Satisfying Saturday.

I actually can't say that any of my Saturday before 5:30-ish was satisfying (that's when I was at work) but there were good FOH and BOH crews on and Heather is back so it wasn't so bad. 

But lord knows there's no better time to do laundry than on a Saturday night. That's what I did and I had my pick of washers and dryers the whole time, without even having to worry about getting back to the laundromat in time so that someone else wouldn't have to wait for me to take my stuff out. As if that weren't enough, I also made a much-needed run to Hannaford's between washing and drying so I'm both clean and well-stocked. Excellent.

I had three exams between Thursday and Friday and the upshot has been that homework is light this weekend. I feel pretty comfortable with my effort and progress so far so I've taken most of tonight to do non-school stuff, including relaxing. Also excellent.

Oh, I wanted to mention that I worked my first proper shift at the MRIL on Friday, logging about four hours before I had to leave for that other job I reluctantly cling to. I began by sitting down with Hyomin, who is the graduate student with whom I expect to do most of my work in the foreseeable future, so he could explain in more detail what he's working on. Actually, the conversation started out with me mentioning that I had had a test earlier and he asked which class the test was in. I told him physics and he waited for a second before tentatively asking "General physics? But you're a sophomore, right? I thought you were supposed to take that during your freshman year..." I had suspected that he (and the faculty member with whom I originally spoke about the position) thought I was a sophomore but I never said anything because it never came up. No worry; I've done nothing wrong and I know that I've impressed them in what little ways I can so far so I don't expect any harm to come of this wee realization on Hyomin's part. After he explained the neat physics behind his work, we set up an experiment to test an old version and a new version of a piece of his equipment (to make sure that the new one responds similarly to the old one) and I spent the rest of the afternoon staring at an oscilloscope, inputing signals to the equipment and measuring their responses. It's physics and I like it.

That's it for now. I'm going to shuffle around for a little while longer then relax my way into bed.

Supersaturation.

It's possible to actually dissolve more sugar into water than is conventionally termed "possible" by solubility rules; I believe that this is how caramel is made (and it works for many other solutes, too). The catch is that if you give the dissolved solid even the tiniest place to latch onto, everything will fall out of solution into crystals once the sugar molecules realize that they've been duped. This is how rock candy is made. 

I am at that point of supersaturation, as described above: when I think about my schedule for any number of days previous to this one, I can't believe I've fit as much into them as I have and I suspect that if just one more commitment were to arise, the whole game would be up. For now, the busyness is one of the most satisfying feelings I've had in a while. I feel like everything has its place in a worthwhile routine and I know that having that routine helps guard against my worst pitfall: beating myself up for not having used free time productively. I guess it's similar to solving one's money woes by giving it all away. That's probably not as effective as giving away all of one's free time. It's possible that I may not know what I'm talking about at this point and it's probably that my brain is too mushy to get across anything coherent anyway.

Okay, by now you likely realize that we're into short-post season so I won't apologize for not saying much more. I have two tests tomorrow then a test on Friday plus the Green Job Day of Action event that we in Power Vote have been feverishly working on. I might could blow it off if not for the fact that I'm a media point person for the event. That's just fine. Good busy is way more interesting than bored. I'm beginning to wonder why I ever spent time (and money) going out to the bar. I'm having much more fun now.

But that's probably just a phase. :)

It's getting serious.

I'm going steady with school and I think she's the one. The ol' schedule is really starting to heat up; between classes, homework, Friday's, research at the MRIL and Power Vote, I barely have time to do...oh...Power Vote, research at the MRIL, Friday's, homework and classes. 

Let me share this with you before I decide that there are five things I should be doing that aren't posting to this blog: this article is from the Save The Ales party that we had at the Stone Church a few weeks ago. I look so hip, huh? Those are, in fact, three women surrounding me, but don't suggest that I approach one with romantic inquiry. I don't mix love and stress.

Classes: great. Homework: in on time. And I do still get enough sleep and food. I'll never lose that part of my game.

I can't think of much else and if posts continue to be this short, I hope you'll forgive me. I have three exams this week but don't wish me luck because we're not allowed to used that in science.

In moderation.

