Knowledge

I want to learn more every day than these bunnies want to have a drink.

NPR has gone off the air. Blast thunder.

I'm writing a senior design report.

I probably won't be blogging for awhile.

I've taken a dive into some deep water. It's full of engineering paper and designs and wind tunnels and turbines.

I still think of everyone.

Victory!

After six or so weeks of study and one very early morning, the GRE is over and done with for me. I got out with a 730 on math and 720 on English. Very ridiculously balanced, and it'll do me well for fellowships.

For now, it is bedtime.

Film Cooling

Latest news: done with summer term, and now working with a great PhD student in film cooling! More to follow on this when I have blogging time (ha!)

Quote of the Week

From my friend Alex:

"Smart people sometimes dumb themselves down just to be stubborn."

What?

Upon getting to campus last week, I saw an image of hosts scattered across the front of the UCF newspaper with the title "Body of Controversy". Out of curiosity, I picked up a paper and began to read the article. The senator was impeached, and several letters to the editor were written about this whole ordeal.

Oh, also: it is NOT a "holy cracker".

Thoughts? I'm upset at the way both parties handled this. Mr. Cook should have referred his friend to a priest or Eucharistic minister if he had questions about the Eucharist; I am sure they would be more than happy to share their knowledge. As for the Catholic Campus Ministry people at the Mass, they should have asked his purpose in not consuming the sacrament. If he resisted answering, a request to return the host should suffice, to my mind. Going back in my Catholic school days, I remember there being a special sink in every church that leads directly to the ground, and this is considered a respectful way to bring leftover hosts to rest. That could have been done with the host in question.

I'm just irritated that such a spectacle was made of the Eucharist.

Windows Update (Update!)

As it turns out, the windows update is fine if you have the particular update to your firewall (ZoneAlarm, Threatfire, etc) to go along with it. Apparently windows thought ZoneAlarm was malicious software (which is a bunch of blarney).

Warning!

The newest Windows Update (7/9/08) caused me problems getting online, so watch out. I spent an hour on the phone with Earthlink / Brighthouse networks before remembering that a colleague of mine had had that issue yesterday.

Goals

Goals can be big or small.

My goal for the rest of my career is to help create energy less expensively and more greenly.

My goal for the rest of the semester is to get to feedback on time every class.

I've got braised barbecue beef cooking on the stove. It smells glorious in this house.

Down With the Sickness

I'm fortunate that I'm not having stomach issues as a couple of my colleagues are, but there is yellow nastiness coming from my nose.

Back when this leaves me!

Convergence!

Okay, now it's time for a real update.

I left my corner of Orlando to go to Mass with a few lovely friends of the family over at Our Lady Queen of the Universe. They hold daily Mass in a chapel decorated with blue stained glass windows depicting the night sky. The Shrine itself is absolutely gorgeous and hearkens back to the days of great cathedrals in Europe. If you're in Orlando visiting I highly recommend a trip over there - even if you are not particularly religious it is a sight to behold. My favorite thing about it in particular is the statue of St. Joseph and Jesus as a child.

Then we had lunch, chatted, and caught up. It was such a blessing to have a little bit of hometown up here, as sometimes I really do miss the friends of family that are pretty much extended family.

I hit the road with a satisfied and full stomach and arrived in Tampa in a bit of a rainstorm. After handing off my car to the valet, I stepped into the gorgeous hotel that the local HGA (Hand Weavers Guild of America) had picked for Convergence. I felt somewhat like royalty being greeted by at least four people and having the help of a bellman to carry up my bags.

That evening was spent having dinner with my boyfriend's Mom and her friends from where she's from. We went to the Columbia in Ybor City - a Cuban restaurant that had been there for just over 100 years! What great food, and an atmosphere that was a visual feast. Our table was in the courtyard, which looked to me like a miniature version of Vizcaya in Miami. I couldn't stop looking up at the porticoes and the elaborate decorations.

I hit the sack early and woke up early the next day to start shopping! After a hearty breakfast at the hotel I registered and was off to the vendor hall. Bought some raw merino wool to practice on as well as some butterscotch colored alpaca. The merino wool will mix nicely with the angora I've got, and the alpaca would likely be good on its own. Alpaca, by the way, is hypoallergenic, something I learned while chatting with one of the owners of Alpaca Junction - really nice couple!

Convergence also had these little one hour things called Art Sparks, so I took the Viking Knitting class to see what that was all about. Well, as it turns out, I am not so handy with jewelry wire. Perhaps one day I will undo the work I did (not so very well) and try my hand at it again. Good thing I've got some needle nose pliers on hand at home.

