http://search.deviantart.com/?q=by:WeevilOne&section=today deviantART RSS for by:WeevilOne en-us Copyright 2009, deviantART.com Wed, 09 Dec 2009 10:36:38 PST deviantART.com http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss http://s.deviantart.com/minish/widgets/apple-touch-icon-precomposed.png http://WeevilOne.deviantart.com/journal/27149608/ http://WeevilOne.deviantart.com/journal/27149608/ Fri, 11 Sep 2009 12:35:44 PDT
I have to move at the end of the month and I am not looking forward to it at all. I am maybe a little over halfway packed, but there are some things that I cannot pack up until a few days before (like all of my underwear and stuff like that). So my room is a half-packed mess, and I'm not too happy about it. Except I haven't done too much about that either, because I can't stand the thought of more packing at the moment.

I know I'm supposed to be all excited about moving, but I'm really not. I am looking forward to some of the things in the new city, but I don't have a job yet, which really puts a damper on things. The oh-my-goodness-do-not-spend-any-money-lest-you-not-have-enough-saved-to-pay-for-your-rent-or-food kind of damper. I'm working right now, but once I finish up my hours in my lab job, that's all the money I'm going to have until I find a new job in the new city.

Once I have a job, I should be a little more content with moving. Then I just have to get graduate school all figured out.

]]> ~WeevilOne http://WeevilOne.deviantart.com/journal/26319616/ http://WeevilOne.deviantart.com/journal/26319616/ Sat, 01 Aug 2009 14:17:51 PDT 2. Your significant other? Nonexistent
3. Your hair? Brown
4. Your mother? Overbearing
5. Your father? Spoiled
6. Your favorite thing? Happiness
7. Your dream last night? Forgotten
8. Your favorite drink? Tea
9. Your dream/goal? Publish
10. What room you are in? Laboratory
11. Your hobby? Many
12. Your fear? Heights
13. Where do you want to be in 6 years? Successful
14. Where were you last night? Party
16. Muffins? Yum!
17. Wish list item? Furniture
18. Where you grew up? San Francisco
19. Last thing you did? Extraction
20. What are you wearing? Clothes
21. Your TV? Basement
22. Your pets? Dead
23. Friends? Loved
24. Your life? Uncertain
25. Your mood? Variable
26. Missing someone? Always
27. Car? No!
28. Something you're not wearing? Snood
29. Your favorite store? Bookstore
30. Your favorite color? Purple!

]]> ~WeevilOne http://WeevilOne.deviantart.com/journal/23863155/ http://WeevilOne.deviantart.com/journal/23863155/ Tue, 24 Mar 2009 09:31:58 PDT
But! I will be doing some art things in the near future. I have to, because I ended up doing this cool little Notes thing on Facebook. If you're one of the first five people to comment on someone's note, and you repost the note and agree to do the same for the first five people who reply to your note, the person will make you something. I thought it was a pretty nifty idea to pass along the gifting, so I replied to someone's note and posted my own. I have four people who have commented, so I'm going to be making four things. The only problem is deciding what I want to make them. (Granted it doesn't have to be art. I could make them food or some such thing. Or I suppose i could write them a story, but I'm not that great of a writer, so I'll likely be sticking with art. Plus, art is fun. Especially if it's got a purpose.)

I wonder what I'm going to get...

]]> ~WeevilOne http://WeevilOne.deviantart.com/journal/23863036/ http://WeevilOne.deviantart.com/journal/23863036/ Tue, 24 Mar 2009 09:20:31 PDT
]]> ~WeevilOne http://WeevilOne.deviantart.com/journal/23804404/ http://WeevilOne.deviantart.com/journal/23804404/ Fri, 20 Mar 2009 20:56:42 PDT because I had to complete the Cheesy Song About Cheese.

A
- Available: Yes
- Age: 21
- Annoyance: People who leave fingerprints/faceprints/food bits on glass windows
- Animal: Porcupine

B
- Beer: Made from barley
- Birthday: They're overrated
- Best Friends: I don't have best friends. I have a complex ranking system that involves string theory and the phases of the moon.
- Body Part on opposite sex: Err... nose?
- Best feeling in the world: Waking up next to someone who's company you enjoy
- Best weather: Warm and sunny, not too windy or humid
- Been in Love: No, just various crushes
- Been on stage: I went to a performing arts school from K-2nd grade...
- Believe in Magic: I believe in illusions
- Believe in God: Not really, no
- Believe in Santa: Not since age 6

C
- Candy: Chemistry!
- Color: Purple, purple, and more purple
- Chocolate/Vanilla: Chocolate. Dark.
- Chinese/Mexican: Chinese
- Cake or pie: Pecan pie
- Cheese: String cheese, swiss cheese, parmesan, blue./ All for me and none for you!

D
- Day or Night: They both have their good points
- Dance in the rain?: No

E
- Eggs: Depends on my mood
- Eyes: Two
- Everyone's got: ATP
- Ever failed a class?: No, but I was coming too close in Organic II, so I withdrew

F
- Full name: Princess Wicked Weevil Wendy (no, not really)
- First thoughts waking up: "Alarm! Must shut off!" *rolls over and goes back to sleep*
- Food: Is yummy

G
- Greatest Fear: Heights or conflict
- Goals: Publish research. As lead author.
- Gum: Lives in the ottoman
- Get along with your parents?: Most of the time
- Good luck charm: "There is no such thing as luck. There is only adequate or inadequate preparation to cope with a statistical universe." -Robert Heinlein

H
- Hair Color: Brown. NOT black.
- Height: Short
- Happy: Feet?
- Holiday: Thanksgiving. Mmm, food.
- How do you want to die: In a blaze of glory?

I
- Ice Cream: Green tea
- Instrument: Clarinet and recorder. But not for many years

J
- Jewelry: Is a pain
- Job: Student, lab assistant, waitress

K
- Kids: Are icky
- Kickboxing or karate: Neither
- Keep a journal: When I remember to

L
- Longest Car Ride: I don't want to think about it. It wasn't a good experience. I think it was something like 10 hours.
- Love: Is hard to find and even harder to keep
- Letter: A,T,C, or G (I'm not a bio geek, no, not me)
- Laughed so hard you cried: On occasion

M
- Milk flavor: Strawberry
- Movies: I have a lot on my "to see" list
- Motion sickness: Mostly no.
- McD’s or BK: Arbys!

N
- Number of Siblings: I'm a spoiled only child
- Number of Piercings: None
- Number: 3, 5, or 7

O
- One wish: To do something productive with my life
- Wanted to be a model?: No thanks
- Where do we go when we die?: Depends on who you are and where you die
- Worst Weather?: Freezing rain

P
- Perfect Pizza: Pesto
- Pepsi/Coke: Coke

Q
- Quail: CA state bird

R
- Reason to cry: Too many to count
- Reality T.V.: Is getting old
- Radio Station: KUSF
- Roll your tongue in a circle?: Yes
- Ring size: I think 6

S
- Song: According to iTunes, it's The Impossible Dream
- Shoe size: Ranges from kids' 6 to womens' 8
- Salad Dressing: It used to be blue cheese until I had to make a gallon of it for work. Now I think it's Caesar.
- Sushi: Yes please!
- Skipped school: I try not to. Some classes are just so tempting, though
- Slept outside: Yep
- Smoked?: Only secondhand. *coughgagcough*
- Skinny dipped?: No!
- Shower daily?: Not since I played water polo. I'm an every-other-day kind of girl. I don't get *that* dirty.
- Sing well?: I wish
- In the shower?: Sometimes
- Swear?: Not out loud if I can help it
- Strawberries/Blueberries: Yes please!

