happychemist

First of all, let me tell you how ardently I admire and adore the new music director of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Gustavo Dudamel. This should be a more bitter pill to swallow, as I really really really loved Esa-Pekka Salonen with his gorgeous floppy hair and interesting pieces, and cursed his wanting to devote more time to his career as composer. I have not yet watched Dudamel in action, but KUSC is clearly in love with him, because whenever I get in the car and turn on the radio, they are talking about him, broadcasting a concert, etc. And let me tell you the music I have heard has made my heart dance. (Granted, we know I'm a hussy, heart-dancing at the least provocation!) And it's a pity, but I won't actually be watching Dudamel in live action before I leave Los Angeles! I may have to change my plans.

He's also made wild curly hair strangely sexy to me.

I miss Dr. J, clearly.

Yesterday was splendiferous spring meeting of the Jane Austen Society of North America - Southwest Chapter. This meeting was at the faculty center on the campus of UCLA. I'd never been down to Westwood, and to UCLA, and now that I've been there? Man, I'm sad I missed out on all the opportunities to be in such a beautiful, fun corner of the Los Angeles metropolitan area! I love and hate that Los Angeles is pulling out these Eleventh-Hour triumphs. It makes my heart sink to know I have to leave it.

The meeting itself was great. I think I have a magnet for newbies. Maybe it's my young countenance. ;) anyhow, I made more new friends and had an excellent time while Ed Copeland, emeritus of Pomona College, gave us an entertaining and enlightening lecture on Silver Fork novels. They had a wonderfully hilarious panel recounting the early days of JASNA-SW, and a very interesting discussion on the Sadleir Collection in the UCLA Research Library. After the lecture, we had the opportunity to walk over to the Research Library and get to look at the much-coveted Sadleir collection. Oh WOW. the GORGEOUS.

Otherwise, I continue to distract myself write my thesis. I rewatched Howl's Moving Castle today. Mmmm. Even better this time around. Finished Kurlansky, and started on Dickens's Bleak House for May book club meeting.

And...um...hello, DODGERS. WELCOME BACK!!!!!!!!!!!!! The season snuck up on me this year. And I have to say that my life was the better for it. :) I'm so glad that the Boys are Back in Town :)

Man oh man. Spring is awesome.

ETA: Lest you truly worry, please don't. Thesis writing is coming along as its own pace. Regardless, I will hate life for the next two weeks and come out the better for it. This is truly a case where knowing that I can write, and how long it takes for me to write, is clearly working against me.

What a season!!!!

Games attended:

April 15 - SF Giants v. LA Dodgers. Dodgers win, 3-1.
April 18 - Chicago Cubs v. LAD. Dodgers win, 2-1. Dramatic walk-off single by JD Drew.
May 11 - Houston Astros v. LAD. Astros win, 4-2.
May 21 - LA Angels v. LAD. Dodgers win, 7-0.
May 27 - Baltimore Orioles v. LA Angels. Angels win, 10-1. Jared Weaver's first major league start.
May 28 - St Louis Cardinals v. SD Padres. Padres win, 10-8.
June 1 - Philadelphia Phillies v. LAD. Dodgers win, 7-2.
June 6 - NY Mets v. LAD. Dodgers win, 8-5. GAGNE'S ONLY SAVE. Nomar hits a home run off of Pedro Martinez.
July 5 - Arizona Diamondbacks v. LAD. Dodgers win, 5-4.
July 17 - Cleveland Indians v. LA Angels. Angels win, 10-5.
July 23 - St Louis Cardinals v. LAD. Cards win, 6-1.
August 8 - Colorado Rockies v. LAD. Dodgers win, 4-2. Greg Maddux's first home start for the Dodgers!
August 16 - Florida Marlins v. LAD. Marlins win, 15-4. Bloody massacre.
August 29 - Cincinatti Reds v. LAD. Dodgers win, 6-5. 16 inning game! Walkoff home run by Ramon Martinez.
September 13 - Colorado Rockies v. SF Giants. Rockies win, 9-8. Bonds hits HR #732.
Spetember 16 - Chicago White Sox v. Oakland Athletics. A's win, 7-4.
September 18 - SD Padres v. LAD. Dodgers win, 11-10. 4 HOME RUNS IN A ROW!!!
September 23 - Arizona Diamondbacks v. LAD. D-backs win, 9-3.
September 30 - Oakland Athletics v. LA Angels. Angels win, 7-6.

In total? I went to 19 baseball games!!!! (Wish I'd gotten up the even twenty!) The Angels are 3-0 when I watch them at home. The Dodgers are 9-4 when I watch. (Hm. I should get paid to watch more often.) I got to watch baseball in 5 stadiums: Dodger Stadium, Angel Stadium, Petco Park, AT&T Park, and McAfee Stadium.

Ok, I know it happened over twelve hours ago, but I'm still soaring high and happy. GO DODGERS!!!!!! Simple awesome game to be at.

Things that were awesome:
1) Free fleece blankets!
2) Eric Gagne got some awards before the game began.
3) FOUR HOME RUNS IN A ROW!!!!
4) Two of those home runs were off Trevor Hoffman.
5) Dodgers came from a 4-run deficit TWO TIMES this game.
6) WALK OFF HOME RUN BY NOMAR.
7) Steve Perry, lead singer of Journey, was THERE.
8) Roller coaster of emotions.
9) By the time it was all over, we realized that since we scored more than ten runs, we also got free hot wings!

It was an amazing evening. Simply amazing.

I was finally able to be productive in lab on Friday, and so ended up staying in late. HOWEVER, when I woke up on Saturday, I felt no guilt whatsoever in selfishly staying in bed and reading until 3 pm. :p (Finished Purity in Death) It was kilroi's birthday, so I went to her place for her BBQ, which was fun. J & I took off for Anaheim to watch the Orioles v. Angels. It was a great game to watch if you're an Angels fan, resulting in 10-1, Angels!!!

Sunday, J and I made a run for it and drove down to San Diego for the day. We had a yummy brunch in Ole Madrid and went to watch the Cards v. Padres at Petco Park. Despite scoring eight runs (including a 3-run dong by the awesomely awesome Albert Pujols), the Cards still ended up losing, as the Padres scored ten!! It was crazy!!! We had a roamntic stroll and dinner in La Jolla Cove before reluctantly returning to Pasadena.

Things are considerably better now. Woke up feeling like crap. Most likely allergies. Thought I wouldn't do well at lab, but I knew I had to come in. As it turns out, it was the best thing to do; I feel much, much better. I hope this doesn't mean I'll turn into one of those sickly people who always has to stay in lab because the outside would literally kill them. :p

Having spent nine hours of my day today watching baseball, I feel pretty useless. And I feel like it's later than it really is.

( Baseball. )

( More Adventures in Jane Austen's Lab? )

I will kill you, bijoux, if this strange tickle in my throat and leaky faucet nose develops into anything more serious.

Flashback to one of my fave quotes from this weekend: "Damn you and your even-temperedness!" That had me snickering while I was weighing out my sodium hydroxide.

Can you believe that our lab doesn't have any SDS? It's like saying that a bakery doesn't have flour.

And...

I'm going to watch Derek Lowe and the Dodgers take on Dontrelle Willis and the Marlins. Eric Gagne has yet to get a save. Please Please Please let it be tonight. I know that Willis is doing frighteningly well, but dangit, if Bartolo Colon can snap Santana's winning streak, I say Lowe can take on Willis.

*sad, pathetic Crystal*