Post-Halloween Shenanigans

Physical Chemistry... I haven't been this frustrated with a class since Introduction to Analysis (math) freshman year. Our prof has gone with the "Satisfactory"/"Unsatisfactory" grading for midterm, because no one in our class that I know of has an A in the course. Not that I am sophomoric (I get an A for English vocab) in thinking that the grade is the only thing that matters in a course. But I don't even understand why most of the problems I get wrong are wrong. And what really is worst is that I really enjoy the material. Thermodynamics is really, really cool. It explains all of those quirky things that happen in chemistry, like "why when I mix 85 ml of ethanol and 10 ml of water do I only get 92 ml of mixture??" But...... I just - don't - get it. Sigh. Oh well. I guess that's why I'm going into medicine.

Not to mention the copious amount of busy work that comes along with physical chemistry... I don't think that's dependent on where or from whom you take it. We have something due for that class four days of five next week.

--WARNING: Random thoughts to follow...

Needless to say, school is keeping me pretty busy these days. But I have had time for some other things... I went out to dinner with some of the other CFs last night. I'm really glad I ended up where I did this year, because the other CFs are keeping me sane. The 'rents came down last weekend, also. That was a really good time, but I was so tired from the week before that I fell asleep a couple of times when we were in the car between Mankato and St. Peter. I also helped out at the PAWS Walk and the Halloween Fun Run on Saturday. Sunday was our hall haunted house, which took up just about the whole day. I got to be a mad scientist, which isn't too much of a stretch.

This week in lab I've been getting (finally) to my experiment with Prof. Dahlseid. I should have data by tomorrow night if everything goes as planned (heh).

Also on the good side: I am taking sociology of medicine next semester! The professor that teaches it has breast cancer, so she had to bow out of teaching her courses this semester. However, I guess she's well enough to teach sociology of medicine next semester -- which is great on more than one level. I also am registering for American Minorities, Molecular Genetics, Proteins, and yoga. For (I think) the first time at GAC, I'm really excited about all of those classes. Not to mention my interim course (formerly J-term) of Star Trek: Metaphysics on the ethics of the Star Trek universe.

More good news: I get to see Laura, my cousin who just moved back to the States from Geneva, Switzerland, over Thanksgiving. Then, my cousin Rod is coming down at the start of December. So that will be a great time. Also, I'm going to take a road trip to Madison the weekend after that to visit my friend Claire at UW.

OK, OK. I definitely dread registering for the last time at Gustavus. It's really, really hard to think that I'll be gone after May. Then, the "real world." I hope it's not like the TV show. I guess it will be nice this spring to make a culmination of things here at GAC. It will be amazing to see where all my friends, from here and from home, end up (and of course where *I* end up) for the next few years at least. Dhiraj might get a job here in Minnesota through his host family -- who own the Target Center and several businesses around here, I gather. I haven't heard anything from Andrew or Tyler or Miller or anyone else, though, so I don't know what their plans are. They are the smart people who are getting JOBS after college. . . not me, I guess. John and Kelly are both (I think) going to graduate school as well. So I guess at least I'm in good company. Of course, Isaac will be staying in Minneapolis with his wife. So, let me know what your plans are if I haven't mentioned you...

Well, that's all for now. I'll see you Hibbingites over Thanksgiving break.