Of sheep's brains, june bugs, and my new hobby

I'm taking two summer courses, one of which is an online class and one of which might kill me. If not physically, academically. Biopsychology. Just the name sends shivers down my spine. In all honestly, I really enjoy it, as it is completely fascninating. But it is soooo much inofrmation in a very scrunched up amount of time. How would you like to memorize all the parts of the brain, their functions, all the neurotransmitters, their functions, and organic chemistry in 2 weeks for the first exam? Moving on... The whole point of that is to say, I will be dissecting sheep's brains today. Pray for me. I may pass out. For those of you that know me well, you know I do not handle blood and guts well. Or actually, at all. My gag reflex is about as sensitive as one of those laser security systems that'll go off if a speck of dust floats onto the wrong part of the floor. Would you like me to take a picture?

Speaking of gag reflexes and gross things, I was attacked by a june bug last night as I left the theatre. It flew right down my shirt. Chaos ensued. People laughed. i was bitten. I flew into the theater dressing room, looking like a madwoman, stomping around, jumping, spazzing out. I may never be the same again.

But, in happier news, I have now completed TWO tasks! Yesterday, I awoke to the sounds of the piano being played. And the thing that really made me smile was the fact they he/she was playing a song called "Jessica's Theme". I've always played it, and have never heard it being played, so it was a pleasant surprise. I am the only one who lives here who plays the piano, so I was curious. I got dressed and went downstairs to find out that it was a guest who was playing. I talked with him and his wife, and my aunt asked me to play something for them. I didn't really want to, as he was MUCH better than me, but I obliged and tried my best to keep Beethoven from rolling over in his grave, although I'm sure he probably did. After I finished playing, the paino player asked if I had worked much on another section of the song, which I hadn't. So, he played the right hand and I played the left hand part, thus completing Task 26: Have a jam session. Maybe that doesn't count as a jam session for the rest of you, but it sure does for me. It was really enjoyable, being able to play with another Beethoven-loving musician.

Also, a few days ago, I learned how to bellydance, thanks to a fitness channel on TV. I admit, bellydancing can't be learned in a day or two, but is instead an ongoing process, of which I intend to continue. It was fun and quite a workout. And I could learn it in the privacy of my own room, where no one could laugh at me. Ballet dancers can't move their hips very easily. Actually, most don't even have what could be qualified as hips.

I digress.

This is long, so i'll wrap it up. Task 23 (memorize the Nations of the World song) is on its way to being completed. June 30 is the deadline.

Anybody Want to Race?

Any thoughts on the new layout? Too bright? Too busy? Just right? I'm still searching for the perfect layout, but I'm beginning to think it's a bit like Ponce deLeon's elusive Fountain of Youth, except not as useful and severely lacking in the same amount of cool points.
Task #23 (Memorize the entire Animaniacs' Countries/nations of the World Song) is my next goal. Due to the fact that I'm currently taking a grad-level biopsychology course and my brain is in a constant state of mush, I'm giving myself two weeks to memorize this song. So, my due date is June 30. I thought I'd make things a little interesting and propose a contest. Would any of my few, yet dear, readers like to race my in memorizing this thing? Let me know if you're feeling competitive.

Josh Groban, will you marry me?

I have had a couple of dreams with Josh Groban in them. A sign? I wish. Probably just more evidence that I'm starstruck and obsessed with the man.

On a slightly more sane note, I have now eaten a rutabaga. I made turkey burgers and bought a rutabaga to go with them. Yes, I know that sounds like a bizarre combination, but fear not, dear readers, it worked out in a rather delicious fashion. I prepared it in a nontraditional manner (surprised? probably not).

RUTABAGAS FOR DUMMIES
* Rutabagas are root vegetables.
* They are usually boiled and/or mashed, or roasted.
* If roasted, they are usually combined with other root vegetables (parsnips, potatoes, carrots, and the likes, I guess)
* Rutabagas are not the easiest of the veetables to prepare.

I found that rutabagas are A) difficult to peel, B) covered in some kind of wax which really grossed me out, and C) are not a walk in the park to chop. So, in a problem-solving/lazy fashion, I sliced thin pieces and *drum roll, please* fried the things. Yes folks, I fried a rutabaga. Actually part of a rutabaga. I'm saving the rest for a later date, since fried anything is not so spectacular as a leftover.

And guess what, y'all. I LIKED it. Actually quite a bit. I dipped the rutabaga chips in a chili lime mayonnaise I had made to go with my Southwestern turkey burger. Quite scrumptious, if I say so myself. And, for proof that Task #2 is done, I took a picture of my meal.


