The BIGGEST Day of the Semester

Hi everybody!

Things have been swirling around in my life lately, and I have little time to just sit back and relax and think about everything. It's okay though, in the past two months I've finally gotten over my most recent break up and I've gotten through (ALIVE!!!) the heaviest parts of the Spring semester.

Now all that awaits is...the BIG CASE STUDY PRESENTATION. I won't bore y'all with the details (if anyone has stuck around to read my intermittent posts), but this is it! It's this group project I've been working on almost all semester, and this Thursday is the evening we present in class! Sure, the downside is that I have to miss the Lumineers' concert, but I'm trying to "keep my head up" by making it the BEST presentation ever given on the SUPER-FUN subject of Transfer Pricing.

Yeahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, we'll see how it goes.

After that presentation, I have two final exams for my other two classes and then two more papers to turn in for Transfer Pricing. And then I'll be FREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!

I am very happy with all the stuff I've gone through this entire semester, with life and academia and whatnot, and I am ready to embrace what's coming next!!

I can't wait till I have so much more free time again so I can write and read more blog posts and articles and books and lots of other stuff too! :D

Till next time you guys!!

P.S. That word "BIGGEST" in the title looks weird, right??

"nothing you say ever makes sense"

Hiya everybody! It's been far too long since I last updated teenytinytidbits, and y'all know the reason behind my absence. It's funny how unprepared I truly was (and continue to be) for grad school, but it's all worth it; at least, it seems like it's worth it at this point in time.

I've been totally immersed in the math econ class in particular, though the last couple of weeks have been consumed by the fascinating subject of TRANSFER PRICING. It's definitely as cool as it sounds but totally not fun trying to explain what it is to my friends and family. The deeper I delve into my studies, the crazier it seems that nobody else in my close circle of loved ones understands what the hell I'm talking about. Yup, I'm becoming that weirdo family member, the one who never seems like she's completely there-there...lately, my Potato Cousin enjoys the following quip about me: "We love you because nothing you say ever makes sense."

Greaaaaaaat! I'll take that as a compliment, thank you very much! I'm embracing this new kind of weirdness and taking it for what it is. I can talk about stuff I'm working on, like how corporate tax rates affect where multinational entities choose to locate legal ownership of their patents and other intangible assets, and whoever is listening to me talk about it has NO idea if what I'm saying is true or just made up.

Anyway, I just turned in my first research paper and it was pretty awful, I really don't expect to get a good grade on it, but it's alright---like I said, it was my first paper. I'll just take it as a...LEARNING EXPERIENCE. :)

So yeah, I guess that's as good a tidbit as I can come up with right now. I will enjoy what remains of my tiny moment of rest. Aaaaaaaaand, here's a picture of whale cupcakes found on Pinterest, just because:

                                                            Source: feeuz.tumblr.com viaErin on Pinterest

"Oh right, that's why friends shouldn't date!"

I've been doing better, post-breakup, but there are a few things I miss. I promise this is one of the last posts on the subject (I still plan on sharing my breakup-getting over it-playlist, which should be helpful if I ever go through this stuff again), and it's one of those things that I just have to share on teenytinytidbits, to kinda keep it secret and let whoever reads this read it.

As you might guess from the title, I've been dealing with the consequences of being romantically involved with a friend. He was (is) a good guy, and while he claimed that he wanted to remain friends, he hasn't lived up to that friendship anymore. And that just kills me. We had several things in common, among them my favorite things in the world: Arcade Fire, Blue Moon, and math. Silly, right?

Yup, I fell in love with him at the same time I was falling in love with Arcade Fire, and it all coincidentally developed my love for Blue Moon and math. It's so weird, it feels like now that we aren't dating, these things which I still enjoy dearly make me feel like the custodial parent. Kind of like he gave up talking about or enjoying these things (publicly), giving me full custody of these quirky bonds.

I'm obviously not going to stop listening to Arcade Fire or studying math, and I most certainly won't stop enjoying Blue Moon when the occasion calls for it, but I can't keep from feeling slightly wistful and like something's amiss when I encounter these things.

I just wish we could still hang out and share these pleasures together. Learn from the things we went through so we could have a stronger friendship. But I guess I can't really do anything else about it, if he's just becoming another distant memory.

In happier news, God willing, I'll get through this tough school week and enjoy a much deserved Spring Break, and by enjoy, I mean I get to work-work and then finish my Transfer Pricing paper. Woohooooooo! Things should be getting better from here. :)

Too much

Hi everyone,

I'm still alive, but terribly occupied with school work and work-work. It's awful, but I keep telling myself things will clear up and I will soon be able to relax. (Ha, I know it's all illusion, I won't be able to truly relax [if that's even possible] until early May.)

