Because I Don't Travel Enough: I have decided to go on a long weekend to LA in early March. I have frequent flier miles, and since I am cancelling my Utah trip planned for May (I still hope to go on the trip in August) I decide to go on a trip out West. I actually haven't been there for a non-work trip in awhile (although it doesn't feel that way because I usually stay on for a weekend of fun at the end of a work trip) I will go between my work trips to Austin (where I will see high school friend Jen and her wife Jackie/Jacquie) in February and Philly in mid-March.

Is It A Bird? Is It A Plane? Is It A Harp Lady?: Emily, Eve, Brenda and I went to see Deborah Hansen-Conant, who plays the electric harp, tells rambling (usually amusing) stories, has her hair in extentions and wild ribbons, and seems to amuse herself AT LEAST as much as she amuses her audience at the tiny Jimmy Tingle's Off-Broadway Theater. Eve was able to get us free tickets through her job, and I won a CD by being a smart ass during the raffle. (Deborah had us practice screaming and cheering if we won the free raffle. After we practiced, she "read" a raffle entry (a bogus one-- we entered with only our names and she read off a long number-- as if she was reading a traditional raffle ticket. I cheered as if I had won-- to be silly-- and she gave me a CD. Even funnier was that Brenda won teh grand prize (legit!) which was a copy of each of Deborah's cd's (5 I think).

The Return of Friday Five (well, a bit more than 5): Thanks to Em for reviving this tradition.
- What were you doing ten years ago? I was entering my final semester at Macalester College, but not really attending classes, as I was student teaching in a fifth grade and then sixth grade classroom. I was living IN the football stadium (a small, almost off-campus, dorm) I was unsure of my post-graduation plan, but knew I wanted to find a job doing reproductive health education.
- What were you doing five years ago? I had just moved to Boston (well, Cambridge to be exact) after finishing my Masters in Nonprofit Management. I was dating someone who lived in Worcester, MA. I was working at Teen Empowerment doing fund raising and organizational advancement.
- What were you doing one year ago? I was going to chiropractic three days a week, in hopes of finally ailing my back. (somewhat successful) I had just gotten back from a fantastic visit in Arizona with my college pal Eva. I was entering my second year living in my condo in Somerville.
- Five snacks I enjoy: ice cream, chips & guac, popcorn, Triskets & cheese, Sun Chips
- Five songs to which I know all the lyrics: “Greatest Love of All”, “I Will Survive”, the Oreo cookie theme song (Ice cream and an Oreo cookie, go together, made forever, the classic combination…), …hmmm….struggling here… “Happy Birthday” and “Mary Had a Little Lamb”
- Five things I would do if I were a millionaire: start a philanthropic foundation, go on at least one major international trip a year, go one a couple of trips with friends (my treat), buy new furniture for my house, eat out at all 50 restaurants on my list of places I want to go
- Five bad habits: interrupting people when they talk, getting impatient with other drivers, not changing my linens as often as I should, being short with my mom, thinking the WORST when someone is late/forgets to call/etc
- Five things I like doing: traveling, eating at restaurants, having quality time with friends, sleeping, dancing
- Five things I would never wear again: my high school prom dress, ….this one is stumping me….
- Five favorite toys: I better not go there.

Another Reason...: To go on vacation more often. For the second time, the morning after returning from a vacation (Cancun with my parents and brother), my co-worker who is responsible for the MIT Alumni Travel Program, walked into my office to ask me to be the staff host on a travel program. This one is in May and goes to Croatia, Slovenia and Italy. The only minor downside is that I was planning a trip to the national parks in Utah at that time, but that trip can be postponed and I am thrilled to go on this trip. What a wonderful opportunity! Woo woo!

Meh-he-co! I leave for Mexico early on Saturday morning, to meet up with my parents and brother! It is a fast trip (returning on Wednesday), but oh am I excited! Sun. Fun. Water. Relaxation. Bring it on!

The Wierdest Ailment: I just had to share...although I don't even know if I can describe. Last night at Curves, I was simply running in place on the little square, and I turned my head to talk to Emily, who was right next to me, doing her little exercises. WELL! Apparently I pulled? strained? pinched? some nerve in my front neck, which went into a crazy, painful thing! Kinda like when you turn your head the wrong way and a muscle on the side of your neck cinches up, and sometime hurts for a few hours....but it was the muscles that go down the FRONT of my neck, and it felt like someone had punched me under my chin on my the muscle that helps you swallow! I was doing NOTHING when it happened! It hurt every time I tipped my hear higher than straight ahead, and with other similar movements. I exercised for about ten more minutes and then stopped (it was basically time to stop anyhow) I couldn't do my stretches, and, although it slowly started to feel increasingly better, it still hurts a little bit now-- almost 24 hours later! Insane!

