Thursday, October 27, 2011
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Last Week of October
It's the last week of October! I have a lot of work this week. It's the last week of Micro 553, so there's the final project and the final exam this week. The project isn't too bad. It was just writing the specific aims to a grant proposal that was given to us, and then we get into groups and pool them and pick the best ones. The exam is on Friday, and hopefully it will be alright. There's a lot of material to cover and I'm not sure how in-depth the questions will be.
It's also the last week of my rotation. I have one experiment to finish, and then next Wednesday I give a talk in lab meeting to present my data. I'm nervous about the talk because I hate public speaking, but at the same time I am really looking forward to it being done.
What I am looking forward to is National Novel Writing Month, which starts November 1st! This year I am writing a fantasy novel. The story has pretty much been in my head in one form or another since I was 12, so finally getting it out on paper properly will be exciting. It might be hard to balance school and NaNoWriMo, but I think I'll be able to do it. After doing science all day, which is driven so much by data, it's nice to come home and write a story where I can make everything up and don't have to justify my choices to anyone.
The other awesome thing about November is that I'll be going home for Thanksgiving Break and I can see my family again! I am generally feeling better about being here and living by myself, but I still really miss my parents and grandparents. So I am looking forward to seeing them.
It's also the last week of my rotation. I have one experiment to finish, and then next Wednesday I give a talk in lab meeting to present my data. I'm nervous about the talk because I hate public speaking, but at the same time I am really looking forward to it being done.
What I am looking forward to is National Novel Writing Month, which starts November 1st! This year I am writing a fantasy novel. The story has pretty much been in my head in one form or another since I was 12, so finally getting it out on paper properly will be exciting. It might be hard to balance school and NaNoWriMo, but I think I'll be able to do it. After doing science all day, which is driven so much by data, it's nice to come home and write a story where I can make everything up and don't have to justify my choices to anyone.
The other awesome thing about November is that I'll be going home for Thanksgiving Break and I can see my family again! I am generally feeling better about being here and living by myself, but I still really miss my parents and grandparents. So I am looking forward to seeing them.
Sunday, October 23, 2011
Good Weekend
I had a really awesome weekend, which is great since school is so blah. My friend Allison came down to Ames from Minnesota, and Tessa and Mike came up from Urbandale, and we all went to the Iowa State Homecoming game! I had never been to a college football game, so that was pretty cool. The stadium is actually pretty nice, and everyone was well-behaved at the game (where we were sitting, anyway) so it was fun. I don't understand football, and ISU lost, but it was still a lot of fun to hang out. After the game we went to this restaurant called Vesuvius. I had never been there before. It's a wood-fired oven pizza place. I had the Margherita pizza and it was delicious. I seriously think it was the best pizza I've ever had. After that we went to London Underground, which is a bar but it feels more like a pub and it wasn't a loud annoying bar. We all hung out for a while and I had a White Russian, which was really good. It was so great to hang out with Allison again, I hadn't seen in her in like three years. And I always like hanging out with Tessa, and Jen and Stanley are pretty cool people too. It was a great day and I was so glad that I went, because I like hanging out with adult friends.
Thursday, October 20, 2011
Almost Over
October is almost over. Yay! And my first lab rotation is almost over. Double yay! I just inoculated my rice plants today, so that is the start of the last experiment. I don't care what anyone says, that is it. I am done after this experiment. I have a lot of schoolwork and it's not getting easier, so having the rest of the semester off from lab work will be awesome. I'm also pretty sure I don't want to do my thesis in this lab, so not having to work there anymore will be good.
My sinuses have been all messed up this week. I actually stayed home all day Tuesday because I was so dizzy that I didn't think I could drive. I'm feeling a little better but it still feels like someone punched me in both eyes. That's definitely not fun.
My sinuses have been all messed up this week. I actually stayed home all day Tuesday because I was so dizzy that I didn't think I could drive. I'm feeling a little better but it still feels like someone punched me in both eyes. That's definitely not fun.
Thursday, October 13, 2011
Mid-October
Wow, it's the middle of October already. It seems like this month is going by pretty quickly. I guess that's a good thing because I want to get to November so I can visit home. Time passing this fast is kind of weird though.
I guess things are going okay. The next three weeks will be really stressful though. I have a quiz, two exams, and a final project in the next two weeks. Then the experiment I was supposed to do at lab got changed today, so I have to revamp my plans about how the end of my rotation will go. I think it will be okay but I hate it when things get changed abruptly. Of course, then I have to give an end of rotation presentation at lab meeting. I hope it will go alright. I know I'm a good public speaker, but I feel like I just don't really know what I'm doing or what I'm talking about. So I worry that I'll sound like a complete idiot when I talk.
