Apologies..

Well,

We all know it has been exactly forever since my last blog post. Really, I have no excuse.

My last post was on "The Proposal", it is now available on DVD. Yeah, that really sucks.

Because I have been so bad at blogging, I've decided to take you on a pictoral journey of the last 4-ish months.

Enjoy!

(and please keep arms and legs inside the vehicle at all times!)

Ash and Lauren bought a beautiful house in Ohio!

I was honored to be a bridesmaid in my friend Jenny's wedding (my 6th time!)

I was on our school's chemistry softball tournament team. We lost every game....and so we decided to play the other losers in a friendly beer game (hence above picture). It was by far the best game of the day. Best of all though, my roomie from undergrad JV came and played for us too!

I ran my first ever race! 4 miles in central park! I had a time of 44 minutes, which is slow as hell, but it was still a lot of fun, sweaty, but fun!

I went to Las Vegas! (I have tons more pics of this trip!)

I taught myself how to frenchbraid! (Ignore my eye in this picture, it was hard to take this on my phone!)

There were quite a few happy hours. (I was particularly proud to be sporting OSU apparel to represent my home state in the bottom one!)

We went bowling! Its kind of expensive here, and I didn't technically bowl, but it was still a lot of fun!

Sheena came to visit me...and her brother and parents, but still! (Bad/blurry pic!)

Leonard got a new carrier!

I joined the chemistry dept.'s soccer team. Again, we lost every game and again it was fun. I even scored a goal! One of two for us for the season.... (ps, I am wearing shorts in this picture!)

Since chemistry is in the title of this blog, and it's what I spend most of my time doing, there had to be a some kind of chemistry shot!

Movie Review: The Proposal

So I'm a little late in writing this, but better late than never!

It was July 4th and the theater was surprisingly packed!

The Proposal, rated PG-13 (for sexual content, nudity, and language). 

[Ok, how is nudity not in the realm of sexual content?]

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Did you know that Sandra Bullock is 45?

She looks damn fine for 45! I can only hope to look half as good, and as far as nudity goes, don't worry your eyes won't be scarred, there are no 'parts'.

I feel like I have said this with just about every movie I have seen this summer, but I'll say it again: The previews don't really do this movie justice!

I was thinking, ok, another romantic comedy, I'm sure it will be fine, but it was actually really funny! Like, laugh out loud funny in some parts (mostly do to Betty White who I hear tried to get a nude scene of her own).

The storyline was a bit far-fetched, but honestly in a day of vampires and wizards its ok to be a little out there!

My favorite character in the movie [besides Betty White]: Kevin the dog.

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He is an American Eskimo and I believe he is a puppy in the movie, but I want him [only if he remained small like that though].

....oh, and Ryan Reynolds isn't so bad to look at either! :)

Happy Anniversary!!!!

not to me...

or my blog...

...but to two of my favorite people in the whole wide world: Ash and Lauren!

[Leaving for their Honeymoon in a sea of bubbles!]

[This picture was taken at the rehearsal the night before the wedding]

They were married on July 21, 2007 and I was more than honored to be a part of their wedding!

[The dresses were orange and yellow and PERFECT!]

Happy 2nd Anniversary Ash and Lauren! You have both been such great friends to me and can't wait to come home [or you can come visit anytime...really, anytime you want] so we can be together again!

[They were getting ready to cut the cake :)]

It was even baby Myla's 1st wedding!

[She was just 2 months and 5 days old!...and for some reason looks all drugged out in this pic?]

Part of the wedding favors were pens [be still my heart] and if you can't tell, I still use mine about everyday [it might help that I have about 10 of them...just saying...]

Happy Anniversary! I love you both!

Font color...

Quick question:

Is the black font hard to read?

post in the comments and let me know!

Thanks as always! 

...have I mentioned how much I like reading comments?!?

18 days?

Someone fell off the blogging wagon, and that someone would be ME.

I really don't have an excuse. 

I just don't feel like I have anything exciting to blog about, but since I have gotten multiple messages from faithful readers, I am jumping back on the blogging train [cue whistle].

