What to do?!

ok so my last exam is on Thursday and I have done very little studying for it thus far. I am really bored of studying though. I have to make a cheat sheet (2 pages, both sides - no solved questions) other than that I have to practice some questions - for example the midterm and the assignments. I have to go to campus and pick up some assignments from a classmates locker - I also wanted to go to the school to workout. I haven't been in about a week since I have been sick and I still am sick, but I need to workout before I have to force myself to start again. Of course it would be easier to workout if I had an elliptical machine at home (see previous post). My other task is to start my Christmas baking which I love and really want to do but I don't want it to be tainted by being a procrastination device.
Okay - enough blogging - I am going to get to work.

More Sassy Bead

Yep so as previously mentioned I went to Sassy Bead in the market with Dave yesterday and got a whole bunch of beads as well as ideas.

I saw a necklace similar to the one on the left and thought it was really cool, so I found the materials for it - meaning the hoops. I had already picked out a long strand of the really cool stones.

The bracelette on the right is from a necklace Chris gave me in first year that was a little tighter than I like - so yesterday (finally) I cut it and made it into a bracelette - still from Chris and wearable now.

Nice Saturday with Dave

Dave and I had a really nice Saturday together. We got a drive down to the Market with Yan and after finding a parking spot (an adventure on its own), we went into the Market. We went to Sugar Mountain where Dave got most of his Christmas gifts for our housemates and then we left Yan and went to Sassy Bead where I got a whole bunch of cool beads (which I later made into pretty bracelettes) and then walked around a bit. We went into the Rideau Centre and got Orange Julius - yummy! and then came home. We watched some tv on the computer and I made my bracelettes and then we ate dinner together and watched Lord of the Rings until bedtime. It was a nice peaceful day. I like days like that.

Elliptical Machine

I have decided that once my income starts up again (this summer) I am going to start saving for an elliptical machine. This is the one I want right now (the picture is from somehwere on the net).

It has 20 levels of resistance, heart rate monitor capabilities, 15 Programs (including 2 custom ones), ability to change incline (which some of them don't) and of course it works both arms and legs (unlike the ones in the gym which only do legs). Unfortunately this model is $2348.00 at Fitness Depot. Elliptical machines come cheaper, like down to $700, but they either don't have arms and legs or they don't have a changing incline (which I really want to get better control of my workout).

It is going to take me quite some time to save up the money for this, but it is what I want. I am going to start a separate account with ING called Elliptical Machine and put a portion of my earnings in this account - I will end up getting the same amount of interest overall with my money split up like that and this way I won't be tempted to use the money in some other fashion (at least not as tempted). I really want this machine (or one that has all the same features).

Sassy Bead

I went to Sassy Bead today with Chris. We made something there for her and then I made this when I got home. I am happy with it.

Temptation

www.tv-links.co.uk
Yep so this is a site with tons (and I mean tons) of tv shows on broadband. A classmate showed it to me. I have so far successfully ignored its existence. Can you?

Study?

Yep so I have an exam tomorrow and then another on Thursday. 2 of the 3 that I have left for this term and man do I ever not want to study. You know how when you really don't want to study you can find almost anything to do instead. Well that is what I am doing now. I am left with very little to do other than study. This is not to say that I haven't studies, just that I don't want to...ok, back to it I guess.

Clean room

Yep so since it is exam time I have been cleaning my room because you need a clean study environment right?! So this is what it looked like a couple of days ago...

And this is what it looks like now...

Minus the fact that Dave's pants are on the chair so they don't wrinkle and there are still some clothes drying...haha wahoo!

pictures

Found a bunch of pictures from my camera that I took to be able to post them on here but I didn't have the time too...not that I really do now either - I just don't want to study.

This was an apple pie I made a couple of weeks ago - it was so yummy and good to look at too!

This was my first game of Settlers - and I won! WAHOO! go me!

This one is from yesterday when I made a crud load of gingerbread cookies. I will be making more later when I make all my Christmas cookies, there were just out of boredome really.

a month

Ha I just noticed when I checked to see my new posts that it has been exactly a month (date not time though) since I last posted - oops. Sorry about that (to the one person who reads this) - it has been really busy and school has been the only thing really going on which is the same thing I post about every time - boring huh?!

