Well, CONvergence 2008 has come to a close, and it was a fantastic time. I liked the four day format (though I'm not sure that my body agrees with that assessment). Man, my hands are soooo sore today...
Thursday is kind of a blur. Between arriving on Wednesday and such, I'm not entirely sure what I did on Thursday. I know that I registered...OH! I remember now, I helped Jim and Angie set up the Project Room. That was fun, if a bit disorganized for a while.
Friday involved Face Painting! I should post the pictures I took, though that would require me to retrieve them from my camera. I should do that. As a side note, I should also acquire a roomier memory card for said camera - it's a little disturbing, as much of a technophiliac as I am, that I only had a 16 MB card for it. Insufficient, I say, insufficient! I know Jim has a LOT more pictures, not only from the session in the Project Room and from the faces he painted during the day, so I'll see if I can acquire those as well. He's very good...I think next year, I'll practice my face painting and team up with him. Why, we'll be twice the painting ferocity! It will please The Donkey.
I also went to Dr. Jim's lecture on the physics of superheroes and their outfits. It was pretty fascinating - I would have liked to talk with him more, but he looked busy post-panel, and I needed to get back out to the pool area to help with painting.
Saturday found The Donkey promoting glow sticks. Thanks to everyone who helped us crack and cap, especially Caspian (sorry bud, if you told me your name, it escaped my mind completely), Rachel, and Thea for the long time you sat with us helping. We wouldn't have gotten nearly as many done as we did if you hadn't helped. Despite the fact that my hands and forearms burned by the end of the night (and today), I had a great time watching people decorate themselves in the five colors of light. I thoroughly enjoyed doing the glow sticks, and we'll absolutely bring them back next year.
Overall, I think Con was a blast this year. If there was one thing I was disappointed with, it was that, for a sci-fi convention, there was a disappointing lack of actual science going on. I would love to do a panel, maybe an hour every day, and run some three day activities to do some real science (well, real in the sense that learning about scientific ideas is real). Maybe I'll talk to Those in Charge (to whom even The Donkey bows) and see if I can do that or something similar next year!
Anyone from Con who happens to read this on the CONvergence website, feel free to friend me. I'll add you back! See you all next year. =)
Mike was sick today, so there was a sub. She didn't arrive until 7:46 (class started at 7:50), and she walked in and said, "Hello, I'm the sub today, right?" I explained that I was an intern, just here to observe and jump in when wanted. She made some comment about being happy that someone with more content knowledge was there, and then the bell rang.
"The Wheel of Time turns, and Ages come and pass, leaving memories that become legend. Legend fades to myth, and even myth is long forgotten when the Age that gave it birth comes again."
While Wheel of Time was not my first foray into science-fiction/fantasy, it was, without a doubt, the most influential. The way I write, the way I think about fantasy, the way I feel about how magic should work, and the way I visualize magic in my head is all grounded and/or heavily influenced by Jordan's writing. And, while I have not yet read all of the books, I fully intended to, much as I might have said otherwise.
The Light shine on you, Robert Jordan,and may you shelter in the palm of the Creators Hand. The last embrace of the mother welcome you home.
I'm sad that she's back on lurking mode. I suppose it's for the best, though - now I'm not tempted to send her a message. Kit, if you read this, I love you and I wish you the best day ever. Happy Valentine's Day, everyone.
Damn it, damn it, damn it. I hate sleeping through my alarm. I can only assume I turned it off both times it went off, and for some reason I didn't set a third alarm last night when I went to bed. Note to self: Always set three alarms when they're available, maybe even four or five if you can.
Of course, it probably would have helped if I'd gone to bed before 3:30. I mean, to my body's credit, I woke up almos exactly 6 hours after I went to sleep, which is no change from my normal routine. However, since I had a class at nine, I was a very unhappy man. Oh well...I'll just have to study organic extra hard tonight and hope there was no quiz today. Second note to self: Go to bed between 11 and 1 every night, you stupid dumbass.
Fuck.
