Today I learned that, tragically, I do not fit in a mini-cooper.
Well, technically I did fit, but it was a tight squeeze and quite uncomfortable.
Shame too; it was the cutest car I've ever been in. The world is just not made for tall people. Sighhh....
Sunday, April 29, 2007
Saturday, April 28, 2007
Entry 30: In Which We Are Reluctant To Sniff
Isn't it interesting how some things get more and more expensive every year (T-fare and movie tickets come immediately to mind), while other things get cheaper and cheaper? I don't really get it..... never was much good at economics.
This comes up because I had to replace my calculator this week. (Warning: geeky content ahead!) I got my first scientific calculator back in the 90's for around $40, as I recall. It was a really good calculator, though not super fancy. Scientific, but not a graphing calculator. (I have never actually used a graphing calculator; did all that stuff the old-fashioned way.) The things we've been through, that calculator and I...... chemistry, calculus, physics, o-chem (*shudder*)...... Oddly enough, I really enjoyed calc and physics, absolutely despised chemistry and of course o-chem (*shudder again*). Anyway, my calculator was totally reliable throughout it all, never crapping out in the middle of an exam, not even on the day I spilled tea on it. (The buttons did get stuck pretty frequently after that incident, though.) I got to the point where I didn't even have to look at the buttons; I could do everything by touch.
Sweet mercy, am I a huge geek or what.......
.....don't answer that.
These days I don't use my calculator much at all, except to balance my checkbook, and occasionally for population genetics problems in lab. I should have known it was on it's last legs, but I was still disappointed when it died earlier this week after 12 years of reliable service.
Long way around to the main point: I bought a replacement today, the exact same make and model, and it only cost $13. That's like a third of the original cost back in the '90s. Weird.....
In other news, my absolute favorite TV show, My Name Is Earl, is having a "scratch and sniff" episode this week, one of the single weirdest gimmicks I've ever heard of. You are supposed to get a scratch and sniff card in the TV guide, and I guess there is some sort of signal during the show as to when you're supposed to sniff certain things. I'm not sure whether to play along with this.... I think it sounds like a fairly stupid idea, though I suppose it could be funny if it's done really well.
I wonder how important it is to, you know, "smell along." Will I be missing much if I don't? Will the episode still be funny if you don't know what everybody else is smelling? These are the questions that haunt me.... (hey give me a break; it's refreshing to worry about something less critical than my thesis for a few minutes!) I'll be disappointed if this turns out to be as dumb as it sounds. It's such a funny show, and I'd be bummed if it turned stupid.
This comes up because I had to replace my calculator this week. (Warning: geeky content ahead!) I got my first scientific calculator back in the 90's for around $40, as I recall. It was a really good calculator, though not super fancy. Scientific, but not a graphing calculator. (I have never actually used a graphing calculator; did all that stuff the old-fashioned way.) The things we've been through, that calculator and I...... chemistry, calculus, physics, o-chem (*shudder*)...... Oddly enough, I really enjoyed calc and physics, absolutely despised chemistry and of course o-chem (*shudder again*). Anyway, my calculator was totally reliable throughout it all, never crapping out in the middle of an exam, not even on the day I spilled tea on it. (The buttons did get stuck pretty frequently after that incident, though.) I got to the point where I didn't even have to look at the buttons; I could do everything by touch.
Sweet mercy, am I a huge geek or what.......
.....don't answer that.
These days I don't use my calculator much at all, except to balance my checkbook, and occasionally for population genetics problems in lab. I should have known it was on it's last legs, but I was still disappointed when it died earlier this week after 12 years of reliable service.
Long way around to the main point: I bought a replacement today, the exact same make and model, and it only cost $13. That's like a third of the original cost back in the '90s. Weird.....
In other news, my absolute favorite TV show, My Name Is Earl, is having a "scratch and sniff" episode this week, one of the single weirdest gimmicks I've ever heard of. You are supposed to get a scratch and sniff card in the TV guide, and I guess there is some sort of signal during the show as to when you're supposed to sniff certain things. I'm not sure whether to play along with this.... I think it sounds like a fairly stupid idea, though I suppose it could be funny if it's done really well.
