| The next 8 days of school |
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| 04:44pm 15/11/2009 |
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This is probably more for me than those who read, but if you don't hear from me much over the next week, this is why:
Due on
Sunday: Light & Modern Physics -- online homework
Monday: Biopsychology -- Test #4
Tuesday: Light & Modern Physics -- Test #3, Mathematical Methods in Physics -- Tensor Analysis Homework
Wednesday: Multivariate Calculus -- Take-home quiz, Physics seminar -- Brain-computer interface presentation
Thursday: Undergraduate Research -- Nanocircuit schematic
Friday: Advanced Physics Lab -- 2 Lab Report (Germanium Gap, Millikan)
Monday: Biopsychology -- Brain-computer Interface essay |
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Read 3 - Post |
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| I like that scientific papers are not surprising |
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| 08:20pm 10/11/2009 |
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There is no surprise in scientific publications. Right off the bat, we tell the reader the punchline. By the end of the first paragraph, they know how the story ends. Oftentimes even in the title. I like this. |
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Read 3 - Post |
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| Fall Semester 2009 |
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| 08:10pm 24/09/2009 |
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So this is how it works now, eh? I update with each new semester, and never in between? Not only that, but this time I'm doing it late.
I'm, essentially, in class Monday through Friday from nine until noon, with the occasional seminar outside of those boundaries. I'm taking the following:
Biopsychology
Multivariate Calculus
Mathematical Methods in Physics
Advanced Physics Lab
Light and Modern Physics
Weekly Physics Guest Seminar
Today was also my last day working at UNO's Math Tutoring Center. I have accepted a job as an undergraduate research assistant for Dr. Leszek Malkinski at the Advanced Materials Research Institute (AMRI). There I'll be studying the properties of thin films and new materials, making more money than I was at the tutoring center, and working toward being published as an undergraduate.
For those of you who want more detail, the idea is that we generally think of materials as acting a certain way all the time. When dealing with normal to large amount of a material, that is usually the case. However, at the very surface of a material, things act much differently. Because this only happens on the outermost nanometer or so of an object, we tend to ignore that surface behavior because it is insignificant when compared to how the bulk of the material behaves. If you have only a very thin film (one billionth of a meter or so) there are no more bulk properties and only the surface properties remain. I'll be assisting Dr. Malkinski (along with his post-doctoral researcher and one graduate student) examine the electromagnetic properties of these materials.
I haven't been following the online social world very much lately, but I have been spending a lot of time with Emily, and even a couple nights per week playing Go with real people, rather than on the internet.
I think that's all for now. See you in a few months? |
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Read 3 - Post |
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| My my, how things can change in a day. |
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| 12:20pm 04/06/2009 |
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I hopped online yesterday to see in which rooms my classes would be today (the first day of school) to find out most of my classes had been dropped.
I was originally scheduled to take a history of psychology course, calculus of several variables, and a physics course on heat, electricity, and magnetism with the associated lab for a grand total of 10hrs. The physics course had been moved to the same time as the psychology course, so that bumped me down to 7hrs. The calculus course only had 5 people enroll, so they canceled that class, putting me at 4hrs. 6hrs is full-time I only get paid in full by the military if I'm full-time.
