1. check
2. check
3. check
4. check
5. check
6. check

to be continued.

Happy Thanksgiving!

I'm thankful that I'm warm and well fed and have a good job and family. I'm also thankful that I can afford to see my family and friends in Illinois this weekend. And I'm thankful for a holiday entirely dedicated to the one thing I am really good at: EXCESSIVE FEASTING.

Have a slice of pie for me, with extra whipped cream. Hell, just have the whipped cream.

living in the future

Let us never speak about my public speaking skills again.

Here are things I'm looking forward to, in chronological order:

1. Drinking beer after study group tomorrow. Study groups should not exist without being coupled to beer drinking.
   
2. Going to CHICAGO. And drinking beer there.
   
3. [Possibly] Making out *
4. Thanksgiving with Shelby! And my family.
   
5. SHOPPING. And drinking hard liquor. With Shelby!
   
6. [Possibly] Making out *
   
7. Seeing my grandparents for the first time in sooooo long. I am a terrible grandchild.
8. Seeing Fastball at Cat's Cradle!
   
9. [Unlikely] Making out **

* Social activity + alcohol ingestion substantially increases probability of making out
** Except in North Carolina, the Bermuda triangle of make-out prospects

Neuro, I can be your boyfriend

Hi, I'm elyse. I listen to Jens Lekman for hours instead of practicing presentations about songbird behavioral plasticity. I dance to the Rolling Stones in my underwear every time I get through a page of a paper about depolarizations in macular tissue. Whatever! I'll just go be a roadie if they kick me out of grad school! That's just as good as having a PhD. My family will be so proud.

Oh, God! What have I done! I came to grad school to have some fun!
The clock on the wall says 4, 5, 6 !
My heart's just not in the scientifics!

Public speaking

Last time I had to give a presentation, it was only five minutes and I spent a neurotic four days practicing and still went dry-mouthed as I stood in front of 20 people with a powerpoint. LAME.

This time I'm taking the maverick approach. I've got a half finished powerpoint and I'm walking around my apartment talking to myself about birdsong. That's the same as "preparing," right? I DO WHAT I WANT.

I've got one of those brain tumor headaches today. It's only on one side of my head, which is new and strange feeling. Owww.

Days that I've been saying I need to go to the doctor: 123
Days that I convince myself that doctors won't help: 123

All right then. Let's not mess up a good thing.