All in all, it was a great couple days! I'm really glad I had the chance to go and meet such great people. I found myself striking up conversations with people around me quite easily - though the fact that I was wearing my hat of many colors helped!

Affordable Teslas At Last

In less than four years, you'll be able to buy an affordable electric car!

Convergence updates coming soon.

Convergence

I just returned from my very first textile and fiber conference! It was loads of fun - giant exhibit hall full of woven and spun eye candy as well as a just as large vendor hall with lots of fibers. I also took a one hour class on Viking Knitting - 'twas frustrating but I am going to give it another go soon. I determined after carefully studying the pamphlet the gal who gave the class gave us that I'd been stitching incorrectly - well, stitching with copper wire, that is!

More updates to come soon. There is a mountain of homework with my name on it - and tests to grade for my students.

Microwaveable Meals

Since I am in the lab most days of the workweek, I've looked for easy lunches to make. Usually this boils down to either going to the student union for food or microwaveable meals. The latter is much cheaper, so it usually ends up happening.

The big problem I have with microwaveable meals is the salt content. Sometimes when eating something from Stouffer's or what have you I find the high salt content easy to taste. Not appetizing and not healthy.

Since Kashi microwaveable meals were buy one get one free at Publix this week, I decided to try them. One was Rosemary Chicken and the other was Southwest Chicken. Both were delicious - they are a chicken meal served on a base of rice and other grains with sauce and vegetables. The Southwest one had black beans, corn, pepper, and onion while the Rosemary had pea pods and baby portabello mushrooms. So, you get a good square meal in (though it is served in a bowl).

The sole downside is price. In this area, they're $3.59 a box, so if you can find a store that offers a buy one get one free occasionally on them it'll be a bit less expensive. About $1.80 for each is quite a bit better!

What other healthy but also delicious microwaveable options are out there?

Pretty

This makes me want to dress like it's 1940 or 1950 every day. ModCloth has a great many cute things, but their sales look like the best option right now :)

In other news, I am headed to Our Lady Queen of the Universe Shrine on Thursday to surprise a special family friend and meet with other friends of the family I haven't seen in ages. Then it is off to Tampa for Convergence 2008 - a gigantic fiber arts festival!

Food Blogging

As if I needed more evidence that oregano is quite a superior herb. It's stupendous in spaghetti or salads and adds just the right amount of extra flavor to a slice of cheese pizza...and helps preserve ancient salad dressing.

I don't know that it would add a good flavor to this salad I found from 101 Cookbooks, but there's a fair amount of garlic in it for those of us who enjoy the Italian herbs / spices. The recipe calls for tofu, but if you do put it in be sure to cook it in something before adding it, otherwise it tastes somewhat like a damp cotton cloth. (Trust me on this one). Next time there will most likely be another veggie substituted for the tofu instead, perhaps something of the pepper family. Now that I look at the photo of the recipe, perhaps some red cabbage would do the trick - a little crunch with a light flavor. Perhaps bok choy would be another good alternative.

I need to rescind that recipe recommendation. After eating the leftovers, I got to experience a nasty stomach sensation. DUD.

Woah now

Stumbling upon this gadget guide for various ages of children, I realized just how much technology has infiltrated our culture.

I understand that children need to become familiar with technology. Back in the late 80's, when PCs were coming into home use, my dad went out and bought one. The monitor displayed in one shade of light gray blue, and multiple shadings indicated different colors when one was playing games. The printer was dot matrix and screamed like a banshee when spitting out documents. Gradually our household computer evolved from this simple arrangement to 3.25" floppies and ultimately a CD-ROM drive. After that it was better processors, more RAM. I tell this story because I do recognize that having this computer around was important, as my younger brother and I were beginning to use computers at school and increasingly for our schoolwork.

However, I don't think that 6 or 7 year olds should be playing video games. This is probably a product of my upbringing, but I remember being encouraged to read and play outside when the weather permitted when I was that age. Being a child is so important, and play is where children learn to share and make friends. I remember hanging out with the neighborhood kids and running around the block on our bicycles, then swimming at whoever had a pool.
When I talk to friends I've met at college and back in high school, their childhood memories involve being outdoors, active, making friends, going to the beach... not sitting in front of a TV or computer.

That being said, I do own an average amount of technology for an American my age. Desktop and laptop computers, a cell phone, a printer / scanner, and a television with cable are the main components of that for me. But, I have learned that their use must be limited. This must also be the case with children - they need to learn that technology is a tool or a means to an end, but not life itself.

