“I’ll get you my pretty! And you’re little dog too!” The mystery of Toto.

Is it just me, or does every college kid seem to go through a phase where they listen to nothing but Toto? I, myself, have recently hit this phase. That’s right; I know every word to “Africa”, “Hold the Line”, and even “Rosanna.” However, I refuse to be ashamed because I have expressed my love for this band, I’ve come to find that everyone else loves them too! Or at least at some point they did. “I’m on this Toto kick,” I’ll say. And whoever I am talking to will quickly respond, “Seriously? In my  junior year of college, that’s all I listened to!”

^^^ Ok. Can we just talk about their symbol? It’s a sword. That’s awesome. Kinda like that techno group named, “Gandalf.”

On the flip side, I am amazed at how many people in my generation are unfamiliar with this band. In fact, when I decided that I just HAD to download “Africa” from iTunes, I didn’t know which band name to enter in to find it. “Moooooooom! Who did that Africa song?!” Lucklily I was at home for the summer so my parents were great resources for finding all the best 80’s music. I now boast a hefty collection of Toto, Boston, Def Leppard, J. Geils Band, The Pretenders, and many more!

^^^ Boston’s emblem is a UFO. Hmm…a lower caliber of “epic” if you ask me. But I do love “Higher Power.”

To explain the title, I was driving along the other day (I’m sure I was on my way to class…or the library…or some other academic venue… because happiness is a studying student) when Toto came on my shuffle and the question hit me: “Where the heck did they get that name?” Perhaps it was symbolic of Dorothy’s dog in the Wizard of Oz. After all, Toto was one of the main characters, and while many other animals in the land of Oz have the ability to speak, Toto remained without such abilities. Maybe this band was metaphorically speaking for Dorothy’s “little dog.” By the way, this hypothesis is wrong.

^^^ Aw. Family phoTOTO!

One might also assume that the band name was derived from Japan’s largest toilet-manufacturing company, TOTO. Again, wrong. OR! We could surmise that the name was adopted from one of the member’s “true” last names: Bobby Kimball (on vocals and sometimes keyboards) is reported to have the last name “Toteaux.” Wrong again.

^^^ I have never looked so intensely for an image of a toilet on “Google Images” before…

So where in the heck did they get their name?! Ok, I’ll be lazy and cut/paste Wikipedia’s answer:

“Once all of the songs were written, the band came together in the studio to record the album. According to popular myth, in order to distinguish their own demo tapes from other bands’ in the studio, Jeff Porcaro wrote the word “Toto” on them. [...]After the completion of the first album, the band and record were still un-named. David Hungate, after viewing the name on the demo tapes, explained to the group that the word “Toto” in Latin translated to “all-encompassing”. Because the band members had played on so many different records and many different musical genres, they adopted the name Toto as their own.”

^^^ At last! The mystery is solved!

So now we know! One of the most talented, all-encompassing bands has a namesake.

In other news, some of you may have noticed that it has been a while (over a month) since I have blogged. It’s prime-time, my friends. I have two applications due in less than a month, followed by about 3 more that are due in December…followed by about three more that are due in early January. Yikes! I am very busy orchestrating all of this mess. But alas, I love bugs and plants (together) and I’m sure once everything has settled itself, I will reap the rewards of higher-higher education. On that note, I will be sure to keep everyone updated (however late those updates may be). Back to the grind! If only it was coffee…

^^^ Ironically appropriate for my current situation. Ha!

My GRE- The Grusome Ridiculous Exam.

Ladies and gentlemen, I am proud to announce that I am finished with the GRE, once and for all. I took it for the first time back in August a couple weeks ago and although my score was not atrocious, it was not up to par for me to be truly competitive for some of the more prestigious schools I hope to apply to this fall. Most of the schools I am talking to said that retaking the GRE was mostly up to me, but again, there were a couple that suggested I retake it. Well. I did. And I now have a score worth sharing!

This post, like some of my most recent, will be short. My brain is shot and I want to relax but I felt that I should update everyone since it has been exatly a MONTH since I have written! Classes are in full swing and although I am incredibly busy, I am finding the academic atmosphere most refreshing, especially now that I am finished with the GRE! I am taking 14 hours of upperlevel biology: Microbiology with the lab, Entomology with the Lab, Ecology with the Lab, and Plant Taxonomy II. It’s going to be a semester full of fun science!!!!!! For now, however, I am signing out. Until next time!

I’m MIA, FYI.

My brother, Jake (the Marine) has recently been stationed in a bordering state so he has had a few opportunities to visit home. Upon his most recent visit, he was complaining about the usage of these web acronyms. Apparently he can’t stand it when people actually say, “OMG! FYI, I’ll BRB.” Which, I kinda agree…but I say “FYI” sometimes…so maybe I should just keep my mouth shut around him. Either that or I could say, “Hey Jake! For your information, I accidentally shrunk your cothes in the wash!” I will finish this statement with a big smile.   Anyway! That’s the reason behind the title. That silly brother of mine…Love him!

 

^^^ HAHA!

I know it’s been a while since I have written. As I mentioned before, things are about to get very crazy in my life and I am not quite sure how well this blog is going to hold up. I actually pushed back my GRE test date by two days so I could have a little extra time for preparation. After taking a practice test, I saw how miserably I did on the math section and freaked. Within five minutes, I was on the phone with ETS (Educational Testing Service) begging for more time and actually agreeing to pay an extra $50 to change the date…by two days! Actually, it’s quite easy to change your test date/location as long as you fork over money. Oh well. It was worth every penny. So the plan is for me to move back to my college town about a week before I had originally planned and spend that week alone with no cable, family, or roommates (kinda sad) and sell my soul to the GRE devil.

