bedhead

This is a crappy picture that really makes me want to zoom out, but it's the only documentation I have to put here on this blog.

This is how I slept last night: less comfortably than usual.

Not only did I have the nasal tube (pictured) going in my nostrils and held in place by tape on my cheeks (that stuff kind of hurts to take off, which I didn't consider when I put it on), but I also had EKG strips stuck to my skin, three different belts strapped around various portions of my upper body, and a device (with a red light) wrapped around my finger. Each component had a wire connection going into a monitor (held in place by one of the belts). Holy batman, wires everywhere! It was strange.

I would show you a picture of all the wily contraptions, but my "pajamas" (read: undies) aren't exactly kosher for the blogosphere. TMI? Probably.

Why was I doing this, you ask? Well, I'm participating in a study that involves sleep monitoring. Duh. I'm actually not even sure what they're trying to figure out, but they told me I could get $50 for each night I slept with this stuff attached to me. So I'm all like, booyah, baby.

vocabulary

For GRE prep, I've been working with Tim on compiling a vocabulary list, which involves finding words, looking up their definitions, and making flashcards for them. He's taking the GRE again next week in preparation for PhD applications, so I thought I'd take it with him this time . . . I might go to grad school in the next couple of years. Also, I like to commiserate, I guess.

This vocabulary list is frustrating a little bit because I keep discovering that words I think I know the meaning of actually have different definitions. For example, I just looked up the word nonplussed. I have used this word several times to mean something like "totally unaffected; indifferent," but it actually means "bewildered, confused, perplexed." Having the wrong definition in my head seems worse than not knowing the word at all.

On an unrelated note, I'm enjoying listening to music via Spotify lately. I listened to all of Bon Iver's semi-new album on it recently and enjoyed it. Also, (the semi-new album) Helplessness Blues from Fleet Foxes is nice. I like the title track:

a scan job gone awry

This amused me:

mmm, hamburger

The other night, I woke up around 1 a.m. from dreaming about a big, juicy hamburger. Tim suggested that we go to In-N-Out, which is open late, but that wasn't quite what I was imagining.

Where does one go to get a fresh burger with a thick, juicy patty, anyway? Also, since when do I dream about food?

revolutionary

I just vomited for the first time in probably 15 + years. NBD.

Ever thought about how many words there are for this? I found a site called "339 Puke Synonyms." Which ones are your favorites?

biffed it

I don't remember the last time I fell flat on my face. Before yesterday.

Well, actually, it was probably winter 2008 when I fell hard on the ice on my way to campus one cold and icy morning. Someone asked me if I was okay and I wanted them to go away. It hurt. But I'm over it now.

Yesterday, I happened to fall flat on my face in public as well. I was heading to the Trax station from Temple Square, and saw the train rounding the corner as I was waiting to cross the street. When the little green man indicated that it was safe to cross, I broke into a slight run (I can only do so much in a skirt, really) in order to try and catch the train.

I thought hope was lost because the train stopped at the station long before I got there. But then it waited, and  kept waiting, so I continued to walk/jog/run to the train. As I was striding across the platform to meet it, I tripped on a grate that was sticking up and fell. Flat on my face. Seriously. I looked like this, kind of:

I bruised my hip and skinned my elbow and knee, but I got up quickly (without looking around or making eye contact with anyone) and continued to the train, which was still conveniently waiting. Then I pressed the "Open Door" button. But nothing happened, and within just a second or two, the train was on its way.

Curse you, Trax!

emergency accident

Last Tuesday, I stopped by Smith's in the morning on my way to work to get some bread for a fondue shin-dig that was happening during the day. When I went, I was reminded of the sale: buy 4 participating General Mills products for $10 and get 2 gallons of milk free. Good deal, yeah? And since the deal ended the same day I stopped at Smith's, I figured I'd take advantage of it then.

Then I had the dilemma of what to do with the milk. Do I go all the way back home and then go to work again? No, that would be silly. I went on to work. I left the boxes of Corn Chex in the car and carried the milk, both gallons, up to my floor's break room and went on.

When I left for the day, I got the milk and got in the elevator. I used the thumb of the hand I was carrying one gallon of milk to press the elevator button, and the milk decided to press the emergency alarm button. I heard a bell ring but nothing seemed to happen after that. I didn't really stick around the premises long enough to find out, though.

technology magic

So I've been rereading Harry Potter recently. I spent most of my day on Saturday reading the fifth book, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. In fact, I read the entire thing on Saturday. Seems unhealthy.

As I read I keep thinking how, for us Muggles, technology is magic. What are Harry, Hermione, and Ron doing in the library searching for the perfect charm in order to enable Harry to stay alive underwater for an hour? Why aren't they Googling this? Also, why are they sending letters by owl post when they need to contact someone urgently? The Muggle world uses "fellytones," especially mobile phones, don't they?

The magical world of Harry Potter seems pretty behind the times in some ways.

the "random" feature on NPR

NPR's morning edition usually does a random news tidbit. You can read such stories on their website in the "Strange News" section. I like to call it the "random" feature, though. They're usually like 30-second blips.

Often, these are the stories I remember for a long time to come, not the important or compelling ones. I still remember the story about a couple who got married on New Year's (see? 8 months later here, folks), who were married on a boat in Pennsylvania and jumped into freezing water. A wedding to remember, or something.

This morning's story totally made me chuckle on my morning commute, which is a pretty big feat. It was about a London aquarium that acquired a new exotic fish. This fish was apparently quite fat, because his previous owners fed him a diet of straight chocolate. To wean him off his chocolate diet, the aquarium folks fed him fruit with Kit Kats crushed inside.

It reminded me of that cookbook with kid-friendly recipes containing hidden ingredients, usually unappetizing to children, but very nutritious.

I think we can all learn a lesson from this story.

a song for your day

Please enjoy.