End of Spring Semester, Cue Summer
Posted 04-25-2008 at 11:01 PM by maikeru
With Thursday, I ended my last week of spring semester at my new university. I may not have mentioned it before, but I got tired of restrictions on my freedom and scientific research at BYU, and have restarted school after a long hiatus at UVU, where it's perfectly OK to drink coffee and tea. For those who know me well or have read my rants on caffeinated drinks, espressos and green tea are my guilty, but healthy, pleasures. Bright minds need a lot of coffee and caffeine.
Anyway, this week was final exams week, so I've been absent for a little while from Hypography and posting. I have a few days off, so I plan to clog Hypography with more scientific clutter from a cluttered brain. Also, I'll be doing gardening with the warm weekend ahead. My plans were foiled by several late-spring snowstorms that have hit the Wasatch Front (in Utah), although I have been doing a lot of container gardening for my girlfriend and her friend, using nothing less than magical terra preta. Yes, I discovered that terra preta automatically makes you a babe magnet...if you want to help girls grow culinary herbs. Listen well and cultivate your gardening and scientific skills, men!
I have an idea of what I'll be taking for the first part of summer, and probably what I'll be taking in the fall, with me getting back into science more and more. I have two programming classes lined up and some dance classes to keep me in shape. In the fall, I believe I'll be taking biochemistry and organic chemistry, because my chemistry knowledge is terrible now after a couple years away from school. Maybe a physics class. This depends on how daring and brave I feel, as well as what life is like in the future with my girlfriend. Girls, I've been forced to remember again, take time and money, and there is only so much time and money in this world. Maybe in an ideal world this leads to marriage and kids. Maybe.
Thanks for reading my rambling and pointless rant. I made mention of terra preta, so it has some slight relevance to science and Hypography.
Anyway, this week was final exams week, so I've been absent for a little while from Hypography and posting. I have a few days off, so I plan to clog Hypography with more scientific clutter from a cluttered brain. Also, I'll be doing gardening with the warm weekend ahead. My plans were foiled by several late-spring snowstorms that have hit the Wasatch Front (in Utah), although I have been doing a lot of container gardening for my girlfriend and her friend, using nothing less than magical terra preta. Yes, I discovered that terra preta automatically makes you a babe magnet...if you want to help girls grow culinary herbs. Listen well and cultivate your gardening and scientific skills, men!
I have an idea of what I'll be taking for the first part of summer, and probably what I'll be taking in the fall, with me getting back into science more and more. I have two programming classes lined up and some dance classes to keep me in shape. In the fall, I believe I'll be taking biochemistry and organic chemistry, because my chemistry knowledge is terrible now after a couple years away from school. Maybe a physics class. This depends on how daring and brave I feel, as well as what life is like in the future with my girlfriend. Girls, I've been forced to remember again, take time and money, and there is only so much time and money in this world. Maybe in an ideal world this leads to marriage and kids. Maybe.
Thanks for reading my rambling and pointless rant. I made mention of terra preta, so it has some slight relevance to science and Hypography.
Total Comments 7
Comments
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Sounds like it will be an interesting year for you with regards to your studies. Be daring and brave and make the most of this opportunity.
Yes, we females like to take away your time and money, but if your girlfriend cares about you and your future then hopefully she'll support you through your studies. If she's happy to sacrifice some of that time and money for you then she's a keeper.
All the best with your studies and gardening!Posted 04-27-2008 at 04:11 PM by Monomer
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Monomer, I'm glad that you deem this blog to be worth a peek!
I think so. I'm a bit sad by how much I've forgotten from my classes at BYU and research, but I hope to make up some of the lost ground over summer and fall. I might be switching my gears a bit from immunology and cancer topics as I used to study and looking a bit more into soil microbiology and agriculture.
My girlfriend cares, I think, but we're a bit mismatched in a sense: she's Mormon and I'm not. In many other areas, we share common interests and background, although she's probably the more artistic of the two of us. I met her in a class, where we became friends because we noticed more than a passing attraction and interest in each other and ballroom dance, and from there, it's progressed. I hope she realizes that I care for her a lot, and maybe that'll make up for my glaring "fault" as she puts it. The issue of religion is the biggest stumbling block so far because I have no plans to convert to Mormonism. I have no plans to deconvert her from Mormonism. I try to support her in what she does and likes. Knowing the peculiarities of Mormonism, I can see this might cause problems eventually if it ever came to marriage, because she won't be able to get a proper Mormon temple marriage and sealing out of me unless I convert. Temple marriages and sealings are important to Mormons, probably their most sacred rites, since they believe they result in a spiritual and eternal family, this life and the next.
