I Like Yummy Blog

Prize-Winning Post!

2011-07-05T19:54:00.002-04:00

If quality is inversely proportional to quantity, my next blog post is going to win a fucking Pulitzer.

Fire, Fire, Fire!!!

2009-12-12T19:16:00.006-05:00

This afternoon following work, I decided to patronize the Crown and Goose (a nice British-esque Gastropub down the street from my place). A lunch and a couple of beers after a while, and I hear, "The Urban Bar is on fire." Motherfucker; the Urban Bar is underneath my house!!!

Upon hearing the news, I ran down the street like a fool amongst fools to find my building surrounded by the same bright red trucks that I dreamt about as a kid. Naturally, I paid no attention to the legion of firefighters entering the building and ran into my section of the building without a thought. Of course, Penelope's life was on the line here.

I managed to find my loyal Penelope--understand the name yet??--hidden in the closet inside a box (all of this while I had a firefighter telling me I had a minute to find my cat or get out), and promptly gathered him (Penelope) up and ran out the door.

After about an hour or two of standing outside my building (nothing quite attracts people quite like a box with a cute kitty inside), the go-ahead was given to re-enter the building. Cautiously, I found my way back inside to find my condo filled with smoke. Absolutely wonderful. As of writing, I have a plethora of fans blowing air outside of my house, and Penelope is staying with me at a close friend's place.

What a night. Word.

Another interesting project...

2008-05-12T06:38:00.003-04:00

My friend Ashlee and I have started working on a collaborative music venture called, (edit: name change) "Shot to the Head With a Shooting Star" (SHWSS?)

The concept of SHWSS is taking Ashlee's stream of consciousness writings and composing music with the writings as lyrics. So far we've recorded one song, with hopefully more on the way. Our intent is to do live shows with Ashlee creating a new painting for each song based on the music, ambience, and crowd. We'll see how it turns out...

Life out.

Time for another playlist! (I can hear your excitement...)

2008-05-12T06:33:00.003-04:00

my rebellious autumn amongst the cosmos

The Flaming Lips - My Cosmic Autumn Rebellion
The Anniversary - Perfectly
American Football - I'll See You When We're Not So Emotional
Nico - These Days
The Vaselines - Sex Sux (Amen)
Bright Eyes - First Day of My Life
Sonic Youth - Bull in the Heather
Ben Kweller - Falling
The Decemberists - Human Behaviour (Bjork tribute)
Ugly Casanova - Hotcha Girls
Placebo - Pure Morning
Ramones - Teenage Lobotomy
Neil Young - Old Man
Neva Dinova - She Can't Change
Pearl Jam - Off He Goes
Blur - Strange News From Another Star

Enjoy. Life out.

music, music, and more music

2008-05-03T03:04:00.002-04:00

The next couple of days should be filled with posts of some recommended playlists that I've been randomly working on. One is copied below:

* lost child animation music

Rilo Kiley - A Better Son/Daughter
Dismemberment Plan - Superpowers
Bright Eyes - Waste of Paint
Radiohead - Paranoid Android
Eels - Blinking Lights (For Me)
Flaming Lips - Waitin' for a Superman
Neutral Milk Hotel - Song Against Sex
for Stars - Only Star
The Beatles - Dear Prudence
The Len Brown Society - Going Nowhere
Ben Folds - Fred Jones Pt. 2
The Decemberists - I Don't Mind
Modest Mouse - Novocain Stain
Sun Kil Moon - Trucker's Atlas
David Bowie - Rock 'n Roll Suicide

Additionally, I've been doing a lot of recording with my time off. Mostly back-songs that I haven't played for years, or random covers as I see fit. Some new material, but not much.

Life out.

And the nominees for Best Hypocrital Rhetoric are...

2008-04-01T23:49:00.004-04:00

...US Senators Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, for their 'taking on' of Big Oil companies.

Never mind that, according to Oil Change International, Clinton has accepted $289,950 in oil contributions leading the 2008 Presidential race, whilst Obama has received a grand total of $163,840 of the same. Either I'm missing something, or I'm being terribly mislead by someone...

Comments suggested/requested. Punch and cookies will be served.

Morning cuteness...

2008-03-31T10:17:00.008-04:00

Is there a particular track--or kitty--that you'd like to listen to?

Also, would the caption, "Tabbey Road." be too cheesy?

Fuck this... (harmonize the "this" with the "Fuck")

2008-03-20T06:29:00.004-04:00

The hell with everything. Fuck this...I'm tired of having no direction, no idea what I want to do, where I want to go, or what I want to do with my freaking life.

I'm fucking sick of Wilmington, yet I don't know where else I want to go and lack the motivation to do it. My job at GE is coming to a close, and I don't know where I want to work--or what I want to do even. Last fall, as I kept complaining about my job, I was constantly asked, "What would you want to do?" The answer, "I have no fucking idea!"

I stayed in school for my graduate degree just because I had no idea what I wanted to do "out there." Nuclear Engineering sounded interesting enough, so I decided to go with that. I even managed to convince myself that I wanted to go into nuclear power because I thought it was, "the best thing to do to serve our society's needs for a baseload electrical supply." What a load of bullshit. Yes, I was interested in the nuclear fission cycle, and yes, I find a lot of its encompassed topics fascinating, but I can't stand the nuclear industry, and most engineers I meet bore me to tears.

Yes, I realize I'm using the words, "I," and "Me," with astounding frequency. The fact is that I'M LOST. So very very LOST, and I DON'T KNOW WHERE TO GO. This is why most days I just meander between my computer and my bed, occasionally going out with 'friends' or playing music.

Hell, I even have a phone interview with a company in York, PA tomorrow. Do I want to move there? Hell no.

Why am I even doing this?

You know, my birthday is coming up...

2008-02-15T17:31:00.006-05:00

...in less than a month. And if you're looking for gift ideas, may I turn your attention to the LED Toilet Seat. At only $69.98, it promises instant bathroom tackiness! Word.

another favorite...

2007-11-26T10:40:00.000-05:00

My old ///M3 (nicknamed the Purple Porsche Eater) parked on the "Historic Avenue of the Columns" in front of the Columns and Jesse Hall on the University of Missouri campus...

an old favorite photo of mine...

2007-11-26T10:34:00.000-05:00

Taken from a river road 10 miles south of Columbia, MO of the Missouri river at sunset. ~5-6 sec exposure time (explains the "glassy" look of the water) with the sun setting off frame to the right...

spotted on the way to work...

2007-11-20T10:19:00.000-05:00

...a very nice, black, BMW 5-Series (E39 528i, for those of you interested) with a pink John Deere front license plate. This wasn't even subtle pink; we're talking out-loud hot-pink in this case. Very nice.

Also, it was very foggy on the way here, which reminded me of the trailers for, "The Mist," a Stephen King movie coming out soon (or already out?). This made me think of how great a publicity stunt it would be to control the weather and make it really foggy during the release of that movie. Just a thought...

an old favorite...

