Dog Days of Winter

Our family is getting bigger! After Andy and I talked about it for a few weeks, we have decided that we're ready to take our next big step together. We felt that we were finally at a point in our lives that handle the challenge of bringing another life into our home. 

We decided to adopt a dog!

Brining an animal into your home is a big responsibility. Both of us have grown up with dogs and we understand how big of a commitment it is. We also understand how much time it takes. 

Yes, we did discuss getting a puppy, and while puppies are adorable and fluffy and we love them, we decided against getting one. Heres why (soapbox warning): 

Puppies are more difficult to train. Yes,  you can weed out bad behavior before it becomes a habit, but puppies require more work than an adult dog. Not only do puppies lack full social skills, they also have short attention spans and tire quickly both mentally and physically. You are literally starting from ground zero. Building a relationship with a puppy as well as teaching obedience and social skills is a daunting task. Andy and I understood this and knew we couldn't take on that particular challenge at this time.

Puppies can be unpredictable. Puppies are not fully grown or developed, obviously. But this makes it quite a challenge to select a good fit for your family. At a young age, puppies all kind of act the same: they play, they bite, they run away, and then they nap. Although there is always a measure of behavioral uncertainty when getting a dog of any age, puppies are extra difficult. We knew we couldn't handle a highly active dog, but didn't want a total snoozer either. Those aren't traits you can determine from a hyper active, nap taking puppy.

Puppies are puppies. I know that's the whole point, but there are certain behaviors I did NOT want to deal with before getting to enjoy our dog. Teething. Puppies will chew anything. They don't understand what is ok and what is not; their teeth hurt, and they want to chew. Potty training. Any dog you bring home will need to be watched for accidents, but puppies have loose bladders and bowels. There's very little warning before they pop a squat and ruin your carpet, and with puppies being more difficult to train than adult dogs, potty training can also take longer than desired.

Overpopulation. Have you ever been to an animal shelter? There are so many good dogs (and cats) without homes. When you choose to get go buy a puppy, you are often depriving a homeless animal of having a home while simultaneously encouraging puppy mills and backyard breeders. Some dog activities require a purebred (AKC or other dog competitions), or a high content mix (recreational sporting), and there are registered and reputable breeders for that. If you don't care for a purebred, go to the shelter! Pet stores often get their puppies from puppy mills. Puppy mills are horrible places with terrible living conditions where dogs are kept for the sole purpose of making puppies. Backyard breeders are, in my personal opinion, irresponsible. Yes, everyone loves puppies, but there are too many dogs without homes to justify unnecessary breeding. I don't have anything personal against owners who choose not to spay or neuter just because they want puppies (not for reputable breeding or competition purposes), but I've been to the shelter many times and I've seen how many good dogs are there. If you chose to spay or neuter and not to have puppies, you would decrease the amount of dogs in the shelter and encourage adoption (even if only by a little bit). Ok, rant over!

Anyways, after deciding to adopt, Andy and I discussed in length what type of dog we would want. When I say type, I do not mean breed. There are breed specific personality trends, but by all means breed does not necessarily equal personality. We knew we wanted mid energy. We wanted a dog we could go out and play with but would also come in and snuggle. We also didn't want any underlying social or behavioral problems: our dog needed to be good with children, other dogs, be willing to be pet everywhere, and not be protective of food, space, or personal items. These were all safety precautions. Our families have other dogs that our dog would need to get along with. We also have nieces, ages 5 and under. They would want to play with the dog and we needed to know they would be safe no matter what they did (literally the instant they met our dog they were all over her--stealing her toys, pulling on her ears and even her three inch tail). Lastly, we wanted a dog that valued our attention over anything else.

We went to seven different shelters and rescue organizations and saw over 100 dogs. We only found one dog that fit all of these criteria. Not going to lie, I had been perusing the online postings from shelters and saw our little girl before we even met her. I ruled her out based on looks, I thought she was kind of ugly (she looked kinda chihuahua-ish, and they aren't my favorite), and she looked old. Old dogs are amazing, but Andy and I couldn't afford that right now.

Online Shelter Listing

I can't believe how wrong I was.

First off, she was only one year old--not 8 like she looks. Second, she is the cutest little dog ever.

When we went to the shelter, she ran up to the front of the cage, whining. She licked my hands and tried to snuggle through the bars. We decided to take her out and screen her for the above criteria. She passed with flying colors. We were surprised--we actually found a dog that would work for us! We came back twice more to continue screening, and introduced my mother and Andy's family's dog to her as well. She continued to pass. She even knew how to sit, lay down, and fetch already! We decided to adopt her and we took our little baby home. Andy and I, being science majors, named her Tesla after one of our favorite scientists, Nikola Tesla.

