Biscuits and Jam

450 entries tagged with mit.

Almost There (July 25, 2004)

Today, I realized my fridge was pretty bare, so I went out for lunch. I bought myself a sandwich at the new Mariposa Bakery, near Central Square, which is where Cezanne Bakery used to be. I got a ro...

Mmm, cake! (July 24, 2004)

I can't wait to live with Patrick! I hope we can get some good cake to celebrate both finishing our masters degrees. I think we can arrange for that :) I haven't had ice cream cake in forever, what...

Pack, Pack, Pack (July 23, 2004)

The building outside my bedroom window is getting really tall! I'm not sure how much higher it'll go. And I won't be here to see it, because I'm leaving on Monday! Yay! I'm going to miss a lot...

A very very good day! (July 21, 2004)

I'M DONE!!! I don't know if it has really sunken in yet, since I wasn't totally sure today would be the day. But I'm pretty sure it's for real. So I sat around all morning trying to fill time a...

Gidjittery (July 20, 2004)

I'm nervous and excited and all sorts of other things! I have my thesis presentation tomorrow, and I might get my thesis signed then too (I dropped it off at MIT's copy center today, and they'll have...

Presentation run-through and laptop woes (July 19, 2004)

Life is good :) Things are progressing well here, and it looks like my presentation on Wednesday is good to go! I went through it with Anne today, and she said she likes it! There are some changes ...

Gondola Man (July 16, 2004)

We held a surprise wedding shower (after the fact) for Anne at group meeting today. We chipped in and got her and her husband a romantic gondola ride on the Charles River. No accordion player. I've...

Fly away home (July 15, 2004)

I don't think I've mentioned that I'm irrationally worried that there'll be a terrorist attack during the Democratic National Convention. I mean, there is a better chance of something bad happening ...

Cautiously optimistic (July 14, 2004)

I'm in a good mood today. My thesis presentation is in a week, barring any bad news, and I feel like I'm getting really close to being done. I'm trying not to get too excited, in case something goes...

Dog tired (July 13, 2004)

I'm back in Boston, and I'm sleepy! I tried to sleep during my red-eye flight last night, but that didn't work too well. I'm going to sleep well tonight though! Yesterday, I finished my journal a...

Bedtime (July 12, 2004)

We're back in Palo Alto after our whirlwind visit to Southern California. I have to go to bed soon, but here's an overview of what happened, since I'm not sure when I'll have time to write in detail:...

All thesis, all the time (July 9, 2004)

My thesis revisions are finally done after three days of work (although I assume I'll have more to do once Anne takes another look at it). Tomorrow, we'll be driving down to Southern California for t...

Recap (July 7, 2004)

I should write an entry before I forget what we did today and yesterday! I should also work on my thesis, but I spent most of today doing that, so it can wait a little longer. Let's see...yesterda...

Barbecue (July 5, 2004)

Picture time! Here are a few pictures from around the cottage: � Light coming in through the bedroom curtains in the morning � Mama laptop and baby laptop, with the Tour de France in the backgro...

This is what summer should be like (July 3, 2004)

I'm safe and happy in California! My flight was delayed last night, so I got in pretty late. Patrick's living in Nat and Sara's cottage now, which I kept forgetting. I expected us to go to his old ...

Sneak attack! (July 1, 2004)

This morning, between snoozes on the alarm, I heard something rattling in my room's air conditioning vent. And a bug came flying out! Eek! That got me out of bed really quickly (my bed is right next...

Roasted Asparagus (June 30, 2004)

I like skinny asparagus! I got some at the store today and roasted it. Tasty! I also bought Cocoa Pebbles on sale today, and I have to say, they aren't nearly as good as Cocoa Krispies. Bu...

Like I'd say "fab"... (June 29, 2004)

In the neverending process of reducing the number of belongings I have to move to California (I'm shipping a box of stuff every day or so, but there's still a lot left), I'm throwing away some recipes...

Linguine with Clam Sauce (June 29, 2004)

I just had a delicious dinner of linguine with clam sauce. It's one of my favorite meals from my childhood, and it's so easy to make! Here's the makeshift recipe I use: Ingredients: linguine ...

Monkey face! (June 27, 2004)

For the record, here's what my haircut looks like when I let my hair dry normally (with a little anti-frizz serum for good measure). This is me making a monkey face (not intentionally, but that's how...

You're so vain... (June 26, 2004)

I had an unplanned day out today. I called Liquid this morning to make an appointment for next week, and it turned out they had an opening today at 3:30, so I decided to go today and spend the rest o...

Good Friday (June 25, 2004)

I had a very good day today, probably because I didn't go to work until noon (I spent the morning reading over my thesis draft one last time before handing it in--104 pages long at the moment!), and w...

Orzo, Shrimp, and Feta Cheese (June 24, 2004)

I had a good dinner tonight: Orzo with Shrimp, Feta and White Wine. The only changes I made were adding in some green onions and using peppercorn feta instead of plain. I was going to make som...

Chocolate Mice (June 23, 2004)

Before I leave Boston, I'd like to visit L.A. Burdick Chocolate, in Harvard Square. Apparently they make cute little chocolate mouse truffles with almond ears. I don't have strong feelings about cho...

Vacation, All I Ever Wanted! (June 22, 2004)

All sorts of stuff happened today! First, I met with Anne (yes, again! She can't get rid of me lately), and she said she thinks I'm done with my lab work! This is of course assuming the surface a...

Nailbiter (June 21, 2004)

So, big research day today. I sent off all the membrane scraps I could scrounge up to Quantachrome, our new source for surface area measurements. I'm not sure if I sent them enough membrane though (...

Stupid Raisins... (June 20, 2004)

Yesterday morning, I decided that Total Raisin Bran has way too many raisins in it for my liking. So this morning I picked them all out and ate my flakes with a sliced banana and whole milk. Ha! Ta...

It could be worse (June 19, 2004)

So, I had an impromptu meeting with Anne today (I felt bad, since she just got back from a conference, and here I am, barging into her office on a Saturday to make her talk about my results). For th...

Old Mother Hubbard (June 17, 2004)

Today I shipped my sewing machine back to California. On Monday I shipped a box full of my old lab books. I figure if I send back all the stuff that I don't use very often but want to keep, it'll ma...

Mental Health Day (June 16, 2004)

So I have gone to work every day for the past 29 days. Even when Patrick visited, I still went into work every day (to attend to an experiment that I was running). Anyway, 30 days just seems like fa...

Trying to be optimistic (June 13, 2004)

I met with Anne today to go over the results from my most recent two-week-long experiment. Unfortunately, she didn't pat me on the back and give me my masters degree :( But she did say that she thin...

Rice with Crab, Squash, and Sun-dried Tomatoes (June 12, 2004)

So even though I still don't know when I'll be done at MIT, I'm in moving out mode, packing up stuff I haven't used for two years (like old lab books and stuff), and trying to use up the food in my cu...

Belated Good News (June 11, 2004)

Oh, and how could I forget to mention--Patrick is done with his Master's degree! He passed all the required tests and classes, and now he just has to fill out some forms to make it official. I'm pro...

Oh, the Torture! (June 11, 2004)

Patrick moved into our cottage last night (well, it'll only be our cottage for the summer--we're subletting it from Nat and Sara). He also made a trip to Crate and Barrel, where he bought us some gre...

Materialistic (June 10, 2004)

Today I went to the mall in between experiments at work, to get my watch battery replaced (it stopped running on Tuesday, and it's very disconcerting not to have a functioning watch on my wrist). The...

Pictures from this weekend (June 9, 2004)

Pictures from Patrick! A close-up of my labcoat. Click the picture to see me in my protective gear, getting ready to do some acid-wrangling in lab on Sunday. Here's Patrick and me reflected...

It's like summer! (June 9, 2004)

Patrick's gone again. He left this morning at 6:30 (crappy early flight), and now it's almost time for me to go to work like it's a normal day. I'm sad. But here's what we did yesterday: Since I...

Spicy! (June 7, 2004)

We didn't do anything too interesting today, but I'll write it all down anyway, for posterity. First, we headed to work so I could do a few things in lab. I felt guilty for leaving after an hour, ...

An expensive but fun day (June 6, 2004)

We had a fun day today, despite it being rainy and cold (in June!). Oh, but first I should mention that I gave Patrick a surprise present last night (just for being done with quals and because I like...

Jam + Cookies = Good! (June 5, 2004)

I just finished making jam cookies. You know what that means (or at least I do)--Patrick's coming to visit! He'll get here late tonight, and he's staying through Wednesday morning. I can't wait :) ...

Banana Nut Muffins, Take 3 (June 3, 2004)

Yesterday, I decided to use up all the frozen bananas in my freezer ("all" being 3), so today I bought some vanilla yogurt and made some more banana nut muffins. This time, I made normal-sized ...

Rainy June (June 2, 2004)

One of life's small pleasures is walking home in the pouring rain, then taking off all your wet clothes and putting on nice dry pajamas. I spent most of my walk home smiling like an idiot, anticipati...

Almost There... (June 1, 2004)

Good news--Patrick passed his quals! Well, he got an M.S. pass, which means he gets his Masters (assuming he gets an A in the class he's taking this semester, which seems pretty likely), but if he co...

Grad student work ethic, Indian food (May 31, 2004)

There was hardly anybody at work today; in fact I think there were more people at work yesterday. Now that I've started working on weekends and holidays, I've realized that most grad students don't w...

Schnell, Schnell! (May 30, 2004)

I had a good day at work today. I got results that actually make sense! And I think I even know what I did to make them better, so I can keep doing it and make my results more reliable from now on. ...

Not Much (May 29, 2004)

Okay, that's it--no more forcing myself to write every day; I'm only going to write when I have something say. We'll see how that goes... Here's a picture of the progress on the building outside m...

Yowza! That's one pricy appendectomy! (May 25, 2004)

I forgot to mention yesterday that I got a letter from Blue Cross with a summary of the charges for my appendectomy. The hospital charged Blue Cross over $15,000 for everything! But I only owe $115....

Mixed Bag (May 24, 2004)

A mixed bag today: I met with Anne today about my results from this weekend's marathon XPS session, and we came up with two more experiments for me to do, which will take about three more weeks, ...

Red Lentils with Cauliflower (May 22, 2004)

Whoa, two food posts in one day! So this post is about my dinner, Red Lentils with Cauliflower. See, a symptom of my desire to graduate and move to California is that I want to clean out my cupboard...

Fiddlehead Ferns (May 22, 2004)

Today, at Mike's urging, I bought a handful of fiddlehead ferns from Star Market. There was no price posted for them, but since I only got a few, they were only 75 cents (turns out they're $5/pound)....

Good Pants (May 21, 2004)

I wore my happy striped capri pants today (that picture is from almost a year ago, when I bought them). They remind me of the beach and California because that's where I normally wear them. It's...

All about Donuts (May 20, 2004)

A labmate of mine has brought in Dunkin' Donuts (leftover from the breakfast he has to buy for his undergrads during finals week, since he's something like an RA) for the past two days. For some reas...

Weekend Recap (longwinded as usual) (May 18, 2004)

Vacation recap: Saturday: We started out our Saturday by going to Filoli, which I'd been wanting to visit for a long time. I think I was expecting it to be more like the Arnold Arboretum, all s...

Home again, home again (May 18, 2004)

I'm back in Boston. When Patrick and I said goodbye at the airport this morning, he said maybe this will be the last time we have to say goodbye at the airport. That made me happy :) But it's prett...

Appendectomy followup (May 13, 2004)

So I just got back from my appendectomy followup appointment at the hospital. It was anticlimatic, but I guess that's good in this case. The appointment was scheduled to be an hour and a half long, ...

Ja, ich kann Deutsch sprechen! (May 9, 2004)

I was thinking today, while sitting in the XPS room, that I should learn French. It would be useful if I ever go to culinary school. Of course, I don't know how long it would stay in my head. I too...

