FGFO halftime show: My birthday!

I turned 24 last week! That means I'm in my mid-twenties, and I have been warned by several people independently that it's all downhill from here and to prepare myself, as best as one can, for the dreaded quarter-life crisis which is surely lurking around every corner. So far so good, though.

I took my birthday totally off from school. Moved office hours, refused to come in for meetings, the whole shebang. I slept in (which was great) and then popped in Excalibur¹ and chopped my hair off. See?


I think it was time. The long hair was a hassle, what with it swallowing pocket change and clogging shower drains.

All in all, very successful, but more because people are awesome than that I gave myself a haircut. Aside from the lovely posts Jon wrote for me here and Dani wrote here, along with some mushful emails from Jennie and Tamar, Jen and Van came to visit! The best part? They made the foor of the gods - cashew cookies. Seriously, I beg them to make them every time I visit them.

Last but not least, my friend Cathleen surprised me with this:


There's a running joke in our research lab that I have a sketchy van that I use to lure unwitting naive data into which I then have my way with. This thing is going proudly on my desk forevermore.
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¹I just got this back from Tamar last month. For some reason over a year ago, a CD of her dad's musical stylings would up in the DVD case and vice versa. Basically, she highjacked it from me.

The saga continues

Yep, I'm serving you up another piping hot round of Fat Girl Face Off '08! Let me tell you, this one's a doozy, too. Chock full of twists and turns. Enjoy!



Don't be fooled though, anything can still happen! Stay tuned for the next installment to follow one fat girl on her epic journey to victory!

Not knitting, something much much better

Well, it's tangentially related I guess. It features lovely people that I've knit for. Anyway, I bring to you the FIRST INSTALLMENT OF FAT GIRL FACE OFF '08!! WOO!!

To those of you new to this annual celebration of the competitive spirit and love of eating, every year in Texas we hold a number of trials to determine who the fattest fat girl of the year is. It's phenomenal and we take it very seriously. I've mentioned it in passing before, but I'll catch you up real quick.

1st annual - Sam and Mandy compete, Sam reigns triumphant becoming the first winner of the face off.

2nd annual - Jon is allowed to compete as long as he is in drag and soundly trounces Sam and Mandy in a dark horse victory. As his coach¹, I was elated.

3rd annual - Jon grows overly fat and complacent, fails to listen to his coach, and is bested by Sam. I adopt Mandy as my protege.

4th annual - There were questions about Jon's eligibility to compete due to his apparent lack of coach (which were resolved when Leila's boyfriend Gio took on the challenge²) and weight loss, but when Sam and Mandy heard about the stewardess who kept telling Jon she couldn't give him anymore food he was allowed back in.

So here's Heat 1. I'll get the rest to you as soon as I'm able.



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¹I should say that I am indeed qualified for such a post, as I have actually won multiple eating contests. I am retired now.

²Gio didn't actually have to be pushed into coaching Jon at all. Hopefully Jon will drop by and tell y'all all about their bromance.