Truly, it's been awful. In the course of the past two weeks, I've gone through the end of a relationship that was just about to blossom, I became very ill, and now I find myself trying to find happy endings for my friends, since I can't seem to have my own. All while keeping up with the reading assignments for my classes. :(

There's been lots of crying, frustration, anger, and just total detachment from things I used to enjoy, but I am trying my best to keep a positive outlook. Stuff like this happens, I have come to terms with the fact that I genuinely felt love and affection for a really nice guy. That was the hardest part for me, admitting I felt something. So you can imagine how horrible it was to all of a sudden be rejected by the guy I thought had felt something for me too. I honestly think there was something more to why he just ended things with me, but what can we do, right?

We're supposed to still be friends and whatever, and while I've genuinely tried to pass over this awkward phase in our friendship, he's not being as cooperative. I really don't want this to become another "brock" thing (this is what I'm calling that thing, it's not like the former-love-of-my-life reads this). But I don't know what I'll do if I see this recent ex with another girl or whatever. I don't think I can handle it, at least not for the time being.

And so, I've been distracting myself from all this ache by studying studying studying, stressing about studying, turning in homework assignments and listening to music. I've tried talking with friends, but not one of them truly understands the situation I'm in, both in my [lack of]-love life and in my academic pursuits. Remind me to laugh at all of this when this is over.

I'm sorry, you guys, this post has just been terribly sad. I'll do better on the next post.

Things I do in the office...

Well, I have zero dogs at the moment, so does that imply that all it takes is ONE dog for me to become a "crazy dog lady"? (Source.)

...to distract myself when there is no work to be done:

1. Repeat phrases in my head.

Example: in contemplating the title of this post, "things I do in the office...things I do in the office...things I do in the office..."

2. Move my head in all directions, like a bird.

3. Drink water.

4. Refill my water bottle when it is empty.

5. Go through Pinterest and laugh (sometimes too loudly), pin, repin, like, at the "humor" pins.

6. Listen to music on Spotify (regular business hours haha).

7. Think about awkward moments in my life.

Example: like when I used to wear the "slim fit" jeans in middle school, even worse that I would wear a black belt and black dress shoes with white socks along with those jeans. Or like when I unconsciously make weird faces at friends/co-workers/strangers who are not in the "super-secret-approved-Euni-list-of-people list."

8. Read the good old "Mathematics for Economists" textbook. Guaranteed oodles and oodles of fun.

9. Daydream. --- Well, we all know I do that even if there is work to be done. I think I am 75% in daydream mode, and that's not taking actual bedtime slumber into account.

10. Walk around the office, stretch, balance on one leg, pretending to be a flamingo.

Now, my distraction activities aren't just limited to the above list; I have been known to apply unnecessary amounts of chapstick, browse online for dresses, look at webcomics, play with Google maps, cut out funny pictures from the junk mail the office receives, draw and color dinosaurs, etc. Wow, when I mention all the things I do when I'm not working, my job sounds super awesome. But don't think that I neglect my work; I just that efficient that I have so much extra time on my hands.

Tuesday Tunesday: Une Année Sans Lumière

Hey, it's Tuesday, and I'm taking a tiny break from studying for "Mathematical Economics," which gives me good reason to share another song with y'all. It might be no surprise, but it is another Arcade Fire song, one that has lately made me feel oddly at peace with the goings-on around me.

Now, I don't know all the lyrics and background information to this song, but it does bring to mind Plato's Allegory of the Cave...maybe I'm thinking too much into it hahaha. Oh yeah, and it has a bit of French in it too (which I don't know how to speak/read/write!) Enjoy!



A lot can happen in a matter of days (well, if I want to stretch out the time span, a couple of weeks), and I've reached a fork in the road (so to speak), and I'm indifferent between the two [basic] choices (and consequently the two potential outcomes). On the one hand I could have affection and more time invested with the guy I care about; on the other, there would be no need for me to further develop my feelings for that same guy. Obviously I'd much rather not even dwell on this little situation, and as the days progress I'm leaning more and more towards not seeing him (exclusively, romantically, whatever) and just moving on.

My relapse (on dwelling on the former-love-of-my-life) has nothing to do with my current thoughts, but I think I might have mentioned it here before: if I had already fought with all my might for the [former-]love-of-my-life, why should I even fight for this new guy (when I don't even know if he's anything special)?

