Well I unfortunately had to go do anohter biopsy, which sucks. They had to take three samples- the last two samples were fine and I barely felt anything (nice change from my second biopsy) but my first sample was awful. I don't normally yelp when doctors do something uncomfortable but this time I actually did- it felt like someone took a huge pair of semi dull scissors and cut out a chunk of my insides. It should normally only feel like a small pinch.

What made this whole experience more weird is that I'm going to a teaching hospital downtown for these biopsies so I had a crowd of people looking up my hoo-ha. If you were in a regular hopsital they would just go in there and do their business in like 10 minutes but I think I was on the table for a good 30 minutes while the doctor explained to the students what was going on- "Blah blah blah white lesions blah blah dysplasia blah blah 11 o'clock 4 o'clock 6 o'clock blah blah."

Then of course the doctor has to show his students what good bedside manner is so I got to talk to a whole room full of people about my trip to Egypt while I was half naked on stirrups. Awwwwkwarrrrd...

The doctor says that it doesn't look like anything's gotten worse but that the biopsy results will say more. I should be hearing from them within the next two weeks- if it's bad I'll have to go in for a LEEP procedure (a surgical procedure that includes LASER BEAMS) or come back for another check up (and possibly ANOTHER BIOPSY) in four months.

I'm hoping for the best and I'm not sure which situation is better.

Oh well at least I'm getting used to this biopsy thing. Future pap smears are going to be easy peasy.

I got all my pictures from France outta my camera and put them in my laptop last night so I'll be posting some up here soon.

Today, however, is dedicated to my gynecological health. My appointment is in a couple of hours and I'm going to make sure to take plenty of advil before going- I really hope they don't have to take a third biopsy.

Happy July!

I am back from Paris- hopefully you didn't miss me too much as I was fortunately able to update every single day while I was away. GO ME! While I did some Egyptological things on my trip the main purpose of this trip was for Edouard and me to go visit his family and also to do touristy things. We ended up seeing a lot and because Edouard's driver's license expired I got to experience the joy of driving a Citroen on the French highways to Chartres and Mont Saint-Michel. Driving in the city of Paris was not so joyful- people need to learn to stay in their lanes.

Surprisingly, I got a bit sick in France- you'd think that would've happened to me in Egypt but it seems that my slightly lactose intolerant stomach can't handle the extreme cheeses that France produces.

Anyway, I'm back in New York and am getting resttled. I'm a little nervous right now because next week, on July 1st, I have another check up for my cervical pre-cancer issues. I'm hoping that it didn't progress since the last time I was there or that the abnormal cells seem to be going away. Please send some positive thinking out to NYC for me.

I'll be posting pictures from my trip to Paris as soon as I'm more sorted.

As promised, I'm dedicating this blog to tell you about my trip to Egypt. As you know, I've been wanting to go to Egypt for a while but outside circumstances have prevented me from going until this year. The stipend I received for teaching at New York University funded this trip so I would like to thank the university as well as the professor who hired me.

I'm including some pictures with this blog though I do not include images of other people on my trip in order to protect their privacy. Most of them are of me standing in front of stuff. I thought I would spare you the geeky Egyptological images with the exception of one picture of Deir el-Medineh, which was a particular highlight for me.

First of all, I would like to thank everyone that was on my tour group- (usually there is at least one person that really gets on my nerves) we all became pretty close on this trip and it made it all the more pleasant. Our tour guide, Mayer Magdy, was excellent- not only did he make sure everyone was comfortable and having a good time, he knew his Egyptology very well. If anyone is planning a trip to Egypt, I recommend seeing if you can do a tour with Mayer- he is starting up his own touring company and I can promise you that he will make your visit as fun and as educational as you want it to be. He is currently working on a web site, and as soon as it's ready I'll post the link here.

I don't even know where to begin- I've been wanting to go to Egypt since I was probably 8 years old so obviously I had a lot of expectations for it. There were a few people who thought I would hate the modern country (often described as "dirty" and "stressful") and trekking through the desert to see monuments but I honestly adored every second of it (while also looking fabulous, I might add). I suppose fussier people would have a problem with it but for Egyptology I think I would do anything.

