I'm not sure if I've posted about this before but I should have, if I haven't. I drink lots and lots of diet soda. Probably 99% of my fluids are diet soda. I've had numerous conversations with people about the caffeine in soda, they say things like they can't drink soda before bed or at night because of the caffeine, etc. and I have no problem with it. I've had people try to tell me that there is a lot of caffeine in soda, comparable to coffee. That is totally untrue! and I say this but people don't always agree with me, though it's fact not my opinion. I just have one of those personalities that when I know I'm right I don't care if you believe me or not because I know I'm right and I know you're an idiot, versus those that are totally obnoxious about throwing something at you when they think they're right when they aren't, but I know they're wrong so going along w/ my previous thought, when I know you're wrong I don't need to throw it in your face because I feel bad for you because you're an idiot. Last summer I went on a date with a Chinese postdoc at Harvard and we got in an argument about this because he didn't believe me when I said soda had a lot less caffeine than coffee. He was saying that they were comparable which is totally ridiculous. How stupid can you be? Guess that's why you're a postdoc at Harvard and I'm a postdoc at MIT! (Just kidding, just had to say it, I'm not that smart, but I do know my caffeine stats.) So as the data shows, Diet Coke has 45 mg caffeine for 12 oz. and a Starbucks tall coffee which is also 12 oz. has 279 mg caffeine. So even if I drink 2L of Diet Coke per day, that's 67.6 oz and 253 mg caffeine, still less than one 12 oz. coffee which most people drink way more than 12 oz. of coffee per day. So bottom line, there is not that much caffeine in soda so shut up about it.

Very interesting, marmosets. Maybe you can be having the Best Week Ever.

I almost made it 3 months. I got my CharlieCard through MIT since they are nice and pay for half of it because I work there. We got them when the whole new system and fare increases started January 1. They give you one CharlieCard and then automatically it gets recharged every month w/ my monthly pass good for local bus and train so that's good because I don't have to go pick it up at the end of every month which I would forget sometimes and then the first of the month would come and I'd try to use my pass and it wouldn't work and then I'd have to pay extra or take extra time and walk, and I forgot to mention looking retarded walking into the turnstile. The problem is there's no convenient place to put it except in my coat pocket because I use it frequently and I want it to be readily accessible. They don't allow you to punch holes in it so you can't attach it to your keys or anything. Problem is I have other things in my coat pockets too: house keys, MIT ID, pager if on call, iPod. Yesterday I had Charlie to get to work but when I got to the train to get home I didn't have it. I even retraced my steps back to my office and checked around my desk but no Charlie. I had to walk home last night and walk to work this morning. Good thing it's only about 25 minutes each way. Today I had to go to MIT Transportation Office and pay $15 to get a new card. Not so bad I guess unless I keep losing the damn thing and I had no other choice anyway. Now the annoying thing is it's not good until April 1st, so I guess it's better that I lost it at the end of the month. I can walk to work and home no problem for the rest of the week, it's the places I have to go that aren't in walking distance. I was supposed to go to track practice tonite in Watertown but I would have to take the train to the bus and total cost would be, well wait a minute, I just looked it up and it says $1.70 w/ free transfer to bus but that's with CharlieCard and I don't know for sure how I can do that if my CharlieCard won't work w/ my monthly pass until April 1, can I put money on that card until then and use it, if so I guess it's $3.40 round trip but if I can't do that and have to use a CharlieTicket then it's more like $7 round trip so whatever it's too confusing and I'm not going to track practice because of it. I already paid for the stinking pass, I can't justify paying 1/3 of what I originally paid just for one trip, and then tomorrow I have to take it to Allston so there's another $3.40-$4.00. I'll have to figure out if I can use my CharlieCard or I have to pay more for CharlieTicket. Bottom line is not to lose your card of course!

Maybe you've already seen the chimp and bulldog doing sit-ups together but if not go check it out! I saw it on TV yesterday and it's so funny. Make sure you watch the whole thing as I think it gets even better around 1:30. And geez people get your primates correct, this is not a monkey!!!!!

but I just have to link to this post from Boston.com because it mentions Chip Walls, a forsenic toxicologist and he is really really good friends w/ my mom and stepdad. He's not a doctor though, that's a mistake. When I was home this last Christmas he was at my mom's making us martinis, yummy!

