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March 31, 2006
and I said, constant in the darkness / where’s that at?
Posted by christina at 4:27 PM | Comments (3)
March 29, 2006
time time time
Jen, Steve, and Chipper, the doctor, who yes, knows the risks of smoking, and who no, is not smoking inside.
Word is driving me insane. It is making me wish i was using LaTex, which is highly superior, but isn't great for the back and forth editing and tracking changes. My advisor is married to track and change. It is really nice. Floating figures in word is a pain pain pain.
I have a date. so many dates. a defense data that is. well, if all my committee members can make it on that day. My advisor can. I think it might be a tad early to ask the others.
5 months. + a couple days. Lots of pages to write.
and we're about to the 6 month left planning mark. We're arrived at a whole new list. So many details that i do not care about (and hence will not be making an appearance in oct). Why do I care what the chairs look like? Do people really need 6 months notice to bake a cake? or to order flowers?
i learned a new instrument today. it makes me happy to learn a new instrument. data data more data. pretty pictures of data.
Posted by christina at 3:26 PM | Comments (1)
March 28, 2006
you and me and the bottle makes three tonight
Nick and Chipper and the first of many glasses of wine
We had some people over for dinner Saturday. It was a ton of fun.
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This is quite interesting
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I’m having a small crisis of, what, I’m doing what, but I like research.
As those dear to me have reminded me, I like it because it is going well. When my research is going well, I feel like I am good at it. I am good at.
I should think about all those times I hated my research. Okay, I never hated it, but I was frustrated by it. Research is frustrating. I have a feeling policy is going to be more frustrating, as I have to deal with people. I forget in my long years of working with myself, how frustrating other people can be.
I have to remind myself that I am not going to into policy because I don’t like research. I'm going into policy because I feel like I can do more good in policy. I can enable other people to have more opportunities to do research, to make sure that research money is fairly distributed, and to try to get politics the hell out of science.
Posted by christina at 2:34 PM | Comments (2)
March 24, 2006
but it's you and there's no other / I do believe
happy birthday my dear
In other exciting new, santino was in my neighborhood. I run by these giraffes every morning!
Posted by christina at 3:47 PM | Comments (0)
March 23, 2006
What if I could leap tall buildings in a single bound?
There are many things I said in life about myself that turn out to be wrong.
(1) I’ll never run unless chased
(2) I’ll never run more than 30 minutes. I would get too bored
(3) I could never run to NPR. I need music.
Turns out that I do run for fun (well, exercise). I do run for an hour most mornings. Recently, I’ve taken to listening to NPR.
Two things that totally changed my running last year was my pedometer and ipod, both Christmas gifts from my parents. The pedometer got me interested in data and beating last week’s data. The ipod kept me entertained.
Recently podcasting has really caught on. NPR has revolutionalize my morning run by podcasting their most e-mail stories of the day, on the media, health & science. These are 30-50 minutes podcast full of the stories from the previous week (or day for the first). The most e-mailed stories of the day are mostly from either morning edition or all things considered. Sometimes there is an interview from fresh air or talk of the nation. Though I listen to a ton of morning edition, I leave too late at night to catch all things considered. Therefore there are few repeats for me in the podcast. Between the podcasts and the heart rate moniter, my runs have gotten better lately.
One of this morning podcast had this interview from fresh air. It is with an author who right about his view that the governments is becoming a theocracy. There was also a story summing up (from the 3 anniversary of the Iraq war) all the “facts” that the administration gave for going to war and how they have turned out to be false.
These stories, among others I regularly read/hear, make me very pessimistic about the future. I am pretty convinced that our country is going to collapse under debt. The government is peeing money in Iraq. I just think how many people never worry about money again if we were giving them the money instead of feeding to corruption in Iraq (so much money has gone unaccounted for)… how many houses can be rebuilt in New Orleans.
A wise man once told me that these things go in cycles. I probably would have felt this way under Reagan, and then the 90s happened. Times are different and I am worried.
Posted by christina at 2:43 PM | Comments (1)
March 22, 2006
I'm coasting on potential towards a wall at a hundred miles an hour
I am truly convinced that my car has a big sign on it that says hit me.
Since I’ve moved in with Ben, it has been hit (hard or taped) 4 times. FOUR TIMES. This is four times as many times as before. I think this relationship is bad for my car. Seriously.