On a better note, I started biofeedback today. It's really cool. At the Student Counseling Center, you check in and get a pair of noise-cancelling headphones. Then you go to the room, which is nice and dark. You get to sit in a little cubicle in a recliner that massages if you want, and you plug the headphones in so it's all quiet. Then you put the sensors on your fingers-two measure your skin conductance and one measures your heart rate. Then you use the computer programs, which guide you through a bunch of different exercises and help your practice the techniques. It's pretty cool; today I did some breathing and mindfulness exercises. It was really neat and there's a graph you can watch whenever you want which shows how your heart rate and skin conductance change based on what you do. I felt so relaxed after I was done. It was awesome and I wish I had that kind of set-up in my apartment.
Speaking of apartments, I'm sick of living with so many people crammed around me, and I'm definitely sick of living with undergraduates surrounding me. So I'm going to try and find a house to rent for next year, so when my lease is up in July I can move somewhere else. I want a house ideally, because then I would share zero walls with other people and I could have a yard and things like that. But if I find a duplex or townhouse where no undergrads are allowed, I would look into that too. I really just want quiet and more stable neighbors.
I guess things are going okay. The next three weeks will be really stressful though. I have a quiz, two exams, and a final project in the next two weeks. Then the experiment I was supposed to do at lab got changed today, so I have to revamp my plans about how the end of my rotation will go. I think it will be okay but I hate it when things get changed abruptly. Of course, then I have to give an end of rotation presentation at lab meeting. I hope it will go alright. I know I'm a good public speaker, but I feel like I just don't really know what I'm doing or what I'm talking about. So I worry that I'll sound like a complete idiot when I talk.
On a better note, I started biofeedback today. It's really cool. At the Student Counseling Center, you check in and get a pair of noise-cancelling headphones. Then you go to the room, which is nice and dark. You get to sit in a little cubicle in a recliner that massages if you want, and you plug the headphones in so it's all quiet. Then you put the sensors on your fingers-two measure your skin conductance and one measures your heart rate. Then you use the computer programs, which guide you through a bunch of different exercises and help your practice the techniques. It's pretty cool; today I did some breathing and mindfulness exercises. It was really neat and there's a graph you can watch whenever you want which shows how your heart rate and skin conductance change based on what you do. I felt so relaxed after I was done. It was awesome and I wish I had that kind of set-up in my apartment.
Speaking of apartments, I'm sick of living with so many people crammed around me, and I'm definitely sick of living with undergraduates surrounding me. So I'm going to try and find a house to rent for next year, so when my lease is up in July I can move somewhere else. I want a house ideally, because then I would share zero walls with other people and I could have a yard and things like that. But if I find a duplex or townhouse where no undergrads are allowed, I would look into that too. I really just want quiet and more stable neighbors.
Thursday, October 6, 2011
I stole it from Tessa
1. EVER BEEN GIVEN AN ENGAGEMENT RING?
No. I was expecting one once, but instead I got dumped. It hurt a lot at the time, but it was definitely for the best that the relationship ended.
2. LONGEST FRIENDSHIP?
21 years-Jasmine and I have been friends since preschool.
3. LAST GIFT YOU RECEIVED?
My mum just sent me the MST3K Gamera boxed set. I got it today in the mail!
4. HOW MANY TIMES HAVE YOU DROPPED YOUR CELL?
A few times, but always onto the carpet from about two feet off the floor, so no damage.
5. WHEN'S THE LAST TIME YOU WORKED OUT?
I went for a walk yesterday.
6. THING YOU SPEND A LOT OF MONEY ON?
Rent? I'm actually starting to save my money so I can rent a house next year, and so I can do things like buy a washer and dryer if I need to.
7. LAST FOOD YOU ATE?
A Healthy Choice panini.
8. LAST DRINK YOU DRANK?
Diet Vanilla Coke, which for some reason you can't get in Michigan but you can get in Iowa.
9. ONE FAVORITE SONG?
One Little Victory by RUSH
10. WHERE DO YOU LIVE?
Ames. I really miss Detroit. I like Ames, but I miss Detroit. I think I'll feel better the longer I'm here, and probably once I'm living in that house I want.
11. HIGH SCHOOL YOU ATTENDED:
I was at Roeper for the first two years and Walled Lake Western for the last two. High school sucked.
12. CELL PHONE SERVICE PROVIDER:
AT&T. It's alright, although I don't get very good service inside my apartment, so I have to talk to my mum while standing on the patio. I don't know what I'll do in the winter!
