one hundred eighty two

seeing is believing. and once you see it, you can't un-see it. for better or for worse.

one hundred eighty one

i've proved to my friend nate (who was visiting from the east coast) that you can indeed get a pretty severe sunburn through the clouds. especially when at elevation and snowshoeing on mt rainier. ouch.

one hundred eighty

i now know what stinging nettles feel like.

one hundred seventy nine

not all broken hearts are created equally.

some are instant and so painful that you can hardly breathe. but some occur months or even years after the event, triggered by a memory or a newly learned fact about your ex. and even though this kind of heartbreak is not as intense, it's still just as deep, because it's letting go of that final bit of hope you didn't even realize you were still hanging on to.

what becomes of the broken hearted? they keep moving on, often suffering through additional heartbreak, all the while trying to keep their hurt hearts open, awaiting the time they meet the person who will not put them through the same.

one hundred seventy eight

watching comedies can cause melatonin levels in breast milk to increase in expectant and new moms. this in turn may reduce the development of allergies in their children. so laugh out loud, moms-to-be!

one hundred seventy seven

i'm not a huge fan of sour beer.

one hundred seventy six

today is national tap dance day, the birthday of bill bojangles robinson. that i knew.

what i didn't know (and learned today) was that it's also 'towel day', a celebration in tribute to late british author douglas adams, known best for writing the hitchhiker's guide to the galaxy. why may 25? it just took that long (2 weeks after his premature death) for fans to organize the tribute. why a towel? i guess in the work there is a pretty lengthy explanation as to why "a towel, it says, is about the most massively useful thing an interstellar hitchhiker can have."

in addition to learning this, i also learned douglas adams wrote a few episodes for the original dr. who. who knew?

one hundred seventy five

according to this study, women are more attractive to men who DON'T smile, at least upon initial encounter. well - i disagree. if you don't smile at me, forget it. i'm far less likely to talk to you (if you're taking notes...)

one hundred seventy four

a recent study shows that men who are "cultured" are actually happier. so to all my guy friends who've laughed at going to a museum, a play, or a book club - you're obviously not as happy =)

one hundred seventy three

welp, no end of the world. i only feel a little sorry for the many people who sold all their possessions, often donating the money to harold camping's christian organization, and journeyed thousands of miles to prepare for an event that never came. here's an interesting article on the various reactions to the lack of rapture.

one hundred seventy two

if the world ends today, i can say truthfully that i've lived the life i've wanted to live.

one hundred seventy one

if you can avoid it, don't get admitted to a hospital on a weekend. you're 10% more likely to die if you do. read more about the study, here.

one hundred seventy

eating certain foods in combination can have a potential medicinal effect. for instance, tomatoes & olives together may help slow the growth of cancer cells. garlic & onions together may help decrease tumor growth by blocking excess hormones. citrus fruits & oats together can help prevent the oxidation of LDL (the bad kind) of cholesterol. and finally blueberries & walnuts together may decrease cognitive decline & improve memory.

one hundred sixty nine

on my 2nd drum lesson, i learned how to read half notes, quarter notes, eighth notes and sixteenth notes. not bad for someone that's never had a music sheet lesson in her life.

one hundred sixty eight

10-15% of caucasians will have their eyes change color over the years and it will be a normal occurrence (like my brown eyes turned more hazel-y). but oftentimes when eyes change color it's a sign of disease.

one hundred sixty seven

telomeres (focus of 2009 nobel prize winner) are finally becoming part of america's vernacular. ABC world news tonight did a story about them on this evening's broadcast (read here). i remember learning about them in college and being fascinated; the plastic on the end of a shoelace analogy never left me. i also know we have the ability to preserve their length, thus perhaps extending (healthy) lives, through proper nutrition and exercise.

the potential power one has to control the outcome of his life is endless.

one hundred sixty six

today was lesson #1 of my east coast swing dance. i learned the fastest way to make a really awkward situation (read: dancing with 60 strangers) is to be as uninhibited as possible, because, really - it's totally awkward, and there's absolutely nothing you can do but go with it.