Actually, money wouldn't be so much of a problem if it wasn't devaluing so quickly and prices weren't so high for food and gas. Recession or depression, whatever it is, life is getting harder faster than I expected in the US. Dining out and driving around to far-off places is burning a hole in my wallet... I still have promises, shopping for clothes, that I need to fulfill. -_- I may start cooking for her instead. I realize the time issue may not get sorted out easily. Hope that it will become less of an issue as things progress. Chemistry never was a subject that left much free time.Posted 04-28-2008 at 12:53 AM by maikeru
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Wow. I can only imagine how difficult it would be to nourish love when religion gets in the way. Don't worry about the difficulties of a potential wedding until the two of you have confirmed that you can get over the difficulties of the relationship itself. If you can do that, then deciding which type of underwear you select is the easy part.
Per all of the research which seems to be leaking from your long-term memory, that's what google is for, my friend. :googleit:
Again, though... Social customs should never get in the way of those rare sparks shared between two people with an intimate connection. Such flames deserved to be fanned, not extinguished. :)
"Hey baby, wanna garden? I've got a huge bag of lump charcoal back at my place. Grrr..." :shade:
Good luck with it all, mate. Happy summer! :cup:Posted 04-28-2008 at 04:43 PM by InfiniteNow
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She and I broke up again last night, and I think for the last time. I told her that love shouldn't be predicated on religion, jealousy, and possession, things she'd wanted from me, and got a bad response. I believe a love that has jealousy and possession is not healthy and stable in the long term. She told me to stop seeing her. I think I've thought too much and too little at the same time...Posted 04-29-2008 at 12:36 PM by maikeru
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You need to find yourself a woman who is not completely brainwashed by the teachings of her local spiritual leader, anyway. Neuroses and cognitive dissonance doesn't a relationship help.
Sorry to hear of the split, they're no fun, and often quite painful.
Either way, you're pretty amazing, and you'll do fine when someone recognizes that you are more amazing and important to them than their personal fairy tales and imaginary friends. :friday:Posted 04-29-2008 at 04:37 PM by InfiniteNow
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You hadn't been around for a while maikeru, so when I saw that you were lurking again, and had a blog entry I had to take a look!
Sorry to hear about the split, but I think it might just be for the best because a difference in religion is bound to continue to cause problems.
You're intelligent, you garden, you cook... I can't imagine you'd be single for long!
I hope you're dealing with the split okay. On a positive note this does give you a chance to really get stuck into your studies.Posted 04-30-2008 at 11:12 PM by Monomer
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Time heals most wounds I think. I haven't quite had the time to mope, and when I do have time, I've been tired from studying and dance classes. I made it onto one of the university's ballroom dance teams, and the early-morning practices are killing me right now, because I'm a night owl. Can't think or do much most mornings unless I have a shot or two of espresso.
I chatted with her earlier today, but I can see we're still not connecting well. She asked me again if I'd convert, and I said no. I already told her at the beginning that I would make for a bad Mormon by asking too many questions. (Not to mention being dishonest to myself by converting to something I don't and can't believe in.) I talked with her about "reformed Egyptian," a (fictional) hypothetical language and writing system used for the Book of Mormon (and did I forget to mention that scholars, historians, and Egyptologists say it does not exist, so it's a nonexistent language used to write a fairy-tale book...that doesn't garner my trust, unfortunately). I bet that didn't improve my ratings with her. Probably better that way. I found out she's already starting to go out and see other guys, even though it's just been a few days...
Maybe I shouldn't have been so hasty posting the blog when I'd been experiencing some rough waters a week before. Anyway, I do think it is for the best.
One of my Polish friends, who's working on her Ph.D. in mathematics, gave me a CD of her and her family singing several songs in Polish. Lovely. That's about all I can say. I'm really touched. The best thing I've had happen all weekend. I agree, Monomer, a little more time for studying never hurt.
I've also taken up tutoring some friends in biology during the weekdays after my morning classes. They're taking general college biology during the summer, kind of a cram course in 7 weeks, and suffering. The tutoring should make things a little easier. I spent an entire session on evolution, driving it into their heads.
Posted 05-04-2008 at 11:50 PM by maikeru