Let's start with some pictures:

Yeah, those are the pyramids. I didn't think I would get all emotional seeing them b/c honestly I've never been that interested in the pyramids, but there's something to be said about seeing their tips pop out from the cityscape as you're driving toward Giza. Like every other Egyptologist I know, I cried a little. These were also the first ancient monuments I saw.

Another nice thing that Mayer did was let you know when you could take cool pictures like the one above!

Me in front of the Egyptian Museum in Cairo- it reminded me of the warehouse at the end of Raiders of the Lost Ark. Needless to say, I have to go back.

Just a single snapshot to show you how beautiful Egypt is.

Abu Simbel- I was looking the most forward to seeing this great monument for Rameses II. I had a lot of expectations for this and I was not disappointed. I cried here a little too. How embarrassing! I'm such a nerd.

Like a good Egyptologist, I did some work while I was away too.

Me at Luxor Temple- I got to lead the tour that day.

In front of Hatshepsut's temple at Deir el-Bahri. Girl power!

Deir el-Medineh.

Deir el-Medineh deserves its own blog entry and I might just do that later. Deir el-Medineh is where all the Valley of the Kings worksmen and artisans lived- it's a unique town and we know a lot about it b/c of letters and ostraca left behind. Seeing this site was definitely a highlight for me. It wasn't on our trip's itinerary but I had discussions with Mayer about how it was central to my dissertation. Because it happened to be my birthday he let me go see it. It was so cool! The tombs there, btw, are beautiful- as you would expect from people who decorated the tombs and palaces of the kings... but wow.

My birthday in Egypt also deserves its own blog entry since it was basically it was the best birthday ever.

EVER.

Thanks to everyone that made my 27th birthday a memorable one- it was very special to me.

Finally, I'm going to leave you with some tips:

1)Drink lots of water.

2)Cover your head.

3)Despite the heat, it is actually better if you cover your body (like wearing pants and sleeved shirts)- the sun is a lot harder in Egypt, particularly in the south. (you should still wear sunscreen)

4)Make sure you have small money for the toilet (1 pound notes or coins). It would also be advisable to bring hand sanitizer and your own tissues. Basically, it can be as bad as the worst dive bar in NYC.

5) Don't be afraid to offer ridiculously low prices in the marketplace. I made out like a bandit.

6) If you're a student bring your ISIC card as well as your local student ID- you will get 50% off on all admission tickets.

7) If you can, pack as lightly as possible. I brought one regular sized backpack and an another empty bag for my trip home (always assume you're going to buy stuff). Trust me, you don't need to bring a huge make up bag or tons of shoes (and you're hearing this from a Manhattanite).

I could go on and on about how much I loved Egypt- everyone was really nice and there's something to be said about immersing yourself in a culture that is thousands of years old. I suppose it also helps that I didn't get sick- the key is to be careful with the sun and to not drink the tap water. I think it also helps that I live in a city where rats pee on your soda cans and the street vendors pay little attention to health codes. Iron stomach.

Ok, I have to make a part 2 for this entry.

For now though I'm getting ready to go to Paris today. I should have internet connection while I'm there though so it'll be like I haven't even left.

I'm back from Egypt! I'll write more about my trip tomorrow or the day after but first I want to say a couple of things now to get your attention:

The last guest strip (the pin up) that was featured on 5/25 was also done by Tom Martinez. Please check out his lovely work.

Secondly, I met a really nice dude in Egypt named Tom who is beta testing his new dating site. Right now there are a lot of Canadian users but I know he wants to branch out into other countries, the U.S. in particular. It's a fun little site- kind of like a mix between OkCupid.com and Hotornot.com and speed dating. Even if you're already in a relationship, he urges you to sign up and check it out- he needs more beta testers! Also tell your single friends. It's called SeeWhosNext.com!

CHECK IT OUT.

The quintet of comics from the last week (Wednsday all the way to Sunday) were done by Tom Martinez

---- David

Tuesdays comic (5-19-09) was drawn by David Alvarez who draws Yenny

---- David

Monday's pin-up/guest art (5-18-09) was done by Paul Taylor of Wapsi Square fame.

