What will I do with all the free time?

There are so many blogs that I love that are written by men who more often than I care for, delve into an analysis of whatever sports game was just on. Fine, its their blog and they are entitled to do so. Just know I skip those parts, so if there are any real details about your life mixed in, I'll miss them. However, the rest of this blog entry will be on a subject that I'm sure many of said men will skip over as well. I guess we can' t all write something everyone likes to read all the time.

FINALLY I watched the season finale of America's Next Top Model. Because it was "spoiled" (not really cause I think if I didn't know who won ahead of time my head may have exploded) for me, I am adding a SPOILER ALERT!

Danielle won! I called it from the get go, but I am still so happy. She is completely adorable, not only to look at, but to listen to as well. She has a thick accent, yes, but she is hilarious and kind and I think those are the qualities america really wants in its top models. Her competitor was Joanie. Here is the problem. I loved Joanie too. She didn't necesarily have the same strength or conviction of self as Danielle had, but she was sweet and hardworking too. Plus she took awesome pictures. I hate it when I love both of the finalists. If I hated Joanie I would be able to celebrate Danielle's victory much more. But in the end, Danielle was better and I'm super happy she won. I'm also super happy that crazy Jade did not make the final two. That girl is N.U.T.S. So thank god for that, though if she was in the final two I would have been able to confidently root against her. Overall, this cycle has been one of the best. Last cycle stunk. I only kinda liked one of the last girls, and it wasn't the one who won. Most of those girls lacked personality and looks. But, I kinda always feel that way about all the girls except the last four. So in the end, we have another top model amoungst us and we are all the better for. I also think we will be seeing a lot of Joanie in the future.

This and That

In the Bathroom at a bar in Chicago. Let's just say I can relate.


I'll just fill you in with the little tidbits that have been making up my life lately.
A week ago, Nemo and his lovely bride Carrie, Matt and his soon to be lovely bride Liz, and Caleb and his lovely bride Shannon, as well as other friends and relatives of the Nemos got together for a nice dinner, as well as some drinks. If you'll notice, of that particular group of Northwestern friends, I am the only one who is not a lovely bride. This may sound as though I am wistful to become a bride, but that really isn't the case. As more and more people begin to pair up permantently, it starts feeling more and more normal that my friends are getting married. I think that is the part I don't like. I don't like that it is normal for people my age to be married. I don't so much want to be married right now, as I want everyone to stay single right now. What happens when people start having babies?! I already have the normal amount of baby lust ("normal" meaning everytime I see one I just want to eat it or at least knaw on its cheek, but I don't really want my own just yet) but I can't imagine what will happen when people close to me start popping them out. I'm actually pretty excited for the occasional babysitting duty. Anyway, that was a tangent. The point is, I got together with some old friends and had a wonderful time as we always do. I arrived sweaty and had to keep my sweater on for the first several hours just to let the back sweat dry from my shirt, but that wasn't unusual or unexpected and it did not damper anyone's good time.
Sunday was Mother's Day. I returned home to spend some quality time Mom. My brother and I bought her an ice cream maker (don't ask me why, I was never even aware she liked ice cream until she asked for this gift). First we had brunch at the Country Club, very hoighty toighty. Not really. I actually feel uncomfortable telling people where we ate when they ask and we have eaten there. I think it conjures images of blazers and pearls. There were probably blazers and pearls, but its not as bad as you all think. I promise. After brunch we went home and tried to make ice cream. True to form we did not read the directions and we did not succeed in makeing ice cream. I only hope that future endeavors are more fruitful. It was a nice time mostly because I spent a lazy day with the best mom in the world.
During the week I celebrated the birthday of high school pal Qasim. Lindsay, Marianna and I took him and his lady out to celebrate. It is always fun to get together with old high school friends and reminisce about the stupid things we used to do and the people we did those things with. I keep getting flyers from my high school asking me to call and update my information with them for the alumni directory. I haven't called them back yet, but I might. I would feel a little dorky/egotistical calling them back and saying what I'm up to. Why egotistical you may ask. It's not that I have really accomplished anything that enviable in my life, though I hope to inspire envy from millions in the near future. The thing is that the entire point of these directories is to show off how well you are doing, how successful you are and all that junk. Or at least, many people take the opportunity in such directories to do just that. On the other hand, I REALLY want to know what everyone is up to and where their lives are headed, so maybe I should contribute too. I'll just have to downplay my nobel prize so people don't think I have too big a head.
I also got together with some old work friends of mine. Also a wonderful time. Some of us hadn't seen each other in awhile and it was good to catch up. I don't really have much more to say on that except it was fun.
The most notable influence on my week was the finale of America's Next Top Model. The influence was not that the winner blew my mind away and has changed the way I view modeling henceforth, but rather, I haven't been able to watch the show so I have been avoiding people who watch it so as not to spoil the result. That obviously didn't work. I went to read Chloe's blog and there is was, and then later Tina emailed me about how BLANK won. Now, I know who the winner is, but I feel like if I don't say it out loud, it won't be true and when I finally watch the show, it will still be a surprise. I went home to watch it last night. I sat in my recliner, opened a coke and some popcorn went to my tivo only to discover IT NEVER RECORDED!! WTF! I think I cried. That is one of the worst feelings when you are looking forward to watching a recorded program and it is nowhere to be found. How was Tivo able to record the entire season without issue yet when it really counts I am left to fend for myself? The are re-showing it this Tuesday, so you know where I will be. I'm not relying on Tivo this time.
And that was my week.

