On vacation Bitches!

Right now I am sitting outside on my aunt and uncles porch in the beautiful sunny 70 degree weather over looking the canal! I got 10hrs of sleep and I feel awesome!!!! YAY VACATION!!!!!!!!!!!! My family will be arriving early tomorrow so I am just enjoying the peace and quiet before the usual x-mas chaos begins hehehehehehehehe Yesterday I rode on the back of my uncle's harley and rocked out to AC/DC...oh the florida life:) It was a ton of fun and yes I wore a helmet dispite the florida no helmet law.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS EVERYBODY!!!!!!

(I would be taking a pic but my digital camera is broken, so here's one from last year)

There was an old woman who lived in a shoe....

When I get a little stressed out or a little overwhelmed I go to Neiman Marcus online and look at Manolo Blahnik shoes....

why do these shoes make me soooo happy?!!!! the mary jane classics are the best!

Horray!!!! the semester is finally over!!!!!!

yay!!!! let the celebration begin. Fall semester is finally over and I couldn't be happier about it. The past few months have been the hardest mental, physical, and emotional challenging times I've ever experianced. I am happy to say that I have survived through it...barely! I still have a few marbles left and perhaps I'll go celebrate with a massage this weekend;)

Holiday party

Here is the Caudle lab all dressed up for our department X-mas party...just for reference this is not the Neuroscience party but the other department I am in Oral Surgery! yes the Dentists have all the money:)
From left to right: Federico (lab manager), me (super sexy scientist shelby), Yesy (the other grad student), Ingrid (our undergrad helper), Dr. Caudle (the man that signs the check), and QiQi (post doc from collaborating lab)

Ohio State=Gator Bait!!!!!

Rain, rain go away!

It has been raining here in g'ville for 5 days now! Where did my sun go?!!!! if I wanted it to look gray all the time I would move some place cold and where there's no rain but snow! Anyways, I decided to make a list of my top 5 bands I like to listen to on a rainy day! (I should watch High Fidelity again)

1. Radiohead
2. Johnny Cash
3. Deftones
4. Shawn Mullins
5. Blind Melon

on a side note: the new Deftones album "Saturday night wrist" is Rockin'!!!!

Thanksgiving Dinner

I just wanted to post a pic of all the people and all the food from Thanksgiving!

Happy Turkey Day!

mmmm Turkey!!!!! so yes I have turned into Susie Homemaker for the thanksgiving holiday. I am cooking dinner for 6 people today and I'm so excited about it. Last night I baked my Pumpkin pie ahead of time and today I'm making a maple whipped cream to go with it! Other things on the menu: green bean casserole, cheesy mashed potatos, sweet potatoes, cranberry compote, homemade biscuits, and of course THE TURKEY!!!!!! the turkey will be maple glazzed and stuffed w/ apple chestnut stuffing:) Nothing too tragic has happend so far except the fact that I broke my toe! no not in soccer or climbing...I was running to take my pie crust out of the oven and ran my foot straight into the metal part of my kitchen chairs and then proceeded to hoble in pain and knock it into the wall....There was no shortness in four letters words that is for sure!!!! Anyways, today is going to be awesome so HAPPY TURKEY DAY to everyone!!!!!

more wedding pics:)

Things to be excited about!

Lately I've been a little of a "negative nancy" (as Kelli would call it) so today I decided I was going to think of the good things and things to get excited about!

1. I tried on a pair of my old jeans, AND THEY FIT!
2. I started riding my bike to and from places that were too far to walk but a little too short to drive too
3. Thanksgiving is going to ROCK! I can't wait to cook all that food:)
4. I MADE energy bars yesterday from a recipe in my yoga magazine:) no more buying those cliff bars in the store!
5. I got my first blue route in climbing this past week and I'm almost done with another one:) (this means I can start climbing harder routes; which means I'm getting better)
6. I moved up a level in my yoga practice; I am now yogi shelby;)
7. I am slowly becoming a better cook and yes I'm now obsessed about the Food Network
8. I voted this week (in yet another red state) however, I felt as if it mattered this time b/c us blue people took over both the house and the senate; all we can hope for now is change for the good!
9. I got to swim with manatees which was one of the most awesome experiences I've ever had!
10. my new mantra: strength

Manatees!