Her first night home

She has been such a wonderful addition to our lives. Our families love her to pieces and so do we. She loves snuggles, but will still play for hours. She was already potty trained, spayed, and declawed, suggesting she had a previous family. We have no idea what happened for her to be in the shelter, and why no one adopted her first (she was there for two weeks), but we're so happy to have her. 

I love our little girl

PS. Her breed has been the subject of much debate in our family. She obviously is mixed, but as to what we don't know. She has a short, double coat, heterochromia (two different colored eyes), and is only 20 lbs. We've guessed everything from husky-chihuahua to aussie-jack russell. We're getting a dog DNA test through dnamydog.com, and are looking forward to the mystery being solved!

Yellowstone

This summer, Andy and I both took on full time jobs at a small laboratory near our home town. My job included starting up, managing, and running both the microbiology lab and the thin layer chromatography assay. Big deal for an undergraduate. Andy was in charge of running the near infra red machine; a never ending and thankless job.

With our busy schedules, vacations and trips were near impossible. We did, however, manage to pull a few weekend trips.

One of my favorite places is Yellowstone National Park. My grandparents used to own a cabin a little over an hour from the west entrance, so I have many childhood memories of this grand expanse of wilderness.

Andy and I actually made not one, but two trips to Yellowstone this summer, one with his family and one with mine. Let me tell you about a few of the must see highlights.

What usually comes to mind when you hear Yellowstone? Old Faithful? Animals? Fishing? All of these are part of experiencing Yellowstone. When I was little, I remember going to see Old Faithful. My memory mainly consists of sitting in the hot sun and waiting. It's pretty faithful, but not entirely. If you've never seen it, you definitely have to, but there are a few other must see sights in the area.

The Old Faithful Lodge is a must see. Since you're already waiting for the geyser to spew, you might as well take a peek inside. The interior is breathtaking. It's so old, and all made of wood. The fireplace is huge, and the whole feel of it is adventurous.

Old Faithful Lodge

While marveling at the grandeur, you have to get ice cream. I mean have to. In Yellowstone, the huckleberry ice cream is to die for. There are plenty of other flavors for you non-traditionalists, but really. In Yellowstone, huckleberry is the flavor.

Some of the smaller geysers near Old Faithful are also worth seeing. Biscuit Basin has some beautiful hot pots (Sapphire pool is one of my favorites) as well as a few smaller geysers. Even just driving by you can see them spewing out boiling water.

Sapphire Pool

A bit further down the road is the famous Grand Prismatic Pool. It is massive and the colors are breathtaking. Don't be worried about weather, either. Even if it is cold and rainy, the hot pots are still worth the visit. The mist coming off of the hot pots is both beautiful and ominous.

Grand Prismatic

Another famous site in Yellowstone is Mammoth Hot Springs. I honestly had never been before this summer, and wasn't sure what to expect. It was amazing. The formations are incredible and completely cover the hillside. There are also plenty of placards telling about the formations and giving wonderful science lessons about the thermophiles that live in the hot water. Also noteworthy, there is a restaurant by Mammoth that serves huckleberry ice cream. I'm not joking; you have to have some.

Mammoth Hot Springs

If you're visiting in the summer, there is a swimming hole in Firehole river. It's just upstream of Firehole Falls. There's an area to change and everything. Unfortunately we didn't know that it had been opened up, so we didn't get to go swimming, but it looked so refreshing.

Swimming Hole in Firehole River

Safety note: Yellowstone is famous for its wildlife. When we went, we saw huge herds of buffalo and elk. We also saw cranes, a fox, and even two grizzly bears. Please remember that these are wild animals. I know it may sound silly to have to remind people, but while we were up there, some girl kicked a buffalo so it would stand up for the picture and she was mauled. We also saw people taking pictures within 20 yards of the grizzlies. These animals can kill you. They are massive, powerful, and alive. They are not simply backdrops for your selfie.

Maybe a bit too close guys?

Perfect View

Another safety note: Yellowstone is wilderness. If you have a medical emergency, there are no 24 hour pharmacies and the nearest hospitals are hours away. The rangers are willing to help, but even so, you should be prepared.

Our Emergency Kit we made after a horrible night in Yellowstone

On a last, happy note, I would like to give a shoutout to one of my family's favorite places. Around two hours south of West Yellowstone, there is a little town called Ashton. In this town, there is a diner that serves the BEST huckleberry shakes. Every time my family stayed at my grandparents' cabin, we would go and get huckleberry shakes at 511 Main Fountain & Pizzeria. We love that place. My dad would literally drive 5 hours to give a shake if he had the chance. To be honest, those shakes are part of the reason we went to Yellowstone as a family.

