My dear germ friends...

You germs always have the worst timing. I mean really. Is it too much to ask that you would check Google Calendar before you move in?

Don't tell me Germ Central doesn't have high speed internet yet. I know you viruses share passwords. That's right. Busted.

Staircase Strategems

**All new, behind-the-scenes look at the world of dramatized sports that is Jen versus the Stairs.**

Stairman of the Ratings Advisory Board: All right folks, listen up. We've seen a pretty substantial drop in our ratings this month, something about football season - what's up with that? - so it's time for a serious comeback, and I want everyone on board. Alistair, wow me.

(Recently hired) Tread Coach: Well Casey, the plan is to inaugurate the 2010-2011 season with a bang. Something to make them hearken back to the days before WWF stood for World Wildlife Fund. I'm picturing a bold ankle-roll-and-full-face-plant-on-the-back-stairs-of-the-library extravaganza.

(Long Silence)

Stairman: I think I'm going to like you...

Starting Monday Off Right

What better way to get your Monday off to a great start than by...?

...feeling like a fashion guru because, if nothing else, you know that your pockets should probably not be longer than your shorts.

...chuckling with the triumph of waking up before the alarm clock can have the last word.

...getting Trogdor the Burninator's theme song stuck in your head for no reason..."burninating the country-side..."

...walking into the bathroom, snapping your fingers, and having the lights turn on in response to your command. Anyone who says they are operated by a motion detector and would have turned on anyway is just a Monday Marplot.

So there.

Happy Monday!

Tonight's Epic Question

Why are conclusions so ridiculously hard to write?

One would think it would be easy to summarize three weeks' experience into 4 pages, right?*

I think my ability to summarize decreases exponentially after midnight. I'm fading fast.

One more paragraph.

One more.

---

*Please note the thinly disguised irony in this statement.

Re(ally)(im)port(ant)s(tuff)

The fun (term used loosely) part of going on research trips is writing the reports afterward. Friday being my deadline, today is the day of writing.

It's amazing how quickly the first excited rush of ideas and inspiration gets buried under the quotidian workload. Time to unearth it, dust it off, and redact three weeks into five pages, one paragraph, and three sentences of interesting material by this afternoon.

A picture is worth a thousand words, right?

I took a lot of pictures.

Ergo...

*slaps hand* Bad student. Very bad student. Stop procrastinating. Since I'm currently running on five hours of sleep, there's only one important question: Got coffee?

Yes. Yes I do.

I am invincible.

The Look is Changing

As you may have noticed, the look of my blog is changing. It's a work in progress, so if you have comments or suggestions, please let me know! Thanks for stopping by...

Sorry Feet

Lesson of the day:

Asphalt absorbs sunlight.

When asphalt absorbs sunlight, it converts it to heat.

Apparently, asphalt can reach 140 degrees on a hot summer day.

Even if maximum heat is not reached, it's fairly safe to say asphalt gets hot.

Bare feet do not appreciate those levels of heat.

Even very cooperative feet that usually do well without shoes.

Walking faster doesn't quite do the trick.

Ergo, crossing asphalt parking lots in direct sunlight in the late afternoon in August barefoot...

Ouch.

Sorry feet.