Yep, Still a Nerd

I'm finally revisiting my dissertation for publication.  It's WAAAYYY overdue.  Sometimes I look back and think, "Seriously?  That was my dissertation?  Would I still choose that now?"  It seems so different from my current daily work life.  Then, on April 2, 2010 the CDC released the MMWR (Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report - yes - I have them sent directly to my inbox each week) entitled Surveillance for Human West Nile Virus Disease - United States, 1999-2008.

I've been spending some time with this MMWR report the past couple of days, and I love it.  I kind of want to pat it on the head and curl up with it like a puppy.  So, yep, I'm still a vector-borne illness nerd.

If you'd like to share my joy, you can find the report here:
http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/ss5902a1.htm

Happy Hippie Day

This morning, I woke up (after much struggle) and left my hair exactly as it was.  I decided I wanted to wear one of my fun bohemian skirts because it was warm out today and because it's pretty, super comfy, and would get me dressed and out the door very quickly.  To wear this skirt meant that I would have to wear sandals, which meant I would have to display my currently un-painted toenails (gasp!).  Yes, it's true.  I took the polish off last night and didn't have time to re-apply.  Yes, I'm fully aware that I'm committing a cardinal girl sin by doing such a thing.
After all of this, I decided that I really didn't feel like putting on as much makeup as usual either.  (Don't worry - I still pulled it all together in a presentable business-causual kind of way).
Then, I got to work and realized it was Earth Day.  I thought to myself "No wonder I woke up feeling like a  hippie."

Go thank God for His very cool creation and have a good day :-).

Well amendment

Ok - so for some unknown reason - I didn't sing/type the verse to the song in the last post, just the chorus.  So, here ya go :-)

I've got a river of life flowing out of me.
Makes the lame to walk and the blind to see.
Opens prison doors sets the captives free.
I've got a river of life flowing out of me...

That's some powerful stuff!

Spring Up Oh Well

I woke up with a truly delightful Vacation Bible School song in my head this morning.  I know this was largely due to a great time of Life group and prayer the night before.  I think this is one of those "kids" songs that is extremely powerful, and if you took out the gushes and the yee-haws, my guess is that it would be covered by workship teams everywhere :).

Spring up oh well, into my soul.
Spring up oh well, and make me whole.
Spring up oh well, and give unto me,
That Life, abundantly.

Spring up oh well (gush, gush, gush, gush), into my soul.
Spring up oh well, (splish, splash), and make me whole.
Spring up oh well (yee-haw), and give unto me,
That Life, abundantly.

Picture from here: well water

Blargh.

I am very frustrated this morning, as I am being hunted down like a hawk by someone from "back home" because she has a good Christian guy that wants to meet me.  Evidently, this is a matter of national security.  She first started trying to contact me about a week ago, but I didn't get the message, so I have now received 3 messages - all from different forms of contact - that I must call her immediately because it is so important. 
First of all, I don't really call people.  Except my mom and HH.  It was rather miraculous (and good for me) that I talked to my sister on the phone yesterday. 
Second of all, I particularly don't call people that are trying to set me up.  Especially when they think they've found my soul mate despite the fact that they don't know me very well.  Granted, she has known me my whole life, but we haven't had a heart-to-heart since I was 7.
Thirdly, how weird and uncomfortable are these situations????  I've become much more open to being "set up" than I once was, but it's usually to have actually had a practice date or to try and be more "open". 
Supposedly, he's the best Christian guy and was real good to her husband's niece when they dated. 
Blargh.

A name just asking for a story

One of our housekeeping ladies at work has one of the best names ever - Mrs. Ruby Love.  I told her that her name made me want to write a book just to name a character after her.  I also have an adopted grandmother named Mamaw Ruby, so I've long loved the name. 
The question is - do I reserve this name for a story, a child, or my next pet (after I name one Banjo)?  Hmm...time will tell.

Oh Smudge

I know this has to happen to other women too.  You take the time to get your mascara on just right, get it all the way to the tips of your lashes and make sure they aren't clumped together.  Then...Achoo!!  Yep - a big 'ol sneeze.  Now the wet mascara is all under your eye and the seperated lashes have put themselves in giant clumps.  Pollen and mascara don't mix. 
Mascara and extreme eye watering from choking on rice don't mix either.  I learned that during lunch today.  And then again an hour later once I looked in the mirror and saw the big 'ol smudge nobody bothered to tell me about. 

Spring Fever!

It's been downright gorgeous this week.  A great reward for a harsh winter that kept us all shut up!  The weather has not been lost on my dog, who has been asking to go do her business when all she really wants to do is be outside.  Poor thing, it's not like I can blame her.

Play Me that Country Music

Ok, so this blog is way overdue and slightly copycat of another friend's blog - but just because it triggered me to sit down and write what had been in my head :).