Kelli, Zoe, Andy, and Lynn came to visit this weekend and we all went swimming with the manatees at Homosassa springs....this was one of the most amazing things I have ever done! It was so awesome to be in the water with these animals. The manatees were like big puppy dogs. They loved to have their backs scratched and then occasionaly they will turn over on their backs so you can rub their belly! As long as you kept petting them they would stay right by you. We even got to see a calf manatee and the mom. It was awesome to observe their behavior in the wild. After 2hrs of playing in the water we headed back with hot chocolate in hand:)

Beth's wedding

Here are some pics I stole from jennifer:) Thanks Jennifer!!!!! A few from the wedding and mostly the afterparty...and yes the wedding party went to club Eleven50 in our dresses/tuxes....except for Beth who had insider info and brought extra clothes:) I will add more of the pre-wedding extravaganza later tonight

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I did it!

At 10:15am I cut 14.5 inches of hair off my head!!!!!!!!!!!!! 10.5 inches was put in a plastic bag and sent to locks of love:) I'm soooo excited about my new haircut! It hasn't been this short in over 10yrs:) I will post pics soon:) oh and it has red, copper, and blond highlights too:)

Back in the saddle again....

I am now back in G'ville! I got back yesterday after the longest 5hr drive of my life:) Neuroscience went well, the wedding was awesome, and now I am tired! I think I might be getting sick:( I will post pics of last weeks craziness soon!

Rock Climbing

here is a video showing some awesome bouldering...I have been working more on bouldering then top ropping and this video is just amazing!

1 down a thousand to go!

My pain day poster is officially finished and printing as we speak!!!!!! I am sooooooooo excited...now all I have to do is write my paper, attend neuroscience, go to beth's wedding, and some how find some peace of mind! Yay I can't wait to be in Atlanta in 3 days!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Paris how I dream of you!

I want to go to Paris!!!!!! I want to shop at Dior, walk around in Manolo Blahnik pumps, drink expensive French wine and picnic with the finest cheese in front of the Eiffel Tower. Oh how I wish I was in Paris!!!!!

{ok back to writing my paper:(}

Locks of Love!

Lately I have been struggling with the decision of cutting off my hair. It is super long now and becoming a pain in the ass to take care of. So I came to the conclusion to cut my hair and donate it to locks of love so someone who actually wants this much hair can have it. I researched how much hair you need to donate and they take a min of 10inches. So last night I measured how much hair I actually had, so from the nap of my neck I have about 10.5-11inches of hair to donate. Now taking into account the rate of growth my hair has been actually growing at, by the time Beth's wedding I should have about 11.5-12inches to donate to locks of love! I'm super excited about doing this!!!!!

Laughter is the best medicine!

http://www.marriedtothesea.com

Gainesville to Atlanta to Gainesville to Pittsburgh and back again

wow what a busy last 2 weeks! but what a f**king blast!!!!!!!!!! I went home for Beth's Bachlorette party and wedding shower:) and it was sooooo good to hang w/ all the girls again w/o those pesky boys around! and the shower went well:) I don't think I have seen Beth smile so much in awhile ( I love you girl!) Then I went back to gainesville for about 1.5 days and then off to Pittsburgh to visit one of Ben's friends....Pittsburgh was full of laughs, site-seeing, and hills...ohhhhhhh the hills! I am now back in gainesville, sort of refreshed, and getting ready for the craziness that will be the ATL for neuroscience! I will post pics tomorrow on all the adventures:)

Atlanta here I come!

Tomorrow after class I am driving (not flying) back to Atlanta for the long weekend!!!!! I am sooooo excited:) I can't wait to see my girls again! Everything with the wedding shower is working out, which is worrying me a bit. I am just hoping the weather holds out so we can have it in Beth and Matt's backyard as planned:) In 24hrs I will be on the road!!!!!!!

"They're urban raccoons, and they're not afraid."

Just damn funny! kind of reminds me of the crazy racoons when we were camping:)

http://keyetv.com/watercooler/watercooler_story_234121113.html

Has this gone too far?