13. FAVORITE MALL STORE:
Um. I don't know. I shop like a man.
14. LONGEST JOB EVER HAD:
My job at Karmanos. I worked there just shy of two years.
15. DO YOU OWN A PAIR OF DICE?
Nope
16. DO YOU PRANK CALL PEOPLE?
No, that is rude.
17. LAST WEDDING ATTENDED?
Jasmine and Eric's. I've been out of state for a lot of weddings.
18. FIRST FRIEND YOU'D CALL IF YOU WON THE LOTTERY?
My parents. Never mind friends. I probably wouldn't want that to get out, anyway.
19. LAST TIME YOU ATTENDED CHURCH?
Last Sunday. I go every week.
21. BIGGEST LIE YOU HAVE HEARD?
That Obama wasn't born in the US? That's a good one.
23. WHERE'S YOUR FAVORITE PLACE TO EAT WITH FRIENDS?
Claddagh back home. It was the after-fencing hangout.
24. CAN YOU COOK?
Yes, although it's kind of boring cooking just for myself. But I do it because I want to stay healthy.
25. WHAT CAR DO YOU DRIVE?
A 2006 Ford Focus named Alfred. He is an awesome little car.
26. BEST KISSER?
Um. No comment.
27. LAST TIME YOU CRIED?
Wednesday morning in my counseling session. The lady asked me about my relationship with my family and I started crying because I miss them so much.
28. MOST DISLIKED FOOD?
Broccoli. I literally cannot find any way to eat it except in cheesy soup.
29. THING YOU LIKE MOST ABOUT YOURSELF?
I am tenacious. Even when I feel like I can't do it or I'm too weak, I hang on and keep fighting through.
30. THING YOU DISLIKE MOST ABOUT YOURSELF?
My anxiety disorder. The thing I hate about it is that it's chronic. It will never go away. I will always have to fight with my brain about how to react to things.
32. LONGEST SHIFT YOU HAVE WORKED AT A JOB?
I had one day at Karmanos that was 14 hours. That was hellish.
33. FAVORITE MOVIE?
I like old science fiction/horror/thriller B movies. I especially like Vincent Price.
34. CAN YOU SING?
Yes. I was in choir in middle school.
35. LAST CONCERT?
RUSH with my parents. It was awesome.
37. LAST MOVIE RENTED?
Oh geez...it's been a while. I think it was From Hell.
38. THING YOU NEVER LEAVE HOME WITHOUT?
My driver's license?
39. FAVOURITE VACATION SPOT?
Michigan's Upper Peninsula.
40. DO YOU LIKE CHINESE FOOD?
Yes.
42. IS YOUR ROOM CLEAN?
Yes. My whole apartment is actually pretty clean.
43. LAPTOP OR DESKTOP COMPUTER?
I have both. I use the desktop more.
44. FAVOURITE COMEDIAN?
Stephen Colbert.
45. DO YOU SMOKE?
Absolutely not. My grandfather died this year of smoking-related lung cancer. Fuck no. Smoking is a dealbreaker.
46. SLEEP WITH OR WITHOUT CLOTHES?
With.
47. WHO SLEEPS WITH YOU EVERY NIGHT?
My stuffed manatee. And Eeyore. And a panda.
48. LONG DISTANCE RELATIONSHIPS WORK?
They can, if all the people involved are invested in it.
49. HOW MANY TIMES HAVE YOU BEEN PULLED OVER BY THE POLICE?
Never, surprisingly.
50. PANCAKES OR FRENCH TOAST?
French toast
51. DO YOU LIKE COFFEE?
Yes. Have a cup every morning.
52. HOW DO YOU LIKE YOUR EGGS?
I don't like solid egg yolks, so I only eat eggs if they're scrambled or omletted.
53. DO YOU BELIEVE IN ASTROLOGY?
No, although it's kind of interesting.
54. LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE?
My mom.
55. LAST PERSON ON YOUR MISSED CALL LIST?
An unknown caller...mysterious.
56. WHAT WAS THE LAST TEXT MESSAGE YOU RECEIVED?
It was from Tessa! Telling me that she could see my car because my GPS missed her house and I was driving around in circles.
57. MCDONALDS OR BURGER KING?
McDonalds has more healthy options, and I like their fries better.
58. NUMBER OF PILLOWS?
Two.
59. WHAT ARE YOU WEARING RIGHT NOW?
Blue jeans, a blue and green shirt.
60. PICK A LYRIC, ANY LYRIC OR SONG?
I have the Doxology stuck in my head for some reason?
No. I was expecting one once, but instead I got dumped. It hurt a lot at the time, but it was definitely for the best that the relationship ended.
