Tales of the Cruzinator

winter is pretty peaceful...even if it is a torturous run..

2010-02-17T22:50:00.005-05:00

Today was the day after yesterday's marathon including a final + intense day of shadowing at Brookdale hospital. I was actually a trooper initially and went to school events this morning, which were poorly attended and participated (for good reason). However, after arriving 20 minutes late and 20 minutes into sitting in lecture #1, I was D-O-N-E DONE! So as soon as lunch hour hit, I peaced that EFF out and took the rest of the day off. YEA! Am I a rebel or what!?!

The highlight of my day was a winter run in Prospect Park. Mind you, I HATE running. I get really bored especially because I'm not that fast nor do I have that much stamina. However, last week at some point I was so antsy because I had been working out a lot and was getting used to my regular dose of endorphins. So the BIG surprise was me actually taking the long loop and running the whole thing, albeit pretty slowly but at least I ran it ALL. It was a really AWESOME run, maybe because it was empty and quiet or it was the lake scenery with the ducks standing on the frozen ice. OR MAYBE it was because my mind was still numb from yesterday and couldn't think about the torture I was truly undergoing. I mean ANYTHING is more fun than studying. haha. In conclusion, I'm gonna skip school to do it again tomorrow. TAKE THAT downstate!!! Bring on the endorphins, it may actually make me like running and winter...

i believe the sole purpose of the olympics is to inspire...at least me if no one else...

2010-02-16T22:09:00.011-05:00

So obviously, the olympics have been the head honcho of sports recently, and for good reason: it is one of the rare times when the whole world can participate in athletic competition. It's not just watching football or hockey or baseball which is so focused on US athletes, and US male athletes at that. This time, you get to see all these rando sports that you never think of, and see how good people are at it.

Just today, I was able to tune into many more events from the virtue of my ass-backwards schedule. And as a warning, I actually think all the sports are pretty cool, but these two particular ones never cease to amaze slash confuse me.

Yes, I shall THROW you, and you will morph into a triple salchow (NOT sow cow)- Do you remember back in the day when it was Tara Lipinski vs. Michelle Kwan for the gold? Tara Lipinski looked like a duck b/c of her fat lips and was also the first person ever to do a triple loop/triple loop combination, which resulted in the stealing of the gold medal from michelle kwan? Yes, fun stuff and crazy gravity defying moves. I was reminded about the crazy aerodynamics of ice skating today when watching pair skating. The dude basically picked up his partner and THREW her and she went straight into a salchow jump. (for reference, check out this quick youtube link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yh_E8nBCgmg) I mean, WTF, that could be confused with domestic abuse: "Yes, doc, I THROW my partner's body around. No there is no trouble at home, that is my occupation." BUT, when you put on ice skates and a sparkly outfit, throwing your partner becomes quite the respectable and awe-inspiring maneuver. Amazing? YES. Confusing? YES.

tea pots and brooms in the olympics: the perfect sport for cinderella. Today there was a TON of curling on tv (This was the most dramatic picture of curling that I could find on the internet.) and usually, I'm not a big fan of sports commentators. I find they don't do that great of a job of enhancing the viewing experience. However, the commentators for curling are actually really good, because they explain what is going on in this quixotic sport. One thing they were talking about were the real careers of these olympian curlers since curling isn't really a sport that you can do full time and avoid being homeless. (When was the last time you saw a curling match come to your hometown?) So the US team is comprised of a bartender, IT guy, and construction worker. The fourth guy who was like 20-something decided that after the olympics it was time for him to find a career, just like what some post-college grads must deal with. I just assume that he was living in his mom's basement. so the moral of this story is that it is still VERY POSSIBLE for ME to become an olympian. Maybe I won't be able to compete in tennis or volleyball, but CURLING is a very viable option: doctor-ing during the week, BAD-ASS curler on the weekends. Oh, I'd do it.

In regards to the Olympics, I may definitely be a bit biased as I am a HUGE sports enthusiast in general, but you gotta admit, the olympics is an amazing thing. 2 weeks of non-stop events..kind of like field day in elementary school but vamped up so it's not just trying to catch a waterballoon so that you can tease team red or blue or whoever your nemesis might be. It's about proving yourself, about representing your country while you do it, and about the GLORY. So let the olympics ROCK ON and maybe one day, I can be lucky enough to be part of it: player or doctor. I'll take either.

