Quotes from Mitch Hedburg

I like these:


"When someone hands you a flier, it's like they're saying here you throw this away."

"I like rice. Rice is great if your hungry and want 2000 of something."

"I got into and argument with a girlfriend inside of a tent. That's a bad place for an argument, because I tried to walk out and slam the flap. How are you supposed to express your anger in this situation? Zipper it up real quick?"

"This product that was on TV was available for four easy payments of $19.95. I would like a product that was available for three easy payments and one complicated payment. We can't tell you which payment it is, but one of these payments is going to be hard."

I think Bigfoot is blurry, that's the problem. It's not the photographer's fault. Bigfoot is blurry. And that's extra scary to me, because there's a large, out-of-focus monster roaming the countryside. Run. He's fuzzy. Get outta here.

My sister wanted to be an actress, but she never made it. She does live in a trailer. She got half way. She's an actress, she just never gets called to the set.

I bought a seven dollar pen because I always lose pens and I got sick of not caring.

This shirt is dry clean only. Which means...it's dirty.


Good stuff.

Photo Time

Say hello to Oz, the nearsighted kitten.



Everyone say hello...

Frustration

I am finding the latest Q Phys assignment enormously frustrating. While I am willing to put hours and hours into a lab report, I just can't quite bring myself to care about this homework. There are five questions and four of them require a derivation at some point. For god's sake, it is really necessary to make us re-derive these equations? I can't get half of them, and it has made me unreasonably angry.

I hate engineering. I want out. Immediately.

Warning: controversial

Well, this is depressing. (The following link is Republican unfriendly.)

If you think the Schiavo case will "backfire" on Republicans, you're a fool

I didn't read the entire thread, after a half dozen posts it was breaking down into the standard left-right bickering that always disrupts these topics.

I think the author is absolutely right though. On many levels, it's not a flattering view of the Repulibican party, but I don't see any flaws in the reasoning. I found the last paragraph particularly true and the most disturbing.

ah well. This case is just too complicated (and depressing) for me. I surrender.

The pain of missing good runs

One of the things I miss about the East Coast is the running events. I get regular e-mails from Pretzel City Sports and they maintain a list of races in the Pennsylvania/Delaware area. I was going through the list and now I feel sad. I will be missing:

04/02/05 Tyler Arboretun Run, Media, PA 10k
04/03/05 Race for Independence, Phila, PA 10k
04/09/05 Brandywine Trail end to end Hike & Fun Run, Wilmington, DE
04/09/05 Butterfly Run, Malvern, PA 5k-R 9:00 AM
04/16/05 Run for Clean Air, Phila, PA 5k-R 9:00 AM
04/16/05 Chester Co Race against Violence, West Chester, PA 5k
04/17/05 Race for Autism Half Marathon, Lewes, DE 13.1m
04/23/05 Perk Valley Strides for the Cure, Collegeville, PA 5k
04/23/05 Race Against Violence, West Chester, PA 5k
04/24/05 Not Just a Walk in Park, West Chester, PA 5k
04/30/05 Mommy's Light Run, Exton, PA 5k
05/01/04 Broad Street Run, Phila, PA 10m
05/01/05 MS Run, Art Museum, Phila, PA 10k
05/07/05 Run for Brianne, West Chester, PA 5k
05/14/05 Kennett Square PA Run 10k & 5k

I don't mind missing most of the 5ks, but I hate missing the Brianne Run and Kennett Square Run. The Brianne Run is literally a half mile from my house (warm up is jogging to the starting line) and the Kennett Square Run is maybe 10-15 minutes by car. The other West Chester runs bother me for the same reason. Some of the others just sound neat...I know where Media and the Tyler Arboretun is (20-25 minutes away) and the Brandywine Trail run sounds cool too.

I can do these races:

05/30/05 RunPalooza, West Chester, PA 5k
06/26/05 Double Trouble 15k & 30k Trail Runs, Reading, PA 15k & 30k

And the Independence day 15K that I do anually. I wouldn't mind going down for one of the beach runs, if I had company. My season is going to be cut short by the beginning of medical school, although I might be able to do some races in Philly.

Occasionally, I really wish I had a digital camera. I would have liked to have a picture of Tam poking around in my computer. Or sitting in the case.

