30 Day Blog Challenge-- Day 30

Day 30 – A photograph of yourself today + three good things that have happened in the past 30 days

-- I got an A on my oncology paper
-- My relationship with my mom has improved.
-- I blogged for 30 days straight!

30 Day Blog Challenge-- Day 29

Day 30 – Hopes, dreams and plans for the next 365 days


{Source}

Hopes:
-- Get a job that I like that can turn into a career.
-- Become a better Christian.
-- Transition from relaxed to natural hair.

Dreams:
-- ?? I don't have any ??

Plans:
-- Work on my thesis for my Masters program.
-- Only take classes that I, myself, am interested in and not what my adviser suggests.
-- Lose like, 7.3 lbs.


That's all I have. Maybe I'll add more if/when I think about it.

30 Day Blog Challenge-- Day 28

Day 28 – In this past month, what have you learned.

• When Malinda says she's going to do something, she might just do it.
• It takes some time to make friends in a new environment.
• Being a broke grad student is not fun.
• I can go two whole months without doing laundry and still have a surplus of clean clothes and undies.
  
• Finding a job of any kind (ok, maybe not ANY kind; mainly babysitting and laboratory assistant positions) in Connecticut is ridiculously difficult.
• Many people are so misinformed about basic public health things, like vaccines. They hear of some mishap that has happened to ONE person who received the vaccine and decide from that instance that they don't want it.
• I learned how to take even better care of my hair and that i'm able to go at least a month without blow-drying or flat ironing.
• I appreciate the night sky here. It's so clear.
• Much of the lyrics to From the Inside Out by Hillsong
• My exotropia may have been as a result of of the measles (that I had at age 6) virus getting into my ocular muscles.
  
• You can lose your husband to death after 37 years of marriage, but life doesn't end there.
• Jesus forgives us of our sins to bring both physical AND spiritual healing.

• I hate these questions because I can never think far back enough to formulate a good list.
  

30 Day Blog Challenge-- Day 27

Day 27 – A picture of you last year and now and how have you changed since then?

Central Park in 2009 with my beau

-- Compared to last year, I guess I'm a little less worrisome about school. I was so worried about life and school post-undergrad. All of my friends were applying to competitive PhD graduate programs that I knew I didn't have the grades or laboratory experience for. I worried that I wouldn't get into graduate school or even a post-baccalaureate program, but here I am in grad school, facing newer worries. :-)

-- I look at little sadder and more stressed in the face, even though I am not stressed at all.

-- That's all I can think about right now.

I AM Going to Check My Boobs

**1 in 8 women are diagnosed with breast cancer in her lifetime.**

There are only 5 days left in October, Breast Cancer Awareness Month. But there are still hundreds, even thousands of women being diagnosed with breast cancer and dying from the disease. Infliction does not end. Dying does not end.... not now, at least.

I guess i don't really have much to say in this blog, except... Check yourself . Continue performing breast self- exams and in case you miss anything, continue visiting your doctor regularly because they will check also.

There is no cure for breast cancer, but there is hope for one. ツ

30 Day Blog Challenge-- Day 26

Day 26 – A photo of somewhere you’ve been to.

London, England

{Source }

30 Day Blog Challenge-- Day 25

Day 25 – What’s in your purse?

• 1. Black Hobo International™ Purse
• 2. Purell hand sanitizer
• 3. Sunflower Cosmetics Body Splash—Baby Powder scented
• 4. Suave hand lotion
• 5. Pen
• 6. Notebook
• 7. Nips Chocolate Parfait
• 8. Kleenex Tissues
• 9. Hair pin
• 10. Tide to go mini
• 11. Purse #2
• 12. Car Keys
• 13. Mascara
• 14. iTouch

30 Day Blog Challenge-- Day 24

Day 24 – A photo of something that means a lot to you.

This ring was my 16th birthday present from my mom.


And this, my 17th birthday present.

30 Day Blog Challenge-- Day 23

Day 23 – 15 facts about you.

1. I'm a first year graduate student.
2. I'm a germaphobe... don't really know how I plan on working in a laboratory with this issue.
3. I love mushy love songs by people like Faith Hill, Celine Dion, and those random teen pop songs that make you feel like you're 15 yrs old again..
   
4. I never really get anywhere on time.
5. I love shopping.
6. I am obsessed with natural beauties like Mop Top Maven.
7. I love sweet things.
8. I think I've done one of these before.
9. I'm not much of a talker, so when I do talk a lot for whatever reason, I either get a headache or force myself to stop talking because it feels weird (seriously, it does).
   
10. I have about 370 videos in my "favorites" playlist on youtube.
11. My great grandmom was Caucasian and my great grandpop was Maroon.
12. I love photography. I can't wait to get a fancy camera, then I'll be snapping away.
    
13. I wouldn't say that I have a favorite color. Currently, I love the colors green, burnt orange, yellow and bright and deep shades of blue... Mostly because they all complement my skin tone. :-)
    
14. I found proof for the silent "z" after the "n" in my name and bookmarked it, but my old laptop has been reimaged twice since then.
    
15. It took me way too long to formulate this list.

Celebrity Crushin'

Tracee Ellis Ross

-- She's gorgeous!

I love her style....

I also love the versatility of styles she has with her curly hair.

-- Tracee Ross also has a really nice body and seems to be pretty confident about it. All of her clothing are very figure flattering and fit her well. I claim her as my style icon since Girlfriends first aired. I would say that we have the same shape, but she looks a little fuller in the hips and maybe even a little taller. Still, I admire her style and her figure.