The quest for the meaning of life....

2010-02-15T16:53:00.008-05:00

For the past couple days, I've been studying at Blue Marble, a local, organic and DELICIOUS ice cream shop around the corner from my apartment. I've always gone there for the awesome ice cream but recently, I've been in search for new study locations when the Brooklyn Public Library is closed. What I have found, is that studying in an ice cream shop in winter is a fabulous idea! In addition, I've been observing the kids coming through and have found that this is where truth and inspiration lie: in the simplicites of life by people (albeit little people) who have not had their lives complicated just yet.

Therefore, I have decided to revive my blog from the dead, in the hopes of finding and documenting inspiration in my DAILY life, in an effort to stimulate my mind and remove myself from the jaded world of medicine in which I live.

Now I will share with you a count down of my Top 3 inspirational moments of today:

3. FUN Emergency: so you know those carabiners, that are usually used to clip nalgene bottles or those new metal cancer-free water bottles to a backpack for easy and quick access to rehydration? Today, I saw a dad with a backpack and on his carabiner was a toy truck = Easy and quick access to FUN. a.k.a. Fun should always be available at your fingertips.

2. Going straight for the good stuff: Often times, food is concocted in particular combinations, perhaps to enhance the greatness of one ingredient. For example, icing that comes with cake or fries that come with a burger. Eating it together makes it THAT much better. But what if you just went straight for greatness? ex: cream cheese on a bagel (cream cheese being the greatness, in my opinion). Today, one kid was eating a bagel face first into the cream cheese side. The result was cream cheese all over his face. Going with your gut and having proof, huh kid? I can do nothing but salute you.

1. The ULTIMATE solution for the savory vs. sweet breakfast debacle: so this age old debacle has plagued brunch enthusiasts for ages. Should I go with the banana-walnut-chocolate chip pancakes with a side of whipped cream or 2 eggs, overeasy, with sausage home fries and a side of wheat toast? Today, the frank solution was so clearly revealed to me. This one kid was taking a bite of a buttered bagel and then the next bite of vanilla ice cream. so simple, yet mind boggling.

In conclusion, I find that the truths of life are found when you recognize the simple things: whittling down the dilemma into its simple parts and getting down to the heart of the issue at hand. Perhaps it is the observation of the simple things, not only of the children who visit Blue Marble ice cream parlor, but perhaps whatever is around you, to find inspiration in the drab, jaded world that can be medical school and winter in NYC.

Over and out.

back from the depths...

2009-06-07T17:51:00.007-05:00

so i notice it's about 2 years since my last post and i've been talking to ppl about how i have a hibernating blog. as a consequence of this, along with an important milestone in my life (the end of first year of med school), i'm going to resuscitate my blog and document my ridiculous thoughts about life, mainly for my amusement but also maybe for others, too.

this weekend, my friend marius came to town and i think i instilled in him the greatness that is BUBBLES. such a fun toy for all ages and makes EVERYONE smile. especially when you have a bubble TOOLSET as i do. just imagine a swiss army knife style bubble wand. GENIOUS!

among the plethora of toys i have for the park, bubbles is indeed within the top 3 of my favorite, with kites and frisbees also in that elite category. pinwheels are just short of being in the group that exudes AWESOMENESS but still an excellent form of entertainment when you really are supposed to be studying in the park, not playing. ;)

you would probably mistake this blog post for a 13-year-old. no maybe less, more like 8 (not a whole whopping 24) but i pride myself in being 85% child, 15% adult. maybe thinking young will keep me young. at least that i'm counting on.

the gold mine that is rockville, md

2007-10-21T11:21:00.000-05:00

So in running errands yesterday, I took the initiative to look for an Asian grocery store. Why? I'm not really sure. I think it's because I've heard that the smashed up suburbia that is Rockville, MD has a lot of Asian food stores and I guess I was in the that ismood to get out of the house and do stuff. Upon the search for the one on Rockville Pike, I stumble upon a Ten Ren Tea House!! =) Yes, so hidden in one of the million strip malls in Rockville lies 1 of the 2 Ten Rens in MD and it's 10 minutes from my house! It had totally made my week knowing that fate led me to live in a place where there is a Ten Ren so nearby! I shall indeed be going every week from now on since Ten Ren will never be this accessible to me ever again. Dangerous in a way because Ten Ren = $3.15 + gas + ton more calories I don't need. Oh well.