Enough Said

To conclude, Yellowstone is a great place to spend a weekend. There is plenty to see a do as long as your willing to take the time and do it. Happy camping, readers.

Hepatitis C Virus: An Introduction

For those of you who know my blog, or have visited before, you know that this type of article is unusual for me. I don't write about serious topics. Ever. But today I was reminded of a situation that has always weighted heavily on my mind: the availability of medical aid.

In the U.S., we enjoy the many medical advances. However, these advances sometimes--usually--come with a hefty price tag. Anyone who has had a surgery or gone without insurance knows that medical prices are very high, but at least we have access to it.

I, like many people on Facebook, follow the Humans of New York page. I love seeing the inspiring stories of those overcoming poor circumstances or the heartwarming stories of every day life. Today my heartstrings were pulled violently at the picture of a woman suffering from Hepatitis C Virus. She had escaped with her child from an abusive relationship and is struggling with her disease and situation. As I read through the comments I saw how many people wanted to help and the lack of information these people had about this disease and its treatments.

Last semester I learned of the release of Hepatitis C drugs that cured the disease. Curing a chronic viral disease after contraction is nearly unheard of, so of course I was excited and intrigued. As I researched the topic, I was surprised and infuriated at the price. All of these drugs were over $80,000 per treatment, about $1,000 per pill. I couldn't understand how. How could you develop a life saving drug and charge so much? Is it really that expensive to produce? Is this price ethical?

That was how I found my research topic for the semester. I went on to write two articles on the topic of HCV. One is strictly on the virus itself (background, characteristics, genetics, disease, etc), while the other an analytical report on the ethics of the prices for the three main HCV drugs (Sovaldi, Harvoni, and Viekira Pak).

In my experience, information about this disease and the treatment options available is spread out and hard to dig up. I feel that accessibility to this information and public awareness is the key to fighting HCV and also pharmaceutical price gouging. Both of my articles in their entirety will be posted on my blog, and I will be looking into posting them on other forums as well. I hope that through my research I can help others.

Hepatitis C Virus: Part I

Hepatitis C Virus: Part II

About Me

I realized that even though I started this blog a few years ago, I never formally introduced myself. I feel that with my ever small, but somehow growing audience, I should perhaps say a few words about me.

My name is Hannah. If you haven't gathered that, then have you really read my blog? 

I am a university student in a small university town. I am currently working on a B.S. in Microbiology and will hopefully graduate this coming December. I have worked in labs since my senior year of high school (so four years of being a lab rat!), and I love science. I even work as a teaching assistant in a laboratory class, sharing the love of science with students. To some of you, this may surprise you. I never mention science, I never talk about it here. It is, though, part of who I am. 

Bacterial growth from a student's phone

As you know, I am recently married. My husband and I are renting a small house close to campus. Although we are not allowed any animals, but we were able to keep my betta fish, Burney. You would think that having a fish as a pet is boring, but you'd be surprised. Burney is probably the most active fish I have ever seen. He freaks out when you walk in the room and you can literally play with him. With our living situation, he's a perfect fit.

Burney, our hyperactive fish

I like plants, but and am sometimes obsessed with them. The other times, I forget to water them and then they die or grow weird and look super ugly. I really need to start a routine.

The cool sunflowers I tried to seed and then killed

I ran track in high school. I ran the hurdles and an old track injury led to my surgery this past August. I am super lazy, however, and have not kept up running. I keep telling myself that I'll run when I'm less busy, but it still hasn't happened. Woops.

I love traveling, as you can probably see by my previous posts. I want to see the world and experience culture outside of my hometown "bubble". I love trying new food (but am also scared to). I love going new places and seeing new things.

Me squandering a perfectly good photo-op with Big Ben

During my university experience, I have taken two semesters of theater arts. I like doing theatrical makeup. While that may not come up ever again, it seems important to mention.

That time I grew (made) a beard

Lastly, I love life. I love my family, friends, and my companion in crime, Andy. I hope that the one thing everyone remembers of me is that I loved those around me and tried to make the best of everything. It's something I try to work on.

Andy and I

Zoo-Lander

Every once and a while, Andy and I have a Salt Lake Day. These excursions date back to our first big date when we went to the Leonardo, the Living Planet Aquarium, and Ikea all in one day. Our Salt Lake Days have continued and we've since taken trips to Tracy Aviary, Comic Con, Capitol Hill, and now Hogle Zoo.

