A Day (Week) in the Life (of Jo Taylor)

OK, so that Beatles reference was a stretch. I tried.

Last Tuesday- I rescued a stray lost kitten that was playing in the street (it's busy too!) and its owner retrieved it. Hung out with my gimpy friend who had ankle surgery.

Wednesday- Went to work as normal. Went home as normal. I was going to pick up some friends to go contra dancing (yay!). Drove 2 blocks from my apartment and whilst being the first car to cross the intersection during the green light promptly got slammed into by another driver who ran a red light. (yes yes I'm fine) Outrageous chaos ensued. When other people are in traumatic/stressful situations I am usually pretty good at remaining calm and rational. Apparently not so when reversed. A very long and annoying story short: other driver claimed HE had a green light, insurance companies duke it out, get in contact with witness to the accident, backpedal and offer me some money. My poor Oldsmobile was totaled.

Let's all just give a moment of silence for that trooper. Drove me the Indiana-Baltimore trip THREE times and never once complained. Anyway, I am of course getting reimbursed for the value of the car, but now I'm just annoyed that I have to go through the process of getting another car. I was going to get one soon anyway, but wanted to save up enough money to buy a nice one.

Sigh.

But wait, it doesn't end there. Friday- I donate blood. Guys, I don't think you understand how momentous an occasion this is for me. I am absolutely terrified of giving blood. Like, really irrationally afraid. Vaccines are bad enough. BUT EXTRACTING 10% OF MY LIFE SOURCE? Uh-uh. Well, I was really curious to see if I could do it (I kept being reassured it wasn't as bad as I was making it out). Well, OK, it turns out it wasn't as bad as I was making it out, but it was still not pleasant. I got a bit nauseous during it but then felt much better after having some juice and resting. My officemate Heather and I did it together, so we headed back up to the office. So yeah, well, no one told me that resting for 5 minutes was an insufficient time to become able to walk up TWO flights of stairs. I want it on the record that I never passed out, contrary to my coworkers who saw fit to coddle me embarrassingly afterwards. I WAS conscious the whole time, just momentarily deaf with blurry eyesight. At least I know to take the elevator now.

BUT WAIT GUYS it gets better. Enter Hurricane Sandy. That's all I need to say. And also that I was totally unprepared for what a hurricane is like. It's windy and rainy and cold and scary because there are at least a dozen trees within sight of the window in my bedroom. Work has been closed for the past 2 days but tomorrow we're back at it. A lot of folks lost power (luckily I didn't) but it's not half as bad as what happened further north. Maryland, and Baltimore, missed the worst of the storm while New Jersey and NYC got slammed.

So yeah, that's my terribly exciting life! Paperwork and hurricanes and blood donations oh my!

FYI

How to annoy Jo:

- Tell me all about your mundane problems then act all insecure about them and expect me to care
- Say you don't like cats
- Ignore my attempts to talk to you
- Ignore my attempts to tell you why I'm in a bad mood
- Give me stupid one-word answers
- Don't answer my repeated calls
- Call Indiana a fly-over state (I know it is, just don't say it in front of me)
- Say that Italians didn't invent pizza

Nobody

Recently I'm finding myself in the situation of having to say lots of goodbyes to good friends. I've had a lot to think about, and a lot of time to do it while driving to and from Baltimore. I listened to The Battle for Everything on the way back, which I haven't done in several years. I've always loved the beginning of this song.

Take off your shoes
Take off your self
Take off your rented mental health
Take off your raincoat, settle down
Take off your nightmare and your frown
There is a place for you to go
To see another ringer in a rock show
Take my pretense for a time
Cause I wanna say to you

I'm nobody
Without you, buddy
You, buddy
My long-lost friend

-Five for Fighting

AZ Hankerin'

Arizona stole my heart.