2 sad points of my discovery:

1. There is no frequent buyer card. If they did, Ten Ren would be losing/gaining much business from me.
2. So I don't know what goes on at this Ten Ren but customers are not allowed to pick their own straws. WTF? That is totally the best part of the bubble tea experience. I guess I can't really complain because it's so close to my apt. but still. it's weirdd.

sigh of relief

2007-10-04T15:17:00.000-05:00

so i have indeed made it through half of oct. Time is just flying with all this stuff keeping me busy. there's always work and classes are getting pretty old since they basically are after work and keep me from finishing my last secondaries. but i officially turned everything in this past monday and it feels awesome! so i'm celebrating with happy hour tom. woot! now it's just the waiting game which i'm ok with for now..but likely not for long....

so last weekend i went to chapel hill to see roy and his boys....yes, i went down for late night as well as seeing everyone. it was such a good time and i miss it so much already. late night was nuts, tho! there were fireworks and fire torches!!

and liquid pleasure, roy's fave band.

lots of dancing and funny and corny skits. besides the girls getting shafted in their late night appearance, with non-working sound and homemade (not professional) skits, it was a fabulous time and i forgot what life was like down there. i def took it for granted BIG TIME. hence i bought all this new stuff that i always wanted but never needed. i still don't need it but since i get paid a whopping $12 an hour, i felt i could splurge a little. lol. but i'm planning my next trip back soon! it's a bit of a distance but soo worth it. i'm def glad to be in a city again but its just a different culture down there. and really feels like a little slice of heaven. =D

ok getting ready for bed. no internet at work so i'm reveling in it now. but i'm gonna start writing more on my blog from now on...

trying to survive september

2007-09-08T17:53:00.000-05:00

As the summer has come to a close, the chaos in my life switches modes. This summer was basically running around to hang out with everyone and stressing out at work. Now, post-Labor Day, it is about secondaries and classes. Getting secondaries done is pretty time consuming, especially after work. But then throw in classes at a totally school at freakin College Park, and that equals me running around Maryland trying to get all my stuff settled. Luckily, it's all getting done but slowly, with lots of mistakes along the way. I guess they are trivial in the bigger scheme of things. My goal is basically to survive September, get through secondaries and get used to the routine of class after work and then actually being able to hang out on the weekends in DC. haha. try not to be pulled away up north. ;)

heading into labor day weekend

2007-08-26T18:29:00.000-05:00

so unfortunately, it is the last week of the summer. yes, tomorrow is the start of the US Open and labor day is quickly approaching. been such a good summer. very quick, very busy, very exciting but also very sad in thinking about what chapters have ended in my life.

as I work on my secondary medical school applications, I think about what's in store for the future. there is so much to look forward to but at the same time I'm a bit terrified. just hoping for the best, i guess. it will all work out in the end, i know. but it's really easy to just say that....

gone to carolina in my mind....

2007-08-19T21:59:00.000-05:00

so it's been such a good summer. done some amazing and fun things and i don't want summer to end at all. but now i realized it is coming to a close when I heard that it is fall fest right now. yes, at this moment, people are partying and reuniting in chapel thrill for another wonderful year and i am not there. =(

thinking about it, i shouldn't be so sad. i took fall fest and everything at carolina for granted for most of college. and now that i know everyone is back and i'm not..it's something i don't know i'm ready for. i've been so stressed out about work and med school apps that i forgot that i'm graduated. and now i'm so ready to go back and be in that little slice of heaven that was home for 4 years.

so those 4 years went by way too fast and the next years will go by faster. i remember this very event last year when i was sooo excited to be a senior, seeing all these ppl who were my unc family for the last 4 years. it was as if it was yesterday when we were listening to rat jackson one of the many times. every fall was soo exciting and it never ended through springtime when we had to leave for summer.

but carolina will always be in my mind esp. this week. at least i'll have my carolina wall montage in my room to remind me of tarheel country and the carolina blue blood in my veins....

helllooo!