one hundred sixty five

today i learned how to sail on the flying trapeze. i nearly peed my pants, but it was awesome.

one hundred sixty four

technology IS bad for you! especially when people use it over common sense, which i'm afraid is becoming more - err - common. here's a perfect example why. long live the luddites!

one hundred sixty three

spinach is high in iron, but vegetable forms of iron are not absorbed as well as meat-based forms. eating foods high in vitamin C (like citrus fruits) with your spinach will help increase the absorption of iron. also, steaming spinach prior to eating will help you absorb more nutrients in general when compared to eating it raw.

one hundred sixty two

today was my first drum lesson. i learned the various drums (bass, snare & tom tom) and symbols (hi-hat, crash & ride). i learned to hit to a 4 count, 8 count, 16 count and 32 count beat. and i learned the basics of reading music. whoo! childhood dream coming true =)

one hundred sixty one

vodka can clean your diamonds and whiskey can clean your gold. bottoms up!

one hundred sixty

the heart can pump blood 30 feet in distance.

one hundred fifty nine

today i went on a tour at celestial seasonings in boulder, co. and i learned all about the way they make tea. i also learned that black, green and white tea are all made from the same plant, the top two leaves of the camellia sinensis plant. however there are some differences:

• black and green tea leaves are picked when the plant is mature, whereas white tea leaves are picked when they are immature.
• black tea leaves are left to oxidize and air dry, whereas green and white tea leaves are steamed before the oxidation is completed.
• tea can be de-caffinated by a process that involves putting so much pressure on CO2 that it turns from gas to liquid, which removes 99% of the caffeine in tea, then the pressure is slowly lifted to return the CO2 back to gas. and the de-caffination process is complete. but if a tea says "caffeine free" then it is not actually tea, instead some kind of herbal infusion.
• green tea contains less caffeine than black tea, but green tea contains more anti-oxidants.

one hundred fifty eight

capers are the buds of the caper bush (capparis spinosa) from the mediterranean region and are generally eaten pickled.

one hundred fifty seven

i apologize for another weather related post, but while i was at the gym this morning, i learned la niña is finally leaving us and hopefully taking the colder-than-normal temperatures with it. the weatherman assured us in seattle, "spring is on the way!" but my favorite part of his statement was this: "spring should arrive sometime between now and the end of june." oy vey.

one hundred fifty six

i've spent over a year deliberating as to why, exactly, seattle and i aren't meant to be. it's beautiful. it has some of the best food i've ever had. and on paper, it truly is my ideal city. but after looking up the weather for tomorrow's trip to denver, the answer finally occurred to me: the weather is the same ALL FRIGGIN YEAR LONG.

vs

one hundred fifty five

people are extremely uneducated about medications, especially over the counter ones. acetaminophen overdose is the leading cause of liver failure among adolescents and young adults, and yet only 31% of people know tylenol contains acetaminophen? sad. read full article here.

one hundred fifty four

one of the most beautiful quotes going around the internet is indeed fake. or at least a conglomeration of different quotes. read about it here. regardless of who it can ultimately be attributed to, it still sums up exactly how i feel about celebrating the death of a fellow human being. evil or not, it's still a life, and i have no right to determine who lives or dies. so here it is:

I will mourn the loss of thousands of precious lives, but I will not rejoice in the death of one, not even an enemy. Returning hate for hate multiplies hate, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate, only love can do that.

one hundred fifty three

osama bin laden is dead. and i still cry every time i see a photo of those towers in flames.

while i do not celebrate the loss of any life, i feel i must say god bless our troops. what courage, honor and sacrifice. and one day, may all in this country be able to live in peace with one another regardless of political viewpoint. it's about respect. and i'm afraid it has been lost.

until they all come home...

one hundred fifty two

it was the coldest april EVER on record in seattle, with an average temperature of only 52 degrees. it was also the 7th wettest ever on record. you're doing a fine job of trying to get me to stay, seattle. a fine job.