And for your entertainment, here is A Touch of Grass performing "Rutabaga Boogie."

Eh bien! Raise your berets to those Canaan Days.

So, the play is over and it went well. It was such a fun show. i played a chorus girl with a secret identity: I got to jump out of a closet in act two and announce that I was really Nicole Crandall, United States naval Intelligence, all the while holding a gun to a Gestapo agent's head. I also had a razor held at my throat, was thrown to the floor and tied up by a guy in drag, and did a little bit of singing in the meantime. And, in the midst of all the theatrical (planned) chaos, I completed Task 38: Perform (not including karaoke). Technically I performed about 10 times, so I think that task was well covered.

Task 35 (Tell someone the truth even though it is very difficult) is also done.

So, I know I'm incredibly behind, but I'm back now and motivated again. I'm choreographing the summer musical for the theater (Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat), whilst about to begin two summer classes, working on two research projects, my thesis, and my job. But I WILL complete tasks. My goal is at least one task per week, although I need to kind of reneg my rules and allow more than one task per week in order to catch up on my slackerness.

Oh! I almost forgot. Task 52 has officially begun. Touch all the bordering (ocean-based) bodies of water in America within 6 months of each other. I touched the Gulf of Mexico on May 8. That gives me approximately 5 more months to touch the Atlantic and the Pacific Oceans.

Aaaand I'm back!

Yes, it's true I've neglected this here blog for far to long. I have also neglected my poor fish's fishbowl for far too long, ot to mention my homework. This whole grad school/being-in-a-play juggling act is definitely challenging my time management skills.

But I completed an unexpected task a couple of weeks ago. I went on a good date (Task #21). We saw The Book of Eli, which Ihighly recommend. Be warned: it is violent, intense, and gory, but if I can handle it, i'm pretty sure you can. The twist, the message, and Denzel Washington, the man himself, make this movie. Sure, the plot was a bit lacking and not fully thought out at points. But, the overall message was great. And I must mention its artistc qualities: the color scheme, the stylized action scenes, the subtleties...

I digress.

I WILL EAT A RUTABAGA, EVEN IF IT KILLS ME. It's left to be determined when, but I will. Are they even in season anymore?

And here's a video in case you're looking for someone, someone. Fred is my favorite.

I know. I know. I am a slacker.

Yes,I know I still haven't changed the format of my blog and it's still stark white and boring. And yes, I know that I haven't posted in over a week. And yes, I know I'm waaaaay behind on task completion. So, I'm a slacker. Get over it.

(I'm also a little angsty today.)

I will complete Task #2 this week. Yes, I have been saying that for weeks now, but I will eat a rutabaga before the week is through, even if I have to bite into a raw one.

Also, I was thinking over some of the more difficult tasks on my list. I need resources, ideas, motivation. For example:

Task #6: Meet a celebrity. Does anybody happen to have one of those on hand?
Task #7: Go horseback riding. Newsflash: I don't have a horse. Not even a pony.
Task #21: Go on a good date. Bah humbug.
Task #52: Touch all the bordering (ocean-based) bodies of water in America within 6 months of each other. I need funding, time, and some SPF 1500.

You want me to do what?!?!

Tonight was the read-thru for the play. This is going to be a highly entertaining next month and a half. It was so wonderful to be in the circle of actors and directors onstage reading the script, laughing at the staging directions and surprises hidden in the script. I've missed the theatre and am uber-excited to be involved with it again. We've always had a little flirtation going on- I'd choreograph a musical, land a part by a fluke as a last minute replacement, or I'd be cast as an improvisational role. But this, this is different. This is going to be fun. Well, most of it...

I found out tonight that my character frisks a grown man. Y'all, jewelry commercials make me blush. It is going to take some practice to keep my composure and not be embarrassed to the point of turning purple. But then, I guess I should just remind myself that I don't have it as bad as some of the other actors. Let's just say that we all get our fair share of embarrassing scenes. I'll leave it at that, so as not to give anything away in case any of you ever see the show at some point in your lives.

Ok, moving on. In regards to task completion, i have decided to nix any memorization-oriented tasks until after the show. I've got a few weeks to memorize my lines, plus all the loads of psychological information I have to store in the ol' noggin, as well. So, I'm going to try to complete Task 2 again. (Eat a rutabaga.)

Okay, dear readers, here's the question of the day: What is the most embarrassing thing you had to do whilst performing?
So far, my most embarrassing onstage performance has been taking off a guy's jeans in front of an auditorium full of school-aged children. However, that may soon be trumped.