^^^ But what if I’m not prepared?

After all that is over, I get to actually start APPLYING to these schools. I have a list of about ten…at least. All the while, I will be starting my final year of classes as an undergraduate. Woo-hoo! It’s funny because I was completely aware that this would be my final year but I was so wrapped up in my internship, GREs, and grad schools that I completely forgot about that “graduation” I will attend. My mom reminded me, “Can you BELIEVE you’ll be graduating this coming spring?!” It hit me all at once, “Oh yeah…I actually have to go find a cap and gown at some point. I wonder if they sell kids sizes? Hmm.” I’m 5 feet tall (or short, rather.)

^^^ Can I get that in HER size?

Brief update on the medical front: I am pretty sure I know what caused my hives. Yes, it is an allergy. And guess what I’m allergic to? Neutrogena Sensitive Skin Sunscreen!!!!!!!!!! You know, that really expensive stuff that you can only find at drugstores and Ukrops? So upon my next trip out in the field (that required sunscreen) I wore long sleeves (in case it was the sun that was killing me) and applied this top-shelf sunscreen to the tops of my hands and my ears. I had on a baseball cap which usually does a fabulous job of shielding my face from harmful rays. Nothing happened until later that night. I was sitting in my room, reviewing GRE vocabulary (“Perspecacious….What?!”) when I noticed that my ears were awfully hot. Then they were itchy. And when i finally got off my dairy-air to look in the mirror, they were swollen and bright red. When I woke up the next morning, small hives had begun to develop on the tops of my hands.

^^^ YOU did this to me!!!

Problem solved. I am allergic to that sunscreen…or something in it. The active ingredients are titanium dioxide and zinc oxide. I’m still too scared to try any new sunscreens though. Maybe I could honor the death of Michael Jackson by wearing gloves everwhere I go.

^^^ A classic Michael photo.

With that being said, I am really looking forward to going back to school. I miss my professors, friends, and yes, the overall atmosphere of academia. Of course I will be begging for mercy within the first couple weeks. I am taking four upper-level biology courses, all with labs. I also got accepted into my university’s semester-long Leadership Program for Women. That involves one long class per week as well as outside reading and a retreat (YAY! I lvoe retreats!). Each member of the class is assigned to a mentor (a successful woman in her field, I assume). Dr. Crick (a fellow student) took it last year and put my name into the pot for this years application process so I am very excited fort his opportunity to follow in her footsteps.

^^^ Ehhh…I sure hope I can do it…  :/

Until next time readers! You probably won’t hear from me again until AFTER my GRE which is on the 20th. Start saying prayers! I’m gonna need all the help I can get!

Where is the summer going?!

Can you believe it’s already JULY?! And it will be gone before I know it! I have one month to prepare for GREs…and I am not even close to being ready. I don’t even want to think about it. Anyway readers, this is going to be a short update because life is sooo busy! First of all, I DO NOT HAVE THYROID DISEASE! This could be a good or a bad thing, besides the fact that it’s incredibly frusterating to think you finally have a solution and then be told that, no, we still have no idea whats wrong with you. The test for the antibodies that attack the thyroid was negative and my hormone levels are completely normal.

^^^ “Well then what’s WRONG with me, Doc?!”

After this, I scheduled an appointment with my primary care physician who is also my Endocrinologist. Can we just pause for a second? I have an ear, nose, and throat specialist, a surgeon, an allergist, and an endocrinologist. That’s ridiculous! I am not even 22 years old! Oh well. Anyway, I digress. Upon meeting with my Endocrinologist who I shall name Dr. Thyroid, we discussed my symptoms and my concerns. I was then sent to the lab for three more tests- SedRates (I think that tests for an internal inflammatory response), Lupus, and something else that I forgot entirely. I doubt that any of these will come back positive. My current prognosis is “Idiopathic Urticaria” which basically means the following: I get reandom hives caused by an unknown/ undeterminable source.

^^^ HAHA!

Personally, I think an overabundance of UV radiation (sunburn) or heat in general can trigger my condition. But who the heck knows?! That’s why they call it “idiopathic.” In short, this is nothing serious. When I explained this situation to Mogli during a mayfly outing yesterday, his response was, “So you’ll have to work inside now.” Oh hell no. That is the entire reason I chose Biology as a career: So I wouldn’t be inside!!! I will wear a burka before I sit at a desk for the rest of my life. 75 SPF and white long-sleeved shirts…at the same time. I don’t care WHAT I have to do. The trees are my home and I will do whatever it takes to live the life I want. My response to this was, “I would rather have hives.” He told me to be careful what I wish for. I wish for fresh air.

^^^ Yes, please.

Aside from that, I got to visit a dairy farm for DEQ the other day!!! It was a BLAST! (Again, need I say more? I am in love with my job.) I even got licked by some of the more personable cows. Cows in general tend to be very wary of people. But dairy cows are more docile and dairy farmers take very good care of their “girls.” The farmer I met was incredibly nice and gave me the grand tour of his farm. I learned about the different types of grains that go into their feed and even the ratios at which the grains are mixed. He showed me the newborn calves and even let me take pictures! I got to wear plastic boot covers and assess their rain runoff ditch. It’s basically a big hole in the ground placed downhill from the main cattle area to catch any overflowing nutrients so they don’t leech into the watershed. His farm passed with flying colors.

^^^ Dairy cows have it good. They also get pasture time!

In other news, I am visiting Indiana with a friend with coming weekend and I get to see Purdue University. Hopefully this visit will inspire me to study more! But for now, I must get back to work. Much to do! Until next time!