Yesterday I was rushing to leave. Ben and I had dinner plans with Ben and Julie who are moving to New York this weekend. I got to my car with barely enough time to get home and change. As I got close, I saw a piece of paper in my door. I hoped that it was an advertisement, but it was exactly what I had suspected. Someone had swiped my car during the day. Thankfully, the person reported it to the police, which was the business card in my door. I gave the number a call. They drove the motorist report over to me. I’m thankful the women reported it. I was annoyed that they didn’t fill out the incident report. No where on the paper says what happened. I went by the police office to get a copy (as the sheet of paper said to), and they refused to give it to me. Very scetckty. They said they would release it to my insurance company if the insurance company requests it in writing with a $5 check. Sooooo shady. It is also shady that they did not call me. What is the point of registering my car on campus if they are not going to call me when something happens?
The most interesting thing about the accident sheet is that she had to get her car towed. My car is scratch and the bumper is bent, but not bad enough that the other car would have had to be towed.
After talking to my insurance company, they told me to first follow up with the other person’s insurance company. I called the women. She was quite apologetic. I was nice and said these things happen and commented on her having to be towed. She said, yeah, I tore the bumper enough that it was dragging on the ground. This just reinforces the question of why did she keep going? The back half of my car is scratched pretty good. It seems that on first contact you should stop (hence the only damage would be to the back door). She kept going enough to catch her bumper on mine and went until her bumper was hanging off. I’m not sure how they are going to fix my bumper. The door and fender will at least have to be repainted (plastic doesn’t dent). The bumper though is bent out a bit from the car. Annoyance, but life happens.
I am way more annoyed that I lost a sample today in the XPS chamber. The machine is incredible easy to mess up. I was happy that I had gotten that far without messing up, and BOOM there went the sample. This machine is badly designed for many reason.
Posted by christina at 3:34 PM | Comments (0)
March 21, 2006
in the way, in the way that we're constantly moving / reminds you of home
As I have settled back down into writing, I have found my self in a familiar pattern. As remembered from my qualifier/research proposal writing, I write a paragraph and then must do something else for 5 minutes. I just cannot write and write. So I’m catching up on people’s website, including a friend from work who just had a baby! She is so cute!
The weather here is gross. We did not get piles and piles of snow like they did down state, and for that I am thankful. The wind was something crazy this morning. It was causing waves to crash way way way up on the running path. I had to basically run next to lake shore drive for a bit and on the grass for a while. There were parts that were ice up to the drive, so I carefully walked. Running against the wind did keep my heart rate up, so even though I spent 3 extra minutes on my run, it wasn’t like I was cheating. At certain points I really thought that the wind was going to blow me down. It was that insane.
The running into the wind is something I have gotten use to, but the sheets of ice on the trail this morning was something new. As I was running in the grass, next to the ice, I saw this poor biker bite it. I made sure he was okay and warned him that I was ice for a while (I was on the way back). I was certainly glad when I got to the part of the trail that bends away from the shore and into the park. It is much easier to run when you aren’t trying not to slip and fall.
Posted by christina at 2:41 PM | Comments (0)
March 20, 2006
we always had time on our sides / now it’s fading fast
Today is the first day of spring. Of course, it is 30 degrees in Chicago with the threat of snow for tomorrow. This is the payment for our mild January. This is still mild, so I’m not complaining. I would rather a longer bit of 30s for a January in the 30s and not the 0s. This is much more comfortable weather to run, walk, and live in that the zeros or even the teens.
Though the weather doesn’t reflect it, my mind certainly has entered “spring”. Spring is marked by the planting of plants in our apartment. I love love love plants. I’m no so good on the watering. I am trying to get better. Ben started our herbs. The basil grows at an amazing rate. In just the hour I was working from home this morning the stalks turned to face the sun (I had turned them away). We have clover, daffodils, and an afican violet. All were products of impulse shopping at jewl. I just can’t resist a $3 plant. The daffodils are blooming away, but wilt quickly. I believe it because I live on the north pool and we get no sunlight.
I love spring break and northwestern because there is so much parking. It is awesome.
I’m trying to motivate myself. I have a book chapter for a “handbook” to write. It was sprung by the advisor last week. I have a couple weeks. Though short notice, it is actually a great thing. The chapter will become quite a chunk of the first part of the thesis. Getting something edited this earlier is going to make the whole thesis thing smoother.
We’ve been sans video games in our apartment for the past month or so. I have no idea why. Ben must of beat them or something. The games are sport games, so can’t he just start an other season? Hmmm, it is beyond my understanding. Anyways, in order to right the universe I “bought” Ben the new college baseball game for his birthday. He was on the fence and so I just said let’s go get it. I’ll get it for you for your birthday. What was I thinking? We were out at our first alone brunch complete with newspaper and amazing food. I think the bliss went to my head. : )
I actually don’t mind the video games at all. I don’t watch the tv randomly, so I don’t care that he is monopolizing it. Most of the time he plays I’m either (1) not there or (2) reading or (3) cooking. Most of the time I am not there. Remember, I’m a grad student with just over 5 months to finish. I should start a little count down clock. It would motivate me, that is for sure. As I wrote the former sentence, I freaked out a little. Off to write…
Posted by christina at 5:31 PM | Comments (0)
March 17, 2006
you were the last good thing about this part of town
In the past couple days, I’ve been looking into and thinking about all the stuff that needs to happen between now and Sept. 24 (orientation).