It sounds awful, I know, but sometimes we just have to face reality and make decisions that will, in the long-run, be the best decisions for all of us. I wouldn't mind, of course, taking our relationship to the next level (gosh that phrasing sounds so trite and annoying), but only if I can trust his sincerity and supposed affections for me. I dunno, with school and work and all the other stuff in between, y'all might agree that I should just let this situation go. How about I just decide to not think about this stuff for the rest of the week (at least)? We'll go from there.

Here's to hoping for more interesting and happier things for the rest of the week! :)

Frogger

I had some extra time on my hands at work, so I went to XKCD and kept hitting the random button. Then I found this one:



Frogger (you should probably click on the image for a better look!)


The first time I saw this particular comic I was surrounded by such blissful memories. I should have known then that things were working out with the former-love-of-my-life, and that I could have spoken about my feelings with certainty and confidence.

He was good back then. I am trying not to be upset at myself for remembering my time with him, it's okay for me to go through little phases like these, things always get better. So bear with me, everyone, if I seem quiet and more reserved than usual, I'm just getting through this little episode.

I started grad school this week, and wow, it IS going to be tough. But I'm about 97% sure I'll be able to handle the full-time coursework along with the 40-hour work weeks...YAY LEARNING EXPERIENCES.

(I need to start writing and reading more!)

Am I Learning?

I think I'm getting better at accepting the good things that have come my way lately. I can now officially say that I am in fact going to grad school in January 2013. I know, I'm still terrified out of my mind, and my feeling of terror reminded me of the mini panic attack I had in May, before I started the "summer of math" and all of the adventures I've had since then. However, the terror is made less, uhm, terrifying (forgive the unnecessary redundancy) by the fact that I am happy. I feel more confident too, confident in my intelligence and renewed hope.

There are a few minor differences this time around, regarding going back to school. The most important difference is I'm not afraid to admit that I don't know what I'm doing; I just know that I love Economics, I know what interests me in the field, and I'm just going to roll with whatever happens. Compare that to the start of my undergrad, boy was I crazy. 18-year-old Euni knew, just knew, that she was going to major in Marketing and get some fancy-schmancy job after graduation. HA. HA. HA. I do admire younger-me's passion though, and I feel like I'm regaining some of that passion and focusing it in a more positive way.

With regards to love, too, I've been struggling a bit more in accepting it for what it is. It's okay for me to love someone, and it's okay for that someone to love me back. I don't need to runaway or mask my fears with indifference. Like seriously, a really funny thing happened recently, in which God played a good-natured joke on me, just so I could realize that I didn't need to run away, but I'll relate that story another time.

Of course, being the overly cautious girl that I am, I can't say for sure that I've learned all that I needed to learn; there are still countless things for me to experience and learn from, and that is quite alright. Also, if I go through another rough patch, I'm okay with that, because I know things will always get better.

For this moment though, however brief or long it may be, I feel like my heart's in the sky, enjoying the warm sunshine in this cold weather...or like this song. Whichever image works best for y'all :)

Tidbits Tackles: Socioeconomic Tension and Income Inequality, Pt. 1

Hi everybody, you might be wondering (of course y'all have!): why hasn't Euni posted anything more about the upcoming presidential election? Why hasn't she ranted about the economy and the U.S. political structure?

Fear not, my friends, I've been thinking about all the stuff that's been going on for the past year. I just don't want to fight or come off as belligerent in my argument. I've been reading a lot of Paul Krugman and Jared Bernstein in particular, as well as paying attention to the news, reading articles and posts that seem interesting and relate to all this...STUFF.

It's all very overwhelming, to be honest. Sure, I care about the economy and anything that happens to it (duh, I'm an economics student), but I seriously can't remember when I became so "involved" in political discussions. Take it with a grain of salt, I am not super-involved (though I wouldn't mind it): I'm not a part of some grassroots organization that tries to spread the word about any politician or whatever. However, I believe it is my civic duty and responsibility to educate those around me with the facts. One of my strengths, I will admit to this one strength alone, is that I can teach. I strive to learn the material/subject first, and then I find a way to explain it in simple and easy-to-understand terms to those who care to listen. I'm proud to say that I've been able to keep my mother informed about current events because of this strength, and I've even ventured in discussing economics with my little cousins (6 and 7 years old)...

ANYWAY, I've gone out on a tangent long enough, let me get to the point of this post. I posit this question (or maybe a few questions actually):

Fifty years from now, when our grandchildren(?) learn about this "Great Recession" and the 2008 & 2012 elections, how will they look at us?