Not everyday does something incredible happen. Today was one of not those days. I have nothing noteworthy to report, but report I shall for this simple reason: this blog may be part of someone's morning routine and I know well from deep personal study that a morning routine is not to be trifled with. Good morning.

I do want to mention that I have become somewhat of a professional in the world of collegiate lunch eating. Much credit for my success is due to the structure of my meal plan. I get a certain number of visits for the school year and once they swipe my car at the entrance, I am free to eat, drink and sit around as I please and since this is ultimately my money we're talking about here, I do eat, drink and sit around exactly as I please. Additionally, no one can bring a bag or water bottle in (the all-you-can-eat set-up is to blame for that), so I tend to not bother bringing in any school work or textbooks - just me and whichever book I'm pleasure reading at the time. So we sit, my book and I, through possibly a sandwich, then an entree, then a second entree, then perhaps a salad and a few cookies, all the while downing delicious coffee and life-giving water and thoroughly enjoying ourselves. At our leisure. Just as we please. So lunch has become the break in my day, which I realize now is perfect because I end up spending the evenings doing school work and I ought to anyway because an idle student pays the barman's rent if you follow me.

Okay enough. I promised you nothing special and I shan't be made a liar.

What does the pavement get when a car drives over it?

Tired.

And I'm just a little hunk o' pavement.

This shotgun post must be written, though, because today was a day worth telling you about. (I didn't run into Dave Zamansky, if that's what you're waiting for.) I spent the morning geeking out over an assignment for that computer programming class I hate so much; there's nothing new there but it's worth documenting. I didn't do much more before lunch but I spent a lot of that time worrying and clenching my jaw over how to tell the Power Vote gals that I had gotten myself in over my head, that my time was becoming more and more allocated to course work more quickly than I had planned and that I was beginning to have nightmares about petitioning around campus. I would have to be reasonable yet firm. I would have to emphasize that I support their cause but that my time is my own and I must devote it to my true academic love. Maybe I would just skip the meeting...

So onward I went, often returning to thoughts of how to say it best but generally occupied by the rest of my day's chores (not really) and leisurely pursuits (a long lunch), eventually coming to rest at a picnic table outside DeMeritt Hall where I meant to split the remaining half hour before physics class between textbook reading and pleasure reading. I had not given my backpack zipper the full tour of its length when who should descend from his lofty (he employs Kevin Garnett to tie his shoelaces) perch but the sophomore physics TA. That one. And what did he have to say?

Hi.

I am prepared to say (though I shall wait a proper interval to do so) that I have spoken my last ill quip of this guy. He mentioned something about needing a different activity for class than was originally posted on the website but I think he really just came over to chat. After a few minutes, I had taken out V For Vendetta, my introduction to the graphic novel and he had seen the movie so we started talking about it and how his roommates love those post-overthrow, politically-focus stories. He left for something and came back for much of the time before class we discussed the courses he's taking, what he had done in undergrad research positions and, of course, the LHC (we are physics students, after all).

In class, while we were all working on that exercise referenced above, he came over to our group to peer over our shoulders just as the professor and the other TA were doing and when he noticed a small error of haste on my page, rapped my over the head lightly with a rolled up piece of paper and that's when I got it. That's what he was doing on the first day when he called into question my basic reasoning skills. He was just trying to be light-hearted, to be an un-teacher.

But that doesn't mean I've forgotten about it.

Things continue to look up in that class so there you have it.

What of Power Vote? Thanks for remembering. I went to the meeting preparing my excuses the whole way but those girls must have poked into my brain already (it never takes long) because for the first time, I found out about all kinds of non-petitioning help that I can lend based upon whatever free time I have in my schedule. I knew they'd come through for me. I feel much better about continuing to help them get their message out across campus and beyond now that I can do so in ways that suit me better. So for now I'm still signed on and maybe I'll get to do some neat stuff like give interviews to newspapers or arrange an event at the Barley Pub.

It's upward and onward we go.

Who doesn't like Mondays?