Lab today was terrible. It took four hours long. I know that's not a lot of time, relatively speaking, but this was not a complicated lab. We ended up having to redo a third of it because the prof wasn't happy with our results. I also have lab guilt over the death of the frogs, but I'm trying not to think about it. I did have one satisfying moment though.

Me: So, there are nine discussion questions and three of us. That's easy, three questions per person, do you want the first, second or third group of questions?

Her: Well, last lab, I really didn't feel like I knew what was going on in the other two sections, so I was thinking we should stagger the questions so we get to look at a variety of them.

Me: I think it was your job to familarize yourself with the other sections of the lab on your own time. If you noticed, I was able to provide you with references and links to information within your section. (mentally: you commented that the ECG was a vector in my section, dumbass.) I think it is up to you to become familiar with the lab and I don't see how staggering it will make a difference (if you aren't going to take the time to look at all the sections, anyway.)

Her: Oh. Okay, I'll take the first third.

Me: Great.

That felt good though. This girl is just lazy. She is smart, but lazy and I took a lot of satisfaction in subtly (or not so subtly) pointing it out to her. The best part was she set it up herself. If you aren't going to look at the other questions, what difference does it make? You won't know them no matter how we split it up.

I just keep telling myself, two more labs to go...

Deep Philosophical Thought for the day

So...how (and why) did that hanger get in the tree outside my (second story) window anyway?

Can we say 'waste of money"?

Well, this is a good use of our tax money...

I find this article incredibly amusing. So...Instead of teaching children about sex, after going though these programs they are less likely to use a condom to avoid an STD and then less likely to go to the doctor to get help? Brilliant! But, it's the anal and oral sex stats that truly make the report worth reading.

ahh, the irony. I love it.

Rambling again

My family is not really religious. Well, my father is and I attended four years of private religious school and then another uhm, three, (four?) years of after school religious school. Both my sister and I were batmitzvahed and I've returned to read Torah in the past, although not recently. My mother doesn't appear to have strong beliefs either way. She believes in a God, but doesn't go along with the religious trappings, except to periodically please my father. I tend to side with her...I don't need religion for some sense of community, and it just doesn't occur to me either way most of the time. Okay, so people biblethumping pisses me off, but I resent being told I'm going to hell or being looked down on for not falling in step with some religion. I tend to think of myself as a very moral person, and I dislike people making a decision about me just because I "haven't found Jesus." I've come to the conclusion that religion is really about excluding people who don't share the same traditions and beliefs. It's all very stupid, I think.

Wow, that paragraph really didn't end up where I orginally had in mind. Anyway, so while my mother remains ambivalent about most religious practices, she wholeheartedly loves chocolate and I can depend on getting a good Easter basket every year. My father doesn't object...it's just chocolate. This year's basket (or more properly, box) was particularly good. I got a bunch of chocolate, a set of coloring pencils (24! Now I can do color schemes on the different plates!) and the new Tori Amos CD.

I hadn't really been considering buying the new Tori. I'd been listening to the free tracks on the Tori Amos website and they hadn't really connected. But...wow. Those tracks really weren't representative of the cd as a whole. There are some excellent tracks on this cd and the melodies are frequently beautiful, The tracks that sounded scratchy and disjointed on the website actually flow beautifully on the actual cd. I am very pleased. The reviews were correct that Tori has mellowed. But I think its fits. No one likes aged rockers trying to stay "hip" afterall.

See, that last paragraph was actually the point of the post. I got really derailed didn't I?

You have a zipper *how* long?

Last night I went down to the medical library to photocopy some primary literature for my lab report. For some reason, the medical school library does not have photocopiers on each floor and the nearest one was next to the Library assistance desk. This one clerk did not have a "library voice." I think I heard all the latest CNN headlines while I was sitting there, taking notes. And then, this...

Library Clerk: Do you know where I can buy a three-foot long zipper?
Library Clerk II: hmmm...walmart?
Library Clerk: Really?
Library Clerk II: I think so.

Time passes. I head to the desk to put money on my copy card.

Library Clerk: Say, are you a St. Louis native?
Me: uhm, no. Sorry.
Llibrary Clerk: Oh, well do you know where I could buy a three-foot long zipper.
Me: uhm, not really. Have you tried an online fabric store?
Library Clerk: hrm.

