three hundred fifty nine

you can actually eat enough to make your stomach explode, though it takes an awful lot. normally a stomach holds around 1 to 1.5 L of food/fluid. pathologists believe a stomach is okay holding as much as 3 L of food/fluid, and most stomachs rupture around the 5 L mark. read more here.

on that note, happy thanksgiving!

three hundred fifty eight

some things should always come with an asterisk. for instance: for better or for worse*.

*that is, unless we can no longer stand to even be in the same room as one another and cannot communicate without some form of yelling or derogatory and condescending tones. then this agreement is henceforth null and void.

three hundred fifty seven

1 out of every 4 women will face physical violence in her lifetime.

three hundred fifty six

quinoa and apples make for a delectable combination.

three hundred fifty five

today i learned what a persimmon tastes like. yum!

three hundred fifty four

carnegie deli has the most disgusting sandwich i've ever seen. i almost barfed. it also has the biggest salads i've ever seen. i almost ate 1/4 of it.

three hundred fifty three

i miss nyc.

the horns. the accents. the ethnic diversity. the food. the oddly yet completely satisfying feeling of crossing the street without waiting for the "walk" sign. in front of a cop. without getting yelled at or threatened with a ticket.

three hundred fifty two

planning a trip with 2 people when you all live in different time zones is way too stressful.

three hundred fifty one

yes, virginia. a college degree is worthwhile. read all about it here.

my only question: when is my doctorate degree going to start earning me $90k a year? oh, that's right. i work in healthcare..

three hundred fifty

costa rica is the 7th happiest nation on earth. and i will be very happy when i arrive there in 1 week!

three hundred forty nine

according to a recent study, most american women do not understand basic fertility math and conception facts.

for example, most women surveyed believed a 30 year old woman has a 70% chance of conceiving, and a 40 year old woman has a 60% chance of conceiving every month. reality check: a 30 year old woman has a 20% chance of conceiving, and a 40 year old woman has a 5% chance of conceiving every month.

it's *almost* enough to make even my biological clock start ticking.. but not quite ;o)

three hundred forty eight

the patriots and the jets are the most equal-matched teams in the NFL. they've been playing each other since 1960, and their rivalry often matches that of the red sox/yankees. i also learned it used to be possible to tie a football game, as the jets and pats did on oct 2, 1966. read all about it on wikipedia.

three hundred forty seven

some things are very short lived. for instance, yesterday's post about loving yourself where you are..

my mom introduced me to brick reservoir running path today. there's a house with a yard backing up to the path, and according to my mom, it has this fake rock that plays music all the time for the walkers/runners. pretty neat, huh? well - NOT today.

i made two laps (each is 1.5 miles) around the path, passing the rock twice.

the first time the rock was playing colbie caillat's "fallin' for you", which is the song i most associate with my 2nd romantic relationship. the first time i heard it was the very day i realized i was falling in love with my soulmate. it now makes me cry every time i hear it. BARF ME A RIVER.

okay, ran a bit faster and wiped my eyes, pretending they were tearing because of the wind.

the second lap the rock was playing the script's "breakeven", which was released that same fall my soulmate broke my heart, causing me to leave boston (the city i love) and move as far away as possible (seattle). BARF ME ANOTHER RIVER.

seriously?!? of ALL the SONGS in the WORLD! THOSE TWO?!?

ugh.. some things are very short lived.

three hundred forty six

something very significant has happened to me on this date for the past 3 years, all relating to relationships:

-- 11/11/08 my first ever adult boyfriend broke up with me via text (don't worry, i forgave him b/c ultimately it was the right decision and we're still friends);

-- 11/11/09 my third boyfriend and current ex literally walked into my elbow and life (we are unfortunately not friends. perhaps one day, but i still care too much for him and can't quite handle the fact he's living with his new girlfriend.. love stinks sometimes);

-- 11/11/10 a simple hug to support a friend while visiting his relatives' grave sites to honor them on veterans day turned into an intimate moment that made me question if we could be more than friends (after a difficult discussion, we went the friend route, and he became one of my best friends for life);

because of this pattern, i had (perhaps unrealistic) high expectations for 11/11/11: i'd awaken to a healed heart! the love of my life (or one of them) would appear! i wouldn't have to be the only single girl at all my friends weddings!

alas, this did not happen. however, what i did learn today is that - well - even though i would want all of those things, i don't NEED them. i continue to learn to be okay with where i am in my life right now. i continue to learn to accept me for me. it's an ongoing process, but i'm getting there.

three hundred forty five

the world can be a beautiful place. but it can also be sick, sick, sick. had the atrocities associated with penn state not occurred in that location and in those numbers, we may have never heard about them. but we should be outraged, nonetheless. no child should suffer like that. more needs to be done to protect our future generations. i have no sympathy for coach paterno. i respect his record and penn state as an institution. however to fail to report such a heinous crime.. i'm absolutely disgusted. thank you to the board of trustees for recognizing that, and best of luck to you as your community moves forward.

three hundred forty four

watching the country music awards tonight made me realize country music is not what it once was; somewhere johnny cash is rolling in his grave.

three hundred forty three

autism remains such a mystery, but a recent study suggests children with autism have more brain cells in their prefrontal cortex. it's a small study, and much research is still needed. but it's an incredibly interesting clue.

three hundred forty two

smile, and you'll be perceived as being younger. according to this recent study, people were more likely to underestimate a person's age if they were smiling, and people with neutral faces were most accurately judged.

three hundred forty one

i apparently do have the ability to dream several nights in a row, not just once every year or two. and apparently all i needed to reach a deep sleep was a memory foam mattress cover. thanks, mom. now, if only i could learn to control my dreams..

three hundred forty

costa rica has no standing military force, though maintains a small force for law enforcement and foreign peacekeeping. it's been this way since 1948 when the military was abolished. interestingly, costa rica has not seen civil war since this time (unlike it's central american neighbors) and the budget once given to the military now goes towards education, security and culture. progressive, much?

three hundred thirty nine

you can run, but you can't hide.

three hundred thirty eight

on this day in history, elton john announced his retirement from live performances in 1977. obviously he rescinded this statement.

three hundred thirty seven

montana is a big ass state. which i knew. but was reminded of when it took a day to drive across.

three hundred thirty six

driving by the kangaroo and kiwi for the last time yesterday was the hardest thing i had to do in quite some time. if my dad wasn't in the passenger seat, i think i might have lost it.