Although my memories of the zoo have always included massive crowds, sweltering heat, the inability to see any animal, and screaming children, I have always enjoyed the zoo. To avoid reliving most, if not all, of these unpleasant memories, Andy and I planned to go to Hogle Zoo on a Friday morning. In the winter.

It was amazing.

There were a total of maybe 30 visitors to the zoo that day. Yes, it was a brisk day, but we could go to each exhibit and enjoy the views of the animals by ourselves!! There was no one around! We got to see every animal up close and personal (behind glass or a fence). There were no screaming children, and no one to block our pictures.

We were also very lucky to have visited around feeding time. All of the animals were up and active. The lions and tiger were roaring as they were impatiently waiting for their food. 

We also got to see this gem:

It even tried to woo me!

Our trip to the zoo was very enjoyable. The lack of crowds, due to the season and the time of day, made for a very quiet afternoon, and I actually preferred the cold to the blistering summer heat. I highly recommend Hogle Zoo and deem it an acceptable outing for any time of year. 

My Greatest Adventure

Over the past year, I've shared my desire to leave my small town. Last year I applied for out of state internships, I bought a ticket to India, and I had every intention on escaping my known world for that of the unknown.

It all fell through.

My internship applications for out of state were rejected--all if them, an old hip injury became unbearable, resulting in a surgery rather than a flight to India, and it seemed like my life was going in the opposite direction of what I wanted.

It was utterly perfect.

I ended up working in a laboratory in Salt Lake City for the summer. This internship was in state and definitely not what I had intended, but it was exactly what I needed. My internship allowed me to live at home and allowed me to strengthen past connections. Through my seemingly ruined plans I found a greater plan: I started dating Andy.

We started dating and as August and my India trip approached, we became very close. It also became apparent that there was an ongoing problem with my hip. After a few doctors visits and an MRI, it was determined that I would need surgery, and my trip needed to be canceled.

I was devastated. My chance to escape was gone.

As I became increasingly depressed, Andy had an idea: Disneyland. Andy's mother is a Disney Queen, she loves everything Disney, and she jumped at the chance to go.

About a week after my surgery we were in the car on the way to California. We spent two days in Disneyland. I spent one day in a wheelchair, and one on my crutches. I was the only person in the park on crutches.

Although Disneyland is no where near the caliber of an India trip, I loved every minute of it. Andy and I became so much closer. We continued dating and, on October 11, Andy proposed.

We made plans for forever and were married December 29 in the Salt Lake Temple.

Although my summer didn't go as I had hoped and planned, it turned out better than I could have ever imagined. My out of state internship applications were rejected, and my India trip canceled, but because of it I was able to build the most important relationship of my life. Andy is my everything, and I'm so grateful for the unexpected path life took me down this past year.

Semi-Local Adventures

Yesterday I told you that I had caught the travel bug. I mentioned that I had visited England last summer and had the most wonderful time and couldn't get enough. I also told you about my recent quest to leave my small town and set out on my own. While that is still under way, I do have a few other recent developments.

Two weekends ago I set out on a small adventure to Arizona. I went with group of about 50 people down to Havasupai.

Gesundheit.

I had never heard of Havasupai, but was still excited to go. Basically everyone I talked to had one of two reactions:

"Wow, really?? That's fantastic! You're going to love it there! I'm so jealous!!"

Or

"...What's that?"

Well, to spare you the effort of Googling it, Havasupai is a part of the Grand Canyon on an Indian reservation. It's an eight mile hike to the reserve and then another two miles to the camp site. 10 miles total.

Too much. But I made it.

We drove around 10 hours from my small town, stopping in Vegas and a random petting zoo along the way, and arrived at the trail head at about 3 am. We slept--well, tried to sleep--until we started our hike at 4 am.

I was deliriously tired.

My friend and I spent the first hour quoting Finding Nemo, from start to we ran out of brain power. We still had about 4 hours until camp.

Walking into Havasupai was an amazing experience. The red rock, the blue water.

No, really. The water was BLUE. Straight up blue.

The river bed was white and the water looked like God had let a kindergartener color the scene with crayons. The colors were all so intense!

This picture doesn't even begin to capture the beauty of Havasupai, but you start to get the idea.

The hike out was torturous. Another 10 hours. We started at 4 the very next morning after hiking in, and we were wiped.

On the drive back, ADD hit us again and we stopped at some random exotic animal sanctuary and saw tigers, panthers, cougars, and wolves. 

We stopped again at Hover Dam (yes, very ADD).

We didn't get back home until 1 am. I was so shot it took all I had to walk up the stairs to my apartment.