Regisration is OPEN: The registration for my big April event went live today, in conjunction with the first marketing email that is going out this afternoon. This is the first time that MIT has ever invited all alumni with a graduate degree back to campus...and it's my baby. I am in charge of the concept, exectution, web site, marketing, speakers, venues, EVERYTHING. Check out the web site and learn more! (I know you are just dying to!)

Carry a Condom or Pay: A western Colombian town has threatening males over age 14 with fines if they fail to carry a condom. Young men in the community, most of whom start having sex at about age 15, according to a poll, should carry condoms just as they have to carry identification cards, Tulua town councilman William Pena told El Tiempo newspaper.
Those who fail to show a condom would have to pay a small fine or take a three-hour course in AIDS prevention in Tulua, where 14 people died of sexually transmitted diseases last year. -- As they say, if you don't have protection, you will pay!

Fun Sports Slideshows: I found two fun slide shows on Sports Illustrated.com...one of sports figures tatoos and one of the dreadful, soul sucking transformation that the Evil Empire (i.e. Yankees) impresses on their players, including our dearly departed Damon.

A Joke from Jamie: A man enters a bar and orders a drink. The bar has a robot bartender. The robot serves him a perfectly prepared cocktail, and then asks him, "What's your IQ?" The man replies "150" and the robot proceeds to make conversation about global warming factors, quantum physics and spirituality, biochemistry, environmental interconnectedness, string theory, nano-technology, and sexual proclivities. The customer is very impressed and thinks, "This is really cool." He decides to test the robot. He walks out of the bar, turns around, and comes back in for another drink. Again, the robot serves him the perfectly prepared drink and asks him, "What's your IQ?" The man responds, "about a 100." Immediately the robot starts talking, but this time, about football, NASCAR,baseball, super models, favorite fast foods, guns, and women's breasts. Really impressed, the man leaves the bar ! and decides to give the robot one more test. He heads out and returns, the robot serves him and asks, "What's your IQ?" The man replies, "Er, 50, I think."And the robot says... real slowly... "So... ya gonna vote for Bush again?"

A "Crappy" Gift: My boss was given a TOILET for Christmas...well, actually some disadvantaged people were given a toilet to keep them healthy and safe. Oxfam has an opportunity to "give a toilet". The ackowledgement card that was sent to my boss is hilarious. What a great idea!

Giving Back: This past weekend I particpated in my sixth Christmas in the City event, this time as a Shleter Captain. CITC is an organization with one purpose: to host an annual holiday party for children and their families in greater Boston who are homeless, or living in transitional programs. Over 2800 kids and 1200 parents attended this year. Highlights include more chicken nuggets and juice than you have ever seen in one place, Winter Wonderland (complete with pony rides, fire fighters and graham cracker houses), individually selected gifts for every child, HUGE smiles and laughter, and of course, the feeling of utter exhaustion at the end of the day! Several colleagues, my brother, and others joined me in bringing holiday joy to 50 children and their parents. It was a fabulous (and exhausting) day. Although I could never do this every day, it is one of the highlights of my year. To read more about the event, read this or this (scroll down and click on Pictures of Christmas in the City) or

Randal Wins! (At Least the Apprentice): After a long, fun night staffing the MIT event about the Apprentice, Randal got the job! We had over 700 students and alumni come to cheer on Randal, TV crews, and a lot of fun (but a late night...didn't get home till close to midnight). The show was great...except maybe the last 3 minutes when the classy, smart Randal made some fairly jackass comments. But overall, the event, and the alum are a huge success.

LIMITED TIME OFFER: Check out the MIT home page today (if changes daily) to see a promo for our very own Randall Pinkett on The Apprentice tonight! Randall is one of the two finalist on the show tonight...and I will be working from 9:00-11:00 tonight as he fights for a job with Trump. (a questionable thing to fight for if you ask me but...)

Shaker Heights' Efforts in No Child Left Behind: (thanks to Marsh for this one) My home town, location of the first racially planned community , and a place of inconsitent but better than most places efforts to address racial issues, is in the news. The article is called "How One Suburb's Black Student Gain"...a lot being done well, so much more to do!

Single, and Not Unhappy. Amazing!: A fantastic article about the phenomenon of being single...and happy... all at the same time. (thanks to Em for sending the article) Of course, I wish (really wish) that I was in a loving, committed relationship, but the lack of such a relationship does not render me miserable...something that some people find astonishing, or incomprehensible. In her book, E. Kay Trimberger says that happy single women need "six supports for crafting a satisfying single life: fulfilling work, connections to the next generation, a home; intimate relationships with a network of friends and extended family, a community and acceptance of your sexuality" I am so immensely blessed that I have all six in huge amounts. The article is really quite interesting...and I can't wait until the day I can say it is interesting in regard to my single friends and not me.