T
- Time for bed: Probably
- Thunderstorms: I love them. I want to be Tris.

U
- Unpredictable: On occasion.

V
- Vacation spot: My dream vacations are Costa Rica, Madagascar, and the Galapagos

W
- Weakness: Food, cuddles, and warm baths
- Which one of your friends acts the most like you: Olivia. My ARC twin
- Who makes you laugh the most: Depends on my mood
- Worst feeling: Hopelessness

X
- X-Rays... ]]> ~WeevilOne http://WeevilOne.deviantart.com/journal/23452414/ http://WeevilOne.deviantart.com/journal/23452414/ Sat, 28 Feb 2009 14:10:33 PST
Part of the problem is my lack of time management. I've got a fairly busy schedule, so I don't have a lot of unstructured free time. And when I do have unstructured free time, I usually spend it reading, puttering on the computer, or watching TV with my housemate. (We've been rekindling our love of Due South.)

Hopefully I'll be able to find more time to draw now that my dogsledding course is over. I'm going to miss the dogs though. Even though they were crazy and didn't listen half the time, I loved them all. Even if I did get dragged on my face in the snow more than once because I wasn't able to hold them. (It doesn't help that I'm kind of on the small side and these dogs are bred for pulling...) Just being behind a team of dogs is one of the greatest feelings in the world. It's like you're almost flying over the snow.

I'm also planning on withdrawing from my organic chemistry class. I feel pretty guilty about doing it, but I'm currently failing the course. I've never withdrawn from a course before, but I would also hate to fail a course for the first time ever. Of course this will also give me more free time for drawing...

]]> ~WeevilOne http://WeevilOne.deviantart.com/journal/22605021/ http://WeevilOne.deviantart.com/journal/22605021/ Thu, 15 Jan 2009 21:13:51 PST
Each week I have 3 hours of organic chemistry lab, 2 hours of ichthyology lab, 6 hours of molecular methods lab, and 12 hours of work study in the genetics lab. (Of course this is on top of the lectures, my other non-lab classes, and working at Country Kitchen on the weekends.)

I don't mind being busy, but I'm still wondering when I'm going to have time to figure out what I want to do regarding grad school. I need to keep looking for a job or internship I can do before applying to grad school, and then I need to start looking into places with good biology programs.

And somehow in the midst of all this I ought to find time to do more art. I've got a couple of pictures half finished, but not the motivation to do them. Someday I'll get around to finishing them up.

]]> ~WeevilOne http://WeevilOne.deviantart.com/journal/22065975/ http://WeevilOne.deviantart.com/journal/22065975/ Fri, 19 Dec 2008 11:59:12 PST
I don't have reliable internet at home, so I don't know if I'll be able to post something closer to the actual date. Plus, I've been sick, so I'm behind on everything that I need to do before Christmas. (Like decorating the tree... which is the project for today.)

Sadly, this also means that I probably won't have time to do any art. *sigh* We'll see.

]]> ~WeevilOne http://WeevilOne.deviantart.com/journal/21694167/ http://WeevilOne.deviantart.com/journal/21694167/ Thu, 27 Nov 2008 07:56:45 PST
May you have much to be thankful for in the coming year.

]]> ~WeevilOne http://WeevilOne.deviantart.com/journal/21528051/ http://WeevilOne.deviantart.com/journal/21528051/ Mon, 17 Nov 2008 01:04:31 PST
According to Conan, what is good in life is "to crush your enemies, see them driven before you, and to hear the lamentation of the women".

According to some Mongol in the movie, it is "The open steppe, fleet horse, falcons at your wrist, and the wind in your hair".

Those are all well and good, but really, there are better things in life. Things like long bubble baths with a book. Bedtime with company. Homemade pecan pie that's fresh from the oven.

Loving and being loved. Safety. Warmth. Tolerance. Trust. Understanding. That is what is good in life.

]]> ~WeevilOne http://WeevilOne.deviantart.com/journal/21247141/ http://WeevilOne.deviantart.com/journal/21247141/ Fri, 31 Oct 2008 10:59:56 PDT
I'm working tonight, so I won't be doing anything stupid. Not that I would even if I wasn't working. I have to be bright-eyed and bushy-tailed tomorrow morning because...
I GET TO FIGHT A KNIGHT!!!

Roisin is Northshield's only female knight and she's coming up to fight with our group tomorrow. I'm so excited. I've been hearing about her for years, but I've never met her. I think she might have been at the Crown Tourney we hosted, but I was busy hiding in the kitchen. And I don't go to big events, so we've never crossed paths (or swords). I'm going to get beaten to a pulp tomorrow, and I can't wait!!! *bounces*

]]> ~WeevilOne http://WeevilOne.deviantart.com/journal/21208184/ http://WeevilOne.deviantart.com/journal/21208184/ Tue, 28 Oct 2008 19:30:32 PDT
]]> ~WeevilOne http://WeevilOne.deviantart.com/journal/20976638/ http://WeevilOne.deviantart.com/journal/20976638/ Mon, 13 Oct 2008 19:54:52 PDT And the Wolf that shall keep it may prosper, but the Wolf that shall break it must die.
As the creeper that girdles the tree-trunk the Law runneth forward and back --
For the strength of the Pack is the Wolf, and the strength of the Wolf is the Pack.
~ Rudyard Kipling

I could learn to love melee fighting. I used to say I’d never fight in a big melee battle, but I might end up changing my mind. There’s something about being a part of something bigger than yourself that’s exhilarating. It’s not just you anymore. Other people are depending on you to do your job, and you’re depending on them to do their jobs. Individually you may be nothing much, but together you can move mountains (or at least their pesky shield wall).

I was told that inspiration comes in many forms and many functions, but one of the best is the inspiration caused by those that you believe in. I’ll have to agree with that. I think I’ve been inspired by my fellow fighters. I want to become a better fighter, less for myself, but so that I can help out my team. The better I can do my job, the better our team becomes.

I don’t have to be the immovable tank that Phil is. He can probably single-handedly break through a shield wall. I don’t have to be the leader that Lynn is, who can take charge and call out the commands that keep our team working as a unit. I don’t have to be the berserker than Mark is. He has a solid defense and an ability to survive close combat even when seriously outnumbered. I don’t have to be the whirlwind that Cy is, running circles around our opponents before they have a chance to regroup. I don’t have to be the mountain that Bear is. He can intimidate our opponents just by standing there if he wants to. I don’t have to be the wolf that Will is, biding his time until he leaps fearlessly into the heart of the battle.