Now, what in the world does this guy need a three-foot long zipper for? is he making a trenchcoat or something?

Time passes.

Phone conversation
Library Clerk: Hi, I'm wondering, do you carry three-foot long zippers?
Library Clerk: mmhmm, mmhmm, do you?!
Library Clerk: Wonderful!!
Library Clerk: So, how long is your longest zipper?
Library Clerk: mmhm...SIX FEET?! YOU HAVE A SIX FOOT LONG ZIPPER?!?
Library Clerk: Really? In stock?
Library Clerk: I'll be down on Friday!
Hangs up

Library Clerk: Hot diggity damn! A six-foot zipper! She [Clerk II] was right!

The whole thing was kind of bizzare.

Moving Out

I am just wondering if the stuff you can't fit into your car is worth 400.00 to move? Would it be better to sell the larger picecs and use the 400.00 we save on a truck to buy you new stuff? The round trip charges are also less but the mileage cost if prohibitive. (.89 a mile)

-Dad

For some reason, this makes me sad. I usually don't get too attached to stuff like this...my bed and chair at home aren't important and I ditched most of my other furniture in favor of homemade shelves. But...I'm kinda sad at the thought of giving up my bed and chair here. They feel like they're mine and I don't really want to sell them. The desk and shelves can go, but....damnit. I was proud of buying and moving that chair home.

Sigh.

Always put the knives away after washing dishes.

Who needs bandaids when you have napkins and tape?

18 miles, take two

Today's splits:

1. First loop: 49:00 minutes
2. Second loop: 1:41:00 (52:00 minutes)
3. Third loop: 2:35:45 (54:45 minutes)

Not too bad. I was pretty cramped up and tired on the third loop. I just ached and obviously, sucked. Next week I have to do 20 miles, which I'm kind of dreading. My overall goal for the marathon is to finish it in 4 hours or less. It might be doable; it depends how much I slow down in the last six miles.

I'm going to run a killer 15k over the summer though. I feel like I have a lot more strength over moderate distances (6-10 miles) than I've ever had before.

Memorable Quote

"We live on a placid island of ignorance in the midst of black seas of infinity, and it was not meant that we should voyage far. The sciences, each straining in its own direction, have hitherto harmed us little; but some day the piecing together of dissociated knowledge will open such terrifying vistas of reality, and of our frightful position therein, that we shall either go mad from the revelation or flee from the deadly light into the peace and safety of a new dark age."

By H.P. Lovecraft

Strange, but oddly charming quote. I think. I kinda like looking at the world through the eyes of a 1900s amateur scientist. His theories on Antarctica as discussed in an annotated collection of short stories were very entertaining. His life is also an interesting contrast to current culture. I can't imagine a modern high school drop out writing like that.

Home Again

I got home early this morning. The trip was good, I guess. I got a lot of reading done, which is always nice. I think I've enjoyed the Lovecraft. The writing style is a nice change from more modern novels. And hey, new vocabulary. None it fit for everyday conversation, but good for future reading. And I'd been wondering what Palimpsest meant for a while anyway.

Anyway, I got a bunch of financial aid stuff finished. Apparently, Jefferson had the most complex aid application of all, so the others have been fairly quick procedures. I think that the "entrance interview" is conducted during Orientation, which is nice. Anything that saves me a flight home is positive in my book.

Future plans include an imminent 5 mile run, finishing the last two short stories in the second Lovecraft book, calling home and starting my Q Phys lab report. Then I can go to the library tomorrow, get the references for the lab intro, photocopy my 1040s and mail off the last of my financial stuff all in one trip. Eventually cookies will be made and travel plans will be finalized.

One other interesting piece of info, as I was calling med schools to verify the completion/receival of my FAFSA and other forms, I called Pitt to check out this waitlist business. Information received includes:

(1) Not all interviewees were waitlisted or accepted. Some were rejected. Quite surprising.

(2) The waitlist is ranked and no, I cannot know my place on the list.

I'm not sure what to think of the last piece of information. If anything, it makes me less inclined to try and change my place on the list. It implies to me that thought was put into the list, and trivial update letters won't have a significant impact. Which is something of a relief as I'm very tired of writing optimisitic application-voice bullshit. I foresee final application outcome stats coming in the next two weeks.