One of the things I came across is math camp. Math camps is a 2 week math “review” for incoming PubP students in preparation for a math entrance exam. It would start the same week I have set as my defense week. As I pondered if I should try to defend the week before so I can attend math camp, I laughed at myself. I'll have a Ph.D. in engineering. I am sure I do not need to go to math camp to pass the entrance exam. From what I can tell it is all stuff I learned in high school (algebra and univariable calc). I believe it is to enable everyone to do the stats required for the program. Of course, as I looked at the exam from 2004, I realized that I’m going to have to do a little reviewing of terms (i.e. domains and ranges of equations, though ben cleared that confusion up for me already). A little review yes, 3 hrs a day x 2 weeks of math camp, no. I’ll be defending a dissertation. (Ben doesn’t think I should call it is thesis.)
I’ve been pretty excited this week. Though I don’t like small changes like Ben rearranging the furniture, I like big picture changes – cities, schools, lives. I was most unhappy in this Ph.D. when it felt like it was never going to end. I’ve hit that “senior” stretch when you know what is going on, and you know what need to be done to be done. I’m excited to meet new people and learn new things. I’ve been out of the classroom long enough that I yearn for learning. I look forward to discussing policy issues. I’ve always loved science, but I love policy more.
In the next 7 months I will write a small tome, defend it, add some letters to my name, start a new program for different letters, and keep my name when most change it.
Awesome.
Posted by christina at 3:30 PM | Comments (1)
March 15, 2006
beware the ides of march
It is my favorite holiday: the Ides of March. Beware the Ides of March!
I’ve been taking the train this week to work. Ben has my car due to his taking a little R&R. I love the train. I love not worrying about traffic. I don’t have to constantly watch for people around me running into me. The train reduces my – “I’m going to die” stress level. I love the time it gives me to read. I love watching the city zip by the windows. I love the feel of the train.
I would ride the train every day if it was time efficient. The ride itself with the awesome express train from evanston to my neighborhood is quick quick quick. The time wasted is the walking, the waiting, the walking. It is a 10+ min walk to the train from either my office or my apartment. This walking and waiting doubles the time it takes me in the car. For this reason I will not continue to take the train once Ben’s done with my car. It also doesn’t make sense financially. If you already own a car and a parking permit, the $3.50 day for the train does not make sense.
Today, as it turns out, I do not have to beware the ides of march, as I found out this morning I got accepted to another graduate degree program. I applied many months ago to a 1-year masters program in policy that you have to have a doctoral degree for. It has been a little nerve racking as science and engineering Ph.D. programs notify in February. Masters programs, turns out, doesn’t notify you until the day they say. According to ben’s mom it is because they accept everyone and then dole out the money. Quite happy they waited.
Posted by christina at 2:38 PM | Comments (1)
March 13, 2006
I think I'll go for a walk outside now / the summer sun's calling my name, I hear it now
This past weekend was that weekend Chicagoans wait for all winter long – the first 60+ degree Saturday. Every fiber of one’s being screams must-go-outside! It knows that we still have a bout of 30s and some snow before spring truly arrives. It insists that we take advantage of every moment of warmth.
And we did.
I was up early thanks to el workers’ blow horn. I actually didn’t mind. I enjoy getting up on the early side, going for my run, and being back in the apartment for the day by 9ish. I hurried us along to our usual Saturday errands because of forecasted storms. We started at the Gap in boy’s town. We never go shopping, and certain members of our household had reached the hole-in-all-my-khakis point. So to the Gap we went. For some reason the Gap in the land of skinny guys who like tight clothes only carried the relaxed fit. They looked like MC Hammer pants on ben. I would uber amused at that and the dude in the dressing room wearing a beret and not hiply. I found two things on sale (the only way I buy at gap). Ben bought enough that it made sense to open a gap credit card account. He made me laugh, though a lot of the stuff he bought was either on sale or one special.
The storms did not materialize; the warmth called to us. We headed downtown to the state street area in search for classic khakis (found, I also got a new hoodie for $10 off. I love specials). I had also been hankering after H&M for my once-every-two-years trip. They have these tanks tops I love for $5.90. You can’t beat that. H&M is so hit and miss. I have a couple things from there I love, but most of the stuff I would never wear. It is the same for Ben. He did come away (in really his biggest shopping day since I’ve met him) with 4 cute tight polos. I got a tank in every color they had plus a linen skirt, which I was on the fence about, but for $20 even if I just wear it a couple times it will be worth it. The range of clothes in that store amazes me.