I don’t have to be any of that, but someday I’d like to be Darkstone’s little poltergeist. I want to be able to sneak around the battlefield unnoticed until suddenly they’ve got a pole arm in their face. I want to be the nasty little surprise that ties up their weapon while my teammates kill them. I want to be part of a team that makes people say “oh no, Darkstone is here” when we take the field.

]]> ~WeevilOne http://WeevilOne.deviantart.com/journal/20912091/ http://WeevilOne.deviantart.com/journal/20912091/ Thu, 09 Oct 2008 20:06:12 PDT
Yes, I was stuck. Yes, I didn't know how I was going to get out without getting soaked in freezing mucky water. Yes, I had one knee on top of a floating mat of sphagnum moss and the other foot desperately searching for a foothold that wasn't there. Yes, half the class and the professor were laughing at me. But I was laughing right along with them, and I did somehow manage to get out without getting wet. And I even got the water samples. I can't wait until I can go out and do research of my own.

]]> ~WeevilOne http://WeevilOne.deviantart.com/journal/20413937/ http://WeevilOne.deviantart.com/journal/20413937/ Tue, 09 Sep 2008 20:14:33 PDT
It was... passable.

I threw a cylinder because I needed the practice. (Plus I work under the theory that if you can throw a perfect cylinder, you can throw anything.) I totally killed my first two pieces, though. That didn't particularly surprise me, as I was never any good on the wheel. I'm a hand building kind of girl. I don't know why it is, but everything just seems to be right with the universe when I'm got a ball of clay in my hands. I'll probably be spending a lot of time in the ceramics lab this year (though not nearly as much as I'll be spending in the genetics lab).

In not-so-artsy news, I'm going to be working for the genetics professor again. He wants me (well, all the lab assistants) working an average of four more hours a week (making a total of twelve or so) in order to increase the quantity of extractions that we do. It should be interesting.

I'm also excited because we're going to start having Tuesday fighter practices again. This means I'll be able to fight at least once a week, and that I can keep up with the fencing (since I have chemistry during the Thursday practices). I just hope I can keep up with the heavy, since Country Kitchen seems to have ignored my request for Sundays off. I'll give them a revised schedule (to include the extra genetics lab hours) and cross off Sundays and hope that they can take a hint.

I'm also hoping that we'll be able to have Wednesday dance practices. Since the SCA is not an official Northland organization, I'm in the process of getting a wavier form signed so that we'll be able to use the campus theatre for dancing. I sent an email to the college president, but she has yet to respond, so I may just end up trying to track her (or someone in her staff who can sign the form) down tomorrow. Unfortunately it's probably too late to actually have a practice tomorrow, even if I can get it signed right away.

So... yeah... With the possible exceptions of school and work, the SCA has taken over my life. This isn't a displeasing thought.

]]> ~WeevilOne http://WeevilOne.deviantart.com/journal/20200939/ http://WeevilOne.deviantart.com/journal/20200939/ Thu, 28 Aug 2008 12:08:11 PDT
I think I’m ready for school to start. I still have to go in to buy my books (or more likely, see what books I need to buy and then get them online). I still have to dig up my folders and make sure I have something to take notes with. But for the most part, I think I’m ready.

It’s really weird not going back to the dorms, though. For the first time I’m not going to walk across the bridge every morning to go to my CSE classes from Memorial. Part of me is glad that I moved off campus (we’ve got a kitchen!) but part of me wishes that I hadn’t canceled my on-campus housing. I would have had a single, which I sort of have here, but my housemates are encouraging me to find someone to share my tiny room with. It also would have been slightly cheaper, so I wouldn’t have had to be working two jobs in addition to going to school. At least I’ve got my lightest semester to date, with a measly 15 credits.

It’s also going to be really nice going back to work in the lab. Yes, the work is tedious and often boring, but at least I make minimum wage. Waitressing is annoying because I make so little. Some days I make a decent amount of money because I get good tips, but there are so many days when we have no customers in the restaurant for several hours, or only one or two tables. When I don’t have any tables I only make $2.33 an hour and being at work is just a waste of my time.

One blessing is that I’ll only be working Friday nights and Saturdays during the school year, so I’ve got a better chance of making a little money even during the winter when nobody wants to go outside. Plus it means that I’ll have Sundays free for SCA stuff. That will be really nice, since I’ve been working during the practices and meetings so much.

Anyway, it’s time for me to sprawl in the room some more, get some reading done before I get swamped by school work, and generally hide from the rest of the universe.

]]> ~WeevilOne http://WeevilOne.deviantart.com/journal/19873024/ http://WeevilOne.deviantart.com/journal/19873024/ Sun, 10 Aug 2008 03:53:16 PDT
But I think what I'm most looking forward to is having a more consistent schedule. No more of this random scheduling that leaves me with only an hour to see my housemates before bedtime. Yes, it keeps us from getting sick of each other, but it would be nice to be able to spend time with them when we're not all tired and cranky.

But since the beginning of school is just over three weeks away, I'll look forward to my three day weekend instead. I think I'm going to head down to the library to pick up a library card and some new reading material. And do a bit of bike maintenance which I should have done weeks ago. And rearrange the room again for my ARC sister's "visit".

Then maybe I'll stop having dreams about Country Kitchen. I get enough stress when I'm actually at work; I don't need it in my sleep too.

]]> ~WeevilOne http://WeevilOne.deviantart.com/journal/19516409/ http://WeevilOne.deviantart.com/journal/19516409/ Mon, 21 Jul 2008 10:55:37 PDT
I thought I was going to go utterly insane this weekend because of Bay Days. Weekends are normally busier than weekdays, but not this busy. I don't remember much about how busy we were on Saturday, but we must have been pretty busy because I had significantly more in sales than I've had thus far.

Yesterday I came into the restaurant and walked into utter madness. After changing out of my garb in the bathroom (I'd come straight from the Darkstone encampment) I signed in and began bussing tables. Then I started filling and cleaning the syrup bottles because we had no syrups that were full and ready to go out to the tables (and everyone seemed to be ordering pancakes). After I got my first couple of tables, we got a huge rush of people in. There were a bunch of big groups, and at one point we had people waiting for tables so that they could be seated. There were four waitresses on the floor and we probably could have used several more. Trying to get the food served, customers checked on, and bills dealt with in addition to getting tables cleared and cleaned for the new customers coming in was all very overwhelming. The rush didn't let up until about two, and I heard that it started at nine. I'd gotten there at eleven, so I even missed two hours of the madness. All I can hope is that today will be somewhat calmer.

]]> ~WeevilOne http://WeevilOne.deviantart.com/journal/18916570/ http://WeevilOne.deviantart.com/journal/18916570/ Wed, 18 Jun 2008 17:25:02 PDT
I'm going to be a waitress.

[Insert deity of choice here] help us all.