Redheads in the News: Thanks to my brother (another redhead) for this newsy item about redheads. Apparently it has been discovered that there is a gene that is linked both to red hair coloring and to higher levels of pain tolerance. The research showed that redheads can withstand up to 25 percent more pain than their blond and brunet peers do before saying "stop."

So MIT: Leave it to MIT to do a video game solicitation! (Feel free to make a gift at the end if you want!)

From the Mouth's of Babes: Conversation with the 7 year old neighbor of my aunt and uncle...
Kid: "Guess the name of the principal at my school" (A school in a district that I attended)
Me: "Hmmmm....Ms. Longo?...no...I don't know, so maybe Ms........" (this actually was about 5 minutes of back and forth and guessing)
Kid: "I'll just tell you! It's Dr. Callahan! But she's not a real doctor, that's just her name."
Me: "Actaully, she is a doctor, just not a medical doctor. That means that she went to college for a very long time and so we call her Doctor."
Kid: "No, she's not a doctor, her name is just Dr. Callahan. She's a principal, not a doctor. She just tells teachers what to do."

Good Eats!: (I hope) A new restuarant has opened in Central Square (in the old Burger King no less) called Rendez Vous. It has gotten good reviews on Chowhounds. A bit pricey, but I defintiely want to try it for some yet to be named special occasion. Who wants to come?

I Wanta Go!: They are opening the world's largest aquarium in Atlanta! I love aquariums!!!! I wanta go! (At least they have virtual tours until I can get back to Atlanta for a visit.)

Kissing a Spider??? The next installment in Emily and my subscription to SpeakEasy is Kiss of the Spider Woman, which has gotten two very positive reviews in the paper. We don't go until the first week of December, but I am getting excited...

The Power!: Apparently Eva and I were in a more elite cadre than we even knew! There was an article in today's Globe about the tremendous power of the student's sitting on the Food Advisory Board at Boston University. Both Eva and I sat on Macalester's board. "It's not as secretive as Yale's Skull and Bones, and so far none of its members have gone on to become president. But in certain circles, this Boston University group possesses a similar cachet. And power." Who knew we were so cool? (Well, we did...but ya know...)

SHE'S ALIVE: Yes, I know, I have broken the number one rule of blogging...don't go away. I have been busy! I was in Denver, San Fran and Sacramento last week and Philly for 24 hours this week. Then I go to Cleveland this weekend to see Chip, Abby and Rebecca (they won't be there at Thanksgiving), DC next week, and back to Cleveland for Turkey Day. Sorry I have been a stranger.

Truck Sighting: The tagline on a truck today said "Our reputation exceeds your expectations." Am I the only person that finds this odd? Should it say "We exceed your expectations" or "Our work exceeds your expectations"??? What if they don't meet their reputation?

Crazy Upcoming Weeks: I got home LATE last night from the Girl Scout of the USA National Convention in Atlanta (radar was down in New Hampshire so I got in way late) and am now on a whirlwind for the next couple of weeks. Wanta know the plan???
Tonight: Ladies Movie Night (Proof) with dinner at Cambridge 1 prior
Wednesday: Yom Kippur with Kev and Brent
Thursday: Yom Kippur
Friday: Arrive at work at 7:00 a.m. for Family Weekend
Saturday: Family Weekend
Sunday: Apple picking and Patriots
Monday: MIT Club of speaker (may not go because I should go to Curves)
Tuesday: NOTHING!
Wednesday: Drinks and/or dinner with former colleague
Thursday: SpeakEasy Stage Company "Theater District" with the guy from NYPD Blue (first of 5 plays in our subscription) Also my birthday.
Friday: Hopefully see Marshall!
Saturday: Lesbian comic with Em (she is a lesbian and that is the premise of her show but its funny to list her that way)
Sunday: Birthday brunch at the Blue Room with the ladies
Monday: Lunch with Macalester alumni person
Tuesday: Girl Scout major event "Leading Women"
Wednesday- Tuesday: Trip for work to Denver, San Fran and Sacramento. I get to see Shelby in Sacramento.
That puts me at November 2!

Become a Republican???: A very funny, and unfortunately true, satiracal video clip from Lauren. Enjoy!

Off to the Peach: I am leaving tomorrow for the National Convention of the Girls Scouts of the USA in Atlanta. (I have been doing some volunteer work for them on fund raising and other committee stuff...I may join the Board some time.) I have never been to Atlanta, and although I may not be able to see too much of it, I hope to have a chance to look around. As for the Convention itself...well, if nothing else it will be a good sociological study. I have my Girl Scout pins, and all my other GS stuff. I am SURE there will be lots of stories to share when I return.

