Check it out! This is where my daddy-o is working right now! …and Eva too!

So, I actually learned something interesting today. At least, I think it’s interesting… so I thought I’d share. Underwater vision… I haven’t really thought too much about it before. I just figured, sure, it’s blurry because you are underwater and the water is getting in your eyes and because, well, it hurts. That was the extent of it for me. Here’s the real deal: our eyes, obviously, are adapted to seeing in air, which has a refractive index (n) of about 1.0 (refractive index, as in, how much the light bends when it goes from one medium to the next)… so normally, light goes from n=1.0 to n=1.38 as it enters the fluid between the cornea and the lens from the air. Soooo… when you are underwater… the n of water is about 1.33… very close to the liquid in the eye. So close, in fact, that the cornea virtually loses its ability to bend the light… so the image focuses way behind the retina as if you were really farsighted, making it blurry! But, here’s the kicker: if you are really nearsighted and you swim underwater, you could potentially see clearly because your nearsightedness will compensate for the lack of refraction on the cornea.

So, here’s a thought… in the whole scheme of things, you never know… maybe nearsighted people are going to win out in the evolutionary battle we call life and one day people will live underwater and see clearly. Maybe it will be one of nature’s solutions for the whole global warming thing…

Mobley Street… officially my new favorite street in San Diego. Don’t ask me why… maybe it’s the simplicity of the small street with interesting little houses, maybe it’s the friendly people and the smell of fresh cut grass, or maybe it was just the sunny day today that spurred this idea in my head… but I have decided that, at least for now, Mobley is my favorite. I have been meaning to venture my way down this street for a while, but finally got around to it today on my run.

ALSO, just to note: this week is National Sleep Awareness Week, so go and get some zzzzz’s. That’s what I plan to do right now, actually. Didn’t get enough homework done this weekend, but at least I got some sleep! Normally, during the week, I get about half of what they say I need…and as the notice says, “Insufficient sleep has been linked to impaired school and work performance and to the development of chronic diseases and conditions, such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, obesity, and depression”… so I am pretty much on my way to failing in school, chronic disease or death if I don’t change my ways! Well, I guess it’s not that drastic yet, but I am tired all the time and cannot really make it through class most days, so that is definitely not a good sign.

Goodnight! xoxo, ky

He stands up there… talking away, flipping through slides one after another with various pictures and equations. All the while, I am sitting there… thinking, “hmmm… well, I hear sounds coming out of his mouth… he is pointing to something on the screen with his laser pointer… Rydberg constant… what was that? 1 over lambda equals who now?… hmm… what time is it now? oh, look, only about 3 minutes have passed since the last time I looked at the clock… ooo the Balmer series… pretty colors of visible light wavelenghts being measured… but do I really care about how energy levels are quantized in terms of angular momentum? not so much… hmm… hey look… 30 seconds have passed! ok, now what am I going to eat for lunch? am I going to go to statistics today?… what, there are more sounds coming out of his mouth… is he actually trying to kill me? maybe.”

That was me in class just now. I wish I could care about this stuff. I just don’t. I go from a fascinating lecture from Dr. John West in the morning about their physiological studies on a trip up to the summit of Everest… and then I have to sit through that!? And it’s friday! I just want to go home! This is why you have to find the things that interest you. Otherwise, your brain will slowly but surely deteriorate from boredom.

By the way, happy leap year day! (however it is you say that)

She baffles me. I absolutely do not understand how things work in that little brain of hers. There is a whole open room… a whole apartment full of things to get into or explore and yet she sits facing the wall; only a few inches away from it, she just sits there and stares. I don’t get it. Oh, now she is staring at the dishwasher. It’s not even on! hmm… I guess some things in life will forever be a mystery to me.

It’s very exciting. Pretty much every weekend from now on I can say that I will be running more than I ever have before in my life… and it will be true! Yesterday was 9 miles and it was actually a very nice run. And it’s only up from there.

Also… graduation is a reality now. I have officially applied for my diploma.

Please, if you know me and ever talk to me or ever plan on talking to me… Please, I beg of you… do NOT ask me that question. I DON’T KNOW where I will be next year! I’m not even quite sure what I will be doing tomorrow! So let it be. I can’t decide what would be best… to start making up crazy stories about my plans of adventure… or to possibly ignore the question completely. Yes, maybe I will just not respond; pretend I have lost my ability to hear sounds! What? Next year? What? You have a giant ear? Seriously… don’t expect sane responses anymore because I don’t have any left. Perhaps I will decide to move to Alaska… I’ve heard the beaches are nice there. I also heard there may be an uninhabited island off the coast of Indonesia… maybe I will go try to find it and live there! Maybe I will stay here and live in a box on the corner of Park and A. There are just so many options… how will I ever choose!?