Today I went to my physics course, showed up for a course on elementary differential equations (which already had full enrollment, but I was able to talk my teacher into accepting me), and somehow weaseled my way into a senior-level physics acoustics course with pre-requisites that I won't finish until December. So I'm back to 10hrs, but with a much different schedule than previously planned:
3hr M,W Wacky Times - Phys - Introduction to Acoustics
3hr M-F 10:20-11:20 - Math - Elementary Differential Equations
3hr M-F 09:10-10:10 - Phys - Heat, Electricity, and Magnetism
1hr Tue 12:40-16:30 - Phys - Associated Lab |
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Post |
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| Tentative Summer and Fall Class Schedule + General Late-Night School Report |
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| 12:17am 31/03/2009 |
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Summer:
3hr MTWTh 09:10-10:10 - Psyc - History of Modern Psychology
3hr MTWTh 10:20-11:20 - Math - Calculus of Several Variables
3hr MTWTh 11:30-12:30 - Phys - Heat, Electricity, and Magnetism
1hr Tuesd 12:40-16:30 - Phys - Associated Lab
10hrs
Fall:
3hr MW 09:30-10:45 - Psyc - Biopsychology
3hr MW 11:00-12:15 - Math - Differential Equations
3hr MW 13:30-14:45 - Soc - Current Social Problems
3hr TT 09:30-10:45 - Ger - Basic German
3hr TT 11:00-12:15 - Phys - Light and Modern Physics
3hr InternetCourse - Psyc - Personality
18hrs
Currently taking 16, which with summer and fall, is 44hrs in one year. I was hoping for more, but the 19hr semester last fall scared me away from trying to get 50.
Finishing up most of my non-major requirements and virtually all my pre-requisites for 4000-level physics courses this year. Already delving a bit into 4000-level psychology courses, but their pre-reqs are for ninnies. I may change German to Russian or Cajun if I can convince the critical languages department to offer either in the fall. I may also delay the sociology until a later semester if a suitable research or independent study opportunity arises. More on that later.
Prior to this semester I have earned 52 credit hours from UNO, plus a bit of transfer credit. With the 44 from 2009, that puts me at 96+ hours. That said, I'll be able to finish all ~150 hours required for me to get both degrees by Fall 2010 if I push it, Spring 2011 if I push it slightly less. (And assuming UNO offers the courses required for me to graduate in that time.) |
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Read 4 - Post |
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| St. James Infirmary |
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| 10:36pm 23/03/2009 |
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This is the second draft of a story I'm turning in on Wednesday morning. I've incorporated a few suggestions from others and a couple of small changes of my own. Feel free to look over it and let me know what you think. I'll edit this Wednesday afternoon to represent the version I end up turning in.
( Second Draft )
Anyone wanting to listen to the song off of which it is based should follow http://blip.fm/profile/notlogic/blip/4975274 |
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Read 3 - Post |
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| Short Story -- By Me! |
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| 04:16am 18/02/2009 |
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I turn it in tomorrow. This is just a draft. I'm beat right now so I'll have more changes to make tomorrow. Feel free to suggest a title or any changes.
( Read more... ) |
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Read 1 - Post |
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| The Rest of Winter Break |
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| 05:24pm 16/01/2009 |
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What a relaxing recess this break was. I was able to spend plenty of time with my family. Went to Bogalusa a couple times, Baton Rouge once. Christmas, altogether, was spectacular... however, not so much more spectacular than other Christmases that it stands out from the rest. My most used gifts from the lot so far have been a fist-full of boomerangs and a bicycle which actually works.
The Saturday after Christmas was spent watching my brother burn his sexy beast in the woods outside of Bogalusa, and running in the niece races of '08. I like this relatively new tradition in our family and look forward to the (decades?) more to follow. Sadly, on my way home from the festivities I had a bit of car trouble that took several days and far too much money to solve. Big thanks to the family and Emily for helping me with that one.
This was my first New Years Eve spent away from the Orleans Ave bonfire in about 7 years. Emily and I went to Conner's hotel party in a huge Westin suite at the top of Canal Place. From the hotel we could actually see the Mississippi river barge that shoots the fireworks. For those of you who don't know, Emily is sober. This means I had, by far, my most sober New Years Eve celebration of the century.
So I've mentioned Emily a lot in this post, and last. That's because we spent a lot of time together. Actually, she's on her way over to my house as I write this. Why do we spend so much time together, you ask? Well get out of my business nosy, what do you think this is? A journal?
Oh...
