Can't fight that nocturnal urge

I can't sleep, so I thought I would write on this blog that I've basically forgotten. This was originally intended as a space to chronicle the Big Life Decisions as I made them, and muse about the transition to graduated life. The thing about transitions and decisions is that they are fairly time-consuming; I didn't end up writing on this blog, even the posts that I had planned in my head. Perhaps I can still write those posts later, since I think it would be interesting to have a record for after life settles down. At the rate life is settling now, I should probably hurry up.

It is scary to think of how this year has shaped the course of my future. I am definitely going to graduate school, despite having hobbled together my applications at the last minute. Where I will go is yet to be decided; I've narrowed the selection to the genetics program at University of Pennsylvania, human genetics program at Johns Hopkins, and neurobiology program at Columbia. Grad school will probably get it's own post later on, but that is the last of the Big Life Decisions remaining.

I am planning to write more often here (seriously this time). I'm not sure who the intended audience is, or who would bother to read it. The content will cover stuff that is on my mind, including but not limited to: my experiences throughout the day/week, questions, musings, pop culture references, plans, stories, pictures, videos, and, if I can figure out how, imbedded songs. (I have seen it before! I know it can be done!) I can think of, like, five people who might find any of that interesting, but hey, oh well. I am still going to resuscitate this blog. This is more of a journal than a blog, but it's an open journal.

The blog is named "Posts from Underground" because I, in fact, live underground, in the basement of an old woman in Port Jefferson Station, NY. The majority of my posts will be written at my desk here, so I thought it was fitting. Hopefully that is the only tie my posts will have to the ramblings of Dostoevsky's underground soliloquist. Hopefully.

Okay! So, this is a second start. I'll even put a current picture up, while I'm at it:

I like this pic, even though I've been told I look very uncomfortable in it. I usually look uncomfortable or confused, though, so I figure it is true to life.

Anonymous reader, it is now four in the morning, so I am going to attempt to sleep. Goodnight!

Getting back into the blogging habit

I am on the train returning from Philadelphia after interviewing at the University of Pennsylvania. My thoughts are swirling like soup in my brain right now, but a few are more prominent than the others:

Man, I love to travel. I love the feeling that I am going somewhere, even if it is just to Kingston. Whatever I do in the future, it will have to include at least an element of travel. Luckily, traveling to conferences is part of being an academic.

Being an academic is really sweet. Yeah, you have to work long hours, and the stuff you do doesn't always work, but there are so many perks to living in the Ivory Tower.

I really liked Penn. I hope the other weekends are just as fun.

I hope Turhan doesn’t fire me...I haven’t been to work in five weeks, and I’m taking two days off every week in February to interview at universities. Hmm...

I really have to write about Walden and send it to Grady...

I wonder if the packet from Chicago has arrived...I wonder what I should do if it hasn’t yet...

Why would they make a Penn Station in Newark, too? Just to confuse tourists?

I don’t know.

Man, the iced coffees at McDonalds are really good. You wouldn’t think they would be that good, but they really are.

Blog Fail

Okay, I completely failed at updating this blog regularly. In my defense, a lot has been going on. I still plan on using it, though! Maybe after the grad school applications are submitted...

First Post

This is a start:



This is how it works
It feels a little worse
Than when we drove our hearse
Right through that screaming crowd

While laughing up a storm
Until we were just bone
Until it got so warm
That none of us could sleep

And all the Styrofoam
Began to melt away
We tried to find some words
To aid in the decay

But none of them were home
Inside their catacomb
A million ancient bees
Began to sting our knees

While we were on our knees
Praying that disease
Would leave the ones we love
And never come again

On the radio
We heard "November Rain"
That solo's really long
But it's a pretty song
We listened to it twice
'Cause the DJ was asleep

This is how it works
You're young until you're not
You love until you don't
You try until you can't

You laugh until you cry
You cry until you laugh
And everyone must breathe
Until their dying breath

No, this is how it works
You peer inside yourself
You take the things you like
And try to love the things you took

And then you take that love you made
And stick it into some
Someone else's heart
Pumping someone else's blood

And walking arm in arm
You hope it don't get harmed
But even if it does
You'll just do it all again

And on the radio
You hear "November Rain"
That solo's awful long
But it's a good refrain
You listen to it twice
'Cause the DJ is asleep

On the radio, on the radio
On the radio, uh oh, on the radio, uh oh
On the radio, uh oh, on the radio