1.5 Weeks to Go...

that is if you don't count finals week.  So what is there left to do

1. Teaching - create 3rd exam and the final exam; lots o'grading
2. Applied Math - problem re-writes, case study write up, one more presentation about my case study
3. Fourier Analysis - a presentation of my choosing
4. Graph Theory - two problem sets, a final exam
5. Masters work - a humongous pile of papers to read and start making sense of

I had loads of fun the past weekend at my friend's wedding.  I wore a pink dress and danced a lot.  I also enjoyed seeing a bunch of people who I have only seen on a limited basis.  Being in Columbia makes the whole seeing old family and friends difficult.  Pictures have cropped up - I want to wait to see the pictures the professionals came up with.  Those should be - well, a sight to see.

In other news, my parents have yet again gone to Disney World without me.  It's very sad.  Not that I could really go anyway - seeing as it is crunch time for the semester and my students would be totally lost without me.  I do wish I could have gone, take a break from the Turkey Day /wedding break.  But they did leave me a very early Christmas present.  A navigation system.  So that wherever life happens to take me - I can always manage a way home (yes even in the event of a 10 mile back up or construction detour).  I was very surprised needless to say.  I haven't played with it yet.  Hope to do that maybe this weekend.  Any ideas where I should go? 

On a food related note - I love fettuccine alfredo.  I don't ever make it for myself.  But I always get huge portions at restaurants.  Like all good people - I doggie-bag the leftovers.  Whenever I have had left overs - I always threw it in the microwave.  Isn't that what you are supposed to do with leftovers??  Not fettuccine alfredo.  I have learned the secret.  Throw the leftovers in a small fry pan and add a splash of milk and whatever cheese you may have on hand.  Heat that up real quick - just like in the restaurant.  *You can now commence with the - oh but didn't you know that was what you were supposed to do?*

I don't have much else to update except I want to see the Lights at the Zoo, the Golden Compass, and I just saw the trailer for Sweeney Todd starring the oh so dreamy Johnny Depp.  That is all.

3 Weeks to Go...

To-do update:

1. Teaching - create 3rd exam and the final exam; lots o'grading
2. Applied Math - problem re-writes, case study write up, one more presentation about my case study
3. Fourier Analysis - a presentation of my choosing
4. Graph Theory - one then one more problem set, a final exam
5. Masters work - a humongous pile of papers to read and start making sense of

This doesn't feel so awful now.  I guess because the major typing is done with.   I am still having a lot of trouble getting myself to sit down and read these stack of papers that I've got for my masters work.  Oh well.

On a side note:  I got this massive killer headache on October 25th.  It has slowly diminished in intensity but lately I feel as if it is coming back.  i know I am stressing about the end of the semester.  So many tiny little things I need to get done before the end.  I feel it coming from my shoulders (it's where i store all my stress.)  But I also think I am happy, excited, nervous and who knows what Andy coming home.  Going to my friend's wedding this weekend is sort of putting all of this into perspective for me.  This will be me in exactly 6 months - to the day.  But I haven't yet figured out a way to release any of this energy into something good.  Reading just makes me more nervous - but it is exactly the thing I need to do.  I hope that exactly a month's time when I get off the plane and see Andrew that all of this will just wash over me and I will feel better.

I'm back to watching the AMA's and avoiding reading.

4 Weeks and counting

Wow - only 4 more weeks to go.   It has been crazy this past week.  My constant headache has continued - I know probably to the amount of stress I am created for myself.  Awful.  I know.  But I did manage to get a few things knocked out.

1. Teaching - create 3rd exam and the final exam; lots o'grading
2. Applied Math - problem re-writes, case study write up (I only cross out half because I have half of it done), one more presentation about my case study
3. Fourier Analysis - a presentation of my choosing
4. Graph Theory - one then one more problem set, a final exam
5. Masters work - a humongous pile of papers to read and start making sense of

I just have to keep reminding myself - the faster it get done, the more fun I can have.

Just keep swimming!

5 Week To-Do List

I am sure you all have just been waiting - pins and needles - to hear about everything I need to do in the last 5 weeks of the semester.

1. Teaching - create 3rd exam and the final exam; lots o'grading
2. Applied Math - problem re-writes, case study write up, one more presentation about my case study
3. Fourier Analysis - a presentation of my choosing
4. Graph Theory - probably one more problem set, a final exam
5. Masters work - a humongous pile of papers to read and start making sense of

Also must enjoy Thanksgiving, as well as the ensuing wedding that weekend. Should take lots of pictures of me in a very pink (okay it's called primrose) dress and shoes with a heel (so it's a small heel).

Just don't want my mind to worry about too much math over the break. ;o)

October 29, 2008

1 year
12 months
52 weeks
365 days
8,760 hours
525,600 minutes

If I really wanted to be dramatic, I would multiply the 525,600 by 60 to find out how many seconds. Ehh, that would be overkill. Tomorrow marks one whole year of having to deal with time zone issues, scheduling phone calls, crazy emails, sending packages, having calls cut out, and more. I almost would like to celebrate it - make a nice fancy schmancy dinner, dress up, do something special- the exact opposite of my less-than-noteworthy graduate student life. I would like to celebrate it - but there is only one person who I want to celebrate it with (he is still "over there" :::as I point aimlessly:::). I suppose the upside is that in just over a month this will be over and done with. Mind you it will be an absolutely crazy month - but only 1 to have to deal with.

