SSDD

07:00--Alarm clock goes off. I really didn't get enough sleep. Oh good...roommate just got into shower. Hit snooze.
07:30--Now I really have to get up.
07:35--Other roommate is in the bathroom. Maybe today is a good day to start eating breakfast.
07:45--Get into the shower. If I hurry I could catch the next bus to campus.
08:05--It's snowing! It was in the 60's yesterday! Where did I hide the zip-out fleece for my coat?
08:15--Zip-out fleece is installed. Pack workout bag, I really need to workout today. Pack pockets. Look out the window in disgust. Where's that stupid flash drive?
08:25--Ready to go...bus left 5 minutes ago. Oh well...now I can make my bed.
08:50--Leave to catch bus. I really don't want to go to school today. There's a quarter of an inch of snow on the ground, and it's still going strong! I hate snow.
09:05--Bus is late. Figures. I probably could have caught the last one.
09:12--Greeted by fellow graduate student. Did I know that it is 70 in St. George? Funny.
09:13--Glare at TGA. I have to switch furnaces today. That means I have to find the stabilization screw that I lost 6 months ago, and didn't bother to look for. Don't tell my advisor. Damn it! I forgot my workout clothes!
09:14--Hmmm....maybe this plate would come off.
09:15--It's dark in there. Where's that flashlight...Oh, this lamp will do.
09:16--Damn it! No screw. Lots of wires though. Probably should unplug TGA before I go poking around. School isn't supposed to be a religious experience.
09:17--Maybe screw would be easier to find if I remove the furnace.
09:25--Furnace removed. Still no screw. Is it possible for it to have fallen behind the furnace?
09:26--Need a screwdriver to remove back panel. Where did it get put last?
09:28--Got it! Now I just need to climb on top of the desk, go around the computer.....maybe I won't need to go to the gym today after all.
09:30--Back panel removed. No screw, isn't even possible for screw to fall there. Replace back panel.
09:32--Turn power off. Jiggle wires. Ah...Found the stupid screw. Replace the panel and start TGA back up.
09:35--Attempt to install new furnace.
09:40--Maybe furnace would be easier to install, if MS capillary isn't still attached. Now I just need two wrenches...
09:45--Capillary removed. Time to try again.
09:50--What is it hung up on now!! Oh...installed stabilization screw wrong. Try again.
09:55--Success!! Now it just needs to be calibrated...
09:56--Jared (fellow graduate student I'm supposed to train on the TGA) shows up. Good. I'll introduce him to the software by running the calibration.
10:30--One out of two calibration points obtained. Looks really good. Damn it! I forgot to switch to the new purge gas flow rates! Oh well, he isn't collecting real data today anyway. I'll redo the calibration later. Just got to let the furnace cool down so it can be opened...shouldn't be too long.
11:30--Oh yeah...this furnace cools down/heats up really slow. That's why we switched to the other one.
11:45--Next calibration point started. Jared has a lecture on glaciers to go to. He invites me...boy I wish I had time to go to a lecture I'm not interested in.
11:50--Finally have time to check e-mail. Advisor still hasn't forwarded e-mail about the chemical engineering research group who's TGA blew up on them. Send friendly reminder.
12:00--Start working on defense slides. They'll probably have to be rewritten once I get my thesis back from advisor, but it's something to do.
12:20--Check on TGA calibration. It's done...looking really good. TGA probably doesn't have to be recalibrated. Need to let the oven cool so I can see how accurate it is at room temperature. Back to slides.
13:00--Oven cooled enough to open. Cools faster this way. Back to slides.
13:15--Nice, oven cooled. Room temperature calibration looks good. Don't have to mess with the calibration. Back to slides.
13:45--Jared comes back. Must have gotten lunch. I'm hungry. Time for lunch.
14:00--Bring lunch back to the office, union is too crowded. Check e-mail. Oh, got e-mail from advisor. Forwaring to engineering student and her advisor. Add note: "I'm a slave who has too much to do. Please give me more work."
14:10--Oh yeah, I got lunch.
14:20--I haven't done the online puzzle yet. Yea...something fun to do.
14:30--That was quick. I'll do last weekends.
14:50--Yea! It was a circular one, they're harder. Go check on Jared. Everything is fine. Back to slides.
15:00--Dad bought two stuffed sheep at Wal-Mart. He sent me a pic. He looked up, online, what type of sheep they are. That's how they got their names. ...Ok...back to slides.
16:30--That Pepsi with lunch is really getting to me. Time for a potty break. I'm bored of slides...time to check the fan fic I've been following.
16:45--Nothing new. Time to go back to slides.
17:00--Two other graduate students come by. They want to look at the data that they collected yesterday. Jared is still using the TGA, they decide to come back later. Back to slides.
17:30--Crap. There was a lecture I was going to go to half an hour ago. Oh well, I was only mildly interested anyway. I'm bored of slides. Time to surf the net.
17:45--Graduate students come back. Let them into the lab. Back to slides, I'm almost half done. It's hard condensing forty pages into easy to read slides.
18:00--Jared has a question. Easily answered, thankfully. His mom is in town. Lucky dog...he gets a home cooked meal.
18:30--I'd better leave if I don't want to walk home. Last bus from campus leaves in 10 minutes.
19:00--My boyfriend calls. "Big Bang Theory" is online! Yea! I get to see it, even if the stupid VCR didn't record it. Mmmm...pizza sounds good.
19:45--Pizza was good. "Big Bang Theory" was funny. Not as funny as last week, but funny. Reminds me of why I don't lie; it's just too much work. "How I met your mother" sounds good.
20:30--"How I met your mother" was funny.
20:48--Everyone's day was average. Told sheep story. Learned that sheep like to get tangled in barbed wire fences, and buffalo like to walk through them.
20:50--I'm going to be kicked out soon. I don't want to go, that means the day is over. I have more slides to do tomorrow. Maybe if I start a tickle fight...
21:00--Only mildly successful. Maybe it would work better if I was ticklish.
21:15--Arrive home. Now I have to say goodnight. Sad. But he hasn't shaved for a few days, so bearable.
21:30--Turn on computer. Time to check out my friends' blogs. I wonder how Deetzland is doing?
22:00--Nothing new. Deetzland is thriving. 92 citizens, everyone gets their own house. I counted. No one posted to my blog either. Maybe I should do something about that. Just got to think of something to say...
22:15--Got this really dumb idea. Now I'm blogging...
23:00--Just got to spell check, then I can get ready for bed. Maybe play 15 min of video games....we all know it's never just 15 min.

