In other news, I was at a wedding this past weekend of a dear friend who, now as a married woman, is moving permanently to Beijing this week. It’s always bittersweet to say goodbye to someone, but I’m thrilled for the happy couple and I was pleased to witness their big day.

I’ve got some cool things for y’all this week. Here goes:

1. Six fairy tales for the modern woman. Well done! Read all six here, but I’ve quoted my favorite below.

Once upon a time a woman was approached by a drunk guy in a dark alley, but he was very polite, and explained that he had driven to the bar, but because he was responsible, he didn’t want to drive home, but his cell phone was dead, so he asked the lady to call him a cab. She did, and he was grateful, and they said pleasant goodbyes before going their separate ways.

The End.

2. Pirate Theatre. How about a movie theatre that only plays pirated content? Yep, it exists, in a art-homage kind of way. Read more here.

3. Hello, Ladies. Ooooh this HBO show looks good!

4. Silly (yet interesting) research studies. Do cats always land on their feet? Can we really compare apples to oranges? And, did the chicken come before the egg? This compilation of quirky research studies will set you straight.

5. Birth dates, graphed. I liked this birth date chart, and the followup (he he) that were floating around the internet last week.

This weekend was tres quiet around these parts, and thanks to a reco from Katie, I’m now obsessed with Bunheads. (I have watched almost all of the only season that exists in the last week; I’m not super proud to admit this). The best part is that the writer is the same writer as the beloved Gilmore Girls series, but the worst part is that there is still no news of the show’s renewal for a second season. Funny how I say “still no news” as if I’ve been waiting on tenterhooks when really I’ve only cared for the last 48 hours or so.

Anyway, I assure you I’m still hard at work on my research most of the time. (I’m serious, I swear.)

Here’s what’s hot this week:

1. I can’t vouch for the content of this image, but I like it.

2. GF Banana Bread. I went on a baking spree Saturday, and this recipe turned out really well. I also tried a chocolate chip cookie, but I’d rather not discuss the failed results….

3. Sperrys. I just got a pair of these, and I LOVE them. I feel so… nautical.

4. Frozen Yogurt Pops. (Now lactose free!!!!). I saw yogurt in the grocery store that is lactose free, and I just *had* to try some homemade yogurt pops. Basically all I did was pour the yogurt into the mould and set them in the freezer. Quick and tasty!

5. A tip for loud spaces.

 Have a great week!

Last week I started getting back to a regular work schedule, but I did take a quick trip to Toronto for a friend’s bridal shower over the weekend. It was nice to be away, and nice to be back, too!

Here’s five cool things to start your week off right.

1. Bike sharing across the globe. Cool image of the scale and spread of bike sharing programs.

2. How to bike to work (or school!) and not look like a hot mess upon arrival. A good reminder / suggestion for all those wondering what we bike commuters go through daily. You can do it, too!

3. Skeeball in Chrome. Google is always doing cool things, and this thing is awesome! You can sync your smartphone to your browser for a unique game experience. Try it!

4. The History of Typography. I love type, and I think this is a beautifully done video.

5. Ryan Gosling won’t eat his cereal. This is HILARIOUS.

I made it through two challenging semesters, read more than 250 academic papers (I have the paper cuts to prove it), and am still looking forward to next fall when I continue on as a PhD student.

What else have I noticed since my last post on grad school? Well, here are a few insights:

1. Research doesn’t always work the way you want it to. In fact, it hardly ever works as you expected it to. It’s initially very exciting to run a study or experiment, and then is promptly followed up by a deep sense of disappointment when you start running the data through SPSS.

2. Without a schedule, without focus. I thought I’d want more freedom to my daily routine, but it seems that I really prefer my early wake-up time followed by getting to the office at a reasonable time. I put in my time and by mid to late afternoon I bugger off to others things, feeling better that I’ve at the very least tried to do something productive. As they say, there’s always tomorrow.

3. It’s a ghost town as soon as the undergrads leave. Better watch out for your advisor, as they might become scarce as soon as the undergrads depart. I’m pretty luck in the sense that my advisor is clear about his schedule and is pretty good at making time several times a week, but sometimes they vanish into the night just as the students seem to do.

4. You have no excuses not to be productive. This is the hardest part; you have no reason not to be as effective as possible because you’ve been given the gift of time and freedom to complete your research. There really are no excuses for not completing (your project/degree/program etc) on time.

5. Vacation / Stat holidays quickly lose their meaning. I remember getting so excited for a long weekend when I was a full-time professional – it was the best reward to know you had a four-day week ahead of you. But, in the world of academia where holidays can be taken as you please (you can interpret this in a variety of ways), every day can either feel like a vacation day or a work day or some nasty hybrid of the two. Setting goals and sticking to a schedule helps. As does having a bf/gf that lives in the “real” world with a “real” job. At the very least they’ll remind you when it’s time to take a break!

For previous “grad school” posts, see 1, 2, 3, and 4.

Here’s five things to distract you (and me!) before we hit the ground running today:

1. A bicycle barometer. I have an IFTTT statement that monitors the weather and then texts me when it’s scheduled to rain so I can tell if I should bike or not, but someone else make this cool barometer that is just so much cooler.

2. Crazy art. Amazing to look at these images. Click through for more on the creation and display of the exhibit.

3. Giphy.com. A search engine for GIFs. Finally.

4. Sightseers Trailer. Looks good, eh?!

5. Hoarding. A fascinating article on the science of hoarding. Read it.

Have a great week!