Alphabet

Deanna tagged me on this a few weeks ago, so I am obliging late:

A: Anxious at times
B: Brother, a great companion
C: Cook a lot and experiment there
D: Daily prayer
E: Engineer
F: Friends that are wonderful
G: Grateful for this day
H: Have a plan for my career now :)
I: Indecisive, sometimes
J: Jump into waves with my boogie board
K: Knowledgeable
L: Loved
M: MonBon
N: Named for a good role model (Monica of Hippo)
O: Overachiever, for better or worse
P: Parents who rock
Q: Quiet mostly
R: Raise the roof on occasion
S: Swing dancer
T: Thankful for all my blessings
U: Understanding
V: Voter
W: Want to ride my bicycle, I want to ride my bike...
X: eXuberant
Y: Yoga lover
Z: Zulaikha, when I am at a Renaissance reenactment

Want to be famous?

Follow these steps.

Return Soon

It's been awhile - with graduations and wedding anniversary celebrations there's not much blogging time. I'll return soon, though.

21 May

Happy Birthday, Mr. T!

Whales

Whales have always fascinated me, particularly humpback whales. They are so huge yet move through the ocean with grace. A fond memory I have of a visit to Cape Cod is going on a whale watch and seeing a few of them splashing around in the north Atlantic. Granted, you can see a whale at Sea World or a similar theme park, but there's nothing quite like seeing a several-ton animal thrash about in the open ocean. I remember wondering at the time of the whale watch if it's fun for them...building up speed, shooting up past the surface, then coming down into the water and making a magnificent splash.

Interestingly, the nubbings on their fins have inspired an engineer to build a better blade. These new blades can get up to 20% more power out of the wind, according to the article. It'll be interesting to see how these blades impact the green energy movement, since their design contradicts the earlier theory that smooth blades are best.

Rihanna vs. Madonna

Oh, How about a round of applause, Yeah
A standing ovation
Oooooo, Yeah
Yeah, Yeah, Yeah, Yeah

You look so dumb right now
Standing outside my house
Trying to apologize
You’re so ugly when you cry
Please, just cut it out

[Chorus]
Don’t tell me you’re sorry cuz you’re not
Baby when I know you’re only sorry you got caught
But you put on quite a show
You really had me going
But now it’s time to go
Curtain’s finally closing
That was quite a show
Very entertaining
But it’s over now (But it’s over now)
Go on and take a bow

Grab your clothes and get gone (get gone)
You better hurry up
Before the sprinklers come on (come on)
Talkin’ bout'
Girl, I love you, you’re the one
This just looks like a re-run
Please, what else is on (on)

[Chorus]
And don't tell me you’re sorry cuz you’re not
Baby when I know you’re only sorry you got caught
But you put on quite a show
You really had me going
But now it’s time to go
Curtain’s finally closing
That was quite a show
Very entertaining
But it’s over now (But it’s over now)
Go on and take a bow

[Bridge]
Oh, And the award for
The best lie goes to you (goes to you)
For making me believe (that you)
That you could be faithful to me
Let's hear your speech, Out

How about a round of applause
A standing ovation

But you put on quite a show
Really had me going
Now it’s time to go
Curtain’s finally closing
That was quite a show
Very entertaining
But it’s over now (But it’s over now)
Go on and take a bow
But it’s over now

Sorry Rihanna, you can't beat the Queen:

Take a bow, the night is over
This masquerade is getting older
Light are low, the curtains down
There's no one here
[There's no one here, there's no one in the crowd]
Say your lines but do you feel them
Do you mean what you say when there's no one around [no one around]
Watching you, watching me, one lonely star
[One lonely star you don't know who you are]

Chorus:

I've always been in love with you [always with you]
I guess you've always known it's true [you know it's true]
You took my love for granted, why oh why
The show is over, say good-bye

Say good-bye [bye bye], say good-bye

Make them laugh, it comes so easy
When you get to the part
Where you're breaking my heart [breaking my heart]
Hide behind your smile, all the world loves a clown
[Just make 'em smile the whole world loves a clown]
Wish you well, I cannot stay
You deserve an award for the role that you played [role that you played]
No more masquerade, you're one lonely star
[One lonely star and you don't know who you are]

(chorus, repeat)

Say good-bye [bye bye], say good-bye

All the world is a stage [world is a stage]
And everyone has their part [has their part]
But how was I to know which way the story'd go
How was I to know you'd break
[You'd break, you'd break, you'd break]
You'd break my heart

I've always been in love with you
[I've always been in love with you]
Guess you've always known
You took my love for granted, why oh why
The show is over, say good-bye

(chorus)

Say good-bye [bye bye], say good-bye
Say good-bye

Sometimes, you can't outdo the classics. Does anyone do anything original these days?