So, what have the past 18 days been like in this part of the woods??? Let me consult my iCal for a quick recap:

• I spent the 4th of July with my dear friend Kris and we saw The Proposal (don't worry there will be a Movie Review later in the week)
  
• I was in my GLORIOUS home state of Ohio for a long weekend. [several posts on its own including my niece, a wedding and Ash and Lauren's new house!!!]
  
• I saw HP 6 on premiere day, but alas, not at midnight due to other HP fanatics [again, a Movie review is in the works...be patient!]
  
• I ran in MY FIRST RACE EVER!!! Its true! I ran in the Race for Central Park 4 mile run this past weekend and had  a B-L-A-S-T!!! [Race report to follow!]
  

Whew.  A little bit more going on than I realized! All the better to blog about! :)

Look for an update in the next 24 hr!

Ready to Run!

Well, there's no going back now...

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Yep, I have signed up for the 'Run for Central Park' on July 18th in NYC! (No, that is not me in the picture, ha!)

Have I ever run 4 miles before?  No.

Have I ever competed in a race?   No. (Though my mom might disagree with me and point to a a scar on my foot from a 'foot race' this past Christmas, but that's a different blog post all together!)

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I'M SO EXCITED!!!!

I've been running/jogging/walking in the mornings before I head into lab. It really hasn't been as hard to get up as I thought it would be! (Hopefully this will continue!)

[I could possibly be more excited about the 'free' t-shirt than the race itself..]

Oh!!!! Rachel is busy working-away on my new blog design, and let me tell you it is SnAzZy! (Just you wait! It is awesome!)

I'm thinking that I will have to do a give-away to accompany the new design! :)

If you want to make a world a better place take look at yourself, and then make a change

More Cowbell!

...or pictures. 

My posts are so B-O-R-I-N-G without pictures. What's a girl to do?

...obviously take random pictures from lab and make it into a semi-coherent post.

And Voila: I give you pictures...

This is a 56 oz. (XXL) bag of regular M&Ms. It was placed on our lunch table earlier this week (or late last week, I don't remember). My labmates [myself included] will eat anything and everything. The yellow post-it with EAT only accelerated the consumption because no one had to wonder whether or not the M&Ms were up for grabs. 

Today (less than a week after the arrvival of said M&Ms) right before lunch (and just after I took a small handful) this is what the bag looked like inside:

That's right. There are about 20 M&Ms left in the bag. Needless to say they were totally gone before the rest of the group even came to the lunch table. 

...and now I'm craving candy. 

I think I should admit that although I have been eating out far less for dinner and lunch than I used to, I am by no means a cook, a baker, a chef, or anything related to it. I know, I know, you are probably thinking "but you are a chemist, you should be able to follow instructions, its just like a reaction". Maybe it is, but I'm still awful.

I did however purchase the Hungry Girl cookbook (Thanks to Kris!) and on the menu tonight is the Buffalo Chicken Choppity Chop!

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I don't think this picture does this recipe justice....at all. It is going to be DELICIOUS!

This just in...

...I won a new blog design!!!!!!!

Woo-hoo!

So long blogger template, hello customized goodness via Rachel!!!

Hop on over to her blog to read all about it :) 

And...this is just the kick I needed to get back on the bloggy-bus!

Any comments/suggestions will be much appreciated!

Woo-hoo! Now if only my new raincoat would come in!

Random Bits O'Crazy-ness

You know those posts that are totally cohesive and have a good general theme? 

....This isn't one of them! This is going random facts with some pictures interspersed of the past week. 

Let's start in reverse order:

1) Monday 6/15/09: I hang out with Kate and aah every Monday to watch Gossip Girl, however since the season has come to a close, the Bachelorette has filled the void. I don't know what you think, but for me watching the Bachelorette with these girls is a lot better than watching it by myself while yelling at the TV and the crazy foot-fetish-break-dance-instructor 'eligible' bachelors. However, this Monday was a particular treat because I got to meet Leonard Hamster for the first time:

Here he is on his little wheel...being absolutely adorable. I have to admit, I don't think I have ever actually met a hamster before and was pleasantly surprised to learn that he is nocturnal and that he has a very short memory. He would got to do a little walk-around, scope out his food, exercise routine, and then repeat. repeat. repeat. 

2) 6/16-6/20: B-O-R-I-N-G week. Nothing really happened, except rain. Rain happened. A lot of rain. (which led to the buying of the yam orange rain coat). 