I wonder how important it is to, you know, "smell along." Will I be missing much if I don't? Will the episode still be funny if you don't know what everybody else is smelling? These are the questions that haunt me.... (hey give me a break; it's refreshing to worry about something less critical than my thesis for a few minutes!) I'll be disappointed if this turns out to be as dumb as it sounds. It's such a funny show, and I'd be bummed if it turned stupid.
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
Entry 29: In Which Boston Smiles
"...Their plan is to change the basic formula of chocolate... these changes will have adverse effects on the eating, physical and nutritional quality of chocolate..."
Excuse me??? Oh no no no, I think not.
Go here for more info:
http://dontmesswithourchocolate.guittard.com/whatsthisabout.asp
In other news: we hit 86 degrees yesterday in the city of Boston, a record high for the date. I generally prefer my weather in the 70s, but for some reason the heat yesterday felt really good.
Plus the combination of warm sunny weather and the fact that the Red Sox totally swept those Yankees at Fenway over the weekend made for a very cheerful city.
Excuse me??? Oh no no no, I think not.
Go here for more info:
http://dontmesswithourchocolate.guittard.com/whatsthisabout.asp
In other news: we hit 86 degrees yesterday in the city of Boston, a record high for the date. I generally prefer my weather in the 70s, but for some reason the heat yesterday felt really good.
Plus the combination of warm sunny weather and the fact that the Red Sox totally swept those Yankees at Fenway over the weekend made for a very cheerful city.
Sunday, April 22, 2007
Entry 28: In Which The Sun Comes Out And The Birds Sing
Last Saturday as I was heading to work, it was pouring down sleety rain, temperature in the upper 30s, nasty nasty weather. The two minute walk from the T across the river to the building was quite unpleasant. I zipped my jacket up to my chin and walked as fast as I could, jumping over puddles and wishing I'd thought to wear my boots. It was a big relief to get indoors to the warm, dry classrooms.
This Saturday as I was heading to work, it was gloriously sunny with a perfect blue sky, low humidity, light breeze, temperature in the low 70s, exactly my favorite weather conditions. The two minute walk from the T across the river to the building was just beautiful. I took off my jacket and dawdled along the way as much I could, soaking in the sun and wishing I'd thought to wear my sandals. It was very difficult to go indoors and spend three hours teaching in rooms without windows.
Isn't spring fabulous? In a way it's annoying because you never know what to wear. I just dug my Tevas out of storage, but I still have my winter boots out too. But it's also exciting, and I can't even begin to describe how good the sun feels after that long cold Nor'easter.
In other news, I'm finally caught up on "Lost". I was about three weeks behind and have had to be very careful navigating the interwebs to avoid spoilers. (Of course some people bring the spoilers right here to my own blog. *cough*-Adriane-*cough*) (Okay, that wasn't really much of a spoiler. You are forgiven.)
For the first time in a long while, I'm actually looking forward to the next episode. I'm still not as into Lost as I used to be, but I'm not sick of it anymore either. I think I just had to readjust my expectations. It will never be as good as it was season one, but it's still quite enjoyable.
This Saturday as I was heading to work, it was gloriously sunny with a perfect blue sky, low humidity, light breeze, temperature in the low 70s, exactly my favorite weather conditions. The two minute walk from the T across the river to the building was just beautiful. I took off my jacket and dawdled along the way as much I could, soaking in the sun and wishing I'd thought to wear my sandals. It was very difficult to go indoors and spend three hours teaching in rooms without windows.
Isn't spring fabulous? In a way it's annoying because you never know what to wear. I just dug my Tevas out of storage, but I still have my winter boots out too. But it's also exciting, and I can't even begin to describe how good the sun feels after that long cold Nor'easter.
In other news, I'm finally caught up on "Lost". I was about three weeks behind and have had to be very careful navigating the interwebs to avoid spoilers. (Of course some people bring the spoilers right here to my own blog. *cough*-Adriane-*cough*) (Okay, that wasn't really much of a spoiler. You are forgiven.)
