ME + Difficult Research = BAD + MOM = Better or Worse?

What a gray day. I'm glad yesterday was an active one. B and I got up late in the morning, had some breakfast and went to check out the SSME Coaster Derby. Teams get together and build adult versions of the boxcar: no engine, metal frame, few restrictions (car + driver < 600lbs). If you've ever been to Fredericton, you know the university is built on a fairly significant hill. The derby course runs down the road on one side of the university, with nothing but a few tires keeping the drivers from crashing into some painful objects. It was a fairly eventful morning with free food, a dj pumping random music outdoors, and a few crashes. After a few practice runs, the teams began the individual time trials. Now maybe it's just opinion, but so far many have agreed, standing right behind a waist high wall of tires with a 500-600lb object flying towards you is not the best idea. It seems not everyone has this much common sense. A few dads chose to stand behind one such wall of tires because it provided such a great viewpoint. Well, one driver didn't quite make the corner and flew straight into that tire wall; dads and kids went flying through the air. We found out later that dads and kids went flying through the air because they dove out of the way, and luckily not because they were thrown as it had first appeared. We left shortly after, just as they were starting to run two cars at a time...I can only imagine the carnage that insued. This was by the way, the 30th anniversary of the Coaster Derby, so I don't imagine the safety risks will put a damper on things.

Yesterday afternoon, B and I went on a little adventure to the wood lot. Just getting there was most of the adventure, first I wasn't allowed to go into the woods before I could ride over the curb, and immediately down a wet grassy hill into a ditch before the woods. Being the chicken that I am, this took forever. I eventually got both tires over the curb, but there was no way I was continueing down the hill...I don't like slimey wet hills, I also don't like going down a hill on which I have to stop in the next five feet. Yes, I am aware that I need to work on this. What came next was far more amusing. Rather than heading straight into the woods where we were, we decided to navigate around a large puddle, into the woodlot. Others had obviously made it around before, as on the edges of the large puddle, there were smaller puddles in the brush with planks laid across them. B went across the first plank fine, then went he came to the second puddle, there were planks there, but they were insufficient. He laid his bike down and decided to try and make it better. I turned around for just a minute, and heard a huge splash! Looking back, there was B, dripping from the waist down...how he managed it, I don't know, the puddle was only a foot deep. Now that he was soaked he didn't care how wet he got, so he went and found some rocks and strategically placed them in the second puddle so that I could carry my bike across it. First I had to get across the first, which I accomplished a little less gracefully than B had. He caught me as I was slipping off the plank on the edge of the puddle, I ended up with one wet foot...not bad. Now that we finally made it into the woodlot, we followed the main path, looking for the trail we had taken the last time. Turns out we took a wrong turn, and were definitely not heading in the same direction. The path we took led us to this huge sandy, gravely deposit, like a big hill in a clearing. We will definitely go back, if we can find it again...I wish I had my camera or my sketch book. We spent a half hour there playing on the slopes before heading back for supper.

Anyone have any idea what I should be researching for my Flow-induced-vibrations class? I was looking at the effect on sails/blades, but that's not going so well...perhaps you have a brilliant idea of where I might find this information?

The whole job thing has been overly distracting lately; beginning with application deadlines, onto interview hysteria, then ranking panic, and finally accepting a position. Now what? I don't know what to lose it over anymore. Don't get me wrong, there are lots of other things to go crazy from. Today for example, I had two midterms. The first was beautiful; I went in terrified, and came out beaming. The second, I believed I suffered from inflated ego developped by the first. It went not so well...although I still see the possibility of a B? Do I hear a B? I'll find out soon enough. At the moment I'm supposed to be writing editing a progress report for one of those wretched term projects I've been whinning about. I should get on that eh? Considering it is a group effort and I haven't done much considering the other two thirds of the group live together and talk about things when I'm not around. Hmm...that sounded like jealousy, while really it wasn't.

Can someone tell me where Dad got all these pumpkins? 

This is me giving up my studying to go to bed. I have two midterms tomorrow, and I'm absolutely exhausted.

Employed

Well folks, looks like I'll be going fa, fa away in January. Today I accepted a job in Fort McMurray. Can you even imagine? Pussy me is going "up North", and I'm excited about it! B's a little reluctant to be excited. He doesn't want me to be so far away for so long. Hey, why not do it while I can? I've been itching to go on a trip, this wasn't what I had in mind, but I'm still pumped about it. Will you all miss me while I'm gone?

Feeling very tiny in a very large cave. I have a lot to do, but don't know where to start. That's not entirely true; I know where I can start: with tomorrow's assignment. For some reason however, I'm getting drawn in by the other deadlines looming over my head. The big deadlines hadn't even been considered yet, but now I'm getting frightened. I have a team design project, a group measurements project, and an individual research effort for vibrations. The research for vibrations is most nerve wracking as I do not yet have a topic chosen, and this report will be replacing our final exam.