I normally don't post much on the political side of things but today I just couldn't help myself. I read yet another article on CNN talking about a plane being flown back to amsterdamn b/c people were showing suspicious behavior. I read futher to see what they were doing. To my suprise the article said they were trying to talk on cell phones, reach in plastic bags, and some of the passengers had un-buckled their seat belts when the little seat belt light was still on. So the cell phone thing a little strange (however people are crazy about their cell phones these days) but come on! reaching for a bag or unbuckeling your seat belt!!!! I have done this a million times...who hasn't? those seat belts are uncomfortable. So now will we not be able to bring plastic bags on the planes? we already cannot bring bottles w/ liquids on the plane (god forbid I can't have my Diet Coke!) and the other day I heard on a news show that the airports were considering banning women's bra's that have gel padding! WTF!!!!!!! are they going to ban women w/ breast implants b/c they have liquid in them too?! These restrictions are getting a little out of hand! I have never heard of other countries outside the US and now some European countries that had such strange restrictions. Perhaps I'm being naive and one day some suicide bomber will walk onto a plane w/ fake boobs and blow the whole thing up! stranger things have happened.....I say watch out for the two girls on the plane who are wearing snowboarding helmets! (hehehehehe Beth if we were to do that now we'd be in federal prison!)

Where's chaka?

The race to lose 10lbs has started!

This weekend was full of exercise exercise exercise!!!!! I went to the sat morning Hatha yoga class thinking what a great relaxing way to start my weekend. Boy was I in for a huge surprise. The girl who usually teaches the class was out of town so another girl was teaching it. She had bright red hair and tattoos (not your typical yogi in Gainesville) We start off slowly relaxing and then it begins! This girl was super crazy about some yoga! It started at 10:30 and went to noon, at 11:00 I was about ready to throw in the towel. As I'm in downward facing dog all I could think was "what in the hell did I get myself into this morning!" But I stuck with it and proved to myself I could survive the craziest yoga session known to man:) I'm sure it wasn't that bad but I just started yoga a month ago so it was a little advanced for me. But afterwards I felt great! I totally got my ass kicked and I loved it;) Then Sunday came along all to quickly. The soccer team has made it to the semi-finals, my alarm goes off at 8:15am, and I get on my way to my 9am game. I show up sort of chipper and ready to play. Again, I had no clue what I was about to get myself into. Now I'm feeling a little sore from my crazy yoga session the day before and as I'm thinking this one of the guys on the team comes walking up to me and says " I just want to prepare you for today's game, the girls are not going to have any subs" As soon as he says this my heart hits the ground and all I can mutter is Great! Being that its 9am one would think that its not that warm yet perhaps we have a chance. Well, it just so happened to be one of the hottest days of the year yesterday and it was around 90 at 9am. OUTLOOK NOT SO GOOD! Not only did the girls not have any subs the guys did not either. This was going to be a long game. To my suprise (and everyone elses) 15min into the first half I score a goal! and we are up 1-0...70min later and very dehydrated our team one our semi-final game 4-0 and we are going to the finals!!!!!!!!!!! I could barely walk to the car I was so tired but very very happy that our team pulled off an incredible win:) It is now monday morning and I can't walk:) but my first week of the "lose 10lbs before Beth's wedding" was a success. Now another week of crazy yoga and soccer begins! Yay to exercise;)

Neurocentric or science nerd....

So I have noticed a weird trend lately via Myspace and the like. I have been contacted by a few "old" friends from high school and such. We message back and forth in the usual "how are you?" fashion. Then the topic of What are you doing now? starts. It seems everytime I tell people that I am getting my Ph.D in Neuroscience I never receive an e-mail back or if talking on AOL, they all of a sudden have something to do. Now the first couple of times this happend I didn't notice anything but it has happend 3 times in the past 2 weeks. I find this very very odd. Do people feel threatned by others going to get a Ph.D or do they think that I (or others in my position) am on some other level causing them to feel uncomfortable or disinterested? I sure as hell hope not! I feel I am still a very down to earth person. I don't think that I am better then anyone else or smarter then anyone else for that matter. I have just found something that I love doing day in and day out. However, to pursue this I have to get my Ph.D. I really hope this is me just me being silly; but is it?

Is it the weekend yet?!

