Angst

Maybe it's the late hour, maybe it's the fact that I have an exam in 4 hours and I'm lost, but right now I'm really agitated at engineering textbooks. Err.. or this engineering textbook. And this engineering class as a whole.

I'd like to think that it's that mathy person in me and not that I'm slow but I HATE HATE HATE the fact that the engineering textbook, homework solutions, and lecture slides throw up equations and explanations without units, without specifics, just "approximations" to an explanation. As if, "well really this should specify which composition I'm talking about and bla bla bla, but this is engineering so I'll just pretend like it doesn't matter and talk in generalities." ARGH! If you tried to write a math proof like that... someone would kill you. I would kill you.

Random equations and loosey-goosey explanations do NOT teach anything. It's one thing when you're trying to give someone an intuitive feel for the concepts, but it's completely something else if you're discussing a rather technical topic and introducing it for the first time and instead of being very careful with your wording you just vomit a bunch of vague statements that might be referring to any number of things.

And what the hell is up with these homework solutions that only make any sense if you actually solved the problem correctly in the first place. There's no explanation, just a formula and some number and a big DUH. If my solution was 100% right in the first place I wouldn't be using the homework solutions to learn from my mistakes. But if the damn homework solution doesn't provide any explanation then it's USELESS. If I handed in something that even resembled the posted homework solutions, I'd get 0 credit.

BLAH.

I'm mad.

I hate this class.

I'm graduating!

Today, I satisfied the very last of the requirements necessary for graduation. Nope it had nothing to do with world culture, or labs, or art, or philosophy. Today I finally took the swim test. Now even if I fail every single class this term, I will still graduate (with a single major instead of a double, but hey it feels good to say that anyway).

Sprrrring!

For once, I had a hell of a weekend.

Friday was my grammy's 80th birthday and I surprised her by showing up at her doorstep in Brooklyn with flowers (and with Corey) around 8PM. I can never have enough of grammy's house, it's always a warm feeling.

The way I got to Brooklyn was an event in itself. Bridgewater sent a private limo service to pick me up from Dartmouth and drive me all the way down, I felt like royalty.

Saturday was the Bridgewater new hire event - watched Spamalot on broadway, had dinner at Bar Americain Restaurant, then a "party" at Hudson Hotel Penthouse. Corey met up with me for the after-dinner party at the penthouse, but we didn't stay till the "after-after-party", whatever that was supposed to be. It got pretty boring without any dancing, people just standing around drinking. The view from the roof was nice and the weather was great, but you can only listen to cheesy background music and stand around drinking cocktails for so long...

Sunday was a gorgeous day for a BBQ in Wolfe Park in Staten Island. We woke up a bit late, but made it over there (after getting a bit lost) around 1pm. Since I had a long ass drive back to Hanover ahead of me, we left before 4pm, but it was good to see my bro who flew in from Wisconsin for the weekend... and my parents of course. After a late start and hours of traffic I made it back to Dartmouth around 2AM.

There was a little incident at the BBQ with my parents friends' ambushing me in their drunk state in regards to some personal matters that was pretty damn rude and made me more than uncomfortable, but that's a different story... and I sure as hell didn't let them ruin my day.

Had a very lovely weekend overall with Corey and my other family :)

Life goes on...

So what's going on?
My hands are now officially registered as lethal weapons. Yup that means if I kick your ass you can say I assaulted you with a weapon and get me locked up.

Preeeeeeetttty

I tested for my recommended black belt in August (at summer camp) and for my decided black belt in March (at winter camp). Good times.

In other news I'm going to South African in June to volunteer at a baboon sanctuary for 6 weeks with Corey.
After I come back from South Africa, I'll be moving to CT with Corey and starting my new job with Bridgewater Associates.

Life's good. Can't complain.

New Year Fun

Wobbles Wobbles

My less than 3 year old Fujitsu laptop died (well the screen did) and I switched to a Mac this week. Now I'm looking around for the best Lunix distro to try, seems like the next step.

I've passed the NYC road test and got a license last week. Now I'm car/insurance shopping and hoping to learn to drive stick.

I'm finally paying for my own rent/food this summer. Though not paying for my own tuition next year.

My brother is moving to Wisconsin to start a full time job on September 1st. My little (big) brother? Full time job? Wisconsin?? Bring home some cheese, brother.

Oh and Alana's in Australia. Alana... in... Australia? What? Don't forget the koalas, Alana.

And... I'm testing for my black belt in tkd on August 4th.

Then, I'll turn 21.

This summer's bringing lots of change and lots of growing up. I guess I'm not nearly as grown up as some... some of you are getting engaged. Some of you are getting married. Congratulations, friends.

I wish I was able to keep in touch, but seems that this is my only means right now. Updates and stories from friends make me smile, and I hope they always keep coming. I'll try to write more often here, just to let you know I care :)

Updates!!

Sooo I'm still alive. I don't have much time to write since I'm getting kicked out of school (at least for now) and don't have internet access at home, BUT here's a quick run down of what's been going on:

I saw Corey in Paris and it was wonferful! I miss you babe! (Pictures to come soon.)
I went to Rome for Thanksgiving and saw Pompei on a day trip from Rome. Got to see lots of interesting history and gorgeous stuff... I'd have to say Rome impressed me more than Paris, but maybe because I had such high hopes for Paris and it turned out to be much like NYC. Took tons of pictures in Rome, those are to come soon as well.
Finally, I'm going snowboarding in the Austrian Alps! Leaving tomorrow night, I'll be back in Budapest Dec 25th, just in time to catch my flight home on Dec 26th. I won't have internet access from tomorrow till the 26th, but when I get a chance to breathe a little I'll be updating with pictures and stories.

That's it for now, time to go study for my last final and PACK for my snowboarding trip.
Yikes.

Oh and Merry Christmas! And Happy Chanukah!