2007-11-18T23:15:00.001-05:00

...reading through my cataloged favorite Vonnegut quotes, I came across this little gem from Cat's Cradle. So perfect:

"Dr. Hoenikker used to say that any scientist who couldn't explain to an eight-year-old what he was doing was a charlatan."

added to the list of things i hate...

2007-10-31T07:57:00.000-04:00

Arriving at work before dawn. Class, etc., I could handle, but there's something about driving 15 minutes to a security gate with floodlights and walking into an office building to sit in a cubicle with darkness surrounding you the whole way. About an hour or two later, you get up to refresh your coffee, only to find that light is now breaking through the windows that you can't see from your desk. Wonderful.

i have so many questions about this; i don't even know where to begin...

2007-10-25T08:14:00.000-04:00

New Hanover County Deputies Voted Best Dressed

List of questions (okay, maybe I do know where to begin):

There was a vote?
That's BEST DRESSED? I'll admit, I'm impressed with their ability to find that many shades of brown...
This is newsworthy? The writer seemed really proud that they won, "best dressed county law enforcement agency in the nation." Seriously, this was second on WETC.com's list of "Top Stories."

why am i in canada?

2007-10-22T20:40:00.000-04:00

While browsing uncyclopedia this weekend, I decided to check on the article I wrote a while back about Canada (see post title). Turns out the article was actually featured on the front page last April. Neato!

Link to the article here: Why am I in Canda?

traveling home...

2007-10-21T23:56:00.001-04:00

So I was stuck in Jacksonville, NC this week (long story). I needed to get back to Wilmington, which is a one (1) hour drive, so I figured Greyhound would work fine. Attached is the route that was taken by the bus. Note that there was a three hour layover in Goldsboro, NC. Total travel time, seven (7) hours.

fun links...

2007-10-21T23:44:00.000-04:00

l33t google

Webster's Reluctantly Adds 'Melty' To English Lexicon

I reached my middle-twenties...

2007-10-07T06:43:00.000-04:00

*deleted*

Simba: Get help.

Haha! A freakin' update!

2007-05-23T17:48:00.000-04:00

Hmmm...update time. I think a bulleted list will work best. Here goes:

I got back from visiting my parents in Tucson this Saturday. I was there for a while, then drove the SAAB back. Long story on that one.
I'm moving to North Carolina! GE Nuclear offered me a job with the ESBWR development group. My official title will be, "Reactor Servicing Equipment Engineer." Which to me translates to, "I'll be making tools." Granted, they're extremely complex and large tools (i.e. refueling systems), but I like to say I'm making tools.
Departure for North Carolina will be late June/early July. I'll be moving to Wilmington, which is a coastal city slightly larger than Columbia. It's also a riverfront city, as it is between the coast and the Cape Fear river. Neat! All of my friends are both welcome and required to come visit me.
I "graduated" a couple of weeks ago, but I still have a shitload of work to do. In fact, I haven't even started writing up my research. Now that I mention it, my research isn't even to the point where I'd call it finished. That'll be fun.
I took the new race car out to the track in March. Looks like it's still going to need a lot of work.

Already accomplished (before the track in March):

New radiator
New pusher fan
Removed A/C
Removed sound deadening
Added tow hitch (for my track trailer)
Added extra brake ducting
Rebuilt the front end of the car
Suspension alignment
Installed adjustable camber plates

Accomplished at/after the track:

Replaced clutch slave cylinder
Replaced clutch master cylinder

Needs to be done:

Clutch replacement (that's gonna take a while)
Roll cage fabrication
Suspension refurbishment (new bushings, etc)

I gots me some ink! Two small black spirals on my inner forearms. I'll post some pictures whenever I actually get around to taking some.

Well, that's all I can think of for now. I'm sure there's much, much more...but I need to get back to work. Word.

another columbia slogan...

2007-02-20T02:30:00.000-05:00

Been meaning to put this one up for a while:

Shakespeare's Pizza -- Providing college students with great pizza and half of their dinnerware since 1923. (Note, I don't actually know when Shakespeare's opened...if anyone would like to help me out, I'll give ya' credit!)

sleep study...

2007-02-19T07:25:00.000-05:00

I just got home from a 'Sleep Study' at the University Hospital last night. This has a right to be said; "If you want to get a good night's sleep, don't get a sleep study." Honestly, I had so many electrodes and belts attached to me, I felt like the Six Million Dollar Man taking a nap.

On top of the plethora of sensors, they also videotape and record all the sound and movements you make. This is a somewhat distracting. Also distracting is the fact that someone is watching it at all times, and if you're obviously uncomfortable, will talk to you over the intercom...which, by the way, will fuck with you like nothing else when you're half asleep.

I'm gonna get to bed...at least this time I'll be able to roll over without fear of strangling myself with a wire attached to my skull. Word.

New kitten!!!

2006-11-22T08:05:00.000-05:00

Oh, I completely forgot to mention in the previous post; I got a new kitten about a month ago!

Decided on the name Sputnik; half because it's an awesome name, and the other half because I've been on a naming-things-after-russian-space-programs kick lately. Case in point, my 335i is named Soyuz. No, I don't have a dog named Laika yet.

Pictures of Sputnik and Penelope are to follow:

back from albuquerque, thanksgiving, etc.

2006-11-22T07:55:00.000-05:00

Wow, long time since the last update. Well, no time like the present...

Went to Albuquerque last week for the ANS Winter Conference, which was a really informative and good time. One of the embedded topical meetings was on Instrumentations and Controls/Human-Machine Interfaces. Ok, sounds boring, but it's what gets my motor running. Also, the "Nuclear Renaissance" seems to be picking up even more steam; lots of recruiters, free food and drinks from various companies...good time all around.

Unfortunately, the one bad part of the trip was one of my roommates who sought it necessary to cut wood with a bandsaw at night. Seriously, I felt bad for the people in neighboring rooms he snored so bad. Luckily, I had earplugs, but he still managed to keep me up at night. Hell, the other guy in our room slept with two pillows over his head.

We got back late Thursday night, then both Jay and I got sick. What a wonderful way to spend a weekend...

Moving along; tomorrow's turkey day! This year marks the first time I won't be eating at KC's mom's house in a few years, and going down to the lake with my mother's side of the family. I can't wait. I'll just have to do what I do every year at Christmas; drink enough wine to where they actually become interesting. Wow, that sounds a bit alcoholic/senile. Oh well. Word.

craziest fucking thing i've seen in a long time...

2006-09-22T09:01:00.000-04:00

This all started yesterday morning (9/21/06) while I was leaving town:

While driving down College, I saw a landlord out front of his apartment building mowing the lawn at 7 in the morning with a scythe. Ok, I can handle that. Even though the grass wasn't nearly overgrown, perhaps his mower was in the shop or something.

Then comes this morning (9/22/06). About 7:30, driving by the same place, I see the same guy edging his lawn (aka trimming the edge of the lawn where it meets the curb) with a pair of house scissors. Seriously...I couldn't even make this up.