Emily is my girlfriend now, and I am her boyfriend (we go both ways). While she seems to like me a fair amount, I'm not ruling out the possibility that she could be using me for my Stewart Calculus Early Trancendentals 6th ed Solutions Manual (basically, a step-by-step answer key to every problem in our calculus text). This has been going on for a little while now and, so far, has been wonderful. (calculus aside) Speaking of calculus, Emily and I have 2.5 classes together. Of course, that delves into the first week of school, which we just finished, and will be saved for my next post. (mainly because Emily has arrived (and I also wanted an excuse to use more parenthesis in this paragraph (because it might break a personal record (with the exception of any LISP programs (I didn't like LISP (I preferred C (and ForTran (which stands for Formula Translator (or something like that))))))))) (you counted, didn't you?) |
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Read 2 - Post |
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| Winter Break Begins |
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| 02:33pm 14/12/2008 |
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What to do, what to do?
The most constructive thing which needs to be done is finish unpacking. I moved into my new home mid-semester. Because of this, I never finished unpacking and setting up my apartment. And what am I not doing right now? I'm not unpacking.
I am, however, going to go play music with Nick and Angela this afternoon. It will feel good to relax and create for a while. Create without stipulation, that is.
Tonight I'll see Emily. Not sure what we'll do yet. I need to not worry so much about what we'll do and focus more on that fact that we'll be together.
And tomorrow? Tomorrow I unpack. Right? |
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Read 3 - Post |
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| This semester has almost ended... |
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| 02:33pm 09/12/2008 |
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I have a final tomorrow morning, another Friday morning, and about two paragraphs of text between me and the end of the Fall 2008 semester. I think I'll scale back to 16 or 17 hours in the Spring. (13 hours scheduled currently, weighing a few research (for credit) opportunities first before deciding what else to add) |
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| Scandalous Neighbor? |
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| 12:55am 14/10/2008 |
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The house in which I reside shares a courtyard with the neighboring house on my street. My side door opens near the front of this courtyard. In the rear of the neighboring house resides a blond young lady whose front door opens into the courtyard. At the midpoint from my door and hers is a shared coin-operated laundry station.
It is impossible for me to do laundry without walking toward her front door/windows for half of the courtyard. This has never been a bit unusual for me until tonight. Actually, prior to tonight, I didn't even know a young lady lived back there. There was no missing her tonight, however. Both of her windows in front of her home were wide open with no curtains or blinds obscuring the fact that she was wearing nothing other than a pair of panties. They remained open, and she remained topless, at least until I finished my laundry. She could still be sitting in her dining room, breasts-a-flailing, for all I know.
So why am I writing about this? Because I'm upset, that's why. I couldn't help but look her way as I walked toward the washer and dryer. Not looking would have involved collisions with plants, trumpets, or who knows what else. So far as I know, she never noticed me. However, if she had, and this is why I'm upset, she most likely would have been a) embarrassed or b) appalled because of the way we think of women being seen topless by a stranger, then she would have donned a shirt or closed both her windows. Admittedly, there could be an option C which involved her being some sort of progressive voyeur-loving or social-convention-scoffing woman, but that doesn't make me any less uncomfortable with the situation due to the prevailing feelings supporting options A and B. It should be as comfortable for a woman to be shirtless as a man.
I should sleep. Caffeine is more dangerous than boobs. |
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Read 6 - Post |
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| Lost Phone + Mini-Update |
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| 12:36am 12/10/2008 |
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I've lost my phone. I'm going to wait a couple of days to see if it turns up. Hopefully someone found/will find it and meet up with me so we can return it. Use other methods of contact to communicate with me until it is found.
In other news, I've been studying a ton for school. Hanging out with friends occasionally, but more school than anything else.
I'm swimming twice a week, about 600m per trip, but I plan to up that to 3 times a week and 1km per trip soon. I'm running 3.1 mile time trials in preparation for the Fall Classic. If I can get my time under 22:30 then I'll be seeded for the Crescent City Classic in Spring. I'll be running in a small 5k next Saturday to practice.
The 5k next Saturday is actually at the Washington Parish Free Fair. I'm sure my family and David will be happy to hear that. I'm hoping to find some sort of showering method to clean myself up without having to park at the fair twice. If anyone from the area knows how I could manage that, please let me know. It sounds like I might be bringing Kerry Leigh along for the trip.