Update #1: the doctor the other day could not figure out what is wrong w/ my knee so they are sending me to a specialist on wed. Hopefully its just sore or something *wishful thinking*

Update #2: last night I went to Hatha yoga. It was filled w/ many challenging poses but not too much more difficult then the poses we did in my beginners class. I also learned a pose that required me to hold my whole body up w/ just my forearms, elbows, and triceps...yes, I was literally standing on my head. We got to use the wall for balance b/c if you are not used to the pose you can easily injure the neck and I can't afford to go to more dr's:) I was just proud of myself that I could hold myself up like that. This is what is wonderful about yoga. It gives you confidence and also teaches you to trust your body and what it is capable of doing. I need a little work on getting my legs up but my teacher said once I strengthen my core muscles i.e. abs the pose will become easier. I can't wait for yoga on monday:)

Update #3: I am now an ICC master....I can't believe how many ICC's I have run in the last 2 or so years:) but my staining is looking good and slowly I am finding out more info on my mysterious little neurons....

Update #4: I need a vacation!!!!!!!!!!!

Yoga: Day 3

I have finished my first yoga workshop!!!!!!! Last night was very successful. We did some new poses and started sequencing them all together so everything flowed. It was soooo awesome! It even helped w/ clearing my sinuses. I felt so much better when I got out of class I couldn't believe it:) Now I am done w/ the beginner class I can go on to take more traditional classes. I think I am going to take Hatha yoga. They refer to it as soft yoga. Its a good style to go into if you are still learning b/c the movements are slow and soft:) I am really glad that I found yoga:)

In other news, I have saved up enough money to buy some new climbing shoes! I don't have to wear those stinky rental shoes anymore! I'm soooo excited:) Also, today I have an appointment w/ the Dr. to see about my recurring knee problem. Hopefully the injury isn't that bad *fingers crossed* I will update about this later:)

air conditioning + 60% humidity= sick

you might ask, "how can one get sick in Florida during the summer?" I would reply, "b/c there is a lethal combination of dry air conditioning inside + tropical conditions outside" so I am sitting in my apartment w/ a stuffy nose and a sinus headache to boot. I have been like this for 3 days now and I am ready to be able to smell and taste again:) The kicker of it all is that it is sooooooo hot outside that its hard for a healthy person to breathe therefore, I can't even go outside b/c I can't breathe! this is going to make playing soccer tomorrow very difficult:)

Yoga: Day 2

I have to say I am really starting to enjoy yoga! I feel like I just got a great workout but I wasn't in pain, I'm not exausted, and I feel wonderful!!!!! In fact, my whole body feels wonderful...head-to-toe:) Today we did some new poses...standing and sitting...we worked more on strength poses and the all time favorite Warrior pose;) We also did a twisting pose that helps to detox the body b/c when you twist it is thought to twist out the toxins from your liver. Only one more class to go and I get to attend more classes:) I'm super excited!!!!!!!!

Yoga: Day 1

Yesterday was my first yoga class:) I am taking a series of 3 classes for beginners. We started off with just the basic philosophy behind yoga and got introduced to some new terms. We then moved into some pretty basic positions but oh man were they hard! I could tell how off balance my body really is, perhaps from 20yrs of playing soccer. My back especially needed some work but by the end of the class I felt I was sitting a little bit taller and even walking a little bit taller. I felt so invigorated when I left last night! It was such a wonderful experiance. We didn't do much but it was a nice little preview of what I'll be getting myself into. I think I am going to love it!!!!!

Feeling old and not even 25....

Lately I have been feeling a little old. Not mentally of course! but physically. Perhaps it was my step back into soccer that has flung my body into this feeling. The other day after my soccer game my 'bad' knee was bothering me way more then normal. For the next week it continued to be very 'arthritic' like. It would lock up on me, crack (which isn't that abnormal for me), and cause me tremendous pain. So what did I do to solve this problem? Go to the Dr.? NO I instead proceeded to go to soccer practice and hit the Ibuprofen bottle profusely. So now after thinking about this I've decided that perhaps I should choose a less stressful sport to continue into my "older" age:) I love soccer but it’s very rough on the body. So far in the past 2 seasons I have suffered a pulled hamstring, bum knee, and 2 mild concussions. So I have taken up climbing more regularly now and I start yoga on Monday! I'm soooo excited:) I've always wanted to try yoga so I figure what a better time. And it’s still very difficult mentally and physically. So I'm ready for the challenge...and maybe it will help me climb better too

Little Talbot Island, FL

here are some pics from the 2nd annual camping trip:) ironically the same weekend as last year;)


the view from the campsite

Sometimes science is hard....

