Me and the Punks

I have survived my first week of Biology at UTexas Austin. We are focusing primarily on cell biology and the Eukaryotes! Yippee! I'm a nerd!


















Above is a Eukaryotic cell structure. It's the stuff inside our cells. It includes one of my favorite words: "endoplasmic reticulum."

My professor is your classic, text book biology professor. He looks like a chubbier McFly and sounds a lot like him, too. Today he gave us a lesson on attending class regularly, and followed it by saying, "But, I am your teacher and not a preacher." Are you getting the picture?

Still, no matter how dotty or sweet and soft spoken he may be, there is no excuse for rudely packing your things 5 minutes to the end of class - while your teacher is talking. I take deep breaths just to keep myself from standing up and yelling, "Sit your punk asses back down!"

If you are wondering what it's like to go back to undergrad (when you have a master's degree), it's not easy. I am there to learn and it's apparent every day that I may be one of very few in my class. Last week the kid next to me was sleeping - ON THE FIRST DAY! Today, the girl in front of me was playing solitaire on her computer.

I guess the real take away from this experience - and a positive one at that - is that I can truly see through my classmates how much I have grown as an adult. I am so vastly different from them on that level. Getting older does have some perks.

Event Planning and Katie - Like Oil and Water

There is nothing more I despise in life than planning a work event. My arm muscles tense up from the mere thought of it. I would rather be in charge of creating long excel lists, fetching coffee or taking a hot poker to by inner nostril.

But, here again, I find myself tasked with leading our team to our annual sales meeting this year. I don't doubt for one second being a woman with some experience managing events has something to do with it. But, in general, I feel pretty strongly that women across industries globally are looked to more than men to be the event planners. And, I think that's horrible.

Every fiber of my being revolts at planning a work event. It never represents my best work, and only serves to show what I can falter at and what I can get wrong.

I vow, never, no matter the circumstance, will I plan another work event after this one. They'll have to offer me a $100,000 bonus first.

Happy 2009

Wow! I've been away for two whole weeks visiting my family in San Francisco and now I am finally back to take on the new year.

It was a fantastic time away in one of my absolute favorite cities. I just fit in San Fran. It's a sophisticated city with very minimal pretension and lots of things to do in a beautiful setting. Hiking, running, kayaking, biking as well as wine tasting, museum going and food exploring. Spending so much time with my brother, sister-n-law, parents and two of the sweetest kids alive - my three-and-a-half-year-old nephew and one-and-a-half-year-old niece.

Now that I'm back, I have a full-plate of activity ahead for the spring. Orientation for UT starts next week. Studying for the GRE starts as soon as I can get my a** motivated. Starting work on my plot in a community garden begins this weekend. Here's to not killing vegetables.

Pictures of the garden plot forthcoming.

Merry Christmas...Damn It!

I am officially saying Merry Christmas to everyone I see. I am done with "Happy Holidays!" It rolls off the tongue more easily now because it's been beaten into my brain since high school that Merry Christmas is offensive, not inclusive and not p.c.

But screw it! I am no longer living my life by the creed of what 2% of the population thinks. Real people say Merry Christmas, or Happy Hannakah or Happy Kwanza. They don't diminish the significance of this time of year with the generic, "Happy Holidays!"

I feel my sentiment is recognized by millions out there, and you will see in the next few years, Christmas make a come-back. Hannakuh will make a come-back. Kwanza will be even better known.

So, Merry Effing Christmas!

The Chuck-La

It's 10:20 a.m., and I just polished off the second half of my amazing burger from last night. The burger just a few of us in Austin call the Chuck-La.

I'm not sure where the 'La' came in, but the Chuck part is short for the Ground Chuck Burger from Hyde Park Grill.

Oh.My! It's damn good. I actually don't even like Hyde Park Grill that much, but when you sit up at the bar and sink into a juicy burger and crispy fries that are surely laced with opium, you begin to love the place.

Eating Chuck-Las, exploring the hill country and crashing Christmas parties is how I spend my time between semesters. It ain't bad. Ain't bad.at.all.

Getting Intimate with Austin...Again

A long, long time ago, in a parallel universe far, far away before organic chemistry destroyed my social life...I knew Austin. I knew her well.

I even wrote a blog post listing out the first half of all my favorite things about Austin. Unfortunately, I never got to my promised second half of that posting. But, I'm glad for that. Truth is, there are more than two halves of why I love Austin. There are too many interesting places, people and activities to boil down into just two blog posts. Like a distant wife whose interest in romance has dwindled, I had little time or energy reserves for romancing Austin. But, now I'm back. Back to love and play in Austin....for at least one more month before spring semester.

Here are some Austin past times I took part in this weekend:

Enjoying creative personalities and talented artists who architect their own homes in edgy, genuine, fun shack infested East Austin. Here is just one hazy picture of the house I had dinner in on Saturday night. It shows the large sliding glass wall that opens up into the kitchen:


Crashing Olivia's Christmas Party. Olivia is a new restaurant on South First, and their Christmas party was at Momo's downtown. Black Joe Lewis was the entertainment. My friend and I were the some of the only people dancing. What is it with white people?! Black Joe Lewis captures the essence of James Brown, Marvin Gaye and later day Van Morrison. Is it possible to stand still while you watch them? Absolutely not!


Now, here is a picture of something I normally do every Sunday, but didn't get time to this past weekend. Below, witness a picture from the best Mexican breakfast in town. Or, easily the best in my part of Austin, Hyde Park - Julio's. Notice how mangled and curly the bacon looks. It's that crispy. Best bacon in town and anywhere.




So, a sampling of why I love Austin. Some extra gems from the weekend that were not photographed were:

• Walking by the Shipe Park tennis courts in Hyde Park to see doubles being played by 4 old hippies in ripped off jean shorts, shirtless and playing with wooden rackets avec long white beards and sweat bands.
• Sipping coffee at Quack's Bakery listening to two old friends catch up over music and bands in town. "Guess who is back together?" asked the one man, to which is friend replied with joy, "No! Not the Ass Monkeys?!"

There you have it....Keeping Austin Weird!

The Last Days of Organic Chemistry

Orgo Chem, I knew thee well.
Oh, how you made my life a living hell.
But alas I study for my last big test,
And to you, farewell, I wish you all the best.

For some other co-ed, you will torture and mame
They may drop out of pre-med, their life not the same.
Twenty years later they will look back with hate,
Oh, organic chem, how you twist people's fate.

It's a bummer, you know, this ochem of lore.
If you're doing it well, you must be a bore.
A nerd or a freak with a "beautiful mind,"
For the rest of us real folk, a pain in the rear-hind.

But, you'll haunt me no more, as I defeat the Alkenes,
the Alkynes and bonds, the rings of Benzenes.
I am done with you now, as I shred my last note,
The fat lady had sung, and that's all she wrote!