A Letter to Eduardo

Dear Eduardo,

Thanks for doing such a swell job of keeping my blog neat and tidy. You always know just where to put all the posts, the right tags to insert and are always there to remind me that I use far too many commas. Sadly I like commas too much for this to ever really be remedied, but its great that you try. You're the best stuffed pig ever, and you look great in that mask, but I'm sure you get that all the time.

Anyways, I wanted to update you on the goings-on in my life, since we haven't stayed in touch so well as of late. I'm sure you've been busy doing fit-test demonstrations for N-95's, but hopefully with flu season dying down you've had some time to relax. I've been busy with schoolwork, as usual, but it so often takes a backseat to my more pressing interests that I guess its hard to say I'm actually busy with it. Hmmmm.

Of semi-importance is that I've decided to stay here in Berkeley for the summer, rather than going to Zanzibar. Not an easy choice to make, but I think it is the best decision at the moment, and will allow me to stay with my job at CIDER and work full time there during the summer. You should come visit sometime.

Bethany will be here on Thursday to visit for a few days, which is sweet, seeing that our sibling powers grow exponentially when we're not separated by a bunch of worthless states that have no coastline. A week later I will be going to Tahoe to fall down a mountain over and over (I've only snowboarded twice, and the last time was 9th grade) and hopefully escape with only stress fractures and minor lacerations. In April I'm going to the Coachella music festival, and myself, Gail, Megha, and Mary have received a small grant award to purchase a bulk-order of condoms and pass them out for free at the festival to promote safe-sex and STD education. Even when doing something as seemingly cool as going to a 3-day music festival in the desert, I've found a way to nerd-it-up.

Speaking of nerds, as we were leaving Safeway in North Berkeley yesterday (we being myself, Megha, Rachel, Colleen, and Karen) in Megha's tiny Mini-Cooper, as we pulled out of our spot and rounded the corner to exit the lot, some random dude just looked at us and shouted 'Nerds!'. That guy had no idea how right he was. Its not every day you have a car full of infectious disease grad students to insult. Bravo sir.

Lastly, I'm still very much planning on getting a dog. Its going to have to wait until I get a new place to live in July, but its happening, and here's why:

Chloe is an 8-week old German Shepard ball-of-fluff who belongs to my friend Emily. How can that not make you want your own dog? My only requirement for a dog is that it be intelligent enough to chase down and return discs for me. I've been looking for a new best friend to play catch with and a dog seems as though it would do the trick. So stay tuned for that.

I'm also still adamant about getting a vehicle. I'm trying to justify getting a truck because it would not be a commuting vehicle, but would instead be reserved for trips and whatnot to god-knows-where. Also I could chop wood and leave it in the bed, and would feel like more of a man. Also I just really want to take advantage of that cheap insurance that comes with turning 25.

Anyways, sorry to get off-track Eduardo. I hope everything is well back home. I'll see you over my spring break.

Yours Through Hell or High Water,

Dr. W

Quarter Life Crisis, Blogging Too Much, and Finding a Hobby (Perhaps Blogging?)

When I was in high school my associates and I kept a notebook that detailed much of our plans directed at world-domination. We kept this notebook hidden in the attic of a church. I wonder where it is now, and if anyone is profiting off our brilliant ideas. It was green. If you have a green notebook with plans of this nature in it, please mail to the following address:

[Address redacted... what was I thinking?]

Thanks for the fruit basket, whoever you are.

My 25th birthday draws closer, and I'm excited about finally having lower car insurance rates, especially now that for the first time in my life I don't own a vehicle. Sure I don't need one to get around the Bay Area, but I have realized that its awfully difficult to escape beyond the confines of the BART system without your own motorized vehicle. Thus Steve's recommendation that I join him in becoming an owner and steward of old-school Land Rovers hasn't fallen on entirely deaf ears. In fact, his suggestion is playing very well into my current quarter-life crisis that has me simultaneously wanting a dog, a Land Rover, and total freedom from future career concerns. I figure all three are likely mutually-reinforcing, as I can certainly see myself not worrying about having a job once I graduate as long as I have a truck to sleep in and a dog that can keep me company (and warm).

Also, I completed and uploaded my fellowship application for funding my summer internship working with the UCSF malaria lab on a new malaria eradication project in Zanzibar. Should the fine folks at the Center for Global Public Health see it fit that I receive several thousand dollars to chase mosquitoes on the beach for three months, I will be just a bit surprised. It's actually quite an incredible project that is being funded by the Gates foundation, the first of its kind. I find that I continually fall ass-backward into advantageous situations that neither my work-ethic (or total lack thereof) nor my karmic balance would seem to warrant.

Lastly, it has been suggested that I need a new hobby (fixing old Land Rovers being a recent suggestion). At present time I tend to half-ass what you might call my hobbies, and so I now wonder, if I half-ass them, are they hobbies? Something for all of you with time on your hands (or feet) to ponder. I would venture that my current hobbies would be (1) coaching ultimate, (1.5) drinking, (2) trying to find time to cook, and occasionally doing so, (3) scraping by in school, and (4) keeping Eduardo company by writing entirely too often in this blog.

I've brainstormed some new hobbies, listed below in no particular order, I will be choosing 1-2 new hobbies soon based on their feasibility. Roughly one month after this selection, I expect that I will have to revisit this list and choose again... and again.

• Purchasing, fixing, and maintaining an old Land Rover [with the help of Land Rover Steve]
• Paying attention and working diligently in all of my classes
• Riding my bike for purposes other than commuting to school, the bar, and people's houses
• Hot-Air Balloon pilot lessons
  
• Actually investing time (not simply thought) in grocery-shopping and cooking
• Training for club ultimate tryouts in April, which will be meaningless if I go abroad for the summer... except that getting into good shape probably isn't meaningless in and of itself
• Engaging in a hyper-active letter writing campaign to Richard Branson in order to find work as a steward aboard a Virgin Galactic space ship
• I saw an ad for renting a sailboat to live on at the Berkeley marina. Mayhaps I could be a pirate? I'll have to figure out how to sail.
  

It is extremely likely that I will continue my pattern of dabbling in everything and obtaining expertise in nothing. At least I'll be able to carry on good conversation at cocktail parties.