Craziest fucking thing I've seen in a long time. Word.

slogans (cont.)...

2006-08-14T03:20:00.000-04:00

From Matt:

Brady Commons - There's nothing common about food poisoning and racial tension!
House of Chow - Order. Now. Or we'll kill you. Have a nice day. Fucker.
Great Wall - Much like our namesake, the mere sight of us may force you to turn back...
McNally's(alt) - We decided to call it an irish pub because the green hides the vomit.
Columbia Mall Foodcourt - Possibly more authentic than most Columbian restaurants.
Chili's - Want to celebrate that 21st birthday with absolutely no style? Come on by!
Shake(y)'s - Sure. You thought you were finishing that term paper.

Anne:

Cooper's Landing - Where the true side of the people from Columbia, Missouri come out and play!

Blythe:

The J-school - Are you tired of hearing about how awesome we think we are? How bout now? Now? .... now? ... now?

My own (reminded by Philip):

Coffee Zone - "I swear! We're not terrorists!"

Ria:

El Rancho (alt) - Our English is fine, you're just that drunk, jackass.
Tonic - We have a velvet rope to publicly advertise our class. Unfortunately it's third.
Dumas - Come for the location, stay for the schizophrenic landlady.
The collumns (sic)- Because not enough people can watch when you fuck at home.
Stankowski Field - Our turf puts the "stank" in college athletics!
Greektown - 200% of your daily reccomended vitamins G, H and B.
Shakespeare's Pizza - Because you're too broke to buy your own glassware.
The J-Slums - "There's a bottlecap in my hooch!"
Britches - The R is silent.

more slogans...

2006-07-15T18:12:00.000-04:00

Ernie's - If it's not disgusting, you didn't eat here!
Mojo's - Must have arms and/or legs to play. (Credit: Holly's brother Taylor)
Rasoi - (drool...)
International Cafe - Greeks are just Jews without money. (Credit: Strangers With Candy)
Heidelberg - Shitty food + Structure fires = a Mizzou tradition.
McNally's - No I.D., No problem.
La Tolteca - Come have wetbacks hit on you! (Credit: Holly)
Cooper's Landing - You're joking, right?
Felini - Serving (insert random ethinic food) since 2002.

columbia slogans...

2006-07-14T19:15:00.000-04:00

Taking a theme from Matt's blog and his state slogans post, I've decided to come up with some themes for the wonderful establishments in the township that I call home, Columbia, Missouri. Note that you probably need to have lived in CoMo for some period of time to get some of these:

El Rancho - No known casualties.
Harpo's - Quarter draws and dime-a-dozen frat boys.
Classy's - It's opposite day!
Bangkok Gardens - Disgracing Thailand since 1987.
Teller's - THE place to see and be seen by Columbia's trendiest hobos.
The Main Squeeze - Mulch IS an organic ingredient.
9th Street Video - Normal rental policy + Hitler = Us!
The Artisan - Pretentiousness served with a hearty side of christian condescension.
Deja Vu - Who would imagine a dance club combined with a comedy club could turn out this bad!

That's all for now...feel free to leave suggestions/comments/whatever. Word.

plea from a cat named penelope...

2006-06-27T00:32:00.000-04:00

Thought I'd post some pictures of my (our) kitty that Leslie and I adopted a few weeks ago. He's a male tabby named Penelope; crazy as hell, but also damned cute.

BTW- If anyone gets the reference in the title, I'll give you a cookie.

visitor...

2006-05-26T15:19:00.000-04:00

Anne's coming to Missouri today!!! I'm heading out to STL as we speak to pick her up...can't believe anyone from LA would actually want to visit central MO, but oh well.

NASA: "You know...our new flight plan looks an awful lot like a penis."

2006-05-03T22:34:00.000-04:00

At least that's what I've decided after I found NASA's new flight plan graphic on the interwebs. I was somewhat interested in their new split cargo/crew launch decision, but I honestly don't see how they're going to get the public's approval if they EVER show the graphic inserted below.

Also, as Jay pointed out, you know damn well that someone, somewhere in the NASA organization noticed the peculiar penis resemblance. We wondered if they were afraid of someone above them snapping, or if they just decided to let it go out of hilarity. Either way, well done.

Oh, and just so you know I didn't make this up for my own fun and profit, here's a link to NASA's website: NASA's New Spacecraft Flightplan

zombie jesus day...

2006-04-17T03:48:00.000-04:00

Easter. For a long time I didn't even know it was a religious holiday. I guess that's what happens when you grow up in a rather non-religious household.

Moving forward to present day, I was at Panera with Leslie today and I realized something. Easter is apparently the day when Jesus rose from the dead. Therefore, I decided that Easter shall henceforth be referred to by myself as Zombie Jesus Day!

OK, I realize I'm probably not the first person to think of this, but that doesn't keep me from thinking it's a great idea. I think we as a nation need to look into how we celebrate this holiday. What if, instead of handing out chocolate bunnies to children, we gave them chocolate zombie Jesuses? We could also hand out chocolate shotguns, and all watch our favorite zombie movies on Easter Sunday.

soda can time capsules...

2006-04-13T20:45:00.000-04:00

While in the hall outside my office the other day, I noticed an old Diet Coke can sitting on an I-beam. After going in to inspect it, I saw some Olympic rings that had text underneath bearing the inscription of, "Proud supporter of the 1992 Olympic Games!"

Wow, that can is at least 14 years old. This made me begin to wonder who left it there, if they intended on it to be there for such a long time, and what their purpose (if any) was in leaving it there. For the latter, I'm going with the, "can't find a trashcan" theory.

With that in mind, I decided to take closer pictures, do a full inspection, and place my own can up there with it to endure the test of time. To mark this special occasion, I took a picture of myself with both cans, and labeled the new can "April 13, 2006." I then proceeded to place the new cans and time capsule up at its original location. Who knows, maybe some other bored-as-all-hell NE grad student will find it later and make his/her own addition to the time capsule. Who knows how cool the cans of the future will look. Attached below are the pictures of this momentous occasion and the work that went into the dedication.

Diet Coke can circa 1992.

"Proud Worldwide Sponsor of the 1992 Olympic Games"

Me posing with the two cans prior to their dedication.

The old and new in their majestic glory.

h'ville. as in, "i'm moving to h'ville..."

2006-03-21T19:16:00.000-05:00

To borrow a description of Rolla, MO from Lewis Black, "If you're thinking about killing yourself--I mean really doing it--go to Rolla, Missouri. There's no distraction...you'll just get off the plane and go, 'well, fuck.'" This is a good way to describe Huntsville, AL. Or, as I will refer to from herein, h'ville. Incidentally, I was in Rolla last night. More on that later.