Will they argue that there were some racial undertones related to the tension and disdainful outrage against President Obama?

Will they argue that income inequality was at the root of the clash between political parties? Of social classes? Of age gaps?

Will they even care about these times we are now living, or will our history books try to gloss over this turbulent time period?

I intend to do some research and share my answers and conclusion to the questions I've asked. Frankly, I do believe income inequality has a lot to do with today's tension, and the idea and (dare I say it?) disillusion that our chosen leaders (e.g. Congress, state, local governments, etc.) are indifferent to our needs and would rather help themselves first.

I may sound cynical or depressed when it comes to our government, but I am full of hope that while we are living during a socioeconomic revolution of sorts, there will emerge a number of people who are bright, passionate, and who care about their nation, not just themselves.

If this type of posting/writing is not "your cup of tea," it's quite alright. You don't have to agree with me, but if you want to bring your arguments forward, please be advised that I expect facts and evidence to back up your claims.

This Is Only a Test, Right?

It is a test, a test to see if I've become a better person...at least, that's how I choose to interpret it.

My last post might have seemed a little down and melancholy, but fear not, I am in the process of getting back in the flow of things. I had to take a step back and really think about the goings-on. (I guess I should say what happened, I really don't care if certain people directly concerned with this event read this: what of it? I have the liberty to write what I want.) Long story short, the former-love-of-my-life just announced his engagement on Sunday. You might recall, if you've gone through my posts from last Fall, (particularly this post), he found a new love and I was left with a broken heart but a new vision of sorts. A few things about this new girl irked me: she has one eye smaller than the other, and among other things, she's an accountant. (Don't even get me started on why I don't like accountants...)

Anyway, I scolded myself for hating on this girl, I mean, come on Euni, you don't even know her! She might be the nicest and coolest girl ever, if I didn't know the former-love-of-my-life, we might have even been the bestest of friends! (Yeah, I don't think so.)

ANYWAY, I had to really think about what was going on in my life. This bit of engagement news was not really about my still being in love with him, but rather a wound to my ego, my pride. I mean, really?? I'm not the prettiest girl in the world (far from it!), but I'm (superficial I know) definitely easier on the eyes than her. Also, I'm sarcastic and enjoy very dry humor. And I'm an economist, I don't dwell on just nominal subjects (in the field and in life). And we did have some pretty great and memorable conversations (about all kinds of things). But whatever, I remembered how he sometimes underestimated me, my intellectual, emotional, and physical abilities. Ultimately, I do not want to live life with someone who constantly underestimates me.

And you know what? I have had the pleasure of meeting a pretty amazing guy, and while we are busy with our own things and we don't always agree about what music is better and why, he always succeeds in making me smile (if not laugh). I don't know and don't care what happens to us, but I'm just enjoying everything that comes our way.

So yes, this engagement is a test. Just a little blip and distraction from what I really care about in life. I think I pass this test, don't you agree?

Demand Equation and Other Stuff

This upcoming week is it: the last two exams for my Calculus class! :) :) :) I am definitely ready to finish my FINAL exam, turn it in, and then say, "Take that Professor, I'm glad to be done with your pathetic class and may I give you a word of advice?? LEARN WHAT A [price] DEMAND EQUATION IS AND HOW TO EXPLAIN IT PROPERLY!!!"

Ok, maybe I'll wait to say that AFTER I receive my final grade, but honestly, I knew this poor-excuse-for-a-professor was no good the minute he lashed out at another student for not knowing how to derive the demand equation from just having the given price and quantity. And then he himself did not know how to explain it! Now, maybe I'm a bit quick to judge him, I did graduate with a degree in Economics and am studying math precisely to get into grad school to pursue my master's in this field, but come on! I felt so bad for that student after the professor finished "explaining" how to derive the demand equation, and I did jump in to more eloquently explain the process and a basic meaning of what the demand equation means...though in the end, that student wasn't (and isn't) really bright (he managed to anger the professor again in our last class while working a problem on the whiteboard), so nothing could save him with regards to that!

Anyway, in case anyone was wondering, I'm not dead; very much alive actually. Just finishing up my stuff, you know! :) I might be back tomorrow, but if not, I'll definitely try to share my Music Monday post on, well, you know, Monday...

Give these guys a listen btw...(^_^)
  

Mini Panic Attack

Source: delicious.com via nicole on Pinterest

That's how I feel right now. Now that I'm 24, I realized that it's been exactly two years since I graduated from university. If I had been really really super focused and had known what I wanted to do two years ago, I'd be finishing up my masters degree right about now...or I'd possibly be halfway through my Ph. D.