This bud's for you

Dear Moral Reprobate,

While I congratulate your eagerness to leave your mark on the world, I do not think that my car is the appropriate place. Can't you find a street sign, or fire hydrant somewhere to vandalize? There is a stop sign about half a block away from where I park. Maybe you need glasses.

I understand that accidents sometimes happen. It is a sad thing that when we don't have the proverbial balls to own up to our mistakes. Couldn't you have left a note? Do I need to keep pen and paper outside of my car, as well as inside? I am assuming you do know how to read and write; after all most five-year-olds can write their name and phone number. Do you enjoy being morally egregious?

I would offer you a cold one, but you probably wouldn't want it. Considering the mood I'm in, spit would be the nicest thing I would put in it!




*whew* I really feel better now. You guys should really try this! It works.

Leap Year Equality

I came across some interesting trivia today, and thought I would share. Should anyone care to check the source, something that I am ashamed to admit that I did not do, the story can be found here http://marriage.about.com/cs/holidays/a/leapyear.htm

In 1288, Scotland passed a law that allowed women to propose marriage on February 29th. Included in the law was a penalty for any man who declined. The penalty could range from a kiss to payment for a silk dress or a pair of gloves. So...how many of you gals out there would like a silk dress? You have 6 hours and 56 minutes to fund it...6 hours and 50 minutes...

SAoS

While playing on line, JLD found a list of facts about Bill Nye. The list can be found here http://billnyefacts.googlepages.com/. In one of the heavily embellished stories about his social life, a Teddy Bear of Science is mentioned. We decided that we needed teddy bears of science. Since not all are partial to teddy bears, I have taken the liberty of expanding the genera to include all stuffed animals. Presto! SAoS (Stuffed Animals of Science) are born!