2007-08-02T21:04:00.000-05:00

so it's been a while...i've been busy as a working girl! (minus taking any sort of ferry. lol). i'm becoming closer to a real person..going to work...doing lots of productive things in lab..coming home and going to the gym...going to bed and doing it all over again. after 3 weeks or so, its no longer novel so i'm trying to truly transition into my new life after college. the true test is after the summer, when there is cold weather and not as many things to do on the weekends. That's when i'll actually explore dc. ;)

Today, i went to happy hour which was very fun. good times all around. hung out with the roomies and other IRTAs. i think it's a preview to this upcoming year in general where I'm learning about work and lab and science as well as how i really spend my free time. hopefully i can fit tennis into the mix.

on that note, US Open is on its way. just a month in my future and i shall be experiencing the tournament that is better than christmas! fo real! unfortunately, i know spending money on the legg mason is not worth it so i shall have a countdown to the only time i spend signif time in queens. lol.

i do really miss nyc esp. since every1 is home after graduation. but i shall be back soon enough. =)

DC!

2007-07-14T13:22:00.000-05:00

so i've survived my first week of work...bogged down the bureaucracy that is the government. hopefully by next week i'll actually be doing something other than reading immunology stuff all day long. =)

i've also moved into my apt and it seems like almost everything is in working order. of course everything except my room is empty so that a bit sad still but the roomies are moving in soon so it will be a nice abode soon. my room is yet to complete yet but at least i have a working comp now! haha. no internet at work yet so internet at home with a working computer has spoiled me. lol.

so now i'm still completing applications. they are almost done..really they are. It's hard to get everything in a nice package as i edit and re-edit. but i'll be really excited to submit it and wait for secondaries (crossing fingers).

alright time to pick up a desk and bookshelf. that should be fun. perhaps a desk will give me focus. or at least a place to put all my stuff. =)

as the realll life begins...

2007-06-29T12:36:00.000-05:00

so i would say that i officially became a real person on wed. jun 27, 2007. i say this b/c all the things that happened on wed. which i will list for you right now.

1. stupid computer to be fixed with the warranty quickly winding down and having to wait for that ish before the trek back to nyc. that thing is dying and i need to buy a new comp.

2. moving out of my apt in college for good which including get rid of furniture and the like.

3. saying goodbye to CH and evrybody and everything that comes along in that package

4. getting a flat tire in the darkness of the nj turnpike by myself at 11pm and having to get a brand new tire

and now i'm back in staten being a waste of life as usual. trying to get thru med school apps, packing, and moving. so i'm a real person now still stuck in si mode. greattt...

break time!

2007-06-21T16:40:00.000-05:00

I just read my last post and I sounded so happy and carefree. Yes, about a week ago I was quite optimistic about life. After a week of total stress, I am quite content again. Now, I'm getting really sad as I will be leaving Chapel Hill forever. I'm moving out early next week and heading for staten before making the big move to DC. Housing was a bit of a disaster but my roommate and I eventually found a good place. It has a pool and a gym! woot! I'll put pics once it looks like someone actually lives in there. lol.

So now on the To Do list is furniture and med school apps. a.k.a. my personal statement and my activities list. i'm just going to crank it out and then take a break and then revise. revising is so much easier! it's a stressful and scary but as my advisor, Dr. Salyer, said today, "You've done all you can do and you've done a lot. You have to put it in the hands of others now."

Ok, break time over now. it's go time.

ps- go heels in the college world series! =)

back in the homeland

2007-06-12T15:10:00.000-05:00

So I've finally returned from my European escapades. I'm back to the homeland, back to reality. At least it's summer and we have warm weather. And no school! yay! =)

Instead, I'm looking for housing and applying to med school. thank goodness i have a frickin job! there's so much going on and it all takes initiative on my part. in HS, ppl told you what to do and where to go. in college, it was less but there was still a general timeline of how things had to happen. Now, it's ALL on my own. I could get it all done today or it could take months. Not that big of a deal but much bigger deals then anything I have had to do before I think. =/

Anyways, I'm back in Chapel Hill trying to be responsible. NY is like a playground for me so there was no way anything was going to get done there. At least down here, there are almost no distractions. haha. This weekend I'm going to finish up the housing issue and meet one of my roommates. It will be nice to get that done!

I guess my last thing is talking about my trip. There was so much going on that I haven't even gotten to getting my pics up. It was really fun, saw sooo much stuff. I was really tired and ready to come home after a while but I def want to go back for more! =)

Ok back to med school apps. Stay tuned!

reflections as the celebration concludes...

