Word of the Day: Egypt

I'm going to Egypt in 3 days. For two weeks. I couldn't be more excited. Over the past few weeks I've been trying to prepare myself for the journey by watching videos of Egyptologists and the treasures of the ancient world. Mummies, tombs, antiquities. It's all very exciting. I've watched stories about Moses, Cleopatra, the Sphinx, King Tut, Ramases, the Pyramids... You name it, I'm a temporary scholar. I don't think I've ever cramped as much knowledge as this in such a short time. There's so much rich history in Egypt. Two weeks is not enough to cover it all.

Word of the Day: New Construction

It didn't seem as easy as it sounds to say it, but I have moved everything I own from my condo and into a new apartment. And yes, it's new. Living there is almost like I've reverted back in time two years to when my condo was brand new. No one on the planet acknowledges the existence of the address (and to prove it, I haven't received a single piece of mail since I moved in with the exception of a postcard). I had to go to the DMV in person to register my car -- something I haven't done since the inception of the Internet -- because the all-knowing super-highway rejected my address. And worst of all, though I am only 1 mile from the metro, my commute has gotten longer and exceedingly more tedious. Today I walked a mere 1/3 mile to the nearest bus stop with tears streaming down my face, not from frustration, but from the "Feels Like" 11 degree, 23-mph winds that were pelting me in the face. And I still find that more convenient and agreeable than the builder's temporary arrangement to have us all call cabs in the morning and evening in leui of a bus stop being right out front until everyone finally moves in.

So the joy of living in a brand new place, being the first resident to begin the process of wear and tear, and enjoying the top-of-the-line appliances and ammenities does come at a price, but it's well worth it for the 42-inch plasma tv and fireplace, and the extra 400 sq ft of space I now have. All said, it was a pretty fair trade. I close on the sale of my condo on Friday. An end to an era.

Word of the Day: Pupil

I've decided to get lasik surgery finally, after many years of people telling me how wonderful it is to see without the aid of glasses or contacts. I am currently wearing my glasses and wishing I could see anything outside the small 1 inch frames. I can't even eat with my glasses on because at this angle, only half the food is clear enough to identify. So, it's time. I went to the pre-op consultation yesterday to learn whether I'd be a good candidate, and while I am at no great risk of problems, I did learn one interesting fact about my eyes. They are freakishly large.

Consider this statement " Under fluorescent lighting, normal pupil sizes ranged from 2.6 mm to 5 mm. In brighter lighting, normal pupil sizes ranged from 1.9 mm to 3.6 mm." In normal light, my pupils range from 7 to 8 mm. So when dilated, you can imagine how freakish my eyes look. After receiving the dilating eye drops, the doctor measured my pupils at 8.7 mm. That's almost twice the size of a normal human eye! Now I'm worried that my abnormally sized eyes and my insanely sensitive hearing might indicate that I'm a a super hero waiting to discover her true powers, or I'm just a circus act waiting to happen.