My first Calc 2 test is on Tuesday. I've been studying a fair amount for it and I should get back to that or go to bed. I've slated tomorrow fully for calculus, except for one quick trip to get a bike from Kurt which I can hopefully repair without spending much.
Thus my bland update ends. |
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Read 3 - Post |
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| Sore |
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| 06:51pm 17/09/2008 |
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mood:  sore
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This is an odd feeling... I'm actually sore from swimming. The nice thing is that I can feel my tiny muscles bulging beneath my skin. I'm swimming three times a week, although I'm only swimming about 1/4 mile right now (increasing each day) until I get down this breathing thing. Once that's done I move onto kicking correctly, then I can really push for distance. I've located a triathlon training group in town that is gearing up for the half-Iron Man. I'll probably join up with them once I get the swimming part down. I want to be swimming 2k nonstop before I move to open water.
School is keeping me very busy. Work (which is at school) is great. I absolutely love teaching people how to do math. Partly because I want people to be stronger thinkers, and partly because I'm great at teaching. I already have "regulars" who come specifically for me to tutor them.
My astronomy lab starts in about 20 minutes. Wednesdays are long... I'm on campus for nearly 14 hours. I really need to learn to pack meals or get a meal ticket somehow for days like this.
Resisting the urge to go out will be tough. I think I have a free ticket to see the Louisiana Philharmonic tomorrow, then Earl's in town from touring and I'll be seeing his Tony Clifton show on Sunday. Maybe I can swindle myself into spending all of Friday and Saturday on studying, homework, and my new home. I may take a break to tutor one of my non-UNO pupils, though.
I should run (to class, not distance -- I'll do that when I get home) now. Adios living journal. |
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Read 2 - Post |
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| Decision Time |
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| 10:57pm 15/09/2008 |
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mood:  lonely
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While it hasn't been terribly demanding yet, I can tell school will be requiring a lot of my spare time in the weeks to come. I need to decide how I'm going to handle the romantic aspect of my life. I'm not going to casually date Kerry Leigh any longer, this I know. But whether or not to date at all, that's another question.
I feel like I could put in the necessary time to maintain an exclusive relationship. I also feel like I'd be happy with something casual, but I know better than to think I could be happy sharing someone. I've toyed with the idea of having a few simultaneous casual relationships as it would be pretty easy to pull off, however I don't feel like it would be fair to all those involved. Can I forget about the opposite sex altogether, though, and focus on school? Of that I am not sure.
I hold no ill will toward Aisa (well, aside from a bit of the monetary sort), but if there's one thing she's done to change my life, she made me girl crazy once again. I was happily oblivious to women prior to her coming into my life. I wouldn't mind being in that position again, but I don't know if I can realistically put myself there. The problem is that I also don't know if I can realistically afford the time necessary to bud new relationships, even of the casual sort. So I may be stuck.
I need to sort this out so I can choose which direction to go in my mind, or rather, in my heart. Last time took a 10 mile run and it didn't exactly turn out the way that I had hoped. Maybe this time I'll go for 15. |
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Read 1 - Post |
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| As a cat sits upon my lap |
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| 09:45pm 14/09/2008 |
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mood: sore
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There is a down side to my recent move: the time it takes to finish it.
Prior to moving I enjoyed a long spell of personal growth and expression. I found time to express myself (via art and action) while still growing in most identifiable areas of my life and still perform well in school. Now my time is in higher demand.
I still have: 10 boxes to unpack, 4 lamps to install, 4 shelves to hang, 1 or 2 pieces of furniture to sell/share/give away, 1 bed to fix, 1 TV to mount, and lots of wiring for the entire apartment. All of this, plus homework, exercise, a 19hr school schedule, and social/recreational time prevent me from the level of expression I desire. Obviously I must finish this list, but it is slow-going. I need to increase the speed at which I complete these tasks. From where to I steal the time?