2007-05-14T00:23:00.000-05:00

So I have just realized the real reason why blogs are kept. I've known that it's the documentation of life but it's also the documentation of feelings so that they are never forgotten...

Today, I graduated from Carolina as part of the Class of 2007. It's truly been a year of celebration and I cannot believe that it is over. It's been such a great time here at Carolina and even through all the struggles, I cannot imagine being at any other place for college. So as I reflect on this weekend's events, I'd just like to document what this weekend really meant to me.

First of all, it's been a celebration with my family and all the hard work and support they have provided these 4 years. I was so happy to share my second home with my family and can only hope that they might understand what this place means to me. To my Ninang Baby and Ninong Zarding, I feel as if I am also their child these 4 years. Their support throughout my years have been invaluable and they have been such an integral part of my life here. From birthdays to basketball and football games and just random visits and meals, they have made me feel like I was at home and welcome in this state of NC. To my Ate France, her love for Carolina is just bountiful and I only now figured out what she really meant. I didn't believe her at first to tell the full truth, but I went on faith that I'd love Carolina at least a sliver as much as she did. It turns out that I may love it just as much or at least at a very close second. ;) To Mom, Lisa, and Ate Chrissie and Ate Bilet, there is endless support from so many states away. They helped me realize tat I was able to come home to NYC whenever I was homesick but also that NC is another home to me. The millions of phone calls made me feel that they were still right next to me just as in childhood. I don't know if I could have done it without them. Finally, Ate Florence. I just don't know what my life at Carolina would be without her. For sure, much more difficult. From day 1, she was awaiting my arrival to NC with a big basket of goodies to fill up my dorm room and she never left my side. There have been numerous rides to the airport, many nights on her futon with Fable in and out of site, millions of trips to Harris Teeter and Walmart, and just the love and support throughout my educational endeavors. I am so grateful to have her and Paul, for I know my college experience would just not be as complete.

I have also celebrated with my family here at UNC and it really is my second family. I came to Carolina not knowing a single person but I leave with a huge family and a trunkful of memories. As one of my best friends who I have met on day 1 in HJ Classic, Laura, said, "By the end of senior year, you just collect people." It has been one of the most true statements I have ever heard. It is this family that has helped me through all my hardships and helped me celebrate my accomplishments. I have never felt more at home than I do here and I appreciate the support from all the people I have come to know. I know I could not be where I am right now with your help. I have come to realize that this huge family is unique to Carolina and that I am one of the luckiest people in the world.

Finally, I'll just end with how the conclusion of this chapter in my life has affected me right now, in the spur of the moment. I won't admit that it has hit me now because I am sure this is not true. I will just explain what this weekend's events mean to me. With all the graduation ceremonies that I have attended (4 in total), it did not hit me until now at 2am, the following day after all the festivities. I was asked by my family on the way to the airport, "Were you sad at Commencement?" And, my gut feeling was "No, not at all. I was sadder at the Penn graduation." I didn't know how to verbalize what I was feeling. Then, Lisa (the voice of reason) said, "Ate Chrissie's graduation was about leaving Penn and everything there. At your graduation, everyone just wanted to play the beach balls." And I thought, "Well, that was exactly what I wanted to do." I realized that I wasn't sad at all and that thought made me sad. Then, I remembered the take home message: "Go do good in the world as a Carolina Grad. Then, come back home. Always, come back home." It came to me that it wasn't like Carolina was going to be left behind but will always be a part of my life forever. I was not sad I was leaving because I was so excited to be able to come back home and make my university proud as I just felt so incredibly proud to be a graduate of "the best public university in the nation." It was Commencement and my EXSS graduation ceremony where I truly realized my incredible home and the expeiences I have had at this extraordinary place.

And so, I sit here typing away what should never be forgotten and all I want to do is stay awake and type forever and not lose any time here at Carolina. But, I will retire, as sleep has been sparse this whole week. It has truly been one of the best weeks of my life and I cannot believe it is over. I kind of wish I could ask my Dad about some wisdom about my feelings right now because I know he was very wise. I hope he just watches over me and perhaps transcend the courage to walk away from this wonderful place and move on to the bigger and better things where I can accomplish all that my potential can achieve.

Until next time....

