The Myth & The Majesty

I love rollercoasters. This proves to be a problem, since I live in South Dakota which contains no amusement parks (short of Wild Water West, if you choose to count that) and no crazy farmer who felt like building a coaster in his pasture. It doesn't help that I'm a poor college student, either. Hence my new goal -- to someday spend a solid month travelling the US in search of coaster thrills. Granted, I'll probably never have the ability to take a month off work or the funds to cover park entrances, but I can hope, right? I blame the Travel Channel. They did a special on coasters, and, as it turns out, the place for thrills isn't California or Florida -- it's Ohio. Not only does Ohio have a Six Flags, it has Cedar Point , which one website claims was voted the best amusement park on earth. Not in the US -- on the planet. Somehow, I'm not surprised. They claim sixteen coasters, including the tallest, fastest one in the country. Yup, want to go there. Anyway, I...

Wow, what a day. I can't seem to think in a straight line. And, since that equates with an inability to form full sentences, here's my day in phrases. Wake up early, enough time to hit snooze Nuts, now it's late, better get going Too much work, not getting anywhere (Am I missing a program or just being stupid?) Frustration, frustration ... now off to class First class is interesting, but can't stop thinking about unfinished homework Second class is interesting, amusing like always (This is the only prof who swears in class) Stomach grumbling, still trying to finish homework Other prof has disappeared, need his help Finally! Program exists (I was just being stupid) Almost done, almost -- what??!! Network down??!!! Gotta print this somehow ... disc, disc, disc ... No discs. The world has swallowed them all. Wait! Spork to the rescue! Homework done at last Print and copy Off to class Short novel written instead of notes (at least it looks like I'm taking notes ev...

At last. It's been awhile, but I'm finally feeling like a complete person again. Long day of work, some challenging homework (but not so challenging that it's impossible), a short Russian lesson, and some homemade cookies. Oh, and a rose starting to bloom on my desk. Brightens things up a bit. I guess ... well, that's my daily update. I've been reading this book that I mentioned last time -- Earthling by Steve Healey. It's pretty cool; it makes you think, not so much about what it means (because I'm pretty sure it doesn't mean much of anything) but about just how cool those lines just sounded. Superficial, I know, but here's a poet who doesn't take himself too seriously. Ah, a short entry. All the same, have a great week! Look out for #1. Don't step in #2 either.

Ah, a good weekend. A great weekend, even. Yesterday was astounding. Double the usual attendance with a large chunk of those deciding to eat with us, followed by a nap. As a rule, days are improved by naps. Today, I woke up at home after getting to sleep in a bit, then went shopping with Mom (who was nice enough to buy a dress for me that I'd been eyeing). Next came the furious packing of ... well, everything, baking of cookies, some goodbyes, coffee at B&N, and one more goodbye. (Already miss you, Aaron.) Five hours of mind- and butt-numbing driving later, I was back in RC. Raced down to Surbeck to check my mail, finding my package to have (finally) arrived. Teach yourself Russian (the only book/CD set that I found trustworthy) and Earthling, a book of poetry by Steve Healey. Highly recommended, provided randomness doesn't bother you. (To my sister -- my third item ended up being out of stock, so I was given a refund instead. Still don't know what it was.) S...

Happy Easter, everybody! Back to the having some time to kill. We're headed to church shortly to get started on the Easter breakfast festivities, which is our little family tradition. Ever since I was in middle school, we've been in charge of this meal. Why? Because nobody else is willing to get up this early on Easter morning to start cooking sausage. In the meantime, my parents are trying to get the time-bake setting on the oven working, and my brother is just finishing his shower. Time to kill. I don't have a lot more to report. Made it home Wednesday night after a mad dash to finish my formal report for heat transfer lab. Thursday night was spent in the company of about twenty middle- and high-school-age kids; Friday was spent recovering, and my sister came home as well; and yesterday I slept in, then went shopping with my mom and sister. Always an adventure, since none of us are particularly fond of shopping. (And now my ears hurt.) That's about all. I t...

