life questions

So after a year of no job offers, I've decided to go back to school.  Well it's still in the deciding process, but we're pretty sure that it's the best thing to do.  As I've been working on my application to grad school I've come across some interesting questions, questions that have pierced me deep as I have pondered their meaning.

Part of the application is a letter of intent, the application says this about the statement of intent:

This statement gives the admissions committee an opportunity to learn the following:

1. your preparation and background for the program to which you are applying and the special emphasis you hope to pursue in it,
2. your academic or professional goals and reasons for your choice of career,
3. your particular academic or professional reasons for applying to Brigham Young University and the scholarly or professional contributions you expect to make to your program;
4. .....

Those middle few questions have really got me thinking.  What are my academic and professional goals?  What scholarly contributions will I make to the field of civil engineering?  I've been thinking for the past year that I want to do 'transportation' engineering, designing roadways and such.  But really, I never really thought of that before I ever went to college.  I never even thought of all that before I took a transportation class.  The real reason I switched to civil engineering was for structures.  

I think I speak for most engineers when I say that engineering is fun regardless of what it is your engineering.  Making awesome things is just always cool, whether it's buildings, roads, dams, engines, computers, waste water treatment plants.... it's just cool to build something intricate and amazing.


So I've applied to graduate school at BYU, and I'll hopefully bet going into structural engineering.  It will be strange going back to school, but hopefully I'll do a little better and care a little more, and it will probably be a lot of fun in the end.

sack lunch?

I love having lunch while I'm at school.  Don't tell my wife this, but I am actually really, really glad that she gets up and packs some leftovers into a tupperware for me to heat up and eat for the days lunch break. (I usually tell her not to worry about it, and that I'll be fine).  I like to be able to sit down, eat some real food, and take a break from staring a computer screens (food isn't allowed in the CAEDM lab you see).

What really irks me about having lunch though is using the microwaves on campus.  No, I don't have a problem with their interface, I do think there are enough of them, and I don't think they're *too* gross to be used, but the other people using them need a butt kicking if you ask me.

Why do we use a microwave?  to be fast.  What are most people I see using the microwaves doing?  not being fast.  I refuse to stand in line behing Mr. Picky-Eater as he heats his pizza for 25 seconds, stops, turns it, dabs grease off the top and puts it in for another 25.  I hate watching as people insert last night's casserole for 30 seconds, take it out, stir it, put it in again for 30, take it out, stir it, put it in for another 30... and on and on!

If I see someone standing in front of the microwave (there is only one in the Clyde Bldg.) there is usually someone behind them so I will go somewhere else, get a drink, to the bathroom, anything for a few minutes to avoid watching them take their precious time heating up food over and over.  Most days I end up having to go into the MARB where there are two microwaves and I have never had to wait in line.

To me a sack lunch is good for being cheap and fast (you don't have to wait in line to have someone else make your sandwich) and these people are ruining half of it.  Either they don't value their time much or they value their food way too much.

not today

Remember that part on Toy Story when Woody and Buzz are flying up in the air 'cause Buzz is strapped to that rocket and Wood is all worried that they're going to explode and he says, "This is part where we blow up!" and Buzz suavely replies, "Not today!" pushes the button to release his spring-loaded wings, cutting the duck-tape and allowing them to glide away to safety. ... yeah, I like that part.

So the other day I was feeling very grateful for some of my material possessions, namely my beautiful earphones. A few months ago I posted about the varying quality of the earphones I used, saying how great it would be to have a real nice pair of earphones that could deliver superb quality etc. Well my loving mother read that post and decided that Santa should give me such for christmas, hence I now own a very fine pair of d-Jays, noise-canceling, in-ear earphones. While ecstatic over their quality I was dismayed that I had but my laptop in terms of portable music (translation: I had no iPod), it was still absolutely marvelous to watch movies with my own personal surround sound.

However, before the new semester even started, I was chillin' with some friends talking about Christmas gifts when one friend mentioned they got a new iPod Touch, I jokingly (but slightly serious) asked if I could then have her old iPod nano. She said sure, and I am now a happy owner of a silver, 3rd gen. iPod nano :-D. As I was moseying around campus, listening to some killer tunes, I realized how extremely glad I was for this gift. I think it is a great halmark of a deeply christian person that they may not act nice on an outward, every-day level, but when it comes to the big things they're ready to give.

All I have to say, go world.

just don't know

Sometimes I get really frustrated with catch 22 type situations, sometimes though I enjoy the futility, weird I know.

I was not as impressed with BYU's offense as the general fandom of Provo. They only scored 21 points in the first quarter because the defense prepackaged and gift wrapped each touchdown for them. But it is a pretty good consolation for me that our defense is that good.

I have been having trouble with α, β, and γ. No, that's not a, b and y, it's alpha, beta, and gamma, and not I haven't really been having trouble with the Greek alphabet, but rather people who I have chosen to label symbolically rather than with their true names. Needless to say, they have been causing me a lot of stress and worry, and the worst part is I really can't do much to fix it.

I passed my physics test last week, I forgot to take my math test.

I need to find a story written by George Durrant, and it's not anywhere on LDS.org nor to be found in a google search. Sad day.

I haven't written in my blogg for a long time, but I really wanted to write something... yay for life.

Timeline

This may or may not be interesting to anyone I know, so if you don't like it don't read it.

The last 36 hours, starting early morning, Tuesday July 21st:
7:30am - phone rings, Dan needs me to cover for him at work from 8-2
8:02 - I log into the phone at ServerPlus, eat a banana and work...
2:15pm - finish a really annoying call, send an e-mail to my boss telling him I'm quitting
2:23 - eat two peanut butter breads
2:40 - get my music 101 test and start writing
4:28 - leave the testing center, deciding not to go to class
5:00 - get e-mail finding class was actually canceled
6:00 - go to intramural ultimate game
6:50 - won
7:20 - eat some more peanut butter bread and a quesadilla
9:02 - went to late night ultimate
10:10 - won
10:30 - watched a horrific collision between two frisbee players
10:37 - found Brett's tooth
11:08 - dropped off Brett at ER
11:40 - drank a glass of water
12:10am - see Brett in the hospital just after his CT scan
12:47 - buy food at Macey's
1:14 - turn off lights, lock doors at Brett's sister's house
1:50 - start on a walk with Kat
2:30 - meet Brett and Michelle at oral surgeon's office in N. Provo
2:45 - get really queasy watching Brett's teeth get moved around
3:16 - set up camp on pool deck, laptop, speakers, 4 pool chairs
4:00 - start watching "A Walk Through the Clouds"
4:23 - eat a muffin
5:50 - start watching "Return With Honor"
7:56 - made a video on my comp (see below)
8:20 - listen to Michelle talk to Brett's family on his phone explaining the situation
9:27 - eat a bowl of Fruit Loops
9:38 - shower & shave (finally!)
10:20 - Chris calls, I nearly fall asleep talking to him
3:40pm - Oscar wakes me up
3:45 - eat PB&J and a glass of apple juice
3:58 - show up in MFG 202
5:51 - now.

Just Tonight

Today I love fruit
I love doing puzzles
I think I look hott with a tan
I don't like air-con

Today was a great day
I did homework
I took an easy test
I went to work

Tomorrow should be fun and exciting.
as a Friday it is entitled to such
Class gets over at noon
and the weekend party starts