the Wednesday slouch

What a way to start a post...


But hey, I am feeling slightly worse for the wear.

School, work, school work, and you know the rest, have taken a toll on this body. Have no fear, I've found a solution! Last summer, when I had no cold air in my hot brick apartment, I took to the streets.

Hopped on my bike and wheeled to the closest friend livin' lavish in A.C. Stocked the backpack with fruits of the trade. Heineken for him, candy stash for her. I'd sometimes spend the night if the heat refused to cool.

What's the point here?

That I got my body moving. Sweat out the stress of those spoiled suburban kids. Moved my muscles just to spite my every (early) morning commute. And felt better for it. Looked better, too. Probably even smiled wider.

So we've got it. Lesson learned. Let's get our move on.

Only these days, Minneapolis is not the sauna it was in July. Even with our current heat wave, temps barely eek past freezing. What's a girl to do?

Step Challenge.

You read right, step challenge. And they aren't kidding. Check this,

"Step Challenge will push even the most experienced steppers through complex choreography. This high intensity class moves beyond the basic step routines to include 1/2-hop turns, direction changes, around the world, and other challenging moves."

Every Wednesday, I pack yoga pants and gym socks. Show up and assemble step gear alongside blond bronzed size 1/2 co-eds wearing cute shirts that show off their impossibly flat abs.

Somehow these girls intuit the moves. I don't know how they do it, but they do. Our instructor changes steps every breath, and they're hopping like it's their job.

I, on the other hand, am not so suave. Instructor turns left, I'm veering right. They're power squatting and I'm stuck knee kicking. Still, it gets the blood moving and the energy flowing.

And for a girl who spends all her days in libraries,
That's not half bad ;)

On why I must marry a scientist

This morning I interviewed a geneticist who is doing all sorts of smart work to end world hunger, make food more nutritionally valuable, and produce renewable energy by way of corn. What a man. I spoke with him because he won the Wolf Prize for turning millions of cells into millions of corn seeds. He tells me that genetically modified organisms are harmless safe and somehow,

I believe him.

Today is a day of firsts. This was my first ever phone interview and will be my first ever original story for the job. Later I will have my first ever in-person interview with another scientist where I will produce my first ever first person journalistic piece.

Whew…

This guy is a German-Californian entomologist (bug studier) who lets his grad students pick between writing a thesis or a children’s book. I am much more concerned with the children’s books. I like the concept of turning complicated science matters into something a regular Joe (or Jane, if you prefer) might understand.

And once they’re finished, I’ll post a link for you to read all about it!

…

In other news, I have an admitted sociopath for an Expo Writing teacher. I couldn’t believe it. The man actually claims to enjoy putting other people in pain. And what’s worse, he follows through!

Yesterday he told us he would – Finally, Two Weeks Late – hand back our papers. And he did. To half the class. So there I sit, a nervous wreck cause he’s already failed five people for minor grammar errs, without a paper.

He then proceeds to call on me to argue character details of our assigned readings. I have never been good at – nor enjoyed – speaking in class. Face burning palms sweating heart angry, I try to defend my position, only to be told my ideas are illogical. I walk out of class drained, defeated.

Only tomorrow and its promise of papers will tell if I will prevail with an A.

I *heart* Minneapolis

And maybe no one checks this,
but here goes.


I was reading an un published blog entry I wrote during my first days back in good ole Minneapolis. Feeling fractured from so much change, my frustration filled the lines. Who am I? What am I doing? And why?

You know, those questions you're supposed to ask when you're twenty.

But I've settled into a routine and feel much better now, thanks. Got the job. Got the school schedule situated. Got the bus route in brain. It felt like my life was a balloon someone kept filling with experience-air. They breathed strong, expanding my little life into something bigger, bigger. My mind stretched and grew, fitting into its new size with ease. Coming home to Minneapolis was like someone pricked the balloon, letting all that experience-air fill my room. I had to mend the balloon.

So in other words, I felt a bit deflated upon [my American] arrival.
...

Roommate Piffle tells me that I like to write about myself. And it's true, I do. Was going through a phase where I made a conscious decision to experience. That's it. No more, no less. Don't think, just do. And then write all about it.

This is all well and good, but there comes a point when one must process all of these things. Must think about the past 19 roommates and the travelin' and the college classes. Use the brain Mom and Dad pay twenty grand a year to expand. Write about someone besides me, Kristi Gee. Here marks the start of change. Time to think...

Well okay. I feel I've rambled enough. Except to say: It is Cold here, so my roommates and I decided yesterday to spend the day outside. On a frozen lake. We visited the Art Shanty Projects on Lake MacDonald, which was fun for a few minutes. It was neat. Check it out.