Nerd Speak

Last week at church they called me to the break the fast committee. Today (fast Sunday), I was in the kitchen cleaning up when a guy who is new to the ward (like me) came in to heat up the fried rice he brought.

This guy is also a new PhD student, but he goes to Caltech and studies math/rocket science. Before you know it he's asking me questions about my program and we are talking about genomes and stem cells. But we weren't just "talking" about it, we were engaged in full on Nerd Speak.

One of the bishopric members was also in the kitchen doing something else; I know that the small smirk he was trying to hide was aimed at us.

Because of the Nerd Speak.

Piled High Deep

So far school is going good. This week I have been meeting with professors to discuss their research. I have to choose three people that I would like to work with throughout the year; on Monday we have to submit our first choice.

Do I work with the guy that studies heart development? Or the guy that studies the genetics of Autism? Or the guy that is developing cancer drugs that will be going through clinical trials soon?

It's a hard decision because the topics are soooooo detailed. If I end up in the heart dude's lab, I could spend YEARS studying how some molecule affects this other molecule, that makes the outflow tract form correctly. Or how the defect of one molecule can screw everything up.

I don't know if I like hearts that much, or if I want to work with mice. I've worked with mice before and it made me feel guilty as hell- I wasn't even the one who had to anesthetize the mouse and then, well, you know...

I'm going out with my friend to get a Chinese foot massage a.k.a reflexology. It's only 15$ for an hour, and it's not just your feet, it's a whole body thing. (We went last week too).

I'm sure I'll be able to make a good decision after I've had a massage.

A good massage is the secret to life's problems.

Labor Day Weekend

My mom came to visit over Labor Day weekend. We had so much fun!

We started at the La Brea Tarpits and museum.

Then we headed off to Beverley Hills; we came across my mom's street.

Then we bought a star map to stalk Russel Crowe and Tom Cruise. They all have huge fences, hedges and bushes- you are lucky if you can even see the roof of their house. We did see Russel Crowe's trash and recycling though. Exciting huh?

A picture of my cat. It doesn't have anything to do with my mom's visit, but it's a cute picture.

"M-I-C-K-E-Y M-O-U-S-E!"

Are you singing along? Come on, you know you want to.

I love Disneyland. We especially love the teacups in fantasy land.

Watch the video below, you won't be sorry!