Maybe I love Flour a little too much... (May 7, 2004)

I've realized that it's been far too long since I've been to Flour! Patrick and I were thinking of going when he visited, but the whole appendectomy thing got in the way of that. Unfortunately, I ha...

I la-la-la-love my la-la-lasagna! (May 6, 2004)

Mmm, I just made a pan of eggplant and zucchini lasagna, one of our favorite recipes (we're becoming grown ups!). Patrick is also planning on making some tonight, way over in California. It's like w...

Dental No Go (May 3, 2004)

Well, no dentist appointment today after all. I got as far as reclining in the dentist's chair with a bib around my neck and having the dentist poke at my tooth, but that's it. See, the power went o...

I'm Gross (April 30, 2004)

Ooh, I wish I were wrapping up my thesis right now and could be done a week from today. But that's out of the question. It would be so nice to be close to done. Oh well, I'm aiming to finish in the...

Assortment (April 29, 2004)

The weather was beautiful today. I put on real clothes, and we went on a very slow walk to the post office and grocery store and sat in the park for a little while. It made my back sore to stand up ...

Naan and Wedding Thoughts (April 28, 2004)

Yet another successful post-surgery dinner tonight. We ordered a bunch of Indian food from India Pavilion (via Dining In), and my stomach seems to be perfectly happy with it. Phew! I had coconut so...

Recovering (April 27, 2004)

So I'm making good progress food-wise. I started this morning with a smoothie, then worked up to applesauce and cottage cheese, then toast, and then a burrito! I know, not exactly good recovery food...

Brave Like Madeleine (April 26, 2004)

Okie doke--the most current news first: my appendectomy went smoothly, and I was released from the hospital around 6pm today. Patrick postponed his return flight to California until next Saturday, an...

But It's Vestigal! (April 26, 2004)

This is Patrick. Caitlin and I went to Mass. General Hospital yesterday afternoon and after being poked and prodded and scanned for a long time, the doctors finally decided around midnight that her s...

Appendicitis? (April 25, 2004)

I'm kind of worried. I think I might have appendicitis. See, all day yesterday, I felt kind of bloaty, which was unusual, but not bad enough to do anything about it. Then, around bedtime, it starte...

Dinner at the Rialto (April 24, 2004)

We had a good day today. I had to go to work for a few hours, unfortunately, but Patrick patiently accompanied me--what a man :) We also got ice cream at Toscanini's (flavorwise, I had khulfee and c...

More Spring (April 22, 2004)

I love spring! This is the view out my office window. If only my camera were better. If I had extra money, I'd buy tulips and daisies to bring home with me. Maybe I'll do that when Patrick a...

Yes, I'm talking about bacon again (April 19, 2004)

This afternoon, the elevator in my dorm smelled very strongly of bacon! And that made me want BLTs, like my mom used to make in the summer when I was a kid, with tomatoes from our garden (if I'm reme...

Mystery Trees (April 18, 2004)

I love spring! It's not totally here, but a few trees are really getting going. Like these stubby trees with big white flowers. There are some at the entrance to MIT, as well as outside my office w...

Poppies... (April 18, 2004)

Wouldn't it be beautiful to be married in a field of poppies? Unfortunately, Google leads me to believe that all the good fields are in Europe (or Oz!). If only we had our own property (right by the...

Mmm, Scallops (April 17, 2004)

Today was gorgeous, and even though I had to be at work for most of it, I managed to get outside at lunchtime. I'm sick and tired of bringing my own lunches every day, so I figured I'd take myself ou...

Eh... (April 16, 2004)

Well, after going to group meeting today, I don't think I'll be making the May 7th thesis deadline, so that means I'll be graduating in September instead of June. Not a big deal, since (according to ...

Fragile (April 14, 2004)

Pretty soon, I won't be able to see the Boston skyline anymore! Good thing I'm clearing out of here anytime now (I still have no clue when it'll be exactly). I was feeling sad today, maybe bec...

Split Pea Soup (April 11, 2004)

So, back to more mundane entries (but I'm sure there'll be some wedding-related thoughts popping up now and then). Tonight I made more soup, this time my mom's Split Pea Soup. I'd been meaning to ma...

Freak Out! (April 9, 2004)

Stressful day today, but not all bad. I got my thesis back from Anne. She had some very nice things to say about it, and there weren't that many changes she wanted me to make (mostly rewording thing...

Too much rain! (April 1, 2004)

Today has been all rainy and gloomy. The walk home was no fun; my socks got wet and my umbrella kept blowing inside out (it sucks). But then I got home and took off my wet clothes and put on pajamas...

Mario! Mario! (March 31, 2004)

I just got back from a rainy night at the opera! It was no fun walking around in the rain, but at least I opted to wear warm clothes rather than a dress and fancy shoes. There weren't very many peop...

Popeye (March 30, 2004)

Ick! I just ate a lot of spinach, and now I feel all queasy. Maybe my body can't handle all the vitamins and healthy stuff. They're making good progress on the construction site across the st...

Milestone (March 29, 2004)

Eek! I just gave my thesis rough draft to Anne (it's at 79 pages right now). I hope she likes it! I'm afraid she'll think I'm not using enough scientific vocabulary, but maybe it's okay because it'...

Is it spring yet? (March 27, 2004)

The tables and chairs are back out on the patio of the building across the street! Spring is coming! This past week, I've spent a good part of my walks to and from work looking up at the trees, sear...

Lentil and Sweet Potato Soup (March 26, 2004)

I had a good dinner tonight. I made lentil and sweet potato soup, cornbread muffins, and some salad so my dinner wasn't entirely yellow. The soup was a combination of Clotilde's recipe and Mak...

Anticipation (March 25, 2004)

I don't think I've mentioned that I love my Converses! It took a few painful days to break them in, but now they're super-comfy, and it makes me happy to wear them. Only I think I'm a little more pr...

Chocolate and Zucchini (March 24, 2004)

I spent a good chunk of time last night reading through Chocolate and Zucchini's archives. I'd glanced over the site before, but it just sucked me in last night. Clotilde is about my age, and she li...

Soup time (March 23, 2004)

Yesterday, I made some Pumpkin and Shrimp Bisque, and I got to use my stick blender! I ended up using lime juice instead of lemon juice, and the stupid store didn't have any fresh sage, so I used dry...

Crazy! (March 22, 2004)

Patrick is on an airplane to Japan right now! He's going there for a computers conference, plus a week of exploring. I don't know how much I'll hear from him, but I'm excited that he gets to go on t...

New stuff (March 21, 2004)

I got my meat thermometer and stick blender yesterday! I can't wait to try them out. The stick blender had all of these confusing pictorial instructions with it, but I think I can figure it out. Wh...

Buzz (March 20, 2004)

It's the first day of spring break, and I'm at work. Well, it's not even really spring break for me, since I'll be working all week long (I get my own mini-spring break in a few weeks, even though go...

Taco Bar? (March 18, 2004)

I got lots of work done today, which made me feel good. I don't know if the results will be good, but at least I tried! I found out today that we'll be having a taco bar at our group meeting tomor...

Votes for Women! (March 17, 2004)

Last night, I went to a SP women's group meeting, where we watched Iron-Jawed Angels and ate good snacks. It was a good movie (especially considering that it was made by HBO instead of released in th...

Picture time (March 16, 2004)

It's snowing! But it was nice out yesterday. Here are some pictures from out my window: And a bonus shot of the sunset yesterday. Is spring coming soon?...

Major Screw-Up (March 15, 2004)

So I did my taxes last night like a responsible adult, using the H&R Block online form. It certainly was easy, but unfortunately, I made a big mistake and didn't realize it until I'd already submitte...

Wistful (March 13, 2004)

This weekend is all about doing work (research, CyberSense, Sidney Pacific, and maybe even my taxes if there's time). So that means I don't have much of interest to write about. I wish I had time to...

Tarragon-Grapefruit Roast Chicken (March 12, 2004)

First of all, happy birthday to Patrick! I wish I were there to celebrate with you. So last night while at the store, I noticed that they finally had fresh tarragon (I check the herb section every...

Literary (March 10, 2004)

Today I found out that Poppy Z. Brite has a journal. Most people would be interested to read her journal because she writes novels (none of which I've read yet, tsk tsk). Instead, I find her journ...

Bread-making stuff is expensive! (March 9, 2004)

Ooh, I want all of these bread-making supplies! I think the kneading mat would be especially useful, since it sucks having to scrub my table after kneading bread or making a pie crust. That would be...

Heavy (March 8, 2004)

Patrick's gone again. It's snowing out, and all we wanted to do was lie around in my room all day long, but instead we had to bundle up and walk to the subway station and part ways. Sigh...Now I'm a...

Day on the Town (March 7, 2004)

Patrick's visit is winding down...he goes back home tomorrow morning (and just in time too; it's supposed to be getting cold again here). So, let's see...yesterday, we stayed in for most of the day. ...

Pummelos (March 6, 2004)

In case you'd ever wondered, pummelos are not very good. They taste fine, but the flesh's texture is just unpleasant. Of course, this could just be a problem with Star Market having crappy imported ...

Yum, Southern Food (March 6, 2004)

Yesterday, we watched two movies: Lost in Translation and Whale Rider (we're a little bit behind the times when it comes to last year's movies). Both of them were beautiful, and I'm glad I saw them, ...

Night on the Town (March 5, 2004)

Dinner last night turned out pretty well. I made us double portions of Herbed Crepes with Smoked Salmon and Radishes, but I substituted cucumber for radishes and scallions for chives (Star Market was...

Citrus Chiffon Pie (March 4, 2004)

Patrick's here, which means this entry is about food! First of all, I made a Citrus Chiffon Pie for his visit (recipe from the Williams-Sonoma Pie and Tart cookbook, of course). I wanted something n...

Cultured, like a pearl (March 2, 2004)

I'm finally taking advantage of some of Boston's cultural offerings. I'm taking Patrick to his first musical, Oliver, this Thursday (it's at the Wang Center). It's not my favorite musical, but I gre...

The Asgard and Hart Bochner (February 29, 2004)

I realized I never wrote about our dinner at The Asgard on Thursday night. Our waitress was really nice, first of all. We (Seema, Shani the girl from the Media Lab, and me) started out with potato s...

Seema's Visit (February 27, 2004)

So I went out to dinner in Harvard Square with Mike Rust and Seema tonight. It was my first time meeting Mike, even though we both went to Mudd, and he graduated only a year before me. He and Seema ...

Sunny Day (February 26, 2004)

Seema's here (she's a candidate for grad school in the MIT Media Lab, in case I didn't say that before). It sounds like she had a great time talking to people today; I think the Media Lab is way cool...

Braised Shrimp and Creamy Endive + Baked Potatoes (February 24, 2004)

Mmm, I just had a good dinner. I made Braised Shrimp and Creamy Endive and a baked potato. I've never eaten belgian endive or made baked potatoes before, so this was a big night for me! So belgia...

Yum, Yum, Yum (February 23, 2004)

Today was almost warm! Maybe I'll be able to switch from my long winter coat back to my short fall/spring coat soon! Maybe my haircut did make spring come. I'm delusional :) There were two kinds...

Haircut Pictures (February 21, 2004)

I solved my picture problem, so here's my hair, before and after. And if you want more pictures, here they are (open in new window): Another picture of my haircut You still want to see pict...

A Very Nice Day (February 21, 2004)

[I'm having some technical difficulties, so I can't post pictures of my new haircut just yet. But I will as soon as I can...] I had a very nice day out today! First, I went to Liquid where Holly ...

Mmm, Caramelized Onions (February 12, 2004)

Yum...I just ate my leftover sandwich from yesterday's WOMS meeting (I forgot it in the office fridge yesterday), and it was still good. I love these sandwiches. Here's the description from the Rebe...

