My birthday was awesome!

Thank you to everyone who made my birthday great! In sort of chronological order...

• Many pre-birthday and happy birthday IMs!
  
• Kat made a "happy birthday" sign and put it outside my door!
• Kathy sent me a happy birthday e-card! And then Camille did, too!
  
• Happy birthday wishes from various floormates!
• Talked to Ralph--more happy birthday wishes!
  
• (Panicked craziness because I was really worried about my Public Policy presentation...this fear is strangely gone. I have ceased to care.)
• IDS 130 happy birthday wishes from Steph!
  
• Definitely awesome yoga!
• Ryan gave me two MORE presents--a very strong umbrella (so I am hoping for rain tomorrow) and a travel global alarm clock. The Eddie Bauer job is paying off.
  
• Ryan and I went to Pyramid where I WAS NOT CARDED (and later teased the waiter about it). I had the Apricot Ale--pretty tasty.
• Happy birthday wishes from various Security Monitors!
• Birthday card from Allison in the mail! Plus Red Cross reimbursement check--a present in itself!
  
• Tons of great, happy IMs left for me while I was away!
  
• The seventh floor knocked on my door and sang "happy birthday" to me!
• Talked to Paula to close out the day!

Thanks for the fabulous day, everyone! It was wonderful. Let's do it again tomorrow. ;o)

Thank you, Ryan and Ted

My necklace is beautiful! Thank you so much.

(My birthday is tomorrow.) And I am going to do my best to work on my Public Policy presentation right now so I can avoid homework as much as possible on my birthday. And Happy Birthday to Paula, too!

Happy Thanksgiving!

It's finally Thanksgiving! Wow. It's been a long time that I've been waiting to finally be home and about to eat tasty, homemade food. So far I am not neglecting my responsibilities (okay, I missed Thanksgiving meal delivery this morning...but I won't let that get me down). I have responded to e-mail, I am planning on doing homework. Key word is planning. And my birthday is in 4 days!

Back in St. Louis

Who'd have thunk I'd be in St. Louis again? I thought one Red Cross event in the midwest was good enough for this year...but I'm back! And downtown St. Louis is still dead. In fact, there seems to be a building that has been partially bombed on the side. And there are still painted windows on the downtown buildings (strange quirk of the city).

I flew in yesterday on two fairly pleasant two hour flights, had dinner, went to the opening (evening) session, and then crashed last night. Today we sat in on a general session and then worked on our Red Cross workshop. Both sessions went well--the National Honor Society members seem pretty interested, especially in the Measles Initiative. I keep thinking of Ted and his education interests since NHS and NJHS are sponsored by the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP).

Then we relaxed (Brookstone) and headed to the Galleria to walk around (and visit The Sharper Image)...and now things are winding down again. It's been a great conference and it's been nice to get away from Berkeley. Of course my papers will be waiting for me when I get back, but for tonight it's Saturday and I have a big comfy bed, a shower I don't have to wear shoes in, and a thermostat! Ah, the simple pleasures in life.

MTV

Hey, look! It's the guy from True Life: I Want the Perfect Body. He has a web site. Kind of funny.

Anyway, I'm going to St. Louis at 4:00 AM tomorrow morning. Hopefully I wake up! I'm going to try for 3:30 AM. Until Sunday...

FURREAL FRIENDS toys are a magical line of electronic plus animals. When stimulated by touch and sound, they respond to you like real household pets!

I hate modern medicine. I think I just hate the whole system. I already have issues with pre-meds, and now I'm realizing that I don't like healthcare in general. I have an appointment at the Tang Center for 10:15 and I am sitting here in fear that, once again, they are going to turn me away because my symptoms aren't good enough. But I can't hear out of my left ear, and this is the result of 12 hours of sleep on Saturday night. Isn't that a good enough reason?

Anyway, on to happier things. I'm sorry I have neglected you, weblog. I get a little overwhelmed sometimes. Like right now. I am going to start doing work stuff soon and then I will feel a bit less overwhelmed but it can still get crazy. So many little assignments and things to coordinate. And I have all this guilt--when I get a day off like today (section canceled, optional lecture) I always feel compelled to still work. Never academic work, but just something. I think this is why vacations are so popular. One can literally get away.

Speaking of which, I am going to San Antonio in December! Yay! I am very excited. We are flying first class which I have never done before! Now I can sit in the front of the plane and watch people judge me as they go past. I had always wondered how those people afforded first class seats and now I know. Frequent flyer miles.

In other news, I may actually puchase one of these. I must be desperate for toys, love, and attention. Strange. I couldn't decide between the polar bear and the panda, but now I just realized that they have kittens, too! Decisions, decisions.

And I am going to St. Louis this weekend. I keep forgetting about that. I need to get to planning what I'm going to say. Large expanse of time yet little seems to get done. Hopefully it is nice weather and we can get out to the Washington University area for a bit.

Okay, time to go. I keep hitting control + save and it actually knows that command so it's getting a little frustrating. Until next time...

So true

Thanks to Alex for the link...

Goodbye Ariel

Another Red Cross goodbye...today was Ariel's last day with the blood region. I was excited for him and his new opportunity up until the last few days. It seemed like such a logical decision before now. But now it's just depressing. Ultimately he is moving on to better things and I am a better person since I have had another great Red Cross mentor. Here's to all the lunches, random blood drive visits, flyering, finger pointing...