]]> ~WeevilOne http://WeevilOne.deviantart.com/journal/18876724/ http://WeevilOne.deviantart.com/journal/18876724/ Mon, 16 Jun 2008 15:42:21 PDT
After the rapier authorizations and melees the heavy fighting started. We started with a “sheep raid”. Then we had “sheep ball” (are you sensing a theme here?) which was basically heavy weapons soccer. So if you wanted an opponent out of the way, you could try to kill them. (It was a resurrection battle, so you could come back after dying once you touched a certain tree.) It was interesting because you had to keep an eye out for the ball as well as people trying to kill you. And playing soccer in full armor is interesting…

We had a few more melees skirmishes before we finished up the fighting. Then was the curiosities show, and then we cleaned up all the fighter gear before feast began.

Feast was wonderful, as usual. The bread was delicious, the salad was tasty, and I ate far more than I should have. My favorites were the spinach quiche and the buttermilk cheese with berries. The best part is that the feast tokens were the recipes for all of the food! *drools*

After the feast was over and we all rolled out of our seats, most of the people went to help take down the tents and pavilions while some stayed to help with the kitchen cleanup. I stayed to help dry the feast dishes, and then got a ride back to the post revel. The post revel was actually very quiet. We watched Dogma, and then some of Firefly. It was a little odd because there wasn’t a lot of conversation going on during the movies. It was mostly a quiet wind down to the day.

Practice the next day was very laid back as well. We did footwork and melee drills out of armor. Part of me wanted to be in armor, but I knew I needed to practice on my form. Melee practice reaffirmed my dislike of being in a shield wall, though.

Because the Ironwood Ren Faire is next weekend, and Darkstone is doing a demo, I've spent most of today fixing up my armor. I always forget how annoying polishing my armor is until I have to do it again. At least I'll look a bit nicer when I'm done, I suppose. Of course I'll look just as scruffy once I'm on the list field again.

]]> ~WeevilOne http://WeevilOne.deviantart.com/journal/18618802/ http://WeevilOne.deviantart.com/journal/18618802/ Sun, 01 Jun 2008 22:38:40 PDT
So I went down with eight other Darkstoners (in two cars with everyone’s fighter gear, garb, and event paraphernalia) to Valders, WI. It was about a six-hour drive from Ashland, and I was squished in the back middle seat. I ended up being used as a pillow for a large portion of the trip as well.

Once we got there, we unloaded all of the gear, signed in at troll, and changed into our garb. After a while, fighter authorizations and inspections began, so I started putting on my armor. Because I had already changed into my garb, I didn’t really feel like stripping everything off, so I just put a t-shirt over my bodice and exchanged the skirt for pants. This was mistake number one. When I got into my armor, I had what was probably the most cursory inspection I’ve ever had before heading out on the field to warm up with people. We then had a few melee battles, which was interesting because I didn't know any of the other fighters.

Then was more heavy practice where I got a lesson on being aggressive from one of the knights. During all of this, I had not had any water. This was mistake number two. I was also starting to get a headache, but I figured that this was from being beat about the head with sticks. This was mistake number three.

I did pop my helm off to drink some water and eat a couple of pretzels during the break between the practice and the tournament. I didn’t sit in the shade, though. This was mistake number four.

The then tournament started and I had my first fight. It was against Cy, who had come over from the rapier field. He got me with the shoulder drop that he always manages to kill me with at practice. (Had all the other fighters taken note of this, I would have been killed very quickly in all of my fights as I fall for it EVERY TIME.)

The fighting continued… and continued… and continued. There were twelve people fighting in the tournament, everyone had to fight everyone else, and thus had 11 fights. About half way through the tournament I realized that my headache wasn’t just fighting related. I was starting to feel like I was either going to pass out or throw up, and it dawned upon me (rather belatedly) that I was well into dehydration. I tried drinking water between my bouts, but as I never knew how long the other bouts would take, I didn't really end up drinking that much water.

At one point (feeling about ready to throw up) I decided that getting under shade and drinking lots of water was a better idea than staying out in the sun and trying to fight. I knew that withdrawing from the tournament would have been a better idea than staying in, but I really wanted to see it out. I did end up staying in and continuing to fight all of my bouts, which really was far from the smartest thing ever. It may have been mistake number six, but later events lead me to decide that perhaps it wasn’t a mistake after all.

As for the fighting, I somehow managed to win several bouts. My last fight made me really happy, though. I mean I was happy that it was my last fight (because it meant that I could get out of my armor and cool down), but I was also happy because I won the fight and didn’t expect to win it at all. I somehow managed to get a body thrust in. Right about where his heart was. I have no idea how I managed to pull that off, especially in the middle of dehydration and what was leaning towards heat exhaustion.

I was very happy, but I was just as eager to get out of my armor. There were combat archery authorizations afterwards, but I wasn’t in any shape to fight and help out with those. So I stripped out of my armor and went to the bathroom to change into cooler clothing.

Eventually Sir Alex (the knight that had been giving me lectures earlier) found me and asked me to sit with him at the high table at feast. He said that of all the fighters there, I inspired him the most because I was determined and I never gave up. I accepted, of course, though I was a little shocked and worried about sitting with Sir Alex at the high table. I’m not very talkative in the best of circumstances, and not only was I sitting with a Baron at the high table, I had a pounding headache and no feast gear.

So I went to the feast and found out that not only was I sitting at the high table with the mermaids and Sir Alex (their champion as he had won the tournament undefeated), but we were being serv... ]]> ~WeevilOne http://WeevilOne.deviantart.com/journal/18437520/ http://WeevilOne.deviantart.com/journal/18437520/ Wed, 21 May 2008 19:39:11 PDT
After the Maxwell property, we drove around to various fields, wooded areas, and wetlands. In one sedge meadow, we heard what seemed like a million different birds. It was just after sunrise, and every bird in the area was calling. We even heard an American bittern, which was pretty cool. Then we came back to Ashland to scout around Long Bridge for shorebirds and waterfowl. We heard a green heron, and we saw a gadwall swimming with a coot, which was a bit odd. We also got to see a bald eagle catch a fish.

After Long Bridge, we were going south to the Morgan Falls area. As we were driving through Ashland, the professor suddenly swerved and stopped in the middle of Ellis Ave. He started freaking out and pointing to the top of the grocery store. Everyone looked up as he exclaimed “Holy S**t! Great horned owl!” (This is coming from the teacher that uses ‘sugar pops’ and ‘fudge cookies’ as swear words.)

He was pointing at the plastic owl that’s always on top of the grocery store…

Someone pointed out that it was plastic as the rest of the van tried (unsuccessfully) to not laugh at him. Our professor is rather excitable. He got all worked up over a savannah sparrow, too. He thought it was a water pipit until he got it in the scope, and was so excited that he could barely set up the scope. (Of course the T.A. is just as bad. He leapt out of the van once because he saw a bird that he’d never seen before. Thank goodness we were on a dirt road in a wildlife refuge and there was no traffic to run him over.)

The next really exciting moment was when we saw a fisher on the road. That was really cool. I’ve seen fisher tracks (and fisher skulls) before, but never the actual animal. I wish it had stayed on the road long enough for us to be able to look at it in our binoculars, but it was still cool just seeing it.