Rare Political Entry (February 11, 2004)

Oh, and Rachel told me today before our WOMS meeting that the whole anti-gay marriage Massachussetts constitutional amendment vote was happening today (I only half-watch the news, so it hadn't sunk in...

Babies and Gems (February 10, 2004)

I'm afraid I don't have much to say today. Except that the last paragraph of this entry makes me want to have a baby (someday)! And so does Baby Stuff-Item 4 of this one, while I'm at it. But right...

One More Thing (February 9, 2004)

Oh, and I forgot to mention that I officially dropped my only class of the semester today. Yay! Since I'm a perpetual worrier, I'm afraid I miscounted my units or something, and I won't be able to g...

Ideal Curly Hair (February 8, 2004)

I wonder how much work it'd take to make my hair look like this: I bet it requires hair dryers and curlers and mousse and who knows what else to achieve such nice curly hair. But maybe I'll pr...

Ribs (February 7, 2004)

I just had free dinner at Village Smokehouse in Brookline. The SP government members all went for an afternoon meeting, followed by dinner. The meeting wasn't that useful to me, but it was nice gett...

Spicy Gumbolaya, Revisited (February 5, 2004)

I made myself a big batch of Spicy Gumbo-laya tonight. It involves so much cutting and chopping, but at least it makes a bunch of servings. It seems like it's best to eat it with buttered bread, bec...

Potentially Good News (February 5, 2004)

I don't think I wrote about the class I'm taking this semester, which started on Tuesday. It's called "Design of Medical Devices and Implants," and it's a follow-up to the biomaterials class I took l...

Picture Time! (February 3, 2004)

Picture time! First, when I woke up this morning, I looked out my window and saw this: The construction guys had spray-painted "New England Patriots No. 1" on some piles. By the time I left m...

Woe Is Me (February 2, 2004)

Sigh...Patrick's headed home again. I walked him to the T stop this morning, and now I'm at work. Last night, he asked me (mostly seriously) to fly back to California with him today. But I said no,...

Superbowl (February 1, 2004)

Aside from working out this morning, we haven't done much of note today. We've just been sitting around eating leftovers and watching TV. Oh, and we made nachos (I don't have a microwave, so we had ...

Patrick's Almost Here! (January 30, 2004)

I'm less happy with my XPS results now that I've processed them. They don't make much sense. But I've got group meeting at 3, so maybe Anne will find something positive about them. Or maybe she'll ...

Babies and Acid (But Not Together!) (January 29, 2004)

In case I hadn't mentioned it, I've been making good progress on my research recently. My results are still kind of wacky, but at least I have results! It's a good feeling...And I've been working wi...

Cat and Dog and the Mixed-up Week! (January 28, 2004)

Whee, I got a package today! It was just some stuff I'd ordered on Amazon, but still...So I got some CD-R's (boring, but necessary for storing all the college notes I've been scanning like a crazy wo...

Weekend Plans (January 27, 2004)

Patrick's visiting this weekend! I have some food plans (maybe a roast chicken, if he's willing to be adventurous), but I haven't thought of anything else to do. It's cold out, so we're not going to...

Where Has the Time Gone? (January 26, 2004)

Remember that antique store with the creepy mannequin heads that I pass on my walks to and from work every day (which, incidentally, is called Sayde and Company or something similar)? Well, they alwa...

Food Thoughts (January 23, 2004)

I have spent far too much time today reading about food online. But hey, it's Friday, and I've worked hard since I got back from California, and my advisor is out of town. Anyway, The Daily Bread ha...

All About the Weather (January 22, 2004)

My walk home this afternoon was almost balmy! Weather.com said that it was 35 out at the time, but it felt more like 50 to me. I guess after the past few weeks of "arctic blasts," anything feels war...

Mmm, Bacon! (January 21, 2004)

I made a pretty good dinner tonight. I cooked some Buitoni chicken and prosciutto tortellini (that I got for free with a coupon!). Meanwhile, I fried up some bacon, then removed the bacon from the p...

Banalities (January 20, 2004)

I finally have XPS results! The machine didn't poop out on me today. Of course, I don't know if the results are any good yet, but at least it's something. Anne is going away for the next week and...

XPS - Not So Swell! (January 15, 2004)

I got screwed by the XPS gods yet again. No results today. But I'm not giving up hope--I salvaged today's samples, and I'll try looking at them again on Tuesday. The good thing is that I'm at home ...

More Magnets (January 14, 2004)

Here's a picture of my Magnetic Masters Thesis Kit. I made it say "x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy is swell". Maybe that'll make me feel good about XPS, even though the instrument keeps breakin...

Magnetic Thesis Kit (January 13, 2004)

When I came into the office this morning, there was a present sitting on my desk! Somebody had filled a white plastic canister with magnetic-poetry-type magnets with all the different terms we use in...

Brrr! (January 9, 2004)

It was really freaking cold today (it has been all week, but today and tomorrow are supposed to be the worst). Mike Wankum said we might even beat our record low of 0 F for January 9 that was set in ...

Man on the Moon (January 7, 2004)

The moon is beautiful tonight; in addition to horribly cold weather today, we also get a clear sky, I guess. And the Boston skyline is all prettily lit up, like on a postcard. I wish my camera were ...

Chives! (January 6, 2004)

I feel a little better about grad school today. I think I'm going to wait until I get my results this weekend and meet with Anne, to see what she thinks of my progress. I wish I had an herb garden...

Grad School (January 5, 2004)

Today I was the closest I've ever been to actually quitting grad school. I thought about how life is too short to be lonely and miserable for another 6+ months and how I don't feel at all motivated t...

Back to Life, Back to Reality (January 3, 2004)

I'm back in Cambridge, and I don't want to be here. Surprise, surprise. While waiting for my connection at Dulles, I considered getting on a plane and going back to San Francisco, but I didn't. I d...

Comfort (January 2, 2004)

Yesterday, I wore my pajamas all day. Patrick almost did too, but then he got a craving for pearl milk tea around 10 pm, so he put on real clothes to go out and get us some. Life with Patrick is goo...

Movies and Food (December 22, 2003)

And here's what we did today (okay, technically yesterday): Today, we slept in and then had biscuits and scrambled eggs for breakfast (I have a limited amount of food, since I'll be going on vacati...

Cookie Report (December 18, 2003)

Oh yeah, and my cookies turned out okay. The Maraschino cherries are kind of strange (the dried cherries called for in the recipe might have been better, but Star Market doesn't have anything as exot...

Lovey-Dovey (December 18, 2003)

Today is dragging on forever...See, I get to pick Patrick up at the airport tonight at 10, so everything in between now and then is just pointless filler. At least I have my research group meeting fro...

Fancy Pizza Box (December 16, 2003)

It's like I'm eating my pizza in Italy! P.S. I ate the whole pizza, all by myself. I think 4 slices would've been perfect, but instead I ate all 6. No good! I need Patrick around to remind m...

Pizza Woes (December 16, 2003)

Aww, why is Round Table Pizza only in California? I miss them! They have better toppings than these other guys. Guess I'll order from Papa John's instead. In college, Patrick and I would order fro...

Work (December 15, 2003)

So luckily the snow/sleet/freezing rain stopped last night, so this morning's walk to work was just cold and windy and a little slippery. But it was pretty silly of me to go to work at all, since my ...

Snow and Laziness (December 14, 2003)

The snow's back! Yep, we've got another weekend Nor'easter, and the news has even hauled out the Stormwatch 2003 music again. But it doesn't sound like it'll be as big a deal as last weekend's snow....

Good Research News (December 12, 2003)

Well, today I have some good research news to offset my unhappy stuff yesterday. First of all, the XPS is broken, so I don't have to come in all day tomorrow to use it! I get a real weekend! And th...

Harvard Square Adventures (December 11, 2003)

I decided at the last minute when leaving work to go take care of some stuff in Harvard Square (I was going to do it on Saturday, but I felt like being outside today would be good for me). I picked u...

Research Sucks (December 11, 2003)

Today has been a gray kind of day. It's raining heavily, and I'm just feeling down. I spent the morning learning more about the acid I'll have to use for the next phase of my research. It's carcino...

Dinner + Acid (December 10, 2003)

I'm in the middle of making dinner (this is the kind of dinner where I make one thing at a time and eat as I go along). So far, I've finished making the brussels sprouts and carrots. Stupid Star Mar...

Moon! (December 8, 2003)

Look at the moon! I know, lots of pictures of the street recently. There's just lots of good stuff to look at out my window! I don't have much of interest to say today. I have a test tomor...

I Miss the Suburbs (December 7, 2003)

I miss living at home in the suburbs and seeing all the houses lit up with Christmas lights. Nobody in my neighborhood did anything too fancy (no gaudy 7-foot-tall light-up Nativity scenes), just a f...

Snow at Night (December 7, 2003)

Yesterday ended better than expected. My results weren't stellar, but they also weren't horribly frustrating. And walking home in the snow was kind of fun, since nobody else was around, and I didn't...

Peaceful Moment (December 6, 2003)

I just ate lunch in my office, sitting on top of my desk to get a better view out the window (those are both old pictures, but it looks about the same today, only snowy). And there was nobody else th...

Whine, Whine, Whine (December 6, 2003)

Aww, jeez, I don't want to go to work today! I'd much rather sit around in my room wearing my pajamas, drinking hot chocolate and watching bad movies on TBS! But I have to go to work because i...

NYC Plans (December 5, 2003)

So Patrick and I are considering taking a little trip to New York City in two weeks when he visits. It would consist of taking the $10 Chinatown bus there on Friday morning, spending the night in a d...

Snow + Future Uncertainty (December 2, 2003)

It snowed today! That made me happy. Except that on the walk home, it was really windy and so freaking cold. That wasn't any fun. I've got a lot of thoughts about the future swirling around in m...

On My Way to California (November 26, 2003)

Only a few more hours until I head off to California for Thanksgiving! I just read my entry from last year, where my flight was delayed and I had to be switched to a different airport and everything....

Construction + Funky Potatoes (November 25, 2003)

They're driving piles for the new building across the street from my dorm. It's not very noisy, and I like watching the big machines! I wonder how much they'll get done on it before I leave. ...

Narsty (November 24, 2003)

Warning: This entry is about gross medical stuff, so if you're feeling sick to your stomach, don't read it. You know, I think I forgot to mention this factoid that I learned in class last week: If ...

Winter Vegetables (November 21, 2003)

I just got back from the store, where I bought (among other things), parsnips, cabbage, and a turnip. I've never bought any of those before. All these mysterious winter vegetables are exciting! I'm...

New Painting (November 20, 2003)

Yay! My new painting is hanging on my wall right now. I walked to the artist's studio (it's only a few blocks away from my dorm) to pick it up. He was so friendly, and he seemed a little surprised ...

Real Art! (November 19, 2003)

If all goes well, tomorrow I'm going to buy this painting from this nice guy. I'm really excited, since it'll be my first real piece of art! It's kind of expensive, but I feel okay spending mone...

Smile Boston (November 19, 2003)

This is a great idea (this artist left a bunch of his paintings around Boston for people to take for free--on the condition that they smile at strangers more often). His art is currently on display a...

Poor Pig (November 18, 2003)

My Tissue-Biomaterials Interactions class today was interesting, but kind of disturbing. See, the professor likes to give examples of clinical studies addressing topics we're studying, and today's ex...

Fire Alarm (November 16, 2003)

I've been at work since 11 this morning, and I expect to be here until 7 pm or so. At first it was fun. There was nobody else around, so I could listen to my music and dance around like an idiot in ...

Pomegranates (November 15, 2003)

So that pomegranate-opening technique I linked to yesterday worked well, although I still ended up with a few pink spatters on my kitchen walls. But I realized that I don't like pomegranate seeds too...