The Disaster Fairy strikes again! My medical adventures ensue…

Ok…so maybe my current predicament hasn’t quite achieved disaster status…yet. But I keep getting pretty darn close! As many of you regular readers may know, I have quite a history of really random health issues. It’s never anything serious, but I’m that kid on the playground who has a new, unexplained rash every week. That’s right; I’m going to talk about my rashes again. Only this time, I might actually have a convoluted explanation!

^^^ Believe it or not, I got teased A LOT in grade school…

Again, let’s turn the clock back to the summer of 2005 (quite a few years back). I was 17 working as a nursery-keeper in my church every Sunday morning and Wednesday evening. I was always sick with some kind of cold or sinus infection. Because of this, I now have quite the immune system! But at the time, I was feeling really sick…again. So I went to see my ear, nose, and throat specialist, Dr. ENT, I will call him. He’s a little Vietnamese man, about my size, who speaks with an extremely thick accent. Upon my examination, a large lump was found in my neck. Yay. The cyst on my thyroid had been discovered. We don’t really know how long it had been there (we assumed a couple months…cause it was pretty big). So the big question here was: Is it cancer?

^^^ Dr. ENT always wore that giant circular thing on his head. It amused me when I was a little girl.

For the next year or so, they ran all kinds of tests on me, took biopsies, and basically “kept and eye” on the cyst, hoping it would eventually go away, proving that it was benign. Well, it never went away. Over winter break of my freshman year in college (December 2006), I had surgery to remove the right half of my thyroid; there was no need to take out the whole thing. It’s always a good plan to leave as much of your organs intact as possible, right?

So they extracted half of my thyroid and I got to spend a whole night at UVA medical center (totally underrated). I ate chocolate ice cream, saw the first ten minutes of the TNT world premier of “Return of the King” before I passed out. Yes, I was a little peeved when they fed me pain meds RIGHT before the movie came on. My mom stayed with me ALL NIGHT LONG and woke up with me every single time the nurses came in to check my vitals. How awesome is that? And then when I couldn’t go back to sleep, we stayed up and talked for hours. ::sigh:: Pretty much the coolest lady in the world.

^^^ A fun place to be!

But back on track! They found that the cyst was benign! YAY! Nothing to worry about anymore, right? I started taking synthetic thyroid hormones so the other half of my thyroid would “go to sleep.” Theoretically, one half of a thyroid will produce enough hormones for your whole body, should the other half be compromised. However, the doctors were unsure of what caused the random cyst on the right side so putting the other half to sleep as a precaution was the best idea. No more mystery cysts!

Well, the saga continues. Exactly six months after my surgery, as soon as the weather turned warm, a huge, puffy, itchy rash formed over and around my surgical scar all over my neck. This rash thing came and went all summer, finally disappearing into the night at the start of my sophomore year. I saw several doctors about this issue, mostly physicians and one dermatologist. No one could explain it except to say, “It looks like an allergic reaction to something.” Gee wiz. That helps.

^^^ Not even Wikipedia could tell me the answer!

Another year or so goes by. No rash. It’s forgotten, right? If some of you recall, I had ANOTHER unexplained rash all over my right thigh at the beginning of my junior year (this past fall semester, 2008). Again, went to a doctor, “Ah! You’re allergic to something. Here’s a steroid cream.” Of course under the influence of steroids, almost anything can be cleared up. So that one went away.

^^^ Haha! I couldn’t help it.

That’s the history. Let’s put the clock back to present day. It is now the summer of 2009, months after my leg rash and a couple years after my last neck rash. I went to the Outer Banks last weekend with my cousin who is one of my nearest and dearest friends. I will call her “The Cuz.” There was absolutely no shade to be had on the Oregon Inlet campground. I got a nice sunburn in a few places but other than that, the weekend was quite enjoyable. Upon my return on Sunday evening, I couldn’t help but notice that my arms were itching terribly around my elbow joints. I wasn’t burned there, but I had gotten a lot of sun there. Was this sun poisoning? Hm.

^^^ I finally got my beach fix!

Long story short, this began happening to my neck. By Tuesday, both of my arms and chest area were covered in tiny little red dots. And I was itching like I had never itched before. I threw my hands up, “Ok. Time to call an allergist.” Within one doctors visit, I received an explanation for ALL of these medical issues I have just listed. Here it is:

MY IMMUNE SYSTEM HAS BEEN ATTACKING MY THYROID FOR AT LEAST 5 YEARS! I HAVE THYROID DISEASE!

Now, if you know your doctors well enough, you would know that most allergists are also immunologists (hallelujah!). So Dr. Godfather (I’m going to call him that because he spoke with a New Yorker’s accent, saying things like, “No big deal,” with an emphasis on the ‘d’) just about leapt out of his little wheely chair when I mentioned I had a history of thyroid issues. “I am almost certain this is related to your thyroid,” he said.

^^^ “I’m going to fix you!!!!!!!!!”

Here is what’s happening inside the writer’s body: One day, for some reason unknown, my overactive immune system said, “Hey! I don’t like that thyroid thing!” So it built up all these specialized antibodies specifically to kill my thyroid. There are many things that can happen as a result of this. One result is a growth forming on the thyroid. That was my thyroid’s first response. Bada-bing, bada-boom, we have a cyst! Doctors say, “Wow…your hormone levels are completely normal! No disease! You just grew a cyst randomly (which does happen) so let’s take it out!” Cyst is gone…but half of my thyroid remains. So the antibodies keep rolling in, shooting at my injured thyroid. (I imagine this to look something like a battle scene in the new Star Trek movie). Instead of growing another cyst, this time, my thyroid produced histamines and HIVES! In my case, heat is the main trigger for this event, hence, the reason it has only popped up during hotter conditions.