Christmas

I started christmas shopping back in September and now I am alsmost done. I have my brother (for whom I know what I am getting) and something else for Dave. My only real problem is what I want people to get me. Dave in particular has been asking me what I want for Christmas and this is the first year that I have really no clue. Every year I have had a list (at least in my head if not on paper) as to what I wanted but this year I am having troubles thinking of something. There is no computer game that I want, I am really done with knickknacks and whatnot and the only thing I may need is clothes but I want to lose more weight until I go buying clothes as some of the stuff I have still fits me (I kind of just go back a year in my wardrobe when stuff doesn't fit - being a packrat is coming in handy). But yeah, can't think of anything. Gift certificates would be nice to clothing stores and other such things, but not something you want your boyfriend to get you - friends and family sure, but not your boyfriend. I will have to start thinking harder about my presents. Any ideas?

Two done, 3 to go

this one today was EASY! It was the easiest exam I have written since I got here - wow. Now I just have three more and they get progressively harder as they go - oh well, study well, take it one at a time and all that jazz and it should be fine - right?

short hair

I got fed up with my hair and couldn't wait until this upcoming weekend to get it cut. The lady didn't listen to me...they never do.

It's all over

Hell week is over now. Thankfully. Now it is back to the normal workload, which is still pretty heavy but seems like nothing compared to the last two weeks.
Went out to the pub on Friday with the roommates and ate some good food, my last meal of my two-week-long-do-whatever-it-takes-to-get-through-this break from eating properly. Really don't want to step on a scale and find out how much damage I did during that time, not that I really had a choice.
My weekend consisted of celebrating that the hell weeks were over, eating my last meal during my long-do-whatever-it-takes-to-get-me-through-the-hell-weeks-break, going shopping with the guys (buying slippers, Christmas presents and groceries plus finally getting my printer ink refilled), organizing the Christmas presents I have bought and what I still have to do, balancing the budgets for both my account plus the account I have with Dave, and of course playing lots of Diablo. I really did no homework all weekend but that was because I didn't REALLy have to, I probably should have, but didn't. I have a bunch of work to do tonight and the following nights however.
I am currently sitting in the computer lab in the basement of Minto working on an assignment. Or should I say while other people work on an assignment, I am not being too helpful but there really isn't anything for me to do at least not yet.

Great Question!

There are some people in Ottawa, they produce waste. If they start a recyclying program ,what decrease in volume of waste will they see in 20 years?

Tha's a great question professor, just great!

oh my.

Just a few more days

I have just a couple more days of my incredibly busy schedule and then it is back to the regular work load. Today there is a midterm in wastewater and tomorrow I have a wastewater lab due and on Friday I have a lab to perform in air pollution, a lab due in air pollution, an assignment due in waste management and a midterm in waste management. But I think I can do it. I am going to have to tape Grey's Anatomy Thursday night though. At least I think I am going to have to. Unless I can get everything done before then which isn't very likely. And really even if I can, I should be studying for the midterm so that I don't screw it up like I am pretty sure I have scredwed up most of them so far. I will be so glad when this is all done.
Although next week I have a lot of stuff due still, it is just normal load though:
possibly a landfill assignment, wastewater design chapter due, a wastewater lab to perform and apparantly an air pollution assignment which I just learned about yesterday (and I can't seem to find it posted anywhere). But that isn't too much really, definitely manageable.
I just can't wait until this week is over, until all the midterms are over. It will be a huge relief.

someplace warm

This house is so freaking cold. Stupid have to pay for heat now.

Oddly enough my room (the basement room) is the warmest in the house. Perhaps because it usually has two people in it and the door is closed majority of the time. Which as measured previously, means the CO2 levels must be insane, but I don't really care too much.

It is hard to be productive when you are freaking freezing. I just wish I was someplace warm and I didn't have to wrap myself in a blanket as I type, and that my fingers weren't little icicles.

Studying

There is always a point in studying where the actual act of studying becomes useless - where the information you are trying to shove into your brain just won't fit. This time has come for me. It isn't that I have been studying for this midterm for too long, in fact I haven't been studying for it long enough, it is more that I am just so tired of studying that I can't seem to get myself to do it. I sit here and stare at a computer screen full of notes or at a binder full of notes and don't seem to achieve anything. I have written my cheat sheet. I have crammed it full of information. I have left a little spot incase any of the notes from yesterday's tutorial need to go on it, if not I will cram some other stuff on there later.
I also have an assignment today that I didn't have time to work on. It isn't due today but I was supposed to work on it so that it would be possible for me to be useful today in class. There was no time so I get to look stupid in class today when my group and I try to work on it. I hope I wasn't the only one.
I should stare at some notes a little longer - though I really don't want to.