This is tough on me, and while most of the time I calm myself down by saying, "It's alright Euni! The stuff you've gone through has been good for you and your development as an able human being in society!" (yes, I actually say "development as an able human being in society..." word for word), right now I'm kind of breaking down.

Where am I right now? Getting ready to take some calculus courses over the summer. I know that I want to pursue a higher degree in Behavioral Economics. What's holding me back? Not having enough information on good Behavioral Economics graduate programs. Also, the fear of not having enough funds/income to sustain my pursuit of higher education---sure, I can take on more loans, but at what point will it become too much debt? And sure, I'm totally cool with studying full-time and tackling the hard education stuff, but what about day-to-day living expenses (i.e. daily nourishment, rent, etc.)?

Someone should slap me in the face and give me a bottle of whiskey, preferably the whiskey first so my face can be numb.

...

Ok, I feel better now. I just need to laugh out loud and everything will be alright again---anyone want to join?

{On a brighter note, my birthday was wonderful. One of the best yet---but I'll discuss that later!}

Just an Observation or Two (Who's Counting?)

It's Friday, and I've come to the true (i.e. "OMG I can't believe this is really real"---pardon the redundancy and /or limited/poor word choice) realization that April is pretty much GONE. Goodbye April, goodbye 1/3 of the year 2012. Isn't that crazy? I dunno about you guys, but now that I have been out of school for two---can you believe that, TWO---years, time just flashes before my eyes. My schedule is (sadly) a very predictable routine: wake up, get ready, work, go home, tiny moment (it seems) for personal activity/errands/exercise, sleep. Repeat Monday thru Friday. Saturdays are mostly taken up by babysitting and/or laundry. Sundays I can relax a bit, go to church, (and lately, watch 3 or 4 corny horror movies*). And then start all over again.

Routine is dull, but the silver lining is the fact that I have time to read more about different economic and political news going on. Goodness, let me just tell y'all, it seems like the term AUSTERITY is becoming as common as the word CHAD did back in the 2000 elections.

What's austerity? Prior to this drawn-out economic "downturn" (euphemisms rock!), I admit I only knew of the word as an adjective:

austere - adj. 1. stern and cold in appearance or manner; somber, grave; 2. morally strict: ascetic; 3. markedly simple or unadorned; 4. giving little or no scope for pleasure; 5. of a wine: having the flavor of acid or tannin predominant over fruit flavors usually indicating a capacity for aging

But with regards to the past few years, the word austerity---which, the way I see it, is an approach to fixing the economy by cutting down on spending and debt so that people/investors/countries/the world can become more confident in a particular country/economy, so that the economy can start growing once more---has been heard in a lot (A LOT) of economic articles, blogs, reports, etc. Some people have stubbornly defended it, even though this super genius idea (which goes against what econ textbooks teach us) has made matters no better, if not worse; just take a look at the latest European economy news. Others, including my economics-role model Paul Krugman, have long argued against it.

But I'm not trying to make any big arguments about austerity; from what I've read in the news and junk, even though the evidence is there, plain and clear, that this "cost-cutting and deficit-reducing" approach to stimulating the economy (in Europe, and to a smaller/unofficial degree, in the U.S.) is making things worse, our totally intelligent leaders will stay on the same great plan. I'm just making an observation, and I hope I'm wrong about remaining on the same austerity plan. Just an FYI:

austerity - n. 1. the quality or state of being austere; 2. an austere act, manner, or attitude; an ascetic practice; 3. enforced or extreme economy

(I got the exact definitions from Merriam-Webster Online. Oh yes, I love finding and sharing definitions. I love words.)

It's okay, by the way, if you completely ignored the observation above. I know I may not be very interesting when it comes to this subject---economics isn't for everyone hahaha---it's just something I had to get off my chest. Here, for your troubles, enjoy some annoying sun pictures, courtesy of some poor marketing ploy:

It's laughing at you. Whatchu gonna do about it?

Absolutely nothing. Let jaundice take over. And don't tell it the beard looks tacky.

Well now, did y'all know this is my 99th post? The next one, I can assure you, is gonna be EPIC, AWESOME, and PURR-FECT(?)! Just be patient my friends.

P.S. I don't know why the second sun picture wouldn't let me turn it over correctly. Probably because of the jaundice. Wait, hepatitis?