Economic downturn - a boon to the environment?

So gas prices have hit all-time highs, food shortages are plaguing various countries, and prices on just about everything are inching up due to higher fuel costs.

I submit that this economic downturn may help the environment.

With less money, people must make decisions as to what is most important. We all must eat and keep a place to live, but also must travel at times to work and find clothes to wear to said work. With the rising costs of gas and clothing, we must work around it. For clothing, let's hit the thrift stores and the Goodwills. As for decreasing the amount of gas used, let's try to forgo A/C when possible (hard in the summer, but if you travel during the evening and morning it's not that bad), bike when we can, keep our tires inflated, and if possible, downsize to smaller, more efficient cars.

The interesting thing is that the less we purchase and use, the more helpful it is to the environment. The less fossil fuels we burn, the better. The less clothing that is produced means less energy consumed. That's just those two things though. I haven't even touched upon starting a small vegetable garden or eating less pre-processed and packaged food.

I wonder if we will see an increase in thrift store shopping or vegetable gardens over the next year or so, or however long this recession lasts.

Mother's Day

There are several mothers in my life as well as my own, who takes the cake. So I wish you all a happy day today, and know that we appreciate you EVERY day of the year, not just today. We're blessed to have you around.

Burma

It's hard to imagine the death toll from any natural disaster being 100,000 people. The last time something like this happened was the tsunami back in Christmas 2004, and if I'm not mistaken, rebuilding is still going on.

I feel fortunate to live in a country where if a hurricane or major storm happens by, we have an organized (well, with the exception of hurricane Katrina) way of receiving help.

Here you can see a map of the flooding and how it has affected the area.

Relax

(taken on the UCF boardwalk by the student union, last Friday)

This was a nice place to rest before graduation last Friday. Gave me some time to reflect on the semester and on the fact that a year from now I'll have my bachelor's degree (at last).

Summer is almost here with its adventures and challenges, as well as the heat. The good thing is that at least the temperature differential here is less than you'd have in the north in the wintertime... 90's outside, 78 inside.

Finals

Having a final hit the desk in front of me is somewhat akin to standing on the highest diving board at the pool and getting ready to dive in. I get the test started, feeling the rush, feeling the wind rush past me on the way down. The water surrounds me at the end, refreshing me as I feel refreshed when it is all over.

Next Monday, it's all over.

Comfort Food

This is something I make when I can't sleep or have had a bad day. I'm sure most recipies follow a similar format, but this is too good not to share.

Eggplant Parmesan

1 eggplant - judge the size depending on how many you want to feed.
2-3 eggs depending on size of eggplant
At least 1 cup olive oil for frying
1 cup breadcrumbs
1/4 to 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1 tsp Oregano
1 tsp garlic
1/2 to 1 jar pasta sauce (Publix makes a good tomato basil)
1 to 1 & 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese

1. Chop up the eggplant into slices, the thinner the better. Usually 1/8 inch is the thickest possible without the eggplant getting too chewy and gross.
2. Put the breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, oregano, and garlic in a shallow bowl. Mix well.
   
3. Do the same with one of the eggs to start with, but beat the egg.
4. Start a bit of the olive oil heating up in a frying pan at medium heat.
5. Dunk a slice of the eggplant into the egg bowl, then into the breading bowl. Once the oil has gotten heated up (takes my stove a couple minutes, so results will vary), put that slice in.
6. Once you've filled up the pan, put a layer of sauce and cheese down in a deep baking dish.
7. Turn the slices when they've had about a couple minutes to cook.
8. Let the other side cook, then make a layer of eggplant in the baking dish.
9. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
   
10. Continue to layer eggplant, cheese, and sauce until you run out of eggplant.
11. Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil and bake for 10 minutes.
12. Enjoy.

I usually eat the eggplant solo, but it would be lovely over some pasta too. I'd recommend angel hair for that.

Music to Finish a Semester by

Black Milk - Massive Attack
The Disco Song - Au Revoir Simone
Made Up - Zwicker
Last Call - Brazilian Girls
Silent Shout - The Knife
All Night Operator - Goldfrapp
Playboys - Mono
In One Ear and Out the Other - Fujiya & Miyagi
Runaway - The Start
The Time is Now - Moloko

I found these gems via Pandora .

The beauty of it is that there's music for all - regardless of what you listen to.