For the first time in a long while, I'm actually looking forward to the next episode. I'm still not as into Lost as I used to be, but I'm not sick of it anymore either. I think I just had to readjust my expectations. It will never be as good as it was season one, but it's still quite enjoyable.
Monday, April 16, 2007
Entry 27: In Which We Type A Lot
Today I spent eight solid hours working on my thesis. Two hours went into making a flowchart showing the entire experimental design. It came out pretty spiffy, if I do say so myself. Which I do.
The rest of the day I spent writing. It's bizarre how unevenly time passes when I'm writing. Sometimes I get stuck, maybe trying to phrase a delicate point just right, or trying to work out which piece of my argument should come next, or trying to get a thought organized. Or trying to have a thought, even. And I stare at the wall for what feels like forty-five minutes or so, only when I finally turn back to the monitor, I find it's only been a minute or two.
And then sometimes I get sucked down into the writing, the words filling my head, no other thoughts, not even hearing the radio (*), fingers running over the keyboard like crazy, and time passes in long smooth gulps, an hour going by in what I'd swear was only five minutes.
*:(I always feel like writing blocks up my ears; I know that sounds totally weird, but I swear that's what it feels like)
It's crazy, I'm always startled to realize how much (or how little) time has gone by. And it sort of alternates; a slow stretch that seems to go on forever, and then I blink and an hour passes.
It only works this way when I can really concentrate on the writing. I have a hard time writing at school; there are too many interruptions and too many other things to do. I can only write for a small block of time before I get interrupted or have to go to a meeting or to lab. And it feels like I can't get a complete thought properly unfolded unless I get into that whole weird time-flies-by ears-blocked-up zone. It shows in the writing too; everything I do in those short blocks of time comes out choppy and disjointed.
When I can work at home and spend the whole day on the thesis, I don't just get more work done, I get better work done. Which is why I've been working so much on weekends lately.
All this has been a long and windy way to get to this point: I got a lot done today. It was nice.
My thesis now weighs in at about 35 pages. I don't think it will get too much longer. But we'll see.
Okay. Time to watch the Daily Show and eat chocolate pudding. Mmm, pudding.
The rest of the day I spent writing. It's bizarre how unevenly time passes when I'm writing. Sometimes I get stuck, maybe trying to phrase a delicate point just right, or trying to work out which piece of my argument should come next, or trying to get a thought organized. Or trying to have a thought, even. And I stare at the wall for what feels like forty-five minutes or so, only when I finally turn back to the monitor, I find it's only been a minute or two.
And then sometimes I get sucked down into the writing, the words filling my head, no other thoughts, not even hearing the radio (*), fingers running over the keyboard like crazy, and time passes in long smooth gulps, an hour going by in what I'd swear was only five minutes.
*:(I always feel like writing blocks up my ears; I know that sounds totally weird, but I swear that's what it feels like)
It's crazy, I'm always startled to realize how much (or how little) time has gone by. And it sort of alternates; a slow stretch that seems to go on forever, and then I blink and an hour passes.
It only works this way when I can really concentrate on the writing. I have a hard time writing at school; there are too many interruptions and too many other things to do. I can only write for a small block of time before I get interrupted or have to go to a meeting or to lab. And it feels like I can't get a complete thought properly unfolded unless I get into that whole weird time-flies-by ears-blocked-up zone. It shows in the writing too; everything I do in those short blocks of time comes out choppy and disjointed.
When I can work at home and spend the whole day on the thesis, I don't just get more work done, I get better work done. Which is why I've been working so much on weekends lately.
All this has been a long and windy way to get to this point: I got a lot done today. It was nice.
My thesis now weighs in at about 35 pages. I don't think it will get too much longer. But we'll see.
Okay. Time to watch the Daily Show and eat chocolate pudding. Mmm, pudding.
Friday, April 13, 2007
Entry 26: In Which We Haiku
It has been some time
since I tried to write haiku.