LiveJournal (November 13, 2003)

As of today, I have my very own LiveJournal right here. Of course, I ended up spending a few hours setting it up while at work. But I also did a lot of work today, so I don't feel too bad. My lab...

Angry Music (November 3, 2003)

I've been wanting to listen to only Marilyn Manson on my walks to and from work recently. That's not a good sign...that's what I listened to when I was a rebellious teenager in high school (I was sti...

Socializing (October 31, 2003)

Wow, I'm sore. I've decided to try making chili this weekend (again with the fall comfort food), and the recipe calls for big cans of stuff. I'm not used to carrying such heavy groceries. Oh well.....

Foliage (October 30, 2003)

I don't have much to say today, so here are some pictures of fall foliage out my window. There's also this crazy tree next to MIT Medical that has three tiers of color--the top third has no leaves, t...

Dental Adventures (October 29, 2003)

I had some dental adventures today. See, when I went in for my cleaning, they noticed one of my selants was cracked, so today, they had to sandblast it away and replace it (luckily, there was no cavi...

Future Thoughts (October 28, 2003)

Man, Paul (from high school) has it good! He recently found a job in Palo Alto at a company that feeds him snacks every day (even though he'd rather not be in the Bay Area at all). And now he's prob...

Travel Plans (October 27, 2003)

One of the things I don't like very much about myself is how self-conscious I can be. I try to tell myself that nobody really cares how I look on a given day except for me. But I still walked around...

Sensitive Eyebrows (October 26, 2003)

My hair's back to normal now--the curliness came right back when I washed it. I think the haircut turned out pretty well--the shorter layers did make the shape of my hair nicer. Good deal. I didn...

Fancy Hair (October 25, 2003)

Whee, straight hair! I love how my hair looks when it's straight, but don't get too excited, because as soon as I wash it, it'll go back to its old self. I won't know whether my haircut was ac...

Snow (October 23, 2003)

It's snowing! Now if only I could put my pajamas back on and snuggle up with a cup of cocoa and wait until it's Spring before I go outside again. But no, I have to walk to work. Oh well... Whoa!...

Snow Coincidence (October 22, 2003)

Know what's strange? Last night, Mike Wankum (my favorite meteorologist) said it might snow soon. And he said the same thing exactly a year ago, because I wrote about it in my journal. Maybe he doe...

Pumpkin Patches (October 21, 2003)

I just realized that when I was writing about our visit to Half Moon Bay earlier this month, I forgot to mention that while driving there and back, we saw a lot of pumpkin patches! And they weren't ...

Mmm, Cake (October 17, 2003)

We had birthday cakes at group meeting today. The best one was a Raspberry Chocolate Chambord Cake from Montillos. It had a yummy raspberry layer, plus it had chocolate ganache inside and on top. R...

Thank Goodness for Tunnels (October 16, 2003)

I went to the optometrist today. They dilated my pupils, so I had to take the tunnels back to my office so I wouldn't have to go out in the sun (there are tunnels underneath MIT for when it's wintert...

End of California Visit (October 13, 2003)

I'm back home and in a bad mood, as usual (compared to relaxing with Patrick in California, being back at MIT sucks every time). I didn't do much today, other than being sad that I had to leave Patri...

Good Neighbors (October 8, 2003)

My apartment at Sidney-Pacific is in a corner of the building, so I only have a neighbor on one side of me (and I have windows in two of my walls!). Last year, my neighbor liked to cook funky smellin...

Comps and Quals (October 6, 2003)

Everybody's having their comps and quals right now (well, Patrick's are later this month, since Stanford starts later). I feel left out. But I shouldn't feel left out--I should feel lucky because I ...

Butterfish (October 6, 2003)

Today when I was buying shrimp, I noticed these cute little fish for sale, called butterfish. They still had their heads on, which creeps me out, and I'm not used to preparing whole fish, but I still...

Restless (October 4, 2003)

I'm feeling restless. I've been coding for SP and watching movies all day. And it's rainy and gloomy outside. It's like the Cat In the Hat, right? The little kids get up to all sorts of trouble be...

New Laptop! (October 2, 2003)

Oops! I lost track of time because my sweet, sweet Powerbook arrived this afternoon. I told myself I wouldn't spend a lot of time playing with it today because I have things to do, but I just can't ...

Dentist Visit (October 1, 2003)

I went to the dentist this afternoon. One of the sealants on my back teeth is falling apart, so I have to go back and let them do all sorts of stuff to that tooth. There might even be a cavity hidin...

Lasagna (September 30, 2003)

I'm making more of that lasagna Patrick and I made earlier this month. Cooking complicated stuff is way more enjoyable when he's here. But now I get all the food to myself, so that's a plus :) My...

Productive (September 29, 2003)

I worked hard today, and my back is all tired because of it. See, today I had help from Will, one of the other grad students in my group. He's like the model grad student--in lab all the time, excit...

Same Old, Same Old (September 28, 2003)

I've been programming for CyberSense all day. It's rainy and grey out, so I don't mind being cooped up. Patrick got back from Yosemite, and called and told me the highlights. It sounds like it was ...

Yosemite (September 26, 2003)

I don't have anything interesting to say tonight. I hate research, but that's nothing new. It's just so frustrating. My results never make sense, and I don't enjoy it. Blah... Oh yeah, and Patr...

Sick (September 25, 2003)

First, here's a picture of the Boston skyline I took from the plane last Friday (we had to wait awhile to take off): Second, I'm definitely sick. I still went to class today, but I didn't go i...

Waiting (September 24, 2003)

I think I'm getting a cold--no fun! But I have reason to be happy all the same because my iPod and laptop bag were shipped today (the laptop itself won't be on its way for a while more)! Of course, ...

Cinnamon Buns (September 12, 2003)

Well, I baked the cinnamon buns this morning. They turned out really tasty BUT the gooey topping bubbled over and burnt all over the bottom of my oven and made my whole apartment smoky. Yuck. But t...

Good Lasagna (September 10, 2003)

We just made this vegetable lasagna (the Eggplant/Zucchini variation) for dinner, and it actually turned out good! Patrick convinced me to use real mozzarella (not the Kraft pre-shredded kind), which...

Magnolia's (September 9, 2003)

We had a pretty uneventful day until dinner today--we lounged around in the morning, then I went to class and did some work. For dinner, we went back to Magnolia's. We started with Fried Green Tom...

Less Lazy Day (September 8, 2003)

Back to work today. Of course, I only worked until 2, then I went back home to Patrick (I figure I don't have to feel guilty if Patrick's the reason I'm leaving early). After Patrick worked out an...

Lazy Day (September 7, 2003)

Today we did a lot of sleeping, eating, and walking, and not much else. But first, the results of my teeth whitening endeavor. Click here for the unflattering before/after picture. The results are ...

Fun Day in Boston (September 6, 2003)

We had a full day today! First, we went to brunch at Centro. According to the sign on their window, it was their first brunch ever, and we were the first customers--unfortunately, brunch didn't star...

Farfalle with Prosciutto and Asparagus (September 5, 2003)

Patrick just made me dinner (Farfalle with Prosciutto and Asparagus, one of our favorite recipes)--what a sweetie. I spent most of the day at home with him. We got up early and went to the post offi...

Safe Arrival (September 4, 2003)

Whew! It's been a busy day. I'm trying to finish up all my work obligations so I can enjoy this weekend with Patrick, but I'm not there yet. Anyway... Patrick got here safely last night. He bro...

Getting Ready (September 3, 2003)

I worked all hard today on research, and then I broke part of my filtration apparatus (apparently my muscles are too big for the puny nitrogen gas regulator!). We'll be able to replace it by next wee...

WB Outrage (September 1, 2003)

What the hell? The WB has replaced The Fresh Prince and Sabrina the Teenage Witch in its early evening line-up with two episodes of Just Shoot Me. That messes up my whole TV-watching routine when I ...

Hermity (August 31, 2003)

I was all productive this morning, doing laundry, vacuuming, and grocery shopping, and then I just kind of stopped. That happens a lot on weekends. It hits mid-afternoon, and I run out of steam and ...

Anticipation (August 29, 2003)

Patrick's getting here on Wednesday! We weren't really sure when he'd finish his summer internship and get here, so it's good to know now. He's going to be here for a whole week and a half! Ooh, I ...

Baking Plans (August 28, 2003)

Last night's sunset was pretty--the sun was pink! I'm lucky to have such a nice view from my apartment (I need to remind myself about the things I like about being at MIT sometimes). I've deci...

London Broil (August 27, 2003)

Well, the london broil turned out okay. I think it would be better if you actually grilled or broiled it, rather than using the George Foreman. But it still tasted pretty good. I had zucchini and o...

Beef! (August 26, 2003)

Tonight I'm going to marinate some beef! I've never worked with steak or shallots, both of which this recipe for London Broil requires. How exciting! I'm hoping to use my George Foreman grill to co...

Biscuits (August 24, 2003)

I didn't do anything too interesting today. Even though it was beautiful out, I stayed inside all day, coding and watching TV. Kind of sad, I know. I just feel less motivated to go out and do thing...

Tofu Dogs (August 22, 2003)

I had tofu dogs for dinner tonight. They're actually okay. The main drawback is they have no skin, so you don't get that great squirt of juicy fat into your mouth when you bite into them (sounds gro...

Tree and Andrew's Wedding, Part 2 (August 19, 2003)

(this is Part 2 of my story; read Part 1 first) Friday: So Friday was when the wedding stuff started in earnest, and since Patrick was the best man, he was involved in most of it (and I was lucky ...

Wallet Returned (August 19, 2003)

What a relief! My wallet is once again in my possession. The guy who found it was so nice! He brought it to my dorm, and he even taped up the seam (it was falling apart after two years of use). He...

Wallet Lost (August 18, 2003)

I had a wonderful vacation, but it ended on a sour note--I lost my wallet at the Boston airport an hour ago. I realized it in the cab home, and although I had the cash to pay for the cab in my backpa...

Yay, Corduroy! (August 10, 2003)

I lost track of time! I've been reading all afternoon, if you can believe that. I haven't just sat down and read for...at least a year. Normally I just have the TV on in the background and dink aro...

Corduroy and Brunch (August 9, 2003)

I was going to do work today, but I guess I needed a break, because I haven't done any. Instead, I did laundry, dropped off old clothes at Salvation Army, and bought a cute sweater at Gap. Of course...

Work Update (August 8, 2003)

Not much of excitement to report today. At group meeting, I reported my most recent results, which were totally the opposite of what we'd expected. They had me a little worried about being able to w...

Research Group Dinner (August 7, 2003)

I went out to dinner with my research group tonight. We were celebrating Juan's marriage, and Anne took us all out (she's so nice!). We went to an Irish pub in Kendall Square, and they had lobster f...

Service Award + Wedding Excitement (August 6, 2003)

So last night at the house meeting, they gave out service awards (they give out three every quarter), and I got one. They like me, they really like me! They gave me a gift certificate to the Cambrid...

Experimental Cookies (August 5, 2003)

Tonight is the Sidney-Pacific house meeting, and I get to unveil the new site. The whole unveiling thing isn't as exciting as it sounds. Anyway, there are still some small changes that need to be ma...

Pretty Sunset (July 28, 2003)

Ooh, sunset! Also, I made some tasty dinner tonight! I grilled up eggplant (minus the peel), yellow squash, and tomatoes on the George Foreman grill, then mixed them with toasted pine nut cous...

Ice Cream Happiness (July 28, 2003)

Our group's new post-doc is from Japan, and he brought us all presents--that's so nice of him! He gave each of us biodegradable toothbrushes (they're cool if you're a polymer scientist :) and an addr...

Mr. Accident (July 27, 2003)

So last night, instead of going to bed, I got sucked into watching Mr. Accident on WB. I have no idea why they'd even buy the rights to show it, since it was just a weird movie, and not very compelli...