^^^ I now have a running joke with my close friends and family that my skin is that of a vampire’s and will start to sizzle if I step into the sun.

So to date, my arms, neck, cheeks, and ears are covered in hives. I am taking a series of antihistamines including Claratin, Zyrtec, and Zantac 150. Apparently, Zantac, which is used to inhibit stomach acid production, also inhibits the production of histamines. This morning I woke up looking like a pug dog with really swollen, pouty lips and beet-red cheeks. I am really banking on this stuff kicking in SOON! Although the doctor was very confident in his hypothesis, he sent me to the lab for some blood work as a precautionary measure. They will test my blood for the antibodies that work to kill my thyroid. There is no cure for my condition (except another surgery to remove the remaining half of my thyroid), so the idea is to wait it out. If my thyroid isn’t already mostly dead, it will be soon.

The most amusing thing about this whole scenario is that I actually have a disease. I think it’s great! It’s a minor disease so it’s not going to kill me or anything. The technical term is Hashimoto’s disease. Here’s a little blurb I found online at http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/hashimotos-disease/DS00567   –>

“Hashimoto’s disease is a disorder that affects your thyroid, a small gland located at the base of your neck, below your Adam’s apple. The thyroid gland is part of your endocrine system, which produces hormones that coordinate many of your body’s activities.

In Hashimoto’s disease, also known as chronic lymphocytic thyroiditis, your immune system attacks your thyroid gland. The resulting inflammation often leads to an underactive thyroid gland (hypothyroidism). Hashimoto’s disease is the most common cause of hypothyroidism in the United States.

Doctors test your thyroid function to help detect Hashimoto’s disease. Treatment of Hashimoto’s disease with thyroid hormone replacement usually is simple and effective.”

^^^ Here’s a little animated mechanism of what happens with Hashimoto’s thyroiditis…for all you visual learners out there.

It’s simple and effective…as long as you don’t produce hives : ). The only disconcerting thing about this whole disease is that “infertility” and “birth defects” were listed as possible complications. I think as long as my hormone levels are stable (which is achieved with a nice little synthetic thyroid hormone pill taken daily), I should have no problem. I love kids!

^^^ I typed “lots of babies” into Google Image and found this. And then I laughed out loud…alone on the couch.

As an aside, I was tested for many common allergies and I am allergic to NOTHING. Yay! I can still eat peanuts! But for now, I am incapacitated and itchy. I haven’s showered recently (I wouldn’t dare admit how long) because it makes me itch. And taking a cold bath would be miserable. The doctor said I should apply Vicks Vaporub to my hives to relieve the itching. He’s right! It really works! But I am incredibly greasy and have to cover the couch with a sheet just so I can sit on it. So for now it’s just me, GRE workbooks, pajamas, and facebook. I should add chocolate milk to that list… Until next time!

^^^ “Ohhh yeeaahh…”

A triple wammie.

Well friends, I must use this post to whine just a little bit. Once again, it appears that not-so-fun things happen to me in sets of three. So here goes nothing– yet another triple wammie for the writer!

 

^^^ I am exasperated!

Let’s set the clock back to the weekend of June the 5th, shall we? It’s a Friday and I will be traveling BACK out to my college town (for the second weekend in a row) to visit people and attend the wedding of a good college friend. That afternoon, I was to meet one of my favorite professors to discuss my progress on the graduate school front. I was very excited to see him and was planning a relaxing afternoon in his office, chatting up a storm. So of course, I left with plenty of time to get there! For those of you who haven’t been keeping up with the weather on the East coast for the past couple of weeks, it’s been raining pretty much non-stop. And that’s what I got caught. What should have been a four hour drive suddenly turned into a six hour crawl. I got stopped by traffic somewhere outside Williamsburg and after sitting for almost an hour, I decided I had had enough and that I was going to use my handy-dandy Gazetteer to navigate my way to the University via back roads. I was quite successful at this…except for one small interruption. I had a fender-bender.  : (

^^^ My car looks almost identical to the green car. Oh snap, son.

Luckily no one was hurt! And it was a very minor collision. I was driving along, probably looking at my map too much (in the pouring rain on a road I had never seen before in my life with too many stoplights…) when the cars in front of me began to slow to a halt. Suddenly, the lady at the front of the line slammed her brakes, causing the guy in front of me to slam on HIS brakes. So of course, I slammed on MY brakes too, and it seemed like I would actually stop in time…except for the fact that my antilock braking system has been down for severl months now. Technically, you aren’t required to have antilock brakes, but it sure would have helped in this situation. My brakes locked and I slid/hydroplaned/screeched for what seemed like an eternity finally to hit the rear bumper of the guy in front of me. Of course, he drove away with three scratches and my hood was…well…compromised. But the situation was extremely lucky! A police officer randomly came out of the woodwork! Apparently he had watched the whole thing and agreed that it wasn’t anybody’s fault, so I didn’t get a ticket. The guy I hit was really nice about it and concurred with the officer that it was a simple accident. “I heard you screeching for the longest time!” Yep. So in that respect, I was very lucky!

^^^ I’m glad I got the good cop this time!