Sadly, I think cutting from my social/recreational time is necessary if I'm to return to where I was in July and August. I'm too determined to compete in the half-Iron Man in April to relent on my exercise. I suspect most of you are thinking that I've already cut from my social time, but I've just been spending much of my time with new people. Crushes do that, which I too suspect to wane.
I doubt I'll finish all of this in a week, but I'll try. Please don't be insulted if I decline your invitations. I'll free myself again soon.
[I realize this isn't the happiest of all entries. Rest well knowing that I'm absolutely thrilled with my current life situation in almost every aspect. I must face some responsibilities for a short time if I'm to return to the world full-force with this thrill.] |
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| Generic Update |
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| 06:28pm 11/09/2008 |
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School has come on me in full force, the teachers each teaching their department-assigned course. I learn with some ease most that they say, while thinking, while dreaming, my mind carried up up.
Upup.
I teach now, I tutor, I help crunch the numbers. Things that we count, draw, we now solve their wonders. The house of Isaac opened up for plunder, I show the way in from above, the side, or below.
Pupu.
The Kerry, the Leigh, the Clay, and the we. A friend who does wane, wax and live by few facts, feels around from sky to ground touching little and affecting all. To learn she yearns her numbers concern. Future hidden weight unridden, falling off the wayside, the outside, from Perseid, into trenches. Her grip, so tightly wound, it shakes with a sharpened edge capable of performing the function of a long knife that cuts on more than one side.
Parry.
I'm home, I'm home, finally home. At Rampart and St. Anthony, finally home. Small and quaint and finally home. It's mine, all mine, finally, home. |
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| Quick Post-Gustav/Move Update |
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| 01:44pm 05/09/2008 |
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School: The first week of school was pretty great. I got the job as a math tutor for UNO and I'll be working a whopping 8 hours a week! I also got a $220/mo raise from Uncle Sam! I like all my classes and I've already made a few new friends. School starts back next Monday. I wonder how this week break will affect things.
Home: I moved to the Marigny on Rampart St. I've wanted to live in the Marigny since I first moved to NOLA and now I actually get to do it! I'm only 2 blocks from the French Quarter and I have friends living within walking distance of my house in almost every direction. Parking is easy. School is close. I live by myself and have quiet neighbors. It's just terrific. I've ridden myself of a bit of furniture, and need to get rid of one more piece, but that was expected. The place is small, but more than big enough for me, and between my noggin and Ryan's drill I should be able to have my place set up perfectly before too much longer. Expect me to be giving/throwing away a lot of stuff that I've never used in the last 5 years.
Exercise: Horrible, horrible, horrible. But that changes today. Between the hurricane, moving, and setting up my new home I have not worked out in over a week. I'll take an exploratory 4-6 mile run today, though, to learn what routes are available to me in this new neighborhood. I also found a good place for my pull-up bar so all the neighborhood girls and gayboys can fawn over my hothot body. There is a half-Iron Man race on April 5th in New Orleans. I will be competing in this. 1.2 mile swim followed by 56 mile bike followed by 13.1 mile run. I've already signed up for a locker at the pool on campus and I'll be doing laps there 3+ times a week as soon as campus opens (Monday).
(Post-)Hurricane Social: Stayed with Christian during the hurricane. We scooped up Mari after the worst was over (had an interesting run-in with Lizzy), though, and I ended up separating from them after that happened. I got to see Earl. That's always great. We spend most of the day together Wednesday which was nice. Introduced him to KL (wasn't expecting to see her), but they didn't hit it off too well. I expected this as she owns three accordions. She had just returned from BTR and didn't seem in the best of moods. I spent more time with Earl and friends at his place then, as I walked home, ran into KL unexpectantly again on her bike. She seemed upset so I hung out with her a while until she seemed okay. I was never up on the whole Bosnia crisis, but I've made a new friend, Feretta (no clue if I'm spelling it right), who moved here with her family as a refugee and she has become my Astronomy buddy. It should be interesting to get to know her and learn the inside-scoop.