Eggplant Results (July 24, 2003)

My eggplant experiment last night turned out well. Next time, I'd cut the eggplant skin off before grilling it, because the skin doesn't really have a nice texture, and you end up with pasta with a b...

Power Outages (July 23, 2003)

They kept turning the power off at Sidney Pacific yesterday. See, at first it was off to switch us over to a generator, but then the generator kept pooping out. We had outages every half hour until ...

Pittsburgh Adventures (July 21, 2003)

I had a wonderful weekend. It's too bad that every time I visit Patrick, I end up hating MIT for a few days, before I get back into my routine. Why am I here? I don't enjoy anything I'm doing; at m...

New Plants (July 18, 2003)

Last post before I leave for the weekend! Here's a picture I took yesterday. My desk has plants now: See, the same visiting professor who left behind the springform pan and pie server also le...

Working Late (July 17, 2003)

Dude, I'm going to be at work late tonight (well, late for me, not for a normal grad student). The XPS is misbehaving, so I'm 3 hours behind schedule. Oh well, at least it doesn't happen every day. ...

Eggplant and Apple Pasta (July 16, 2003)

I forgot to mention that last night I made Eggplant and Apple Pasta for the first time. It's one of the mysterious recipes in my recipe binder that I transcribed into Notepad and printed out; I have ...

Evil Eye Keychain (July 14, 2003)

One of the other people in our research group went home to Turkey for two weeks, and she brought us all presents today. They're keychains that are supposed to protect us from the evil eye. Onl...

Georgie (July 13, 2003)

The SP brunch went well. I ended up cutting fruit for 2 hours prior to the brunch, and I didn't hurt myself at all! I made myself dinner on my new George Foreman grill a little while ago. First, ...

Boston Adventures (July 12, 2003)

I was sitting in my room, feeling mopey and unproductive this morning, and I decided I should get outside and enjoy the nice weather while I could. So I did! I took the T downtown and went to DSW (t...

Good Day (July 10, 2003)

What a beautiful day! The weather's perfect (it rained last night, so it's less humid today), I got good research results, and I'm home early. Of course, I'm going to do data analysis now, but it's ...

Mmm, Butter (July 9, 2003)

I don't think I have much new or interesting to say today. I did research, and now I'm doing Sidney-Pacific stuff (it never ends, I swear--but I like being in control of the website despite all the w...

Pie! (July 8, 2003)

Making pies makes me happy (there's an apple pie in my oven right now; I'm going to try and make all the recipes in my Williams Sonoma Pie and Tart book--except maybe not the Mock Mincemeat Pie). A...

Boston Adventures (July 7, 2003)

Okie doke...all pictures are pop ups. Look out, this entry is looong! If you just want to look at the pictures, they're in my Boston photo album. Friday: We had breakfast at Miracle of Science, a...

Pictures! (July 6, 2003)

I've been going through pictures for the last few hours. Patrick finally put a bunch of pictures from the last few months online, so I went through them and picked out my favorites. I added a bunch ...

Fourth of July (July 5, 2003)

The fireworks were awesome, and I have lots more pictures from today. I'll write more once Patrick's gone and I have lots of (lonely) time on my hands. I love spending time with Patrick :) Happ...

First Tart (July 3, 2003)

Look at my tart! The recipe was from my Williams Sonoma Pie & Tart book. It tastes pretty good, but the pastry cream has a pudding-like consistency; I was expecting it to be firmer. Overall, ...

Undie Head! (July 2, 2003)

I got the best surprise in the mail today! My Auntie Nance sent me this picture, matted and framed (but the one she sent me is better quality): That's one of my favorite pictures of little Cai...

Baking Stuff (June 30, 2003)

I scored a free springform pan (and loaf pan and pie server) today! As I've probably mentioned before, two of our visiting group members (both from Turkey) are leaving this week. One of them, Metin,...

Pretty Tart (June 27, 2003)

At group meeting today, we had cake and a tart (because two of our visiting researchers are going back to Turkey next week). The tart was awesome--it was all artistically composed (tastewise, it was ...

So Hot (June 26, 2003)

It's hot, hot, hot here. It's hard thinking of things to write about when the sun is shining right on me in my computer chair. I'd rather go sit in my Poang (I love you, Ikea) where the sun can't re...

Busy (June 24, 2003)

I'm busy all of a sudden! I guess that's what happens when you have fun during the weekend instead of working. I met with Anne this afternoon, and she seems happy with the progress I've been making....

Pittsburgh Adventures (June 23, 2003)

I'm home! I had a very nice weekend with Patrick in Pittsburgh, but it wasn't nearly long enough. Friday: When I was waiting for my plane at Logan, I noticed there was a bird flying around the ter...

Pie Security (June 20, 2003)

I'm going to leave for Pittsburgh soon! Even though the flight is only 2 hours long, I still have to leave for the airport 3 hours in advance (an hour to get there, and 2 hours to wait at the airport...

XPS Advancement (June 19, 2003)

I'm now allowed to use the XPS all by myself! It's a complicated instrument, which is why it took me 4 months to get trained on it. Time to make some pie to take to Pittsburgh! I'm going to make ...

Apricot-Ginger Pie (June 15, 2003)

The pie is done! I won't know how it tastes until tomorrow, since it's too late to eat pie, in my opinion. It smells good though, and it doesn't look too bad either. Those are its before ...

Textbook Thief (June 14, 2003)

I went to the mall today and found some good bargains! I got a king-sized pillow (to replace my almost 3-year-old pillow) for $4 at Sears, plus two towels for $5 each. I'm going to take the old pill...

Farmers' Markets (June 12, 2003)

I forgot to mention that Patrick gave me a pretty pearl necklace (tin cup style) that he bought at the Madison Farmers' Market. It's just the kind of thing I was looking for to wear to Tree and Andre...

Research Group Party (June 6, 2003)

Wow! How'd it get so late all of a sudden? This afternoon/evening, I was at our research group party. We were celebrating the graduation of three of our members, plus saying good-bye to our visitin...

Velcro Shoes (June 4, 2003)

I really really like my new shoes! Today it was pointed out to me that they are velcro shoes, and that reminded me of Curtis (Curtis was a Mudder who wore velcro shoes--he was also late to the final ...

Pizza Time (June 2, 2003)

My Diesel shoes got here today, and I love them! They're comfy and pretty and unusual. Much more stylish than normal tennis shoes. I'm not sure if I'd mentioned it before, but I also ordered a pi...

Endicott House (May 31, 2003)

I was away all day at a Sidney-Pacific house government retreat (because I'm the assistant webmaster, you know!). It was at MIT's Endicott House, which is a mansion that MIT rents out to people for c...

Ice Cream Happiness (May 30, 2003)

The weather was great today! It was the perfect day to leave work early, rent some movies, and eat ice cream. So that's what I did :) See, Anne (my advisor) took the day off, so we didn't have gr...

Upcoming Movies (May 29, 2003)

I was in a good mood today--not sure if it's because I wore my new necklace or because it was sunny. It's nice feeling happy! Unfortunately, the rain's coming back tomorrow, so let's hope it was the...

Mall Trip (May 27, 2003)

Well, I passed both of my classes, so that's good. I'm a little sad because I did pretty poorly in my biosystems class. But I rationalize my poor performance with the fact that I'd never taken a che...

Spring Cleaning (May 26, 2003)

Since it rained all day (it's been overcast and rainy for a week now--where'd spring go?), I stayed in and did some spring cleaning. Since I'll be staying in this apartment for another year now, I ne...

Mall Haul (May 24, 2003)

Today I braved the overcast, drizzly weather and bought spring clothes! I'm tired, but I think I did well. I didn't find everything I was looking for at the Cambridgeside Galleria, so I think I'll g...

No Cinnabon? (May 21, 2003)

Patrick just called me from Providence (normally we don't talk on the phone, but he just got a cell phone, and he doesn't have much email access since he's away from home). He's in Providence for a m...

Start of Summer (May 20, 2003)

I guess it's officially summer for me--I turned in my last test this morning. Of course, I'm learning that in grad school, the distinction between the school year and summer is pretty blurry. But at...

End of Visit (May 19, 2003)

Well, Patrick's gone. But we had a good visit. Oh, first of all, here's a picture of the strawberry pie I made for Patrick's visit (he looooves pie). All the other pictures are on Patrick's camera,...

Boston Adventures (May 19, 2003)

Yesterday we had beautiful weather, and today looks good too! First, we went down to Boston Common and watched people at the Frog Pond for a while. Then we saw The Matrix Reloaded (it was a matinee ...

Mall Fail (May 17, 2003)

Today was tiring! First, I made Patrick brunch (he washed all the dishes). Then we went to Copley Place (Boston's hoity-toity mall) to look for various stuff. According to the Copley Place website,...

First Baseball Game (May 16, 2003)

Patrick's here! We wanted to have a picnic this afternoon, but it was overcast and cold, so we had a picnic inside. It was still nice--we got fancy sandwiches from the deli/restaurant on the first f...

Construction Work (May 14, 2003)

Still super-busy, but today I have pictures! The first one is of guys paving the road outside the building my office is in. It was cool! They shoveled all this asphalt out of the dumptruck, and the...

Cake! (May 9, 2003)

We had cake at our group meeting today! It was to celebrate people graduating and those of us with May birthdays. It was really good cake, made by Montilio's. I'd like to visit their store someday-...

Pittsburgh-Bound (May 8, 2003)

Patrick got a summer internship at Intel this summer, beginning in June, so he'll be living in Pittsburgh this summer! That's only two states away from me, which translates to a 1.5 hour direct fligh...

WOMS (May 7, 2003)

I was in charge of this month's WOMS meeting, which happened today. I ordered the food from Cafe China in Inman Square, and it was tasty! But the delivery guy showed up half an hour later than he wa...

Alumni Weekend Recap (May 5, 2003)

My email isn't working, so I feel all shut off from the world. Luckily, they're supposed to have it up and running again around 5 tonight. I hope so! I did SEM (scanning electron microscopy) all ...

Almost Alumni Weekend (April 30, 2003)

I'm trying to finish up this homework assignment that's due tomorrow, but I think my brain's already in vacation mode (it's only a weekend long, but it's still a vacation!). I'm so excited to see (al...

MIT Pictures (April 29, 2003)

Today while I was waiting for class, I walked around outside, since it was such a beautiful day. And I took some pictures (mouse over for captions): �� I'm so glad spring is fin...

Welcome, Spring! (April 27, 2003)

The view out my north-facing window is of West Cambridge, a residential area with a lot of trees. In the fall, they turned beautiful shades of red and orange. During the incredibly long winter, they...

Boston Fabric Stores (April 26, 2003)

Boy, today's just full of good news! I was just invited to be Sidney-Pacific's Web Vice-chair next year, and I accepted. I'm not sure how that differs from Webmaster, but as long as it involves the ...

Haircut at Judy Jetson Salon (April 25, 2003)

My visit to the salon went great! To recap, I went to Judy Jetson salon in Cambridge (near Porter Square). My stylist was Randy, your stereotypical male hairdresser, but hefty and bald, with a goate...

Half Day (April 21, 2003)

I only worked a half day today because it's an MIT/Massachusetts holiday (Patriot's Day, which I'd never heard of before). The Boston Marathon is also today. But I don't really want to put in the ef...

End of Visit (April 20, 2003)

Well, Patrick's at the airport, waiting for his flight home. I miss him already. But let's see--what did we do yesterday and today... Yesterday, we took the T into Boston and had lunch at Flour. ...

Magnolia's (April 19, 2003)

Magnolia's was very good. The walk there was really cold, but I was happy once we got inside. The restaurant had blue walls and murals and a big glowing moon--the only decoration element I didn't li...