I am a hard-core-life-long country music fan.  That said, I can't tell you the last time I listened to current country radio.  I so rarely hear something on there I like.  Historically, country music popularity increases with a decrease in the economy.  I haven't heard any reports, but I'm not so sure that happened in this recent recession.  Maybe it's because today's mainstream country music is so produced and not-relatable.  It sells to somebody, but outside of a few exceptions (Taylor Swift, Carrie Underwood, Josh Turner, Miranda Lambert, Brad Paisley's best moments), it seems to only relate to suburban guys in their 20s with trucks that wish they lived in the country on weekends.

The accusation of being "over-produced" has long haunted country music.  That is how the "Nashville-sound" came about in the first place - by Chet Atkins playing around with the sounds he could get in the studio.  Rebellion to this sound is what brought us the "outlaws", most often represented by Willie Nelson and Waylon Jennings. 

These days, I find the most traditional country music is actually the stuff being labeled as "indie".  The irony of this really makes me laugh.  Two great examples of this are The Civil Wars (which I've blogged about previously - but not enough) and She & Him. 

A few weeks ago, I saw The Civil Wars live.  It was amazing.  It was one of those shows rarely seen outside of Nashville, where nobody talks but they sit still and stare instead because it's just so good.  They may be "indie", but they are straight out of the 1800s.  Think of a slightly more modern & happier sounding version of the Alison Krauss/Sting collaborations for the movie Cold Mountain.

The songs of She & Him bring back the Nashville Sound mixed with a touch of most any act on the Ed Sullivan show.  There are moments where Zooey Deschanel is totally channeling Kitty Wells and Brenda Lee.

  Also, spring and the promise of summer demands fun country music!!

Should this really be a big deal?

Jessica Simpson appears without makeup or touch-ups and with air-dried hair on the cover of this month's Marie Claire and in the featured photo layout.  As usual, the media outlets have made this "news".  I think the sad thing is that it counts as news because it is in such opposition to what we normally see in print media.  Unless, of course, you count those awful "Stars Without Makeup!" cover stories on the slow celebrity weeks.
The pictures are very pretty, and good for her if she looks that great without makeup!  And good for her for wanting to do it.  I've seen an episode of her beauty show on VH1 and found it very interesting and pretty well done for VH1. 
Of course, the real issue here is that most of us are going around with minimal to no makeup on most days - and you all know my reluctance to do hair - so if you've ever met me, you've likely met me with air-dried hair.  So a magazine has come one step closer to portraying reality. Maybe next time they'll dare to take a celebrity's picture without a hair dresser, stylist, and designer clothes.  You know, just for funsies.

Photo from Marie Claire.

Who would tell-all?

There is quite the stir going about Kitty Kelly's unauthorized biography of Oprah.  It makes me wonder what my "unauthorized biography" would look like.  What would my story be if I wasn't in control of how I was represented?  Who would have a juicy story they've been dying to tell for years?  Which of my weakest and most human moments would be printed for the world?

I hope I live my life in a way that Kitty Kelly would have a very difficult time finding "good dirt" to tell on me.  (At least regarding my behavior, cause Lord knows I can't control the small-town Southern family stuff).

All Y'all

This week, I attended a special training program where I was the only Southerner present.  A girl that was born and raised in Chicago noted that her brother had worked with a lot of people from Louisiana and Texas and that they all critiqued her inability to properly use the terms "y'all" and "all y'all".  She was asking me the most appropriate times to use one or the other.  Honestly, I say both, but I've never thought about the difference and was a little stumped.  I think I use them differently depending on the number of people I'm referring to, and whether or not I'm giving a command.  For example, if I was leading a group of students on a tour, I might say "All y'all come over here and look at this." 

Do you use these terms differently?  Let me know!

My heart

I know this is Easter week and not Valentine's day, but today I have hearts on my mind.  Today has started as one of those days where I'm nervous and antsy and ill for no apparent reason.  We all have those every now and then.  I found God to be right on time when I turned my desk calendar and today's scripture was "Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me."  (Psalm 51:10).  All I can say, is Amen to that!  My friend Andrea had already referenced that scripture in reference to herself a couple of days ago.  It's a very calming, centering prayer.

I've also been doing a lot of pondering on scriptures about life in our hearts - such as Proverbs 4:23:  "Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life."  How true is that?  When your heart is broken, it's very difficult to have life, much less give it to others.  It's like you're a broken vessel that has let all the water leak out.  Jesus also said that we would have streams of living water flowing through us.  Sometimes, when I'm exhausted and frustrated, I picture that fresh, living water flowing through my veins.  It's like giving a cool glass of water to all of me. 

Combined with the living water are the many references to the tree of life.  If you couldn't tell, I'm a big fan of imagery.  Lately, I've been picturing a clear stream in my heart that is lined by pink trees of life:  tulip trees, cherry trees, and pink dogwoods.  Yes, it's abundantly girly, but I figure that's ok :).  The pictures below are of the tulip tree in my parent's front yard on a beautiful day.

One more heart reference - the Women's Resource Center exhibit, "Healing the Wounded Heart" begins tonight at 5pm at the Kentuck Annex.  I hear there will be tons of hearts created by survivors of violence and their advocates.  You'll get the chance to make your own heart as well, if you'd like. 

Have a beautiful day!