I don't have much to say, which I count as good news, but I like to post on Monday as a way of indicating that I made it through the weekend without going crazy. Actually, there is something to relate from this weekend and it has to do with Friday's. Does anyone remember what I was saying about trying to get fired? Well I think I've shot myself in the foot with regards to that plan. The Big Boss came in on Sunday and events transpired in the strangest manner: well. He only spent about half an hour in the store and left without any ranting or raving. What's worse is that not only did I not get myself fired but I actually made him laugh. So I guess I have to do this the hard way and find a more interesting job like everyone else.

Oh here's another story. I hadn't run into [former landlord] Dave Zamansky for a whole week and a half when, out of thin air, I heard him call my name as we passed on opposite sides of Main Street in Durham last Thursday. We caught up a little bit with the usual chit-chat then assured each other than we would run into each other soon. Neither of us was made a liar, for a mere two hours passed before I found him again crossing my path, at which point we engaged in round two of catch-up - probing for trivial answers to all the little questions we didn't think to ask the first time (an added feature of this meeting was that I got to wave through the window of the Writing Center to his wife, Jennifer who, we both determined, didn't recognize me). Again, we vowed to meet up soon. Sure enough, as I sat down for dinner in the dining hall, there was my pal Dave with a plate of food, crossing from the opposite direction to take his seat and hanging around just long enough to nab some of my spicy fries (for which I can't blame him). Finally, I left campus ultimately to drive home, but first to stop into a Power Vote meeting taking place in the office just off of the school grounds. Cars coming from my left stopped and I got halfway out into the street before I had to pause so as not to get run over by...

...Dave Zamansky. I haven't seen him since.

Today was a string of minor successes (defined as any non-failure), including calculus class, a meeting with my calc professor during his office hours and a meeting with the [graduate] physics TA during the office hours that she was covering for our professor. Amanda is the TA's name and the bulk of my questions for her concerned how she came to settle on her current research focus, which is materials science or surface physics. Her answers were general but reassuring because she affirmed my hope that it takes all four years to find that focus and that (perhaps more relevant to recent developments) it's okay to take research positions in one field without committing to indefinitely to that field. As usual, I expect that answer but was glad to actually hear it. 

Unfortunately for the Power Vote folks, I've had a tough time scheduling time for that group but I also haven't made any promises I can't keep. They and I know that it's volunteer work and I have made my priorities clear. 

We had a Moses Irons gig at the Oriental Delight on Friday and it went as well this time as it did the first. I think it's just so comfortable that we relax and play better in turn. The good food helps.

Skippy Zoom, space ranger at last.

Let's get straight to the day's news. I have a job working as an undergraduate research assistant at the Magnetosphere-Ionosphere Research Lab within the UNH Space Science Center. It pays like an undergraduate research job (somewhere between second-summer dishwasher and entry-level prep cook) and only offers about ten hours a week to start but I am tremendously excited. This is a great opportunity not only to explore some really interesting applied physics but to meet some faculty and grad students involved in physics research as well. My math-and-physics-guru-for-a-year at the Pease Tech., Ed, will be so pleased that he might forgive me for bleeding on a calculus book he loaned me. Punk math.

Otherwise, today has been physics. Still, I am made painfully aware of how much time I spent this summer studying applied math and how little I really spent studying physics. The two are close, yes and I have no regret about developing the mathematical foundation but it's clear that I need to pay extra close attention to really wrapping my brain around the basic physics skills we're working on. 

I woke up a little sticky around the edges for having had my fair portion of fun at the bluegrass jam down at the Pub last night and as such considered taking a nap but the window of opportunity has passed. In a few hours, we'll go down to Oriental Delight to play some Moses Irons folky blues. I'm still not certain about how we're being compensated, but I expect to at least be fed, which has special significance for me these days. 

"Be well, do good work and keep in touch"

(5 points for identifying the speaker)

Listen to Your Father.

For nearly two years, my dad has told me something similar to "just take one programming course and you can get a job working with computers" (sorry Dad, that's a gross over-simplification) and I would respond sort of like "but I'm not really into computers." Well I'm here to go on record as having eaten my words. I'm having such a fun time in this Introduction to Scientific Programming course that I can't imagine what I was ever worried about. Maybe I thought it was going to be a bunch of dry talk over bits and bytes or meticulously scratching out endless sequences of ones and zeros but that couldn't be further from the truth. It's magic. I'm doing magic. 