I need motivation

Please someone motivate me. I just can't get motivated. I have a billion assignments and midterms, one midterm tomorrow actually and I just can't seem to get motivated. I know about the grades and the importance of this year and that in the long run I actually do need to know these things but I just can't seem to get motivated, I don't want to work. I don't want to sit here anymore I want to have fun.

exams

exam schedule is posted.
http://www.carleton.ca/exam/schedule
my exam schedule is actually pretty decent.
I have one during classes on november 30 (ENVE 4005)
and then the rest are during the actual exam time:
ENVE 4101 - wednesday, december 6, 1400
ENVE 4002 - monday, december 11, 1400
CIVE 4400 - thursday, december 14, 0900
ENVE 4003 - thursday, december 21 - 0900
I hope everyone else's exam schedule is as nice as mine. I will have time to take them all one at a time, that's how I prefer to study for exams and whanot....unfortunately I am supposed to be doing that whole studying thing right now - I should probably get back to it.

Another Productive Day

The day started badly with me playing about an hours worth of Diablo II instead of studying for the landfill midterm I had today. It then got worse by the landfill midterm being ridiculously long and much harder than anyone thought it would be. Studying a little more wouldn't have helped that much as it did not seem to help anyone else. Noone finished the darn thing. My wastewater class was long and tedious and seemed to never end.
When I got home I sat around for like an hour waiting for Dave to get home after his class then I remembered that he has his project meeting on Tuesdays and then I started to work, this is where the day got productive (that is right I am considering the entire day to be productive because of what happened between 7pm and now).
I started and finished my prject management assignment, well pretty much all I have to do is compare with some other people and then write it a good copy with a little description of what I did and what tables I used, etc. I then started my air pollution indoor air quality lab. I wrote up my share of it and thensome. I ended up formatting pretty much all of it and leaving spots for my two groups members to add their stuff. I then commented the whole thing as to what was left to be done and what resources could be used for it (not too instructorly though). I was so proud of myself for doing that, I usually don't do more than I have to when I have too much on my plate like I do now.
But yes, so I did all that and now I am heading to bed because I have an 8:30 lab in the morning and need my beauty rest...ok I need my brain rest, whatever. Goodnight everyone, hope your Tuesday was as productive as mine.

Good thing they are...

Your Eyes Should Be Brown

Your eyes reflect: Depth and wisdom What's hidden behind your eyes: A tender heart

What Color Should Your Eyes Be?

My Love Style

Your Love Style is Agape

You are a caring, kind, and selfless partner. Unsurprisingly, your love style is the most rare. You are willing to sacrfice your world for your sweetie. Except it doesn't really feel like sacrifice to you. For you, nothing feels better than giving to the one you love.

What's Your Love Style?

CO2 Monitor

From Friday, October 13th until Monday, October 16th I had a CO2 monitor in my room for the purposes of monitoring indoor air quality for a lab for my air pollution class, ENVE 4003.
This is a picture of the monitor one of those days when my door was open. It is really simple looking but really cool. It logged the CO2 concentration in ppm (parts per million), the relative humidity in % and the temperature in degrees Celcius. The reading in the picture means that in one cubic centimetre of air there are 985 parts of CO2. It sounds worse then it is really. It is also saying that my room was 19.7 degrees but it felt much colder. The temperature got as low as 16.7 in my room the one night, brr. Anywho, I got the results from the time period in which I had the monitor and it looks really cool so I decided to share it with everyone. The first graph is the CO2 concentration, the second is the Relative Humidity and the third is the temperature. The CO2 is the most interesting. It goes up when my door is closed, when the fan is on, when there is more than one person in the room or when there is large amounts of activity in the room and it goes down when there is no one in the room, when the door is open, when the window is open, etc. You'll have to ignore the x-axis for now, I am still working on getting that to display the right thing. This is just how excel wanted to do it, now I have to go tell it how to do it correctly.

Its snowing.

Just looked outside my tiny window and saw that is indeed snowing.

Ok I swear it is snowing eventhough you can't see it in the picture.

It is snowing and I am working.

Busy, Scared and Justified

Ok, so today is October 22nd. I have officially come to the conclusion that I am busy. Very busy, all booked up one might say.