I've forgotten how.....
Next week we dissect
the trout and the squid. They smell.
Students get squeamish.
Dissections in lab,
mountains of papers to grade.
I need a nap now.
since I tried to write haiku.
I've forgotten how.....
Next week we dissect
the trout and the squid. They smell.
Students get squeamish.
Dissections in lab,
mountains of papers to grade.
I need a nap now.
Tuesday, April 10, 2007
Entry 25: In Which We Consider the Fall of the Sparrow
I know it's supposed to be a bad omen when a black cat crosses your path, but how about this:
The first thing I saw when I left the apartment on my birthday was a black cat with a ruby red collar leap into the bush in front of my window and catch a sparrow. Then it hopped back through the fence and walked across my path with the dead sparrow in it's mouth.
As omens go, it doesn't exactly bode well, does it?
The first thing I saw when I left the apartment on my birthday was a black cat with a ruby red collar leap into the bush in front of my window and catch a sparrow. Then it hopped back through the fence and walked across my path with the dead sparrow in it's mouth.
As omens go, it doesn't exactly bode well, does it?
Tuesday, April 3, 2007
Entry 24: In Which We Work At Home
I tried for years to deny the fact that I am a morning person. An extreme morning person, actually. It is just not socially acceptable. But there it is, all the same.
It's not just that I automatically wake up early (and fall asleep early), it's that my brain functions best in the morning. I do all my best thinking and get all my best work done before noon. I still get some good stuff done in the early afternoon, but it happens a bit more slowly. And the work I do in the late afternoon and evening has to be checked over the next morning to fix all the low-brain-power errors.
When I work at home, which I do most Tuesdays, I can pretty much just roll out of bed and get started. Usually I'll take a quick shower first, and then draw up my to-do list for the day while I eat breakfast. I'm usually halfway through the first item on the list by 7:00. This way I can take full advantage of those uber-productive, brain-firing-on-all-cylinders morning hours.
On days when I have to go to school, at least two of my best hours are wasted by an hour of getting ready to go, 45-plus minutes on the train, and 15 minutes or so of tidying up the lab and my office. (There's no point in tidying up when I leave at the end of the day since the lab is still being used by the night-owl type students.) Even so, I usually get started by about 8:30 or 8:45, and still get a decent amount done by noon. But I get soooo much more done when I can use those extra morning hours at home.
Plus, I really enjoy the satisfied feeling I have right now of having accomplished several important tasks before most people even arrive at work. It's like the day is already a great success, no matter what else I do or don't get done.
:)
It's not just that I automatically wake up early (and fall asleep early), it's that my brain functions best in the morning. I do all my best thinking and get all my best work done before noon. I still get some good stuff done in the early afternoon, but it happens a bit more slowly. And the work I do in the late afternoon and evening has to be checked over the next morning to fix all the low-brain-power errors.
When I work at home, which I do most Tuesdays, I can pretty much just roll out of bed and get started. Usually I'll take a quick shower first, and then draw up my to-do list for the day while I eat breakfast. I'm usually halfway through the first item on the list by 7:00. This way I can take full advantage of those uber-productive, brain-firing-on-all-cylinders morning hours.
On days when I have to go to school, at least two of my best hours are wasted by an hour of getting ready to go, 45-plus minutes on the train, and 15 minutes or so of tidying up the lab and my office. (There's no point in tidying up when I leave at the end of the day since the lab is still being used by the night-owl type students.) Even so, I usually get started by about 8:30 or 8:45, and still get a decent amount done by noon. But I get soooo much more done when I can use those extra morning hours at home.
Plus, I really enjoy the satisfied feeling I have right now of having accomplished several important tasks before most people even arrive at work. It's like the day is already a great success, no matter what else I do or don't get done.
:)
Sunday, April 1, 2007
Entry 23: In Which Agassiz Investigates
Today's Wikipedia picture of the day totally cracks me up. Go check it out:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:POTD/2007-04-01
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:POTD/2007-04-01
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