Thanksgiving

I think I may have set a new record for myself this Thanksgiving in highest number of unique beds slept in over 6 consecutive days: 6.

Maine has become a very sentimental place for me. In fact, I started crying when we drove through Augusta, because goshdarnit, I love that town. The weirdest part of this vacation was definitely the realization that I do not have a home anywhere in the greater Augusta area anymore. I had just finally gotten used to the fact that I lived in West Gardiner, not Augusta anymore, and when I went home from school that's where I would be going home to. Not that I minded being a guest at my friends' houses, but still, it was just odd to think that I didn't have the option not to be. I've moved around a lot in my lifetime, but Maine has definitely been the state I associate with leaps and bounds above any other place I've lived.

Anyway, not all of this trip was sentimental. In fact, very little of it was. The majority of the rest of the trip consisted of wine, buying expensive clothing at ridiculously cheap prices, wine, eating turkey and leftover turkey and even more leftover turkey, wine, watching Harry Potter, you thought I was going to say wine, driving all over creation, watching a thunderstorm/blizzard, sending lots of text messages, and generally being crazy.

Unfortunately, due to lack of any semblence of planning or ability to transport myself places, I didn't get to see a lot of friends I would have liked to. Hopefully by the next time I'm up there, I will be a functional human being and have a car of my own. Or alternatively, you guys could come visit me in Alaska! Mmm?

Another exciting thing in Maine was the sudden existence of cell phone towers! I got perfect reception everywhere I went, no matter how remote, which is more than can be said for Pittsburgh, the urban blackhole of cell phone reception.

According to Rand McNally, we logged 275 driving miles while in Maine (not counting the 13 hours it took to get there from Pittsburgh). Here is a map of what my trip would have looked like if Maine were a map and I looked kind of like a giant blue-green millipede:




In conclusion, I vote Maine gets moved closer than 13 hours away from Pittsburgh.

Nothing.

I'm at work right now and have nothing to do. It' s pretty weird having a job where sometimes I just sit around do whatever the hell I want. This is a nice intro to the real workworld.

Turkeyday

For those of you who don't know, I'll be in Maine for Thanksgiving, staying at the Chesley household. Since my current residences are in Pittsburgh and Alaska, it may be awhile before I make it back to Maine again, so give me a call while I'm there! November 23-earrrrly27.

Lizardo, Cr4m3n & Myrak

I was just flipping through my pictures on Picasa (the best program ever, and everyone should get it) and found these two shots of my dorm room's message board from last year. It made me remember just how ridiculous my room actually was last year, I'd kind of forgotten!

CRP@CMU

Today I started my new job as a research assistant for the Center for Risk Perception in the Social and Decision Sciences department. Basically they had me get a feel for what it is that they do there (I still have no clue) by watching the final products some of their old projects. One of them was an informative CD about herpes, its prevention, its social stigma, etc. The computer they had me sit at to watch it was directly next to the main entryway for that section of the department, so needless to say it was awkward watching the section of the video about herpes and STD prevention where it showed how to put on a condom, as many people walked by while this was happening.
Overall, it looks like they do some pretty cool stuff at the CRP, and I'm excited to get started with the cybertrust and bioterrorism projects that are just beginning, and figure out what the heck it is these guys do!

Awyeah

I had a very long, amusing explanation of all the crazy things that happened this weekend, but Firefox decided that it will never be posted. So, here is a highly condensed version:

I turned 21.
I completed the rite of passage by vomiting in a bathroom in a bar.
I made it to all of my classes and work.
I purchased alcohol 5 times, and only got carded once.
I threw a totally badass party, which was loads of fun.
I got serenaded!
I spun my buggy in the chute.
I bought 2 gorgeous dresses.
I made an enormous amount of beer sausage.
I probably shouldn't have survived.

This weekend was pretty much the best birthday weekend of my life. Thanks for making it awesome, guys!

November 3rd, 2005

And just like that I'm 21.

Mattress Factory

For my Consciousness and Cognition class today we took a field trip to the Mattress Factory (a modern art musuem, for those of you who might be under the crazy impression they make mattresses there). Unfortunately we only had time to walk around the second floor, which was the floor of "Dark Pieces". Basically they were minimalist (verrry minimalist) exhibits using light as the only medium, but they were so cool.

I would really like to go back and check out the rest of the museum; anyone else up for a MF run this weekend?