L'Shana Tov: Happy New Year! Wishing all of you, Jews and genitiles, a year filled with sweetness, happiness, peace and health.

Weekend Review: Friday night I started the evening at Em and Nat's, from where we went to Blue Ribbon BBQ for a super yummy pulled chicken sandwich, mashed potatoes and collard greens. We then went to Robbins Farm Park, right up the street from their house, to watch the Red Sox-Yankees game on the big screen! It was really fun (lots of kids, people screaming and clapping as if we were at the game, and even some illegal fireworks when the first run scored) but very cold. We bundled up (including hats, fleece blankets and layers) and stayed until the seventh inning. We then went back to Em and Nat's house to watch the conclusion of the game. Saturday I went with Em, Nat, Eve and Brenda to the Topsfield Fair, the oldest fair in the country. Junk food, live stock, the largest pumpkin in MA, and tons of fun! Not to mention, it was a perfect day to be outside...upper sixties and sunny. I went to babysit on Saturday night, and kinda lay low on Sunday. (Of course, that included watching the Partiots lose and the Red Sox WIN!!!!) Watched some other tv, went on a walk, ran a few errands, and now here I am back at work.

Combining Business with Pleasure: The cousin of my dear college friend Eva has been promoted to Associate Dean for Undergraduate Education and Assistant to the Chancellor of MIT. Karl Reid has been seen as a super star since I arrived at MIT (and also a great partner with the speaker program I run) and it is so nice that he has been further recognized for this contributions to MIT.

See, Obsessive Baseball Watching Cures: Researchers at Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School here found that ER visits citywide rose and fell in direct proportion to fortunes of the Red Sox in last season's (successful) road to the World Series. "The public health finding here is people use discretion in deciding when to show up in the emergency department." I love it!

Heart Warming: Charlie Weis, former offensive coordiantor for the New England Patriot (who won a heart wrenching game yesterday) made a heart warming visit to a Notre Dame fan recently. With all the meanness and selfishness in the world, I love to read about people who are truly good people.

ALC: Today begins ALC, the Alumni Leadership Conference. (Alumni begain to arrive yesterday.) Once I get through this weekend, I will try to be back to my verbose self. Wish me luck with my big meeting and three workshops over the weekend.

Wow!: A 14-year-old student was expelled from a Christian school because her parents are lesbians. School policy requires that at least one parent may not engage in practices "immoral or inconsistent with a positive Christian life style, such as cohabitating without marriage or in a homosexual relationship."

More In Character Posting: An article in the Boston Globe with the headline "Teens should abstain from sex, not sex ed". Duh! Ya think? Opening paragraph..."This summer, the American Academy of Pediatrics, a group of 60,000 pediatricians, revised its guidelines on sex education, emphasizing that it is crucial to teach teens to use contraception, and saying that the abstinence-only programs touted by the Bush administration are unproven and risky." It is actually an excellent article.

An Odd Re-entry into Blogging: First of all, sorry for my absence. I had a wonderful vacation (WONDERFUL!) and came back to the last week and a half of preparation for MIT's Alumni Leadership Conference, at which I am presenting at three workshops and hosting a planning meeting for my big spring Conference. Anyhow!! I found this listing of the ten most dangerous jobs. Not only are the jobs interesting, but they are paid PITIFULLY! I wonder what the danger is for accountants?

Bye Ya'll: In case I get busy (or more likely, distracted with anticipation) this afternoon, I wanted to say "bye" to you all before I leave on my trip to LA and Palm Desert. I'll report back later...

More from An Article About Timken:
Joanne Hinton, whose 16-year-old daughter, Raechel Hinton, is eight months pregnant, said she believes the school's abstinence-based sex education program isn't enough.
"It's time to take the blinders off and realize that these kids are having sex," she said. "Obviously, abstinence is not working. If we have to, just give them condoms."
Abstinence-based programs have been growing nationwide at schools over the past few years. In Ohio, the Bush's administration and the state's health department have awarded $32 million in grants to Ohio agencies for abstinence education since 2001.

I Will Never Be Without A Job: Thirteen percent of the female students at Timken Senior High School in Ohio are pregnant. That's 64 of Timken's 490 female students - 13 percent - are pregnant!!! Um yeah, dear President Bush and your ignorant regime, just tell em to keep it in their pants, that sex is a wonderful sacred pleasurable thing but wait until you are married, you don't need to worry your pretty little head about STD's and birth control since I *know* you wouldn't have sex, and other such empowering, realistic and knowledgeable messages...I am sure that will solve all of our problems! (Thanks Marshall for sending me this uplifting information.)

