Summertime

My kids get out of school for the summer at the end of this week. With my own school activities on temporary hiatus, we should be able to spend a lot more time together this summer.

At least that's the plan. Plans never seem to work out the way you intend them to, though.

I can remember when I was a kid I would come up with some amazing plans for what I wanted to do during summer vacation. Ride my bike, see movies, and play games with friends, to name a few. Mostly what I ended up doing, however, was watch TV and complain about having to work in the yard.

Not that I actually got much work done in the yard, I just complained a lot about it. Ask my parents. They'll tell you all about it.

Interestingly enough, as an adult I don't find that I'm much different. I've got all kinds of things I want to do: write stories, compose music, expand my online businesses, play games with my friends (some things never change), and goof off with my wife and kids, to name a few.

Then I look out my window and reality kicks in. My yard looks like a weed farm, I've got moss killing my grass, my car needs some work done on it, and my house needs some basic maintenance.

Not that I'll actually get much of that done. Mostly, I'll just post here and complain about it.

Wherever You Go

My friend Mark Hanen, at Mo' Boy blog, mentioned a tool he'd come across (from yet another blogger) that could create a map of all the states that you've visited in the U.S. I had traveled a bit while I was in the military, so I thought I'd give it a try.

Here’s mine.




Wow. I didn't expect to see that much of the country covered. Several of them, admittedly, I didn't spend much time in. I was really just traveling through them by train. Still, I got to see a lot of the country as I rode by.

One thing I learned from my travels is that every place is different. I know that sounds really lame but, they all have their own forms of beauty, and ugliness, in landscape, buildings, people, and culture.

Many times I’ve heard people tell me, "Oh, I hate this place because . . ." and then they list something that annoys them, "Living in [some other place] is so much better than living here."

I usually keep quiet (I’ve quit asking why they don’t move), but I can't help thinking, "Every place has good things and bad things about it. I think the secret is to find the good things, and make sure you take time to enjoy them."

Boron No More

I just looked up my grades from last semester. I am Boron no more.

Woo Hoo! I got an A in Chem 1220!

Well, it's really an A-, but hey, I'm very pleased with myself.

The only downside is that I forgot to fill out the financial aide papers on time, so unless I can figure out another way to pay my tuition, I'm going to have to wait to start organic chem (and physics, and psych and . . .)

But for now, I got an A!

End of Gen Chem

My Chemistry test went pretty well, I think. Sort of. Mostly. Kinda, in a good sort of perhaps way.

I was having trouble with my calculator and Dr. OH was kind enough to give me some extra time. He also helped me see that multiple choice questions are as much about eliminating the wrong answers as it is finding the right one.

In any case my General Chemistry career is more or less over. I certainly think I did well enough throughout the class that I'll be able to go on to organic chemistry next year (assuming my life doesn't take another turn) and do just fine.

Mmmmm....Brains

I have my Chem 1220 final tonight. It was supposed to be in two more days, but the school, in it's infinite wisdom, decided to change the date.

I should be studying (cramming) for my final. Guess what I'm doing, instead? Blogging, of course!

I am soooooooo pathetic.

To my credit, I studied my brains out over the weekend. For all of my readers who are zombies, sorry. I left my brains somewhere between the chapter on thermodynamics and the chapter on electrochemistry. If you find them, please do not eat them. I need them back for my test.

What I really need is a nap.