Nugget #1

Yes, this is ANOTHER new feature here in good ol' bloggyland.

I love to learn, I love interesting facts, and I am at a great place where I get to learn interesting facts all the time! Man, I should be a walking gratitude tree. (^ wha???)

Because of this, I would like to share some of these interesting facts with you, because hey, if you don't want to learn - get the heck out of here. This always has been, and always will be a learning zone. (<--- but seriously, what is going on in my brain tonight?)

Today's nugget of knowledge is brought to you by molecular biology, aka my archnemesis.

My professor explained it as the "CAT vs SERENDIPITY Principle".

A long long time ago back when we humans were just learning about parts of the cell, there was a debate in the scientific community (and you know how THOSE can get) about what part in our cells contained our genetic information and was passed on to our offspring. Today, that's an easy-peasy answer (say it with me now.... deee enn eh) but back then it was as mysterious as the deep, dark sea. The consensus for a while was that it had to be the protein in our cells because, hello - protein is more complex! There are more letters - you can spell long, complicated words like "serendipity" out of the named types of proteins! What does dumb ol' DNA have? G, A, T, and C? Those are the stupidest letters I've ever heard of. The only things you can spell out of those letters are "cat" and "tag". Lame much?

So there you have it. Scientists later proved (obviously) that it is actually DNA that contains, you know, the key to LIFE AS WE KNOW IT.

It just goes to show that you can't judge a book by it's cover; or as I like to say, "You can't pass judgment on the genetic merit/storage capabilities of a microbiological substance based solely on the complexity of the words you can spell using its alphabetically-assigned nucleotide bases."

Mindless Fun

There are some computer games in my life that affect me in a special way.

I call this the Tetris Effect.

I hope (for my sake - so I don't feel so lame) that you are all familiar with this phenomenon. You lose track of time when you play it... but it's not mentally stimulating, so you can't justify it as "special learning time." For me, I get playing it late a night, and then when I close my eyes to go to sleep, that's all I can picture! Yes, I have played many a Tetris game on my own eyelids late at night. (The best part is that I ALWAYS get the long blue piece right when I need it)

Well, friends, I have found another.

I ran across it on StumbleUpon. If you don't have one of those, and you want to waste your entire life, GET one. It's very entertaining and has introduced me to many life-changing, and mentally stimulating articles adorable pictures of animals!! like this, this, and this. (Hint, don't list "cats" as one of your topics of interest unless you REALLY like cats, and pictures of cats, and stories about cats)

Anyway, here is my new virtual obsession:

Chain Reaction

It is very, very easy, and so ridiculously addicting/mesmerizing - I highly recommend it.

If you get bored of that version, click the link down at the bottom to try the advanced version.

You're welcome! and... I'm sorry.

Lists: Should/Shouldn't

Welcome to a new feature of my blog. It is known as "Lists."

I love lists. I write out lists for everything. To-Do lists, People I Need to Write Thank You Notes To lists, Christmas Presents lists, Grocery Shopping lists, the lists go on and on. (Don't worry - I punched MYSELF in the face for that one already).

I guess you could say I am afraid of being listless. (What??? That is the worst pun I have ever heard! Including the one in the previous paragraph!)

Onward ho.

I've been thinking lately about things.

Big surprise.

Well, I have been thinking about things that I like, and things that I don't like.

There are many things that I really don't like that I probably should, and there are things that I do like, that I probably shouldn't. Mayhaps it will be cathartic/helpful/entertaining/important to confess these things to you, oh beloved blog reader.

Let's go.

Things I don't like that I probably should:

1) Being a social young adult. I would much rather sit alone at home with hot chocolate and a good book (or some Jimmy Fallon) than go out playing with friends all the time. Also - I would rather just sit and talk than actual GO OUT and do something. I mean, I do enjoy hanging out with good friends, but I definitely couldn't do it every night. Man, I'm lame.