Now, you may ask, "What makes a true SAoS?" There are three criteria that every SAoS must conform to. The stuffed animal in question must:

1. be made/purchased with the specific intent on becoming a SAoS (no retrofitting, please),
2. contain within it something that the scientific community uses regularly, and
3. must wear one of two things (bonus points if both are present) a bow tie displaying a terminal bachelor pattern, or a lab coat.

Glasses and other accessories are a nice touch, but entirely optional. On impulse several years ago, I bought a pack of wallet-sized periodic tables. Armed with these, we went to build-a-bear. We had begun the first leg of our quest for the SAoS! Finding a parking spot was difficult.

PART 1: FIND PARKING. We were driving around, when we got stopped in a long line of someone waiting for a parking spot. We were patient; after all we were on the brink of obtaining the SAoS! However, the guy in the pickup truck (a rather large pickup truck) wasn't so patient. He kept backing up and maneuvering himself in really weird positions. We were half convinced that he was trying to get into a small parking spot when he signaled something to me (I was driving. I'm not that cute). JLD thought he was telling me to take the spot, and I thought that he was saying he wants the spot. Either would require me to back up, and there were four cars behind me. Besides, I really didn't want that spot. It was right at the intersection and would be difficult to get out of. He gave up, and the line eventually moved. He then proceeded to take an even smaller spot. He had to fold the driver's side mirror in, to avoid having it taken off. The trim on the side of his truck wasn't so lucky. He cursed and drove off. Our laughter over him folding his mirror in died quickly. Later, I wondered how he thought he was going to get out of his truck. Maybe he only likes to park?

PART 2: BUILD-A-BEAR. For those of you who are not familiar with build-a-bear, they don't only have bears. They have a lot of bears, some in ungodly colors and patterns. While perusing the selection, it occurred to me. Teddy bears of science are really cool, but you can't beat a GROUNDHOG OF SCIENCE! I had made my selection. It was stuffed with cotton, the second requirement (a wallet sized periodic table), and the customary heart. It was bathed (more like an air shower). Now it was time to fulfill the third requirement. I looked around the store, and then had to look around again. There were no bow ties, and the closest thing to a lab coat was a bathrobe. Disillusioned, I bought the bathrobe thinking maybe I could modify it to make it work. I then moved to the computers, to name my Groundhog of Science. At checkout I was asked if I named by groundhog. I told her "Yes, I named him Groundhog of Science." She didn't even bat an eye; she just went over and picked up the birth certificate. I wonder what she would have done if I said Bob or Digger? She probably would have had a heart attack.

PART 3: LEAVING THE PARKING STRUCTURE. We inspected the wall, and found part of the truck. We laughed (getting your car crunched is only funny after a the shock wears off), shook our heads, and got into the car. Unsurprisingly enough, there was a line leaving the parking structure. Thinking it would be a while before we could make any significant progress on leaving, we started to discuss how to modify the bathrobe and the possibility of pocket protectors. There were two parking attendants, or two really creepy guys, standing next to the exit. They noticed that I didn’t notice that the line had moved a whole two feet. They clapped and yelled at me to move forward. We were stunned. I mean, how rude! I'm no beauty, but neither do I have a tail! I was good though, and pulled up quickly.

PART 4: TAILORING. That night I proceeded to modify the previously mentioned bathrobe. After 20 minutes of work it looked like a belt less bathrobe, that has a collar instead of a hood. Needless to say, I was not impressed. I spent a few hours today running around to department and toy stores looking for a lab coat/doctor's outfit for my groundhog of science. I found only disappointment. I remember seeing such things when I was a kid. What is the world coming to, when children can no longer dress their teddy bears (or groundhogs) up to be doctors! We are depriving our children! My roommate had the wise suggestion of going on line. I did, and finally found a lab coat! It's even called a lab coat. It is being shipped as you read!

Pics of the groundhog of science to come!

Way to go, little bro!