I start off by learning little pieces of a new language, which satisfies that linguistics interest I've always had, then I put them together like solving a puzzle and when I do it right, I get a computer that says words and numbers when I ask it to! Ha! So far, I've written programs to calculate the volumes of a cube, a cylinder and a frustum and to display certain program data when the user chooses an option from a menu. Doesn't sound like much fun, huh? Well try it! You'll see. Then you can thank my father for giving you the idea.

My landlord is a software designer of some sort and I am beginning to get a sense of why these people get paid so well. Programming is complicated and it's absolute wizardry, even at this most basic level.

Failure is Success

My patience with the calculus/physics course may well payoff sooner than I could have hoped. We worked through a group physics exercise today - it was fairly longer than others that we've worked on recently - and it wasn't trivial at all. The exercise was conceptual and as my partners and I progressed, I realized how dependent I have become on the mathematical analysis at the expense of conceptual understanding. We made mistakes, got useful help from each of the three instructors and actually learned quite a bit. So maybe "failure" is inaccurate but I left with a feeling analogous to the ache I feel after a long run: it was a good pain.

Parking was a bad pain. Even at 9:20 this morning, the main commuter lot was full and I had to park in the West Edge lot then take the shuttle back onto campus. I was probably twenty minutes late for that programming class I like so much. Fortunately, it's my one real college class (in that I can come in late, go to the bathroom, etc. without feeling like I have to ask for permission). As far as the parking business goes, I was especially mad at myself because swore I was going to leave the apartment before 9. That'll teach me.

I've been trying to be actively involved with that group Power Vote that I mentioned the other day because I think they stand for something worthwhile. The idea is basically to give students a chance to make their voices heard in favor of increasing so-called "green jobs" and encouraging investment in clean fuel/clean energy technology. They also plan to have a few days in October when students can come to the MUB and register to vote. It's a non-partisan cause, which makes it easier when I walk around with my clipboard asking students to sign the pledge. I try not to have flashbacks to my sales nightmare; encouraging students to be involved in shaping the future of energy policy is a little easier to stomach. We're having a Save the Ales/Power Vote event at the Stone Church in Newmarket tomorrow night that promises to be fun.

That'll do for now.

Monday busy monday.

This is going to have to be a laundry list of sorts because I'm actually doing that college thing I was talking about on Friday. If I have time after work, I'll try to write some more. I only had calculus today and it is, as promised, getting better. The professor reminded us that though most of use have seen at least some calculus before, the purpose of this course is to dig deeper; we learned some stuff about limits today that I hadn't seen previously so there it is. I suspect that, for all my anxiety in the first few classes, I will speak highly of this course after I have drunk well of the sweet wine of hindsight. 

I also spent a few hours volunteering for a group with whom I've joined. They're called Power Vote. I'll have more on that some other time. For now, I go around with a clip board talking to people about the cause and asking them to sign the pledge. 

Finally, I had a meeting. That also falls into the "more later" category. Promise.

Friday's. bleh.

This is where we got the job, so is the beginning.

I'm a freshman. Actually, I can't even manage to get that answer out when asked for my class standing because the credit evaluation sheet that UNH sent me this summer says that I have senior standing. But when it comes down to being a physics student, I'm still just a baby and therefore must suffer the trials and agony of getting started just like all the other wee ones before I can be trusted with the interesting stuff. Fair enough. That's settled.

Going to school - living the daily ins and outs, ups and downs, prepositions and antonyms of university academia - is a complex process and one that I managed to navigate quite successfully the first time through. Now that I've decided to re-channel my brain juice and take (by force, if necessary) a degree in physics, I believe that it is my duty to report back to you my on-the-ground, eyewitness findings. In return, you shall deliver unto me mere sympathy when, for instance, a sophomore classroom assistant talks down to me as though I were 18 and just learning to spell my own name.

We'll begin in earnest this coming Monday because I'm too tired to sum up what has happened in the first week. My parents have an email copy of my report from Day One, which they are honor-bound to retain for future reference. Maybe I'll reprint that in some abridged form here if I get the notion to. Otherwise, I'll have to fill in the gaps as required.

Here we go. Good luck. May all your hypotheses be testable and all your functions analytic.