Doubting Thomas

Mass yielded an excellent homily. Today's gospel reading was about Thomas and his doubt that Jesus had risen, and so Fr. George discussed doubt in real life. Where is God, you might say, when you are in the deepest pit of despair? He is there beside you. God didn't promise us a strife-free life - His son died on a cross, cruelly, slowly. Each of us has a cross to bear, and at times we fall and doubt the presence of God. That is a part of life, but we must remember He is there.

A lighter note in the homily was the point that sometimes, there are people we work with that can cause us to doubt - and I know this one's true. But, with perseverance I have been able to reduce that doubt.

I listened to "Wonderwall" by Oasis today after not hearing it for awhile. It about describes what's going on right now in my life.

I am quite busy now but will return with more musings soon.

Easter joy

I don't suspect my professors planned tests directly after Easter with a purpose, but it's interesting that they follow a day of hope and glory. Today is a day of rejoicing and triumph over the grave and sin. Alleluias will echo all over the Christian world and families will gather to celebrate.

There will be celebrating, and then there will be problem solving. (In this corner of the world, at least.)

So, Happy Easter to all. I wish you hope and peace on this beautiful day and always.

Five Years

Every year since the Iraq invasion, I've kept track. Thousands of lives both Iraqi and American lost, billions (trillions?) of dollars spent, and not much to show for it. Listening to NPR this morning, I heard a man talking about his regret in getting his wife pregnant in Baghdad. He worries daily for the safety of his family. I understand that Saddam Hussein was a dangerous man. I agree that some action was needed.

But, the action that was taken leaves much to be desired.

Ticket to Ride

Thankfully, after this week, I'm hitting the train home on Saturday.

Today I am working on an electrochemistry presentation, finishing statistics homework, and also continuing creating code for the heat transfer project. The presentation is due tomorrow; the statistics and heat transfer are due Friday. Then, I can relax somewhat and begin packing!

I'll be returning next week Thursday for the FIRST Robotics competition at the UCF Arena. It'll be three days of high school kids, their robots, and their mentors and parents. All in all, good clean fun.

Recently also I've been listening to NPR on the way in to school so I am not sheltered from what's going on around the world. It's been good to keep up.

Solutions

I am on the last few bits of a head cold; once the runny nose ceases it will be back to normal health-wise, which is good in my case. A combination of Ester-C, decongestant medication, Gatorade, water, and Italian wedding soup helped knock it out - and the biggest factor was rest. I napped upon getting home tonight and will be hitting the sack soon. Tomorrow will be designated bed rest day.

The title of this particular blog comes from a piece of a Lenten devotional I've been reading over the last few weeks - "Our minds are a marvelous gift from God, and we are meant to use them to find solutions to the problems we encounter in life." A friend in need of someone to listen to them, a solution to the energy crisis, a creative answer to an age-old question... solutions of all shapes, sizes, and degrees of seriousness. With faith, a solution is within reach.

Lately

Heat transfer makes my head hurt. It's not that I don't enjoy the course, but let's say I feel these days more like I speak Greek rather than English. Then, evidently, reusing Greek letters is a fine and dandy thing to do - for example, zeta measures the amount of damping in vibrations class, but in heat transfer it is a root of a transcendental function. It is on the confusing side, but the fact that I'm energy systems specialty coupled with the research I do makes me want to understand it.

We also just got assigned three problems for that course. So I suppose that is my plans for the rest of the week. Oh, and the weekend. But by golly I am going to make it to Leu Gardens Saturday morning, because I have wanted to go, and have not made it the past two weekends with the car issues.

I have gotten a small scarf made lately, though. It's ended up being more of an ascot, but it's very cute and soft. Now I am on to some more fibers to spin and ply, which will hopefully become something a bit different. I want to make a hat because scarves you can only have so many of in the South.

Uncle Geoff

After a battle with congestive heart failure, my great-uncle Geoff passed away Wednesday (13th). Mom had told me when he began to take a turn for the worse, so I had a good, fetal-position cry then.

When we got talking about it on Valentine's Day, I vowed to live my life much in the way that he lived his: maintaining a well-rounded life, traveling when possible, continuing to learn throughout one's life, enjoying a good beer, and most of all sharing love and friendship with family and friends. He was an incredible guy - traveled to Africa with the Royal Air Force as a field photographer as well as other things I've mentioned above - and I know his memory will be kept alive.

Week of Crazy

I will be out (of my mind) this week.

Heat Transfer Exam
Vibrations Exam
CAD / CAM homework
Research presentation
Statistics homework and review
Vibrations design problem

...I'll update sometime after all this is off my plate, or at least most of the way there.

