studying anatomy? Of studying the human body?

Wait. This is what I wanted to study too. Physiology? Operative? Biomaterials?

OMG. I’m living my dream. Now that I’ve realized that, I can stop spacing out in the library and return to my studies with great ZEAL.