My List of Things to Do 1) Shower 2) Do Physics Prelab 3) Class 4) Workout 5) Study Class Material 6) Study MCAT Material
Current Mood: Pissed as Hell
Current Music: Save the Last Dance for Me ~ Michael Buble
Ah, yes, nothing begins a new semester like Organic Chemistry at nine in the morning. I asked for it, I suppose, though, since I did elect to retake the course. It should be good - I should have done way better in Organic I than I did, but I didn't go to class. This year I have more motivation - I should find it easier to drag my sorry ass to lecture everyday. And, if I do that, I should have no problem getting an A in this course.
I'm retaking another course this semester, too - Essential Cell Biology. It should complement nicely with the Advanced Cell Biology course I'm taking. Got a C in that one the first time I took it, too, but to my credit, I at least have an excuse for the poor grade in that course. I mean, after all, I did have mono during the middle of Spring '05 semester. Of course, if I'd actually gone to class the rest of the time and paid attention, my grade might have been different.
No matter - I'm retaking them now, and if I can manage a 4.0 this semester, which will replace the two C's on my GPA, my overall GPA will leap from a 3.42 to a 3.6. Now, that's what I call doing a happy dance, and it will be most wonderful for my medical school application process. With the experience that I already have in the medical field, combined with a GPA above 3.5 and an MCAT score between 26 and 30, I'll be unstoppable. Now I just have to get that GPA above 3.5 and the MCAT score between 26 and 30. Goddamn it...library, here I come.
Hopefully I can remember to make my list of things to do in here everyday. We'll see. Until later.
My List of Things To Do Today 1. Dishes 2. Class 3. Study Course Material 4. Study MCAT Material 5. Lift with Kris 6. Make a New Menu for the Week
Man, it's been a long time since I updated this. I suppose that's to be expected, though - I've been busy, what with finals, and then Kit coming, and the holiday fiascos...it was hectic.
Anyway, one thing at a time. Finals overall went well, I think. I got an A on my physiology final, which I was exceptionally pleased with, and that meant I got a B in the course. Not exactly the A I was hoping for, but better than the C I had going in to the final So. Evolution I didn't even have to take the final in - I had a solid A after the last test and term paper in that course, so I opted out of the final exam. Physics didn't go so well - the final was unlike anything we'd seen all semester, and it was unlike the practice exams. So that sucked, but apparently, even though I got 11/26 correct, everyone else did equally poorly, because I ended up with a B in that course, too. Overall GPA for fall semester? 3.36. New comprehensive GPA? 3.42. I'd like to see it jump over 3.5 again, but that's what this coming semester is for.
I'm retaking organic chemistry 1 and cell biology because I got a C+ and a C, respectively. I got a C in organic chemistry 2, as well, but it does not make any sense to me to retake 2 without having retaken 1 and gotten a better grade. So hopefully *crosses fingers* when I get A's in both of those courses this next semester, my GPA will do a little happy dance and go above 3.5 again. We'll see.
I started back onto the Dr. Phil program. I hate that I gave it up so readily when school started again - I fell right back into the habits I'd sworn I'd given up. But no more - I'm going to stay on task this time, because I have weight to lose, and I have a goal. This summer I'm going to be applying to medical schools. And once I'm accepted to one, I'm going to be applying for that Health Professionals Scholarship through the Air Force - I'll need to be in decent physical shape to do that. They don't want a fatass - if they did, every podunk kid in the world would go into the armed services to help pay for college. No, they need someone who can fit the bill as a member of the USAF and will be an excellent doctor, and I want that person to be me.
I started yesterday, purging my system of processed sugars. I know I'm going to start hitting the withdrawal today and tomorrow, but then it will be over. I'm drinking a lot of water and following the menus I created to the letter - hopefully I can take the time and continue to do this throughout the semester.
EDIT: My Updated list of things to do today: 1) Call Accounts Receivable about the hold on my account. 2) Go in to work to do inservice training 3) Go to Nevada and pay my car registration. 4) Clean the bathroom 5) Start on my room
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soundingfurrows's journal
cheerful
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Pissed as Hell
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