It was just a perfect day to be out and about. The stores weren’t that crazy, which probably had to due with it being St. Patrick’s Day (Observed) in the city, so most people were already wasted in the bars. It was quite a sight to see at 11:30 people participating in some sort of pub-crawl in our neighborhood. The bars were packed by 3 when we headed downtown. It was crazy.
Posted by christina at 1:01 PM | Comments (0)
March 9, 2006
i'm defying gravity / and you can't pull me down
Ah, once I stopped all the grading (next week) I’ll be back to posting regularly.
This past weekend, I had the joy of seeing Wicked (the musical). It is camped out in Chicago and is in high demand. I went with Ben’s mom. We then meet his dad and sister down town and this restaurant that had amazing dessert. Seriously, amazing desserts.
Whenever I go to the theatre in Chicago, the buildings themselves amaze me. They are so elaborately ornate inside. This one was a little over the top, but it is still amazing to look at. When Ben’s dad started working downtown 25 years ago, he told me, all the beautiful theatres were xxx movie houses and had fallen into complete disarray. It is amazing how they have come back. The theatre in Chicago is thriving and I appreciate it every time I get to see a show. It is nice how shows come and stay for months (most shows) to years (3 years for Wicked).
I enjoyed the show. It is Ben’s sister’s favorite musical. (He took her last year for her Christmas present.) I had pretty high expectations, but very little knowledge of what it was about. The show, past its initial high pitch annoying singing, was excellent. It is amazing to see stage and the actors and the costume changed. I loved the dragon. (You can see him on the website.) We were right at the front of the lodge, which was awesome.
Whenever I got out with Ben’s parents, there are always amazing desserts involved (well, food too, but the desserts, they are fabulous). Ben got this trio of small soufflés. They were fabulous. My small crepes were great, but the soufflés, I still think of them.
We got into an interesting discussion on why people get tattoo and/or body piercing. Is it to rebel against their parents, society, their life? I would say usually not to the first two, but kinda to the second one. I know I did it because I was bored with who I was; I wanted to change in a new way; and I just thought it was cool. I think most people get it because they just want it, like a plasma tv. This is especially true with piercing, which are easily erased.
I love project runway. I am so sad it is over. I do have to saw that Santino was given such mixed messages. The judges beat him down during the competition for being too out there and then when he toned it down for the runway show they complained then. Sigh. Not that I disagree with the winner, but just the mixed messaged.
And hence probably my only comment I’ll make about a tv show, especially one in the genre I hate – reality tv.
Posted by christina at 12:40 PM | Comments (1)
March 3, 2006
and from the first, to the last time, the signs / said stop / but we went on whole-hearted
Swimsuit issue issue.
I never considered myself a feminist. (Though, how could I not be? Feminism is defined as the theory of the political, economic, and social equality of the sexes.) As it is well known, my undergraduate school was 75% male. I choose a field (engineering) that was predominately male. Since entering college, I’ve thrived in a male heavy world. During college, I was quite against anything that defined me as different, for example – society of women engineers. I believe strongly that everyone was the same. This was in an atmosphere in which (1) everything academics-wise was defined. Expectations were clear and feedback was structured and immediate. And (2) where females were rare and so you were prized for being female, not necessarily for your abilities (this, by the way, is where I think we are in the females in historically male job environments, but that is another post).
I got to graduate school. Expectations were not so clearly defined. I struggled with that as did my close girl friend. I started to see that women were different and that different is not bad (as I’d previously believed). I’ll never say women should be given an advantage, but I’ll definitely say that women (in general) need a different sort of support system that is in place now.
Along the way, I found myself getting really annoyed with how people (society in general) treated women. There are very very few women in the Senate. We’ve yet to even have a women seriously run for president. Reality shows feature women as beauties and men as brains. I found myself being offended when women are objectified under the guise of something else (entertainment, etc.).
On Sunday (Monday?), I flipped open the Sport Illustrated Swimsuit issue. I’ve, of course, heard about it all my life, but really never looked at it. I was shocked when it showed up with women who were only in swimsuit bottoms on the cover (hands carefully covering their breasts). I flipped through to find page after page of women – usually in just binki bottoms. There are women just covered in paint. I would take no pause if I was looking at a magazine that people buy to see these images, but I was looking at sports illustrated, a magazine for sports. There was little to no sport anything in those page. Why are the pages of a sport magazine filled with mostly naked women who are neither playing sports nor have played sports?
It offends me, this objectification of women.
Posted by christina at 4:14 PM | Comments (1)