The next day someone asked me if I had just run a marathon. I could barely walk.

But it was totally worth it.

Looking Forward

I do this way to much--forget about my blog. So much has happened since I last shared! I've had lots of good times, and lots of bad times. I won't bore you with the details, but I will tell you about my recent and applicable developments.

Currently I am applying for internships--yes this is to make me seem smart to all of you who come across my rather boring blog. I've applied to internships in the Boston area as well as in the San Jose Valley in California. Right now I'm looking into corporate options in the pharmaceutical development industry.

On a more exciting note, I have caught the bug. The travel bug. I know everyone must experience this, so it's not really a rare or novel thing, but it is starting to consume my life. I have the need to leave my small town and start up somewhere else (hence the internships), to visit far off places, and have adventures.

It all started this last summer. My family visited England for our family vacation and it was amazing. London, one of the most international cities in the world. Lacock, a small village off the beaten path and across the English countryside. Portsmouth, a still bustling port with history and tradition. All of it so real and new and different.

I have to leave Provo.

I have to get out of my small town life, even if it's just for a little while and even if it is in my own country. But I have to leave. I want to go, live, and be free.

And I'm going to.

I'm going out of state to work for the summer, and I'm going on vacations as well. My friend has graciously volunteered for the role of travel buddy.

Destination: Adventure.

New News

Audience!! I am please to report that last week we had a record number of views... in ONE DAY! Crazy, right? I am so proud of you, my small number of followers. I take pride in knowing that somewhere, somehow, there are people who care about my random, nonsensical ramblings...

But on the other hand...

Seriously guys? Record number and then BOOM!!

Nothing.

Consistency is key, people. That's what my coaches (NOT life coaches) and boss have always said.

So let's try and keep up our numbers ;)

Have good days.

Love Hate Relationships

Couples. They're everywhere, especially at the "Get Married RIGHT Now" college I go to. You don't see them that often during fall semester, but as soon as the harsh winter is over and the sun starts to peek its head out from behind the clouds--BOOM!

But really, though. They're everywhere. It's nearly impossible to get to class without getting clotheslined by some couple holding hands or trip on a pair of love birds trying to say their last goodbye...until they get to see each other in an hour.

I used to hate couples. They used to bring out the grumpy cat glare in me as I saw them canoodling all over campus.

I've had a change of heart. I feel like the Grinch.

I think it's the over exposure to adorably irresistible couples. Sometimes you can't help but love them. Now I see couples and instead of, "Gosh dang it... why can't that be me... I hate you all!" I feel more like, "AWWWWWW!!! I LOVE you guys! Why can't that be me?!"

Sometimes it can be equally frustrating, but most of the time I just simply live vicariously through the adorable couples...

That is the end of my little rant on how I hatelove couples. As always, my small audience, I love and treasure each one of your page views.

Have good days.

Not All That Surprising

Hello again, small audience! I'm pleased to see that at least a few people out there have taken a peek into my rather normal life. It makes me feel abnormal.

My stories for today are pretty short.

To give you a little background and context, I work in sales--knife sales. I've been working for about two weeks and my manager is convinced I'm the best. Okay, not really, but he still has WAY to much confidence in me. (Advertising Note: If anyone wants to help me out, that'd be awesome! I get paid to do demos and I am lacking. I also need 200 names for recommendations for a contest coming up!)

Anyways, yesterday we had a meeting about selling knives. No way, right? During the meeting I look down and I am bleeding. I have an inch long cut on the side of my leg.

How the FREAK did that happen?! I had been sitting down and the only time I had recently moves was to go to lunch! The only possible thing I could think of was when I had gone to sit down I had to squeeze past some people and someone must have sliced me with a knife. That sounds CRAZY, but at my job, that would be completely normal..

After my meeting, my coworker, Abbie, and I went shopping. Simple task, right? WRONG. I was just finishing trying on some clothes and was putting my skirt back on when SNAP. My zipper broke. My skirt was now unwearable. I had no back up. NOTHING.

Solution: I had to BUY pants. I went to the counter with a pair of their pants on and another in my arms. I bought the pants, then went back to change. I also bought a new shirt. I had to buy a completely new outfit so I could get home without being a public menace.

Stupid knives. Stupid clothes. Anyone know where to get a nice, denim pencil skirt? I seem to need a new one..

PermaSlacker-PermaQuacker

I keep saying it; I keep saying I'm going to write regularly and then I don't. Is it that I don't have time? Possibly. Is it that I live a boring life? Also possible. Could it be that I don't know how to write? Not likely, though I may feel like I am lacking the in skills needed to entertain an audience with peals of stomach churning laughter.

