how to save a life

I got CPR certified this morning. Thank goodness my mom's co-worker's daughter works at the Red Cross. My family and I got to take the class for free or cheap or something. Plus I passed the exam. Yay! and speaking of exams, let's just say that I love my aunt. She gets an A for effort. Don't worry, she passed it... eventually.

thank you

pearls before swine. saying what you thought you couldn't.

progress

well, I got my driver's permit... again. I let the old one expire.

Although, I must admit, I really like the new touch-screen permit test. It's a lot less intimidating. Maybe that's partially why lots of tests and stuff are now being done on a computer. The best thing was I could skip questions I had no clue on. So of the ones that I answered, I got 'em all right! Hooray for instant gratification!

And now I just have to learn to effing drive. And believe me, it's not on the top of my list. But there comes a time when you just have to suck it up and stop bitching. That time might be now.

PSA

Do not try the new Minute Maid OrangeAde drink unless you are effing crazy for Sunny D, cuz that's what it tastes like to me.

for other uses

fractals. yummy.

$$ = :)

YAy!

Paying for college is very stressful, especially when you depend a lot on outside sources for it. Going into this year, I knew I was gonna receive 2000 less in scholarship money because I was no longer a freshman. One grand was from the Engineering College, enticing me to stay, and the other grand was from winning that state math competition TWICE IN A ROW! (The one w/ the 80 Q's). So that was a big impetus for applying for the semester job of being a TA, cuz I would make up that money and thensome over the course of a year.

But now perhaps my worries are resolved. It would appear as if the U has upped its ante on the HIspanic Scholarship, matching the offer that ASU had propsed to give me had I gone there, a difference of.... drumroll... 2000 bucks! So it would appear as if I actaully don't need the job, but heck it looks kickass on a resume. Besides I don't even know what class I'll be TAing for yet.

the cutest battles

kittenwar.com

so cute!!!!!!

Because I have nothing better to do

Remember that end-all kick-butt schedule I put up a while ago? Well, now I'm starting to have second thoughts. And thirds. I was thinking about what classes I'd actually NEED to get into a good grad school for mechanical (cuz thats what I want to do, I think) but I also want to incorporate all the other stuff that keeps me interested. So I made a slight modification to the previous plan, now known as Plan 7, to make it a litle more Mitchy and a little less UofA. The basic differences between 7 and 7b:

1) I put in enough Physics classes in there to get a minor (242, 321, and 445 labs)
2) I dropped one AME class (prolly 352)
3) Who really gives a darn about whether you graduate with honors?

And then there's the ultra modification of Plan 7, which is so varied that I'm calling it Plan 8. It would bring the major requirements down to the bare minimum, but allow me to.. dare I say it?... SEXTUPLE minor! And you thought I was carried away with 5. yep. 6 minors. here's a rundown:

use as tech electives AME 324a, AMe 301, AME 302, SIE 250, AME 321. These, along with the Engineering Math standard curriculum, will give me three minors in Mech, Aero, and Systems Engineering. So I need only 63 units to achieve the EMA degree. Add 6 units for the standard math degree, 6 units for Spanish, 9 for Physics, and 12 for Econ, and that adds up to 96 units, which, carried over the 6 remaining semesters, is an average of 16 units! It's diabolical! I need to get out of the house more often.

And of course there's always the old standard of double majoring in regular math and mech Eng, with room for, at most, one extra minor. Poo.

your life's theme song

ok so apparently there's a new trend that says whatever song is #1 on the day of your 18th birthday, that song will be the theme song to your life.

If that's the case, then I'm gonna be a pimp.

The website I went to is thisdayinmusic.com. Click on the birthday number one link near the top right.

My life's theme- "Slow Motion" by Juvenile

Uhhh, I like it like that, she working that back, I don't know how to act,
Slow motion for me, slow motion for me, Slow motion for me,
move in slow motion for me.

reality setting in

OK so today I guess everything clicked and now I feel like shit. All the stresses that I've had over the last month and have been holding in just burst out this morning. I am so tired. I haven't done anything productive today. We've been having to actually talk to people, and I think that's what's hardest. It was just a matter of time before everything spilled out. My whole family's like that- hold it in and let it all out at once. I'm still in my pajamas and we need to go do laundry. Ugh. This sucks.

the next day

so I'm here by myself, trying to collect my thoughts when I happen to check my email. It's from my Dynamics professor, letting me know how I did on the last quiz/test and the final. I got a 63 on the last quiz and a 92 on the final. Normally you'd be concerned with a 63, but on the class website he had put up that the average was a 44. And according to class policy, he would take the 4 highest of the 4 quizzes and final, dropping the lowest. You'd think it was my 63, right? Nope. Just on Monday we had the third quiz, and I got a 62 on that one (which is still by all mesaures the worst score I had). So bye bye 62. Hello 92.