The only problem now is that I have a more than compromised car. To make a long story short, my car is leaking in several places, no antilock brakes, and a hugely messed up hood and front bumper…not to mention the chipping paint, squeaking doors and windows…she’s past her prime. So to myself and my mother, the answer was simple: time for a different vehicle. But with the state of the economy, that’s not gonna happen for us. So the battle this past week was for us to try to convince my father that patching up this car was less than a wise decision when I could get a better car for about the same price (perhaps a bit more). He made a really good case for my present tin-can car- it has a REALLY good engine that will run until the world ends. My car’s engine is like a cocroach in Hiroshima, basically. I also get incredible gas mileage. So we’re doing the repairs on it…and I am hoping that it will last me through graduate school. : /

^^^ Look! It’s me on my way to Graduate School! I’m going to be Flinstoning myself there.

And that’s the end of the first trial! The second trial is more trivial. Long story short, I am allergic to bees…and last Monday, I got stung in my neck. Nice work, Bee! I swear, they keep human anatomy charts in their hives like, “Sting HERE!” It was actually a sweat bee and my allergy is minor so I didn’t die or suffocate. I just have this huge, incredibly itchy rash covering my neck. And now I am on steroids…So my emotions are playing with my mind and I feel like I want to Hulk out about three times a day. Yay.

^^^ Jerk.

As for the last trial, it is probably the saddest of all. This past Friday, my mom and I were across town for an appointment and were miraculously running ahead of schedule (really, this is incredible for my mother; go mom!) so I suggested that we stop by the SPCA just for fun to look at the dogs. Now I know what you’re all thinking! You’re thinking that this is an unwise decision because I will inevitably fall in love with one of the dogs and not be able to leave it. But I must say that I’m not THAT bad. Yes, I did fall in love with one of the dogs. However, I had no intention of taking it home until my mother piped in, “Well maybe we could take it home for the weeked to see if Dad likes her.” So I didn’t refuse for a minute!

^^^ Oh, cute.

This is an incredible dog. She’s a ten month old border collie mix (with some hound in there somewhere) and we bonded immediatly. Mona pressed her body sideways up against the fence so I could reach through with my fingers to pet her as best as I could. We touched faces through the fence and she licked my nose gently. I was in love. And to this day, I have not heard her bark once (though, she does bark- my mom heard her one night while I was out of the house). She knows the rules- no jumping, no peeing in the house (she has yet to make a mess ANYWHERE, including her crate). Mona ended up at the SPCA when her former owner, a single woman, had a landlord who did not approve of the dog being in the apartment. So obviously she’s a great girl who ended up in a not-so-great situation.

^^^ I typed in “Border collie – hound” into google image. Mona looks a lot like this. Be still my beating heart!

The sad part is that my dad is NOT buying it. Again…bad economy. “We can’t afford a dog,” he says. I pleaded, “Let me take her back to school with me! I promise I’ll make it work! She’s the perfect size! I’ll pay for everything!” Then of course he reminds me that I have no money. So that’s the situation. I have to take her back to the SPCA by Friday. Until then, I am madly searching for a home that will take her. She doesn’t have a mean bone in her body. And she’s great with other dogs and kids! And those eyes… : (  On a lighter note, I am sure that someone great will take her. I’m just afraid that I will never see her again.

^^^ That’s about her size…But she’s more black than white.

And that pretty much wraps up this session. I must return to my GRE preparation and DEQ fun! Until next time, friends!

The top 5 items every outdoorsman / woman must have:

You know, readers, I could just get on here every week or so and rant about my crazy hectic life, but I won’t do that to you. It’s been a while since I have made a post in series format so I will humor the Google search engine and compile yet another list for you fine people.

^^^ “Dude, did you seriously eat ALL the Fig Newtons?” It’s happened before.

Recently I have been focusing on re-vamping (or creating from scratch, rather) my collection of outdoorsy paraphenalia. There are just certain things that you should have on your person when you are partaking in any outside activity. This accounts especially for hiking, kayaking, mountain biking, and whatever else people might do outside besides a leisurely game of badmitten. So here it is! The top five items you should seriously think about investing in when it comes to outdoor sports:

1. A pocket knife- Now, I actually went all out and got the Leatherman Skeletool multi-tool that includes a nice blade, changeable screwdriver sets, and pliers. However, since we’re only talking bare essentials (and a Philip’s head usually doesn’t make the difference between life and death on the trails), I will simply say that all you REALLY need is a good pocket knife. Define good pocket knife: A GOOD knife has a straight tip and is nicely serrated towards the base of the blade. It will LOCK in place upon being opened but also opens easily (even with the use of one hand). The most important thing to consider is how you as the wielder feels with the knife. Is it comfortable and natural to you? Do you feel confident and safe with it? These are all questions you should ask yourself. TRY OUT THE KNIFE IN THE STORE! Make the clerk take it out of the case and show you how it works before you fool around with it. The reason you want a straight tip with a serrated base is because you might need to cut rope. So many people carry around tiny little straight blades but I’m telling you now, when you are out in the wilderness, that isn’t gonna cut it…no pun intended (haha!). Also, your knife should be large enough to cut something but not so large that it is unruly to carry. A good rule of thumb for knife size- when your knife is folded up, it shouldn’t extend beyond your middle finger when laying flat in your hand.

^^^ This is my beauty. The blade is relatively small but it has a really strong base and is quite tough for its size.