Edit, 2/14 - it's almost over!!!

Grandma and Grandpa G.

Every February I remember my Mom's parents, as they both passed away during this month in different years. Usually this is the low point of my year - I feel down in general for the whole month and Valentine's Day is especially hard.

This year I am going to Leu Gardens the weekend after next to remember them, instead of spending the day moping. They would want me to live my life and remember them in happy times, so that is what I will do. They loved nature so it is somewhere they'd love, and I know that it will be a peaceful way to spend most of the day.

As for Valentine's Day, I am going to enjoy the company of my friends and family while they are still with me, because if witnessing the death of grandparents and relatives has taught me anything, it is that I need to appreciate the people around me while they are still on this earth. I believe we will all be together again someday, but that day is a long ways off.

Costume

I thought the costume turned out well - thanks to hot glue and safety pins!

Godmother

The costume turned out lovely, and I'll post a few photos later today.

I got an email from Mom, and a friend of the family wants me to be a godmother to one of their daughters! I have to email her back soon with my answer, most likely yes.... I would have to be back in West Palm that weekend, April 5th, so we shall see how that goes. It looks from my exam schedules for vibrations and heat transfer that it would be possible :)

Anyways, off to the church flea market, and then to get some work done around the house.

(1:40 pm...an edit)

After calling Mom from the flea market about a neat chair I found, I found out from her that my Uncle Geoff from England is near death. He is a beautiful soul and will be dearly missed. I have grieved today quite a bit and am keeping my memories close.

Mardi Gras

I bought the last component of my costume for Friday's dance today. Jo-Ann Fabrics was having a sale on this gorgeous bit of sheer ombre fabric that fades from blue to green. That will go on a skirt that I already have - make it really flowy - then I have a bunch of feathers. The feathers are going to be glued together in bunches of three (green, gold and purple), then attached to a top somehow.

I still need a top of sorts. I'm thinking a cheap white tank top would be best, then I can sew the feathers on as needed. It should be really cute, and photos will be up here Friday or Saturday.

School is consuming me. I have the feeling I won't get home while it's still light outside this week. The thing that keeps me going is faith, and then the advice from my research adviser - that I will get this time back someday. To that end, when I have the resources to do so, I'm going to the real Highland Games, Paris, Italy, Brazil, and several other places - as I have always wanted to travel there.

My arms are sore from playing volleyball with a great group of people, so it's time to go rest. Sleep would be lovely also.

Addendum

So I'm sitting here watching TV while taking a break from my reading and problem solving. One commercial features a little girl and her mother shopping. The girl is small enough to sit in the shopping cart, so there she is. The mother walks along naming off the ingredients to a meal: chicken, broccoli, and so on. To each ingredient, the little girl claims "I don't like (insert ingredient here)".

The solution proposed is PediaSure. Let your kids eat whatever they want, just make them suck down this stuff and they'll be fine with those vitamins and minerals! Yay!

If I ever have kids, they're eating the veggies, and they'll have to deal. Maybe this was showcasing how obstinate 2-3 year old children can be, but give me a break.

This morning I went off to Home Depot to purchase a new water filter. It was a pretty mundane errand, but walking in and hearing "The Sweet Escape" by Gwen Stefani playing in the store made me crack up. The image of burly construction workers singing and dancing around to the song was just too much. Not that it actually happened, but I'd find it pretty hilarious.

Speaking of burly, I found this article on Digg this morning. From the way they polled, I imagine the numbers are off by a percent or two, but it's pretty sobering. The results by region are fairly close to what I'd expect - Colorado being the lowest in particular. My friends that have visited out there tell me they have a lot of natural foods and good things to eat, so that helps. Then, you have three states relatively in the south being the highest. I need say no more there, because southern food is generally fatteningly delicious.

I'm having issues with my stats class. We just went over Probability and Bayer's Theorem last night, and my teacher presented it via a Power Point slide show. From my experience with engineering courses, it's a lot easier if you present via the document camera and write out examples.

I'm going to the discussion section soon and asking the TA to go over some things. It's an odd sensation to be more concerned about my performance in statistics rather than, say, heat transfer.
Research is moving along as always; I have a boatload of new stuff to read and a partner in the independent study, so that is good also. I need someone to bounce ideas off of.

Speaking of bouncing, tonight is swing again, and I am relieved - that dance always signals to me that the weekend is well on its way!