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.

OH-MY-GOD: Bill Brochtrup, who played John on NYPD Blue, will be starring in the SpeakEasy's first play (Theater District) of next season! Em and I aleady got our info for re-subscibing for next year and thought the schedule looked fabulous. With the news about Brochtrup, they have outdone themselves!

Adult Content: Today's Savage Love column (a repeat) is further proof of why we need sex educators, not sex teachers. More power to the sex educators!

Kim's Soapbox: A pretty pregnant white woman goes missing and it is "breaking news" and on the front page, a pretty pregnant black woman goes missing and no one even mentions it on the news until it can be filed under "cool new uses of blogs".

HOT: It is frickin' hot here today! I left my AC on all day, even though I won't be home until 9:30 p.m. because I would never be able to cool my place to sleeping temp otherwise. Tomorrow, for the last day of softball, it is supposed to be 73! Yeah! I feel justified complaining about this heat to everyone but Eva, who is TRUELY hot in Phoenix...but then again, I'm not the one who decided to move to the desert. (then again, I don't question that she moved there come winter)

Movie Friday (Thursday) Five: Since I won't be at work tomorrow, I thought I'd post my Friday Five a day early.
1) What is your favorite movie? Probably Shawshank Redemption.
2) What movie have you seen the most times? I think The Sound of Music.
3) If someone made a movie about your life, what would it be called? "Kimpossible Strikes Again" of course! Or maybe, "The True Adventures of a Redhead Named Bo". Or "Quirk".
4) Who would you want to play the role of "you"? Sandra Bullock
5) Who would be on the soundtrack? Lili Anel, Becky Chace Band, Vance Gilbert, Queen Latifa, Ani DiFranco, and Gloria Gaynor singing I Will Survive.

Excellent Theater: Last night Emily and I went to see The Syringa Tree at the American Repertory Theater. It is a one woman play, performed by the playwright, about her life growing up in South Africa during the mid-1960. She takes the persona of over 20 different people, "from a six-year old girl to dour Afrikaners and fearful black servants", sometimes all within five seconds. It was a tremendous experience!

BODY Friday Five: I have been extremely focused on my body the last two weeks because of my poor back (neck to tush)...lots of sleepless nights, walking around, stretching, moaning, and uncomfortable-ness. I now have drugs (the legal kind) and am going to a spine specialist next Tuesday. Another friend has been having a bad few weeks with his GI system, so I thought this week would be sponsored by BODY.
1) What is your favorite part of your body? I don’t think my hair counts, so I will say my upper abdomen (ya know, between your breasts and belly button)
2) What is your least favorite part of your body? Interestingly, right below my “upper abdomen”, my pot belly.
3) What is your favorite part of a/your partner’s body? Shoulder and upper arm. I find this part of the body very sexy if well toned...and perfect for leaning/laying on.
4) What part of your body causes you the most pain? My back!!! But my migraines suck too…they just don’t happen as often as my back hurts.
5) On what part of your body do have/would you pierce or tattoo? I only have my ears pierced..one on the right side and two on the left. I thought about piercing my navel for quite awhile, but decided that it was silly to draw attention to the part of my body I least like (see above). I don’t have any tattoos, and don’t think I will get one. But if I did, I think I would put it on my right hip bone.

Friday Five: It has been a long time since I have done a Friday Five, but I found one on a web site today so I though I would post it here as well.
1. How much money is in your wallet right now?
$40. Just went tot he ATM and am going to try to make this $40 last through Monday night...which means it needs to buy lunch tomorrow, maybe dinner tomorrow, movie on Sunday night, a drink after the Alumni Association retreat on Monday.
2. How much money would you need in the bank to feel secure? Rich?
I am very blessed in that I feel secure no mattter what because I know my parents could/would help me if I needed help. That being said, I would feel most comfortable if I had $4,000 in the bank. (I don't) To feel rich (as in don't need to worry about where I go to eat, where I travel, what I spend) I would want $30,000 in expendable savings. To feel like I am a rich person, I would need $1 million.
3. If someone gave you $100, no strings attached, what would you do with it?
Save it for a really nice dinner when I am out in Palm Desert (not that $100 would pay for the entire meal, but with an extra $100 I would go to a fancier place.)
4. If someone gave you $1 Million, no strings attached, what would you do with it?
Oooo...that's just not fair to hypothesize. I would...
- put $600,000 away immediately in some "smart" investment strategies
- pay off my credit cards
- give a few friends $20,000 each to put toward their student loans
- buy a bed room set and a new couch for the living room
- take several friends out for a fancy and great dinner at one of Boston's nicest restaurants
- go to Germany and New Orleans
- buy a new suit and a few other items of clothes
- put $5,000 away for a trip somewhere next summer
- put $200,000 in a saving vehicle to buy a single-family house in a year, when there is no penalty for selling my current place
- see question 2...put the rest in an account for use in the "rich as in don't need to worry about where I go to eat, where I travel, what I spend"
5. How much does something have to cost before it starts counting as "real" money, as a purchase to be considered and evaluated, but below which you'll buy without really thinking about it?
Around $20.

