Archive for the ‘Day-to-Day’ Category

“Skinny Leonidas”

Saturday, February 21st, 2009

JY is yelling at me through Skype to blog so I can’t put it off to tomorrow any longer. I’m sorry for my absence from the interblogs, but I’ve been out getting beatings from various subjects. First there was the Chem test which I spent so much time studying for that I missed three lectures. Then newcomer Microbiology’s first exam which was familiar and nostalgic like a shattered sternum.

I just thought microbiology would be like biology, just smaller. Ironically, there are more lectures per week, more quizzes, the tests have more questions and a short answer portion and there’s a lot more material to learn. Other than that, it’s like a more boring, yet soul-lacerating BIOL 111. The test hasn’t been graded yet, but I’m pretty sure it’s bad for my GPA/health/survival.

On the other hand, my microbiology professor looks like a skinny Leonidas because of his beard and my lab TA sounds like Seth Rogan and sort of looks like him too.

My organic chem teacher doesn’t look like a celebrity (but he sounds like Ron Popeil). He’s teaching out of the same book a continuation of the same material as last semester. “Here’s a reaction, here’s a mechanism. Memorize both or we will destroy your future.” This is where it gets a bit disturbing. When I skipped three lectures, I had to do the work on my own, taking notes from the book to play catch-up. And I enjoyed it. And it scared the living crap out of me. I usually have to fight kicking and procrastinating to get myself near a library. But I was moved by Wittig reactions and Schiff bases and Clemmensen…uh, damn. It’s something with carboxylic hydrogenation of the carbonyl group. And I couldn’t get enough. I walked out of the library depressed and mortified. I had finished two chapters.

I guess after being around all this stuff, it starts to become… appealing after a while. (Aww, I feel so dirty typing those words.) *shudder* This must be what prison is like, except… wait, never mind.

Weird feelings

Wednesday, February 11th, 2009

The snow is gone, the sun is out and so are the exhibitionists. It’s a refreshing 60° out, but I hate Spring because it makes me feel weird. When I’m outside, it’s like comfortable… and I…enjoy being outside. It’s disturbing on a very deep level. I sit in the library studying and then I think, “Wow, I wish I could be outside.”

“Where the hell did that come from?” I exclaim as I try to shake off the odd feelings and go back to nucleophilic aromatic substitution.

Then I remembered. It’s Spring. Nature comes back. Love is in the air. Damn, damn, damn! I was supposed to be good this semester. I was supposed to stay inside and do nothing but work. It was so much better last semester when the weather got crappier and crappier and I begin thinking “I should go to the library.” more and more often. Now, I can’t stop thinking about frisbees. Freakin’ sunshine.