I don't. It was a hell of a summer semester but damn near everything paid off. I've got a job with the biology department editing instructional materials, a ground-floor position on a new grad chapter of the Red Cross, and an impressive GPA to boot.
Going into this program, the biggest question was whether or not I could handle the sciences, whether or not I was mentally capable of assimilating the information. It was a big question, and I'm glad that signs are starting to point to "yes". The new (and considerably smaller) question is whether or not I'm capable of sustaining this effort over the course of the next half-decade or so. If yes, I pass "GO" and collect $200,000 in med school loans. Lucky for me, objects in motion tend to stay in motion.
For now, though, it's noon on the first day of classes. Lecture at six; I'm going to shoot for a solid four hours with the books before class. I think chapter one of physics covers momentum.
Monday, August 25, 2008
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Sometimes I Get Distracted:
"Atom X is in Group IIA and atom Y is in Group VIIA. A compound formed between these two elements would have the formula:
A. X2Y, B. XY2, C. X2Y7, D. X7Y2"
My answer:
An alkaline earth metal X leaves Chicago at 3:15 PM. It has ns^2 as its valence set. At 4:30 PM a halogen leaves Skokie, IL with her sister for Chicago. They both have valences of ns^2, np^5, and maybe nd^10. They're leaving the small town to find electrons that would make them feel complete, noble even. Traffic along I-90 is terrible and they exit at Avondale and end up at a lunch counter across from Mr. X, who has two electrons buzzing about his head and is a member of the Fundamentalist church of Latter-Day Saints. He draws the two ladies close, marrying them. Answer B, XY2. Sorry.
A. X2Y, B. XY2, C. X2Y7, D. X7Y2"
My answer:
An alkaline earth metal X leaves Chicago at 3:15 PM. It has ns^2 as its valence set. At 4:30 PM a halogen leaves Skokie, IL with her sister for Chicago. They both have valences of ns^2, np^5, and maybe nd^10. They're leaving the small town to find electrons that would make them feel complete, noble even. Traffic along I-90 is terrible and they exit at Avondale and end up at a lunch counter across from Mr. X, who has two electrons buzzing about his head and is a member of the Fundamentalist church of Latter-Day Saints. He draws the two ladies close, marrying them. Answer B, XY2. Sorry.
Sunday, July 6, 2008
Things Culinary
Experiment 07.06.08 - Tilapia Fajitas, Serves One
Ingredients
2 Tortillias
1/2 Green Pepper
1/4 Red onion
1/2 Tomato
1 Tilapia Fillet
1 Lemon
Some Old Bay Seasoning
Some Cilantro
Some Olive Oil
Prepare the Veggies
Dice half a green pepper, a quarter of a red onion, and half of a tomato. Shred the cilantro.
Prepare the Salsa
Combine the chopped tomato, some of the red onion, and a pinch of cilantro in a mug. Add a quarter of a lemon’s worth of juice, as well as some salt and pepper. Stir together and let steep.
Prepare the Fish:
Slice fish into pinky-sized nuggets, dredge in flour, Old Bay, sea salt, pepper, the juice of half a lemon, and perhaps some hot sauce.
Cook Things:
Heat a large skillet, introduce the tortillas and place them on a plate. Coat the pan in a generous amount of olive oil, and toss in the tilapia. Sautee until cooked through and place the cooked fish across each tortilla. Add more olive oil to pan if necessary and toss in the green pepper, as well as the remaining onion and cilantro. Sautee briefly, then distribute across the tortillas. Garnish with the salsa, wrap ‘em up, and enjoy.
Notes: Fish tasted a little bland; perhaps a little more salt, a little more flour, and a light egg batter would do the pieces better justice, or maybe grilling rather than sautéing. Did not taste the Old Bay, should add more. Could have used more tomatoes and a more robust salsa. Perhaps include rice next time, though that would make for a lot more cleanup.