GRADUATION!!! =D

2007-05-04T06:56:00.000-05:00

so apparently, i'm a really, really bad blogger. I forget that I have this thing so it just doesn't get updated. Perhaps when there is less going on (like when I start working) I can be better about it. =)

so since spring break there has been TONS going on! Tons of awesome stuff that is!! =) After spring break, I came back and basically cranked out the rest of my thesis and defended and was recommended highest honors! woot! my committee really liked it and despite the lack of sleep in that week due to my defense, 2 tests, a paper, and a ton of meetings, it still turned out really well. For the first time, I was pretty satisfied with my presentation! And they loved my graphs and tables. Thought I should teach a class or workshop! It was really satisfying and now I'm working towards publication which equals more work but will def be worth it!

So April has been really chill. Not a lot of work but a lot of hanging out. Been very busy doing the hanging out thing. haha. I did present my thesis again as an oral presentation and like everyone I knew came! It was so weird having that much support that I freaked out and was a bit nervous. Could have done better and wish I had re-done it but it appeared that everyone was impressed anyways. lol. whatevs. I also went to Myrtle for Easter with the fam which was really fun. Played bar golf a couple times which is my fave game right now! Saw Joey Gladstone during one round of bar golf, too! It's been so much fun and I don't really want it to end. I could only hope college was like this past month although the past years have been great too. Just more work was interspersed with play. ;)

Now, after 2 finals and 1 left to go, I'm waiting for graduation. Just chillin and finding stuff to occupy my time. I have plenty of productive things to do and they'll get done eventually. haha. I have done my graduation portrait a la Sears! They are very cute, very cheap, and very much same day prints! hehe. I got wayy too many pictures but they were really fun! This pic is my fave! I have also planned for after graduation. In May right after graduation, I'm going to Europe for about 3 weeks: 1 week with Nicole, Molly, and Dara in Montpellier, Barcelona, and Lisbon and then 2 weeks with Mom and Lisa to survey all the big cities in Spain. Very excited that scheduling worked out so well. It should be lots of fun! Then, June, come back to Chapel THRILL to apply to med school. Then, July 9th working at NIH. I'll be working with CGD in the lab I first interviewed with. Should be really cool! Now I'm looking for housing although I have found a roommate which is a relief! =)

Ok, well I'm going to nap a bit before trying to be a person tomorrow. Going to actually be productive and then going to see Rod Stewart for FREE! yup, free tix from the hospital. haha. it should be fun, not as fun as bon jovi, but what are ya gonna do?

Stay tuned for more to come!!

back from break!

2007-03-19T12:18:00.000-05:00

so spring break just ended and it's back to reality again. i ended up going home to good ole staten and had a good time. got lotsa stuff done like eating good food and fixing the lil altima. i also had a job interview at NIH in DC at the end of the week and hung out in DC for some time. spent the weekend in chapel thrill for st. patty's day and worked on my thesis. productive weekend although it was somewhat cold.

i guess the most exciting news is getting a job for next year! yayy! i won't be on the streets...although i will be living close to poverty level. haha. i'm waiting to hear from a few other labs before I make a final decision but it's good to have somehting. next is finding housing. the most annoying part of life. haha.

anyways, thats it for now. defending my thesis the end of the month and so that will be over by april and then its time to apply to med school. i'm excited b/c my timeline is very lax and i can live my last couple months in chapel hill to the fullest! =) gonna end it with a BANG!!

in the lab...

2007-02-09T12:52:00.000-05:00

So I'm in my psych lab right now..writing in my blog. GTs!! I used to do this as a frosh when I was waiting to be given something to do. lol. I think it's crazy b/c I was in this lab at the start of their major project..doing very very preliminary research and now we are about to distribute our 2nd survey! It's really awesome to see it all happen and be involved in all parts of the process. ok, I'm a dork like that, so sue me. haha.

So I've just been going along my senior year...figuring out my schedule as usual, doing what needs to get done for school, also looking for a job and trying to get spring break together. It's so much nicer now without a standardized test looming over my shoulder. ;) Spring feels good, let me tell ya. So does basketball season: 2 games a week and carolina bball con fuego! I love it. I love school here although I'm done with NC in general. (which was def confirmed yesterday after talking with my fellow shaolinite!)

