"Study" Sessions and Silly Puppies

I am going to take up meditation. I read all this stuff (read: a couple sources, but one was the current Dalai Lama so he counts for, what, fourteen sources, actually?) about how it helps manage stress and thought, "Hey, relieving stress sounds nice. I can't rely on Lady Gaga song parodies for that all the time!" So yeah, update on my ability to concentrate on my breathing for "long" periods of time to come next post.

Some Wednesday ago, I organized the first study session for our 501: History of Anthropology course and we had a pretty good turnout of five people. Way to be dedicated, five peeps. Anyway, we didn't really study, we talked about silly stuff and laughed for an hour, which was awesome. We now have some phrases that will always be funny and never get old, such as "It was the tiniest puff of smoke"  and "I want to change that," regarding the world but applicable to anything else we want to change.

 Next study session on Sunday? Maybe with half studying and half laughter? Stay tuned!

Oh, and Zoe is a swimming dog now! We went to a BBQ at my advisor's farm (because I go to THAT kind of school, the fantastic kind) and she got over her fear of water by accidentally jumping into the deep end. She's ok, and she got her toy, but she realized that water won't hurt her and now she's a happy little swimmer:

Hopefully the link works, it looks a little weird now.

I keep telling people that having Zoe up here with me makes my life harder, but more enjoyable. Without her, I would be able to just spend all day on campus and not be stressed out by the bus, but then there would be an empty place in my life and I would be sad. It's definitely a trade-off having my dog here but she makes me happy and she's kind of a surrogate pup for everyone who had to leave their dog behind. She's mine and as a responsible pet owner, I choose to accommodate her and she rewards me by continuing to be adorable, playful, and funny.

"What?"

That's all for now! Stay happy.

P.S. My parents' dog is also a nearly endless source of hilarity. You wish your dogs were as cool as ours. Oh, who am I kidding, they're all cool.

P.P.S If I send this to you by email and you want to make sure I don't forget you (because it could happen, even if I still like you), click "Subscribe by email" at the bottom! 

Bad Lip Reading Makes My Week

I was planning to make this a weekly if not less-frequently-updated blog but I like going with the funny stuff instead of a regular schedule.

And boy, I haven't laughed like this in a while!

BLR (Bad Lip Reading) spoofs various movies and speeches by voicing over the characters/speaker with what it looks like they're saying. I love it when people do things like this anonymously because it's really like they're just doing it for fun and not for recognition. Thanks anonymous hilarity.

Edward and Bella is their latest video and it's fantastic. Just watch it. I've watched it three times and it still gets me.

The second humorous thing that keeps popping up this week is all the stuff the grad mailing list suggests for us to do! You know, instead of reading. Binghamton is apparently never boring with music, and shows, and bars, and people going places and doing things and making connections but, I'm so sorry, I have 100 or so pages to read by Tuesday and some Korean drama to catch up on (Faith, anybody?).

Stay happy!

(Dude, you slapped a fish.) 

Hell's Kitchen and Anthropology!

I thought about doing a big THIS IS MY FIRST POST IT IS SO IMPORTANT first post but then I decided I wouldn't be able to settle on anything important and this is supposed to be more lighthearted than soul-inspiring or whatever.

On this Wednesday night, the next hour will be full of Hell's Kitchen/MasterChef and reading for my 501: History of Anthropology course. And wondering why Dana from Hell's Kitchen can't open her eyes all the way (seriously, watch her during the interviews). And why is she always yelling?


Oh, and if you don't get the "humerus" joke then you should fix that, because it's an oldie but a goodie (one could even say it was rather humorous).

Perhaps the biggest inspiration for laughter so far in this wild ride to grad school has been my dog, Zoe. She is a 15 month old labrador retriever/aussie shepherd. She's been there for me when I'm homesick, let's me hug her and asks me incessantly to pet and play with her,

"No leaving until you play with me."

"Must . . . catch . . . ball . . . zzz."

which I do, until she's all tuckered out and sleepy.

Here's to all those grad students out there who need a little laughter in their lives.

Stay happy.