I keep trying, though.

Let me tell you about the Ducks of Provo. Yes, Ducks with a capitol D. These are no ordinary ducks; these ducks have evolved into a special breed capable of survive the most vigorous conditions that one can find on a college campus. These Ducks' survival skills are so finely tuned that their senses are pricked by even the slightest movement... of a human being reaching into a bag of bread. Oh yes, these Ducks are so wild, they survive on the breadbasket of the American dream--the leftovers of college students.

Feeding the Ducks is always a nice, fallback activity for the active college student. There is nothing more peaceful than watching ducks swimming lazily around a small pond. The other day, my friend Nathan and I decided to participate in this mind-numbing activity.

We had all of the appropriate equipment (transportation and a supply of bread in the form of hamburger buns), but the experience did not go as planned. To our surprise, we found that the Ducks of Provo are so highly evolved that they have acquired a specific taste. They wouldn't take our bread if there was crust on it. Seriously? Crust.

Piece after piece of perfectly good bread floated and slowly dissolved as the Ducks turned up their beaks at them. Spoiled beasts. My throws quickly turned violent as a aimed my small projectiles at the Ducks.

Finally, victory. I landed a piece directly on the back of a Duck.

Skill. Right there.

That is all. Until next time, my microscopic audience. Don't worry, I'm a microbiology major--I like microscopic. It's the macroscopic creatures that through me..

We've Lost Control of Our Lives...

Last night was an interesting night.. Very interesting.

I was procrastinating my homework and messing around on photo booth when my roommate, Sarah, came home. Then we both got on photo booth. We spent over an hour... yes, over an hour... on photo booth. It was... crazy. We're crazy. We're probably the strangest people you will ever meet. Please enjoy this video...

Braaaiiinns...

I'm back again. After a couple of crazy days, I finally have time to write of my many (well not really), crazy (again not really) adventures!

First, I must bring up a main character (just because he shows up every once in a while). His name is Travis, and he is a man-hoe. Yep. He is. He's a cool kid, but he gets around. He's kissed 8 (last time I checked, give or not take 5) girls since the semester started, and that's just fall semester.. Anyways! He keeps asking me to hang out, I told him I was going on a walk and while on that walk, I saw him with some girl. Twenty minutes later, he was asking if I wanted to hang out again.. seriously? You just got done hanging with some girl? Well guess what! I have a plan. Next time I get really sick, like vomitously sick, I'm going to teach that man-hoe a lesson. Yes, in order to get him sick, I will have to kiss him, but I am ok with that if it gets him sick. Ha! Can you imagine giving a man-hoe the flu by kissing him? It's perfect..

Last night there was a Wyview Halloween party. As usual, as everyone is dressing nice and cute or pretty, I am the one who dresses up as something scary or disgusting. Holland was a poodle skirt girl, Makelle... a punk maybe? Sarah was Luna Lovegood, and I was... a zombie.

I had picked up my costume clothes the night before and needed to distress them properly. Zombies are dirty. Where do you find dirt? In the garden beds. So I went outside and rolled around in the dirt. I rubbed it all over and took the shirt and jumped on it. I admit... people were staring--a lot. One guy got up enough courage to ask what I was doing. I told him I just plain liked rolling in the dirt.

After getting my clothes dirty, I shredded them. I did a fantastic job! The cuts weren't sharp like they had been done with scissors, they were all ragged and frayed. I added bullet holes and knife marks. I also cooked up some blood and spread it on the wounds.

Next, I did my make up. I did everything myself, wounds and all. I did a pretty good job, I must say. I caught people at the party staring at me. One guy was seriously staring at me for a couple of minutes before he finally said I was creepy looking. No really? You sure about that?

There WAS a costume contest, but some other girl named Anna who was a zombie won. I saw her. She was NOTHING compared to me. I was kinda peeved. Oh well :] I perfected my zombie walk by the end of the night and was perfectly happy scaring small children--I mean college students--all night.

I Scream, You Scream, We All Kiss for Ice Cream

I was looking at my stats yesterday. There were two page views from the UK. Yes! Shout out you guys! Also worth mentioning were the views from Germany and the Netherlands. Shout out to you guys, too! I feel so cultured and popular. I hope you foreigners are enjoying my posts! Actually, you're probably wondering why I feel the need to publish my boring life. Ah, oh well.

Today was a much better day. I got an 85% on my Chem 105 test! Yes! Actually, that's the lowest I've ever scored on a test, but hey, it's college chemistry. I'll take what I can get.

