Don't check the web address just yet...

I decided that "Musings of a Literary Junkophile" needed a new look. So being the computer savvy person that I am, I quickly headed onto my blogger dashboard and selected a new layout. If someone smart and computery wants to let me in on the little secret of how to make your own layouts let me know. I would love to have something more unique.

I have now completed four days of my second semester here in California. I am enjoying it immensely, especially my science classes. I am also taking Old Testament and though, in some ways it will be repetitive, I think I will enjoy the historical portion of the class. I also have a new roommate, who I am getting to know.

It is very strange to be way from home, but I am slowly getting used to the freedom and the responsibility. I am also so excited to see what God is going to do this semester in my life. He never ceases to amaze. I just love understanding more about his creation through my science classes, and understanding his nature better through biology, chemistry, and physics.



Cheers!

Your Literary Junkophile.

Amendment 1: Does anyone but me get excited about NMR spectroscopy?

Amendment 2: NMR is like a 2D MRI, very cool, and very magnetic.

Amendment 3: The biggest problem with college, in my opinion, is there are so many classes and things to major in. How is a person to choose?

Amendment 4: I am still chemistry major though. Chemistry majors are the coolest, and the most positive since they are always dropping electrons everywhere.

Time Travel (I think)

I left Oregon in mid January by plane and landed in southern CA in June. I am still trying to work out the particulars of how exactly Horizon Air managed that, but it is about 78 degrees here, bright and sunny, with a light wind blowing off the Ocean. I have once again broken out my shorts, t-shirts, and sandals (yes in good Oregon fashion, I wear them with socks). My physics classroom was so warm this afternoon that the whole class, including the teacher, was falling asleep. This begs the question: How exactly did this happen, and is there some way to get back to winter weather. So here is a list of possible solutions that I would imagine came from some popular scientists (both real, and fictional people).

Einstein: Time is relative, so the plane must have traveled close to the speed of light. There by slowing down time for the people on the plane, while time proceeded at the normal rate for everyone else.

James T. Kirk (Star Trek): Clearly, the plane was equipped with a shield that protected it while it flew close to the sun. The plane was set into a close orbit of the sun and was then catapulted forward in time. Due to the complex math that was done, I can only assume that Spock must have been present on Laura's flight.

Heisenberg: Due to the fact that you cannot know where you are and how fast you are going at the same time, and the pilot knew where they were during the flight, the plane must have been going much faster than thought. I seem to remember something about going really really fast, and time. Perhaps you should ask Albert about it.

Samantha Carter (Stargate SG1): The plane must have traveled through a stargate at the precise moment a solar flare happened. The flare sent the plane into the future by six months.


Cheers!

Your Literary Junkophile.


Amendment 1: Yes, I realize before hand that by going to school in CA I was sacrificing some of my winter weather.

Amendment 2: But I still would like to see how people down here react to a good cold snap.

Amendment 3: And by cold snap I mean 40 degree weather.

Skips and School

Well, apparently I have become a very bad blogger. It has been month since my last blog. Granted a lot has happened in that month, exams, going home, snow, ice, snow, Christmas, snow, New Years, snow, and family.

I leave to go back to school tomorrow. I am a little sad, but I am really ready to be back in the grind of school. I am going to have a very hectic semester. I'm taking O-chem, physics, bio, and a RS class. That's three labs, and 17 units! I am also getting a new roommate as Ashley decided to transfer out.

I had a very nice Christmas, and a very snowy Christmas. Two Feet of snow on the ground is a lot! and learning how to drive in it was even more exciting. But i am now very glad that the snow is over. Since people in Oregon don't drive in the snow, I couldn't really go anywhere for a week and that was very boring (a little like Boring Oregon, maybe).

It was wonderful to see so many of you over the past few weeks. The ball was so much fun, as was the little get together at my house. I miss you all when I'm at school, but I will be home in may for a while (I may even get tired of seeing you).



Cheers!

Your Literary Junkophile.

Amendment 1: Yes, you all have permission to yell at me for not updating my blog for so long.

Amendment 2: I finally figured out how to get my dad to let me take a picture of him. You have him stand in front of some military plane. Suddenly, he becomes almost photogenic.

Amendment 4: Special effects have come a long way since the original Star Wars were made.

Amendment 5: Yes, skipping Amendment 3 was intentional. I wanted to see how many of you are still awake.

Amendment 6: I am finally going to start an ECD group at my school. I even ordered a CD of music.

not again...