So my comment for the day: did you know that the name Rex is not short for anything? Wouldn't you think like Rexard or like Rexlin or something. Nope! It's just Rex and it means king. It is Reyes in Spanish. So would you name your kid Rex? I think I would. It's cute. So in looking for the elongated form of this name, I came upon the oxygen network babynamer website. At first, I thought it would be some normal website until I came upon the drawback feature that lists all the names a person with this name could be called. It is awesome! You don't even have to think anymore, you just have to look online. Yoo easy, guys..where is the creativity and wit? Anyhow, it's fun and you see what crazy names people have been called in their lifetime. haha. good stuff! http://tools.oxygen.com/babynamer/

slacker

2007-01-21T18:14:00.000-05:00

whoa, so clearly i'm a huge slacker and i haven't blogged since sept. lazzzy! busy really...last semester was crazy. i just read my last post and it sounded like i had all the time in the world. not really, not at all. being a senior in the fall totally just got away from me and i'm sure that's how spring will go too! boo!
right now, i'm chillin in my apt. trying to get stuff done. i'm kind of in queue right now but i'm sure monday will hit and my mailbox will be full of stuff for me to do. but as i sit here in queue watching seinfeld (the best show ever!!), it's the speed dial episode! anyways, i'm browsing facebook and found the awesomest pic ever!!
um stalker, much? yes, it's the hansbrough fam. i looove it! facebook is my BFFL. haha. i wish i had more profound things to say but whaatevs. i got nothing escept go heels! beat arizona!! =)

procrastinating...

2006-09-16T20:41:00.000-05:00

so i wish i could write on this thing every day. Lots happens to me each day and i ALWAYS have commentary...ALWAYS! and i decided that long posts, although i love to write them are the most annoying things to read. Too much text to be reading at once on a screen. Too much. Take, for example, lisa's blog from rome. it's a really good blog, very detailed with good pics. HOWEVER, it took me 30 min. to read 3 posts today. that is clearly too long to be reading a blog. i don't even spend more than 5 min. on facebook anymore, which sucks now by the way. except for the free songs from itunes. that is the shit, yo!

so now i am procrastinating from doing more work. i've done a lot today and even yesterday: working out, cleaning the whole house, volunteering at the hospital, doing a lot of school work, and even more! life has been good so far. just had 1 exam: evolution. blood diseases exam next week. it's very busy but that's how i like it. i might even take on another thing or, too. why not? i'll never have this kind of time in my life ever again. =) plus, what the hell else am i gonna do here in, nc? nothing that's what i thought..haha...and you can only get so much of tv, internet, and friends...get me to a city, a novel sporting event, bar trivia, or just a change from the norm. as long as i don't have to do all my work! ;)

as the summer ends...

2006-09-06T01:39:00.000-05:00

So lots has happened since the last post but since i happen to suck, i can't remember to post my ridiulous life...but i'll actively try from now on..=)

i guess the main post is about the end of the summer and what is the highlight of the end of the summer and the start of real life again (a.k.a. back to school)???...US OPEN!!! yea!!!!

so i have been going since i was about 5 years old with the exception of that 1 fateful year: my freshman year of college when i didn't think the trip to nyc was necessary...well, that blunder was fixed immediately the next year...and since it has been..well 15 years now, any pic would be cliche in my opinion b/c each year is a unique experience. besides, after a good 20 min. of google searching, it looks like only corny, cliche pics are taken nowadays. very sad.

so this year was ok. only ok. there has been crazy rain-outs, but it looks like the sports admin ppl don't know how to deal with it and the players are suffering..playing everyday for a few days with a day's rest. waiting in queue for a chance of dryness. cramping, etc... it's quite ruff. and then there are all these commercial additions and such. it is growingly apparent each year and the only saving grace is the inherent amazingness of the first 2 days of play through friday of the first week...and next year, i will return to the normal and attend like a real tennis fan..not like the riff-raff one sees on the weekends. RIFF-RAFF!

so saturday was rained out and sunday was only okay despite 2 washout days and 2 other half-days of play. it should have been amazing but since it wasnt, i'm glad there have been 2 more rainouts to stick it to those ppl high in the food chain of us open admin b/c they are gonna lose crazy money next year. HA! there's karma for ya, BIZ!