Very interesting thread; or at least in my opinion. A discussion of "whole brained" engineers.

Word keeps crashing, I need to go to sleep, and I haven't read the job ads for my interviews tomorrow.

Feeling a little sick to my stomach and a lot nervous. Tomorrow morning, I will have three job interviews back to back. I think I'm going to spew. Ha...spew, such a vulgar word, I love it. Why is it that last year I didn't get a single job interview? Well...I guess you could say I had two...whatever. Then this year I've gotten five...all first round jobs. Watch, none of them will want me. Say a little prayer for me, I'm going to need it.

I'm getting overly frustrate today...I keep hitting these stupid stumbling blocks, like not noticing that some bit of data was given in the problem and agonizing over how to find it. Plus there was a problem on one assignment that is apparently unsolvable...you just assume things are equal that never really would be; damn stupid if you ask me. I wanted to get a lot of work done today...I could have if I knew what to do...I keep calculating rediculous values. I have to get my thermo lab write up done tomorrow...Thursday is going to be rediculous...three job interviews. I'm going to be a nervous wreck on Thursday. Thank goodness my next midterm is on Friday.

:P Today, I suck. I've gotten little to nothing done, and it's frustrating me. I don't want to do work. I do though, but I don't. ARG! I don't know what to do to make it better. I just want to go to sleep.

Well, I lucked out today...I've never seen weather like this in Fredericton before. Squalls have been going through all day, can that happen inland? It poured rain this morning, then cleared up and was sunny and nice. I went to church, came back and the second I was safe in my room, the sky opened up again. Insanely heavy rain, furious wind, and even a little hail. Since when do we get "weather" here?

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About a month ago B and I went camping down by the river...it just takes me forever to get pictures developed. We biked there and back, went canoeing, and mini-golfing, walked along the river, had a grand ol' time. 

Just came from checkin out Chillin' Room at the Cellar. I'm satisfied.

Ahhh...a Friday night my style. No work, a nice glass of wine (cheap wine mind you, my new favorite: Sutter Home white zinfindel) and plans to go to the cellar for mellow music.

So much shouting, So much laughter. 

Apparently I just drooled on my laptop...ahh...that amuses me.

I'm probably supposed to reply to this.

Pub crawl is upon us. Could all of you verbally advertise it and accept payment for tickets, then email me the names.

All are welcome. Word of mouth will get this going.

If anyone can make some signs/posters, or sell in the lobby at any time today that would be great. Selling tomorrow in the lobby and E-43 is essential. We should have the t's tonight I hope. Let me know when you are available.

I think it's part of my whole "selfish" attitude. I haven't done a thing for them this year, and I know I don't really intend on doing anything. Is that wrong? Or completely acceptable? I can't decide.

I think dumb was the most appropriate description of my effectiveness today. It was a great day to have a job interview and a midterm. Liam one up-ed me though and went home sick during the midterm. I haven't had a day this dumb in awhile. I have to get a thermo assignment done, but I don't feel stressed...just dumb. Lordy this is bad. I can't even communicate effectively. When I came in tonight to tell B about how off center I was today I tripped over my own two feet.

Mmm..mmm! That was good eatin. I am still full from this weekend. I am completely satisfied with this weekend; I got to see everyone I wanted to without cutting into my relaxing time. I don't feel completely exhausted from too much party, nor dissatisfied with my visiting. Somehow I usually get back to school feeling a little of both. Now, however, I do need to get my assignment done since I did absolutely no work while I was home.

I got the new Tegan and Sara album a few weeks ago...yes, two days after it came out. Anyway, wasn't thoroughly impressed after the first listen or two, but now I'm hooked. Why is that? It seems like that always happens, and I know I'm not the only one it happens to. Are human beings that easily convinced? Who am I kidding, human beings, animals are more easily convinced aren't they? Give a dog a treat and you can convince him that anything is good.

And I'm done...

Need to get my second wind. I can't handle being up at this hour of the night. I have two thermo problems left and then I'm going to crash and burn...I think I'm already burning.

I was supposed to get shit done this morning...other than the laundry and taking out the garbage, I haven't accomplished much.

It's weird, as today went by, it didn't seem particularly interesting, but looking back it was fascinating. I actually did cool things in school today. In thermo, we talked about turbo-jet, and turbo-prop engines (like on planes). Then in design my prof brought in a piston and piston rod from a Ford model-T. And to top it off, this afternoon, we measured the pressure inside an unopened pop can using strain gauges. I came home and cuddled up with B. Why doesn't everyday seem this interesting?

Am I pathetic for being drawn in by "free" shit. I haven't yet determined if this photo hosting business is actually free, but I'll test it out. This little item amused me so I shall use it for my test. 

When the person you spend 90% of your time with is ticked off for multiple days on end it begins to affect you. You become ticked off in your own right. Hmm...third person talk, is that my way of not pointing fingers? Sometimes I wish I could just let things roll off my back, but if that were the case then the good wouldn't be so good.