Some of my Pickies from the AIDS Walk

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annmerry's LA AIDS Walk 2007 photoset

I'm raising money for the 2007 LA AIDS Walk

This year I decided to participate in something that I've been wanting to do for a long time: walk in the 2007 Los Angeles AIDS Walk. ( I have also wanted to do one of the AIDS Bike Rides too, but that involves a lot more planning and prep... I'll do it someday...)

My awesome cousin, Jeff Shelby, was one of my inspirations for this walk. He participates every year up in San Francisco, and he diligently raises A LOT MORE money than I ever will. (I think he has a lot more friends than me!) Some other people who have inspired me are Kevin Walsh (whom I sponsored in the AIDS Bike ride EONS ago) and another friend of a friend named Glen Rutter (whom I also sponsored once for the AIDS Bike ride).


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Given the fact that I am a lowly PhD student, I am obviously not a wealthy person - and neither are many of my friends. So when I decided to do the walk, I didn't feel very hopeful about raising a lot of money. So, I decided to make up for the lack of monetary donations by starting a team through the UCLA History Grad Student Association (HGSA) - hoping that that might raise more awareness and support for the whole event.

The idea was very fortunate - because through the team, we've thus far managed to recruit 9 walkers AND we've topped the goal of $1000 to raise as a group. Here (above) is a thermometer showing how much our team has raised so far...


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I am super happy about this. This second thermometer (above, again) shows how much I have been able to raise individually through some awesome family and friends. (Thank you Mom, Dad, Bro Eric, Jeff, Greg, Aunt Carol, Uncle Marv, Aunt Marlene and Uncle Manuel, Aunt Teri and Uncle John, and Aunt Janet ... Also thanks to my friends Mia, Nick, Darin, Peggy, Angel and Matt, Helena, and Vinh... ooooooh! I know I must be leaving someone really important out - I'm so sorry) This amount was added to the amount shown above in the group thermometer. (Or to put it another way, the amount shown in the group thermometer includes what I have raised in addition to what the other members -whom I recruited! - on the HGSA team have raised.)

google calendar - click on DECEMBER !!

This is Scott's and My Christmas schedule. To see the schedule, you have to click on the arrow below to move the calendar to the month of December.

Reporting on a new all time high

Dec 5, 2007
Level: 33
Lines: 238
Score: 248,922

Dec 4, 2007
Level: 30
Lines: 203
Score: 197,850

My New Record Tetris Scores are in:
October 10, 2007
Level: 22
Lines: 121
Score: 137,843

Seven - or Eight? - reasons to be depressed tonight

I know I am not invincible. And I know slowly I am getting older by the mili-second. But tonight, something happened that made me contemplate my mortality more than usual.... and I am just dog gum sad about it... Just now, five minutes ago, I just plucked seven - or eight (I lost count, actually, after I hit six) silver hairs from my temple without even making an effort. They just stood out, bright as day, glittering for all to see, as I massaged my temples a little.

Now i have friends my age that have discernible greys, and it doesn't seem abnormal. I don't even blink - or even feel sorry for them. But that was them, not me, until now... I 've heard of people going grey in one year's time span, and i am seriously starting to think that could happen to me. Just this year - maybe in the past five months, I have begun to notice greys sprouting out from my eyebrows too!! (oh the horror)... I am hoping that this confession-like soliloquy about my greying temples will some how scoop me out of this deep depression that I feel I have sunk into... that my own mortality is totally and utterly out of my control. Woe is the aging woman... How sad How sad I am (sniff sniff sniffffffff).

Oh, and one last reason to be totally sad... I t hink i am addicted to Tetris. How abominable is that? ... A greying Tetris-adoring addict.