What I’ve Noticed

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We’re cutting all the wrong things.

If I ever live somewhere humid enough, I’m going to grow these in my house.

How to stifle innovation and piss off your customers.

Dr. Isis might be the best mom in the world:

if … Little Isis does grow to prefer silver metallic heels to black wingtips, then that needs to be okay.  If Little Isis grows up to prefer boys instead of girls, then that needs to be okay.  My son needs to develop the identity that will lead him to become a healthy and fulfilled adult, not the identity I think he should have.  I can try to guide him and teach him to be a kind person, but I can’t force him into a mold.  I think that part of loving him unconditionally means loving the person he will ultimately become, even if it is different than whatever groundless expectations I had for him.

Maybe instead of just visiting your local park/arboretum/museum, you should volunteer for them.

Why I don’t buy music from RIAA members.

Lots of cool stuff in this study, especially the connections between different scales of biology – from an ecosystem all the way down to basic chem.

Another reason to like Darwin – he recognized that women could be awesome scientists.

Hats off to beautiful femmes.  This might have made me cry.

Financial Aid

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Last year I got enough scholarship and grant money that I didn’t have to take out any loans.  This year has gone even better, despite not getting the Udall.  In addition to having enough to pay for school, rent, and all my bills through August 2010, I’ll be able to get new glasses (which I desperately need), pay off my E.R. bill from 2006 and a small student loan from the university I briefly attended in NC, AND get a cheap couch off of Craigslist.  I’m pretty excited about not having to sit on the floor if I want to hang out in my living room.

Even more exciting is the prospect of getting rid of all of my medical debt.  Since my financial aid has been so much better the last couple of years, I’ve been able to put a lot of my paychecks toward the $5000 of medical debt I accrued between 2003 & 2006. With the amount I’m getting this year, I’ll have all my old medical bills paid off by next August as long as I can control my shoe problem.

Once my ER bill and my other medical debt are gone, I’ll just have student loan debt –  about $24,000.  $24,000 isn’t that bad considering I’ll have been in school at least part time 5 1/2 years by the time I graduate and 2 of those years I was paying out of state tuition.  I’m also lucky that my loans are all subsidized and unsubsidized Stafford, not the nasty Sallie Mae kind.  I’m hoping that I’ll have all of those paid off before I finish grad school.

Unfortunately, I still can’t afford health insurance…  Hopefully wherever I go for grad school will have decent benefits.

A Very Big Hole in the Ground

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I live relatively close to the Grand Canyon, and friends and family want to see it when they visit.  This means that I’ve been to the Grand Canyon quite a few times now.  I like that I’ve been able to visit the Grand Canyon through different seasons and in different weather.  I wish I handled elevation changes better and could hike down into the canyon, but just seeing it from the rim is breathtaking.

My mother had dreamed of seeing the canyon since she first learned about it in elementary school.  She hasn’t been able to travel much, and I really enjoyed seeing how much fun she had when we visited.

Oh, and did you know Dr. Isis has a temple there?

Isis Temple

Isis Temple

Visit Your Local Arboretum!

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My town has an arboretum that I’m familiar with mostly because there are several ongoing forest ecology experiments nearby.  I visited the public part once the first year I was here and then again a few weeks ago when my mother was visiting.  I appreciate it a lot more now that I know so much more about the regional climate and flora.

The arboretum is quite small, but it’s got a good representation of the region’s plants and habitats and fantastic demonstration gardens for people who want to use less water and native plants. The arboretum also collaborates with ecologists and botanists at my university on some pretty sweet experiments.

I saw a horned toad for the first time when I visited the arboretum with my mom.  They blend in really well! I definitely didn’t notice it until it was pointed out to me.

Short Horned Lizard

Short Horned Lizard

Arboretums are the kind of thing that are really going to lose out as states slash funding in an attempt to make ends meet.  Visiting museums, botanic gardens, arboretums, national and state parks, etc. is often cheaper than a trip to the movies and usually much more interesting. (Has anyone noticed the near complete lack of plot in a lot of new movies?)

Museum of Northern Arizona

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I was really worried about my mom’s visit, but we had a really wonderful time.  She’s changed a lot – she believes that evolution happens.  This is a huge step away from biblical literalism.  Her rejection of creationism meant that she could truly enjoy our trip to the Museum of Northern Arizona.

ammonite fossils

Ammonite Fossils

The museum has an awesome geology exhibit on the Grand Canyon that explores how the land has changed over time.  Fossils from different layers are a large component of the exhibit.  They’re a lot more interesting when you don’t believe god put them there to test your faith.