Oct 24th - ENVE 4002 (landfill) midterm
Oct 27th - ENVE 4003 (air pollution) midterm
- ENVE 4003 indoor air quality lab writeup due
Oct 28th - Halloween party at Chris' (don't think I can attend)
Oct 30th - CIVE 440o (project management) midterm
- CIVE 4400 assignment 3 due
Oct 31st - ENVE 4005 (wastewater treatment) midterm
- Halloween (don't think I can participate)
Nov 1st - ENVE 4005 lab 3 report due
Nov 2nd - ENVE 4005 design project chapter 3 due
Nov 3rd - ENVE 4101 (waste management) midterm
- ENVE 4101 assignment 2 due
- ENVE 4003 lab 2 report due (could also be due on the 1st)
Nov 5th - ENVE 4002 assignment 3 due

*Note* This will inevitably by added to by a ENVE 4003 assignment (#3) within the time frame. Of course the list will continue until the end of November including more design projects, 3 to be precise, more assignments (atleast 6 if not closer to 10) and labs (atleast 3) and presentations (1 for 4003, 1 for 4005 and I think 1 for each 4002 and 4101 which might be done in front of City of Ottawa employees) and then of course there are exams to look forward to.

Yeah there is definitely a reason as to why I try to work two or three things at a time, no more than a week's worth of work for sure (which is usually 4ish things). Looking at my workload like this really freaks me out and makes it even harder to work and accomplish what I need to accomplish. Yep so in writing this blog I realized that my landfill midterm is on Tuesday. I thought it was on Monday (aka tomorrow). Well that helps a lot more. I actually have time to study for it now.

I wish I were an arts student and only had to worry about a couple of essays and perhaps a test or two. Oh man that would be nice. Nothing all year then a couple of tests and essays in like 2 or 3 weeks and then nothing again and then some exams which are full of ideas and opinions and therefore there are really no right or wrong answers just need to phrase them correctly and be able to think outside the box sometimes. Oh man, why couldn't I have picked an easier degree.

Ok think positively, you got this far, you can do a year and a bit more.

PEZ

Today when I went shopping today with everyone for halloween stuff Chris gave me this pez dispenser. I have never had one before and I really like it. It is Jasmine from Aladdin which is my favourite Disney movie. It was so thoughtful of her. Speaking of Disney she found a great Belle dress for halloween, it is perfect...or atleast it will be after it gets altered.

Unfortunately today's wonderfulness was spoiled by some inconsiderate, impatient people who for now shall remain nameless but anyone who knows me will know exactly who I am talking about. Everything these two do is inconsiderate to pretty much everyone around them. They really only ever think of themselves and unfortunately I could never tell them this for I would end up being the bad guy.

Oh well, I have PEZ.

Thanksgiving weekend

The overall weekend was great.
On Thursday I went into school for my tutorial and then went to the gym after it in between classe. My last class of the day was cancelled which was fabulous!
Friday was spent around the house trying to get stuff accomplised and doing homework. Audrey and I went to Manotick to take pictures for our design project. And then Dave and I had a really nice dinner made from my new WW cookbook (I love it still). When Yan got home we went to the Prescott Pub and Restaurant on Preston and the pizza I ordered was crap. It was burnt, like black burnt, and had no cheese on it whatsoever so I wouldn't eat it. Dave ended up eating most of it and actually paid for it for me too which was very nice of him.
On Saturday my dad picked me up and after dropping Dave off at the bus station so that he could go to Peterborough, we went around Ottawa to the future shops and best buys to buy my mom a camera for her birthday. We ended up getting her this really tiny simple one that can take pictures and make movies. It is 8MP and can do a bunch of stuff and maybe some day she will learn them all. I got her a camera bag from lowepro like all my camera equipment and my dad also got her a memory card for her camera, 2GB for 60 bucks. They are getting me one for Christmas, which is really cool. Anyway, my mom loved the camera she carried it around with her all weekend and read the book every chance she got. I showed her how to take pictures and whatnot and how to get them on the computer and send them in emails.
We had Thanksgiving dinner and I actually almost made it myself this year because my mom was tired from all the shopping we had done before that to get everything for dinner and get me stuff to go back to Ottawa with, tons of canned goods and apples.
On Sunday my dad and I drove to Morrisburg and picked up a piece of furniture my parents had bought a couple weekends ago. It is gorgeous but hard to describe, hopefully my mom will send me a picture of it soon.
My dad drove me back to Ottawa and I spent the night finishing up homework and whatnot and sitting around doing nothing. It was great.
All in all I had a great weekend and I am very thankful for it.