Torture

Devil thy name is dental equipment.

I went to the dentist this weekend. I went for the first time in about 5 years 6 months ago, and at that time they asked me if I wanted to schedule an appointment for my 6 mo check up. I said, "sure". Why not be responsible about my dental care? Ill tell you why. Because going to the dentist is the most terrible thing one has to go through in life. First of all, I really think once every six months is excessive. Once a year I can see, but once every 6 months? I think that is a little anal. Secondly, the equipment they use could be displayed in the Medival Times hall of torture devices. They have this new thing (at least new since five years ago, it may be what shown in the picture, though my eyes were glued shut from pain while it was being used, so I really don't know) where they scrap and shoot water into your gums and between your teeth. I was literally covered in water when this was done. Thirdly, I don't understand why it is SO crazy that gums get inflammed and bloody when they are flossed. This is soft tissue we are talking about. If I put wire in between my toes I wouldn't be suprised if they started to bleed. I don't floss and so perhaps the bleeding and puffiness stops eventually. But I don't think that it is normal to make them that way in the first place. The dental assistant showed me how to gently massage my lower gums. This seems to be the problem area. I asked her why only my front gums got this way. She said it's probably from eating, the front teeth do a lot of the biting into hard food. Her technical definition was, "food gets in there and then your biology starts a reaction that makes it puffy. It's just your biology acting up." My biology? What does that mean? I mean, I think I know what it means, but did she? If she would have said "cells" or "immune system" I might have been convinced that she knew what she was talking about. Anyway, I have to go in a month for them to make sure my puffiness went down. Truth is, it is already down. The only reason it was puffy is because I flossed for the first time in 6 months the day before my appointment and my gums were revolting. However, I told them I floss twice a week and this is a normal occurence that usually goes away. I fear I might have to actually floss for a month to prove my gums can hack it. After the dental assistant was done cleaning, she said to me while peeling off her gloves covered in my gum blood, " Well, you have great salivary glands." Whats that supposed to mean? I am extra drooly? Not everyone's mouth responds to being held open for 30 minutes at a time by producing gallons of spit? Not everyone has to be wiped off with the bib when they spit into the suction cup? Well I'll be damned. I guess I'm just special. Needless to say, I did not make an appointment for six months from now because honestly, I don't think I'm going to go to the dentist anymore. Don't try and talk me out of it. The decision has been made.

Nonsense

I've been putting off writing for awhile, but I feel like I just need to put something down even if it is boring and pointles. So here are a few things I have been up to.
I took the MCAT two weeks ago. My friend Anneeth, who also participated in the punishment of the MCAT, said that when you finish it is a feeling much akin to going to the bathroom (#1 of course) after you have been holding it for a really long time. In other words relief. I'd have to disagree. I still feel pretty anxious. The wait to get the scores back is excrutiating. If I knew that I would receive scores in a week or two, I feel like I could celebrate. However I'm in limbo. I don't want to relax too much because, god forbid, I have to take the test again. On the other hand, I just don't want to think about it. I don't feel good, but I'm glad it's over. For now anyway. I can't complain about too much as far as the test goes. It was exactly as I expected it to be. There was a strange girl biting her nails next to me, but other than that it was a pretty normal group of people taking the test. On my lunch break I sat by the lake and this crazy woman came and stood by me for about 10 minutes. She just stood there, directly in front of me, 3 feet away, looking off into the distance. I did what any normal person would do and acted as if I couldn't see her and that my view was still completely unobstructed. Eventually she moved and made someone else feel uncomfortable for 10 minutes. It was a nice diversion from thinking of all the mistakes on the test I made.
Other than that, I really haven't been up to much. Dinner here and there with friends, a cubs game or two, but thats about it. I am really looking forward to summer. That's rare for me, but I just have this feeling like it will be a really good one. Call me crazy.
I promise I will have better things to discuss soon.