On Friday night I saw Zodiac. I thought it was pretty good, though I knew going in I'd be disappointed they never really solved the case. The most likely suspect died before they proved it, though he wasn't positively identified until a zillion years later. So I guess it was more satisfying than expected because I think that that guy probably did it. Anyway, I was interested enough to buy a couple books: Zodiac and Zodiac Unmasked: The Identity of America's Most Elusive Serial Killer Revealed, written by the guy that the Jake Gyllenhaal character played. I still had money on my Barnes & Noble card that GAJ gave me for graduation.

On Saturday I went to Dim Sum at China Pearl w/ Poopy Lu, hubby and sis. I haven't been in so long and it was pretty good. After that we walked around Chinatown buying baked goods and candy, then to Quincy Market to warm up and drink some Starbucks, then took P. Lu's sis to the airport and ate dinner there at Sam Adam's and then after sis was on the plane, took off to the Sports Depot to see the KU game. P. Lu and hubby both went to KU for undergrad. Too bad KU lost!

Today I went to the Multisport Expo at MIT. Luckily we got there early enough to get the FREE goody bag, though there already was a huge line when we got there before the expo even opened. Good thing we were early! We got lots of info on races this season though I'm not sure if we'll do any of them. I'm still coming off my neck problems and am a bit afraid to cause more harm but I'm supposed to do at least one multisport race a season being a member of the triathlon team. We'll see how motivated I am.

Cleo and I did get in our 5 mile run tonite. It's the farthest I've gone since probably October and Cleo, I'm not sure if she's ever gone that far. I have to start checking her pads real good because the pavement is already doing some damage in the last 3-4 weeks we've been running together.

I went 3/4 in picking my Final Four. I've finally took the lead over my roomies. I picked Ohio St, Florida and Georgetown. I have Georgetown going all the way and both my roomies have Ohio St so it's going to go down to the wire, though I can get some points if Florida wins because I have them playing Georgetown in the Finals.

If anyone wants to be my partner in the challenge, let me know!

Is it any good? I think I have to get me some and try it. It sounds better to me than Willie Nelson's flavor. Anyone out there tried both? Which one is better?

Please stop voting for Sanjaya! Why must you vote for the worst? Just vote for the 2nd or 3rd worst, like the bald guy. He sucks but I still enjoy watching him; it's not painful like watching Sanjaya.

We were down by 13 with 4:28 left and to get to that point was pure torture for me to watch. How the hell we turned things around and to come within 1 with 19 seconds left I don't know, but it had me really fired up. Unfortunately thing didn't work out and we lost by 4 but I can't believe we even got back into that game. Wish we could have turned things around earlier. It was so sad to see Julie B comforting her crying son once he realized we couldn't pull it off. Sorry kid, there's always next season!

To address Jenn's earlier comment wondering if I talked to my Dad's old lady, well yes I did. My Dad told me to call Friday night which I did and then he told me she was busy doing whatever and to call back on Saturday night. So after I got back from the AWESOME private TSD reunion at TT's (mentioned at the bottom of the Wikipedia page), I called my Dad again and after going through of bunch of annoyingness on the phone, my Aunt was just leaving and taking my Dad's dog and my new stepmother's 2 little grandkids that she has custody of (lovely!) to watch for them while they were on their wedding/honeymoon cruise so there was lots of commotion on the other end, finally my Dad put her on the phone and I just asked the details of the cruise, where they were going, what they planned to do, when were they getting married, etc. and good luck and that was about it. Now my life is full, Mom, Dad, stepdad and now stepmom, Yeah!

I have a ton of music, all of it imported into iTunes and only existing on my perfectly sized 120GB external HD. My iTunes library has 10,921 songs (52.14 GB) so I cannot believe I have nothing to listen to. I'm always looking for new music to listen to that's as good or maybe better than what I have listened to so many times I can't listen that often anymore. Well I just found an album that will ALWAYS sound refreshing to my ears, remind me of so many things: some good/ some bad but all worth the memories, just an all-around awesome album: Morrissey's Viva Hate! Go buy it if you don't already own it!