*If you were curious on what the asterisk was for, here you go! Corny horror movies are awesome. I will track them down on the internet and share my favorites along the way. :)

Whirlwind

It's one of those moments in my life when I step back and look at what's going on. Where am I? Am I where I need to be? Are there any changes I need to make in my life to get to where I want and need to be?

Let's see...I have a job---a good job, but not my dream job---and I work 8 or so hours a day, and sometimes I'm busy, while other times I go crazy not knowing what to do with myself.

I read, though not as much as I would love to---that should change in the next couple of weeks, as I FINALLY subscribed to The Economist, and should have complete access to relevant news of the economy and whatnot. (On a side note, I will make time so I can finish reading Glamorama---another Bret Easton Ellis novel---I feel soooo bad for not finishing it sooner, and making all of the other books on my "Read Me" list collect dust on my dresser.)

I have more than enough clothes, and I need to STOP buying new clothes every time I go to the mall. It's a really bad habit, and I should be saving that money instead---who knows how tight my budget will be this summer, fall, and (hopefully) next spring when I add schoolwork to my life again.

The March of Dimes March for Babies is coming up---I've gotten into a routine now and hope to maintain it now and after the march. I kind of want to see if I can train a bit harder and maybe (a HUGE maybe) participate in a more intense run in the "near" future.

I've started to keep in touch with close friends (from my "younger" days and from my times at the bank), and I'd like to keep it that way. It's not fun when you stop talking and hanging out with good friends.

Today is (or was, since we're at the end of this fine Sunday) Easter Sunday, and with this celebration comes a sense of renewal and security. Lent is over, and I am now able to eat potato chips (and all those deliciously bad junk food snacks) again. In the past 40 days, I also made an effort to entirely ignore and not search for any information about the former love of my life. I hid his stuff from my news feed on Facebook, I made sure I was always offline to avoid any (though unlikely I think) potential and unwanted conversations from him...I even blocked his current girlfriend from my account---sometimes, and I'll admit it, I can get carried away with the whole "creeping"---I mean, INVESTIGATING---thing, so I knew it was the best thing for everyone for me to just do that. It's been good for me, not preoccupied with what he might be thinking or doing or whatever. I'm free. Sure, I think about him from time to time, and I miss him and the memories, but it's still okay. I live my life, he lives his life. I'm not ready to unexpectedly encounter him someday yet, I need to work on that. To be totally alright and unaffected by seeing him again.

So I have a few things to work on, but breaking them down like I did above has calmed me a bit. I don't need to fret, panic, or worry about anything. God just has a way of making things all come together at the right time. I'm in the right place right now. :)

P.S. I will totally write about my GAME THEORY tidbit and my healthcare opinion fairly soon: I don't have MS Paint on my laptop, so please bear with me as I need to make cute charts and for those posts. I hope it's worth it! :)

Music Monday: Crooked Teeth

Happy Music Monday, my friends! Goodness, today was a tremendously busy day at work. I'm not complaining---I LOVE the fact that I had actual stuff to do, and time flew by right before my eyes. ^_^

First things first: as y'all may or may not remember, I am still giddy and excited about the upcoming Death Cab For Cutie concert (in May), and so...the DCFC countdown continues! Today's Music Monday song is an earlier tune, Crooked Teeth. I am wistfully in love with it---I know, I know, aren't I always wistfully in love?

Favorite words: I'm a war of head versus heart / and it's always this way // My head is weak  / and my heart always speaks / before I know what it will say...

In other news, I was a bit "under the weather" on Friday, so I wasn't able to write about something awesome: GAME THEORY. Well, actually, I should more broadly say: ECONOMICS. I've got oodles and oodles to say about one very important issue that concerns all of us in America: HEALTHCARE. More specifically, the Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare, or whatever it is you wanna call it. BUUUUUUUUT, ALSO, I have this little broken-down chart/branchy thingy in my head...concerning "mating" choices---basically GAME THEORY applied to the real world, and *again* more specifically, applied to my life. I promise I'll talk about it this week; y'all will have a very brief but very exposed look into the way my mind works on a daily basis (not just about "mating" but also about quotidian choices)!

For now, my dears, I have to go clean up the kitchen---why is it that I have to clean up the kitchen when there are the dirtiest dishes to wash?...one of the many conundrums in my life, I guess.

Similar to this one, but mine was a MALLARD DUCK. (source: Mesker Park Zoo)

P.S. I got to ride on a DUCK PADDLEBOAT on Saturday! Much geekier and way more fun than a regular paddleboat, if you really wanna know.