I might not have gotten as much sleep as I would have liked, but it was enough. Tonight's going to be a rough one, but that's what I get for not getting enough done over spring break. Taking my lunch break right now ... I spent the morning reading about Siran glass beads, and this afternoon it looks like I'm reading about freeze-drying techniques. It might not sound exciting, but this is what comes before the fun stuff. It snowed most of yesterday, starting sometime before I went to class at 9:00 and not ending till sometime after 8PM ... Had it actually accumulated, we'd probably have a few inches of fluffy white. Instead, the ground was too warm and nothing stuck until after 3:00. On the bright side, it's not quite as dry now (which RC desperately needs); a few more days of this would be awesome. Wow -- look at that. Work and the weather. What an incredibly interesting post. Never argue with an idiot. They drag you down to their level and then beat you with experi...

Okay, so maybe it's not even 1AM yet. I don't care. I'm tired, and I've been trying to sleep for almost an hour now. I gave up on homework because I couldn't focus well enough to get anything done, and now I'm sitting here, talking to you people instead of sleeping. This is getting frustrating. So ... It's a short week. Working tomorrow, and finishing my formal report (which, thankfully, I've actually gotten a good start on already). I'm done with class at 4PM on Wednesday, and then, if all goes well, I'm driving home right away. The best part? No class on Tuesday after Easter, either. I'll probably have to work, but I won't have to get back until late Monday. Heck, I could probably even eat supper at home. Woot! And after I get home ... Wait, that would be planning ahead. Haven't gotten that far yet. Okay, my eyes are starting to droop a little. I'm gonna try this sleep thing again. Later, people. I feel like I'...

FilmQuest went pretty well, I think. My group didn't do very well, and yes, your phone call got points, Darren, but not NEARLY as many as it deserved. Another team got more points for having extra guys in lingerie. Kind of irking ... In any case, it was a good night. I got hit in the face with an apple pie, Andy and Matt sang "You Make Me Feel Like A Natural Woman," and Motel 6 turned the light off for us. All in all rather amusing. Instead of any form of excitement, I've spent most of the day studying for my microbiology test. Not that micro's not fun -- but it's not exciting to study for. Egads. Had a missions meeting this afternoon as well, which was pretty interesting; we got to talk to a couple that went to Russia three summers ago, and they helped a lot. In other news, a few of us are looking for a house for next year, what with the rising price of dorm living (not to mention the fact that we've been here for years and are getting sick of it). One pl...

Ah, Saturday. The word alone brings music to my heart. Cheesy, huh? But you have to admit -- waking up and realizing that you DON'T have to rush off to class is a great feeling. I don't usually set my alarm for Saturday mornings, but today I decided that I should probably be moving by 11AM. As such, my alarm was set for 9ish, in hopes that I'd be moving before 11AM. But what happens this time? I wake up at 7:30. Where's the justice in that? (I guess I was moving before 11AM...) In any case, I realized that I didn't have to do anything right away, so it's been a relaxing morning, despite it's early start. And, all things considered, it'll be a relaxing afternoon, except for my impending trip to the Evil Empire to pick up some groceries and snacks for tonight. There's no good time on a Saturday for that trip. Speaking of tonight, I somehow ended up with the task of helping emcee FilmQuest ... Fun stuff. If only I could find some strange accessory ... a...

I get a lunch break today! An honest-to-goodness, no homework to finish, no quiz to study for, just need to eat something lunch break! Simple joys, okay? So I'm sitting here, eating my sandwich, watching mediocre stand-up, and reading "Backpacker" magazine when I come across two interesting things. The first is a (small) writeup about hiking in the Black Hills. Exciting, if only because this is only the second occasion I've seen good ol' SoDak mentioned, and I happen to think that we've got some pretty good hiking out here. (The last time involved the dispute over who should have control of the Badlands.) The second interesting thing is an advertisement for shoes. You know how perfume ads often have the smelly flap? This shoe ad features the phrase, "Can you smell the weekend coming?" with a smelly flap labelled "Eau de Campfire." The astonishing part is that it does, in fact, smell like a campfire. Well, pretty close, anyway. I was...