Sorella's (April 18, 2003)

Holy dude! We just went to Sorella's (in Jamaica Plain) for brunch, and I'm full! Patrick's been wanting waffles ever since our visit to Hash House a Go Go (in San Diego), and Sorella's looked to be...

Babies! (April 17, 2003)

Oh my. We just had a fire drill, and there was a woman with a little baby (the housemasters' granddaughter, apparently), and she came over to talk to me. And the baby had a cute little cold nose and...

Stupid Winter (April 17, 2003)

That's last night's sunset. It was pretty. Yesterday, the high was 82F. Today it was around 40F. Stupid winter...At least it's sunny though. So it looked like a nice day from my office, even ...

Flowers! (April 15, 2003)

Look! Flowers! I found these crocuses outside while I was waiting for my first class of the day to start. I should really walk around MIT more so I can see more of the campus than just what's o...

Cozy (April 11, 2003)

It's raining outside, but I'm cozy in my room. I was even excited walking home in the rain because I knew I'd get to put on nice, dry pajamas and slippers when I got there. And Mike Wankum (the WB56...

WOMS Dinner (April 10, 2003)

I just got back from the first annual WOMS student-faculty dinner at the East Coast Grill. It was fun, and the food was good (and free--all subsidized by the Materials Science Department). Just as M...

Stay or Go (April 8, 2003)

Patrick's awesome! Look what he sent me...Now I can have a little bit of spring even though it's still snowy and wintery here. What a great boyfriend :) I'll post pictures as they bloom... T...

Fireproof (April 7, 2003)

That's a building that I walk by every day on the way to work. If I were looking for a warehouse, I'd want one that was fireproof, definitely. Actually, I doubt it's a warehouse anymore. There ...

Out My Window (April 6, 2003)

Yesterday was overcast, so it's nice to have blue skies and sunshine outside my window today (that doesn't mean it's warm outside though!). I've been working on a realtor database for a client all mo...

Indecision (April 3, 2003)

Here's a picture of those guys drilling holes into the side of the building from yesterday. This morning there were even more holes. I'm curious to see what they turn into! I talked with Anne...

Grad School Insight (April 1, 2003)

Patrick said something that I really agree with last night (hope you don't mind me sharing this with everyone, sweetie): "I think maybe there are people who are really driven to do research, like i...

Dentist Visit (March 31, 2003)

After yesterday's long entry, I don't have much to say. I went to the dentist today for my first cleaning in four years (being in college with no parents to take you to the dentist is hard!). It was...

Excited (March 21, 2003)

Oh boy, oh boy! I'm so excited about going to San Diego with Patrick next week! Look at all the great stuff there is to do and see. Part of me is jealous that Loren gets to live there (he goes to U...

Political (March 18, 2003)

Spring's a-comin'! Not very pretty, but it's something... I don't think I've mentioned it before, but I don't want us to go to war. I've done the bare minimum to express my opinion, sending a...

Fish Dish (March 17, 2003)

I left my window open today because the weather was so nice! Wow! It's supposed to be less nice for awhile now, but even one day of springtime weather makes me happy. Of course, when I went through...

Quilt Resources (March 16, 2003)

I had a lazy day today, which would've been better if Patrick were here. Right now, I'm making different quilt patterns on Powerpoint to send to Patrick, so he can pick his favorite. This is a long-...

Media Time in Edmonton (March 14, 2003)

We had a long group meeting this afternoon, but now it's the weekend. And in a week, I get to leave for Spring Break (Patrick and I are going to San Diego!). I can't wait. I hope when I get back fr...

Nice Day (March 12, 2003)

I had a good day today. I worked some more on my image database, and I'm pleased with its level of functionality. Anne has been sick for the last few weeks, so I haven't gotten much (any) input from...

Sweater Vest Thoughts (March 11, 2003)

So my apartment gets kind of cold, what with it being so horribly wintery outside, and I don't like turning up the heat too much, since it dries out my skin. So I was thinking of fashioning some sort...

Mall Visit (March 8, 2003)

I had a good trip to the mall today. Even though it was only 37 �F out, the sun was shining, and it felt almost like spring. A good day for a walk. I dropped off the ring at Kay Jewelers to be si...

Snow! (March 6, 2003)

It's snowing! Even though I wish winter would leave, I like snow because I don't have to drive in it, and it makes everything pretty. Nature is amazingly beautiful sometimes....

High School Teacher Pictures (March 3, 2003)

I scanned the pictures of my high school teachers that made me all sappy on Thursday. Here we go: �� Today I uploaded the first SEM pictures I've taken of membranes for my research. I don'...

New Lamp (March 1, 2003)

We took it easy today. I went and bought a lamp (finally!), as well as a cheap iron and ironing board. I waited until Patrick was here to I could get his help carrying everything home from Economy H...

Dinner Out (February 28, 2003)

Wow! Patrick and I went out to dinner tonight at Harvard Square. We ate at Fire + Ice, which I'd eaten at once before. And we had dessert at Finale (amazing presentation, very tasty, but on the exp...

Office Pictures (February 25, 2003)

I finally took pictures of my office! Pop-ups: � A picture of my desk. Normally, I'd be proud of keeping my space so tidy, but at work it just makes me feel like I'm not being productive. I thin...

Little Desserts (February 24, 2003)

Today was pretty blah. The highlight of the day was the WOMS (Women of Materials Science) lunch meeting. It was catered by Rebecca's Cafe, and we had a platter of cute little desserts, which is alwa...

Fire Alarm + Sweater Progress (February 22, 2003)

Our dorm fire alarm went off at 3:30am last night. Apparently, some drunk jackasses discharged a fire extinguisher on the 7th floor just for fun. At least it wasn't too cold outside, but it still wa...

Cake + Nanotech (February 21, 2003)

They're testing our fire alarm system right now. I don't have to go outside, but the flashing strobe lights and loud noises are still annoying. The alarms are too sensitive, and they usually go off ...

Housemaster Dinner (February 20, 2003)

I just got back from a dinner at our housemaster's apartment. There were about 30 people there; apparently they do this every two weeks so they can meet everybody at least once. Good deal! I had co...

Missing the Blizzard (February 16, 2003)

So apparently, the East Coast is getting hit with some nasty blizzard-type weather right now. I'd actually enjoy being in the middle of that if I could stay inside in my pajamas, but I like being wit...

Sick Day (February 12, 2003)

This morning, I woke up, realized I had the beginnings of a cold, looked out the window, and saw snow and gloominess. So instead of slogging through the snow to sit in my office and read journa...

Gibbs Birthday Party (February 11, 2003)

Today I went to a birthday party for J. Willard Gibbs (yeah, that Gibbs, the one who has free energy named after him, among other things). Apparently, it's a tradition in the MIT Materials Science de...

Responsible (February 10, 2003)

I got my new passport today! It doesn't expire until 2013! Glad I don't have to worry about that for a while longer... I also registered to vote in Massachusetts (some morally responsible grad st...

Snow Pictures (February 7, 2003)

See? Snow! And this (pop-up) is how the same area looked in September. What a difference! It's hard to remember when the trees actually had leaves on them....

Snow (February 7, 2003)

I'm at work right now, but I have a few minutes to kill before going to a presentation with my research group. I just wanted to make a note of how beautiful the snow is today. It's been snowing big ...

New Alarm Clock (February 6, 2003)

I got my order from Amazon today. But my super-fancy radio-controlled alarm clock is taking forever to set itself using the radio signal from Colorado. It's still way better than my $5 hostel alarm ...

Decision Made (February 5, 2003)

Well, I've made my decision--I'm staying here and getting a master's degree. Patrick and Anne both support me, and I'm already 25% of the way done (it normally takes 2 years)! I get to take fun clas...

Registration Day (February 3, 2003)

I like my new hat! I wore it today, and it kept my ears nice and warm, and nobody even laughed at me for wearing it. It's a keeper... I had a good day today. It was relatively warm out, and ther...

Cooking Classes (February 2, 2003)

So I happened to turn on the TV today (what a shock!), and our local public TV station was having a pledge drive. They had a local chef on, and apparently, earlier today, they had Joanne Chang, the o...

Quiche (February 1, 2003)

Today I worked on the journal article for my undergrad advisor (deadline is Monday, which is good, since classes start Tuesday). Then I watched Amelie and had a good cry. It's a beautiful movie. I ...

Bakery Thoughts (January 31, 2003)

Next time he visits, Patrick and I are going to go to this bakery in Boston. It looks like it has some yummy stuff (and they have the best gourmet sandwiches in Boston--Patrick loves his sandwiches)....

Good Grad School News (January 30, 2003)

I had a great meeting with Anne (my advisor) today, to talk about my qualms about grad school and research. I told her about how I want to take a year off to figure out what I want from life, whether...

Sweet Potato Outcome (January 29, 2003)

Stay tuned for my thoughts on Sweet Potato Recipe #2: Smashed Sweet Potatoes. They're baking right now... The Verdict: Not as good as recipe #1, but the marshmallows and edges of the sweet potato...

Cookies (January 28, 2003)

I'm feeling stressed out tonight, so instead of working on the journal article I'm writing for Prof. Baker (my undergraduate advisor), I'm going to make cookies (I made them before, and they were good...

Lobster Man! (January 27, 2003)

There's an ad in the America West in-flight magazine that amuses me every time I fly to see Patrick. This time around, I ripped it out so I could share it with you and keep it for posterity. I figur...

Brunch with Tree and Andrew (January 25, 2003)

We just got back from lunch with Erin (Tree) and Andrew, two friends from college. It was lots of fun! We went to Joanie's Cafe, which has great omelets and sandwiches (but slow service). Afterward...

Arrived in California (January 19, 2003)

I'm safe and sound in California. When I left Boston, it was really freaking cold and windy, so it sure is nice to have warmer weather here in CA. I normally take the T to get to the airport in Bost...

Free Food (January 17, 2003)

So Sidney-Pacific has a little restaurant opening on the first floor, and they put out a bunch of free food tonight, so we would fall in love with it and spend all our money there. Anyway, it was a n...

New Passport (January 16, 2003)

Today I got new passport photos (my last passport expired in October). Now that I'm an adult, this passport will be good for 10 years. How crazy that when I'm 32, I'll still be using the same passpo...

Lazy (January 15, 2003)

I dragged myself through work once again today. A pattern is emerging--in the morning, I actually have some energy and drive, but after I finish with lunch (same thing every day: sandwich, Juicy Juic...

Sweet Potatoes + Grad School Thoughts (January 12, 2003)

I just made sweet potato recipe #1: Candied Sweet Potatoes (with marshmallows). I halved the recipe and used a 9" pie plate instead of a 9x13 dish, in case you're curious. I didn't boil the sweet po...

Star Market (January 11, 2003)

I find it very odd that a health food store would be called Bread & Circus. The name conjurs up more of a 99-cent store feel. I've never been to a Bread & Circus myself--I prefer my friendly neighbo...

What Should I Do... (January 10, 2003)

This article from Fast Company makes me want to read Po Bronson's book, What Should I Do With My Life?. But I doubt it would help me actually figure out what I want to do. The subject matter is just...

Beauty (January 10, 2003)

I want more beauty in my life. Science possesses intellectual beauty, which I appreciate, but I want more physical beauty. Colors and smells and tastes. I think that's why baking appeals to me. ...

Worries (January 9, 2003)

I don't have anything exciting to say about today. The news about the US Airways commuter plane crash upset me though. You know, what with Patrick and I flying at least monthly (plus my general dist...

Dentist Visit (January 8, 2003)

I went to the MIT dentist today, but just for a consultation. All I want is a teeth cleaning, but they wanted to take X-rays first, since I haven't been to the dentist in 3 years. Both the dentist a...

IAP (January 6, 2003)

Patrick's on his way back to California right now. Vacation's all over. But I don't start classes right away. MIT has something called IAP (Independent Activities Period), which lasts all January. ...

