What to pack…

Yesterday was so busy that it took until last night as I was going to bed when I started to think through all the things I’ll get to do on this trip and I just can’t wait. I was just making lists in my head of what I’ll need to pack and what I’ll want to carry around with me. It’s coming together very quickly and my mind is racing with excitement for the trip. This will be way too cool.

Birthright

So I guess that last post was a bit to soon because today after succumbing to the idea that Birthright would have to wait until another time, I got a call. I’m going on Birthright!!!

Now I’ll get to use my passport for real.

I finish my finals on a Thursday, I’ll then go home probably that Friday. On Saturday I’ll fly into New York with my sister and Brian, then Sunday afternoon off to Israel for 10 days.

Passport

I was home this past weekend for Thanksgiving and even though I’m not going on Birthright yet, I now have a passport. It’s kinda neat to me. Who knows when i’ll use it first, maybe just for fun a trip to Canada.

Dynamics + Mechanics = Awful

Currently I am in two of the traditional weeder courses for the Mechanical Engineering program, Dynamics and Mechanics of Materials. Both of which are taught by one of the tougher professors at Western.

Why I did this to myself, I have no clue. I did not really know what I was getting into. I’m sure I would have done fine in either class had I taken them in separate semesters, because I seem to understand only one at a time.

The semester is not a loss by any means but I do have some catching up to do in both classes. I’ll probably be spending a bunch of time in the profs’ office going over things and trying to figure this stuff out. I’ll come out on top but for now, it’s back to the books.

I heart Diether Haenicke, WMU President

“Does she (Mary Sue Coleman, U of M President) really intend to take the citizens’ tax money and sue them over how they vote?” – Diether Haenicke

A qoute from his November 15 editorial in the Kalamazoo Gazette. He makes a bit of sense here.

A Paper?

The last time I had to write a paper for school was my second semester freshmen year. Now in my junior year and more then a year since my last paper was due I am back at it. This one is my Holistics class, which is great because it the most touchy feelly paper I have ever had to do. I’m used to having problems to solve and wondering which equation to use.

I know I struggle with number one, expressing feelings and number two, writing coherent sentences multiple times in a row. But it has been fun to do. I just don’t know exactly what three pages should look like. Is that three pages total all including the lines for my name and title or are you supposed to go on to a fourth page that would then technically be three pages only counting body text?

This actually crossed my mind…but I’ll go on to that fourth page just to be safe.

Photography

Taking photos has really become a joy in my life. I seem to be getting more and more opportunities to practice this too. I recently was approached to allow the use of one of my photos at the top of a survey the Almuni Association was creating. This is an old photo but the designer found it on flickr. There is no compensation but I do get all the bragging rights I could possibly come up with.

This is just a rough layout. Click on the image to see full size.

New Site

If you are viewing this site it is obvious, but I have a new website. I am slowly transferring everything from my old site onto this one. WordPress, which is the site that hosts this website, gives me more control over the page and is much simpler to use. This may mean more posting from me but who’s to say. I’ll still write when the moment strikes.

Birthright in the winter is a no go for now

I got an e-mail today from Birthright saying that I am on the waiting list for the trip I wanted to go on. So now it is a waiting game to see if I’ll go this winter, because that date was the only day that worked, or if I’ll try again and go in the summer. We will see, I just really want to go sometime soon.