Back to the Old Grindstone

Finished my first week of class and started the second. This semester I am taking Electrodynamics, Continuum Mechanics, Partial Differential Equations and Shock Wave Seminar. Unfortunately, the department is only offering one core class this semester, so I am having to take other classes that I don't need but will be useful. It not going to be an easy semester; I am already finding it difficult to concentrate on homework (like now, I'm writing this instead of studying). Hopefully I'll get back into the groove soon.

I've been playing a lot of frisbee golf lately. There is a nice 18 hole course over in Sunnyside Park. I almost got a hole-in-one on Saturday; my frisbee hit the basket but didn't stay in. I get a birdie every once and a while, but on average I get 1-2 strokes over par. Its a good distraction from classes and it helps me get some fresh air.

I best get crackin' on my homework. I've two assignments due on Wednesday that I need to put some serious work into.

♇

the ninth wanderer

trans-Neptunian object

in a state of flux

俳句

classes start today
i am weary already
before they begin

Cheese?

I'm pretty sure that an electric skateboard wouldn't help me any (see previous post). I think the technobabble might scare them away.

Would the cheese reply with a 'pong' or just a 'thump'? Maybe there's an acoustical engineer out there who is interested in the acoustical properties of cheese. I'm content to just eat the cheesy goodness.

Solution

All I need is an electric skateboard...

"Engage"

As you read the title to this post, imagine Captain Jean-Luc Picard sitting in the command chair of the USS Enterprise pointing forward with the first two fingers of his right hand, saying "Engage".

Why? Because my sister is engaged. Last night Jeff asked her to be his wife. Wow, my sister is getting married. I can't even express how happy I am for her or fully comprehend what all this means. Mostly I'm glad that a godly man like Jeff came along for my sister. They have a chance for a wonderful life together and I pray that God blesses them in it.

Finé, or How I Fired My Shot In Spite Of Myself

Just a few hours ago I fired my last shot until next summer, providing I pass THE QUALIFIERS. It didn't go as well as I would have liked, but it went. Thats whats important. Maybe I should say, I didn't prepare it as well as I would have liked; I lucked out.

In addion to the liquid nitrogen fun I had yesterday, while I was measuring my target I dragged the instrument across the mirror. Twice. Now this is the same mirror that I stayed up late depositing last night. The mirror is basically a thin layer (about 500 nanometers thick) of condensed aluminum vapor. It should not be touched, or even breathed on. And I dragged a piece of steel across it. Big oops. The good news is that I still got a good signal, so I could continue with the experiment.

Next I epoxied pins and whatnot on my target, and happened to put a little string of epoxy on my mirror. Fortunately five-minute epoxied cleans up well if you're fast.

Aside from all that, my experiment went well. The data I got doesn't make any sense, unless soda-lime glass is in fact worthless, junk glass that won't give consistent data.

Since you may want to see some of what I'm talking about, here's a before and after picture of the projectile and a before picture of the target. The target was unavailable for comments following the shot.

Magical N2

So I checked the vapor deposition machine before I left and a new cylindar of liquid nitrogen had appeared. I don't know where it came from or who put it there. So instead of playing frisbee golf tonight, I vapor plated an Al mirror onto my sample. So all is not lost. I'd rather stay here andowork tonight than have my vacation plans messed up. I think I'll head home now...

Poo Pants

Today I was going to use the vapor deposition machine to put a mirror on my sample but I forgot to check if there was liquid nitrogen. Now I may not be able to shoot until next week or the following week, which is going to throw a wrench in my family vacation plans.

I suck at this game.

On a happier note, I finished Cryptonomicon by Neal Stephenson last night. I highly recommend it.

Now I'm trying to decide if I should just go home for the day before I goof anything else up...