He also said I was getting an A for the course. So for that I am happy.

And then it struck me that with this summer course I had accumulated 94 college credits (58 of which came from AP tests! Hooray for AP tests!!! And yes I can use all of those units towards graduation) But the part that sucks is that in order to have senior status in the Engineering College, I need 98 units. So I am 4 units short. Poo. Obviously this irks me to death. I mean, I'm so close!!!! 1 class and a lab away from telling all the ladies on campus that I am a senior. Now I checked the summer schedule, and I saw that I could still sign up for second semester intro to chem and lab, which would total 4 units, which I still need to get into higher leveled classes (I'm currently signed up for an acceptable substitute class/lab in the fall) but:

1) That's like 5-6 hours of class some days!
2) It would cost at least a grand
3) It's F$$*#^ING CHEMSITRY!!! which you know I loathe by all means

So I'm gathering that it's best to just suck it up and wait for the end of fall til I can call myself a senior. Besides, with 5 classes, 3 labs, and a job, I'll be too busy anyway to go and tell the news to all the ladies on campus. After all, there are a lot of them.

2:50 PM

'nuff said. I miss my Nana.

So now we begin the task of letting her join her late husband, my Grandpa James whom I'm partially named after. I think we're gonna have her cremated and then, once we have enough money, buy the plot of land next to my Grandpa James. She said she was ok with that plan, but in all honesty I'm not quite sure. Of course we'd prefer to bury her in a casket and stuff, but we simply don't have the money for it.

I'm doing ok, I think. It's just kinda weird how my Dynamics final, which I think I kicked ass on (I'm guesstimating that I got 80% on the last quiz and maybe 90 on the final, so maybe I'll get an A for the class) coincided with my Nana's condition. Who knows about my grade. Maybe I'll know by next week. I reckon I'll be spending a lot of time with my folks for the rest of this week, but I figure I could go for some bowling in the days ahead. Thanks guys for being here.

Oh, and to let you know, I doubt that we'll be doing any kind of formal service. She wasn't a very sociable person and didn't have really any friends. But she had us.

changes

well, I've got my final for Dynamics in 12 hours, and I just got a phone call from my mom that my grandma looks like she's starting to go. So I'm heading over there now. I've just been stressing out about so many things lately and to have them seem to end at the same time is just a tad much. Maybe I'll get a good amount o sleep tonight, but I dooubt it. I can always retake the class later, But grandmas don't work that way.

the wonders of mariachi music

I heard this on the radio today. 102.1 To be exact. I've only been able to find the words on a couple of pages, so that makes me to believe that it's not a major song or hit. I'm giving just a rough translation cause babelfish isn't helping much. Hooray for randomness!!!

Quien se llevo al cochi? (Who took the pig?)

Quien se robo tu puerco
quien se robo al Cochi?
que lo iba a hacer carnitas
el sabado en la nochi

Who stole your pork
Who stole the piggy?
That you were gonna cook
On Saturday night

que lo iba hacer chicarron
que lo iba hacer chorizo
y un poco de jamon

You were gonna make pork rinds
You were gonna make sausage
And a bit of ham

Ya tenia todo listo
para matar al cochi
afilado el cuchillo
el sabado en la nochi

You had everything ready
To kill the piggy
The knife, sharpened
On Saturday night

Le daba sus salvados
le daba sus machihuis
le daba su maiz

You had given him his grains
You had given him his ???
You had given him his corn

Pero quiero saber
que me digan pues
quien se llevo al cochon!

But I wanna know
Who will tell me, well
Who took the piggy?

Quien es el intruso que se llevo al cochi!?
quiero reclamarle por que ayer por la nochi
se lo llevo, se lo llevaron en un coche
Quien es el intruso? quiero conocerlo
quiero que me diga cual es su secreto
pa' llevarse al cochon! que acabara con el pachangon!!!

Who is the intruder that took the piggy?
I want to rant because last night
Someone took it and put it in their car
Who is the intruder? I wanna meet him
I want him to tell me what his reason is
For taking the piggy! Now the party's over!!!

(and pretty much repeat from the second verse)

drat my cousin!!!

I'm a cucumber
I'm a cucumber
I'm a cucumber
I'm a cucumber
I'm a cucumber
I'm a cucumber
Please don't take me to the pickle farm!