Well, once again I am finding myself with out a room for the evening. thankfully this time isn't due to a fire and my dorm isn't in any danger of being destroyed, but I am without power. I just hope it comes back on before midnight when I will really need to get to bed. One of the dorms that was destoyed in the fire finally caved in today and the roof fell on the power line. So now my entire dorm is without power. So I'm sitting in the afterhours cafeteria not doing homework. I had an o-chem exam today, so I thought I would give myself a break tonight and only write a lab report. well, that is done and now I'm just messing around on my computer.

But then the phrase "my computer" opens up a whole other can of worms (so to speak). My computer's motherboard was damaged in the fire due smoke so my parents had to mail me my younger sister's laptop. So I'm now on a itty-bitty laptop. Hopefully, my computer will be fixed when I get home for Christmas break in a little over a week!

Your Literary Junkohpile.

Amendment 1: Alkanes, alkenes, amines, and alkynes all have higher pKa values than water.

Amendment 2: it just doesn't feel like Christmas time here; it is simply to warm.

back and school and fire updates

well, I am very sorry for my long absence. If you don't know about the fire please read this next paragraph, but if you already heard the story feel free to skip it.

On thursday the 13th there was a wildfire here at my school. I was in my room when it started and within 30 minutes the fire was on our campus. All together the school lost 3 academic buildings three dorms (not mine), and 17 professors and staff lost their houses. (Pictures are on my school website). The students were sheltered overnight in the gym, while the fire burned around us. On saturday I went home, and classes started up again this week for the first time since the fire.

It is very strange to be back. A lot of my friends lost their dorms, and they physics department is completely burned to the ground. So my two physics classes are very different.

Individually and as a school we all have a lot of healing to do, but the spirit on campus is one of hope. So much of our campus was spared and that means a lot to everyone, but we have also lost a lot as well.

Your Literary Junkophile


Amendmnet 1: Your prayers are still needed for my school.

Amendment 2: Thank you so much for the prayers you have already said, it means so much to me and my entire campus that so many people are praying for us.

Amendment 3: Email me if you want to help in any way or if you want more details.

Puppy Love

Has anyone but me noticed the attention the press seems to to be paying to the Obama dog situation? And by the Obama dog situation I mean the fact the Mr. Obama promised his daughters a new dog when they move into the White House. Here are some examples of the web sites and news articles out there on this very topic.

from the Associated Press: Obama: Getting a family dog isn't easy

from yahoo news: "Peru Offers bald Dog of Incas to Obamas"

www.obamafamilydog.com A whole website dedicated to convincing the Obama family to adopt a shelter dog instead of buying one from a pet store.

From BBC News: Obama Family dog 'major issue'

From Fox News: Obama: Choosing family Dog is a 'Pressing Issue'

From the Washington Times: Obama" Getting a family dog isn't easy

PETA to Obama: adopt your Dog from a shelter

The AKC conducted a survey to decided what breed the family should get. The final verdict: Poodle.

From Chicago Breaking News: Obama girls getting a puppy.


Cheers!

Your Literary Junkophile.

Amendment 1: I can only hope that the American public turns out to be as interested in rest of Obama's decisions as his dog decision.

Amendment 2:I guess we could call this fascination in the press with the new dog as "puppy love."

Amendment 3: I only have a week and half left until Thanksgiving Break!

Amendment 4: an enantiomer is a non-superimposable mirror image isomer.

Amendment 5: All this talk about dogs makes me miss my little Reggie.

Fun Vidoes and Quick Catch-ups

Well, I'm sorry that I haven't posted for so long. Things can get a bit busy here. My knee is finally starting to feel a little better. I had to get a steroid shot last week, and I believe it might finally be on the mend. I have to go to one more doctor's appointment over Thanksgiving and hopefully I will then find out what is causing my knee pain. I will keep you all updated.

This weekend my dad visited me here at school. That was very nice and really fun. I don't think we have spent that much time together just the two of us for a very long time. We went had a really great time, and it meant a lot to me that he wanted to come down here and spend the weekend with me.

I can't believe that it is only two weeks until thanksgiving break. I have 11 days of school left until break and then only two more weeks of classes after that, a week of exams and then my first semester here is over. It has gone very quickly. I am still loving school and I am planning on officially declaring my major this week as chemistry.

Here is a video that a friend posted on his blog that I thought you would all enjoy:



Cheers!

Your Literary Junkophile.

Amendment 1: I can't wait to see some of you at thanksgiving!

Amendment 2: that doesn't mean that I'm not looking forward to seeing some of you, just that I don't think I will have a chance to see lots of people, as I will be visiting family.

Amendment 3: Pressure equals force divided by area.

Amendment 4: prayers are still appreciated for my knee and also as I find out what is really wrong with it.