I went swimming with KL the Friday before the storm. I haven't been able to hear out of my right ear well since that day. I just bought some sort of elixir that should either fix the problem or deafen me permanently. I think it's time I go home and begin experimenting on myself. |
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| Last day before school |
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| 11:00pm 24/08/2008 |
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I hate packing. I don't mind moving heavy furniture. I don't mind hauling couches up stairs. I don't even mind unpacking. But golly gee whiz do I hate packing.
I spent a lot of Friday looking for apartments and realizing I needed boxes with which to pack. I looked at several apartments and finally found one that I liked. It is near City Park (near = in a building across City Park Ave -- you can see NOMA from the yard) and in a really nice neighborhood. The rent is as cheap as I could expect. Problems? Low ceilings (6 1/2 feet) so I'd have to duck thresholds and put my bookshelves on their sides... and there'd be no way I could get my shogi screens back from Mokey. Crooked floors, but that's not bad, really. And you can't really walk to anything social. If I'm going to live alone, I'll need some sort of social environment, even if it is just a few friend's houses, within walking distance to ensure I don't become a hermit. Oh, and it is being rented out by a realtor rather than the owners. I got an application and completed most of it, but they said to wait until Monday to turn it in, that nobody else would see the apartment this weekend. I took this as a prompt to look for more places.
I drove around the Bywater, Marigny, and Treme Friday afternoon looking for rent signs that weren't apparently from a realty company. One place showed a lot of promise and I scheduled a time to view it for Sunday morning. After looking around a while I stopped by KL's house to hang out for a bit before heading to my comedy show. We rapped for a bit then I headed to the show. She attended (her first time) and enjoyed the show, although I was pretty pissed that our troupe leader cut me out of the last two games. She later realized what she had done and apologized to me without any prompting, though, so I'm okay with it. I introduced KL to the peanut butter hamburger later before making my way to dream land.
Saturday was taken up primarily by acquiring boxes from various sources and beginning the packing process. There was a sprinkling of KL early in the day, but boxes and packing soon took over. I did still find time for my daily work out and I am finally comfortable with saying I'm running under 8 minute miles at long distances! I ran around 7 minute 40 second miles (at the same time as the Olympic Male Marathon Competition, I leached some of their resolve) which is far better than the 8 minute wall I had hit for over a month. I'm hoping to get down to 7 minute miles before the Crescent City Classic so I can qualify for a higher starting bracket.
Sunday morning I went to see the other apartment. It's owned by an older couple who moved to the Northshore after the storm. They're both really nice, far better than any realty company. The apartment is a bit smaller than the hobbit cave at City Park, but I like it much better! Tall ceilings, great location (N. Rampart in the Marigny), lots of character, $40/mo cheaper, and just what I need to live alone. In size/arrangement it is somewhere between an efficiency and normal 1br apartment. I'll probably have to get rid of my couch to move there, but I won't need all this furniture when I live alone, anyway. I filled out an application for the place and I will find out tomorrow!
KL's mom got into town last night. She invited me to meet her at some point so I asked if they would be interested in seeing the Botero exhibit at NOMA. They took me up on the offer and invited me over for lunch before we went. After lunch we decided not to go to see the exhibit in favor of her mom hooking me up to a biofeedback machine. We worked with that for a couple of hours before KL got a bit restless and we decided to find something else to do. Finding something proved to be a bit harder than we had expected thanks to the rain. KL got the idea of going skating, though, and her mom decided not to go along. We went to Dairy Queen while we waited for the rink to switch shifts.
While still waiting for the rink I received a call from my dad with bad news about my aunt Susie. She's being released to Hospice tomorrow which means they don't expect her to make it. Pretty scary news. I'm hoping she's well enough to have visitors so I can see her before things get much worse. I really wasn't expecting her to get this bad this soon.
We made it back to the rink and rolled around for an hour and a half along side a bunch of people mostly younger than us. We weren't the best skaters there, but we weren't the worst. We had fun hurting our feet and our hands and trying to regain the skills we had lost to too many days of walking. It was a really nice time. As we were sitting down to remove our skates and go home they announced over the speakers that they were closing due to the weather and that we could get free passes for another date. Talk about great timing! I guess KL and I will be rolling together soon.