Seriously, you oughtta read it. NOW.

---- David

Sunday's comic (5-17-09) was done by Dan who draws Living with Toys.

---- David

David here....

P.S. Predictions for this years Giro D' Italia. The heart says Sastre in the Pink jersey, Cavendish in the Purple, and Soler in the Green. BUT the brain tells me Leipheimer in Pink, Petacchi in Purple, and some random Italian in Green.

I'm updating my site early again b/c I'm GOING TO EGYPT TODAY. I'm excited and nervous at the same time. I've got my things packed and my Egypt books ready to go.

Starting May 16th you'll be seeing some guest strips on here. On May 26th, CLV resumes its regular schedule. I won't be back from Egypt until the 27th/28th, however. David will be updating this site in my absence.

Before I go I just want to tell you all that I was looking for a scarf to wear as a hijab (head covering) the other day. I wasn't sure where to go and was having a hard time figuring out how you're supposed to tie them around your hair. Anyway, I ended up going to American Apparel and found the perfect hijab for Egypt- how ironic is that? Have you seen the AA website? It's like amateur porn!

I'm updating this site early because I have a fellowship interview tomorrow morning/early afternoon at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. I'm not sure how I feel about this. It was all very sudden- basically my adviser and someone else of importance came to me and told me I should apply last week. I had about 4 days to get my application materials sent to the museum.

I have some reservations about this fellowship- it's a lot of work and I'm studying for orals in the Fall. At the same time, it's a lot of money (for a grad student) and I need money... and money is tight in my department, which means less funding for everyone. So far, this has been the only negative impact of the current economy in my life. Anyway, I'm going to see if there's anyway I can get this fellowship to start after I take my orals examination. That would be a lot more convenient.

I was talking to my shrink last week about how I feel a constant pressure to do everything perfectly and how I feel completely awful about myself when I fail to meet these impossible standards. Here's my problem. I have two full time jobs: being a cartoonist and being an Egyptologist. Let me repeat that neither of these are hobbies- they are my jobs.

I know what some of you may be thinking- I'm a grad student. "That's technically not a job." Well, you would be mistaken. I get paid to study and do research for the entire Academic Year and I'm expected to do top notch work. If I don't do top notch work, I won't get fellowship money for the next year. There is a constant pressure to be lucid at all times. Being a cartoonist is fun- it's a job I enjoy- but it's also a lot of pressure. I have to put out flawless work on a daily basis or else I'll get chewed out by hecklers and/or the grammar police on gocomics.com.

I was telling my shrink that I feel as if I'm under a spotlight at all times. There are times when I feel that this is all too much and I just want to throw it all away and quit.

There have also been times when I've thought about quitting C'est la Vie to do another comic project that I have in the back of my mind. But I really do feel that CLV hasn't seen it's end yet (I still have lots of ideas for it)... or maybe I'm just scared of change. I hope that CLV hasn't reached its apex... I feel like it could reach more people and be a better comic in general. Like, when I look at my comics from even 2 years ago, I see improvement. I have to assume that I'm getting better... hopefully...

Either way, when I get encouraging letters from my readers, it really turns my thoughts around to the brighter side of things. You guys let me know that I'm doing a good job despite how stressful things can get sometimes.

Today I got a package at my department- someone bought the artist cards that I had requested on my amazon wish list- I would like to say "thank you" to that person.

In two days I'm flying to Egypt. It's going to be surreal to actually be there.

Seeing as how I teared up a little seeing the Rosetta Stone last year, I don't know how it's going to be for me when I see things like the pyramids or Luxor Temple. I hope I don't start crying- that would be totally embarrassing. My tour group is going to think I'm a big weirdo.

Anyway, starting Saturday you're going to have a week and a half's worth of GUEST comic strips! I have a good line-up so I'm excited for you to see. The last "strip" is actually a 5 day installment- so that'll be fun.

I'm going to ask David to update this website while I'm away (since this site does not update automatically).

As you probably know, sometimes David forgets to upload- and if that's the case, you are more than welcome to see the comic on my syndicate's site. I get paid (peanuts) for every visit anyway.