It's not that I don't like Indiana- I do! (And I like green foliage and vegetation!) But I love having crazy outdoors adventures, exploring the beautiful outdoors and seeing the wonder that nature has to offer. In Arizona you are only a stone's throw from the Grand Canyon, mountains, deserts, cacti, canyons and more.

Flagstaff was such an ideal place to live that it seemed fake. I hope to visit sometime in the future :)

Being an astronomer, it is inevitable that I return (frequently) to my second state. Here's to a dry heat!

Just an Excuse to Rant

Things that irk me on this fine Easter Sunday:

-Neighbors who talk obnoxiously loud and play crappy music
-Hyper cats when I'm trying to work
-People cancelling plans
-Slow drivers in the fast lane
-People asking "What are you going to do after you graduate? Are you going to graduate school?, "So, how's the job front looking?", "So what are you going to do if you don't get a job?", and/or "You know, you'll never go back to grad school after making lots of money at a full-time job."

I know. I need to loosen up. It also irks me when people tell me to loosen up.

Goodnight, Travel Well

There are some songs, foods, concepts, and even people that are so intimately connected with a time and place in my life that it's almost physically disturbing how strong the feeling of deja vu (for better or worse) can strike me at the most unexpected time.

I'm up late cracking down on a paper that's due tomorrow, and I'm feeling wordy and nostalgic!

Forever Unemployed

Everyone accepted to summer internships and grad schools, and me, just sitting here waiting to hear back...

AND WAITING FOR LETTER-WRITERS.

FINALLY

The semester of hell, of sleep deprivation, stress, emotional instability, of mental breakdowns and subsequent emotional apathy, of lack of time for my friends, family, cat, and self, THE SEMESTER OF PAIN IS OVER.

Missing: Have You Seen This Girl?

In an everlasting quest to laugh in the face of adversity, a pro's and con's list about being single.

Things I have gained:
-Time
-Money
-Bitterness
-Cell phone minutes
-Heartache
-A useless key
-An appreciation for friends neglected
-My independence
-A renewed friendship with my cat

Things I have lost:
-You know, just, like, two years of my life
-Heartache
-Dissatisfaction
-The ability to watch TNG
-My best friend
-My faith in mankind
-My christmas lights I left in your apartment
-That superb bottle of sweet tea I left in your apartment
-My heart I left in your apartment

But somehow adversity is left laughing at me... A disclaimer I have stated before. Don't like my blogs, don't read them. I'll be mopey if I please, thankyouverymuch.

Hello October!

Sorry for two totally inane posts in one day. I PROMISE I will try my best to actually update this site with worthwhile posts.

First, please let me rant! I believe I can say with all honesty that the past seven days have been the most busy ones of my undergraduate academic career. Missing two days of class is detrimental when taking 21 credit hours... Put on top of that two lab reports, a presentation to the department on research I haven't considered in two months, a huge grad class project, 4 hours of the general GRE, completely boring 18th century Italian texts, last-minute making of a cardboat boat and yes FINALLY I can breathe thankyouverymuch.

Phew. Ok, now that I'm done whining. I expect the rest of the semester to go a bit better. I have been away every weekend since school started, and taking two days of the week off is difficult to catch up on. No more traveling, more studying and sleeping!

Anyway. Fall is in the air and the crisp smell of autumn leaves makes my heart happy! Soon to be- apple cider, orchard visits, Riley Festival, pumpkin carving, demo shows, and Halloween! :) Don't forget about the annual "This is what I did in October post"- keep a keen eye out for it.... 

How Many Special People Change?

"How many special people change?
How many lives are living strange?
Where were you while we were getting high?
Slowly walking down the hall
Faster than a cannonball
Where were you while we were getting high?"

As I become increasingly busy this semester and begin having crises regarding my completely undecided future, I keep coming back to this song. The mantra I have been repeating for the past three years keeps popping up in my head: "I am a highly motivated student. I am a highly motivated student. I am a highly motivated student..."

Takes me back to Tucson summer. Lying on my apartment floor blasting Oasis while a perfect powerpoint sunset gradient faded into the background.