Obviously SYTYCD was in there and I have to make a confession: I don't watch the results show. I REALLY enjoy the performances but couldn't care less about who gets kicked off...yet...I'm sure some of the dancers will grow on me.

On Wednesday I woke up, sneezed twice (fine, normal) and then sneezed again and my whole upper back froze up. I was like WTF? I had no clue what happened and was thankful that I could continue to breathe and would not be needing to call 911 because I had a punctured lung...and then I felt silly. Who injures her/himself while sneezing? So, I googled it and apparently it is more popular than one would imagine. Case in point: Sammy Sosa. If an MLB star can do it (and admit to it), then I guess it can happen to common folk like me as well. 

I have also started running in hopes of actually competing in a race (obviously this would be a race against myself and not a real competition). Right now there is no way you could call it 'running' more of a 'walk-jog' type of thing. I have done it consistently though and am planning my 1st 5k (in which I'm sure all of the power walking grandmas will beat me). I hope I stick with it. I think once you blog about it, its written in stone. Don't fret, I'll keep you informed of my progress....

3) 6/21/09: Driving range! This is my 2nd adventure to a driving range in the past 2 weeks and I have to say that I am awful. I've gotten two blisters (one from each excursion). The first time it was on my right hand, which everybody said was ok, b/c I'm a southpaw and that's where it was supposed to be. Yesterday however, I got a blister on my left pointer-finger. How does that happen?!? I have to say though, I got into the groove at the end and didn't swing-and-miss every shot. :) [real progress here people, real progress]

4) 6/22/09: After my morning exercise and shower I was getting ready to head out the door to come to school. I was about to get my lunch out of the refrigerator and then stopped dead in my tracks because I was terrified. This is what I saw:

Scary, right? At first I though he was inside my window and then thought "OMG, how do I get a squirrel out of my apt. without getting rabies?". Then I realized he had wedged himself between the screen and the window of the open skylight. 

I yelled at him and snapped my fingers and then he scurried away (sounds like a magic spell doesn't it?).  

Needless to say I managed to snap a few pics of the invader before I yell-snapped. I particularly like the shot above because either a) his tongue is out or b) his mouth is open. Either way he brought a little bit of un-welcomed excitement (but great material for blogging) to my morning.

...and with that, I am done!

Off for another round of The Bachelorette with the girls!

Bad Laura, Bad!

To my 5ish readers out there, don't fret. I'm still alive. 

My life has been way boring and I apologize I haven't posted since, SATURDAY!

 GASP! I let almost a whole week go by!

I have been watching my trashy summer TV including the Bachelorette, SYTYCD, and Wipeout...don't worry, I'm sure I'll have more to talk about regarding thee subjects.

In other news: I bought a raincoat! (Seriously people, this is the biggest excitement of the week! and the color is yam orange. Seriously.)

I have been collecting graphical abstracts for round  3 of what will hopefully be a weekly segment!

Sorry I'm not being a good blogger, *hopefully* I will bounce back swimmingly!

Until next time (which better be soon, darnit).....

Graphical Abstracts: Round 2!

Back as promised for round 2 of interesting and crazy graphical abstracts from the world of chemistry. 

(for a background and to see the selection from last week click here). 

This week didn't have as many eye-popping pictures...but I think its because I'm actually looking for them, so as a note to any authors out there, pick crazy graphical abstracts!! It makes for easier blogging!

Now, onto the show:

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Even though they had pacman in the title, they decided to include a picture of him superimposed behind the macrocycle, just in case we forgot what he looked like.

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I'm not really sure what this is supposed to tell me. I would guess that, yes indeed this is a picture of water (a crazy picture of water, but water none the less), however I would not have gotten: "Catalysts based on Amino Acids for Asymmetric Reactions in Water" out of this. Also,the subtitle is "Wet and Wild" which is just downright silly.

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I think this is a strawberry. In reading the abstract and introduction of this paper, I still don't know why they have a super zoomed in strawberry in the graph. ab. (other than the fact that Botrytis cinerea is the cause of gray mold in plants).

