LIFE IN EDMONTON
GuluWalk It's been quite some time since I last posted, but suffice it to say that it hasn't been a particularly eventful winter in most senses. With a dash of angst, I am back to working full time in Human Resources, which has been going well. It feels odd to make the transition from student to working full time, but it had to happen some time. I just now need to pay back a lot of my loans and figure out exactly what I want to do with myself. Both of those are, of course, easier said than done. It really doesn't feel like I am making progress on either one, and I suppose it might be quite some time before it does.
THE NIGHTMARE AND 2007 ARE NEARLY OVER
As is painfully evident from the picture, I received the license plate that I have been so desperately seeking around 8 tonight. This is, of course, deplorably late. What was supposed to be five or so business days according to USPS turned out to be about 2 weeks. In fact, it is so late that I had already paid Fedex and the Secretary of State to get a 30 day plate overnighted to me with Saturday delivery. It's painful just thinking about it. I put in official complaints with both of the offenders, but thus far I have heard a lot of hemming and hawing about whose fault it is. This is why, I am happy to report, that credit cards are the best way to pay for most things. One word: Chargeback. Regardless, I am absolutely going to leave Canada tomorrow for what has become a brief sojourn in Michigan to quick see some of the relatives. I found and bookmarked all the sites that give road conditions, bought a few audiobooks, and picked up a ton of music from Rhapsody. I am praying for smooth sailing, because heaven knows I have earned it. This frozen road trip has brought some non-trivial angst to the people that I have notified about it, and I'd like to prove them all wrong. Hard to do since I missed Christmas, but I digress. I am curious as to who everybody is going to vote for in the primaries. The next few days should be fascinating as the race tightens up and the second tier candidates drop off. Personally, I have not really decided on any one candidate, but since my voter registration was in MI, it doesn't matter anyway. Our votes were disqualified by an over eager legislature, eager to cash in on Iowa and New Hampshire's share of electoral funds. I guess I'll watch and see what they come up with.
MERRY CHRISTMAS EDMONTON
In one of the odder holidays that I have experienced, I spent Christmas in Edmonton. This was of course not my preference but I lay the blame at the criminally incompetent USPS/Canada Post that stranded me here. Despite what you may have wished to believe about our postal services, I have come to realize that they are appallingly bad. So bad, in fact, that I wonder why people would willingly consign items and packages that they are care about to these bumbling oafs. We may all have wished to believe that the express service (3 to 5 day) meant just that, but as I have so recently found out, one needs to at least triple that time frame. So, I have been waiting in Edmonton since Tuesday last week when I finished my exams to receive my license platein the mail. It, of course, has been completely and totally absent. So I spent my Christmas in Edmonton. It was certainly peaceful. It's surprising how much this neighborhood clears out around the holiday season. I wouldn't necessarily say that everyone left, but if I had to put a number to it, I'd guess at least 80%. It was quite different than the normal, which is caught up with family and parties. I would ideally not like to miss out on New Years festivities, but of course that completely depends on when I receive that plate. As far as I am concerned, it could not arrive here soon enough. I have lost more than enough time as it is. The tube you see above is a tube of mayonnaise that my roommate brought back from Switzerland. I had to throw it up here, because I have never in my life seen a tube of mayonnaise. He insists it's pretty close to the stuff that we keep over here in a jar, but I am mistrustful of anything that looks like its container was more suited to toothpaste. Heh. Anyway, I am going to get some sleep.
LIBRARY GOODNESS
December brings nearly the same every year -- a dash of snow, a sprinkling of insanity, and heaping spoonful of stress. I have been getting plenty of tiem in the library lately, trying to figure out a series of chemical reactions, equilibria, and kinetics. Believe it or not, several of the libraries on campus have extended their opening hours to 24 hours a day, 7 days a week until the two week period of final exams end. This means that a few times already I have been found in the library past 2 AM. Personally, I think that's a little ridiculous, but there it is. I look forward to writing my environmental chem final and being done with all of this. In addition to exams, I am trying to get done with the normal flurry of tasks that all hit around the Christmas time, not least of that are the travel arrangements. Trying to clean up the apt and get it ready for a few weeks without me (without killing my plants or fish), make arrangements for my car, finishing up with jobs, and getting done all of that miscellaneous stuff that gets put off when busy. Nevertheless, I am looking forward to getting out for a while and visiting family over the break. Once again, it's been a long time. So, as long as my drive is uneventful, I'll be happy. And now I am exhausted, going to try to salvage my sleep cycle...