Back again

Tuesday (yesterday) was a bit of an off day, so here we are again. I have only a bit of time before meeting with my research adviser so away we go:

• I have to confess that I enjoy guys in kilts, so the Highland Games this weekend was a good time for that. There were many kilts, delicious shortbread and curly fries, and even some steel (armored) fighting to be seen! I also remembered my maternal grandmother - there were some tears but I know that she would be happy that I'd gone.
  
• Went out to Cocoa on Monday to visit a friend from engineering and swing - she and I had a good conversation about life and a few other things, which I needed.
• I replaced my screens in the front and repaired a toilet. I feel like an adult, sort of. That's what they do, right?
• Church on Saturday as usual, with an excellent homily by Father John. Go here and click on Father John for January 19/20. It's not audio, but is still an inspiring read.

Off I go to the rest of today.

I was going to make this a happy weekend post but heard Friday that Bobby Fischer passed away. An odd man for sure, but one that will go down in history for his chess skills and his win against Boris Spassky.

This is a long weekend so I'll return on Tuesday with updates.

Biking and other stories

I am taking pride in having biked and bussed myself to school yesterday. It was rather slow to get from my place to school, slower than driving, but at the same time it was useful for two reasons. First of all, I had exercise from biking 6 miles total during the day. Second of all, there was time for me to return phone calls while traveling - I love to multi-task. Of course, the main benefit was using less fuel on my part. The bus is running already, so why not take it? The only drawback is that today, my legs hate me.

The thesis is chugging along. I have stocked my desk with my books and materials and customized my desktop on the computer my advisers found me. Now it is time to read and learn all that I can, with the comforting knowledge that I am completing my senior project well ahead of time. This will create such a peaceful atmosphere during my senior year and I feel blessed for it. I hope that this effort spreads knowledge and leads to further fuel cell development, with the final result being that solid oxide fuel cells become more prevalent and help create clean energy. I want to share the blessing I've received with the world.

I am looking forward to the Highland Games this weekend as well as an extended one due to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday. I really feel at peace despite all the craziness that will be headed my way this semester.

Weekend Update

The first Friday night swing was fun as always. My knees still need to get used to it, but it's not bad. Lots of new people came, some who are quite good, which is great to see. Saturday a friend and I went walking with her poodle. He was running down University and she rescued him, so he's staying at her place until she can find his owner. We went down to the Bear Creek trail near my place, which turned out to be not much of a trail. There was a wooden bridge, but half the boards were missing, so the walk was a bit shorter than we'd have liked. It was a lovely day out, though - about 78 F and partly cloudy.

Before that I also hit church for a Lent planning meeting. The theme ended up being journeys, which I agree with. I also met some of the parishioners, which was reassuring - and reconnected with one of the faculty from the Honors College I'd met over the summer, as she also goes to St. Stephen's.

Sunday became my catch up day for school, as Mass for me is Saturday night. So far, I am understanding what I'm doing in the courses - statistics is cake, vibrations is more interesting than I'd anticipated, heat transfer is fun, and simulations is about midway between easy and challenging for me. The research reading has gone smoothly; I am waiting on my professors to tell me when we will meet, then we'll plan this semester for me.

After classes today, I feel that the semester is fully in swing - and not just in the dancing sense - although the dancing sense is my favorite part so far.

Friday

The first week is officially under my belt! It's been good in many ways, especially now that my Bright Futures business is taken care of. As it turns out, the coordinator was sick, and they will fix everything after add/drop ends today.

My statistics teacher is a hoot as I found out last night. He likes baseball, as do I, so it seems he'll be using that as an example for many things. Also, a couple of kids from swing are taking it, so we can hang out there. It'll be fine.

Short post today because I am off to lunch now then to classes and relaxing. Tonight will be pizza and beer with my guys, then off to swing. Tomorrow: Lenten planning meeting at church, a good long walk with a good friend, then Mass at night. Then, Sunday will be relaxing and giving myself a pedicure.

Off to eat lunch, then rock out with statistics discussion and heat transfer. Also, there is more fuel cell reading to accomplish before I meet with my advisors Tuesday.

Thesis!

I finally met with my two advisors together this morning to discuss plans for the thesis. As far as I see, they're both incredible energy engineers and it's a blessing to work with them. Additionally, a buddy of mine from measurements is working with them, but on a different project. I'm getting a desk and computer to work on, so it makes me feel a little more like a real member of the team. It's going to be a good time. It looks like I'm going to work on it for three or four semesters because there's so much to learn. Also, I may be headed out to the solar energy research center in Cocoa Beach a few times to learn how their machines work.

Also, class from 4:30 to 10, nearly straight, makes the brain quite a jumble. However, having a great professor for simulations makes up for it. I just have to eat a giant lunch and bring snacks and it's fine.

