5-4-3-2-1-California: Not that I'm counting, or at all excited, but its five days until I leave for my NINE day trip to California...Los Angeles and Palm Desert! (We won't discuss the fact that it is in the 100's in Palm Desert.) Vacation, here I come!

Now We're Talkin': Finally, MIT students work for the real common good...a new way to make ice cream! Yes!

The Right Wing Get Caught Doing Wrong: The federal government suspended funding to a nationwide program that promotes teenage premarital abstinence through skits and music videos, because the group did not adequately separate religious components from its abstinence message. I am particularly fond of the seemingly unbiased language in the last sentence, stating "The Silver Ring Thing has said that more than 30,000 young people have committed themselves to premarital purity after attending the program's three-hour multimedia presentations." Um, yeah.

Good Spinal News: I went to my five week follow up appointment at the Spine Center this morning. The good news is that my MRI was basically ok, and just showed some minor swelling between two of my cervical vertebrae (neck). She said many people have this type of swelling, and that mainly what I have is soft tissue problems. She asked about my physical therapy (which, I must say, I have been kicking ass at!) and which exercises they are having me do etc. She asked what size weights I have been using for them. I told her 2 lb, and that even that was often very hard for some of the exercises. She said it sounded like I was doing well, but she would like to see me work up to 6 lb!!!! Admittedly, over time, but that seems incomprehensible right now. I am very proud of myself with how consciencious I can been in doing my exercises every day (maybe even too much...I made my arms/shoulders very sore over the weekend.) I think that, unlike the chiropractic care I have been doing for the last year (with good stretching at home) where I felt like I was passive to the treatment, I am working REALLY hard at the PT with the mindset that if I work hard enough, I will stop hurting. I am having trouble being patient, and want to feel better NOW. Anyhow, I was glad to get a good assessment from the Spine Doc and be on the right path with PT. 6lb....eee gad!

Parenthetical Weekend in Review: Friday I "went home" with my friend Kathryn (all the way to Arlington...maybe 1.5 miles from my house). We changed into sporty gear and went on a great walk on the bike path. We went back to her place where she made up a yummy, fresh dinner (whole wheat pita filled with a salad of feta, cucumbers, lemony olive oil, and fresh basil, with garden fresh string beans and red grapes). We then walked to the new ice cream place in Teele Square (we sampled the coconut sumin' or other, mocha almond fudge, moose tracks, and black berry and then ended up with mocha almond fudge and moose tracks). We walked back to her place, chatted a bit, and then I went home.

Saturday I went to the Boston Harbor Islands (George's Island to be exact) amid UNBELIEVABLE fog. We couldn't even see the people in the front of the boat! We found a great grill and site on the un-busy side of the island to set up camp. We grilled (thanks to Kevin for the chicken sausage), ate lots of junk food (Triskets, Wheat Thins, cheeses, Pringles, animal crackers, Reese cups, potato chips...) and a few healthy things (carrots, hummos, grapes, blueberries). Some people played Frisbee, some flew a kite (so fun!), some read a book, some napped (ME ME ME), and some played games (Uno and Scrabble). And some got a sun burn when the fog went away (ME ME ME again...stupid stupid stupid) We got home around 7:00 (thanks again Em and Nat for the ride) and I just chilled.

Sunday I read the paper, Kev and Josh came by to get the stuff Josh was storing in my basement (we spent 40 minutes trying to extract the box spring from the basement!!!!!), I went to the grocery store, made my contribution for the potluck at work today (green pasta salad with spiral pasta with pesto, spinach and peas), and met Kev, Josh and Shana for dinner at the Forest Cafe. Oh, and I also watched the movie Raising Helen (C+) And here I am...back at work. Actually with quite a bit to do finally. And only 12 more days till my vacation to LA and Palm Desert!!!!!!

People Watching at Lunch: Walking across campus on my way back from lunch today I saw:
1) A man jogging around the track as he juggled three balls. As far as I saw, he never dropped the balls, and was simply exercising his arms as he ran by juggling. Quite impressive.
2) A man that was straight out of Nerd Central Casting. He was wearing knee-length shorts pulled up to his mid-chest, a polo-ish shirt with a pocket and pocket protector, LARGE glasses, black "sneakers" with kneehigh socks. Rarely am I so acutely aware that I work at MIT.

