Just An Interesting Blip from the News

Check out this article and picture. Interesting... and amazing. Baby Stable After Second Head Removed parasitic head

And a random thought...

If I'm ever filthy-stinkin' rich. I know what my one weird demand will be. No, not a dressing room be stocked with one bottle each of Jack Daniels, Corvoisier, Beefeater Gin and Chivas Regal as Frank Sinatra required. Not for all items to be covered by clear plastic until uncovered by the artist (Prince or formerly known as or whatever). Not a lounge with a full size snooker table (not a pool table) as required by the Rolling Stones. Not a small bottle of Flintstones vitamins with extra "C" as demanded by Christina Aguilera. My demand will be to have a new pair of socks for every day. I love the feeling of putting on a brand new pair of socks. They fit snug with even pressure around your foot. They are exactly the right thickness--no wear on them anywhere. And they are soft and fresh. Of course I'll donate the socks to charity afterwards (yes, I will wash them first)...this will be my ridiculous demand. How about you? For more strange celebrity demands, check out these sites. Tales of the Weird: Stars In Concert, Part 1 Tales of the Weird: Stars In Concert, Part 2 Jim Carrey's Iguana Gets Personal Chef! Tara Reid: Reel Genius

OMG--Erin DOES Still Exist!

So...the graduate program...kicking my ass. You can all probably guess how busy I've been. No real posts since October!?!? Ug. Term 2 was tough, but I did okay as far as grades go. Marketing: B+ Economics: A- Accounting: B- Human Resources: A- Chinese: A I guess my grades aren't as good as I had hoped. Accounting is not a strong point for me...Marketing got put on the back burner just to pass Accounting. I got Strep Throat near the end of the term as well. I was sooo sick the day of my Accounting test...fever, sweats, chills, weakness...it took me an hour to reach my phone to call someone and let them know I wouldn't be in Chinese. Daniel got some medicine and took care of me. I felt great in time for the test and managed to pull a low B on it. I also spent many nights, sometimes until 2am, in the computer lab with Devan writing papers, working on projects, studying, etc. Finals week I slept about 2 hours a night and lived on caffeine. I tried to spend as much time with Mom as I could before she left for China, but it was tough to fit that into my schedule. She left just a few days after finals week ended to go live in China with Dad. Overall, I have a 3.53 for the first 2 terms. Christmas break was a whirlwind. After seeing Mom off at the airport, I basically worked full-time at the camera store. Daniel and I also moved into a 1-bedroom apartment in the same building that we were living in. The studio we had was just a little too small. I think it was about 450 sq.ft. or so. Our new apartment is about 730 sq.ft. We actually got to buy furniture to fill it. We started moving in on the 23rd of December and finished a few days later. We spent Christmas Eve and Christmas at the Ford's. This was the first Christmas away from Mom and maybe the 3rd away from Dad...but Mom did plenty of Christmas shopping before she left (I think she started on December 25th of 2003). I didn't get to work again until New Year's Day. Oh! The camera store was broken into...twice. The first time was during my finals week a couple weeks into December. The damage: busted glass door, busted glass sliders on the cases (even though they were unlocked), and about $36,000 worth of camera equipment. Fortunately, we caught them on our high-tech cameras...NO--WAIT--we DIDN'T because we DON'T have surveillance cameras. You would think a camera store would, huh. There was a little bit of blood on the counter, so CSI came out to the store. Still haven't heard anything back on that. Got all the glass replaced about a week and a half later and had this nifty stuff (a film) put on the inside of the glass doors/ windows that doesn't allow the glass to break out if it is struck (it still breaks, but the integrity is maintained by the film and the glass holds together so the crooks can't get in). It took a few days for the people to coat all the windows, except for the door because we were going to get a different type of glass put in. So, Daniel got a call (about 4am on the 31st I think). The store was broken into again. The same door was broken (which, as I mentioned, didn't have the security film on the inside yet). The same cases were emptied (but they didn't break the glass sliders this time). About $9000 worth of equipment gone this time...we hadn't received stock to fill the cases back up yet, so there were far fewer cameras in them. And then, about a week later, Daniel was helping a guy and had to check the price on something for him (a normal