Leslie is from h'ville. Poor girl. At least then she was in high school. When you're in high school, the town you're in doesn't matter as much. You make all of your friends at school, you never go to any bars, most of your time is spent hanging out at friends' houses, going to movies, etc. Not so when you're older. Holyfreakinchrist. The best way to sum it up is with a description of Saturday night...as follows:

Leslie and I go out in search of a decent bar. She hasn't lived there for almost two years, so she doesn't know if the nightlife is perhaps better by now. It isn't. We head downtown...nothing to be seen. Our first backup is an Irish bar sitting in front of a movie theater. We approach the building and wonder if it's open. Inside, we discover that it is, indeed open, but rather desolate. The average age is ~35, which isn't to say there are a bunch of people in their mid-30s. Pretty diverse age group. We were definitely the only early-to-mid twentysomethings, which would've been ok if anyone there looked like they were having fun. A guiness and conversation later, we decide to take a tour of broke-ass h'ville bars. Fun fun.

I mention I'm hungry, and suggest sushi for some reason. Leslie looks up a Japanese place in the h'ville nightimes (or whatever the fuck it's called) that's in a suburb of h'ville (why?). We drive out there, and find the place. It's huge. Really huge. Like a goddamn arena. As we approach the place, we begin to wonder--much like the previous place--if the bar is open. Apparently they have a large atrium that's flat-out empty that you enter into. On one side is the restaurant, which is closed, and the other the bar. I can't say I've ever seen a more depressing bar. Wow. I mean...wow. The place was filled with people that just looked flat-out out of place. A few people there by themselves that weren't even talking to anyone. Everyone else didn't look happy either. After that bartenders ignored us for ~6 minutes, we were out. Fuck that place.

Next we go to "The Corner," which happens to be pretty close to Leslie's house. Two guys on acoustic guitars are playing, with a few 35ish-looking people waving their hands in the air. Literally waving their hands in the air. What killed rock-n-roll? These people. Also, what is it with h'ville and depressing-looking people in their 30s? Leslie and I pick up some quizmaster things in an attempt to distract ourselves from the pain. It may have added to it. A burger and a few beers later, we're out. Oh, and who the fuck puts mayo on a burger straight out of the kitchen?

Chips and Salsa. No, we weren't eating, that was our next bar. Holy christ. It took us a good 5-10 minutes to get the bartender's attention, and we order a beer and vodka tonic. I was going to make Leslie pay for her drink, but when he told me the whole order was $2.50...fuck it, I'll splurge. She paid tip though. Haha...I'm so fucking cheap. This place was probably slightly less depressing than the others. People were actually interacting, looked like they were having fun, etc. We made paper airplanes. Then left to go make more paper airplanes at her house. Yeah, that's how amazing Chips and Salsa was.

I thank god I was in good company throughout this whole adventure.

Whew...good times. We went to the Space and Rocket Center (which henceforth shall be referred to as the SRCizzle) before we left town. Interesting, but wow it's a tourist trap. I'd recommend skipping it and going to the Museum of Air and Space in DC. Much better.

We stopped for indian food in the STL, and were treated to so much more. We went to India Palace, which is situated on the top floor of some hotel next to the airport. There was a flat-out amazing woman seated next to us that had the answer to life, the universe, and everything. And it wasn't 42. She basically knew everything about everything, was quite loud, and had traveled the world. At one point one of her dinnermates noticed that Leslie and I were cracking up at her. "If you get a dog, you can't put it outside. That's a member of your family now...you don't do that to a member of your family. Etc, etc." We were sad when she left.

Went to Rolla last night. Didn't leave there until 9:30-10:00, when we were already highly concerned about the weather on the way back. Predicted 6-7" of snow. Luckily, none of it stuck, and we were home by 11:30. Quite a long lab...we left Columbia at 2:00.

Well, that's about it for now. Gonna go back to work on my lab report that's due on Friday. Holy christ I hate grad school. Word.

alabama, stress, and all around mayhem and fun...

2006-03-20T11:42:00.000-05:00

Ok, so I'll go ahead and start this post off with a nice disclaimer: I may pass out, fade, or completely lose interest halfway though writing this. With that in mind, if you notice the subject taking a complete turn, you'll know you were warned.

Went to 'bama with Leslie this weekend. She's from the most splunderful, wonderific place on the planet; Huntsville, Alabama. I'm not sure how well scarcasm carries in the blogging medium, so let's just say that my endorsement was quite scarcastic. All-in-all, it was a fun trip; I spent time with Leslie, met her parents, played with her dog, and ate some great indian food in the STL. It was a bad weekend for me to drive down there, though, since I'm currently swamped with assignments, labs, etc. (Which, incidentally, reminds me that I probably shouldn't be writing this now...oh well). I'll write a more complete article on the awesomeness that encompasses the H'ville nightlife. Whoa-nally!

The past two weeks I've been working on yet another lab report for my nuclear reactor lab class. This one wasn't as long, but it took me more time to get started on the writing. I'm almost ashamed; this one was only 22 pages, a scant 12 less than my last one. A major "thank you" goes out, once again, to Leslie and Blythe. Without their help, this thing would've been a lot messier.

I'm going down to Rolla today, which I'm more than excited about. Apparently they find it necessary to have a reactor down there. They should've just built a second one here...would've made more sense.

Let's see...oh, the e-week road rally--as well as my birthday--was last week. That was quite an amazing adventure, and I'm pretty sure we kicked some ass. Unfortunately, the results were lost by one of the organizers, so we don't know how we fared vs. other teams. We did finish in 1:25, which is a personal record by about an hour.

Well, I'm gonna go pass out now. I'm running on a few hours sleep after a lot of driving, so fuck work... Word.

whoa...

2006-02-27T21:48:00.000-05:00

Wow, so Thursday was a blur. If you recall my previous post, I stated that my plan of attack after turning in our respective lab reports was to get hammered then go to the porn debate. Well, we got hammered, and Jay seems to think we may have been escorted out of Jesse by campus security.

I'll explain: From what I remember, the debate was pretty boring, and as such we went downstairs to find the bathrooms. At some point we went into another part of the basement, upon which I started randomly throwing chairs. Not that I was throwing them at anyone in particular, I just felt like throwing them for fun. Apparently this alerted security, which got me to run from them, and ditch them in the bathroom. Jay seems to think they found us again sometime later, and just escorted us out of the building. Wow.

From there, we went to Shakespeare's where we were met by Holly and Leslie. Most of the time was a blur (including my passing out in the booth for ~45 minutes), but I did manage to talk to some girl about her yellow mizzou sweatshirt, the fact that I had one, and that Leslie always steals it. Apparently I went into this upon great detail for ~5 minutes, and at one point brought her over to the table to ask Leslie which sweater was better: hers or mine. Once again, wow.

The next day was probably the most hungover I've ever been, which included --for the first time ever-- puking the day after drinking. It also included me passing out at IHOP (insert air guitar) at 2 in the afternoon. Much to the amusement of the wait staff, of course.

Well, at least we had our fun on Thursday. This morning was a not-so-welcome wake back to reality which included being at MURR at 7:30 in the morning. Ouch.