After poking around the Morgan Falls area, we came back up to Ashland so that they could drop me off for my canoeing class. We got back early enough for me to get lunch, which I was quite happy about. (Had I not had to be dropped off for class I wouldn’t have gotten to eat lunch.) I then went to class where we filled out course evaluations, turned in our papers, and got a three-hour lecture of canoe design and materials. I nearly fell asleep until he gave us a fifteen-minute break, during which I put my head down for a quick nap.

When that horror was over, I went back to the professor’s house to meet up with the rest of the class for dinner and a discussion of the day. Unfortunately, when I got there the T.A.’s van was the only one there and they decided to leave to go look for a few more birds. So I was standing there in my professor’s yard while his older daughter (who is about seven or eight) stared at me. Feeling awkward, I decided to say hello to her and tell her that I was in her dad’s bird class. Thankfully she was friendly and decided to strike up a conversation with me. Her little sister came over too and they told me about how they had gotten to hold some birds that they’d caught in the garage. They were pretty nice, as little kids go, but I was hoping that their mother would figure out that I was waiting for the rest of the class and not trying to kidnap her daughters.

The rest of the class finally showed up (about ten minutes late) and we got around to eating and talking and seeing which group had found more birds. Everyone had to say what their favorite bird of the day was, and what their favorite moment of the day was. It was a lot of fun, and I think the day as a whole went well, even if it was hectic.

]]> ~WeevilOne http://WeevilOne.deviantart.com/journal/18072257/ http://WeevilOne.deviantart.com/journal/18072257/ Mon, 28 Apr 2008 14:41:05 PDT
Even in the morning I couldn't seem to warm up again. I didn't participate in the fighter practice, so I just watched while huddled in my cloak. I didn't warm up until the ride back (which was actually a lot of fun when I wasn't nearly falling asleep). When I got back, I had an hour to put things away and eat something before heading to fighter practice. Of course, because it was sunny we ended up fighting outside. It was also rather windy, so I ended up getting very cold at fighter practice too.

Then, this morning was field ornithology. I didn't think we were going out (being the first day and all) but we did. And it was cold and windy, and I hadn't properly layered for outdoor stuff. It even snowed a little as we were coming back. After that, I ran around getting lunch and looking at my textbooks. I found out that the book we need tomorrow for ornithology is not only not in stock, but the bookstore is not stocking it at all. Thank goodness the bookstore in town had one copy and are holding it for me until I go there after dinner.

Then was canoeing, during which I nearly fell asleep in the lecture portion. Then we went outside to learn how to tie down canoes, pick out PFDs and canoe paddles, and lift canoes for portaging. Of course the boat house is in a little wind tunnel, so I ended up nearly freezing again. I think my hands have been numb all day, and I definitely need to bring gloves tomorrow.

All in all, everything is going well except for the cold. Bardic Madness was so much fun, and feast was great. I really liked seeing (and of course tasting) the end products of things I'd helped with in the morning. The kitchen people were all really nice, even if I didn't know most of them. I also had fun guarding the royalty room with a bunch of other Darkstoners. You only need one guard for the royalty room, but at one point there were six or seven of us (all with various weapons). The bardic stuff was all really good too. There was no dancing, which was sad, but the singing was quite fun as well.

*wanders off to dinner humming Shield My Kinsmen*

]]> ~WeevilOne http://WeevilOne.deviantart.com/journal/17979728/ http://WeevilOne.deviantart.com/journal/17979728/ Tue, 22 Apr 2008 16:53:58 PDT

When we got to the hotel, I changed into my Rin outfit and we went to the dealer’s room so I could pick up a forehead protector and my friend could pick up a Death Note. Unfortunately, we got there right before it closed, so we didn’t have time to get either one. We then wandered around, looking in the different rooms and generally exploring. I ended up watching Scrapped Princess with a couple of friends from 10pm to 2am. I left well before it was over because I was beginning to fall asleep. It was a good anime, but staying awake just wasn’t happening.

The next morning I got up about an hour before everyone else so that I could change into my L outfit. I took a long time because I had to put on eyeliner and I do no do well with make-up. I had gotten the waterproof liquid eyeliner so that I wouldn’t rub it off during the day. What I hadn’t thought about was the fact that it was waterproof and not at all forgiving with the many mistakes I was making. It ended up turning out all right, though I think I probably scrubbed a good deal of my skin off in the process.

After ~bedlamwolf helped me out with the mussing of my hair with her “Got-2-B-Glued” hair gel, we went down to see the panel with the guy who voice-acted Ichigo (Kyo-haired-dude) from Bleach. That was a lot of fun because he had a cool personality, was very funny, and made a lot of the weird Ichigo noises.

We then went back to the dealer’s room to check out all of the stuff. I picked up a purse and a messenger bag, both with a Fruits Basket theme. I think this may be a sign that I need to start reading Fruits Basket again. I also got a couple of buttons (the kind you pin on your shirt, not the kind that are sewn on your shirt to keep it closed). While we were in there ~bedlamwolf, who was dressed up as Misa, had an L try to kidnap her for the cosplay competition while I (also dressed as L) was standing right next to her. Looking back, I should have made some comment about how she was with me and how Light would kill me if I let her get kidnapped by a crazy fan, but I was too shocked to say anything. Thankfully she (the other L) finally got the message that this Misa was NOT going to be going with her after being rebuffed three or four times.

After going back to the room to sleep or putter, we went down to get good seats for the cosplay competition. We sat in on some weird music and then got kicked out of the room while people set up. We stood in line outside the door until they opened them again about an hour later and managed to get seats in the third row. I took a few pictures, but my camera hates me and has a really slow shutter speed. Thus taking pictures of moving objects (such as people) becomes difficult.

The next day I went to brunch and had lots of good fruit. Sadly none of the guests (except for the stupid Slants that woke us up at 4am because they were drunk and thought it would be funny to bang on the connecting door ) were there. But the food was decent and I had a lot of fruit.

Everything considered, I had a lot of fun. I think I prefer larger cons over smaller ones, but I only have 2 different conventions to judge from. No Brand seemed no friendlier than Fanime, and there were less things to do. Even with the same number of people/vendors/events, I think No Brand really could have profited from a larger space. Some of the areas got really cramped (especially waiting in line for the cosplay competition).

]]> ~WeevilOne http://WeevilOne.deviantart.com/journal/17705604/ http://WeevilOne.deviantart.com/journal/17705604/ Sat, 05 Apr 2008 20:35:38 PDT I finally gave up trying to use a (very poor quality) wig for my L cosplay, which is why it’s so short. My hair is close enough to his color that only the length was wrong and I figured that hair grows back. (I didn’t actually give the hairdresser a copy of an L picture for fear she would go insane with the spiky messiness, though. I actually showed her a picture of Nanba from Hana Kimi. Yes, I’m a dork like that. And I now have almost perfect hair for a person that I’m not cosplaying.)

Also, Betelgeuse is trying to take over the room. Again. He sent out another runner, and this one is slowly creeping closer and closer to my head (he hangs over my bed). And yet the little spider plants from the other runners have not sprouted roots yet. And Marie has not been looking so good. I water her, but she’s still a bit droopy. I suppose that’s what I get for naming my plant after someone who died from too much exposure to radiation. A sickly plant.