Just need to keep focused and productive. Keep the eye on the prize - finish this crazy semester without putting myself in panic mode, don't skimp out on my teaching (there isn't that much more to cover), and enjoy what will be a festive Thanksgiving/wedding weekend.

Side note: I plan on doing laundry tomorrow evening in case you were wondering. Very classy - can't you tell?

Winter Wish List

I feel like it has been forever since I have actually had a list of wants that coincided with the upcoming holiday season. This is not a cry for people to get me anything, they just happen to be things I have my eye one and maybe someday - preferably in the near future as opposed to the much much later future - I will get my hands on them:
1. Mac OS X Leopard for my laptop. boy that would be happy - not that my laptop isn't great to begin with, but you know how it is.
2. External hard drive. I suppose this is more practical than anything else. I would feel better if I could back up my files - music, videos, photos, oh not to forget about all that math work I have done.
3. Iphone - I can't reconcile the cost at the moment but maybe someday. Not to mention the ATT plan is somewhat expensive. I am waiting to see if Apple will either come out with a bigger drive or drop the price again for the holidays.
4. Dance Dance Revolution for Wii. Really the only other game I want outside of maybe the Big Brain Academy. (yes I know I am a dork.)
5. Third season of Grey's Anatomy and Numb3rs.
6. I think I got hooked on a makeup line. Yeah awful isn't it? I want to find some nice eye shadows/blushes/lip gloss (I don't really do lipstick), although I don't wear them too often.

Finite randomness.

Disturbing

Dumbledore is gay.
I never would have known unless she said something.

Countdown Commencing

I have a bought a ticket. December 18, 2007 I will be making my way to El Paso, TX. Only 64 more days!! Keep your fingers crossed everyone that I don't have to push that ticket back any farther.

I apologize in advance that I won't get to see anyone over the winter break. I plan on spending most of it with Andrew. I know El Paso seems an odd place to spend the holidays but hopefully it won't be.

Just felt like sharing.

More depressing news - my apartment is so quiet it is freaking me out. Not that I don't mind the fact that my neighbors are being good. Hurray for no thumping music. It just isn't busy like home is. Oh well. I still have not gotten any good amount of math done - now that I'm thinking about it - I should probably do that.

Wedding checklist

Despite not having completed my Graph theory work or studied one ounce of Applied Math this weekend - I managed to get a lot accomplished while I was back home in Jersey.

Done: have a date, the church, reception hall, photographer, florist, dj, limo service, bridal party, my dress, the ladies' dresses ordered, oh yeah not to forget the fiancee as well.

Now if I could just figure out the sort of invitation I want - I had one in mind, and then I saw the plethora of colors/ papers/ inks that I could do - yeah right down the tube. But outside of that, only little things are left to tackle - but I don't think they need to be tackled until next year. Good too, because if this distracts me anymore - I might just not finish school in time.

Random journey - I made my way into the Sephora store in the mall - ooo I could have been there all day - but I had them do a quick foundation set up for my face and I really liked it. I might go all girly on makeup soon. Someone stop me if it becomes an obsession.

Ack it's late - I should sleep so I don't freak out on students tomorrow.

Semi-Amused

I downloaded a program a few days ago called Yum. It's a very simple program. I'm guessing from the title you can figure out what it is. It is a recipe program. I guess it is the 21st century solution to having one of those metal boxes filled with recipe cards. Mind you - Yum is free, so it doesn't do anything fancy schmancy.

But I must sing it's praises. I typed in all of my favorite recipes (Sue me - I have like 30 total - I just haven't had the time in grad school to really get to experiment). I don't have to go searching through all of my cookbooks now to find "that" recipe - you know the one with the stuff - from that book. I can put the recipes into categories and also cross reference them - you know like they cross reference books in the library. So when I look for chicken soup I can find it under Chicken recipes or Soups. Even cooler- I get to choose the categories to be whatever my crazy head comes up with. Say you want to make sure you had ingredients for a couple of recipes during the week - you can select the recipes and then print out a shopping list of the necessary ingredients. Very snazzy. My favorite aspect - which I hope to put to use soon, suppose you are in the kitchen. Me - I am constantly moving around - and constantly moving the sheets I have the recipe on too. So I get a tad lost about halfway through my cooking. The program lets you blow up your recipe card like a huge powerpoint presentation on your screen (you know 48 size font) and scroll through the steps without me losing the recipe card or having to squint to read the words - or have to figure out how far I am into the recipe.

So I am amused by it all - and am still looking to add to my new computerized cookbook database. But it is all happening slowly - silly school getting in the way of fun things.

Chat more later. It's late and past my bed time.