^^^ I don’t know why the knife says “Police” on it so I am going to assume that this is a standard knife used by the Police. And it’s the only image of a desent knife I could find on the web. This is a good small to medium size pocket knife that will cut rope or skin an animal if you really need it to… if you get stranded.  : /

2. A flashlight! Always always always carry a flashlight with you! You never know when you are going to get stuck on the trail or on the water in the dark. This is REALLY important if you are a caver! Going caving has a whole new set of implications with flashlights. Recently, I purchased a “Surefire” flashlight that is actually bright yellow so it’s easier to find it in the dark. FINALLY! Someone realized the irony of black flashlights. This particular flashlight is small, lightweight, and has a tough polymer exterior designed for dropping and tough excursions (you know you will). Also, it uses high output lithium batteries, producing stronger light and the battery life is longer. If you are doing some serious through hiking or caving, consider a headlamp and a hand crank emergency flashlight along with your regular flashlight just in case your batteries die.

3. Good hiking boots. A good pair of boots these days contains two things: Vibram soles and Gortex. Vibram is, “Designed to perform in diverse and rugged terrain. Exclusive Vibram compounds guarantee maximum traction on both wet and dry surfaces.” Many different brands will offer Vibram soles but only some offer water-proofing Gortex, where “The outer layer keeps liquid moisture from penetrating, and yet its microporous structure aids your body’s natural cooling process by allowing perspiration vapor to escape.” Pretty nifty! Also, you want your boots to fit, but always make sure you have room for thick socks. You should be wearing thick socks with your hiking boots 99% of the time anyway. Choose a lightweight pair that offers all these features and you should be good to go! Here’s the pair I just purchased.

^^^ This boot is aparently named “The Siren.” HOLLER!

4. FOOD! Never never never hit the trails / rivers/ rock walls / caves without food. For one, you don’t want to flake out in the middle of your fun adventure. Always stay hydrated and comfortably fed. More importantly, however, if by some chance you DO get stranded, you will have something to hold you over JUST IN CASE before cannibalism sets in. Take trail mix with lots of dried fruit and nuts. Make sure its relatively low in sodium so you don’t get dehydrated! That’s important! Take a couple apples/ bananas/ random produce (more than you need for one trip). Jerky could work too. The only thing about jerky is that it is very salty (it will dehydrate you) and you will end up expending more calories by simply chewing the jerky than you will gain from eating it. Nevertheless, in a dire situation, anything is better than nothing. Complex carbohydrates are good- whole grain crackers and such. I am also a big advocate of peanut butter…the crunchy kind. You should always come back from a hiking trip with food you haven’t eaten.

^^^ I would also add, “Bring lots of water…as in, more than one bottle,” but I hope that goes without saying.  : )

5. A rain coat. Again, very critical. Even when it’s summertime, I always take my raincoat Let me be clear that I’m not talking about a random poncho I bought at a football game when I was ten years old. Go to a local sporting goods store and pick out a REAL rain slicker with a mesh lining. I got a rain coat on clearance a couple years ago and I’m not gonna lie, the zipper stinks and it constantly getting stuck but that jacket has kept me impeccably warm in dry on some of the coldest, rainiest days. And I can get very cold, very easily! I have also worn than jacket on a blistering hot hike out in the open fields of Grayson County highlands because I had forgotten my sunscreen and was starting to get severely burned.  The point is, this jacket should keep you warm when its cold, but should still be wearable when it’s hot. Last but not least, make sure the HOOD WORKS on YOUR HEAD! Try it on. Pull the drawstrings. If the hood doesn’t fit, move on, because wet hair is the last thing you need on the trail.

^^^ Like I said, my jacket was a discounted Nike jacket. But it’s a sporting jacket so it serves its purpose. However, if you have a little more cash to burn, the North Face has really good rain jackets. Also, check out Patagonia.

And there you have it, readers! The top five things to have on the trails with you, in no particular order. As a side note, always carry a cell phone, even if you don’t have a signal. For one, you never know when it will pick up. Number two, you can actually ignite a spark with a cell phone battery. Don’t ask me how…that’s another entry. But I’m sure if you were trapped in the woods long enough, you’d get around to figuring it out (or at least trying). One last thing, always carry your ID on you. As cynical as this sounds, if something happens to your, ahem, body, officials will be able to identify you. : )   YAY! I love this stuff! Now go have fun out there!

^^^ “Oooo, ahhh…”

Swing me way down South…

Readers, I have returned from the mother-land! Literally, it is the land of my mother- Georgia. My mother and I had the opportunity to road-trip down South this past weekend. We left at 5:30 a.m. on Friday morning to set out for Tifton, Georgia, which is basically at the Georgia-Florida border.

^^^ Tifton is in the Valdosta region. Whew! What a drive.

Now I’ve always known that I was a Southerner but on this trip, I really tried to allow myself to become enveloped in the whole philosophy of the South. My accent always comes back when I leave my college town but down in Georgia, it came WAY back! Like I said, we drove for about 10 hours straight, stopping only for Bojangles and later for Chick-fil-a, two staple fast food establishments orginating in the South. And I have to say, we were so hungry when we finally stopped for breakfast (after driving for four hours), that Bojangles cajun chicken biscuit was quite possibly the most delectable morsel of food I have ever consumed in my lifetime of twenty-one years.

^^^ Just looking at this image makes my mouth water. You MUST try a Bojangles cajun chicken biscuit at some point in your life.

Between our food stops, we needed to gas up the car so we pulled over at this run-down gas station just below Atlanta. The store clerk was a elderly gentleman with a long white beard wearing an old truckers hat, standing behind the counter wistling loudly and proficiently. As we approached the counter to check out, my mom says to the old man, “I bet nobody else in this store knows what your wistlin’.” The man smiled, “Do you know  the song?” Of course she did…she’s from Georgia. “Ramblin’ Rose,” my mother replied.