Oh, and I uploaded a copy of my boring-assed lab report here. Feel free to read it if you like, after all, I put the damn thing up there. It's pretty boring, but covers some aspects of neutron activation analysis, the methods we used for elemental composition determination, etc. If you want more background on NAA (I'm not sure why you would), you can find it here. Have fun. Word.

neutronmotheractivationfuckinganalysis...

2006-02-23T17:29:00.000-05:00

Wow, after 2 weeks of working on the data and analysis, I'm finally done and have written my lab report on neutron activation analysis. Much thanks goes out to Jay Rothenberger, Leslie Ruth, and Blythe Terrell for their help and services that went into the production of this god-awful report. I'll probably upload a copy of it to my webserver, so if you're interested in boring yourself, keep your ear to the ground for a link.

With that in mind, I'm gonna go get drunk. Jay, Brian (another NE student), and I are going to the Ron Jeremey/Susan Cole (who the fuck is Susan Cole?!) porn debate tonight. While drunk. It promises to be fun times.

What will be truly interesting is getting up tomorrow morning to make it to the Callaway Rxtr by 9:30. Wish me luck.

Good night to all, and to all a good night. Word.

update...

2006-02-15T21:55:00.000-05:00

No, this isn't an actual update. This is just a note saying that I know I need to update this thing sometime soon, and that I intend to. Word.

back from la...

2006-01-17T05:11:00.000-05:00

I'm just posting this brief article, which I wrote to a friend in an email to describe my trip home. Enjoy.

11:30 am, I arrive at LAX, thanks to KC driving me there. My flight leaves at 12:25...no problem, this gives me plenty of time. I had already done the e-check-in (whatever the fuck good that does), and just needed to check my bag. After 30 minutes of standing in line to actually check my bag, I talk to one of the attendants. Apparently I needed to be at the booth 45 minutes before my flight, in order to give them ample time to zipperfuck my bag before hurling it on the plane. Wonderful. She tells me to go to the ticketing booth to rebook for a later flight.

Ok, I've got a 3-hour layover in Denver anyhow, so I can take a later flight. Stand in line for 10 minutes at the ticketing line, which doesn't move a nanometer in that time. Even better. So, I go over to the paper ticket check-in line, which is short and actually moving. The lady at the counter rebooks me as standby for the next flight to Denver.

I go to my gate for the next flight. It turns out the flight was overbooked, and they don't even call one standby passenger. Great. Time to go back to ticketing again. Which, of course, means I'll have to go through security (and a 20-minute line) again. They book me--with an actual seat this time!--on the 4:something flight to Denver, and book me for a later flight back to KCMO.

Fly to Denver. Get dinner. Almost to KCMO, which in itself is a 2-hour drive from CoMo. I can taste my bed now.

Sitting at the gate in Denver, I find that the flight to KCMO has been consolidated with a flight going to Omaha. Great. This is going to add a suggested hour to the flight. Fuck-a-duck. Fly to Omaha. After spending an hour on the Omaha tarmac--a full 30 minutes longer than expected--we take off again and are almost home. My bag was there and waiting, and amazingly it hadn't been stolen, since it had been there from the previous flight. At least something went right.

Either way, that was my trip. To give an idea of how much time it took, I read Vonnegut's Galapagos cover-to-cover during the trip. And I slept on one of the planes. Also, thanks to a shitty exit to get gas, I incurred an added extra 15 minutes to my travel time. Fun times.

los angeles i'm yours...

2006-01-13T03:45:00.000-05:00

Thus concludes day 6 of my Los Angeles trip. It's somewhat sad that the days have gone by so quickly, but unfortunately that's the way it goes. Time may not be linear, but escaping from it thus far has been met with much resistance.

Part of the reason the time has gone by so quickly and without much event can be traced back to my ridiculously poor sinuses. Which, apparently, resemble the Madrid train bombings (that, notably, took place on my birthday in 2004) when inspected. To give some background information: The past few weeks I've been having a lot of trouble with balance when moving my head quickly. This has been only off-and-on, so I attributed it to low blood sugar, high alcohol content, etc. It turns out that this whole time I've had a growing ear infection in my left ear, as well as a swollen right ear. Wonderful. Let's just say that it made the flight here uh...interesting.

Let me give you a synopsis of my diagnosis at the doctor's office yesterday:
Doctor first examines my throat after talking to me for a while, and asking my symptoms. Her reaction is that of surprise; apparently my tonsils are swollen up to resemble chili peppers, with nice white splotches on them. Whatever that means. Second, she checks my ears. Verifies that I do, in fact, have an ear infection in my left ear, and a nice, swollen right ear. Great. She explains to me that usually these things can be caused by sinus blockages with severe nasal 'drip.' With that in mind, her next move is to check my sinuses through my nasal cavity. I'll never forget her reaction; something between shock, amazement, and bewilderment. She couldn't believe that I was breathing though my nose. She checked it over a couple of times to ensure that, in fact, I was breathing at all, and that such breaths were coming through my nose.

Wonderful news, huh? Luckily, she knew that I was a student, and that my insurance had been rejected by their firm (wtf?). With that in mind, she gave me all the drugs that I needed to keep me from filling a prescription, and told the receptionist to cut me a break. Woohoo!

Also, I'd like to give much thanks to KC's friend Manny, who selflessly drove me to and from the doctor's office, without any complaint. Thanks a lot Manny!

Doctors' visits and thanking aside, the past few days have been fun and relaxing at the same time. I met up with Anne finally, and hung out with her Wednesday, as well as tonight. Also, if you're looking for something difficult to do, try telling someone where to meet you in a city you aren't familiar with. Either way, she's been really cool to hang out with, and I know she's someone I'm going to miss when I go back home. She's probably one of the sweetest people I've ever met, has a really great sense of humor, and she really knows how to use scarcasm to it's fullest. Word

In addition to Anne, I've also hung out with KC's girlfriend Allie, as well as her friend Lauren from back home. Allie is a really nice southern girl, who really contrasts with the majority of SoCal women. Good find KC.

Moving on to the home front, one of my classes for next semester was cancelled today. Fucking wonderful. Now it looks like finishing up my MSNE will take me until May of '07, unlike Dec '06, as was previously thought. Fuck a duck.

Well, that about wraps up everything. This weekend should be a lot of fun; a couple of parties, snowboarding, then back home (damnit!) on Sunday. Guess we all have to face the real world at some point.

catching up...

2006-01-11T02:52:00.001-05:00

Hmm...I apparently didn't realize the amount of time that had passed since my last post. Oops. I'm sure all of you faithful life-of-evan readers (ha!) must feel neglected. Or something like that. Anyway, here goes for an all-inclusive update:

I'm currently in LA (Manhattan Beach, to be specific) visiting KC, as well as some other friends while down here (Anne, Meg, etc.). The weather has been great, especially when you compare it to the weather back at home, which is currently snow and fog just at the point where water freezes. Here in LA, we've been having lows around 50, and highs around 70, which is apparently pretty typical for the Los Angeles winters.