Well it's been a crazy few weeks as the semester came to an end. This past week, I had lecture quizzes to grade, final exams to grade, draw this cartoon on a daily basis, write my bi-monthly blog, write a 25-30 page paper about the international artistic koine of the Late Bronze Age, apply for a fellowship, and prepare for my trip to Egypt.

So lots of things that made me almost cry last Friday but I managed to get everything done except for finish shopping for my trip. I also have to turn in a rough draft of my dissertation proposal to my adviser. I think I'll work on that today before seeing STAR TREK!

Anyway, this semester's end is pretty climactic for me b/c it's actually the last semester of my PhD coursework. I can't believe it- after over 20 years of sitting in classrooms, I am done. Any class I ever sit in from now on will be for my own personal edification and not because I'm being forced to fulfill some requirement. All I have left now are my orals examination and my dissertation- I'm already panicking about orals.

I can't imagine what it's like when you're completely done with your PhD degree (and I'm talking about the ones that take 7+ years)- I'm guessing I would (hopefully) have a job lined up, but I would feel weird about "leaving the nest" for good.

Last night I had a very vivid dream about the zombie apocalypse. Somewhere in the United States I was lightly bitten by a zombie (I had narrowly escaped)- the skin didn't break but I was sent into quarantine in an abandoned hospital anyway. The quarantine area was filled with people who were way worse off than I was- they put me in a small room with a man who was bitten deeply in his forearm and a young woman whose hand was essentially chewed off. I'm not sure why we were separated from everyone else but I knew I had to escape before the entire hospital turned into zombies.

The room I shared had an amazing view of what looked like the Hudson River Valley- it was sunset. The valley was definitely painted as some sort of shangri-la in my dream and the contrast between "out there" and "in here" was striking. Attached to the room was a smaller bathroom. I went in and opened the window and stuck my head out assessing whether or not it was possible if I could make a run for it.

I remember looking back into the room where the other two were and feeling trapped- the man who was bitten in the forearm was staring at me very supiciously and somewhat menacingly. I decided to get down from the toilet on which I was standing and go back to the other room to rethink my options.

I was slumped on the floor, leaning against the wall with the girl. She started to tell me about her life- she was a student living in NYC and had just gotten her life together. Every once in a while she would grab her arm in reaction to some sort of pain she was feeling (even though it was her hand that was chewed off)- she was also starting to get cold sweats. She told me that she had a fiance and that they had gotten separated during the zombie attack in Manhattan. She didn't know where he was or if he was ok and that all she wanted to do was see him one more time before she turned.

Even though nurses were scuttling around trying to reverse the "zombification" process, the girl was clearly not relying on them to do anything. She had already accepted her fate.

The man in the room was looking like he was on the verge of turning and I knew I had to get out of that room. I wanted to take the girl with me to help her find her fiance but I knew I couldn't.

Then I woke up.

Pretty trippy!

I did a new blog for SAC: Check it out.

As of today I am still deaf but the pain is completely gone.

I've had a rough two days - mainly with dealing with students and medical bills. It's hard to tell a student why they got a certain grade when it's not as straight forward as a math exam... and some of these students are really aggressive (not anyone in my discussion sessions though- at least not so far...)

Well the ear infection continues. It's my third day on antibiotics. I no longer wake up with a sharp pain in my ear and I can think a little bit clearer now. I'm still almost completely deaf in my right ear, however. I'm hoping that the deafness will go away soon after I'm done with the medication. I've been spending a lot of time lying down on my left side and sleeping- this is to help the infected good drain out of my ear and into my nose, which I have been blowin out into tissues. Sometimes the goo comes out of my ear and dries out into a nasty crust- Edouard kindly removes and cleans my outer ear for me with a q-tip. As you can tell, it's all very disgusting.

I'm disappointed because today I was going to go see Jorge Cham of PhD today- I haven't seen him since my very first year of graduate school. He also donated some nice art for the web comics exhibit I put up almost two years ago. Oh well, I shot him an e-mail and maybe we can catch up later.

Anyway, in the midst of everything I'm starting an active campaign to bring more readers to C'est la Vie. I am going to start modestly by asking you, my current readers, to be sure to tell your friends and family.