The most exciting phrase to hear in science, the one that heralds new discoveries, is not 'Eureka!' (I found it!) but 'That's funny ...'

Isaac Asimov

Tip #1

today's tip: just breathe!

Seafood anyone?

When I went home to the ATL, Zoe and Kyle were so wonderful and took me to the one tourist trap I wanted to go to...the GA Aquarium. Here are the wonderful pics I took...I am trying to find a way to post video....hopefully I can post that later on but for now enjoy the fish!


Zoe and Kyle in front of some fish

me and my new friend the starfish

Zoe getting "swallowed" by a whale

1 of 3 Beluga whales

A school of rays

A BIG whale shark

Jeckyl Island, GA

Ok I know its been awhile since I've posted as promised...so here are some pics from my trip to Jeckyl Island, GA...a wonderful escape from g'ville and its surroundings...Jeckyl Island was beautiful and wonderfully southern...I'll let the pics explain themselves...

a gator:)

a driveway southern style

Jeckyl Island Club Inn: former visitors = the Vanderbilts, the Goodyears, the Cranes, and many other 'rich' people of the early centery

A "cottage" owned by the Cranes. They call these homes cottages b/c they were smaller then their original homes but for us common folk they are mansions. FYI this is my future home;)

a sunset on the intercoastal

My parents lot for their "retirement" home...otherwise known as shelby's future home #2 or better know as the menapause house:)

Hurricane #1 (cont.)

I just received an e-mail telling me that the University is closed due to Alberto! wow! I was not expecting that....time to go out and get the essential supplies...lots of wine! hahahahahahaha j/k

Hurricane #1

Alberto Hurricane #1 or at least close to it....its a little early in the hurricane season don't you think?!

When life gives you lemons....

yesterday at 5p I get a knock on my door. When I open it, to my surprise, there's a guy standing there w/ a huge margaritta glass full of beautiful flowers! What a way to start a monday:) With the flowers came a cute little note saying " I've said it before and I'll say it again, when life gives you lemons trade them in for limes and make a margaritta! Love Beth" This has got to be one of the best surprises I have ever received!!!!! thank you beth for totally making not only my week but my month. I am sooo lucky to have such a wonderful friend. I don't know what I would do w/o my beth!!!!!! *tear* I love you Beth!!!!!

on a side note, blogger is retarded and I am having trouble posting up all my pics...once I figure out what's going on I will write more:)

To the ATL and back again....

I am in the ATL right now but I will be returning to g'ville tomorrow. I have many pics to post...I'm such a lazy blogger;) many stories to tell (as always) here's a little taste: lost baggage, gained baggage, urban backpacking, finding nemo, a makeover of such, and more:) I intended for this trip to be a sort of recharge but yet has failed to be that sort of trip. I havn't decided if this is a good thing or a bad thing yet but I think overall it has been a good trip, a much needed trip, and one to put in the story book of my life;) "all we are is just dust in the wind"

somedays...

somedays I feel like the chicken wing....

Queen B

so yes I adopted a new cat! I was missing my old kitties and my friend Susan told me about Gainesville Pet Rescue. Gainesville Pet Rescue was overcrowded on older animals and needed these pets to be adopted. So what a purrrrfect time for me to adopt an older kittie. And that's what I did! Introducing my new cat Chaka. She's 7yrs old and such a sweetheart. She walks around the apartment like she owns the place and I love it. She also matches the decor of the apartment very well:) if ikea sold pets she would be the poster cat:) hahahahahahahaha anyways, she's beautiful and sweet...much like her owner hahahahahahaha j/k
All she needs is a rhinestone collar...and Beth I'm trying to avoid the Pink:)

GOOOOOOOOAAAAALLLLLLL!!!!!!!!!

so this soccer season has come to an end. We lost in the semifinals for B-division...which is not bad considering we were playing in C-division and we hadn't played a game together in 3wks. Anyways, to celebrate the fact that the whole team made it to the game we took the classic "in the goal" photo of the team:)

School's out for summer!!!!!

so I just finished my last exam for the year!!!!!!!!!!!! Yay, no more classes until fall:) I'm sooooooooo excited...it seems as if I can relax a little bit and actually enjoy myself for a little bit:) and yes a test every 2-3weeks for 2 semesters is a little much;)

LET SUMMER BEGIN!!!!!!!!!!