Pitt Outcome

Well, my University of Pittsburgh letter came on Saturday. I got waitlisted. I strongly suspect that everyone who interviewed was waitlisted, if they weren't accepted. I've thought about what I'm going to do...sometimes people launch letter writing campaigns to move up the waitlist and get in, but I'm done. This stupid process has taken far too long and what will be, will be. I will not put in any more effort for this.

So. Yeah. That's all.

How typical

So, I'm slowly going mad. Rumor has it, Pitt final decisions were mailed out yesterday. It's driving me nuts. Half the problem is I don't have anything else to do. Well, I mean, I went running, ran some errands and have been knitting/reading. But...that's about it. I don't have anything due, I'm not leaving for Spring break until tomorrow morning. I don't even have to pack. I have a couple books, and by the magic of interlibrary loan and the Missouri Mobuis network will be getting three more. One is a sociology book written by the author of Fast Food Nation, one is a psychiatry book that I heard about through NPR and the last is a pop-fantasy book, the sequel to a book I read six years ago and enjoyed. None of these are books I'd buy, but if the library wants to provide them for free, well...huzzah!

I did, however, find a brand new copy of the Anatomy coloring book for $10 (including shipping) through Amazon auctions. It normally sells for $20 + shipping, so I snatched it up. I don't think you can really borrow a coloring book from the library and enjoy it anyway.

So, this entry killed ten minutes. Just another three days to go...

Spring Break Plans

Well, my spring break schedule got more or less solidified last night. As planned, I'm going to Grandma's, but sooner rather than later.

I have two aunts and two uncles. Half of them will be coming to commencement. The uncle in PA won't be coming for obvious reasons, and my Indiana aunt won't be coming. But, because she isn't coming, I have to be at Grandma's this weekend. She is apparently coming to see me for the last time before I migrate back to the East coast. Her reasoning for not attending my graduation like everyone is a bit spotty, but understandable.

My two other cousins on my mother's side also recently graduated. My Indiana aunt didn't attend either ceremony because she had to work. An understandable excuse, especially when you're running your own business and can't exactly call out sick. However, she is not working over my graduation, but some sense of fair play says she can't attend mine. :(

So, it's off to Illinois for me over Spring Break. I'm not sure how long I'm staying so I have to bring the cat. I was only going to stay 3-4 days, but Grandma kinda wanted to know why I wasn't staying longer. I orginally thought, it's tax season, she's going to be chained to her desk anyway, I might as well be at home where I've got other stuff to do (like visit the penguins). But she sounded upset when I mentioned this. I might end up staying considerably longer if that's the case.

Bah. Family politics.

And I still haven't heard from Pitt. The latest rumor is another two weeks. I think I'm going to implode from the stress and anxiety.

$65 sheep

I'm thinking about fostering cats. Jim and I went down to PetsMart today to look around (okay, we were looking for bunnies on a whim), and I noticed that while they do, uh, 'stock' cats, these cats are supplied by a local rescue program. Apparently, there's a network of homes that hosts these cats and they rotate through the petstore so that they can be potentially adopted. The lady in charge, who fosters them as well, said there are about 150 cats in the network and they always need more homes. She gave me the card of agency and I left a message inquiring about the program.

I figure, I'm not in a position to permentantly adopt a cat. I'm about to move across the country, and I'm probably going to be between homes for a few months. Tam can just go back home - he's lived there most of his life and it's familiar to him. A new cat would be freaked out by the entire experience and it just wouldn't be fair.

On the other hand, Judy was the cutest little tortie cat ever (about 7 months old, so not quite a kitten) and if she needed to stay with me for a couple weeks before someone adopted her, that's fine with me. I'd be doing something good and I'd get to take care of a cat without a long-term committment.

I'm not sure I'm going to do this. The boy will be jealous, I know. But....it's worth looking into, if nothing else.

Plus! I learned cool things. Did you know you can adopt a sheep for only $65? And cows and horses and goats! Man, how cool is that? I found a halfway farm in Unionville, PA and they said they might be interested in having me volunteer there over the summer. I've got horse, dog and cat experience, so I figure I might even be useful.

ahhh, so many neat things to look forward to!