Spread the word!

I have an ear infection. I used to have them all the time as a kid. I remembered that they hurt a lot I just don't remember going deaf in the infected ear. Going to the doctor- this is how one of my professors lost part of his hearing.

Remember to check www.sacart.org for my every other Thursday blog!

Yesterday I got my shots for my voyage to Egypt. I got one for polio (apparently they had a recent case of it), Hep A, and tetanus (apparently I was supposed to have gotten this shot before but I never did). Instead of getting a shot for typhoid, I was given pills that I'm supposed to take every other day for a week. It's good for 5 years instead of 2. My left arm is killing me and I'm pretty sure it's b/c of the tetanus shot. Needles don't usually hurt me but this one definitely did- most likely b/c it was going straight into my arm muscle.

I never thought about how much this would all cost. In the end it was $300!

I died a little inside but it's ok- the money I set aside from my TA stipend is enough to cover that cost.

At the same time I did regret getting the polio shot- it cost around 100 bucks and there aren't that many cases of polio in Egypt. However, I realize that it's for the best. I would feel really stupid if I went to Egypt and got polio b/c I didn't want to spend 100 dollars on the vaccine.

While I'm in Egypt I'm going to do one week's work of guest strips. I have a pretty cool line up so far and I'm really excited!

I'm sorry that updates and newsposts have been shaky lately. I've been having problems with my laptop again. A few days ago it couldn't find the OS- for some reason it started working on its own again. Nonetheless, my laptop, which is 4 years old now, is on its last legs so I don't know how reliable it's going to be. I have another computer where I can draw comics but it doesn't have the software to do the actual updates on this site (the gocomics.com site gets updated automatically). Anyway, I have David to do the uploading when I can't but sometimes he's busy and/or forgets (not his fault, it's not exactly top priority for him). I apologize for when this happens. Just please remember that you can go onto gocomics to find the comic there as well.

That all said, I'm going to think of a way to try to get myself a new laptop, probably a 15 inch MacBook within the next 6 months. I may end up doing a fundraiser to help raise money for that. I think for the next fundraiser I'm going to come up with different incentives since I've been having so many problems with recording rabbit voices (I haven't forgotten that I have to do one still for LAST YEAR).

Other than my laptop things here are going fine albeit busy. It's crunch time for my dissertation proposal and I still have to make time for my other job, my classes, and the class I teach.

Two days ago I just wanted to curl up in a ball and die but in the end I get it all done. AND I have so much to look forward to: I'm going to Egypt in May!

It'll be nice not being the Egyptologist who has never been to Egypt.

In today's SAC blog I talk about the webcomic, Piled Higher and Deeper. Check it out!

My appointment yesterday went well. The doctor didn't need to do a second biopsy b/c he said that it looked like the first biopsy is correct. While this means I do have some pre cancerous cells in stage 2/3 he says that it looks like the lesions got smaller than last time. If I'm lucky, they can maybe go away on their own. I'm going to check back in with him in 3 months. For now, I'm doing a lot of dietary supplements.

This is the fourth anniversary of my bunny, Nibbles, hopping away to the rainbow bridge. I hope she's in a happy, warm place with plenty of Honey Nut Cheerios to eat (her favorite treat).

Look at what a cute bunny you are! Look at you balance that egg!

Wooshywooshywooshywoosh!

::pet pet pet::

Sorry about yesterday- I thought the comic was uploaded but something must've happened during the transfer. Anyway, it's up now.

Presentation went well.

Tomorrow's my second biopsy.

=/

I am going to 'splode. I have a 75 minute presentation for my Ancient Near Eastern Art class at Columbia and it's about the broadest topic you can imagine. I'm frantically trying to prepare for it.

On top of all that I'm not looking forward to my credit card bill this month. I'll be fine b/c my TA stipend is making me enough money for this trip to Egypt but I still don't like to see money go away. Anyway, considering that I usually get by only charging 300-500 on my card every month, seeing over 2,000 dollars in charges makes me gag (all of these charges are pretty much for the trip).

Then next Wednesday I'm getting a second opinion about my cervix problems from an oncologist (who is also a gyno). I'm starting to get nervous.