THIONYL CHLORIDE
Now, perhaps some of you can make sense of the first problem there, but I am not sure that I can. It's nucleophilic substitution reaction, but I can't for the life of me figure out the mechanism. And this is all that I have been working on for the past few days, and pretty much all I will do until Tuesday evening. i am not sure that I can pass this final either. All I know is that it is 10:30 on a Saturday night, and I am in the student union building with about 8 inches of paper and a meg of online notes. The exam is, of course, completely cumulative. So I would guess that I have well over a hundred mechanisms to memorize in detail along with various reactivities and reagents. I certainly don't remember the one for above. I finally got my car re-plated and insured after an excruciatingly long hiatus. I miss driving, but I certainly don't miss any of the bills associated with the operation of a vehicle. Every little thing adds up, and even the little things for an automobile wind up costing and arm and a leg. I don't have any kind of shop up here, so anything big (or anything at all) needs to be done by a mechanic. Now I all I have left is to psych myself up for a drive across the Prairies in December. I think I am going to pick up an XM radio and an audiobook copy of Crime and Punishment or the Brothers Karemazov. I figure while in the pursuit of epic feats... The last time I drove across the country was a few years ago now, crazy as it seems. Past due for another trip, I think. I am going to be seriously cutting back on the amount of time that i spend in class as of next semester, and likely cutting down to just one job, and so I hope to be on here a little more often. I am sad to say that when things get a little hectic, it's usually the side projects that get cut first.
LA NEIGE ENCORE...
Ah, the Trees Originally uploaded by lithiumfrost As you can see, once again Edmonton has been frosted with Mother Nature's icy crystals. Of course, this means that I had to put my bike back into storage for the winter. Takes a little time to get used to having to walk everywhere again, and to allow for the additional time. For some tasks there's always the bus, but I prefer to avoid those where I can -- usually a bit slower overall. I do enjoy having snow around, but I have come to the point where I wouldn't mind having a couple months less of it. I am actually in the library right now trying to cram for tomorrow's midterm in Chem 303. It's been pretty rough going thus far. The battery just died on my iPod, so it's looking like I am going to have to be content with the sound of shuffling papers, erasers, and soft groans for the rest of the evening. I am certainly looking forward to my very near future without midterms. Some people get a rush out of them, but I could really do without. Right now I am imagining how relaxing my long weekend is going to be (though complete bollocks, as I have a term paper due at the end of it and I have to work). There's probably at least a run and a movie somewhere in there...
THE HARSHNESS OF FALL
It is perhaps no coincidence that after 2 and a half years of faithful swimming, my last feeder goldfish passed away overnight. He had developed some sort of odd disease or infection, and so I knew he wasn't doing well, but had no idea how to treat him. I suspect that even had I possessed definitive knowledge on its treatment, it would have been to late by the time I noticed how badly he was doing. In any case, it was probably past time for me to get on with building a real aquarium capable of capturing imagination, rather than an over sized home for a lonely carp. Of course, I have no time to address that concern at the present moment, for the present circumstances restrict my attentions to concerns of a more... academic quality. I have yet to really decide on a question to answer for my term paper, much less put together an adequate list of sources to address said question. This list, of course, is due on Friday morning. Next week is my second set of midterms, a set I am definitely not ready for in any reasonable sense. It all feels like its coming on a bit too fast. I am hoping to use the next few days to effectively get fully caught up on the relevant material. But with fall hitting me hard, I am far more inclined to go for a 15 hour nap.Blogged with Flock
PUSHING THROUGH
Surprising enough, even to myself, is that I am still running at this time of the year. It's been a struggle to be sure, but thus far I have managed to keep up with the discipline. And I have to say, one of the reasons that I appreciate it is that when you head out in this city with a pair of sneakers, it's almost always an interesting experience. On a run a week or two ago I was running in the downtown area and briefly stopped to take a picture of the university area where I live across the river. I think the picture really captures part of enjoyment in running here. Especially at that time when there were still leaves on trees. That and perhaps the sense of hope that running seems to allow for, that feeling of a peace with the world.
AUTUMNAL CHEMISTRY
Most of the leaves are now down on the ground leaving Edmonton in its current distressing gray tone. It seems appropriate somehow that this new washed out appearance should arrive just in time for Thanksgiving. A Thanksgiving which I plan on celebrating with some sort of soup or stew while hunkered over a textbook. And ponder, of course, over what I am giving thanks for. It's been an interesting year, and as all of them, bittersweet. But it must be said that I have made it for 5 years up here in this frozen wasteland, so what's another winter?
1000 KM AND FALLING LEAVES
With slightly fewer classes than I am normally used to, you'd think that I'd be overflowing with free time, but this is sadly not the case. For starters, as I suspected, the classes that I did choose have a fairly high workload to them anyway. I find any class with a lab component is naturally going to consume more time. In addition, I have found that with Rick just beginning his ministry, I need to spend more time with that showing the ropes and getting everything is place. I have certainly been enjoying it, but it keeps me busy.