Ramble, Ramble.

Last week was productive, I finished all the assignments that were due at least a day before they were due and got to check them over with other people. I was able to catch up on my stuff around the house other than the dishes of course, mind you Dave did those this weekend, yay.
Speaking of this weekend. The guys and I went to South Keys on Saturday and I bought myself a desk lamp, it has a lazy susan desk organizer attached to it, which is the why I got it over the other lamps that were there. I also got a WW cookbook with over 500 recipes. I love it! I made some cookies from it and they were scrumptious. I am looking forward to tomorrow when I can actually make a dinner from it. I spent the whole night Saturday (after doing stuff with the guys) looking through the different recipes and figuring out what I needed to get from the grocery store next time so that I could make them. I am so glad I bought this.
Sunday was a kind of do nothing day. I went to the gym with Dave and Justin and learned how to work some of the weight machines. I figure I have been focussing on the cardio machines which primarily work legs and I should really be doing overall body workouts so yeah weight machines it was. Some of those things are really complex though, who knew. I am really proud of myself for how often I have been going to the gym. I went three times last week and already this week I have gone twice, meaning I went yesterday (Sunday) and today (Monday), go me. I hope I can keep this up when the workload gets even more intense then it already is.
I have about 3 assignments due a week I think. Sometimes more, sometimes less (rarely). There is always a lab to written and a lab to be performed. Right now I am sitting in the computer lab of the minto building waiting until my next class starts...like 30-40 minutes from now. I have been on campus since 8:30 and have attended 5 minutes of a tutorial so that I could hand in an assignment. I hate waiting around for classes, if I had it my way I would rush from one to the other and get them all done in the morning. My winter schedule is pretty much like that, it will be nice.

Productive?

Have you ever had that feeling where you know you did a lot that did but you still feel like you were lazy and unable to achieve anything? That is what today has been like for me. I have done my 4002 assignment that is due tomorrow afternoon and am a little past the halfway mark in my 4003 assignment that is due on Thursday (that is assuming I have done the thing I have done correctly) and I am about to do some laundry (the fourth load of this weekend) but I still feel like I haven't gotten anything accomplished. I have a memorandum due for a lab on Friday and haven't started it and I didn't do anything active today other than walk around the house like always, but really does that count, I don't think so. I also got a fair bit done in terms of stuff to cross of my list like my and Dave's opt-out forms and texting my brother about pictures I need of him and his girlfriend for the anniversary present I am making our parents, but still there was so much I wanted to get done this weekend and was unable to. I always seem to set these high goals for what I am going to do during the weekend and then when it comes I find myself sitting on my butt watching Dave and Justin play video games or just sitting around not working. I wonder why that is. I wish I could do something about that, other than be less lazy.

Tiring Day

Today Dave and I went to the gym at Carleton. It was my first time in there. I really enjoyed it. I got covered in sweat, it was glorious. We walked there from our house which took like half an hour and then we worked out for about 30 minutes, I worked on the eliptical the whole time while he did weight-lifting stuff, then we walked back home. I am proud of myself and am going to start going on a regular basis in the morning before classes start and on the weekends.

I am so tired thoguh, mostly from the walking, I wish I could just go to bed but I can't because of all the stupid homework. Stupid school, you ruin everything.

A Nice Day

I OWN GREY'S ANATOMY SEASON 2 UNCUT NOW!!
Dave bought it for me earlier today when we went to South Keys.
We are watching it now, we are on episode 3 now, the one where Christine (Sandra Oh) loses her baby and Meredith's mom comes into the hospital and everyone finds out about her illness(es).
We had a nice day today. We went to South Keys (as previously mentioned) and we spent time in Staples getting printer ink and notebooks for Dave and then we looked at the post-its (everyone knows how I love post-its). He bought me apple post-its, I didn't notice then when we were waiting for the bus after we had dinner at Kelsey's, it was really sweet. I love him. I love my apple post-its and my Grey's Anatomy Season 2 Uncut.