Mall (January 1, 2003)

Can you believe it? Patrick and I went to the mall voluntarily today! We walked there (it takes about half an hour) just to look around, not with anything particular in mind. I found lots of stuff ...

NYE (December 31, 2002)

Happy New Year (more or less)! Patrick and I worked out this morning, then we went to Loew's near Boston Common and saw *two* movies: Adaptation and Two Weeks Notice (both of us wanted to see the for...

Pork Chops (December 30, 2002)

Patrick's here! I made him pancakes for breakfast, then we went grocery shopping, then watched Almost Famous (my dorm has a small DVD library, where we can check out DVDs for free). Just now, Patric...

Bernie the Pimp (December 13, 2002)

Oh! "Bernie the Pimp" refers to Cardinal Bernard Law. Somebody found my site by searching for "Bernie the Pimp," and when I did the same, there were a bunch of stories about how protestors refer to ...

Studying for Thermo (December 13, 2002)

Because classes are over and I spent a good chunk of my studying time yesterday doing stuff for research instead, I stayed home all day today and studied. Not to worry, I also did a lot of non-studyi...

Winter Sunset (December 10, 2002)

Silly me, bemoaning the lack of pictures on my website, when there was a very nice sunset outside my window, just waiting to have its picture taken. If my camera weren't cheapo, you'd be able to see ...

Fire and Ice (December 7, 2002)

I went to dinner with the rest of the LSC projectionists for free tonight. We went to Fire and Ice in Harvard Square. It's like Mongolian BBQ, but fancier. For those of you not in the know, at a Mo...

Snow Factoid + Cookbooks (December 5, 2002)

So Mike Wankum (my favorite Boston weatherman) just said that big snowflakes indicate the end of the snow storm, and indeed, the snow is flakier now. So my apologies for insulting Boston snow earlier...

Snow (December 5, 2002)

It's snowing! I didn't watch the news last night because I was studying, so I wasn't expecting it. This morning, it was overcast, and when I walked home just now (yep, I left school early; no resear...

Thermo Angst (December 4, 2002)

I felt stupid today because I did below average on my recent thermo test. But if you combine my two scores, I'm almost exactly average. But unless the instructor grades on a curve (he claims not to)...

MRS Meeting (December 3, 2002)

I'm going to be spending a large chunk of my day talking about my undergrad research at the MRS meeting (conveniently held in Boston). Actually, most of my time will be spent putting up my poster, wa...

Soap Bubble Art (December 2, 2002)

So in MIT's Building 6, there's this big display. It consists of two plates of glass, maybe 1 story tall and 6 feet wide, separated by about 3 inches. In between these plates are soap bubbles. They...

Back from California (December 1, 2002)

I'm back in Boston. It's cold, and I miss Patrick. But my visit was great, as usual. Thanksgiving dinner was very good (his dad ordered most of it from Draegers, and it was really good, especially ...

CCA Materials (November 25, 2002)

Wow! No wonder the California Culinary Academy called to verify I was actually interested in getting an information packet--this is slick! I haven't gotten to the part where they talk about tuition ...

Water Contents (November 25, 2002)

I'm reading a book about reverse osmosis for my research, and it has a list of things that might be encountered in water that's going to be filtered using reverse osmosis. Here's the list: mud...

Exercise + Cooking School (November 20, 2002)

It was a beautiful day today, and I was in a good mood the whole day, which is pretty rare nowadays. Last night, I decided to start working out in the mornings, so I woke up an hour early today and r...

Projection Success (November 18, 2002)

Tree and I have similar feelings about grad school. It's tough, because on the one hand, seeing Patrick lets me relax so I return to school refreshed and ready to work harder. On the other hand, see...

Brief Moment of Excitement (November 15, 2002)

For one brief, shining moment today, I was really excited to be in grad school. One of the people in my research group got some interesting results, and Anne (my advisor) got so excited! So excited ...

North End + Present for Patrick (November 13, 2002)

Well, my boy's gone back to California. He's on the plane right now. It was a nice visit, and I get to see him in two weeks (I'm going to visit him for Thanksgiving). Last night, we went to the Nor...

Boston Adventures (November 12, 2002)

Patrick and I had a fun time exploring Boston yesterday. We didn't have any definite plans, so first we took the T to Boston Common, which seemed like a good starting place. We walked around the pub...

Cheese Science (November 7, 2002)

I'm on my research group's website--I must be an official member now! The picture isn't great, but oh well. Today in my polymer synthesis class, I learned that cheese has a glass transition temper...

LSC (November 6, 2002)

I just finished projecting at my third screening with LSC. This time around, the movie was Murderous Maids. It's a French film based on a true story about two sisters who were maids. They become lo...

Hat for Patrick (November 6, 2002)

I finished Patrick's hat, and it's actually nice. No glaring flaws, and I think he'll wear it and like it. Hooray! Patrick gets to try it out this weekend when he visits! This hat worked...

Teacher Education (November 4, 2002)

Note to self: it might be interesting to take one of these teacher education classes at MIT. Not that I've ever wanted to be a teacher, but I might as well look into other career options if this PhD ...

Desalination (November 1, 2002)

I had a good day today...I got lots of stuff done. I went to the library to find this journal that nobody loves (Desalination). It's in the basement of the library, and it's not even special enough ...

Chilly Halloween (October 31, 2002)

It was sunny today, and I was in a better mood. Maybe weather really does play a part in how I feel. If that's the case, I should've gone to UCSB instead of MIT. Oh yeah, happy Halloween. I feel...

Gloomy (October 30, 2002)

Nothing new to say today. I've been sad for the last few days. Not sure if it's because the weather is cold and gloomy or if it's because I'm not happy here. I've talked about this all before. It'...

Time Well Spent (October 29, 2002)

That's a piece of art/chalk drawing that's on one of the concrete pillars outside of MIT's Building 56. You can see it from inside, so I see it twice a week before going to 3.23. I like it, but ...

Yarn Search + Kindred Spirit (October 26, 2002)

Today I walked around in the rain for a few hours. Most of the stuff I did was secret (it involves Patrick's present), but I can tell you that I went to Minds Eye Yarns to look for grey yarn for a ne...

Bernie the Pimp (October 24, 2002)

Every day, on my walk home from class, I pass this construction site where there's a concrete road barrier with "Bernie the Pimp" stenciled on it. Not spray-painted, but stenciled, like construction ...

Trepidation (October 23, 2002)

Here's an excerpt from an email I just wrote to Patrick about my research (Anne, if you're reading this, please don't kick me out of the group just yet. Hopefully once I get used to all this new stuf...

Job Alternatives (October 21, 2002)

The moon is bright tonight. It's nice to know that Patrick can see it too, way far away in California. Unless it's foggy. I spent some time today looking online at jobs in Palo Alto. Not serious...

Grounded (October 20, 2002)

You know, if it didn't cost $800, I'd totally fly out to Palo Alto and surprise Patrick for our fourth (dating) anniversary on Friday. But I just can't rationalize spending that much for a one-day vi...

Dinner with Friends (October 19, 2002)

I just got back from a fun dinner with some other materials people (hosted by Megan, who also lives in Sidney Pacific). Here are two pictures (Patrick was curious). Click to see a bigger version. I...

Nervous (October 17, 2002)

After taking the quantum test this morning, I was feeling pretty low. It wasn't as bad as the thermo test, but it wasn't as nice as I'd hoped it would be. Plus I've heard that the average on the the...

Socializing (October 11, 2002)

I studied for 7 hours last night (with a break for dinner and Friends, thankfully). Cramming isn't the best way to do things like this, but it just ended up that way. The test was pretty ugly, but e...

Studying (October 10, 2002)

Just checking in quickly, taking a break from studying. I figure I'll work practice problems until dinnertime, then eat and watch Friends, then more studying. And I'm going to go to bed at a reasona...

LSC Practice (October 9, 2002)

I just got back from doing an LSC screening (without audience) of About a Boy. I still need practice projecting movies before I do it for a real audience. Too much pressure! Anyway, I watched the m...

LSC + WOMS (October 7, 2002)

Busy day today! I went to two meetings and a presentation about getting along with your advisor. Free food at all of them, which was nice. One of the meetings was for LSC (I'm practicing projection...

Impulse Haircut (October 5, 2002)

Well, my hair is shorter now (picture coming soon). I had planned on getting it cut at Supercuts, which I thought was in Harvard Square, but after a lot of walking and backtracking, I found out it wa...

Judy Jetson (October 5, 2002)

I was thinking of getting a haircut at Judy Jetson (a beauty salon) in Cambridge, but I called them this morning, and they charge $40 for a haircut. That's too bad, because I liked the name a lot bet...

Happy Ending (October 4, 2002)

When I was just starting out at Mudd as a frosh, I bought a box full of chemistry textbooks from a graduating senior. She assured me that they would be useful to me, but it turned out that all of the...

Dropped Architecture (October 3, 2002)

Research went much better today (and by better, I mean I got out of lab before the sun went down). I had my first test today (it was called a "quiz," but whatever). It was in my polymer chemistry cl...

Long Day (October 2, 2002)

Third day of working in lab and I'm already staying after the sun goes down. That sucks. I'd much rather watch the sunset from my wonderful bedroom with a full stomach. Instead I'm sitting in my of...

Cute Tea (October 1, 2002)

My free sample of tea from Adagio arrived today in the cutest little tin inside a slighly less cute little box. Oh my! I haven't tried it yet, but the tea leaves smell like jasmine, just like they'r...

White Asparagus (September 30, 2002)

I found white asparagus at Star Market, and I'm gong to have it for dinner. It's exciting because I had it a lot in Germany (I went there with my high school German class for a month). I'm sure I wo...

Comfy Slippers (September 29, 2002)

I just bought these incredibly soft slippers at the Payless Shoes in Central Square. They're like a really fine terry cloth or a velour with a really thick pile. Whatever they are, they're so soft! ...

Rainbow Chairs + Fire Alarm (September 28, 2002)

Look at the cute little rainbow-colored chairs on the patio of the building across the street (that's part of our overhang in the bottom part of the picture). All the other buildings have metal chair...

Schedule Changes (September 27, 2002)

I think I'm going to drop my architecture class. It's fun, but it also takes more time than I want to give right now. Most first years are taking just the two core classes, so while I could probably...

Cookies (September 25, 2002)

The cookies turned out tasty, and no burnt bottoms (here's the recipe, which I modified a little). Warm cookies right out of the oven are so good. I made too many, so I put the extras out in front o...

Architecture Model (September 24, 2002)

That's a picture of my table in the architecture studio. I spent five hours there today making the model below. It's a model of our pretend site (it's an actual place in the South End, but we're...

Settling In (September 19, 2002)

Today went well. I got my own desk in my new group's office (shared by about five people in the group). That means my office, which was originally in the basement of a different building, is now on ...

Good Life (September 18, 2002)

Know what? I've got a good life here. Sure, I have stressful stuff to think about like getting all my work done, but this is a great place to live, and I'm in love (yes, he's across the country, but...

Necco Workers (September 17, 2002)

I forgot to mention--the Necco workers, who have been on strike since August 19 (same day that Skinmarket shut down--huh) disappeared as of yesterday. I wonder if they resolved their problems or gave...

Quantum (September 16, 2002)

Assuming I make it all the way through 3.23, I am either going to have a strong respect for quantum mechanics, or a deep and abiding hatred for it. Right now, I hate it, but that's because the homewo...

Quantum (September 15, 2002)

Rainy day, most of it spent working on my never-ending quantum (3.23) assignment. I'm actually making progress, so it's not too bad. The most exciting webpage I visited today was about why the sky i...

New Research Group (September 14, 2002)

Barring any bad news, I'm now a member of a new research group. I feel bad about leaving Ned without anyone to work on my old project, but I'm also really excited to work with Anne. She reminds me a...