]]> ~WeevilOne http://WeevilOne.deviantart.com/journal/17499947/ http://WeevilOne.deviantart.com/journal/17499947/ Mon, 24 Mar 2008 20:25:24 PDT I'm leaning towards the chem class because I'm not a big fan of the humanities. (That's actually a huge understatement...) Besides, who wants to read nature books when they can be learning about candy?

But! In addition to my nerdy science classes, I'm going to be taking two art classes! I finally get to take ceramics, so I'll hopefully be posting a lot of ceramic stuff in the fall. I really hope I'll remember everything I learned in my high school ceramics classes. I'm also taking "ancient, classical, and medieval art". I'm not sure how much I'll enjoy that one, but it counts for my fine art requirement. *shrugs* Maybe we'll get to learn how to do illuminations. Somehow I doubt this, though.

On another happy note, I'm going to be going to Nobrand Con in April. I'll be going down there with a group of friends, and at least one other person will be cosplaying. I'm bringing my Rin costume, though I doubt I'll be wearing it much. I'm mainly going to be going as L from Deathnote. is going to be going as Misa Amane (also from Deathnote), so it should be a lot of fun. I still need to get a shirt and work on the hideous wig I managed to scrounge up. Thank goodness L has scruffy hair.

Of course, I have to get through the end-of-term insanity and finals before I get to enjoy the con goodness. I've got a bunch of papers and presentations that I have to work on in the next few weeks. It shouldn't be too bad if I stay focused, but I'm going to have to keep my procrastinatory tendencies in check. This probably means no new artwork, which is going to be sad. Only one piece of artwork for the entire term... I think it's a new low.

]]> ~WeevilOne http://WeevilOne.deviantart.com/journal/17353832/ http://WeevilOne.deviantart.com/journal/17353832/ Sat, 15 Mar 2008 20:47:38 PDT
This year we were more organized and we actually had a schedule for workers. I was scheduled for three hours. I ended up staying for a little over ten. Why? Well, my shift was over when the first grand entry began. I wanted to see the grand entry, so I didn't leave. After that, there was feast. And well, having been there since 11 (it was 5 at that point) I was hungry. After I ended up getting food (the line was loooong) it was almost time for the second grand entry. More people show up for the second grand entry, so I figured that I would stay to watch that too. And by that point, it really wasn't work going back early and abandoning the other person working the table. So I stayed.

Everything considered, it was a pretty good day. I got to hang out with friends and watch the Powwow. I didn't get much homework done, though I did get in a little reading. I still have to finish up work on my shield (over a month later...) but now it's just a matter of attaching things to it.

Also... I want the weather to warm up. Spring has started. It was gloriously warm on Thursday. But this evening it's freezing. I do not approve. Somehow I don't think that the weather system cares.

]]> ~WeevilOne http://WeevilOne.deviantart.com/journal/16903640/ http://WeevilOne.deviantart.com/journal/16903640/ Fri, 15 Feb 2008 18:26:56 PST
Dogs aren't the only people that can have far too much fun chasing a tennis ball.
You really should do the homework for the professor that happens to be your boss so you don't have to say no when he asks if you've done the homework yet.
Mandarin oranges look a lot like peaches when made into dessert bars.
Professors procrastinate just as much as their students.
Even though someone tells you that you can come over to pick something up at a certain date and time, it's no less awkward when you walk into their house and find out that they've forgotten.
Camp counselors are apparently in high demand.
Sitting next to someone who has a tendency to call out to people across the room is a bad idea.
Jigsaw blades get surprisingly hot when they've been in use for a while.
It's difficult to gnaw off someone's arm when wearing a fencing mask.
Being short means that you'll be invited to middle school dances at the age of twenty.
Spending too much time trying to key out skulls means that you'll try to figure out your own dental formula while brushing your teeth.
Computers get very slow and finicky when you're in a hurry.
The post office can take anywhere between three days and two weeks to deliver a simple letter.

Also, Betelgeuse is sprouting a runner! (But I've known this for a while now.) I'm very excited about this. I even have its name picked out. (Yes, I'm a geek...)

And I'm Darkstone's new scribe. (Which means I get to take notes at the meetings and then post them to the group list. How thrilling...)

]]> ~WeevilOne http://WeevilOne.deviantart.com/journal/16605575/ http://WeevilOne.deviantart.com/journal/16605575/ Sun, 27 Jan 2008 23:39:45 PST Muddied and sore he came.
Battered of shield and crest,
Bannerless, bruised and lame."

Despite the fact I really don't understand most of his poetry, Rudyard Kipling really had a way to come up with little snippets that just seem to stick in your mind. As is the case with the above portion of "The Quest". Those four stanzas just can't seem to get out of my mind.

Of course, that might have something to do with the fact that I was apparently incapable of blocking anything today at fighter practice. Well, that's not exactly true. I blocked plenty of things, but not as many I would have liked. I do have this awesome sword-shaped welt running down my arm, though. (And my shield pretty much died today, so I suppose I'm "battered of shield" too.)

I really ought to read more Kipling.

]]> ~WeevilOne http://WeevilOne.deviantart.com/journal/16349960/ http://WeevilOne.deviantart.com/journal/16349960/ Thu, 10 Jan 2008 20:26:49 PST I didn’t manage to kill anyone, but I was having a lot of fun all the same. And I don’t think my defense was too bad, even after a month of not fencing. My offense was horrid as usual, but it was already horrid, so taking a month off couldn’t have made that much of a difference. I’m hoping that doing heavy weapons on Sunday goes just as well. *crosses fingers*

On a slightly different note, I found out that I’m the shortest person at fencing. Even the 11 year old boy who hasn’t hit his growth spurt yet is taller than I am!

Other than that I'm pretty much the same as ever. I didn't get to do much art over my winter break, which was sad. I want to change that, but I'm not too sure if my classes will allow it. I also managed to get stranded at the airport (which is 1.5-2 hours away from my school) due to a flight crew delay and foggy conditions which caused us to have a missed approach and then fly back to the previous airport. I did end up getting a ride back to school, thanks to the grace of some of my friends (to whom I will probably be forever grateful).

]]> ~WeevilOne http://WeevilOne.deviantart.com/journal/15767485/ http://WeevilOne.deviantart.com/journal/15767485/ Sun, 02 Dec 2007 15:56:16 PST Thankfully the friend that was with me at the store knew I’d been waiting for the Kakashi gaiden chapters to come out, so she at least knew why I was squealing. (Every time we would go to the bookstore and they had a new release I would get excited because it meant it was one book closer to the one I wanted.)

I thought about waiting to buy it until I got home and could use my bookstore giftcards. I mean, it’s two weeks and I’ve waited this long, right? *laughs nervously* Yeah… I thought about it for probably a good minute before deciding I didn’t want to wait. I think my friend just rolled her eyes because she knows me too well, so she knew I’d be getting it. I didn’t even get all the way down the block before deciding that I was going to take off the plastic packaging. I even told the lady at the candy store about getting it. Granted we always talk to the candy store lady, but still.