First Missed Class

I missed my first class today. It was a tutorial at 8:30 in the morning which goes for one hour and then has a three and a half hour break before my next class. Last night I told Dave I wasn't going to go but in my head I was still going to get up in the morning and go. I forgot to reset my alarm from the day before though. So when I woke up at about the time my class would have been starting, I worked on my assignments for the rest of my classes that are due on Friday. Although I haven't been getting very far with them. I think I have made a couple of mistakes with them and therefore I need to discuss them with some people at school.
I feel badly that I didn't go to the class. I wish I had now. Oh well, at least I got something accomplished.

GREY'S ANATOMY SEASON 3 STARTS TONIGHT! I CAN'T WAIT! 9pm ON CTV!

long days

Was it just me or did today just not seem to end! First there was the walk to school which for some reason seemed to take longer than usual, then the tutorial that lasted 5 minutes which of course lead to the 4 hours break in between classes. Then the 4.5 hours of class which just seemed so boring today for some reason. And now of course that it is time to start homework and preparing for tomorrow's classes I can't seem to find the time (or the energy) to do everything. Oh man I hate long days so much.

Fun Saturday

My Friday/Saturday was so much fun I thought I would share.
On Friday my parents brought me up a new TV, DVD player and VCR (all hand-me-downs, but better than what I had). I hooked them up yesterday and can't seem to get the VCR to record television, but I will figure it out later today.
Dinner yesterday consisted of Dave and I making pizza from scratch and Dan and Victoria making hash (potatoes, ground beef and a few veggies) and then the four of us sitting down (at an actual dinner table) to eat a civilized meal as a group. It was so grown up. Very enjoyable.
My parents had also brought up the game of Risk, the version for like 1975. I love that game. Dan, Victoria, Yan, Dave and myself played last night. Yan left to go make his dinner and Justin replaced him in the game, unfortunately the game was pretty much over for Yan by the time he left so there wasn't much for Justin to do. At one point in the game I had South America and almost Europe and then got wiped out of Europe completely and was left with three men in Argentina. I was pretty much gone. Fortunately everyone forgot about me way down there in quiet little Argentina. I would take a territory and my men every turn and eventually got to trade in a crap load of Risk cards and was able to take South America back along with Africa and one player (and therefore their Risk Cards - which I traded in to get a cool 45 men). When it was down to Dave and myself, we decided to stop the game realizing that it was just a matter of sitting there rolling dice while my army of like 100 men took the world in what would have needed 2 turns. The Pink Won! YAY!
Unfortunately today will not be as fun. I have to come back to the real world where I need to do a butt-load of homework. I have an assignment for my waste management course and one for my landfill design course as well. I also have to work on the project for my wastewater treatment course. There is also a bunch of laundry to be done by Dave and myself as well as some dishes that need to be cleaned. Oh well it was fun while it lasted.

Never Content

When summer was ending I just wanted the working to be done. I wanted to start something new and be able to create a new routine for myself and not have to go to work every day. Now that school is here I just want to be done it too. It is the second week of school and I am already wishing it would be over. This won't keep me from attending classes or doing well in them, it will just mean that the going to class part is a little more forced and it will take more effort to do my assignments and studying. It just sucks that no matter what one is doing, they always want something else. Myself included. When I am working I want to be doing school. When I am doing school I want to be working. Actually I would like some real time off. Some time to do something other than earn money or earn an education. To go somewhere, to travel, to see the world. I can't wait until I can do that worry free. Soon. Soon.

Opt-Out Form

A reminder to all Carleton students to fill out your opt-out form. You can get $167.97 back if you opt-out of both drug/accident insurance and dental (assuming that you have insurance in some other form, like your parents or something). The form can be picked up in the CUSA office on the fourth floor of the unicentre or you can fill it out on line at www.heath.ca/students. I'm doing mine real soon to make sure I don't forget.

That's One Big Book

Here you can see my textbooks for the fall term. You will notice starting on the right, a regular sized book followed by two more regular sized textbooks then the biggest book I have ever owned! It is 1800 pages and all about wastewater. Wastewater treatments, wastewater plants, wastewater constituents, wastewater! Oh the fun of engineering classes!

He

Uncomfortable

Polysporin is a magic item. I hurt my leg a few days ago ... ok like Sunday but still ... and it has almost healed up. I can actually bend my knee without immense amounts of pain and discomfort. Unfortunately Polysporin is not for backpain. I slept wrong the other night and my back is all screwed up, first it was the middle of my back and now it is the bottomr right corner of my back. It hurts when I move too quickly and is so damn uncomfortable. If you have ever gone to school from 8:30 to near 5 and not been able to sit in one position for more than two seconds you will know somewhat of how I felt all freakin' day long. So bloody uncomfortable! It better fix itself soon or else I am going to get really mad with it and feed it drugs.