30 Day Blog Challenge-- Day 22

Day 22 – A letter to someone who has hurt you recently.

-- Wow, this is kind of personal. I don't think this is something I want to share with the world.... Sorry. :-\

30 Day Blog Challenge-- Day 21

Day 21 – A photo of something that makes you happy.

Walking along the Schuylkill River with my beau always makes me happy.

30 Day Blog Challenge-- Day 20

Day 20 – The meaning behind your blog name.

-- See heading.... Sorry guys, I'm too lazy to write today. (But I did take the time to edit the heading and post an image of it below). :-)

Rules & Regulations

-- I love entering those freebie contests that certain magazines feature. Maybe one day I'll actually win something.
-- I ALSO love reading the rules and regulations. Not only to see how often I can submit an entry, but also to read the hilarious rules and regulations NYLON magazine has for their contests.
-- Take this one for example:
Prize: a pair of Seven for all mankind jeans
R&Rs: "No purchase necessary. You cannot sue us if you enter, for any reason. Winner will be chosen at random, and contacted about getting her correct size. If we find out you are eBaying these jeans, we will take them back. If we find out you are being mean to people while wearing these jeans, we will take them back. Jeans are happy things. Please try to help other people be happy while wearing them."

-- Another example:
Prize: Skullcandy headphones
R&Rs: "Fill out everything, boo."

30 Day Blog Challenge-- Day 19

Day 19 – Another picture of yourself.

Hiking in Sleeping Giant State Park. I made it half-way up.

ツ

30 Day Blog Challenge-- Day 18

Day 18 – Something you crave a lot.

-- Sweets
-- Ice Cream
-- Cookies
-- Cake

.... it's terrible! Why am I not a huge blob yet?

30 Day Blog Challenge-- Day 17

Day 17 – A photo of you and your family.

-- She's my family... Well, her and my 2 sisters. I don't think we have any pics of all 4 of us though. I wish I did.

30 Day Blog Challenge-- Day 16

Day 16 –An art piece (painting, drawing, sculpture, etc)

I love a lot of Latin American art work... Can't choose just one but I'll try...

Woman at the Window by Salvador Dali

Video of the Day

"So Far Away" by Carol King

30 Day Blog Challenge-- Day 15

Day 15 – Something you don’t leave the house without.

-- My purse

I really like this one: JPK Paris Pleated Satchel at Nordstrom.com.

30 Day Blog Challenge-- Day 14

Day 14 – Something you could never get tired of doing.

- 2 things...

30 Day Blog Challenge-- Day 13

Day 13 -- Your day, in great detail

• Went to bed around 3:45am
• Woke up at like 10:30am
• Prayed
• Checked emails/social network sites
• Started writing a summary to an article about bacterial commensals
• Ate breakfast while watching an episode of Lizzie McGuire (I am not ashamed)
  
• Tried to continue writing summary, but can't concentrate
• Studied for exam
• Ate dinner while studying for exam
• Showered/ washed my hair
• Drove to class... zero traffic
• Got to class at exactly 6:30pm. EVERYONE was already there and the exam already started.
• Sat the exam. Hated it.
• Came home, ate cookies to make me feel better.
• Tried finding an article for oncology class.
• Nightly Bible reading with my beau.
• Still trying to find an article for class.
  

... my day hasn't been too eventful.

30 Day Blog Challenge-- Day 12

Day 12 – A photograph of the town you live in.

Currently, I live in Hamden, CT. (Photo taken: September 14, 2010)



My hometown is Philadelphia, PA. (Photo taken November 24, 2009)

Found!

-So, while studying for my Immunology of Infectious Diseases exam, I stumbled upon the fine print of one of the professors slides concerning measles. I usually don't read the fine print because it ends up being a BUNCH of words nestled under an image, and it's just too much to handle while studying. Anyhoo, this is what the fine print says (I've highlighted, in red, the part that stood out the most):

Photo Credit: Prof. Lisa Cuchara; Immunology of Infectious Diseases Lecture #1 September 1, 2010

-- Granted, I'm not African, and I'm definitely not blind. But, I couldn't help but wonder if my exotropia occurred as a result of being infected with measles while I was 6 years old and still living in Jamaica. So, as the lovely googler that I am, I googled the terms "measles + strabismus" and was amazed by the results. The two actually coexisted in multiple articles! The information given in the articles that I skimmed thus far all give the same, general information, but it seems as if the consensus is that strabismus may be caused by "infections such as meningitis or measles" along with other reasons, of course.

-- This is of great importance to me because I have strabismus, a disorder of vision due to a deviation from normal orientation of one or both eyes so that both cannot be directed at the same object at the same time (dictionary.com). More specifically, I have exotropia, the outward deviation of the eye muscle and can be read about here. This condition was not diagnosed in me until I was 7 years old and had emigrated to the US. My mother got my sisters and I physical examinations, and they noticed my exotropia and double vision, also known as diplopia, right away. As I've said many times, I don't remember much of my childhood, but I do remember the exact day that I broke out with measles and I also remember being able to see one, intact image, and not two, like I see now. I also have baby pictures which prove that I did not have any form of strabismus while I was living in Jamaica, and under the age of 6 years old (before having measles).

-- My main goal is to do more research on measles and strabismus, using primary articles... When this crazy, busy week is over. The findings will help me personally b/c I've always envied people with "normal" eyes and I've never had a valid explanation as to why or even how I developed exotropia.