Depressing

I just wanted to state, for the record, that hanging out with graduate students is the most depressing endeavor that I engage in in life. ( I acknowledge that I am in graduate school, and so is my beau, and half of everyone I know, but that's just how I feel.)

I just really wanted that documented somewhere...

TANF

Some of you might not know what TANF is. Allow me to explain. TANF, is temporary Assistance for Needy Families, eg, welfare. Why am I writing about welfare? Because I QUALIFY for welfare. That's right. If my gross take home income is less than $1009/month, I qualify for $149 in monthly assistance. I am currently debating how I feel about this revelation, and whether or not I should apply. I also would like to say that, for the record, anyone who complains to me about being broke/poor/overworked and underpaid, I invite you to take the vow of poverty that is graduate school. (that means, I don't want to hear about it...) I am, however, amused by the irony.

*Doctor's daughters on welfare* on the next Maury...

I guess I have been homeless once before, I may as well add welfare to the repetoire, so that my autobiography will be that much more interesting... And the one thing I did learn in college was to never turn down free food...

Hmm....

Thoughts, anyone? lol....

Triathlon

My sister and I are planning on training for a triathlon this year. This includes a .24 mile swim, 13.5 mile bike ride, and 3.1 mile (or 5K) run. This seems doable, because I've done a marathon before, so a three mile run sounds quiant, almost pleasant. The swimming, I feel, will be my weakest area. Also, I need to get a bike.

Anyway, while I was thinking about this triathlon, I thought I would look up the Ironman competition, which is the big daddy of all triathlons. Wrap your minds around this: 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike ride, followed by a 26.2 mile run. Oh, and did I mention that you have to complete the entire race in 17 hours, or be DQed? Oh, and the record? Around eight hours. The human body is an amazing and incredible thing.

Other insane human events include: The Iditarod, The Tour de France, The Badwater UltraMarathon (135 mi through Death Valley). There are probably many others that I haven't heard of... but I remain in awe of the incredible athletes.

People are interesting

Some guy emailed me interested in the Ph.D program here at Carolina, so I emailed him back and told him about the program. He asked if we could met to discuss it further, and I, having nothing better to do, agreed.

First, here are his stats:
* Black male
* 26 yrs old
* JD
* MBA
* Alpha

Okay. So we met at a restuarant, went in and sat down. We are both sitting there, drinking glasses of water, looking at menus, when he decides that we should go somewhere else. Ok.

So next restaurant, we go and sit down outside. (Mind you, its summer time, Black people don't like to sit outside in the summer, unnecessarily.) Again, we are drinking water. We talk about his plans and interests, and whether or not Carolina would be a good fit for him. I order pasta, and he orders calamari. Except, he wants his calamari with no tentacles. Of course, the waiter brings tentacle laden calamari, so he sends it back. I say, to you, that people are interesting.

This guy has a JD and an MBA, and is now considering 5 more years of school. He feels that he has a purposed in life, and it just hasn't manifested itself yet. To me, that sounds like, "I don't know what I am doing with my life." He asked me how I decided on this path, and if "the appearance of an angelic apparition" helped me make my decision to go to Carolina. Again, I offer to you, that people are interesting.

The gentleman continues by saying that he doesn't want to get married, and that the concept of marriage was foreign to the human species, and was a function of social construction, and therefore artificial. However, he did plan to have children, and he did relent by saying that he would get married for the kids. He also said that he was very faithful, had no problems with commitment, and that if he cared about someone, he would stay with them indefinitely. I resisted the urge to scratch my head visibly. He also talked about how he was the baby of the family, and that he couldn't imagine having a kid, because he was still somebody's kid. When I am 26, I hope I don't still feel that way. But, what can I say, people are interesting.

Anyway, I hope this guy finds what he is looking for, on his quest for the holy grail of degrees and credentialing. In the meantime, I remain amused. After all, people are interesting.

It's true!

Do you ever notice how women love the gay male fashion sense? (Well, we did before they and everyone else started wearing pink...) Then it was on to metrosexuals, who could also dress very well, as long as they didn't go overboard. The thing is, that girls like aesthetics. My beau and I have been butting heads in this area, but we just do. We like things that look nice. We like to dress up in heels and clothes and make-up and look nice, and you guys LOVE to look at us, so I guess I don't get how the male species flunked "Aesthetic Appreciation 101." (clearly, the female form was covered in 102...)

