In the summer, I feel like I want to be a runner. Especially at night.

During the day, all I want to do is sit in the sun and read.

All I want to eat is fruit and chocolate. And cereal. But it has to be cold.

The winter just makes me want to eat everything in sight and hibernate the rest of the time.

I would be happy if I could live in a place where it's summer all the time.

I have a disproportionate evolutionary fear of winged insects, snakes, and spiders. I accept that, and I try to overcome it. However, I still feel a little concerned about turning my back to the yellow jacket stuck in my apartment. I don't want to be stung right now. That would be incredibly inconvenient. This is one of those times when I really wish all our windows had screens. Stupid cheap apartments.

But--oh! She got out. Good job, little buddy.

Also I just had a mini editorial crisis in which I wondered whether it is more correct to say "one of those times where" or "one of those times when". I also thought of at least 5 different sources I could go to if I really wanted to figure it out. According to COCA (the Corpus of Contemporary American English), "one of those times where" is far more common in spoken English, but in writing you get "one of those times when" almost exclusively. Interesting. "One of those times when" must be more prescriptivist.

The cool thing I learned today is that human physiology suggests that we are optimally designed to be long distance runners. We aren't meant to be walkers. That's why we have relatively massive glute muscles and a whole slew of other traits. We can run other animals literally to death in hot weather because we are better adapted to warm environments. That's what some African bushmen still do. In my mind, it also explains the fascination people have with butts. Finally, a scientific explanation for high heels.

Physiology is so cool.

For some reason, this same study has come up in at least three different classes in the past three months. Two of them were during spring term. Basically, the premise is that the longer a woman is exposed to high levels of estrogen (e.g. from menstrual cycling), the higher her risk is of developing breast cancer. This also means that the older a woman is when she has her first child, the higher her risk. The statistical probability can be graphed versus age:



I guess this just made me think a bit more about my own mortality. Not in a morbid way, just in an "oh, so that's how my body works" way. I am so in love with physiology.

I also had the random thought that tomorrow is 9 months until I turn 24. I just moved up a risk notch because there is NO WAY I am having children before then.

In other news, I think this term has taught me how to be comfortable being "the smart girl" again. I tended to get that assignment as a kid, but it was a little stressful. People expect you to know things when you're smart, and they seem so disappointed if they ask you something you don't know the answer to. Maybe I've just been made self-conscious about it because several different people have commented on my intelligence lately and then asked me random questions about things that I knew but wasn't sure that I could explain. I think I pulled it off.

One thing I'm very proud of this term is that I have officially mastered my way around the Martin building. I can get anywhere from anywhere in there, coming from any direction and without having to backtrack. I didn't think that was possible.

I am excited for the new life sciences building, even though I will never get to use it. Dr Evans showed us the model of it and it is beautiful. Much nicer than the Widtsoe.

This is a very eclectic post. Just sharing some thoughts before I go pull a talk together for tomorrow.

I think I love the movie Penelope because the idea of liking yourself the way you are is so powerful--both for girls with pig noses and for everybody else, too.