School starts tomorrow at 8am. 19hr load. 8 classes, three of them labs. This is going to be the semester that determines if I can really knock out two majors in less time than most people do one. Actually, I know I can do that... but can I maintain a 3.9+ GPA all the while, that's the question. A question which will be quickly answered negatively if I don't get to bed. |
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Read 4 - Post |
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| Finally Experiencing a Summer Break |
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| 12:46pm 22/08/2008 |
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Even though I went to summer school, I still should have about a month-long break just after the spring semester, then again before the fall semester. Work, fortunately and unfortunately, called me away after the spring semester causing me to go without a real break until the last week of July when the summer semester ended. This final week has been surprisingly full and promises to remain so until Monday morning when I begin my classes. I'll catch you up as best as someone can with a cat biting their tongue.
I spent most of Sunday recovering from Saturday night's birthday party. While I didn't consume to the extent that I've been known to on birthdays past, I wouldn't go so far as to say I was sober as my party wound down, so much of this recovery was spend in bed. Sundays are supposed to be easy, and I'm glad this one was.
My Dad came to New Orleans to take me to dinner, a birthday tradition we've held for years. Rosine came by before we left for dinner and brought me a birthday cake. Why can't someone with whom I can communicate clearly fall for me like that? She's a truly beautiful person inside and out, but I could never be happy in a relationship where half of what I say goes unheard or unappreciated, or where I can't fully know my partner's mind because she can't express it in a way I understand. I'm getting off-topic. Back to dinner.
Sadly, the first two restaurants (Jacques Imo's then Sukho Thai) I had chosen weren't open on Monday so we walked from the closed Thai restaurant to Wasabi Cafe, a Japanese restaurant which prepares my favorite sushi in town. Sushi is always a good idea. We visited for a while before, during, and after dinner. I can't express how happy I am that my Dad has quit smoking. After over 50 years of heavy smoking, he's finally quit and is feeling great! I can't imagine how hard it must be owning a bar and quitting tobacco at the same time.
I've spent a large amount of time this week with Kerry Leigh. (Note the usage of both "Kerry" and "Leigh" when I type her name, people.) Her birthday was yesterday (yes, we're both Leo's... and YES, we ARE both Leo's) and was a jolly good celebration. She had a themed celebration next to the river: Yard Sports and the English Gentry. She and I arrived a bit early to set up for the party. We brought a blanket, tea, snack foods, real fruit, fake fruits, croquet, and so on and so on. We were a bit up river from the Riverboat Natchez whose calliope began playing while we were there. I jogged over to the riverboat and, with a bit of wooing, yelling, and exaggerated pleading (in front of a crowd of strangers) that would've made any Shakespeare character jealous, I was able to convince the calliopist to play "Happy Birthday" for Kerry Leigh. This brought me more pleasure even than the group of people who assumed we actually were British due to our activities and garb. I should find that calliopist lady and buy her lunch.
After her other friends arrived we learned how to set up a badminton net just in time for the park 'security' to tell us to take it down. This was followed by lots of friends, bocce ball, and badminton without a net. I was happy to see our (only mutual) friend Sean come by as he's always a pleasure to see. We were not happy, however, to see the 'security' come back a few hours later and force us to leave. Admittedly, though, we were disobeying their silly rules.
The rest of my week (fill in any holes you see in the time line) has been spent looking for a new place to live. I've looked at a few apartments already and still have two more to see today. I hope to also fill my schedule (aside from performing in an improv show tonight) this weekend with viewing several places and, tentatively, paying a down payment on one Sunday. This will give me all next week to pack when I'm not at school, followed by a three-day weekend to move and unpack. I'll probably have lost some of the weight I've gained by the end of this due to less exercise, but I'll put it all back on once I get back in a set routine and hopefully hit 160 by October. Goal: 170lbs by 2009. |
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keeerush's journal