I now have my very own copy of Kakashi gaiden! *clutches book to chest and dances happily*

]]> ~WeevilOne http://WeevilOne.deviantart.com/journal/15486716/ http://WeevilOne.deviantart.com/journal/15486716/ Mon, 12 Nov 2007 22:47:46 PST
Saturday was a very good day. A very long day, but a very good day. Technically it started at 12am, because I hadn’t gone to sleep yet. I was on the phone with one of my friends from high school, and as usual, we didn’t get off the phone until almost 3:30am. Of course, he’s in a different time zone, so it was only 1:30 for him, but still. We spent over three hours on the phone. (Thankfully my roommate was not in the room that night.) Of course, if she had been, we wouldn’t have talked so long.

After we got off the phone, I went to sleep and got up around 10-ish. I puttered for a while, getting my books ready for homework when my phone rang. It was my best beloved Leigh, who was in the student center and wanted to know if I wanted to see her! (Leigh was my roommate for most of my freshman year, and she moved back to Colorado when the year was over.) So, of course I put on presentable clothes (as I was still in a bathrobe at that point) and ran over to see her. She had driven up from Boulder with her fiancé to come and see the Northland drag show. We talked for a while (I’m not sure how long, maybe an hour and a half or so?) which was nice. I haven’t seen her since she left Northland, which was almost a year and a half ago. Then I went back to my room to try to work on homework while she went to track down her friend.

I did a little bit of homework, and then went for a walk with ~bedlamwolf. We walked into town to get food as well as stopping by the bookstore and the candy store. We were both good and didn’t buy any books (though it was tempting) but we got things at the candy store. I picked up some fancy teas at the candy store. I got a box of tea for my dad’s Christmas gift, and a couple of teabags for myself.

After we got back from our walk we went our separate ways and I took a shower before getting ready to go to the drag show for the second night. I met up with ~bedlamwolf again before heading off to the show together. When we walked in we saw another friend, who decided to pick me up and spin me around after teased him about wearing eye shadow. I normally don’t like getting picked up, but it was rather fun. After he put me down, we waited for the doors to open and talked to Leigh and her fiancé. Then we went in and got seats near the front along the aisle. Good for taking pictures. The show was great fun (again) and better than the first night. Sadly, my pictures turned out pretty awful because my camera doesn’t flash, so they’re all dark and blurry (as the shutter speed is really slow in the low light, and the people on stage tend to move).

After the show was over I went back to my room and puttered for a while before going back up to my friend’s room to watch the 2am showing of Deathnote. We tried the ginger tea that I’d bought because it was decaf. It wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t quite as good as we expected. I hope the black currant is better. I finally got to bed around 2:45am.

Woke up Sunday around 11am. I went to brunch and did the laundry that I’d been meaning to do for a while. I then went to work for about half an hour to finish dissolving my DNA samples and get them into the freezer. I did a little bit of homework, and then I went to SCA dancing in the Ponzio (we didn’t get the church this week). Dancing was pretty uneventful – we only had enough people for 2 couples, so there weren’t many dances that we could do. After dancing was fencing, which I decided not to do because I had homework to be doing. (I hate partial derivatives in 3 dimensions!) Then there was the meeting, at which it was announced that I am on notice and have one week to come up with an SCA name, or be stuck with the one Bear picked out. I’m not sure if I have enough motivation to come up with a different one (it looks like I’ll be trying to be playing catch-up this week) and the one he has isn’t all that bad. It’s Norse and means little sister.

After the meeting I helped carry out the fencing gear, and was offered a chance to go to dinner with a handful of Darkstoners. After much debate I decided to go because I hadn’t eaten dinner yet, and I didn’t want to think about the homework lurking over me. It wasn’t the best idea ever, though I did bring the physics w... ]]> ~WeevilOne http://WeevilOne.deviantart.com/journal/15367078/ http://WeevilOne.deviantart.com/journal/15367078/ Sun, 04 Nov 2007 18:36:08 PST My computer decided that it didn't feel like eating a DVD anymore.

This morning I finished watching the DVD that was stuck in the computer, as I wanted to finish it before I sent the computer in. On a whim I decided to try to eject it one more time. As it hadn't worked for the previous three days, I didn't really expect it to do anything, but it came out!

I'm very relieved that the computer decided to give up the DVD, since I now can return it in one piece, and I can put other disks into the computer. I tested out the disk drive by putting in various CDs and DVDs of mine, and it seems to be working fine. I'm still a bit worried that it'll try to eat something when I least expect it, though.

On another note, I apparently fail at poisoning apples. I went to a late halloween party last night, and I dressed up as the evil stepmother from Snow White. I "poisoned" some apples to give away by coating them in sugar water with chili powder. (The sugar water was so it would stick to the apples.) I guess I put in too much sugar and not enough chili powder because everyone who took the apples ate them like nothing was amiss. It was rather dissapointing.

]]> ~WeevilOne http://WeevilOne.deviantart.com/journal/15308565/ http://WeevilOne.deviantart.com/journal/15308565/ Wed, 31 Oct 2007 20:53:03 PDT My computer decided to eat a DVD.

I was watching an anime that a friend had lent me (Full Metal Alchemist, for those interested) and I had to get to class, so I went to eject it. It didn't come out. It made noises like it was going to eject it, but then it decided not to and restarted the DVD player, which is what my computer does when you insert a DVD. So I tried to eject it again. It still wouldn't come out. I tried restarting the computer. It didn't work. And I still had to get to class.

So, after I got out of class I went to the Apple support website, and tried all of their tricks for getting a disk to eject when it doesn't want to. None of them worked. So I called the Apple support hotline. (Thank goodness I got the extended warranty on the computer!) I was quite happy with the person that helped me - he was very friendly and I was only on hold for about 15 minutes. (I've heard horror stories about being on hold for 3 hours with the Apple help line, so this made me happy.)

Unfortunetly, none of the things he had me do would get the disk to eject. So, I'm being sent a mailing box to ship my computer in so they can fix it. I guess this could be worse, but it means that I'll be without a computer for several weeks. And they can't guarantee that the DVD won't be damaged when they take it out. This wouldn't be too much of an issue, except that it's NOT MY DVD!!!

I'm hoping it'll come back all right (I'm planning on sticking notes all over the thing saying to try to preserve the DVD unless all else fails) and I've told the owner of the DVD, but I still feel really bad about it. The one time my computer decides to eat something, not only does it eat something that doesn't belong to me, it eats the DVD out of the middle of a series that can't be purchased separately.