^^^ Ahhh…I love oldies…

This prompted the old man to break into song. Right there, as other customers proceeded to shop, the man serenaded us to the tune of “Ramblin’ Rose” by Nat King Cole. Then mom joined in and the two of them sang the whole song, right there at the counter of the gas station. At that moment, the only thing I could think in my mind was, “Yep. M’home.” Ahh, I love the South.

^^^ Haha!

From there, we arrived at the University of Georgia, Tifton campus where I met with three professors who had a chance to look at my curriculum vitae and offer some helpful advice on how to get into graduate school. I’m glad my first campus visit was at the Tifton campus- everyone was so Southern and friendly, making it a good warm-up round for “How to talk to graduate professors, 101.”

^^^ When we called one of my mom’s old friends to plan a rendez-vous, his first question was, “You got one fixin’ to be a bulldog?” Hahaha! Fixin’.

Once we were done in Tifton, we made our way back to Atlanta after stopping in Macon for dinner with an old friend (we have lots of old friends in the land of peaches). Finding our hotel in Atlanta was a TRIP! It was in the most impossible location EVER and despite the fact that I was on the phone with the hotel clerk, we were having no luck in communicating. She kept giving me stoplights as landmarks: “You should see a stoplight. Turn left there.” I replied several times, “There are lots of stoplights,” which there were. After driving in circles for about forty minutes, we finally found our hotel in the most secluded location possible, parked behind ANOTHER hotel. There were no signs, either. Let this be a lesson to all: I hereby declare that I will book hotel reservations for me and my mother’s outings from now on.

^^^ You’re telling me!

The next day, we visited Athens, home of the University of Georgia (main campus), and Gainesville, mom’s hometown. Athens was absolutely beautiful and the UGA campus was ENORMOUS. It reminded me a lot of the University of Virginia…only older, I think. UGA was the first established public university in the United States and is ranked as an “Unofficial Ivy-league” university. The campus itself is a testament to architecture throughout the last couple centuries; from the back to the front, the buildings grow younger and younger. Because it was a Saturday, no professors were around, so we only had a chance to look around campus ourselves.

^^^ Um. The campus was huge. And gorgeous.

Once we got to Gainesville, we wasted no time in meeting up with some old friends of my mom’s. And when I say old, they really are old. Which was great! I really enjoy spending time with individuals from older generations which might explain why I hang with my mom on the weekends. I had the treat of spending a whole evening (until about midnight) with three different individuals: one was the mother of my mom’s childhood best friend- we took her out to dinner where we learned quickly that she didn’t like shrimp and that there was no way we were paying for our own food. The next was a friend of my grandmother’s who writes inspirational Christian stories for “Chicken Soup for the Soul,” and whose husband was once the mayor of Gainesville. Our last visit was with the town Pharmacist whose wife was my grandmother’s best friend. We called to see if he was available that evening after the dinner hours, “How late do you stay up, Charlie?” He replied very frankly, “Twelve thirty.” I chuckled. And we stayed until twelve thirty, talking the night away in Charlie’s den.

^^^ His den was really old world Georgia– Cozy, slightly over packed with piles of books everywhere, paintings covering every inch of the walls. I loved it.

Then Sunday came. The BIG day. It was time to prepare for the Coldplay concert. Mom and I went into Atlanta to visit one last person then spent the remainder of the afternoon wandering around the city. After visiting our hotel one last time to freshen up, we were off to the concert at Lakewood Ampitheatre. Did I mention that this was an outdoor venue and that it had been raining ALL DAY LONG? Our original plan was to buy tickets for the lawn that encircled the outer edge of the ampitheatre but luckily, we decided to upgrade and go for the tickets that were smack dab in the center of the audience…and under the overhang. The crowd was great. To our left were two gay guys, to our right, several graduates from Georgia Tech University, and behind us were students from University of Georgia. So you can imagine, the crowd was very young and FUN! We all had some drinks, took pictures, danced, sang… It just proves that a show is only as good as its crowd. And the lights were AMAZING! These globes descended from the ceiling of the stage and projected images or colors. During the song “Yellow”, a ton of giant yellow balloons were released from the ceiling of the ampitheatre. The balloons bounced off the crowd as they worked their way towards the stage. It was a surreal image!

^^^ Everything was lit up yellow!

^^^ This is how it opened.

^^^ I loved the confetti!

Before we even left for Georgia, my mother did her fair share of Coldplay concert research and found that we would be getting a free CD at the end of the show. She also discovered that the band actually travels to the back of the auditorium at each show! The first part I believed, but I had trouble imagining Coldplay out in the rain on the lawn–so mom and I made a bet. And I lost. She was right! They played out in the rain, on the LAWN! The whole show was really amazing. Chris Martin could be likened to Mick Jagger in his performance style; it amazed me at how much he could run and dance around the stage while singing at the same time! The next morning was our scheduled departure and pit-stop in Clemson, South Carolina where I would have several meetings with MORE professors.

^^^ Alright. Alright. She was right, I was wrong. They came into the crowd.

My time at Clemson University was well spent. I had the privilege of meeting with four different professors and a graduate student. The first professor I spoke with was a little Polish woman who is the graduate coordinator for the program I was interested in. When I first arrived, her prominent concern was that I had not decided whether or not I wanted to persue a master’s degree or go directly into a PhD program. After trying to convince me nicely to go straight into a PhD program, she made a startling analogy to get my attention. In her Polish accent, she asked, “Do you want to be like the house wife who sits at home and does everything the man tells her to do? Or do you want to make your own decisions and stand on your own two feet? That is the difference between a master’s degree and a PhD.”

^^^ A view of Clemson’s oldest building, I believe…or one of them.