News from Your Favorite Foodie: On Chowhounds, someone posted that he/she is trying to compile a list of all of the restaurants/coffee shops/ ice cream places in Cambridge, with the goal of trying to get to them all. After looking at the list, helping him/her refine it with missing/incorrect info, I have thus far counted 92 (!!!!) places just in Cambridge that I have been to. Should I be proud or slightly concerned?

Bad Luck- Apparently former NYC mayor Rudy Giuliani was in London during yesterday's bombing. It seems as though he brings bad luck to a city. (I am not trying to mkae light of important, and serious, world events....it just struck me as interesting.)

Parenting Gone Awry: (In my opinion) A new movement, called DiaperFreeBaby, is promoting parents to begin potty training as early as possible, sometimes as soon as four DAYS old. I have to laugh because a co-worker was potty training his two and a half year old this weekend. I guess he was two years late. Scary!

Looking Forward to a Dip in Lake Me: (as my friend Amy says about needing personal time) In early September, I will be going out to California for ten days (well, two are mainly travel days). I will begin in LA for a day, and then drive to Palm Desert. After a week, I will drive back to LA for a day. Hopefully one, two or three people will be joining me for some of the week in Palm Desert, but I anticipate being there alone for a few days at least. As I have thought about this, I have realized that I am actually really looking forward to this time. Although I live alone, so obviously have “alone time”, when I am at home (which is not very often) I feel the need to get things done, run errands, hop out of bed when I wake up, get to bed in time to get a full night sleep, and, in true Kim fashion, be efficient in all that I do. The idea of being completely without schedule, commitments, obligations, and tasks is so very blissful (and foreign). Of course, I can do this when others are there too (and plan to) but I have been thinking a bit about this idea of getting away with just ME. I have ordered books to read, will find shops to wander, ice cream to eat, massages perhaps, pools to lounge by, and all without a schedule, priorities or pressure. Delightful!

The Airport, My Second Home: Its shaping up to be another very busy travel year for me (with absolutely no complaints) As it is shaping up right now:
June- Denver (work and pleasure)
July- Connecticut (in the car...escape from city to see Hilary and Steve)
August- Nothing right now but hope to get away for a weekend or something
September- Los Angeles and Palm Desert, CA (all pleasure)
October- Atlanta (Girl Scouts National Conference...hope to see cousin Amy too)
October- Denver and San Fran (work, but hope to see Shelby and Seth in Bay Area)
November- Washington DC (work)
November- Cleveland (Thanksgiving)
December- nothing right now
January- Mexico (with Mom, Dad and Kevin)
February- Austin and Houston (work, but hope to see Jen in Austin)
March- Phili (work)
April- Chicago (work)
Don't know what come after that...rest perhaps. I still want to get to New Orleans and Germany pretty soon.

A Quiz: On the radio this morning, they asked, "what is the only word in the English language that has a silent D?" They did not give the answer. Any ideas?

Some Days, I Am Reminded of the Good in the World: As I was driving to work this morning, I saw an old lady (who I have seen before in my neighborhood) with severe osteoporosis and the inability to move more than a few inches at a time, being helped across the street by two teenagers, both who looked liked they were tough, skateboard riding boys. One was tenderly guiding the woman by her arm as the other boy was standing in the street making sure no cars were going to hit them. It was a wonderful, and touching, way to start my day.

I Scream, You Scream, We All...: Today's Globe's Food Section was all about my favorite food, ICE CREAM! There were about 5 articles and several recipes...now that's what I call important news! Interesting that they report that vanilla is 4:1 the most popular flavor, even at places like Christina's (my favorite ice cream place) where there are MANY exotic and fun flavors. Me, I don't discriminate...but do love vanilla...and coffee Oreo....and mint chocolate chip...and........