It's quite wonderful, but to be honest, I'm amazed that these people can live here. KC has a good 45-60 minute commute to and from work, which is only about 18 miles. Too many fucking people...someone should realize this, but apparently that hasn't happened yet. Either way, there's no way I'm moving out here anytime soon. There's a reactor near here (the San Onofre station), which is located between here and San Diego. Maybe they'll be looking for some NEs in a year...

Moving on (or back, rather), just before this trip, I found myself visiting Blythe, 'Ria, and Matt down in the ATX. A place which is a.k.a.'d as Austin, TX. That was quite a wonderful trip, which definitely bears some repeating when possible. The trip only lasted about 3.5 days, but holy god I had some fun.

I was also the only SC fan in the ATX during the Rose Bowl. I'll repeat that; I was the only person wearing a cardinal sweater at a longhorns bar during the Rose Bowl, the national championship title college football game for this year. That was probably a bad idea. Luckily, most of the people there were pretty cool about it, and I avoided getting drunk (at least during the game) to save myself from possible mob attacks. In the end, it was quite a frustrating game, and it would have been interesting to see who would've won had there not been technical problems with the replay equipment. Longhorns fans, you know what knee I'm talking about...

Also while visiting the ATX, Blythe and Matt took me to some of their favorite bars and eateries, which were all fantastic. The Mean-Eyed Cat (a Johnny Cash themed bar) and the GingerMan (great fucking beer selection) were both recipients of the famous Evan Life "Seal of Approval." You pretty much can't go wrong with Austin bars, as far as I'm concerned. They're all different in their own ways, and each plays to a different crowd, atmosphere, and idea. My recommendation is to try them all...can't go wrong there. Word.

uncyclopedia

2005-12-26T01:58:00.000-05:00

I created my first uncyclopedia entry tonight. It can be found here: Why am I in Canada?

For those of you unfamiliar with uncyclopedia, it's pretty much the greatest thing ever. It uses wiki software (of wikipedia fame), but has absolutely no seriousnes in its content. I'd recommend kitten huffing, orange construction barrels, and alternate universes i severely hope do not exist. Word.

Holy freaking god man...

2005-12-23T01:33:00.000-05:00

Last night I went to STL to visit Blythe while she was in town. The night can probably best be summed up by this morning:

I woke up in Blythe's bed with Jor this morning about 45 minutes before Blythe's flight back to ATX. Apparently her parents had come in many times to see Jor and I in her bed, and continually mistook Jor for Blythe. Oops...guess they thought I had crashed with their daughter. Moving on, she packed and made her flight, and I took their friend (Nathan?) home, and took Jor to work. She treated me to a nice bagel in a vain attempt to sober up, and I drove home. Yipes.

In the process, I invented a new term. Drunkover: it's the state of being hung over, yet still somewhat drunk from the previous night. Interesting groggy feeling.

Going to the details of last night, we all went out to celebrate Morgen's 21st birthday. Unfortunately, none of her friends showed (they's lame), and it was mostly Blythe and Bri's friends. Our party first went to Blueberry Hill for some drinks. Scott, Lori, and others showed up for the festivities. After a few hours of debauchery there, we moved on to the Pinup Bowl. Lori and I tangoed the whole way down Delmar during the trip. Wheee!

The Pinup Bowl was quite a good time. I don't really remember it too well, but holy crap it was fun.

Well, that's about enough of this...Colbert Report is on the TeeVee, so I've got to catch it. Tschuss!

news, musings, and curiosioties...

2005-12-08T19:35:00.000-05:00

I'll begin this post with what initially sparked my decision to finally post something again.

While tracking the usage history of my blog, I noticed an interesting site linking to this little journal that I like to keep. Blogshares is apparently this random idea that someome came up with for assigning a valuation to various blogs, and then trading them, simulating an open market. How odd. I had no idea this was going on. Information on my particular blog can be found here: I Like Yummy Blogs on BlogShares.

Moving on to the news department of my life, I recently recieved a fellowship from the Institute of Nuclear Power Operations/National Academy for Nuclear Training that is going to pay for all of my graduate study in Nuclear Engineering. Sweet! Not only do I get to go to school for free, but I'm getting paid to do it. Also, I don't even have to be an RA or anything, although I do have to do research for my thesis anyhow.

Fall semester is almost over, and I'm currently done with one out of four of my classes. My group has our capstone presentation tomorrow, which is just going to be boring as all hell. After that, I have to finish my Interaction of Radiation with Matter take-home final, and take my Nuclear Reactor Engineering final next week. After that, I'm done for a freakin' month!

Well, that about wraps up everything from down here. It's unbelievably cold here, which has made my morning bicycle commute...well...painful. Luckily, I have a cyclocross bike instead of a road bike, so I can actually go places when it snows. Hmm...I really feel like I was going to put something else in here, but I'm blanking. Oh well. G'night!

kitten huffing

2005-11-25T14:59:00.000-05:00

As requested by Blythe-o-matic; Kitten Huffing. This is The Single Greatest Thing in the Universe.

-EKL

Oh, and Blythe can suck it for her comments on her blog. I don't have time, and I'm not lame. Well, the latter may not be true, but it doesn't need to be announced publically.

2005-11-15T09:32:00.000-05:00

wrap-up of this morning: wake up and go to my 8 am class...noone's there. in fact, there isn't a soul in the engineering building this morning. so, without the necessary books to get some work done instead, i decide to come home. now it's 8:24 in the morning, i'm soaked, and i've already been to a class that wasn't there. great.

EIT

2005-10-29T06:57:00.000-04:00

What am I doing posting at 6 in the morning on a Saturday, you may ask? Well, the answer is quite simple...I'm getting dressed before taking the EIT. Yeah, my life is exciting. There's nothing quite like taking an 8 hour exam on all the stuff you were supposed to learn over the past 4-5 years.

Either way, if anyone is looking for me today; that's where I am. Physics building, seat #96. Whoopee.

weekend wrap-up

2005-10-17T00:58:00.000-04:00

Ha, that title makes me sound like a local news anchor.

This weekend wasn't terribly exciting, save of course for the football games that took place. I spent most of Friday and Saturday sick off my ass, so that's mostly the reason. I think I have the bird flu, actually.

Saturday was homecoming, and due to my condition, I didn't even go to the freakin' game. Which, of course, was one of the best ones in recent history. Save, of course, for the Nebraska game 2 years ago. Either way, Mizzou ended up winning the bout with Iowa State, after coming within seconds of losing. That one was wonderful.

Also of note was the USC/ND game, which was flat-out incredible. One of the best clutch pass receptions ever carried the Trojans from the SC 30-ish to the ND 20-ish. After one of the best fumbles I've EVER seen, SC finally was able to pull a QB draw for the TD. Now you see why they're the national champions.

Last night I watched Life of Brian with Aleah, and drove the roommates to a freshman-enriched party north of town. After about 10 minutes of standing in the middle of the living room with Dusty, we both asked each other, "What the hell are we doing here?" Good question. There were some people that we talked to that we didn't know before, but the majority of people were just drunk-ass freshmen that drank themselves to the point of anti-communication. Oh well...all in good fun, right?