“Whoa,” I thought. So as of now, I am leaning towards a PhD. But it’s still up in the air. After spending four straight hours meeting with Clemson faculty, I was exhausted and starving. Mom and I took off to Cracker Barrel and feasted on cornbread, chicken, cooked carrots, potatoes, and corn on the cob. It was our last high calorie, Southern food “hoo-rah.” Delicious.

^^^ Mmmm, heart attack on a plate.

The next day, I started my internship with the Department of Environmental Quality which, so far, has proven to be the most incedible opportunity I’ve ever had. I go conoeing and boating on lakes daily. We spend our time in some of the most beautiful regions of Virginia. Today, we saw two bald eagles in the wild on a lake run. Again, incredible. I am learning how to use a “Sonde” which is a tool used to measure pH, temperature, dissolved oxygen levels, and conductivity in water. How cool is that?

^^^ And THIS is a sonde.

In short, I am having the time of my life. I’m learning a lot. I’m playing a lot. And I have more to look forward to. I will keep you all updated as much as possible! Until next time!

Hot days and damp skin…

I AM HOME!!!!!! Finally! It’s summertime. My finals are over. My grades are posted. Junior year is officially finished. Even still, I have lots to look forward to this summer. Here is a brief list of activities I am partaking in over the next few months:

1. Mayfly research, of course! : )

^^^ I love fieldwork.

2. Internship with the Department of Environmental Quality in water quality management. (Um, YAY for opportunities!!!)

^^^ YAY!

3. Plant collection for Plant Taxonomy II.

^^^ I get to use a plant press like this!

4. Insect collection for Entomology.

^^^ Hm. Lots of Coleoptera (beetles).

5. PICKING GRADUATE SCHOOLS!

^^^ Yep.

6. GREs  (sad face)

^^^ Oh dear.

7. Road-tripping to SEE graduate schools!

^^^ Just me and the open road…

8. And seeing Coldplay in Georgia with my mom in a week! We have tickets for the lawn!

^^^ I love summer concerts!

So as you can see, my summer is going to be filled with lots of academic activity. And it’s all so exciting! Life is just taking off at an alarming rate; I love this feeling of anticipation. A few weeks ago, some of my girl-friends and I went out to eat at our favorite sushi place for dinner. Of course we got our fortune cookies at the end of the meal and eagerly cracked them open to see what was in store for us. Mine read, “Great things in future. Only matter of time.” That about sums it up. And I feel it coming…

^^^ Ouch.

Do you ever have that feeling? Do you ever feel untouchable? I do sometimes. I believe it is imparative to have that feeling at least once in your life. Allow yourself to feel on top of the world, whether or not it’s true.

^^^ He’s in Egypt. Of course he feels on top of the world.

There is something exhilerating about summertime. Days are longer. Nights are warmer. Your clothes get sticky. And a feeling of contentment is always in the air. Cheers.

^^^ Ahh, meadows…

There’s a squirrel in my wall…

Yes, I realize that I have not written in quite some time now, readers. Things have been a little hectic around here and I have a paper that I am only halfway finished with that is due tomorrow that I should be writing right now. But I figure I have all day and it will get done eventually. However, this will be short and sweet.

This past Friday afternoon, my roommates and myself began transference into a BIGGER, “better” apartment just next to ours. We upgraded to a three-bedroom. Before, Cher and I were sharing a small bedroom but now that we will be seniors, we all thought it would be nice to live lavishly our last year in college.

Upon entering our new apartment, we witnessed a total mess. Apparently there had been a breakdown in communication and the maintenance staff had not been notified that they needed to have our new place ready by the end of April. So we spent the first half of Friday cleaning with the maintenance staff and the second half moving all our BIG furniture. I am AMAZED at what Lafonda, Cher, and myself were able to move by ourselves. Three ladies! Who knew? Although, near the end of the day, we did get some help moving two desks; we were getting very tired. At that point, everything was nicely cleaned by the wonderful maintenance staff and we were mostly moved.

That night, I slept soundly…until my sleep was disrupted by a scratching sound in the wall next to my pillow. Long story short, for the next three nights, I shared my room with a squirrel who somehow managed to get into the wall. I called the emergency maintenance number on Sunday when I finally decided there was something living in there. Nothing was done. I called again on Monday and although they paid a visit to my apartment, they told me they would assess the situation tomorrow…which is today.

So here I am at 3:15 p.m. This morning, maintenance cut a hole in the ceiling and taped a trash bag to the hole. On top of the trash bag was a plate of peanut butter. Accroding to maintenance, the squirrel would go for the bait and then fall through the trash bag. Upon landing in my room, he would flee out of the window. Seriously? I think I would expect to see elephants flying first.

However, the maintenance guys were nice and they seemed like they knew what they were doing, so I trusted their plan. When I returned to my apartment after lunch today to see what progress had been made, no one was there and nothing had happened. Scruffy (the name my mother gave to the squirrel) had managed to eat the peanut butter off the plate without falling through.

Again, long story short, I contacted the front office and decided that after three days of playing ring-around-the-rosy with a rodent, some forward progression needed to happen, pronto. I got in touch with a wildlife control company who is supposed to be stopping by this evening. When I told them what had been done thus far to handle this situation, they laughed. They seemed to think that Scruffy has a way in and out of my ceiling and/or wall and will be setting traps for tonight. : )

Meanwhile, I have a paper to finish and final exams to study for. Agh. Other than having a gaping hole in my new ceiling and a squirrel living with me, everything else is going rather well, I daresay. And summer is just around the corner…it’ll be me and the trees. : )

Until next time! Hopefully by then I will truly have my own room.