]]> ~WeevilOne http://WeevilOne.deviantart.com/journal/15094056/ http://WeevilOne.deviantart.com/journal/15094056/ Tue, 16 Oct 2007 20:44:27 PDT - You wear said goggles so often that you’ve walked out of the lab still wearing them
- Your modern physics lecture wakes you up when you’re sleepy
- You want to learn/ already know the Latin names for all your favorite plants/ animals
- You make references to nitrogen-fixing bacteria in normal conversation
- You like the metric system better
- You point out the mistakes in sci-fi books and movies (yet you read/ watch them anyways)
- You can’t find the constellation Cassiopeia until a friend tells you that it looks like a capital sigma
- You talk about atomic bonding at the dinner table
- You want to learn Latin, just so you can properly pronounce scientific names
- You think titration curves are pretty
- You are jealous of Newton, Einstein, Darwin, etc.
- You name your plants after stars (of the celestial sort)
- You use the word ‘correlate’ in normal conversation
- You get excited when you get to dissect things
- You can identify the liver of a frog when dissecting because “it had the right texture for a liver”
- You get angry when your stats professor uses the word genotype instead of phenotype
- You repeated your high school physics class for no credit because you wanted to take the AP test
- You know that Einstein didn’t win the Nobel Prize for his theory of relativity, and you know what he did win it for
- You think proofs and derivations are pretty (and kind of fun)
- You don’t buy open-toed shoes because you can’t wear them in the lab
- You think integration tables are exciting
- You get upset when people mispronounce Greek letters
- You learned how to take blood pressure readings in a biology lab
- You have found yourself standing knee-deep in snow staring at a pile of scat (and didn't really have a problem with it)
- You have a feeling that something is missing when you’re not wearing your lab gloves

The list could go on...

The sad thing is, I've done all of these things.
When did I turn into such a science geek?

]]> ~WeevilOne http://WeevilOne.deviantart.com/journal/15008204/ http://WeevilOne.deviantart.com/journal/15008204/ Wed, 10 Oct 2007 22:00:19 PDT
I don't need a chemistry minor. I'm already minoring in physics. But it's only one class, and a chem minor really would look good on my transcript. I can't believe that I'm actually seriously thinking about going for a chemistry minor in addition to the physics minor (which I already think I'm crazy for doing). I guess biology isn't enough for me. I just have to be an all around science geek.

]]> ~WeevilOne http://WeevilOne.deviantart.com/journal/14773598/ http://WeevilOne.deviantart.com/journal/14773598/ Mon, 24 Sep 2007 14:22:26 PDT

I'll being doing a lot of lab work, which should be fun. I'll be really good at DNA analysis by the end of the year. Of course I'm going to be working really weird hours because I need 4 hour blocks of time, but that shouldn't be too horrible. It's kind of inconvienient because I have mostly 2 or 3 hour blocks between classes, but at least I won't have to come in every day. That will be nice because I have a lot of work for my other classes too.

Today in physics we went through this really long and evil proof where we were looking for the equation for the relativistic force. At the second to last step, the professor stopped and said that we'd forgotten to add a variable at the beginning of the proof. It was rather unhappy.

On a different note, I now have carrots thanks to my chem lab partner. He works at the local grocery store, and when I was shopping on Sat. he came over and handed me some coupons, one of which was for a free bag of carrots. It was a little weird because he came over, handed me coupons and dissapeared when I was looking at the coupons. It was like he was the coupon fairy or something.

]]> ~WeevilOne http://WeevilOne.deviantart.com/journal/14730813/ http://WeevilOne.deviantart.com/journal/14730813/ Fri, 21 Sep 2007 15:46:20 PDT Her room change just got approved this afternoon, so she'll probably move in sometime this weekend, or the beginning of next week. (I guess that means I should get all my stuff out of her side...) I had a good three weeks in a single, which was nice, but having a roommate will be good too. I think we should get along well - we have similar interests. My only concern is that she's a bit on the messy side. Not that I have any right to complain about that, given the state of my room at home.

I might also be starting a new job, which makes me very happy. I applied for an Environmental Studies assistant position, but I didn't end up getting it. It went to an E.S. major, though I was a close second choice (not that it makes any difference, since there was only one job opening). However, I managed to sufficiently impress the person that interviewed me and not only did he say I'd be high on his list of candidates if another job came up, but he also gave me a posting for another related job and offered to give me a recommendation for another on-campus job.

The job posting he sent me was for a Conservation Genetics lab assistant, and I after I told him that I hadn't taken genetics, he told me to ask about it anyway. So I emailed the genetics professor and not only do I not need genetics for the job, he wants to talk to me about it on Monday!

The only weird thing about this whole thing is how involved the E.S. professor that interviewed me is being. I'm not really experienced in job searching, but I don't think it's really normal for someone that rejects you for a job to try and help you find another one. After I told him that I would be talking to the genetics professor about the genetics lab assistant job, his response was "Yahoooo!! Way to follow up. Let me know how it turns out." I'm not sure if I'm more excited or he is...

]]> ~WeevilOne http://WeevilOne.deviantart.com/journal/14665351/ http://WeevilOne.deviantart.com/journal/14665351/ Sun, 16 Sep 2007 19:45:29 PDT
For our Organic Chemistry class we were given two chemical structures and told to name them. After we named them we were to go look up their CAS numbers in the Aldrich catalogue and find out information about them. Of course if we didn't have the correct name, we couldn't look up the CAS numbers. I went through the Aldrich catalogue this morning and lo and behold, neither of my chemicals were in there. This meant that I had named them incorrectly.

Having looked over my work several times, I still couldn't figure out what was wrong with them. So I gave up and went to do my other homework which was equally evil and then went to SCA dancing and fighter practice.

After practice I decided to go to the Aldrich online catalogue (because I was too lazy to walk over to the science building) and I found the best computer program in the entire universe (according to me at this point in time). This program lets you draw chemical structures and then it will search the Aldrich catalogue for a chemical with that structure. It even gives you a bunch of choices and gives you a percent match for each.

Thus, I can now do my Organic Chemistry homework using the correct names for my compounds. I still have no idea how I named them wrong, so I guess I should ask about that in class. (I got 2,3,4,5-chloro-1-methyl-2,4-cyclopentene for what should have been 5,5-dimethoxy-1,2,3,4-tetrachlorocyclopentadine...) I understand that I forgot to put the di- and tetra- prefixes on, but where the heck did pentadine come from?

]]> ~WeevilOne http://WeevilOne.deviantart.com/journal/14592079/ http://WeevilOne.deviantart.com/journal/14592079/ Tue, 11 Sep 2007 16:00:10 PDT Thankfully I was at the back, so nobody but the professor saw me fall. Of course, he then had to mention this to the entire class.

Other than that, the field trip was pretty cool. We got to look at lots of different wetland plants. I particularly liked the touch-me-nots. The exploding seedpods were really nifty. Of course when the time comes to be tested on these plants I won't be nearly so happy.

]]> ~WeevilOne http://WeevilOne.deviantart.com/journal/14531458/ http://WeevilOne.deviantart.com/journal/14531458/ Fri, 07 Sep 2007 14:13:52 PDT
I'm trying to be more social this year, but trying to socialize with the entire student body out there is a bit much. Even if the student body only consists of about 800 students. (I know - we're tiny compared to most colleges, but I still think it's a lot.)

Anyhow, I am going to have to go out there at some point. I do need to eat dinner, and I'm not going to turn down free food. I also have to decide if I want to buy a poster from the poster sale. I'm eyeing a couple of posters, but I'm not sure if I want to spend the money for them. We'll see, I suppose.

]]> ~WeevilOne