Looks like Morrissey is going on tour again, though he's not making it to the Northeast. I'm sad to see the Midwest listed since I would have LOVED to see him when I was living there from 2002-2006. I always needed a pick-me-up. Now that I've left he's making the trip. Now I just wish he would make it to Boston. Maybe later in the summer.

So here's info about the game last night and the record attendance, etc. Tomorrow night they have an away game so they won't have as many fans as last night but you can read about their opponents lousy attendance at their last home game. I would love to go but that just won't happen. I'd rather try and get to MSG for the semis and finals.

Way to go Syracuse! I didn't get to watch the game since it was on ESPN U, but since you've won I hope to catch your next game, which should be a pretty tough matchup.

Why can't you make your damn free throws!?

Go read her post about trash and dog poop.

I would volunteer, well I guess I should say I will volunteer. I got mad though when I clicked the link to register as an individual and at the bottom of the form it asked if you wanted a Free recycle bin, which I absolutely do! and I've been pissed about since moving here because in Kansas I was a recycling crazy and brought as much as I could to the recycling center on my Vespa all the time, and now here I don't have a bin and throw everything out! including all the trillions of bottles and cans of soda I drink constantly, but anyway then in parentheses it says (for residences with 6 units or less), Bastards, or call this number if 7 or more units but I think we tried calling before and your landlord has to do it or something and they might have to pay for it.

I want a recycle bin and I want it NOW!!!!!!!

and I forgot to say that yeah, what happened to the Phillips St. dog park? They took down the gates and you decided to leave your poop around?? My lovely little hound Miss Cleo will ONLY poop in that dog park, no where else, well at least no where else close by, otherwise she'll only poop on grass and there's no grass in my vicinity which is very sad though she does like running w/ me on the Charles and will poop there but we don't go there that frequently, and now she gets all weird now at that dog shit hole because it's so gross that she thinks it's gross which is way too gross because by nature Miss Cleo is gross, she will eat dog and cat poop, mostly cat poop from the litter box, and for her to get all disgusted trying to find a 'clean' spot to poop and then just giving up and going home to hold it in until the next try, that's just awful! That park used to be kept up so well and people and dogs always went there but that bitch woman complained about dogs off-leash and now no gates and no one really goes there that much. Anyway, the point is pick up your poop! Don't you find it disgusting to go there and see the poop you left behind making a mess of everything?

I'm not into all the muscles he used to have, though I've been a fan since the underwear ads and Good Vibrations and I loved his badboyness and crazyness in Fear (this clip is extra special because I love Morrissey and the stalker song is one of my favs from back in the day, UB baby! Great how you can find such things on the internet) but he's really cleaned up well at 35.

If nothing else, maybe it motivated you to plant some trees or to donate to an organization that will plant some for you. I was at IKEA this weekend and I just went to their website looking up some stuff and saw this. Go to American Forests and give to plant trees. Next time I have an extra $25, which should be never as I owe $250,000 in student loans, I'll make an effort to donate.

and while you're at it, submit an NIT bracket.

Being her only veterinarian Auntie (and probably only vet relative), I couldn't wait to buy her something vet-related that she was old enough to enjoy. So this is what she got. My sister-in-law told me that Ella refused to put the stethoscope down for days and even brought it to bed with her. When I go to visit at Easter I can teach her all about detecting heart murmurs, haha, something I very much suck at!

At least I get to SEE my team play a little longer, even if it's only on TV. Living away from home, I don't get to see that many TV games. If the first-round wasn't during the week maybe I could go home for it. I think my mom and stepdad will try to go. If they make it to MSG, I can try to go to that.

I'm in hibernation until it's over.

Read about it here; take the quiz while you're there.

How can you not just love March Madness??? Well really I hate it if Syracuse shits the bed so after their win against Georgetown this week, hopefully they are in and stand a chance to make it AT LEAST to the round of 32.

March leads right into April where we can celebrate Patriot's Day and the running of the Boston Marathon. Deena will be here this year! (What about Jen?)