But now i'm back in NC as a senior in college. WHOA! it's been fast with lotsa bumps..but a good ride generally. but as i said earlier, the us open does signal back to school and to start to get my ass into gear...for the last time for reall....sigh. i'm gettin reall old..esp. when half the players in the Open, I hardly know and they are all my age and younger ( i coulda been there..haha..i would never do that to myself..i only liked the free stuff and signing autographs part of it anyways...lol). and the ppl i grew up watching are now in the us open 'masters' or 'champions' is what they call it now. it's a new generation...with only corny pics to document it. =/

so i'd like to end with a memory of the old crapppy US Open layout. oh it was CRAPTASTIC...but it had crazy NY character!! i grew up with that and still think it was amazing to this day. with tiny cramped stands, hidden nooks for eateries, and autograph-rich locales..all documented by that one seinfeld episode, one of the best if i may say so myself. R.I.P. old, crappy NTC. i wish i could eat a good ol' messy ice cream sunday and be on tv...just like george...

weekend update

2006-08-06T21:36:00.000-05:00

so it's sunday evening and it's time for a weekend update, as i have much commentary on the recent events...

so yesterday, saturday, i went to new hampshire for the first and probably the last time. i never envisioned myself ever traveling around new england nor venturing farther north than boston but i found myself going to hampton beach in new hampshire yesterday. i went with my friend sam from unc and her friends and it was super fun. i heart the beach and it had this boardwalk just like seaside and wildwood. it was cute and i got ridic tan. now i look like i experienced summer. yay! anyways, good times at the beach. =)

and today i went to the museum of science in cambridge. it was pretty cool. i guess being a science dork allows me to gravitate towards it. but when i walked around i realized how much i do know and how far i've come from being one of those lil kids running around to being almost done with college with a bunch of science classes under my belt. it was kinda neat esp. when watching some of the really complex videos and models and stuff. the stories and explanations were for kids but the visual part was really complex and actually really advanced...like a video for making proteins had this crazy 3-D animation using the space-filling model at speeds close to reality. i was staring at it for like 5 min just trying to figure out the picture. dork, much? yes, no question. the other thing was that i walked into like the math exhibit looking at some of the models and inventions and i'm just like whoa, this is still and will always be over my head. but all those math ppl are really frickin smart to be able to think that way. and then with some physics exhibits like lens and sounds, i just cringed b/c although the exhibits were cool, fun and interactive for kids, i was haunted by my physics problems in class and mcat that always kicked my ass. so in turn, i selectively browsed through exhibits that ranged from being uber cool to just plainrevolting. i guess the awesomest thing was the live animal show. they showed a meer cat as seen in this pic. and guess what? they travel in gangs. now that's the kind of gang i want to join: those crazy meerkats. althoughjust a warning: i won't eat bugs, i just won't do it, kids..no way.

finally, a commentary on my fam. so everyone's fam as their own idiosyncracies and stuff. they are always quite random but also fun in my opinion. so for my fam it's this late 80's through the 90's entertainment thing. um, random i know. and it's not like new millenium entertainment (after 2000) as none of us know any tv now. but ask me or my sisters any question from the 80's/90's and if we don't know it definitely, we probably have a pretty good guess. for example, at bar trivia last week, the question was, "The show the Family Matters was a spin off of another show. What was that other show?" And without any hesitation but perhaps some recalling from the depths of my brain, i confidently wrote down "The Perfect Strangers." My team was skeptical although I was POSITIVE. and of course i was right. i dunno if anyone else in the bar got it but i kinda doubt it. just to check that i was not random, i emailed my lil sis lisa and asked her the question and without any hesitation the answer came: "perfect strangers, harriet was the elevator operator" AWESOME. we clearly watched a lot of tv. finally, as a last confirmation, i asked older sis christina. again, some thinking to process the question but with all the confidence in the world: "perfect strangers." um, ok, the cruzes are a lil too random with this trivia. now this kind of knowledge is def trivial. but we all have it and that is why you want US on YOUR trivia team b/c we can pull the random answers for ya, no prob.

ok that is all for now. ps- i don't know why i like blogger better than xanga..mayhaps b/c xanga is outdated and too azn for me. i've grown up a lil and have graduated to more adult things. HA. jk!

Once upon a time...

2006-08-05T07:35:00.000-05:00

So I have decided to create a blog. Normally, I would not even think of creating such things but a few reasons have prompted me:

1. Blogs are fun. I like reading YOUR blog and I want YOU to read mine. =)

2. Perhaps my random thoughts are actually pearls of wisdom that only become meaningful when documented and read multiple times in post-hoc.

3. I have graduated from xanga and onto new and better things.

So here goes...