Mini Kamaji Reunion: I leave for Denver tomorrow, intitially for work, but staying for fun. I will host a young alumni planning meeting for the event I will do out there in October and conduct quite a few site visits of venues (for the young alumni event and other future events there). I have never been to Denver (or most of the "mountain" zone so I am very excited.) On Friday, I am meeting up with a woman I haven't seen since we were 17! Our dads went to the same boys camp in WI as kids, went to law school together, and were in each other's weddings. When I went to the sister camp of the boys camp as a kid, I met Alix, as our dads both wanted us to experience overnight camp in the north woods (our camp was in MN, not WI). Alix and I spent about 5 summers as campers there, and then were counselors for one summer when we were 17. Although I vaguely knew where she lived, that she went to law school, etc through our dad, we hadn't talked in 13 years. When I found out I would be going to Denver, I re-connected with her and I am spending Friday evening and Saturday with her. I am really looking forward to it. To top it off, she is going to try to reach another camp friend who lives in Breckenridge, CO to see if she can meet up with us. AND!!!!! She told me that another friend lives in San Fran, where I will be again in October. I will definitely try to track her down! So much fun.

Something Wrong With the World: My freshman year roommate (the very crazy, weird, not so nice one) has just gotten married to a normal-enough looking man. This is the ultimate "if she can find someone, why can't I?". Blah!

You May Fool Your Lover But...: A study has come out showing that a scan of the brain can tell if a woman is faking an orgasm or not. As I've always said, machines know more than men. (But I still find some uses for them...)

Smokin' Up in the Bay State: Um, so a study was released about where people smoke pot the most, and the least, and in the the top 10 cities, three are in Massachusetts. Interesting...

Taking Losing to a Whole New Level: The standings for my softball league (read: giggling and beer drinking) came out today. My team, Whybunts, (for which I am Assistant Coach....er, Social Chair) is the worst team, in the worst division, in the worst league. Notice that we have a -36 run differential (i.e. we have lost by 36 runs in 2 games)

KF3
Team Win Loss Run Diff
Shadow Masks 2 0 14
Langer Lab 2 0 13
Deliquint Jesters 1 1 22
MIT Press Catfish 1 1 2
Rocket Jocks 0 2 -13
Why Bunts 0 2 -36

Kimpossible9802 Weekend Update: Sorry I have been kind of a stranger as of late. Here is an update of my weekend (which capped off my being out 14 nights in a row!)
Friday: Took the day off as comp time from Reunions the previous weekend (Thursday through Sunday with the Class of 1960 24/7!) I slept in a bit (9ish) and then watched a bit of TV. Then I went to Jamaica Pond to meet up with Lauren and baby Anna. We went on a great walk around the Pond (twice!) which as a few miles and then we drove into JP to grab lunch. I can't remember the name of the little place we stopped in, but we split two yummy sandwiches and a salad, and had the whole place to ourselves. After leaving Lauren and Anna mid-afternoon, I went to the Austin/Calderon house, where I saw Amy, Alejandro, Andres (and Jose at the very end). The twins are too cute to be believed, and 8 months pregnant Amy looks amazing! Although I was hot (its been in the 90s for 4 days) when I got home, I showered and then went swing dancing with Amy (other Amy). I had fun, although as the heat increased in the dance hall, I became increasingly less tolerant of the lecherous old-er men. (They were harmless, I just didn't have the patience for them.)
Saturday: I woke up, read the paper etc, and then picked up Marshall to go to Boston Pride. Over 800,00 people came! It was soooooo hot! I drank 4 bottles of water and didn't even really have to go potty (I know, TMI). We saw Eve, Brenda (a lot of Brenda ech em) and Liz in the parade. Marshall and I hooked up with Jen and Wendy at the festival. Marshall very generously offered to help me install my air conditioner, so we did that, I took him home, and I tried to stay cool.
Sunday: I went to the grocery store (woo woo) and stopped off at Emily and Nat's place with ice cream and lemonade, as they were doing the last minute packing in the 95 degree heat, for moving next weekend. I did some straightening up around my house (not too much cuz it was damn hot) and then went to babysit for the evening. Alas, that brings me to today...

A Hunka Hunka Burning Veggie: Marshall sent me this link to a contest for Sexiest Vegetarian. (I think he is hoping we will all vote for him...but I think I will go with...) Interesting to note that there are far more men listed than women.

I've Never: Eva has “tagged” me to continue her listing of 10 Things I’ve Never Done… (in no particular order)

I’ve never broken a bone.
I’ve never eaten lamb, duck or venison.
I’ve never dyed my hair.
I’ve never failed a class.
I’ve never seen Gone With the Wind.
I’ve never been to the “true” southern states of Mississippi, Louisiana, or Georgia. (But I am going to Atlanta in October.) There are about 10 other states never been to.
I’ve never had a pet. (My family had dogs growing up, but never a pet of my own.)
I’ve never gotten a tattoo or piecing anywhere other than my ears.
I’ve never played a sport for a school team. (excluding the softball team at work…which I would call “playing” anyhow)
I’ve never gone more than a week without talking to my parents.

Em, tag...you're it!