2. LONGEST FRIENDSHIP?
21 years-Jasmine and I have been friends since preschool.
3. LAST GIFT YOU RECEIVED?
My mum just sent me the MST3K Gamera boxed set. I got it today in the mail!
4. HOW MANY TIMES HAVE YOU DROPPED YOUR CELL?
A few times, but always onto the carpet from about two feet off the floor, so no damage.
5. WHEN'S THE LAST TIME YOU WORKED OUT?
I went for a walk yesterday.
6. THING YOU SPEND A LOT OF MONEY ON?
Rent? I'm actually starting to save my money so I can rent a house next year, and so I can do things like buy a washer and dryer if I need to.
7. LAST FOOD YOU ATE?
A Healthy Choice panini.
8. LAST DRINK YOU DRANK?
Diet Vanilla Coke, which for some reason you can't get in Michigan but you can get in Iowa.
9. ONE FAVORITE SONG?
One Little Victory by RUSH
10. WHERE DO YOU LIVE?
Ames. I really miss Detroit. I like Ames, but I miss Detroit. I think I'll feel better the longer I'm here, and probably once I'm living in that house I want.
11. HIGH SCHOOL YOU ATTENDED:
I was at Roeper for the first two years and Walled Lake Western for the last two. High school sucked.
12. CELL PHONE SERVICE PROVIDER:
AT&T. It's alright, although I don't get very good service inside my apartment, so I have to talk to my mum while standing on the patio. I don't know what I'll do in the winter!
13. FAVORITE MALL STORE:
Um. I don't know. I shop like a man.
14. LONGEST JOB EVER HAD:
My job at Karmanos. I worked there just shy of two years.
15. DO YOU OWN A PAIR OF DICE?
Nope
16. DO YOU PRANK CALL PEOPLE?
No, that is rude.
17. LAST WEDDING ATTENDED?
Jasmine and Eric's. I've been out of state for a lot of weddings.
18. FIRST FRIEND YOU'D CALL IF YOU WON THE LOTTERY?
My parents. Never mind friends. I probably wouldn't want that to get out, anyway.
19. LAST TIME YOU ATTENDED CHURCH?
Last Sunday. I go every week.
21. BIGGEST LIE YOU HAVE HEARD?
That Obama wasn't born in the US? That's a good one.
23. WHERE'S YOUR FAVORITE PLACE TO EAT WITH FRIENDS?
Claddagh back home. It was the after-fencing hangout.
24. CAN YOU COOK?
Yes, although it's kind of boring cooking just for myself. But I do it because I want to stay healthy.
25. WHAT CAR DO YOU DRIVE?
A 2006 Ford Focus named Alfred. He is an awesome little car.
26. BEST KISSER?
Um. No comment.
27. LAST TIME YOU CRIED?
Wednesday morning in my counseling session. The lady asked me about my relationship with my family and I started crying because I miss them so much.
28. MOST DISLIKED FOOD?
Broccoli. I literally cannot find any way to eat it except in cheesy soup.
29. THING YOU LIKE MOST ABOUT YOURSELF?
I am tenacious. Even when I feel like I can't do it or I'm too weak, I hang on and keep fighting through.
30. THING YOU DISLIKE MOST ABOUT YOURSELF?
My anxiety disorder. The thing I hate about it is that it's chronic. It will never go away. I will always have to fight with my brain about how to react to things.
32. LONGEST SHIFT YOU HAVE WORKED AT A JOB?
I had one day at Karmanos that was 14 hours. That was hellish.
33. FAVORITE MOVIE?
I like old science fiction/horror/thriller B movies. I especially like Vincent Price.
34. CAN YOU SING?
Yes. I was in choir in middle school.
35. LAST CONCERT?
RUSH with my parents. It was awesome.
37. LAST MOVIE RENTED?
Oh geez...it's been a while. I think it was From Hell.
38. THING YOU NEVER LEAVE HOME WITHOUT?
My driver's license?
39. FAVOURITE VACATION SPOT?
Michigan's Upper Peninsula.
40. DO YOU LIKE CHINESE FOOD?
Yes.
42. IS YOUR ROOM CLEAN?
Yes. My whole apartment is actually pretty clean.
43. LAPTOP OR DESKTOP COMPUTER?
I have both. I use the desktop more.
44. FAVOURITE COMEDIAN?
Stephen Colbert.
45. DO YOU SMOKE?
Absolutely not. My grandfather died this year of smoking-related lung cancer. Fuck no. Smoking is a dealbreaker.
46. SLEEP WITH OR WITHOUT CLOTHES?
With.