To celebrate my score, and because my stomach wants food again (got to make up for the calories I missed yesterday), I ate some ice cream, and by some, I mean a lot. This happened last time I bought ice cream, but it was much worse. I bought two half gallon things of ice cream and ate them both within six days. It is a sad life I live.

Ice cream is a loaded food in our apartment. By loaded, I mean really loaded. We have a deal that if one of us kisses a boy, we have to buy a half gallon of ice cream for the rest of the apartment. Sometimes it's a bit annoying. I get asked on a regular basis if I owe my roommates ice cream, but it's not all bad. This arrangement becomes rather fun when it comes to pranks.

The second weekend after school started, my roommates, Holland and Makelle, both left for the weekend. Sarah and I decided to play a prank on them. We went to the store and bought four, that's right, four, things of ice cream and put them in the freezer. When Holland and Makelle came back from their trip, they were shocked.

"Why is there so much ice cream in the freezer?" Holland
"I don't know.." Me
"What did you guys do?!" Makelle
"We had a busy weekend!" Sarah and Me
"DOING WHAT?!" Makelle
"We..we played spin the bottle.." Sarah and Me
"WHY?! You could have said NO!" Makelle
"It was at our house! It was Nate's idea.. Nate would.." Me
"Well who did you kiss!?" Makelle
"Well.. I kissed Zac and--" Me
"Wait, I kissed Zac, too... but it wasn't during spin the bottle." Sarah
"What?! You kissed him, too?!" Me
"You both kissed ZAC?!" Makelle (who has a big crush on Zac) "Who else was there?!"
"Let's see, Zac, Tyson, Nate, Travis--oh, he was my other kiss." Me
"Tyson was there, too?! Why didn't you guys invite me?!" Makelle
"That was Travis? I couldn't tell from the back!" Sarah
"Ya, that was a good kiss.." Me
"Why don't I get invited to these things?! We have to do it again this weekend!" Makelle
"I don't believe you guys.." Holland
"We're sorry.." Sarah and Me
"If you guys are lying.. I'm going to kill you!!" Makelle

It was so worth buying four things of ice cream.. So so worth it..

One of THOSE Days

I don't know who has been reading my posts, but my page views have been climbing to an unimaginable number--just kidding, only five, but still. Maybe I should be more careful about what I put into my posts..or not. Probably not. Nope.

Today has been one of THOSE days. I don't want this to be a whiny post, but honestly, I need to vent. Feel free to laugh because today has been almost a Bad Luck Brian kind of a day.

First off, I had to grab breakfast to go. This may seem like it's not that big of a deal, but it is when you don't realize your stomach is having a fussy day and you try to eat an apple on an empty stomach and you end up almost tossing your cookies--er apples.

I forgot my iclicker for my first class and seeing as I needed to go get it, I thought I would make some soup to calm down my class five hurricane of a stomach while I was home. Mmmmm! Chicken noodle soup! Mind you, it was Campbell's, but hey! Soup! I put it on the stove and heated it up and within five minutes I had a delicious bowl of soup! Or so I thought..

First bite: warm, brothy, flavorful. Swallow: gets stuck. What? There was a hair in my soup. I had swallowed half of it but the other half was hanging out of my mouth and choking me. I tried to pull it out and almost gagged. I ended up having to break it off and swallow the stub completely or risk throwing up. I was grossed out, yes, but I figured it was my hair, so I kept eating.

Second bite: warm, broth...hair! Another one! This time I spit it out before I choked myself for a second time. I looked at the hair. Definitely NOT my hair. I wanted to puke. TWO hairs in TWO bites! Seriously? That is disgusting. Needless to say, I did not finish my soup.

How could my day get worse? My stomach's discomfort was horrendous, but hey, that was just the same as earlier today. It couldn't possibly get worse. Wrong.

I went to lab meeting today and there was some random guy with a camera. "Hi everyone. I'm making a website for Dr. Robison's lab and I need to get every one's picture." Really? Picture? I didn't do my hair today, I'm pale from being sick and I have a facial expression similar to someone being stabbed in the stomach. Fabulous. Say cheese.

I survive my picture, manage to smile, and as everyone gets up one by one to get their picture taken, lab meeting proceeds. Now, our discussions are serious business--well, not really. We do joke around, but this next moment was serious. We're talking hardcore science when, out of the blue, what happens? I choke... on my own spit. I wasn't eating, wasn't drinking, wasn't talking, nope. I'm just sitting there and I start to choke. I try to hold my breath but then I start choking and making horrible sputtering noises right in the middle of lab meeting. My face turned bright red and tears started to come. I quickly got up and calmly.. ran. To the drinking fountain. I'm a scientist, yep. One that chokes on her own spit.