Ingredients
2 Tortillias
1/2 Green Pepper
1/4 Red onion
1/2 Tomato
1 Tilapia Fillet
1 Lemon
Some Old Bay Seasoning
Some Cilantro
Some Olive Oil
Prepare the Veggies
Dice half a green pepper, a quarter of a red onion, and half of a tomato. Shred the cilantro.
Prepare the Salsa
Combine the chopped tomato, some of the red onion, and a pinch of cilantro in a mug. Add a quarter of a lemon’s worth of juice, as well as some salt and pepper. Stir together and let steep.
Prepare the Fish:
Slice fish into pinky-sized nuggets, dredge in flour, Old Bay, sea salt, pepper, the juice of half a lemon, and perhaps some hot sauce.
Cook Things:
Heat a large skillet, introduce the tortillas and place them on a plate. Coat the pan in a generous amount of olive oil, and toss in the tilapia. Sautee until cooked through and place the cooked fish across each tortilla. Add more olive oil to pan if necessary and toss in the green pepper, as well as the remaining onion and cilantro. Sautee briefly, then distribute across the tortillas. Garnish with the salsa, wrap ‘em up, and enjoy.
Notes: Fish tasted a little bland; perhaps a little more salt, a little more flour, and a light egg batter would do the pieces better justice, or maybe grilling rather than sautéing. Did not taste the Old Bay, should add more. Could have used more tomatoes and a more robust salsa. Perhaps include rice next time, though that would make for a lot more cleanup.
Sunday, June 29, 2008
Arrival and the Search for an Omen
It rained on my first day in State College. Threatening skies all day, a few drops out on I-80, and a couple afternoon and early evening downpours. Nevertheless, move-in went well. The wonderful parents came to help me get settled, and now I'm the only tenant in a large Tudor-style cottage just north of campus. The others will move in by late August, but for now it's me and the landlady. The place is beautiful. Built by an English professor in 1937 and used as a bed & breakfast for the last couple decades, my new digs look like a cross between a museum and a Cracker Barrel (in a good way, not in an everything-smells-like-bacon way [which is not necessarily a bad way]).
I'm very far away from my usual circles in DC and Lansdale. It wasn't until my folks left that I realized how much of a stranger I am in this place. As much as I like to think I'm an independent person, it's a frightening feeling to know that most of your friends are a couple hundred miles away. I'll be spending this week trying to reconnect with some old folks from high school, though. If anything's going to help me get through the next couple years, it will be the loving support provided by lots of friends.
On a recommendation from the gas station attendant, I took dinner at the Eat'n'Park. Perhaps not my first choice for food, but I was hungry enough to eat just about anything and the Eat'nPark served up a burger and a flat surface on which to write my grocery list. All the same, eating alone in a chain restaraunt doesn't do a whole lot to abate feelings of loneliness. I exit the restaraunt feeling kind of low, only to be greeted by the following:
I'm no augur, and I put as much stock in omens and horoscopes as I do in fortune cookies, but it comforts to know that the weather can be on your side once in a while.
I'm very far away from my usual circles in DC and Lansdale. It wasn't until my folks left that I realized how much of a stranger I am in this place. As much as I like to think I'm an independent person, it's a frightening feeling to know that most of your friends are a couple hundred miles away. I'll be spending this week trying to reconnect with some old folks from high school, though. If anything's going to help me get through the next couple years, it will be the loving support provided by lots of friends.
On a recommendation from the gas station attendant, I took dinner at the Eat'n'Park. Perhaps not my first choice for food, but I was hungry enough to eat just about anything and the Eat'nPark served up a burger and a flat surface on which to write my grocery list. All the same, eating alone in a chain restaraunt doesn't do a whole lot to abate feelings of loneliness. I exit the restaraunt feeling kind of low, only to be greeted by the following:
I'm no augur, and I put as much stock in omens and horoscopes as I do in fortune cookies, but it comforts to know that the weather can be on your side once in a while.
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