Ready or not, Real Life, here I come!

The Organic Life Is Killing Me

Sorry I've gotten behind on my posts. I've been lacking the motivation and time to post anything more substantial than a rant about how expensive it can be to buy organic/local (that I'm not really going to rant about).

I don't know how I can have such a great life and still be so unsatisfied. I have an amazing job getting paid to do what I love, working for a great advisor. I get to explore the west, taking trips around Arizona and seeing exciting new places of the country. I have the most caring and supportive friends and family. There are people in the world who wish they could be where I am, having a roof over my head and a (mostly) secure life. I'm healthy, have all the makings of a wonderful life, but here I am wasting away my days pining over a man, a lost love, when I should be enjoying my summer. Isn't it funny how much one person can change your
life? Can make it blissful and full of sunshine. Can make it bitter and cheerless... Sorry about the depressing post, but it's MY blog. You don't have to read it if you don't want. Maybe I'm young and irrational (I know I am), but heartbreak affects everyone whether or not they will admit it...

The one word to sum up my life right now is: sigh.

Greetings from Tucson, Earthlings!

Hello from Tucson, Arizona, one of the hottest places I've ever had the pleasure of inhabiting! I will be spending my summer here for another REU internship, working for NOAO (National Optical Astronomical Observatory)! PS- you know you've been thinking in vi too much when you type a $ to get to the end of a line...

Anyway, I arrived in Tucson on Sunday, traveling from Indianapolis to Dallas/Ft. Worth then making the hop over to Arizona. Notable events on trip over include flying over a wildfire at the AZ/NM border and seeing an 'airplane graveyard'. (Some pictures, not mine, here and here)

After arriving and unpacking my two suitcases that I somehow fit my life into, the first thing I did in the city of Tucson (besides pity-crying a bit at the sheer overwhelming confusion) is get lost on the way to the store. As in, walking in the complete opposite direction I was intending. I guess it helps to know cardinal directions, sometimes, huh! :)

Monday I got to work bright and early, but it WAS ALREADY HOT. The first day of work was spent filling out paperwork and getting to know the NOAO building (it is as confusing as can be). I then met my research advisor, Dara Norman, and we went out to lunch. We chatted about life in Tucson, Indiana, research, the intensity of Chicago winters, and where I could buy trashcans for my apartment. She is a lovely and bright woman, and I'm excited to work with her this summer. I will be working on a project investigating the distribution of X-ray AGN (active galactic nuclei) galaxies in galaxy clusters. Mostly I'll be reducing spectra taken from GMOS (Gemini Multi-Object Spectrograph in Chile) but once that is done, I'll be doing some actual analysis!

The NOAO building where I work!

Tucson is so far, a pretty cool place, but unlike anywhere I've ever been. First of all, it's HOT. I apologize for the next 11 weeks of incessant complaining about the heat here. But seriously, the average high for EVERY day in June is 100 +/- 2 degrees. Right now it's only in the 90's, and I shudder to think how unbearable it will soon become. Yeah, yeah, it's a dry heat, but why don't you come over to the Sonoran Desert and tell me that it's not (DRYLY) HOT? 

Ok, some good aspects of Tucson: there is a 360 degree view of mountain ranges surrounding the city! To the north is the Santa Catalina mountains, the west Tucson, the south Santa Rita, and the east Rincon. It's beautiful! 

The view from Target. Some mountains I don't know!

The landscape is definitely desert… Cacti and weird little shrubbies dominate the land here. There are 'mimosa trees' (as I call them), everywhere, as well as palm trees. There are some nice flowering trees and bushes, as well as roses around.... but no grass!!! There is just sand and dirt to reflect back the harsh heat of the sun... *grumble grumble* 

This is pretty much what Tucson looks like. Yup.

The unidentified 'mimosa tree' above... Any suggestions on its actual species? 