2) Babies. I think we've been over this. It's not that I don't think they should exist, I mean, I understand that that is pretty important for the human race. However, I don't enjoy them. I would never clamor to get to hold one of them or voluntarily spend time with one. No thank you. "Glad I never was one." (name that movie)

3) EFY/Seminary Music. Yes, I know that this makes me a pretty terrible person, but I just HATE that style of music. GAH. I love hymns, and I love classical music, and those are both things that are appropriate for a church setting, yes? Don't give me anything that sounds like this because I will hate it. The songs are terrible and the voices and styles are even worse.

4) Wearing pants.

5) Taking Showers. Don't worry - I DO it, I just think of them more as a necessary evil than something to be enjoyed. I am such a worrier than when it's cold in the morning, I don't look forward to the hot shower ahead of me, rather, I dread how cold it will feel when I have to get OUT of the shower. I think this says a lot about me. ha. At least I know Jen is on my side for this one.

Things I like/love that I probably shouldn't:

1) Leonard Nimoy and Patrick Stewart. Theme? They are two of my favorite old men. It's not so much that I would like to be in a romantic relationship with them (which would be pretty disturbing) I just LOVE them. Which is weird because 99% of old people in this world scare me slash make me feel uncomfortable.

2) News/Talk radio. I'm not TOO obsessed with this one - at least I don't listen to NPR all day long, but I do really enjoy KSL. I would rather listen to a news report than a music station.

3) Memorizing things. I know - it's weird. I guess it is helpful in my line of work - memorizing the top 200 brand and generic drugs came relatively easy. I also had to memorize most of the periodic table for a chemistry class this past semester and it was easily my favorite assignment in all of college. When I found the website called "study blue" I basically had a heart attack of joy. 140 religious terms DOWN in less than a week. Click here for an example and tell me it's not the coolest website of all time.

4) Blood. I don't, like, DRINK it.... but I think that it is fascinating. Not to get too philosophical/religious on you, but I love that blood is a uniquely mortal thing. It is so... real, and so full of life. It makes us vulnerable and it makes us strong. I think that donating blood is INCREDIBLE - is there a more precious gift you can give another human? No way José. So cool.

5) The smell of cigarette smoke. I don't love the way clothes smell when they get smoke on them, or the way beards/teeth/mouths smell (thank you, men at the pharmacy that nearly make me pass out), but I love the smell of it in the AIR as I walk past quickly.

Whelp - there you go. Do you agree with any of these? Are you completely disgusted with me because I don't like showering? Do you think I'm creepy because I think blood is cool? Please do let me know.

Cheers.

Your life is gonna turn out.

Erm... hello. Long time no blog.

I could make excuses. I could talk about how busy I've been with work and school. I could whine about my personal problems, I could say the phrase, "bear with me." But I won't. Mostly because I HATE it when people say "so please just bear with me." GAH!

Anyway, I have been thinking about something lately called...

EXPECTATIONS

Paul McCartney was on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon (my latest married-celebrity crush) last week, and it was a great episode all around. He talked about remembering John Lennon, and even sang a duet with Jimmy called Scrambled Eggs.

Anyway, when Jimmy was introduced Sir Paul, he explained that as long as he could remember, Paul McCartney was his favorite singer/songwriter, and that he couldn't believe that he was getting to interview him. He got a little sentimental (*tender*) and said, "If somehow my 15-year-old self is watching this.... just know that your life is gonna turn out pretty great."

I am a little scared to think how my 15-year-old self would have wanted my life to turn out. In order to satisfy her hopes and dreams, I would probably have to be married to Gerard Butler and starring opposite him as Christine on Broadway. My 16-year-old self would have preferred being best friends with Michael Jackson (or maybe just seeing one of his shows - I wasn't completely unreasonable). My 17-year-old self longed to be a back-up singer for Mika.

Now? Who knows.

It's not that I'm lost, it's not that I'm not obsessive and annoyingly passionate about things, but I don't know exactly what I want to happen. And more - I don't think I want to know everything that will happen.

Lately I have been working on giving up control. It's terrifying. It's hard. It's liberating.

But I'm working on it.

Maybe that's what it means to grow up.

Anyway - forgive the inappropriately serious talk. I want to hear what things your 15-year-old self would have wanted to have happen!

What would your life have to be like now, to be able to tell yourself,

"Your life is gonna turn out pretty great"

?