BRAIN Initiative!

Did you hear about the BRAIN Initiative? 100 million towards mapping the brain... I didn't understand what that meant because the wiring in your brain isn't quite like your fingerprint genome.

Read more here.

Thank you government for investing in life science research.

I recently started reading That Used to Be Us in which the authors highlight several areas the United States has not been efficiently addressing leading to a slow decline. It's all quite depressing and I'm not yet done with the Preface! With today's announcement and the recent announcement of the Life Sciences Award backed by tech industry leaders (see here) I'm feeling a sense of optimism. It also reminds me of my one-of-these-days bucket list item to join the biocurious lab, pull on nitrile gloves, and continue my high school pursuit of any science experiment that involves something glowing.

Merry Christmas!

I went after-Christmas returning(/shopping) with M and she mentioned this blog.
Almost forgot about this. A wee bit late... but hope you have had the
merriest of Christmases!

I stepped into Anthropologie today and saw these snow globes.
Last month, my housemate and I were brainstorming holiday crafts we could make and sell at our city's craft fair. Oh how time flies!

Nothing materialized, but snow globes was one of the few items we both liked. 
Did they take this DIY straight from Martha Stewart?
(like we were planning to do)

Initially, $18~40!!!
Currently on sale.
But really, easy DIY.

My Christmas consisted of eating dim sum with siblings at the nothing-closed-on-holidays Asian shopping plaza. It was so open for business it took an hour to get a table. Playing Uno and Trivial Pursuit before siblings have to go back to their own homes. Making lettuce wraps an whoopie pies for dinner guests. Watching Arthur Christmas... twice. (Great family movie!)

My new years resolution is to dress nicer.
More dresses and less alternating between two pairs of jeans all week.
Maybe if I look more presentable I will feel a bit more ready to take on the day.

(In college I would dress up for tests.)

Do you have a resolution? Or two?

Do you have any questions?

Another wedding. Another room to fill. 

Wanted: new housemate.

Seeking sweet bonhomie.

Has it been two months since I've sat in this seat asking these same questions?

Things to tell potential housemates about:
*Kitchen area is shared
*Cars in garage switch off each month
*Plenty of street parking
*Laundry machines in garage
*Utilities, internet, and household bills split
*Chores assigned
*Local transportation
*Gardening allowed
*Warn the house when bringing others over

Do I have any questions for you?
Blank stare.
What should I know?

Sleep/wake habits?
Lifestyle?
Current career?

What do you ask potential house(apartment)mates?

Stuff and Now

Here are pictures from my future garden (aka French Laundry's garden) mentioned before.

What is Yacon? Is it pronounced like bacon?
The roots are the featured food. Did you know peanuts do not come from trees?

I wish I could grow strawberries that I got to each before the birds and insects get to them.

Yum! Peppers! Last week I threw a chilli together in the slow cooker but misread the recipe- "1 or 2 canned chipotle peppers" was misinterpreted as "1 or 2 cans of chipotle peppers." Spicy mistake!

My favorite garden presence had to be the chickens. They were so fluffy and had funny tufts of feathers on their feet, like they were prepping for winter and already wearing their feather booties.

Other than that....

Congrats to the SF Giants who won the world series last night!

My brother challenged me to a duel... in weight loss. 

I'm not quite sure how to go about losing weight because I've never had to deal with this issue. Growing up I was always encouraged to gain weight. I suppose things change as you age.