Blech

If anyone wants to know anything about the history of Sparta, I'm your guy. Especially if you want to know about the Battle of Leuctra. Something about writing a ten page research paper causes a sort of revelation around the sixth page: I'm freaking tired of writing about this! Ah well. At least I'm done. In a week I'll be home, and shortly after that I will be playing with a kitten. Which makes me happy. All that lies between now and then are four finals...Italian, then Spartan History, both Friday. Then a day off (Saturday! Fun!), then Bacteriology on Sunday and O-Chem on Monday.

Also, I think I'll be doing research in the bacteriology lab here. By which I mean at some point, I will join the lab, but probably not for another semester or so. Which will be fun. It will probably involve biofilms, which is ironic, because the first epidemiology reading I ever did involved Legionnaires' Disease. I'm not linking; you can look it up on your own.

Shout out to my dad! Assuming you read this on Tuesday, Happy Birthday! Your present will make it home, even if I'm not sure yet on how.

The temperature outside is close to zero. Wednesday the high is supposed to be above 50. I have no idea what the heck is up with that. My room right now is warm enough that I can sleep comfortably without a comforter, which strikes me as ironic considering my complete lack of heating for much of last winter. A happy medium is apparently unattainable.

I swore to myself that I'd be in bed before midnight...and it is now past 2:30. Whoops. I'd love to say that it was time well spent...but I can't. Oh well. Also, check this out. My inner geek revealed...it's a long story, but every so often I contribute a guest post to the blog. Finally, if you haven't seen Dr. Horrible's Sing-a-Long Blog yet, you should get on that. The DVD comes out soon, with musical commentary track. Whee!

Dan out (like a light).

More Late Night Posting

I meant to go to bed long before this...ah well. I'm awake, so I'll be productive. Sort of. Got my absentee ballot in the mail today; lots of parties on there in the presidential column. An irrational part of me (the irrational majority?) wants to vote for Bob Barr just for the heck of it. But no, I'll vote for Obama. Mr. Change got my vote when he got the nomination. And of course I relish the chance to vote against Mean Jean, even if she is injured. We can only hope that Wulsin didn't pay somebody to have Schmidt whacked. She clearly didn't get her money's worth if she did.

Nice to see the casino issue making it to a vote again. Dunno if it'll pass or not, but I doubt it. Don't know how I'll vote on it, either. So...yeah. That's fun.

Still debating whether to go abroad next year or not. Studying at the University of Edinburgh would be fun, and the biology program there is supposed to be good. Right now, though, I don't know if I really want to go. The program's in the spring of junior year, which would make applying to veterinary schools fun. And by "fun" I mean annoying. So that's still up in the air. Also, I think taking the MCATs (VCATs?) would be "fun" if I was in Europe. Eh.

Listening to the Avett Brothers right now; good stuff. Little list below if I decide to put the effort into making one. Alright, I put one together. It's down below.

Fall break is over and done with; it gave me the chance to read more than I have been lately. Neil Gaiman's "Graveyard Book" is really good; thanks again to my friend Dan who got me an autographed copy. "City of Thieves" is also quite good; I read an advanced uncorrected proof, but I think it came out in May. I also reread a story by Tobias Wolff, "Old School." Mrs. Harding gave me that one a few years ago and it's a fantastic read, as is most of Tobias Wolff's work. Right now I'm working through Susanna Clarke's "Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell," which is really good, quite long, and a bit difficult to read. I've also got another advance copy of a book called "Germania," which came out last month.

So that's my reading history over the past four days. On to other mediums...the Winterpills' new album is fantastic. Been listening to that. Other than that...music follows.

I think that's exhausted my supply of words for this night. Going to sleep now would probably be a good idea; I drove to Portland and back to get winter clothes from my grandparents' house, and as great as the Honda CR-V is to drive, it was still tiring. Little bit of a car review: (keep in mind my limited experience) more spacious than it looks, handles well for a larger vehicle, seats were comfortable. The shifter was in a strange place; it was in the style of a sedan, but without the center strip between the front seats the shifter had to go in the center console, beneath the fan controls and the radio. No serious complaints, though. Zipcars are awesome.

Well, as promised, there is music. I'm going to bed. Tomorrow (today!) should be fun...Nobel laureate Robert Curl will be speaking, and the Red Sox play after (even if the past few games have brought only pain. Right then, sleep.


SeeqPod - Playable Search

No, I Won't Go to Bed

When there's nothing else to do except sleep, I don't really feel like sleeping. Wednesdays and Thursdays are the best days of the week, one because I have nothing to do in the evening, and the other because I have little to do all day. Radio show excepting, Thursdays are blissful (and that only because I have to wake up way too early to do the show). And yet despite the fact that I should be getting to bed, as it is past getting late and is now, in fact, late, I don't want to sleep.

Tomorrow may be hellish; I'm hosting not just one, but two prospective students, and although I have no problem with that alone, fitting them into my room should be an interesting experience. Tomorrow night is the class dinner; I have no idea why this is necessary, neither have I any idea why the theme is "Yacht Club." I don't have the heart to inform the planners of this no doubt exciting meal that I have, in fact, never been in a yacht club, and never plan on it. As it is, I will attempt to look "the part," and will wear a hideously orange polo shirt with khaki slacks. Is this an appropriate look for a "Yacht Club?"

I'm not sure why I said that tomorrow (now today) may be hellish; despite the high schoolers coming up, the day really won't be that bad. The day that could really be bad is Friday, when I have to take said high schoolers around to my classes, get rid of them, eat, work, and then spend a few hours orienting volunteers at the local animal shelter. (This way is up, this way is down, etc). I volunteered to help run/coordinate the Colby Pawpals, a group that organizes volunteering at the animal shelter. My responsibilities keep mounting...horrors.

Speaking of responsibilities, my term as dorm president will commence next fall with me residing in the same dorm, with different rules. Difference numero uno: alcohol is allowed. Hopefully the dorm won't go downhill too fast. I'll be attempting to get a single; I no longer get first pick of room in the dorm but instead pick first of all rising sophomores in the dorm. So, after the rising seniors and juniors have had their way with the rooms, I get to pick from what's left (hopefully, a single). I was planning on a triple with a couple friends, but they had the opportunity to get a better room in chem-free housing and took it. So I'll have a single, with luck, and despite the apparent rule against lofting the bed (no doubt something to do with the ever present exposed water pipes that run through the dorm), I'll cram everything in there.

I may have mentioned this before; I'll be playing softball for the Colby Christian Fellowship team, which never fails to amuse me (and others who know me). I personally just wanted to find a purpose for my glove, let alone a religious purpose. Nevertheless, a friend (the girl I beat in dorm president elections, actually) wants me to attend her church this Sunday. Um. I'll be going, but I don't plan on participating too much. I have no idea what denomination the church is, nor do I have any idea why she wants me to go. Apparently I'm too blatant in my lack of religiosity. Maybe I should take down the Nietzsche quote from my door (okay, that's a lie; no Nietzsche quote...yet).

It is now 1:30 AM, and all is well...except that I'm at my desk typing, not in bed sleeping, or even reading. I really can't think of anything else to write about...the Red Sox lost painfully to the Yankees, a defeat made more painful by the arrival of four Yankees fans right when Timlin loaded the bases. My fantasy baseball team is in an absolute rut, although I am buoyed by: 1) I have good players and 2) they can't stay cold forever and 3) the other teams have to cool off sometime...right? Anyhow, I'm off to finally get in bed. I think I'll read if I can't drop off right away...I'm rereading Douglas Adams, and also "The Kings of New York," about a high school chess team. Until later.