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So. Stinkin.' Cute!....but, why? Is the lizard's tongue catalyzing the reaction with his saliva? Nope, not quite: "Taking advantage of the chameleonic ability of sulfones to be transformed into different functionalities...."  Oh. A chameleon. Ok, I guess I get it....isn't he so cute?

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And finally, this one was alluded to in the subtitle post earlier in the week, and actually I kinda like it. Its out there, don't get me wrong, but with a subtitle of "2009: A Boraanthracene Odysessy" you just can't help but let your inner geek shine.

That's all for this week. Hopefully some wacky pics will come my way via google reader in the week to come!

Zack Morris Lives!

By now I'm sure you have all seen/heard of this (except for my mom), but Zack Morris showed up to Jimmy Fallon Monday night. 

Zack Morris or Mark-Paul Gosselar? It was so Zack Morris alright! Oh, snap!

Complete with the Saved By The Bell theme song, Zack-isms, early 90s attire, 'Time-Outs' and of course the Zack Morris Cellphone! 

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By now my mom, one of my 3 readers, is surely shaking her head in disgust because we [my sister and me] weren't 'allowed' to watch Saved By The Bell.

The reason? Zack didn't treat women with respect. 

Seriously. Nevermind Jessie Spano being an abusive girlfriend to Slater...

Needless to say we watched it anyways and loved every minute of Bayside High including afternoon visits to The Max for cheeseburgers and milkshakes.

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There was really no point to this post, just my sheer giddiness due to a Saved By The Bell reunion that might happen on Jimmy Fallon.

:)

UP in 3D!

Wow.

I've seen quite a few movies recently (Star Trek, Angels and Demons, and The Hangover)..and now I can successfully add UP (in 3D of course) to my summer movie seeing marathon!

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The previews do not do this movie justice! I was thinking, oh cute a Disney/Pixar movie, sure I'll see it...but its SOOO much more than that!

Its heartwarming. You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll laugh some more. 

Yes Dug, the dog with the talking dog collar is as cute and silly as can be, but there's more! There's so much more! 

I feel like Disney has always done a good job of providing moral/life lessons....

-Don't judge a book by its cover

-Lying won't get you anywhere in the end

-Hard work pays off

-Value friendships and family

-Trust/believe in yourself

Without giving anything away Up had a different sort of message, a message I'm not too sure young children will understand, but a great opportunity for parents (or relatives, or teachers, or anyone) to explain it to them when the opportunity arises. 

...and don't you think that Carl Fredricksen is the cutest pixar character ever?

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Only downside?...the $14.75 price tag that came with the ticket and 3D glasses! :(

Subtitles from Angewandte...oh dear.

Angewandte = Applied (in German)

Angewandte Chemie = Applied Chemistry....and also a chemistry journal that along with crazy graphical abstracts also contains subtitles that feature puns, movie titles, and other silly phrases.

Its only fitting that I share some of them (from the past week) with you. 

I didn't have to search hard for these they are ALL from the last 7 days!

Now without any further ado....

1. Gettin’ a little sugar—no alcohol required (<-- My personal favorite!!!)

2. Pincers do something for U that sandwiches don't

3. A click by any other name

4. Unstable? We’re Able!

5. Al together now! (This is not misspelled)

6.  Strike while the iron’s hot

7. Getting their feet wet

8. Water molecules doing time

9. Going fishing!

10. 2009: A boraanthracene odyssey (Seriously, this is what it said. The pic to go with it is great too! It'll be up later this week!)

So maybe these aren't haha funny, just dorky funny, but I still enjoyed them immensely!

(All subtitles from Angewandte Chemie. Int. Ed. early view)

The Hangover

Since I have chronicled all of the other summer movies I've seen so far, it would only be fair to continue this trend. Remember, however, I like movies, the good, the bad, and in this case the laugh so hard you regret getting the diet soda in fear of bladder control issues.

The Hanover

Rated: R

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I.

Laughed.

So.

Hard.

This movie reminded me why I like to go the movies: to be entertained, to think 'OMG, this is crazy' and to laugh my ass off while doing so.

It was kind of a spur-of-the-moment decision to go, but boy am I glad I did. The previews looked funny, but all too many times I've seen previews for funny movies and lo and behold, the only funny parts were in the previews. This was NOT the case, HILARIOUS through and through.

...and, Bradley Cooper is yummy.