situation at our store). The guy bolted with a $1000 camera and a $1030 lens. Daniel and Joe took off after him and got his license plate. Called the cops and gave a description that matched who the car was registered to. Haven't ever heard anything back on that either. People suck. That's my conclusion. So when you meet good people, you really have to appreciate them. School started again. This term I have 17 credits (yes, that is a lot...especially in a graduate program). I am taking Chinese, Managing Information Technology Globally, Cross Cultural Communications, Global Operations Management, and International Law & Ethics. I have been swamped with papers, quizzes, exams, reading, etc. I've had many sleepless nights and many days with LOTS of Dr. Pepper. I just got over 5 weeks of Bronchitis. Everyone has loved the coughing and hacking I've been doing during class. You can't believe all the weird herbal medicines the Thai students have been giving me and insisting I take. One of them I call Centipede balls. It's some very strong smelling/tasting Chinese herb that is in little balls that look like BBs and the packaging has a guy and 2 centipedes on it. It helps, but the taste is almost too much to bear. I just finished the sixth week of the 8 week term. This past week I had prepared conversations in Chinese everyday, a Quiz on Wednesday, a paper due Thursday, an exam on Friday, and an exam, a paper due, and a presentation (not related to the paper) on Saturday. That class was followed by a meeting for 2 hours then a required Chinese Etiquette dinner for about two and a half hours. I learned a lesson the hard way. Several years back, I had crab for dinner, followed by hours of puking. Wasn't sure if it was bad crab or a fluke or what. I've tried crab a few more times and had the same results. Haven't really eaten shrimp since that time either, just because I didn't know if it was crab or shellfish in general that gave me that reaction. Well, there were many courses that were basically un-recognizable to me at the Chinese Etiquette dinner. There was this great soup. It had rice and some other things in it. I had three big spoonfuls...and in the fourth spoonful was a nice veiny shrimp. I started to just set it on my plate when my friend/classmate Ron questioned me as to why I wasn't going to eat it. I explained my reaction to crab and got another spoonful of the soup when he told me it was probably a bad idea to eat it since the shrimp is boiled in the soup. I took his advice even though I really liked the soup. And about three minutes later I had to run to the bathroom. Now I know. I even learned to say "Wo bu hui chi xia (Wa boo hoy chir shya)" which means "I cannot eat shrimp." I will find out the word for crab, but it's not likely I will encounter it in Asia because it is far more expensive than it is here. Following the dinner, a bunch of us went out for a classmate's birthday. Some friend's of mine had a Soprano's theme party on the 22nd of January. The guys were dressed slick in suits or other Italian style garb and the girl's were told to come as Jersey trash. Daniel got to get a nice black shirt and gray tie and suspenders. I got to spend $10 at Goodwill for a rhinestone studded cutoff denim skirt and fuzzy black tube top. Added my knee high boots, some fishnet stockings, hoop earrings, big hair, and hot pick nail polish and lipstick...and voila...I was trashy. It was a lot of fun. The pics are on my photo website. Daniel's birthday was on the 19th. Mom & Dad, Ralph & Kathy, and I got him a nice barbecue. Our new apartment has a balcony (yay!) and he really wanted one. Haven't had a chance to break it in yet. We had his and Ivy's (our god-daughter) birthday party on the 23rd. The next weekend a friend of mine arranged for a bunch of us to go out to a club/lounge for Daniel, Ron, and Devan's (2 of my classmates) birthdays. We had a good time there as well. The next day we hung out with my brother and his fiance Amy because the 29th was his birthday. We went to a park where Daniel took their engagement photos. Next we played miniature golf. Then we all wasted some time until we met the extended Ford family at Juliano's for birthday dinner for Erik and cousin Jessi (her birthday was on the 2nd of Feb). Another friend's birthday was on the 1st and another on the 3rd...and my grandpa's was sometime near the end of January as well...so many birthday's during this time. (And, as I mentioned, I just went out for another friend's birthday...) Last weekend was the MIM program's Chinese New Year celebration. I'll try to post some pictures of that soon, including a picture of the rooster I drew (Daniel helped to color it because my hands were shaking too much) as it is the year of the rooster. Despite being so busy, I have managed to work out pretty