The last order of not so fantastic business was the review session I went to. This week is my Chem 105 test (which I should be studying for right now). Anyways, I'm super nervous about this test. I don't really understand a few of the concepts and my TA taught us wrong, so now I am twice as confused. I decided to go to the review session today. I figured my need was dire enough to struggle through gastrointestinal pain to listen to someone reteach me about the things I'm struggling with. I sit down and this TA starts out by saying, "Hi, my name is ****. This is my first year TAing. I took Chem 105 four years ago." Wait, what? Four years ago? And you expect to teach us? Well maybe this guy is pro chemist now! Nope.

He starts teaching us and at one point says, "Now, do you guys know how to do this? Good, because I don't remember." Excuse me? We're putting our trust in you to teach us what we need to know on the test and you don't remember? I'm sitting here, holding back pain so I can listen to us teach you? Oh no, no. I left. Yep. I just plain couldn't do it.

I went home, and that was when my day got better. I could sleep. The best time of day is that time in which you are unconscious. Well, at least on THIS particular kind of day. Have good days, readers. Have good days.

"Don't Worry, You Can Outrun the Cops"

My latest adventure was quite...adventurous. Last night my friend, Ash, invited me to go get food with him and his friend. It was about one in the morning. I agreed to go. We ended up at McDonalds and after an absurd amount of greasy french fries, Ash asked if I wanted to learn to longboard. I have been asking him to teach me to longboard for about two weeks now. Of course I wanted to learn to longboard!

Ash, Sterling, and I all piled in the car and Ash and Sterling began arguing about where to go longboarding. They decided on "the garage". Sounds like an interesting place to be.. First thing they tell me when we pull up:

"Ok, so when we get in there, look out for the security guard; he drives around at night. If you see him, just pick up your board and run for the stairs. The stairs are on the south side. You can run faster than he can drive down, so just book it. We'll meet back at the car. Don't worry about it. There aren't usually cops, just the security guard. All he can do is tell you to leave, but sometimes he calls the cops."

...I'm sorry, what? Cops? Is this even legal? No.. no it's not.

Luckily we didn't run into any cops, just some burnout druggy guy that Sterling knew from work. All in all, the night was fun! I learned to longboard and was actually not that bad. I did wipe out once. Sterling made me take his helmet so he didn't have to take me to the emergency room. We made one complete run and then headed home.

The night wasn't over yet.

Earlier that night, I had been talking to my friend, Gavin, about how I had burned my lip making mashmellows over the stove (risky business that is). We were joking about how I was emotionally scarred for life. He asked if there was anything he could do and I said I needed a shoulder to cry on at 3 in the morning. He agreed. So, when I got back from longboarding, Gavin and I went on a walk. He had set an alarm for 3:30 and gotten up just to talk to me. He knew I didn't actually need a shoulder to cry on. It was way cute. We walked and talked and then went stargazing and ended up star-tipping. It was about 4:30 by the time I went home and stayed home.

Long night, but it was well worth it. I do have a few bruises, though. I feel so hard core.

Miss Me?

I am back, and as witty in writing as ever! While I do apologize for taking such a long leave of absence, I would like to start by saying, boy have I missed writing! I've missed being able to pour my feelings out in a public domain, have the pleasure of publishing it, and then being confident that no one will read it. That is one of the perks of being a small blog with two followers (shout out to you guys!).
So, to catch you up on what has been happening in my life, I have started college. I attend a private, church funded university. I am majoring in microbiology (saving the world one bacillus at a time!). I live in on campus housing with my three fabulous roommates Sarah, Holland, and Makelle. I enjoy living with them, but I must say, living on your own without parents to provide meals and keep the house clean is hard. I also never thought I would miss my mother nagging me to do my homework and go to bed. I'll admit that without my mother, I have fallen way behind on homework AND have not gone to bed before three for about a month. I am mucho sleep deprived.
On the bright side, college is a blast! I've met so many new people! I've had many adventures, too. Slenderman pretty much sums up most of the adventures. That is an insanely terrifying game. I ask everyone I meet if they have played it, and if they haven't... I fix that. My other adventures are pretty thrilling, too. For example, just last night I snuggled with a baby cow. Yes, believe it. I am so bad A.
Well, catching you up with ALL of my stories thus far would take way to long. I apologize, but you're just going to have to trust that my life is pretty good and also that I will tell you all my adventures from this point on. This is my new daily journal, since I pretty much spend all my time on the computer anyways.
Thankful as ever for your loyalty,
Hannah