Aesthetics are important. Your surroundings and appearance are important, and the guy that uses and applies this knowledge has a keen advantage over the rest of the male population. I realized that when I happened across this website... http://www.bachelorfurniture.com/ The title? "Bachelor Furniture: Girls like guys with nice apartments." If you read that, and it was an epiphany to you, it's ok, all hope is not lost. Tomorrow, go to your local Ikea, Pier 1, Target, Marshall's, whatever your preference. Get something nice for yourself, and let it marinate. It might grow on you, and trust, your female friends will notice the extra effort. Better yet, ask her to help you pick out a thing or two. Your mom would be so proud... (she's a girl too, after all)

Ew

Today, someone keeps calling me from a private number and breathing on the phone. I don't know about you, but I find that creepy. Will said person please cease and desist? Thank you. This is why I don't answer private and blocked numbers....

Marriage

Yes, yes, I realize that this is a topic of frequent discussion on my blog, but it is a strange and perplexing phenomenon...

Anyway, I was reading an article in Essence yesterday, about "the state of our unions", with our, being Black unions. Here are some quick stats:

34% of of Black Americans are married, vs. 57% of White Americans.

54%: probability that a Black woman will be married by age 30
77% and 81%: probability that a Hispanic or White woman will be married by 30 (respectively)

38,103: number of black male who graduated college in 2001
78,204: number of black women who graduated college in 2001 (read: 2:1)

I was reading this article to my beau, and he commented that Black women didn't want to get married, and that was reflected in the low marriage rates. I beg to differ... In my experience, most women do want to get married. There are a few of us (myself included) that are not extremely excited about the prospect of marriage, but I feel that even most of us in that catagory will eventually relent. (maybe not until we are 30+ though...) The funny thing about women who don't want to get married/aren't in a rush, is that they are treated to such perplexing looks.... why wouldn't a woman want to get married!?! I haven't really worked my list out yet, but someone did.... http://www.sendcoffee.com/minorsage/never.html

I am not saying I agree with everything, but I do share some of her sentiments. One or two, or nine...

Yuck

Don't you hate when you are eating something, and enjoying it, but the LAST bite tastes awful? Doesn't that just cast a dark shadow on the whole experience? I really hate that...

Scintillating

I saw a commercial today, where someone just threw out the word "scintillating". I had to pause, because how many people really know what this word means? Is it really effective to market a product using words that the average person can't spell, let alone define. I think I was even more put off because the word wasn't used well... it didn't even fit what they were trying to say. Anyway, I just thought it was odd...

Definition:

Main Entry: scin·til·late Pronunciation: 'sin-t&l-"AtFunction: verbInflected Form(s): -lat·ed; -lat·ingEtymology: Latin scintillatus, past participle of scintillare to sparkle, from scintilla sparkintransitive senses1 : to emit sparks : SPARK2 : to emit quick flashes as if throwing off sparks : SPARKLEtransitive senses : to throw off as a spark or as sparkling flashes - scin·til·la·tor /-"A-t&r/ noun

Perplexing...

I am not quite sure what happened, but I came home from vacation and looked in my fish tank... no fish. Now, it should be noted that Equinox went to the big bowl in the sky (ok, really in my bathroom) before I left for vacation. But I left a fish feeder in the tank, and expected to see a happy and fed Solstice when I returned. No dice.

I've seen fish kind of disintegrate over time, or be eaten by other fish, but they don't generally DISAPPEAR... I couldn't figure it out. So my beau came for 4th of July weekend, and I was cleaning up, and what did I find behind my desk, but my fish. Deceased, and dried to the carpet. I don't know how he got there. There is a hole in the top of my tank where you feed the fish, but it measures 1 in. x 1 in. , making it HIGHLY unlikely that the fish was about to AIM his leap to freedom. I don't know what happened, but I have no fish.

I'm BACK!

Surf's up!

I know it's been a while, and a lot has transpired. I've been to Richmond for my god brother's graduation, and Towson, where I grew up, visiting my best friend, and attending her little sister's graduation party. Then I was back in the D.C. area with my beau before going to Mexico for a week with my family (and beau). Then I was back in Richmond spending some time with my grandmother. Then, back to North Carolina, and my beau came down from the 4th of July, and a few days later and here I am, updating my blog. I read the Da Vinci code, which was very good, and currently I am reading Elegant Universe by Brian Greene. It's about superstring theory (read: where the theory of general relativity meets quantum mechanics) If anyone is nerdy enough to be interested, you can watch the pbs special at http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/elegant/program.html (you can watch it on your pc)
Also, movie recommendations include: Rize, Mr. and Mrs. Smith, and What the Bleep do we Know. (rent it at blockbuster)

Anyway, I am going to read now...

Later kids...