More from the Gaza Strip: My cousin is on USAToday.com. Go to the photos from the Gaza Strip and go to the 5th photo. He is the one on the right with his head down. What a moment in history, especially as someone who went to Israel to join the Army from Ohio to support Israel.

Good People Watching: Last night on the T (riding back from my last Fund Raising class!) I saw a couple and their 5-ish year old daughter sitting next to me. The girl was sitting in a stroller and watching the world go by. I had noticed the family because they looked like they came straight out of the 70's, with long hair in braids (mom AND dad), a tie dyed shirt, and that general VERY crunchy look. At some point the little girl said something to her mom and her mom pulled the girl onto her lap, lifted up her shirt and began breast feeding her. I thought it was an interesting phenomenon, but you should have seen the faces of some of the other people on the T. Shock! The mom was very discrete, but there was no missing what was happening.

Straight from the Gaza Strip: This is an email my aunt Janet (who lives in Israel) sent to her sister Judy today. Judy's son (my cousin) Daniel is in the Israeli army with our other cousin in the Gaza Strip at this historic time. "Dan just called me a few times. He's in Kfar Darom (where we were, Mom) and it's one of the extremist settlements where people are on the roof of some building. Dan is really a part of history here. He's standing outside one of the homes with all the soldiers who are so cute, so special, so young!!!! Can't believe how they must be suffering in probably 105 degrees or more. They send girl officers into these homes first ? if you can watch any of this today, Jude, on your satellite it's unreal. Dan sounds ok, just had to take out an old man with a baby or something."

Prayers with the Soldiers: Two of my three cousins in the Israeli Army are stationed in the Gaza Strip today, as settlers leave the area. I pray for no violence...and peace... for them, the Israelis and the Palestinians.

I'm Not Trying to Be Mean But...: On Boston.com people have submitted photos of themselves, claiming that they look like a famous celebrity. In almost all cases, I have to say I disagree. The particularly funny part is that most people think they look like a very beautiful/handsome person...all the more tragic when they are way off the mark.

Another great use of MIT minds: Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology are developing software for cell phones that would analyze speech patterns and voice tones to rate people -- on a scale of 0 to 100 percent -- on how engaged they are in a conversation. The best part is that is is being called a Jerk-O-Meter.

What An Idiot: An 18-year old (need I say more) decided to TEST whether the net behind home plate at Yankee Stadium would hold him and so he JUMPED from the UPPER DECK to see. What a fool!

Miracle of Miracles: Are you ready for this? The Whybunts WON last night...in the playoffs! (Well, it was an elective playoffs...anyone who wanted to play could enter the playoffs.) We won 10-9 and have another game tonight. Alas, I have class tonight but will join them for the post-game celebration/commiseration. When my dad asked what I contributed to last night's game I replied "Spirit...lots and lots of spirit." But hey, that's my best asset to offer! We have so much fun!

Mazel Tov: More babies! (well, one) Congratulations to Debb and Neal on the arrival (finally! after a 7 day delay) of Joseph Bennett (JB) Klinman. It sounds like mom, dad and baby are all doing well, and he appears to be cute as a button. :-)

I Got Me Some Smart (and teacher-ly) Friends: As wrote my last post about talking to my law professor friend, I realized that I have friends who teach at Tufts University, Case Western Reserve University, Tulane University, U of Washington, and UC Berkeley...in areas ranging from law to Central American anthropology to molecuular biology to postmodern theater studies. Did I forget anyone? Makes my brain hurt.

Overheard from My Living to the WWW: Just this weekend I was having a discussion with my favorite law professor, and tech junkie, about the legality of using someone else's wireless signal. Seems as though I am not the only one thinking about this...

The Cat is Out of the Bag: So I was waiting until after Emily and Nat's party yesterday to post anything on this blog, but now the news is mostly out... EMILY AND NAT ARE ENGAGED! (or, as Emily put it, they have decided to get married) Sendng my cyber and real life best wishes to them for a lifetime of love and happiness.

Unexpected Sadness: I just saw that Peter Jenkins passed away last night. Somehow this has saddened me much more than I ever would have anticipated. I truly felt that I knew him after all the nights I watched him deliver the news. :-(

Brilliant: A web site where you can get a log in without registering for the web site...called BugMeNot. I think that hilarious. I already used it to log onto the Dallas News web site to read an article that was suggested to me, without having to register.