There is no barrier I cannot overcome.

Long ago, I was granted patience beyond my years, but I did not know which way to go.

I patiently waited until one day, I was granted wisdom, but I did not have an impulse to embark on my paths.

I charted my destinations until one day, I was granted drive, but I could not persevere to any goal.

I furiously began journey after journey, not seeing any through to the end until now.  Now I am learning dedication.  As with every prior lesson, I foresee more on the horizon.

For it is true that the journey far outweighs the destination, but a completed journey outweighs one stopped short.

Yes!  So much of my life has sssssssssssssssssssnapped into place.  This year's main ingredient is awesome.  The book is finally getting some juicy detailings added.  The songs keep coming.  The Russian is more and more хорошо, спасибо.  The motorcycle's tuned, my paychecks came in, and karaoke rocked last night.  And thank you, everyone who has taken it upon themselves to make anklets for me.

On an aside, I don't think I could live anywhere where there aren't seasonal gusty wind patterns.  The Santa Ana winds were the best homecoming present I could've asked for. =)

Oh and the 61" came in while I was on vacation!  Come over and watch movies and play video games with meee!

Everything was such a blur.  I felt like I only had a quick glance of my sisters before I was swept away to do something else.  I had to fight to see Diana again; I miss her so badly.

NYE in Philly was crazy.  It was fun wingmanning for my nephew and chilling with every chick from 19 to 29 (though I'm glad the 29-year olds didn't work out, dude... the girls at your house were way cuter).  It was great to see my niece after so many years, even if we ran around busily accomplishing errands most of the time.  Things look bright for her, and that makes me happy.  Means there's less ass I have to kick while I'm over there.

Oh and I got to meet Aaron Lazar.  He and his family are made of awesome.  I've met so many people and learned so much.  This last month has been dizzying, but it's just a culmination of a full year of a rollercoaster ride.  I've been living out of bags and jumping from place to place almost consistently since Dec '08!

I'm still not home, still don't want to go home.  I have so much I still have to do out here on the east coast.  Hope your 2009s are as awesome as mine's gonna be.  I am searing from the inside out with energy and hope.  I can hardly contain it.

Don't wish, don't start, wishing only wounds the heart...

The UTMB is deserted.  Most of the wards are closed.  Only some of them are closed for repairs.  The others will never open again.  What used to be a 500+ bed hospital will be reduced to less than half of that.  There's just not enough money or capability to run the place at its full capacity after Hurricane Ike.  A deserted hospital with half the lights off is pretty creepy.  A deserted, half-lit children's ward is REALLY creepy.

The Lunar test is easy and very short.  This is a feasibility study.  If the results are positive from these 11-day proto-tests they're executing, they'll implement a full 114-day Lunar Study next year possibly.  I'm one of only 2 subjects; there were 10 of us prior to the storm.

I needed a sabbatical from my life in Cali, and that makes the compression stockings, the tests, the separation from my friends worthwhile.  This country's obsession with what's wrong will keep it from happiness.

Good riddance, California.  I feel like I can't stand another second being here.

If only I didn't have to come back for the week between TX and FL.

I'm not very good at controlling things.

I could use advice on the following:

staring
chocolate
sarcasm
bees (who doesn't want a legion of bees??  don't lie)
the heart

Btw, Texas is great; I made it safe; I hate jet-lag.  I wish I could sleep.

I haven't really voiced this to many so in depth, so here it is...

I've never understood homosexuality.  It seems totally unnatural and on a physiological level, non-functioning.  I've questioned my own sexuality, as many do, and the answer I came up with is men are frickin' nasty.  I don't even see how women, who should be wired to like guys, like guys.  On the Kinsey Scale, I'd be a -1.

I grew up in a conservative Christian school/church setting.  My dad says homosexuality is spiritually wrong.  My first friend to come out of the closet used to gross me out with graphic details of his sex life.  I have every propensity built into my background, upbringing, and experience to have voted Yes on 8.

I voted No.

The other 52% who voted Yes have installed a new version of our state constitution that discriminates against equal humans.  They have introduced morality into legality.  This has nothing to do with anyone's views on homosexuality; it has everything to do with equal rights for every American citizen.

Keep your damn WASPiness and ignorance in your churches and homes.  Leave it out of my government.

Mandatory evacuation of the island.

Something of what a regular day goes like for me...

0600 - Wake up to music used to wake astronauts up
0700 - Breakfast (one of a 11-day rotating menu, as per astronauts)
0800 - Personal Hygiene
0900 - Stretching/Isometric Exercise Routine
1000 - Testing (varies greatly)
1200 - Lunch
1300 - Secondary Testing (varies)
1530 - Second Stretching/Isometric Exercise Routine
1600 - Physical Therapy
1700 - Dinner

So far every day after breakfast, I go to the common room to make myself readily available to spend time with anyone who wants to be sociable.  Sometimes I coordinate events or visit fellow test subjects to have a chat.  Yesterday I lost a game of scrabble (even after "verbose" and 3xWord "razor"!), and put on an impromptu concert.

I also decided just now that I enjoy people who hum as they go about their tasks.