Headline on CNN.com: "Survey: Northeast has dumbest drivers" Couldn't agree more! (Well, I find dumb dirvers everywhere, but I think they are particularly dense in MA. "When faced with a written test, similar to ones given to beginning drivers applying for licenses, one in ten drivers couldn't get a passing score, according to a study commissioned by GMAC Insurance."

NAKED! Em and I went to see Take Me Out last night at the SpeakEasy Stage Company. A very well done, very funny show...and a very naked show with a HOT lead actor. When the theater wrote to us and warned us there would be nudity (yeah nudity) I thought it would be more a few minutes. It was many minutes and quite a sight to see about 10 men standing around, showering, talking, and goofing off NAKED. Not to mention, the lead was one of the sexiest people I've seen in a long time. *It looks like he had a small role in The Interpreter...and his bio said he was on Sex in the City, CSI, and Law and Order. I also found this well-written review, which sums it all up well.

Never Thought I'd Say It But... Props to A-Rod. The Yankee's third baseman has gone on record saying that he is in therapy, it is a great thing, and something for which you should not be ashamed. Big, strong men admitting that therapy, self-reflection and awareness, and looking to others for help, is always news I like to hear from role models. Too bad he plays for the bad team.

Returning to the Theater: Em and I head out to the final play of our subscription to the SpeakEasy Stage Company. We will be seeing "Take Me Out", which "chronicles the unexpected and dramatic turn of events when Darren Lemming, the most charismatic, successful and universally praised player in professional baseball, suddenly decides to come out of the closet." We hope to go to this play in July, which is a one-woman show about South Africa and it is supposed to be wonderful!

Yardley in the News: Some of you may remember my story from LAST year's MIT Reunions (the next one is next week!) about Yardley Chittick, the then-103 year old patent lawyer that comes to every Reunion, and the hilarious and touch story I heard about him (too long to type here). Well, apparently he is the OLDEST living patent lawyer and he was just honored. I love it!

Picture to Come But...: I was waiting until I uploaded the photos of last weekend's Samuel Adam's Brewery tour to discuss, but now there is a timely article in today's Globe about the brewery. See! I learned all of that on the tour...not to mention tried the Chocolate Boch (in addition to the Sam Adams Lager, SA Summer Ale and SA Octoberfest) The festivities were part one of the fabulous 33.3 Celebration for Nat.

I hate this fu*$ing weather! We had a record low high yesterday (as in the normal high is 70 and the high yesterday was 45).

In desperate need of some of this... Please!!!!! (While I'm putting in requests, I'd like some of this and this too.)

Going Back to School: I signed up for a new certificate program at Boston University this morning, a Certificate in Professional Fund Raising. MIT will pay for the course (only 12 classes, on Wednesday evenings this summer) and it is good for my professional advancement. I can think of few future jobs that a strong knowledge (and certificate on my resume) of fund raising won't be valued. Plus, since I already have a Masters degree, I have struggled to find programs and courses that fit the MIT Tuition Reimbusement Program. Hopefully not too much homework...ya know how I hate home work. ;-)

WLC Photos: Two slideshows of photos from the Women's Leadership Conference are now on the MIT web site. Check it out. (The slide shows are on the sidebar.)

Ya Had Me at the Headline: (thanks Marsh) Brazilian Town Declares Orgasm Day. Espertantina Mayor Felipe Santolia endorsed the May 9 holiday, which he said was intended to improve relationships between married couples. "We're celebrating orgasm in all its senses. There's even a panel discussion on premature ejaculation. But from what I've seen, women have more trouble achieving orgasm than men, especially in marriage," Santolia said by telephone from Esperantina, 1,300 miles north of Rio de Janeiro

Front Page News: "The state is expected to announce plans soon to build the MBTA's Green Line extension through Somerville and West Medford..." One proposed stop is 2 blocks from my house. Yeah increased property values! (and easier transit)

Vegas Baby: Tomorrow I leave for a very much needed vacation to Las Vegas! Of course we will go to the casinos, but we will also hang by the pool, go hiking, go to Hoover Dam, and sit on our asses! Yeah! Thanks to my parents for supplying the place to stay, and the excuse to get the hell out of Dodge...not that I need an excuse. I literally scampered down the street after I left work today. SO HAPPY!

More sharing at the WLC. 

Fun was had by all at the Women's Leadership Conference...including the Conference Coordinator. 

YEAH!!!!! The Conference is over...and was a great success! I will type more soon, but wanted to let you all know (whoever you are) that the WLC was great...I am totally exhausted...and ready for my trip to Vegas on Thursday (more on that soon too). Thanks you all of you who gave me an unbelievable amount of support over the last nine months, and especially the last week, as I worked on this project. Whew!