Tomorrow is the first swing club meeting of the semester, and this time around I'm able to make it, as I don't have a 7:30 am class Thursdays this semester! It'll be good exercise and swing is another welcoming place for me. I've made it a goal to get to the meetings and dances nearly every week this semester and it looks possible.

Currently I am sipping on some chai spice cocoa and relaxing, because it was a long, long day. Tomorrow will be fun, I trust.

Spring Semester

I really held on to the three days before today. Friday night was Lazy Moon and bowling with a bunch of great friends from engineering. Saturday was a fiber arts meetup and then Mass. Sunday was an overall chill out and clean day.

I have to mention the fiber arts meetup in particular since I am usually incredibly nervous before going somewhere where I know no one! The ladies were very welcoming and I found that there are a couple groups closer to me (as the meetup was off of Conroy). Additionally, they were able to recommend a few suggestions to repair my spinning wheel. I'm thinking finding a leather shoelace will be my best bet - it sounds the least expensive and will be easy to cut and tie. After 14 years, I am going to finally have a working wheel and will use it!

Today was the famed first day of school.

Ran errands this morning, mostly for the thesis, then saw about everyone from my department before heading to lunch. It was nice to have a relaxed lunch, not one in which I was rushing from a class to lunch then back to another. I also saw a friend from swing who I hadn't seen in some time.

Heat Transfer came first. That particular class is taught by a professor who does time both at our optics institute and the mechanical engineering department. I'm looking forward to his perspective - particularly since he described heat transfer as being "thermodynamics + math". Sounds good to me.

Vibrations was next, a class I am not sure of quite yet. It involves dynamics, which I got a B in, but I am going to have to really work on that one. At least I have had the professor before, so I know his style.

For now it is dinner time and then to reading - I've made an excellent skillet of chicken with black beans, corn and salsa, and have some rice on the side. If this first day is any indication of the rest of the semester, it will go well.

Yoga and HVAC

HVAC - heating, ventilation, and cooling. I just realised this should be added on 1/6/08.

The two don't seem related, but yesterday I found out there's a relationship.

We were doing a technicque today in which you roll your tounge into a "U" shape and breathe in. The air rushes over the saliva in your mouth and evaporates it, prodcuing a cooling sensation similar to sweat evaporating. Then, you shut your mouth and exhale through your nose.

It's a calming, cooling breath good for a hot summer day. We combined it with cobra pushups from the Kundalini school of yoga. The push up begins in a sitting position with the buttocks on the heels. Then, one leans forward and puts the hands down. Next, move slowly forward along the floor and gradually move the torso up and tilt the head back slightly.

I also have thesis news: it will begin this semester instead of summer, which I am fine with - this gives me a safety net of time to finish it in. Furthermore, this replaces senior design, so I will have a senior year of classes instead of scurrying about trying to make something work there. The professors I've found to work with are just starting up a lab, so I am excited! I'll be working more so on the experimental end of everything, which is something I've always wanted to do.

This semester will be an adventure - busy but also fun.

...and a Happy New Year

Hard to believe vacation went by so quickly once again. I'm back once more to my place up here and ready to get back to school (maybe). Just dropped $92 on books; not bad for one semester of engineering. I just had to get books for heat transfer and vibrations, thankfully, because simulations doesn't require a book and I have one for statistics already. I'd planned to take statistics about a year ago, and I didn't quite get to that.

For now, the task at hand is putting everything away, then making arrangements with the two professors I'm in contact with about my research. Thus far that has gone smoothly, which I am grateful.

One of the things to put away is my new set of tools from my parents. They found wrenches and screwdrivers on sale at Sears, so if you know toolmakers you can guess they're Craftsman! So now, everything that is remotely loose around me will be tightened. I also need to make sure that my bike seat is level, because it gave me a scare the last time I rode my bike. Another tool gift was a cordless screwdriver, which I needed. It's Companion, which is the Craftsman sub brand. Not only does it have an array of screw heads and different adjustments for speed, it's blue!

I am looking forward to starting the semester for the research, but also for the fact that I'll be back swing dancing again. It makes Thursday and Friday fun, and it's helped me socialize, which I need to work on, being an engineer. After working away in a lab, reading for hours on end, or doing problems 'till your eraser's worn out, human contact is entirely necessary.

Also, a small guilty pleasure that not just engineers can enjoy: pecan brittle. Pecans seem to edge towards the sweet side, and when they're drenched in hardened, caramelized sugar...oh my. I highly recommend making your own or finding some.