My parents bought a minivan over the weekend, which is just not setting right with me. What the hell were they thinking?! They want it for travel, but I find myself asking, what the hell is the benefit of a minivan when you're only taking 2 freakin' people?! Perhaps I'm just too young to understand the mind of nearly-retired people. Actually, there's no question that I'm too young to understand it, I just wish they could provide me with a better explanation than that. Word.

-not- hungover

2005-10-10T16:09:00.000-04:00

Well, I set myself to a decent goal, and I actually achieved! Huzzah from the masses.

Sure, said goal wasn't a truly noble one, but it was good enough. That goal; to not get drunk over the weekend. Sure, I had a few drinks, but I didn't get anywhere near drunk, and it felt great! No waking up with a hangover, I was actually productive over the weekend, and I don't feel like I've lost 50% of my brain cells today. This is truly revolutionary.

What was my reason for setting this goal, you may or may not ask? Well, it's quite simple; I really feel like I was getting drunk too much, and that my performance at school and in social situations was beginning to suffer. Anyway, this is enough self-righteous babbling about this.

This weekend I also went to an autocross in KC, which was a great deal of fun. I haven't been able to do many driving events this year due to time constraints (solar car), and track constraints (resurfacing of HPT), so it was definitely time to get out there and drive a bit. This was the first autocross that I've done in my new baby, and it was very much up to the task. What really surprised me about the car was it's ability to handle a slalom. My car is very wide, and somewhat heavy (roughly 3450-3500 lbs), but it could handle the transitions like they were a cakewalk. I actually slowed myself down since I expected the car to get upset when it didn't, and I interpreted the motions of the stock suspension as upsetting of the chassis. Oh well, I still posted great times, and more experience will only yield even better results.

That's about enough from this--apparently--weekly post. Tschuss!

hungover

2005-10-01T17:18:00.000-04:00

I love drinking. And yet, I hate drinking. I shall expunge...

One of my favorite drinks in the universe (with, of course, the exception of a good beer and the venerable Spezimeister) is the vodka tonic. Granted, it helps that it has far fewer impurities than any other drink, and thus leaves you with a significantly lowered change of getting a hangover. Of course, this method only works if you don't combine it, say, with a lot of beer before and afterwards. Yeah. Oops. Drunken logic takes hold once again.

We had a fun night though; 9th street deli with some friends, hanging out at our place, a couple of parties (which, incidentally, I'm starting to get really sick of). Came home and ordered a nice pizza from wise guy's, watched part of the family guy movie, and then attempted to pass out. Unfortunately, I'm the most proficient insomniac around, so I couldn't sleep. See my previous post for more info.

Well, that's about all for now. I watched Mizzou get their asses handed to them care of Texas this afternoon, which was a very strange game. If you saw it, you'd understand. Good times. Word.

wishlist

2005-10-01T05:48:00.000-04:00

On this night of nights which I cannot seem to get to sleep, I thought I’d post a nice little wishlist for all of you to enjoy. So, well…enjoy!

More Time (this was changed from something else once sobering up...if you want to see the original post, let me know) - More time to read and what not.
Direction in Life – well, I’m working on this one, so give me a break.
Trust – I’m rather tired of the only people in my life that I feel like I can trust with anything being my freakin’ parents and a few close friends. Seriously, I want to be able to trust someone else in my life…this is flat-out ridiculous.
A Decent Wishlist – This is the lamest wishlist I’ve ever seen. Jesus fucking H Christ, you’d think I’d be able to come up with something better than this. Just teaches you not to post on blogger while still drunk from the night before and tired as all hell. Word.

well, i did it again...

2005-09-23T05:50:00.000-04:00

Another craptacular paper churned out overnight on a rediculously boring topic. This time, at least, it was a topic that I (for some reason...mostly because I'm a giant nerd) had a great deal of interest in. And that topic is: Ultra-High Molecular Weight Polyethylene and its Applications in Arthroplastic Surgery. Oh hells yes.

I actually do have a lot of interest in UHMW-PE, as it is really a phenominal material. I've designed a few systems on SunTiger VI that used UHMW-PE as a bearing surface, and they worked wonderfully. Particularly the steering. It's a very high-end and lesser used thermoplastic, too. Anyway, if you're really curious, I uploaded a copy of the paper here. Keep in mind that noone, besides myself, has proofread the paper, so I apologize for any mistakes. Then again, you'd be the one reading a worthless paper that I posted on my blog.

Incidentally, I posted a copy of my critically acclaimed paper on train axles while I was at it, which can be found here. Enjoy.

4 great things I saw/heard today:

2005-09-22T02:38:00.000-04:00

1. Guy running down University (opposite of campus) in a full suit/tie.

2. "Can we go shoot guns this weekend?"

3. WILCO!

4. "They don't make horse sunglasses."

school is cool!

2005-09-09T09:24:00.000-04:00

Ok, so...I apparently wrote an 8-page paper in 4 hours tonight. Not only that, it was a paper on the ASTM Standard for Alloy Steel Axles for Mass-Transit and Electric Railway Use. Yeah. I probably could have found a drier topic, but that would have taken a lot of effort. Maybe I could have done a paper on dust. In Kansas. During the winter.

I'm not sure if I should be proud, disappointed, or confused after pulling this last one off. Proud, because, I can bullshit 8 pages that quickly. Disappointed, because, well...it was all bullshit. Confused, well...that one should be apparent.

Either way, everything else has been great. The only reason why I needed to write said paper last night was, because, I've been too goddamn busy doing homework for other classes before that. My homework for Interaction of Radiation w/ Matter, for example, was some 20+ pages long, and that was fucking physics homework. Only, of course, none of the physics necessary for solving the problems was covered. Neat-o.

That's probably enough bitching for now. On the positive side, I'm alive, and I haven't lost anything in the past two weeks. This is in stark contrast to the south, which is just getting more and more depressing every day. Obviously, I'm writing this while sitting on my couch with CNN on the TV.

My roommate just came out of his room asking, "Are you still awake?" Yes, yes I am. That's probably an indication that it's time for me to sign off. Word.

i hate killian's...

2005-09-03T11:23:00.000-04:00

Every damn time I go out drinking, I inevitably end up with Killian's in my hand. Why? I'm not really sure. I never have liked the beer, and I always feel like crap after drinking it. This is ridiculous.

pictures to compliment the update...

2005-09-01T02:31:00.000-04:00

QA during her pilgrimmage (sic) to the Supreme Court. Justice League sightings: none.

2005-09-01T02:29:00.001-04:00

Brickskeller with Brian. Word.

2005-09-01T02:29:00.000-04:00

Crazy-ass picture of Kater. Ah, this is the Kater that I know and love...

2005-09-01T02:28:00.000-04:00

Dylan, Leslie and I. That's right, bitches.

2005-09-01T02:27:00.000-04:00

Crabs on the streets of Baltimore. I particularly like this one. Word.

2005-09-01T01:30:00.000-04:00

Cuttin' bread. Word.