Last Sunday my little brother (CE) was ordained an Elder in the LDS church. I so wanted to be there, but I couldn't afford to drive down. It made me sad. Today he got his mission call. He is going to serve in the Santiago, Chile mission! He leaves for the MTC on May 21st. We are so psyched for him. He is going to learn and grow so much; I envy him. *grin* I bet now he wishes that he listened to me and took Spanish, instead of German, in high school.

I almost forgot. Being the good big sister that I am, when he first started planning on a mission, I would tease him about serving on temple square. He was really disgusted with this; he wanted to go foreign. My response to that was "Then you'll go to Canada." Glad to be wrong.

*thanks go to JLD for the title suggestion*

The shame of it all!

Last night (since it is now this morning--don't believe the posted time. I don't know what blogspot.com is smoking, but we'll have a party when I figure it out.) I had the hierarchy of soda explained to me. And he did it with a straight face!

Nick and I were eating dinner at A&W. Since A&W also is KFC you have to get chicken. The potpie is the best, but I was trying the Caesar salad. It was good, not as good as the potpie though. And since it is A&W, you also have to get a root beer float. Yum! We were finishing our meal, and I was getting too full for my float. This always happens to me. Why do they have to make meals so big? After I explained this, Nick said that I had to finish the soda, but I could leave the ice cream. I asked why. I am kind of like a two-year-old in this regard; I'll never figure out how he puts up with me. He replied "Because it's A&W... from a tap!" What's more, he said it like it was the most obvious thing in the world. And that brought up the memory of my sacrilege.

Before we were dating, we were both at the same bonfire. These bonfires were the best! And Nick would usually do most of the planning. Thanks, Nick! We would go shooting, get to play with fire, build smores, and every once and a while someone would bring something completely odd to burn. We burned computers, textbooks, couches, underwear, wedding dresses, you name it and it was probably burned at one of these bonfires. Once one of my roommates brought a robot karaoke machine. She 'walked' it right into the fire. I thought it was a fitting end. But anyway.... I digress. Towards the end we had an enormous pile of ashes, and left over soda. I wanted to explode a soda. What self-respecting chemist wouldn't? When I expressed this desire everyone agreed so, I took a soda out to warm it up. All that was left was the A&W (Boy I wish I was getting paid for all this sponsership!) root beer and the equally A&W cream soda. Since I don't really care for either, it didn't matter to me which one bit it. However Nick and his roommates like root beer so, I chose the cream soda. Nick happened to walk by the can as it was warming up. He explained to me, very passionately I might add, how it was an unpardonable sin to waste A&W. I figured God would understand, and buried the can in the ashes. Besides, He always seemed more of an IBC man to me. We then proceeded to wait for it to explode. We waited…. and waited… and waited. Eventually we lost patients, and turned away. It chose right then to explode. Nick said it was a fitting punishment. I almost threw another can in.

Moving in SLC

Yesterday I helped a friend, and fellow graduate student, move. Luckily there were lots of us there. Packing up and moving a four-bedroom house is not a lot of fun, but we managed to keep up enough friendly insults and banter going to keep it interesting. At the end one of the graduate students there related a really funny story about when she moved.

They (she and her dad) were checking out the house, making sure that everything was ready for the next day's big move. One of the neighbors came out to chat--umm...more like grill. From her description I got the picture of a retired ex-relief society president who is used to running to ward and is not willing to allow others the opportunity--especially the bishop. You know the kind, you almost feel the urge to click your heals and salute when she asks you to do something. But anyway...she came out and was asking questions. Who are you?... What do you do?...Where are you moving from?...Are you married/have a boyfriend?...and the like. Before they left she asked if she would like some help moving in. They said yes, thinking that there would be two or three people showing up tomorrow to help.

Tomorrow came, and the entire 41st ward showed up to help. She was so astonished! She said that her dad didn't even have to move a single box. He just stood by the doorway directing traffic. Kind of like the Nextel commercial. She said that after she was all moved in, everyone almost ran away. This is what she thought did it. She was almost 30, unmarried organic chemistry graduate student. And the last box that they unloaded off the truck was labeled "BOOZE YOU BREAK IT YOU DIE."