Full of Rolls (September 13, 2002)

Two things making me happy right now: my stripy socks and my new pajama pants. For more stripy Old Navy socks, visit jenandtonic. I just ate too many rolls at Bertucci's (an Italian restaurant...

Sunset (September 12, 2002)

When am I going to tire of posting sunset pictures? Long after you've tired of looking at them, I'm sure. Too bad for you! I woke up today from a dream that Patrick was cheating on me with tw...

Projectionist (September 11, 2002)

I just finished learning how to project movies (well, some of it--there's plenty more I don't know)! I'm a new member of the projection team of MIT's Lecture Series Committee (which shows movies ever...

Auntie Nance Brownies (September 8, 2002)

I'm having a very relaxed weekend. I haven't left my room much, which is fine with me. I hope people don't think I'm depressed or something; I just like having time to myself. I do miss Patrick tho...

Another Sunset (September 7, 2002)

Another sunset picture. I love living on the 8th floor! ...

Advisor Thoughts (September 6, 2002)

I miss my sewing machine (it's with Patrick; we're bringing my stuff over gradually). It would be useful for decorating my room, but I guess I also have to find a good fabric store here and get some ...

New Philodendrons (September 5, 2002)

It's still strange to me that I'm in Massachusetts instead of California. At least I feel at home in my room. I have two baby plants keeping me company. I rescued them from Star Market and repotted...

Classes (September 5, 2002)

I'm feeling down because I'm rusty on my chemistry, and we just did a review in my Polymer Synthetic Chemistry class. I hate it when I can't remember stuff right away that I should know really well. ...

First Day of Classes (September 4, 2002)

First day of classes went smoothly. First, I had Materials in Equilibrium, which is a required materials course. The instructor is giving us a lot of flexibility--there aren't any assigned problem s...

Registration Day (September 3, 2002)

Today was registration day, and now I know my schedule for the upcoming semester. I'm taking 4 classes, which is more than I'd expected to take as a grad student, but since I have an external fellows...

New Place (August 31, 2002)

More pictures! First we have last night's sunset looking out on Cambridge. And the second picture is my room. Certainly haven't finished with it...it still needs to be decorated. Right now everyth...

SP Night Out (August 31, 2002)

I just came back from a night out with the people in my hall at Sidney Pacific (about 15 of us). Amazingly enough, they were all really nice! Not a single pompous asshole in the bunch. And in fact,...

Orientation (August 29, 2002)

Long day. I listened to lots of speeches and met a lot of people whose names I have forgotten. I also went to the Museum of Science, which wasn't very exciting because it was targetted to little kid...

Apartment (August 27, 2002)

That's a blurry picture of the inside of my apartment (it's a studio, so it's just that one big room plus the kitchen nook to the left and the bathroom to the right). I still need to decorate and...

New Pots and Pans (August 27, 2002)

Last night, I ordered pots and pans from Amazon (this set). Although they aren't super duper nice pots, they have the T-fal T, which I've been entranced by ever since I saw it at Target earlier this ...

Cambridge Pictures (August 26, 2002)

Okay, I've finally got some pictures to show you! In order to make this page load quickly, most of them will open in pop up windows. But first here's a picture of the plates I bought at Pier 1 yeste...

Knitting in Public (August 25, 2002)

I saw a girl around my age knitting on the subway today. People like Bonne Marie talk about doing this, but this is the first time I'd seen it. I wouldn't want to do it because I like to concentrate...

Hostel Roommates (August 23, 2002)

Almost time to move into my new home! I hope it goes smoothly and they don't kick me out or throw stuff at me or something. I'm not sure if I'll be updating for the next few days; it depends on whet...

Lost Card (August 22, 2002)

My recently acquired Shaw's card is gone :( The checker at Star Market today dropped it down a crack in the scanning machinery, and even though three big managers came over and opened all these littl...

I Can Smell Again! (August 22, 2002)

I can smell again! My sense of smell hasn't totally returned, but I can smell cigarettes and the hot subway and my shampoo. So that's certainly a step in the right direction. I am so glad I can sme...

Purchases (August 21, 2002)

I'm wearing all of my new purchases today (I just couldn't wait for the first day of school!). My favorite new thing is my stripey socks. They are really colorful and make me happy every time I look...

Olin (August 21, 2002)

I have mixed feelings about Olin College (see article here), which was modeled partially on Mudd's curriculum (well, at least people at Mudd say that; I don't see it anywhere on the Olin website). On...

Back-to-School (August 20, 2002)

Oh boy! My first paycheck from MIT finally showed up in my bank account (I had to send it to CA because I don't have direct deposit until September). I very much want to go to the Cambridgeside Gall...

Bowling Ball Fun Fact (August 19, 2002)

Today I learned that a bowling ball is just one big polymer molecule! That's pretty cool...I'd never thought about it that way. If you've ever been curious about polymers, I recommend looking at the...

Jimmies and Frappes (August 19, 2002)

Just checking in for the day so you know I'm still safe and sound here in Boston. I had sherbet at Brigham's (the ice cream place whose name I couldn't remember) yesterday after work, and the guy ask...

Staying at the Hostel (August 18, 2002)

Well, it looks like I won't be staying with Jean after all. She'd forgotten about the fact she was on vacation all next week, and she has stuff to do with her family, which I totally understand. I w...

Hostel Expert (August 18, 2002)

There's a crazy guy across the street from the hostel bus stop who rubs his butt constantly, with both hands! But he does it with the backs of his hands, not the palms. That's unusual. And he talks...

Candy Town (August 17, 2002)

So my new hostel is in Everett (not Boston proper), which requires me to take the bus and then the subway to get to MIT. The bus stop is across from a whole bunch of industrial-looking buldings, one ...

Crunch (August 13, 2002)

A few days ago, on TV, there was a commercial for a gym in Boston called Crunch (apparently, they're in lots of the bigger cities in the US). It had a bunch of superheroes working out and flexing the...

Boston Hostel Shell (August 13, 2002)

I finished the first of four parts of my Boston Hostel Shell! I bet you thought I'd never mention knitting again...I'm not getting much knitting done because it's pretty hot, and there are so many ot...

Fluevog (August 10, 2002)

I was exploring Newbury Street yesterday (apparently it's *the* place in Boston for super-expensive, froo-froo stuff), and found a John Fluevog shoe store. I'd heard about Fluevog shoes from Prof. Ba...

Transportation Revelation (August 8, 2002)

Yesterday, I was informed that I could get to the hostel faster by walking than by subway. I tried it, and it's true! So now I can save money and time and get a little more exercise (although I cert...

Office Space (August 7, 2002)

I have a cold, but I guess that was to be expected. Even though I try diligently to wash my hands right after being on the subway, I guess that wasn't enough to keep me from getting sick. All these ...

New Labmates (August 7, 2002)

I met the two other first years in my research group yesterday (both women; we might get more as incoming grad students decide what they want to do). I had met one of them (Alicia) at the UCSB visita...

Free Juice (August 6, 2002)

Oh yeah! I just got two cans of Cranberry Apple Raspberry juice from the vending machine instead of one. Life is smiling upon me once more. I tried to give the second one away, but nobody's going f...

MIT Tidbits (August 6, 2002)

From an email I just sent to Patrick (he must get sick of reading everything twice!): Here are two happy things, to counterbalance my unhappy thoughts recently: Yesterday when I was walking ba...

Reasons I Want a PhD (August 6, 2002)

Reasons I want a PhD: To prove to others and myself that I'm smart and worth respecting So I have a means of supporting myself and my family if necessary Because I enjoy learning, and four ...

Missing Jelly (August 4, 2002)

Back in the lab working again. It appears that my research topic may not be too relevant (somebody already addressed part of the problem). If that's the case, I might get a new topic that's more to ...

V8 Dilemma (August 3, 2002)

My dilemma this evening: do I buy V8 from the super classy Star Market down the street from MIT or wait and buy it from those sketchy guys at the market next to the hostel? Star Market is like 20 min...

Architect Envy (August 3, 2002)

I changed my site code so that all my journal entry times are Eastern Standard Time (after all, I'm on the east coast now). Yeah, it messes up the time stamps on my entries from before Aug. 1 (which ...

Not Happy (August 1, 2002)

I made it to Boston, but so far I'm hating it. I just feel very alone and powerless. I couldn't find my advisor at MIT, so I don't know what's going on, and I miss Patrick so much (my two days with ...

Itinerary (July 28, 2002)

Okay, here's my itinerary (yeah, boring, but I want it all in one place for reference): July 29: driving from Claremont to Palo Alto July 29-July 31: staying with Patrick's family in Palo Alto...

Used Book Store Failure (July 27, 2002)

We spent today packing and doing errands. We went to a used book store to try and get rid of our less desirable books from recent college classes, but the store didn't give cash, only store credit. ...

Grad School Worries (July 2, 2002)

I had too much free time sitting in front of instruments at work today and started worrying about grad school again (I do that a lot). I'm afraid I'm not smart enough to be going to MIT. I guess I'm...

Grad School Worries (June 29, 2002)

Uh oh...freaking out about grad school again. I don't want to make new friends! What if I'm not smart enough? Actually, I probably have the capacity to do well, but not the knowledge that other peop...

Lodging (June 15, 2002)

Okay, I can be a little less worried now...I just made reservations at another hostel, this time from August 15-30. Since the Boston hostel only lets you stay with them for 14 days per season, I had ...

Housing Plans (June 15, 2002)

Yay...and uh-oh. I just found out that I got a single efficiency in Sidney & Pacific for my first year at MIT. I'm happy because it was my first choice and I get my own kitchen and it's a brand new ...

MIT Housing (April 8, 2002)

Well, MIT finally posted rents for the grad dorm I'm most interested in (Sidney-Pacific). I already sent in my housing preferences though, so it doesn't matter anymore. But the rents are lower than ...

Change (April 4, 2002)

I need to start accepting change more quickly. Once my mind is set on something, I have a hard time accepting new plans. For instance, I had been planning on staying at Mudd this summer and finishin...

West Is Best (April 2, 2002)

Well, I just got back from this lecture. Unfortunately, I fell asleep for a good half hour of it, but what I was awake for seemed cool. It wasn't very sciency (maybe that's the part I missed), but i...

Going to MIT (March 28, 2002)

Well, I did it. I'm going to MIT. Now the worrying sets in. I have to make sure to hug Patrick a whole lot while I still have him in the same state as me. I'm looking at housing options. I woul...

Shrinky Dinks Fun (March 26, 2002)

Flowers are pretty...These are some outside of Platt (our dining hall). They must actually belong in our climate, because the grounds staff isn't constantly replanting them. Today Patrick and ...

Grad School Thoughts (March 24, 2002)

It rained yesterday, but the weather's back to normal today. Walking back from the typography room, I took this picture in the traffic mirror I've always admired (the mirror project is always in the ...

One Down... (March 19, 2002)

I just declined UCSB's offer of admission, so it's down to MIT and Stanford. It's almost over now......

MIT Visit (March 18, 2002)

Well, I really liked MIT. In fact, the only big flaw is that Patrick would be across the country from me if I went there. But all the professors I talked to were really excited (partially because MI...

Grad School Options (March 13, 2002)

Well, I've finally narrowed my grad school choices a little by declining Cornell's offer of admission. It was a really tough decision because George is the nicest guy ever. He would be a wonderful a...

Dorm Life (March 6, 2002)

Stupid toilet, Stupid shower, Stupid plumbing, Stupid power. Sometimes living in a dorm is no fun, but at least I don't have to fix all the stuff that breaks! ("Stupid power" is in reference to ...

Back from Boston (August 19, 2001)

We're back! Boston was fun and MIT was pretty impressive, though it didn't suck me in like Mudd did when I visited back in 1997. It was depressing to fly into LAX and be surrounded by brown ever...