regularly. I got back into running (2 miles several times a week) and lifting weights. I've lost about 20 pounds since I started the MIM program and am in better shape than I have been in for more than 10 years. It feels good to go work out. Great fix when I am depressed or lack motivation. There are several classmates who also work out regularly, so I have an array of people to go with, which keeps me motivated to go do it. I'm still getting used to usually being the only girl in the weight room...not used to guys staring or hitting on me...or flexing their muscles more when they notice a girl...heehee...it's actually kind of funny. So, today (I guess yesterday technically now) was spent sleeping in (much needed) and then preparing for my trip to Asia. I leave in two weeks, on the 27th and won't be back until the 27th of March. Daniel leaves on the 10th and returns the same time as me. I worked on calling in prescriptions and figured out that I wouldn't have enough to get me through the trip on one of them. They had to deal with insurance and finagle and finally were allowed to give me 2 months worth, but had to bill them on separate days, so I can't pick them up until Monday. One of the meds I have been on for a little more than a month now. It is for 'tremors.' I've had them for a long time, but I started spilling drinks and people were saying stuff about my hands shaking more lately. Anyway, the medicine helps quite a bit. I can definitely tell when I miss a dose. I missed one the other day and turned into uber-klutz. Spilled a soda, dropped a keyboard, spastically hit keys on the keyboard (closing what I was doing), dropped the paper towels when I tried to clean up the mess, etc. I also tried to get a granola bar out of a vending machine (#64) and ended up with a Hershey's Chocolate Almond Bar as I spastically hit #66. Since I don't eat a lot of chocolate, Devan got a nice treat that day. Anyway, today we also went to the mall to get business type clothes for the Asia trip. I managed to buy a few pairs of slacks and several shirts. And--OMG!--I bought a pink shirt. I think this is the only pink piece of clothing I've ever bought. Also bought black pants with pink pinstripes and a pink bra...what has happened to me?!?! Next stop was Fred Meyer where I spent a ton on DayQuill, NyQuill, Pepto-Bismol, Immodium-AD, vitamins, hand sanitizer, etc. We are told by the program coordinator that pretty much everyone ends up with a cold by week three and diarrhea from day one...should be a load of fun! Trying to be prepared for it all. If nothing else, I can leave what I don't use with Mom & Dad in China. We did manage to have Geoffrey & Jessica over to play Cranium. Nice to be able to hang out. A little more about my trip. It is a three credit requirement for the program. We will be spending a week in Tokyo, a week in Beijing, and a week in Shanghai. We will be attending lectures and visiting sites throughout the trip. Some of the Highlights include: Microsoft Visit in Tokyo, Sam's Club in Beijing, VW in Shanghai, Baosteel in Shanghai, and GE in Suzhou suburb. Yes, GE where my dad is working. The program coordinator asked me to put him in touch with Dad when he found out he was living/working in Suzhou. They've been talking via email and have set something up. Should be interesting since I haven't seen him since October. Anyway, the following week I am staying to travel some more. I will go to Suzhou to meet up with Mom, Dad, and Daniel. Then we will likely be going to Xian and Beijing, then return to Shanghai/Suzhou, then work our way south to Hong Kong to sight-see and catch our return flight. We return on Sunday, class starts again on Tuesday, have to give an oral presentation in Chinese that week, Erik & Amy's wedding on Saturday (the 2nd of April), and by the end of the next week I have 2 papers due based on the trip. So, I guess that gets us mostly up to date. I'd like to say expect trip details promptly upon my return, but I can't guarantee that. You see how long it took me to get to this post. I will be keeping a journal and will try to post it when I can. I should also have access to email occasionally. Please send any email to the following address during that time: erinmford@hotmail.com I know...another email address. My yahoo gets to much junkmail...my Direcway is IMAP and I can't check it from the internet...my PDX/ school account is accessible, but I will set up a vacation message for the month I will be gone. The hotmail address is also what I plan to use for personal email after I graduate, so I might as well get everyone switched over to using that one anyway. Oh, and if anyone uses MSN messenger...you now have my email address for that too. Sorry for this being so ridiculously long...probably pretty boring too...but such is me!