Ugh, I shouldn't have had pizza for lunch. Stupid cheese ... Now I'm sitting here, popping Tums and hoping for the heartburn to go away so I can sleep. What kind of 20-year-old has chronic heartburn problems anyway? This is mildly ridiculous. I had an interesting experience earlier today. I was parking my Jeep and had to stop and honk at the deer standing in the spot I wanted. Yup, deer, casually hanging out in the parking lot. Two of 'em, at least right there -- when they took off, they joined two more on the hill behind the lot. Nothing beats a little wildlife in the heart of RC (or somewhat near the heart of RC). Argh. I think I'm going to try that sleep thing again. Have a good night, people! A verbal contract isn't worth the paper it's printed on.

I am a lab rat. I am a lab rat, and I love it. I spent six hours today holed away in a random campus building, mixing various substances and then pipetting them into test tubes. There was a bit more to it than that (among other things, I'm learning how to use all the equipment), but it was all pretty standard lab work -- and I loved it. Lots of work afterwards today, and then I had to run off to Borders before I lost my mind. Okay, so I didn't have to, but in the interest of all those that would be drastically affected by my spazzing out, I left. On the drive back, I ended up stopped at a red light between two cars with massive bass. Talk about an interesting sensation. Now, I'm back and I get to relax. Woot. There is no job so simple that it cannot be done wrong.

What do you do when you have just returned from spring break and realize that you're missing your attention span? Seriously, I'd like to know, but only because I'm having a lousy go of it. Escaped to Storm for a little while, but by all accounts I shouldn't have done that -- too much reading, too little time. In moderately exciting news, I start my new job tomorrow. Research with the biology professor ... I'd go into more detail, but apparently the titles alone of the reading material I was given would put most people to sleep. Personally, I find it fun. Good to hear things are going well in Australia, Darren. Hope your week goes well, Ashli. Enjoy your free trip to Colorado. Hee hee. Still laughing at you, Andy. If you go to jail, I'll laugh harder (but then I'll feel bad, knowing you got beaten up for being "the guy that burned the tree stump"). Wish you were here, Aaron. Needing someone is like needing a parachute. If he isn't there...

I love the balance of time. For all the days I rush around and don't quite have enough time to finish things, I have days like this, where I'm just waiting for someone and can't quite fill the gap with anything useful. We'll be headed back towards home pretty soon -- and by "we," I mean my sister, myself, and an old high school friend of mine. Well, of my sister's, too, I suppose. In any case, he's an old friend (someone I graduated with, actually), and he's catching a ride home with us. I've seen him ... three times? in the almost-three years since graduation. Could be interesting -- or it could just be another five hour car ride (number 3 for this particular break). So ... yeah. Not sure why else I'm writing today. Just needed to do something before I lost my mind. Not much left of spring break -- just the weekend now. Family time, I think (of which I haven't had much during this particular vacation), and similar festivities. ...

The bookcase sneezed at me. My sister was giving me a tour of the library she works in, and right at the end, a set of waist-high bookcases sneezed. Had they been full-sized, I would have understood (after all, that's a lot of dust and books to keep track of), but waist-high ones have no excuse. Apparently they were just feeling rude. And who wants to speak to rude bookcases? That'll show them. In my sister's lecture today, someone asked a question regarding creative nonfiction (I wish I could remember the question, but I was zoning out), and it was about then that I went, "Creative what?!" There's a concept. Makes a person wonder if there's a creative nonfiction version of a chemistry textbook out there somewhere. I could go for that -- my nonfiction reading is pretty well limited to the dry, not-so-creative form. There's only so much you can do with equations and chemical formulas. Anyway, this campus is monstrous. I come from a small, stand-in...

Friday at last! So maybe I still have to survive another ... nine hours. But that's nothing -- at least it's Friday. Monday at this time, I was ready to disappear anyway. 24 hours. Just gotta keep telling myself that. Not long, just another 24 hours. In any case, it's been an interesting week. Palmerton's fire alarm went off on Tuesday ... I got to laugh from the comfort of my dorm room as the Palmertonites evacuated. Before I explain, you should know that the building is notorious for freaking out when someone burns popcorn, and the alarm used to go off pretty frequently. This time, however, it seems someone's remote-control car battery had exploded. Yup, exploded. In any case, there was actually a fire, even though it was relatively small by the time anyone but the guy's roomie saw it, but the trucks came anyway. Lunch with Dad today, last of my tests shortly thereafter, then one more class and I'm done with school for the week. Papa Roach concert...