2005-09-01T01:28:00.000-04:00

Kate and Kyle trying to figure out where in the hell we are!

2005-08-31T23:50:00.000-04:00

Brian, Kyle and I at the Brickskeller. Home of apparently the world's greatest selection of beer. Yummy.

2005-08-31T23:48:00.000-04:00

QA and I on Kate and Kyle's couch...I think looking at K&K's wedding photos.

updates/ramblings/etc.

2005-08-29T00:46:00.000-04:00

Wow, been a while. Well then, guess I'll post the past few weeks for everyone to pore over, as I know you surely will.

Once I got back home, from the race, I spent a few days working on my car, and getting the nice new car stereo installed. Doing that, of course, took over a week's worth of work, but the end result is a clean, great sounding system that doesn't stick out like a sore thumb.

The Maryland trip was quite an adventure. Flew in the first night and hung out with Nicole, which was really cool. She's been living in Baltimore for a month now, and she seems to enjoy it. Hell of a lot better than CoMo, that's for sure. The next day I met up with Kyle and Quynh-An at the Baltimore airport, and we had a quick day in the Baltimore area; ate lunch at the inner harbor, brief shopping, then down to VA to meet Kate.

That night Kate, Kyle, QA and I went down to DC to drink/dance with Kyle's physics friend Steve. We also met up with Leslie and Dylan once we got there, as well as some of Kate's friends. Initial goal was to go to the Brickskeller (home of the claimed best beer selection in the world), but after being told it was a 45 minute wait--with no waiting room--we decided to move on. Went to a small bar to drink some beer, and then moved on to "Heaven and Hell."

Heaven and Hell: Fucking crazy dance club. You enter in "purgatory," and can either go downstairs to hell or upstairs to heaven. Naturally, I never made it up to heaven (I actually didn't know it was there...thought purgatory was heaven), and spent most of the time dancing with QA, Dylan, and Leslie down in hell. Quite a fun place and the name was fitting due to the overwhelming heat and humidity. Finally got home sometime much later that night, sufficiently inebriated and overwhelmingly gross from sweat. Fun night.

We spent most of Sunday recovering from the night previous, and got up around 2:00. Lame, eh? Some of Kate's friends came over for dinner, but that was about the extent of the day.

The next day QA, Kate and I went to the International Spy Museum. Not a cheap visit, but they have some really cool exhibits and it's a good way to spend an afternoon. Kate and I took some good pictures of us doing a "hand-off" of her purse. We're such kick-ass spies. Later we went to the Museum of American History. Didn't have much time there, but I got to see Julia Child's kitchen (didn't really mean much to me, but Kate and QA seemed ecstatic about it), then went home to meet Kyle. That night we went down to the DC metro area, and saw all of the tourist sites that I secretly really wanted to see; the White House, Lincoln's Memorial, Washington's Memorial, etc.

Well...I'm getting tired. I'll finish this later. Word.

Best photo of NASC 2005

2005-08-01T01:27:00.000-04:00

Photo by Stefano Paltera/North American Solar Challenge

University of Missouri-Columbia's solar car, "Suntiger VI," drives along Trans-Canada Highway (Highway 1) near Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, Canada, during the North American Solar Challenge Monday, July 25, 2005.

End of the race

2005-07-28T12:20:00.000-04:00

Well, we finished the race yesterday. Mizzou came in 8th place, and first of all the teams running our Silicon-based solar cells. At least that makes me feel good.

We went out to "the den" last night, and got beyond wasted. Apparently I threw up in one of the vans on the way back last night; don't remember that one at all.

Overall, I'm glad I went on this race--I'm filled with lots of fond memories. Who else do I know that's driven a Zamboni outside in Canada during the summer? Who else do I know that's driven across North America in a 15 passenger van and a solar car? Word.

lab update...

2005-07-06T07:00:00.000-04:00

I'm just now leaving the lab. If anyone wants to kill me, you know where to find me. Sonofabitch.

the solar race (or "rayce," as the officials like to say)

2005-07-06T03:06:00.000-04:00

The team has been getting ready for the race, and all I can say is; holy hell. I remember the days when sleep was had, I wasn't covered in carbon fibre dust, and when life wasn't so goddamn complicated. Right now I'm taking a break (yes, I'm still in the freakin' lab) while Jeff is working on attaching the turning fairings. The purpose of this overly-complicated system is to dramatically decrease the aerodynamic drag that the tubular wheels impart while driving down the road. When the fairings are actually attached and working, they work wonders. The SunTiger team has yet to finish a ra(y)ce with both front fairings on.

Other than that, I've been working on a time machine. Well, not really working on one, just invisioning how wonderful it would be to have one at this moment. I feel like I have the next two days to finish two weeks worth of tasks. Other things I would love to have; three hands, 28 hour days, and infinite energy. We'll see which one of those happens first. My bet's on the pig flying. Word.

moving day and emergency room visits

2005-07-03T16:47:00.000-04:00

I wake up at 9:00 to my phone ring. This is far too early for me to be up on a Sunday. Turns out it's my dad, telling me he's coming over in 20 minutes with a van, so I'd better be ready to go. Well, fuck...I thought he was coming over at 10:30. This is going to be a fun day.

Two trips later, I get a phone call from Nicole while at my Parents' house. She's managed to cut her hand open while cutting up a credit card. She needs to get stitches, and now. As much as it sucks that she cut her hand open, it gives me the perfect opportunity to haul ass on Columbia roads. Total transit time, from receiving the phone call at my parents', driving to her house, picking her up, and driving to the hospital; 9 minutes. I should be an ambulance driver. Better yet, they should make ambulances out of BMWs.

Nicole gets stiched up ("did someone say a funny; because Nicole's in stitches!"), and I make her lunch. I feel somewhat obligated to, since she cut her freakin' hand open. After lunch, I give her a ride home, and it's back to moving. At posting time, I'm roughly 3/4ths done. Time for a break. Word.

solar cars are fun-ah

2005-07-02T17:27:00.000-04:00

As per request, here's a shot of the solar car. While it isn't the actual SunTiger, it's one of my favorite renderings, from back in the days of the aerobody design. Word.

deadly sins...

2005-07-02T17:19:00.000-04:00

Taking a cue from Blythe's blog (thebatblog.blogspot.com):

Your Deadly Sins

Sloth: 40%

Envy: 20%

Greed: 20%

Wrath: 20%

Gluttony: 0%

Lust: 0%

Pride: 0%

Chance You'll Go to Hell: 14%

You will die while sleeping - and no one will notice.

How Sinful Are You?

Did I really just do this?

2005-06-08T21:22:00.000-04:00

Did I really just create a blog? For years I've never understood why people create such trite pieces of crap, only to display themselves to the general public. Apparently my ability to withstand such pop culture urges only goes so deep, so here I am.

This thing probably won't be updated too frequently, and I'll probably use it to post pictures more often than not, so be prepared for the thrill of a lifetime. Or not. Word.

2005-06-08T21:16:00.000-04:00

That's right.