The campus is really nice. A couple nights ago I took a long walk around the University of Arizona. My apartment is a nice distance from work, about a 15 minute walk, although google maps says it's a little less than a mile, which in IU walking time means 20 minutes. Tucson, though, is flat as a pancake as far as I've explored!

Palm trees yo!

A big open field on campus and mountains behind.

Some garden or other... lots o' cacti!

Whoa!

The campus at night- RED FILTER LIGHTS! Yay astronomy and dark skies!!!! :)

This place is like another world! The landscape is completely different, the weather bears no resemblance to the midwest, and the Mexican food is SUPREME. While everyone back home is experiencing severe weather, thunderstorms and tornadoes, I would just like everyone to know that I have not seen a single cloud in the sky since arriving four days ago. This year's REU is going to be very different than last year's, but I'm sure it will be a great experience regardless :)

Some big items on my calendar this summer:

• Jenny is going to come visit and stay a couple days with me after she gets done observing at Kitt Peak in mid-July. (Eric too, but he's too lame to stay... something about wanting to spend time with his family or something, sheesh, what a selfish guy!) 
• Go observing at Kitt Peak (south of Tucson) using the 2.1m telescope.
• Visit Elaine in Irvine, CA where she has her own internship!
• My friend Eric P. from last year's REU is going to visit me from Boulder, CO (his REU).
• Eric and I are making a scenic road trip to Simi Valley, CA to visit our friend Nick from last year's REU.

Turns out all the cool people are in the west this summer… Come visit me! :D

Me? Bitter? Never.

At least a cat always loves me unconditionally.

"I Smoke Myself to Sleep...

And blame post-modern things I can't relate... like alcohol and coffee beans."

I've been listening a lot to the album Dog Problems by The Format lately. It seems fitting.

E&M exam in 10 hours- goodnight.

"I've reached the point where all I want
Is to sleep around in hopes that I will catch back up
We are parallel lines
We’re running in circles
We're never meant to cross"

People...

They be makin' me mad.

Jo

GAH. GAHHH. GAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH.




This is how I feel right now.

To All You Rude Starers Out There,

QUIT YOUR RUDE STARING. Didn't your mother ever teach you to not stare at people? IT'S RUDE.

Maybe I shouldn't get so irritated when somebody makes eye contact with me for more than 2 seconds, but seriously, can I help you with something?

Fitter Happier

As you've probably already noticed, I changed the layout of my blog! Or maybe you haven't noticed... All the blogs that I read I get updates from through google reader and rarely even visit the actual website. Technology these days...

I'm drinking some chai tea that I purchased in Flagstaff this summer. Cue the bittersweet nostalgia.

I can honestly say that this summer was by far the most exciting, memorable, and fun time of my life. I met numerous very cool people, saw nature at its most intense and awe-inspiring moments, got caught in a wildfire, did some amazing hiking/camping, did some really cool research, learned more dance, and made some amazing and truly fantastic friends. This summer will forever live in infamy, in the top echelon, a sort of dreamy and unreal time of my life when everything was perfect. When I drink this tea, it's like I'm transported back to Arizona: I'm sitting in the parking lot at McKay, my apartment building, talking on the phone, watching the clouds roll in over the San Fran peaks. A pristine day in Flagstaff. I'm happy in that carefree way where it seems that everything in your life is just going so perfectly. Work is satisfying (well, mostly), there are no obligations once I return home and am free to contentedly hang out with my friends all night, I'm physically active, there are mountains in my backyard, I write super cool fortran programs and plot fun things in SM, and I'm happily involved with the man that it seems I've been waiting my whole life for.

Isn't it strange how the most innocent and subtle of senses can trigger such an intense deja vu or memory of a specific time or point in your life? It always surprises me that such simple things such as a song or a smell or even a type of weather condition can take you back in time. Yeah. The weather.

Now fast-forward 2 months from that unrealistically perfect Flagstaff day.

Me? Bitter? Never.

At least a cat always loves me unconditionally.