On a lighter note, I have been answering more and more questions in my classes and to make the situation even better ... actually getting them right! I hope to be gaining the respect of my classmates and professors by doing this. I know in the past couple of years when I have been asked questions I have never been able to answer them. I am hoping that my sudden understanding of the material can begin to remedy how stupid and lost (I think) I made myself look in the past. Whether or not it does that, I feel better that I am understanding the material moreso than before, perhaps that is because I am truly interested in it now unlike before. I really enjoy (waste)water treatment and everything else we are starting to learn moreso now. I am actually really enjoying my program now and not doubting as much whether or not I should be where I am. I hope that confidence sticks around for a while, it would be really useful come midterm and exam time.

I want to be healthy

On July 20th, 2006 I officially went back on the WW program. I did the program through the first term of third year and lost (and kept off) about 5 pounds in about 3 months. I was very disappointed with the turnout and stopped officially counting points. I always knew what I was eating and did not let my eating habits get out of hand but did not really count the points exactly. I did not gain any of the weight back but could not manage to lose anymore. Since I have started it this time, I am doing it 100% 'the way you are supposed to', in that I am combining it with real exercise on a regular basis instead of just pathetic now and then kind of exercising like before. I am very happy to say that I found out last week that I have officially lost ten pounds and managed to keep it off during my celebratory (controlled) week off. A whole ten pounds completely on my own without any needles or any of the other crazy things people do nowadays to lose weight.

I think the difference in my weight loss this time around is not so much the fact that I am doing it properly but really the reason behind my desire to lose weight. Before now my reasoning has always been to look better, like everyone else and all that jazz, this time around I am doing it because I want to be healthier. I want to live a long, healthy life and not need to worry about what diseases and ailments my weight is putting me at risk for. I want to be healthy more than I want to be thin - I feel that this is a much better motivator.

Fall Schedule

As I have now attended all of my courses (well the lectures not the labs or tutorials) I feel I should post my schedule so that the one person who might read this can do so.

As another school year begins, I find myself once again attempting to get ahead in my courses and be highly organized, more so than usual that is. I am however already starting to fail at this task. I have found myself drifting off during class, particularly ENVE 4003, air pollution control engineering. Only for about a minute or so, but long enough to get lost in such a technical course. It is not really one thing in particular about this course which makes me drift really a combination. Although I find the prof to be quite intelligent, more so than I ever think I will be, I find that he presents things in a manner that prohibits me from paying attention. The course material always seems to dry and boring when it is first presented and it isn't until after the class that I realize that it was actual quite interesting. It is odd really.

However, tomorrow I have my waste water course, ENVE 4005. I love that prof. She is so smart and though I think she may think of me as somewhat average when it comes to intelligence, I still admire her. She is basically where I want to be, except I don't want to teach. I guess that statement counteracts the one I had just made about being where I want to be but I know what I mean, which doesn't really help those of you who are reading this, huh. Sorry.

Dave and Justin sit upstairs playing video games. They have been trying to rent Mario Kart Double Dash since before Justin left to go home for the last half of the summer and just did but because of a deal going on at blockbuster they ended up getting DragonBallZ as well (yes you read that correctly) and have been playing that since I got home from school at about 6. As much as I love them both (in different ways of course) I must admit that they are geeks to the fullest extent. Oh well, in many ways I am too, what with the Pikmin game and computer games I love so much like Evil Genius. I suppose I will just have to embrace it. Ok, I have. :)

The Work Day

So I am sitting in my little cubicle at work wondering how I can make this day go by faster? Soon someone will come in and tell me that we are heading out on a field check and despite how much fun that usually is I have a feeling that it won't be today. I feel sick for some reason. My head is spinning and my stomach is churning, I just want to go back to bed. Unfortunately that won't happen for a while.

After work I am getting on a bus and going back to Prescott for the weekend. It should be fun Dave and I are going to swim and watch my dad ump a ball game (hopefully). Maybe my dad will give me a dollar to get candy from the canteen like he used to when I was little, I always liked that.

I wrote the above on July 7, 2006. I found it in my drafts just now and thought I would post it, uncompleted as it is.