47. WHO SLEEPS WITH YOU EVERY NIGHT?
My stuffed manatee. And Eeyore. And a panda.
48. LONG DISTANCE RELATIONSHIPS WORK?
They can, if all the people involved are invested in it.
49. HOW MANY TIMES HAVE YOU BEEN PULLED OVER BY THE POLICE?
Never, surprisingly.
50. PANCAKES OR FRENCH TOAST?
French toast
51. DO YOU LIKE COFFEE?
Yes. Have a cup every morning.
52. HOW DO YOU LIKE YOUR EGGS?
I don't like solid egg yolks, so I only eat eggs if they're scrambled or omletted.
53. DO YOU BELIEVE IN ASTROLOGY?
No, although it's kind of interesting.
54. LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE?
My mom.
55. LAST PERSON ON YOUR MISSED CALL LIST?
An unknown caller...mysterious.
56. WHAT WAS THE LAST TEXT MESSAGE YOU RECEIVED?
It was from Tessa! Telling me that she could see my car because my GPS missed her house and I was driving around in circles.
57. MCDONALDS OR BURGER KING?
McDonalds has more healthy options, and I like their fries better.
58. NUMBER OF PILLOWS?
Two.
59. WHAT ARE YOU WEARING RIGHT NOW?
Blue jeans, a blue and green shirt.
60. PICK A LYRIC, ANY LYRIC OR SONG?
I have the Doxology stuck in my head for some reason?
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
Time goes by
It's October already. That happened both really fast and really slowly. I don't know, it seems like it went by kind of fast, but then it seems like I've been in Ames forever, and how is it only October? Time is being weird. I'm told this only gets weirder once you have children. Since I'm not doing that soon, I guess I will have to wait and see if that's the truth.
I'm actually feeling a lot better today than I have in a while. I'm still waking up anxious, but it goes away sooner and I don't feel quite so nauseous, so I can at least drink some milk and coffee in the morning. It's still annoying but at least it isn't horrible. My first counseling appointment is tomorrow morning so hopefully that will go well and I'll start getting some more help with this stuff.
School is going fine. Biochemistry is boring and I really could not possibly care less about it, but I have to at least make an effort so that I can get a decent grade. The professor isn't bad, it's just that I do not care about bond angles and hydrogen bonds and crap like that. It's too small scale for me. Pathogenic Microorganisms just started last week and that class is really interesting. I like pathogens though so I could have called that. After that one is done then I have Bacterial Genetics in November. I'm a little nervous about that one because genetics is not necessarily easy to learn and remember for tests. Also if the professor is who I think it is I'm not sure his teaching style or grading style will be very nice. We'll see.
Lab is actually going a little better. I have been pretty meh about it, especially since I had a small issue with the lab manager, but today she was really helpful and pleasant, so maybe things are okay. My PI and I talked and he wants to add two more experiments for me to do, which is a lot of work, but it might end up going in a paper that I could get authorship credit on, so it's worth it. I just hope that the data is good and useful, because nothing is sadder than doing a lot of work and getting crappy data out of it.
So yeah, that's what's happening at the moment. I am looking forward to November because I can finally go back home for a week, but hopefully October won't be as crappy as September was.
I'm actually feeling a lot better today than I have in a while. I'm still waking up anxious, but it goes away sooner and I don't feel quite so nauseous, so I can at least drink some milk and coffee in the morning. It's still annoying but at least it isn't horrible. My first counseling appointment is tomorrow morning so hopefully that will go well and I'll start getting some more help with this stuff.
School is going fine. Biochemistry is boring and I really could not possibly care less about it, but I have to at least make an effort so that I can get a decent grade. The professor isn't bad, it's just that I do not care about bond angles and hydrogen bonds and crap like that. It's too small scale for me. Pathogenic Microorganisms just started last week and that class is really interesting. I like pathogens though so I could have called that. After that one is done then I have Bacterial Genetics in November. I'm a little nervous about that one because genetics is not necessarily easy to learn and remember for tests. Also if the professor is who I think it is I'm not sure his teaching style or grading style will be very nice. We'll see.
Lab is actually going a little better. I have been pretty meh about it, especially since I had a small issue with the lab manager, but today she was really helpful and pleasant, so maybe things are okay. My PI and I talked and he wants to add two more experiments for me to do, which is a lot of work, but it might end up going in a paper that I could get authorship credit on, so it's worth it. I just hope that the data is good and useful, because nothing is sadder than doing a lot of work and getting crappy data out of it.
So yeah, that's what's happening at the moment. I am looking forward to November because I can finally go back home for a week, but hopefully October won't be as crappy as September was.
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