No, seriously… I am going to Pharmacy School… either in Virginia or somewhere else. It is a very long process and I may not know until a few weeks before I move. That is all I know. That is all you know. So let it be.

…and Happy Valentine’s Day!

haha… it has been a very random day. After going to class on not much sleep, I crawled my way back home and back into my bed. The physical therapy people woke me up with a call to tell me I don’t have insurance, even though I do. And then, I read a little anatomy, got bored of that, and took a few silly little online quizzes. Here are my results:

Kyla, your true color is Green!

You’re green, the color of growth and vigor. Good-hearted and giving, you have a knack for finding and bringing out the best in people. Green is the most down-to-earth color in the spectrum — reliable and trustworthy. People know they can count on you to be around in times of need, since your concern for people is genuine and sincere. You take pride in being a good friend. For you, success is measured in terms of personal achievement and growth, not by status or position. Rare as emeralds, greens are wonderful, natural people. It truly is your color!

Discover Your Past Life

Don’t go bananas — in your former life you were a tiny monkey named Oompa. Here’s what we know about you: Adorably sweet demeanor and sharp as a tack, you found success working with a street performer named Juan, who worshipped you and treated you like his own child. He bought you a gold satin jumpsuit with royal blue ruffles, a matching top hat, and a sequined bag for donations. He would play your favorite disco tunes on his accordion, prompting you to dance around and flirt with the crowd while you collected spare change and picked pockets. Everybody loved you. And you loved everybody. You and Juan took your gig around the country and raked in the riches. You were one happy little monkey.

Make with that what you will… I am off to training. Today is 8x400s with calisthenics and 100 strides between intervals. sweet.

Ok… so this may sound nerdy, but I don’t care. I have accepted the fact that that is the path I have chosen. And I shall embrace it! So, anyway, the schedule of classes for spring quarter came out yesterday, and I have to say… this is really one of my favorite times in the quarter. It’s just so exciting. It’s almost like christmas (minus the tree… but of course I could always borrow Bethany’s since they still have their’s up!) . Kendra always used to make fun of me because she said people aren’t actually supposed to read the UCSD General Catalog… but mine has always been well used and well loved! But yes, previously when the schedule came out, I always had another few weeks to work everything out and figure out the perfect schedule. BUT, now that I have been here for five years and have accumulated just about a million units, I register next week already! It is a little sad though; realizing that it’s going to be the very last time that I get to do this. Now, ‘get to’ is a subjective term, considering it usually causes more anxiety than excitement since nothing ever seems to fit correctly; but it always works out in the end, so I can’t worry too much!

This being the last time I will ever schedule classes at UCSD, of course I have to make sure everything fits perfectly so that I can get the classes that I need and still graduate! And I have to think about the fact that I will not be able to take just anything I want anymore. I’m graduating! There will be no more UCSD for me! I can’t believe it is almost here.

ps. I wish there was a cure for senioritis… it’s a real killer right now

xoxo, ky

Yesterday I pulled something in my calf when I was running at school. That, along with the tendonitis in my knee, is making me take a break from running today. But, since the people from Elite Racing were at practice tonight to get our payments for the marathon, I stopped by anyway. Sure enough, Coach Paul was down there on the track telling everyone how wonderful they are as they ran. Some people think he is too much. Personally, I think he’s great. :) We are training for a marathon; we might as well have some support and encouragement, even if it is a little corny. So, yes… that is the motto of the San Diego Track Club: ‘you make a difference in my life’. Well, that, along with ‘your marathon dream is not the destination, but the jouney’. Last week, we all got in a circle and said to the people next to us how much we appreciate them and how we will always be there for them. ha. It’s such a family. Well, of course right after that my friend Nelson said to the guy next to him, ”I will always be there for you… until we leave in five minutes”.

I absolutely love the program so far, and just hope that my knee will pull through. Physical therapy starts next week, so hopefully that helps. Anyway, though… what I wanted to do was a little shout-out to Colleen. Meet Colleen: my roommate. She’s pretty cool. Now, Colleen has decided to run in the Rock ‘n Roll marathon as well. But, since she has the ability to put in more time to the effort, she decided to go the Team in Training route. This is also a wonderful orgaization… similar to RnRMTP that I’m in, but in a more humanitarian sense (I am apparently just running because I am insane… these people are running for a cause). In this program, each person must raise $1750 for the marathon, which will subsequently be donated to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society to raise funds which will help find cures for deadly blood cancers.

Now, whether it be in support of either Colleen or myself in our attempts to run 26.2 miles in June, or whether it be in support of research and saving lives, I urge you to check out her donation page and give whatever you can to this wonderful cause! Think of it per mile that we will be trying to run, or perhaps per person that will be surviving when research finds more cures!

SUPPORT SUPPORT SUPPORT!