teeny tiny update

why is it that every time I write the phrase, "teeny tiny" I think of this song?

BEWARE - this song is NSFW!!!

Anyhow, now that's over. Update on me! I'm done with classes now and I have 1 more final (on the 24th) and I'm DONE for the semester. I'm always a little conflicted at the end of a term. As much as being in school is hard and frustrating and time consuming, I love it too. I love the atmosphere of learning and thinking. I love being presented with new ideas and concepts. Basically I just love using my brain.

(yes, confirming again I really am a nerd)

Regardless, it's almost over and since they don't offer any chemistry classes in the summer, I'm stuck with the task of finding something to do with my summer. Likely something that makes me $$ so I can afford to eat.

(always a plus)

thankfully, I have already lined up one summer job with a company called Mad Science where I am an instructor doing after school programs for elementary kids. This is great in two ways because it's a job where I get paid and also it will help me discover whether I want to be a teacher or not (hopefully). PLUS the hours count towards my mandatory required hours I need for the teaching program if I choose to do it.

*HAPPY DANCE*

now I just have to find a couple more summer opportunities to fill out my days and make enough $$ to live off of and I'm settled until September. Though I'm not going to worry about it too much until after my final next week. Speaking of, I should be studying for that right now, instead I'm writing a blog post. Prioritizing, ftw.

Well, I guess that's really all I needed to update ya'll about. Until next time!

rotary optical rotation.... what?

this week’s labs...

fucking LOVE Mr. Bean

oh goodness.. what can I say. It was a bad week, and continues to be a bad week cuz I have a midterm tomorrow that I don't feel at ALL prepared for! 

Tuesdays lab ... organic... last week’s lab consisted of just stirring for over an hour .. and then a liquid-liquid separation... everything seemed to go just fine.

THIS week.... not so much.

The first part we had to gravity filter the drying agent and then rotary-evaporate the solvent out ...which is basically is just putting your flask onto a machine that spins it in a water bath and the solvent boils off....

wanna buy one?

but of course.. the one I used wasn’t on and so the bath had to warm up.. taking (what felt like) forever. Then when it finally started to boil, of course I walked away and by the time I returned it was a goey boiling mess!

*slaps forehead*

BUT.. it’s ok, can be salvaged... let it cool and prepare the reagents for crystallization... ethanol and petroleum ether.... by the time everything was measured out... the magnetic stir bar that I put in my flask had congealed with my product into a solid goo of shit.

mine was colorless, but you get the point

*FUCK*

So then of course, I just ignore it and continue on... I added my reagents and manually stirred it for a while (which basically just consisted of me shaking the fuck out of it for 5 minutes)... then used a spatula to manually unstick the stir bar... and wooofuckinghoo we were on our way!!!

*happy dance*

Now the reaction has stirred for 15 minutes and it’s time to cold vacuum filter the product.. and of fucking course... I did it too slow, cuz I’m too unsure of myself and I’m sure lost some product in the filtrate.

*fuck me*

So now I’m stuck with 30% yield and product that I’m not sure I’ll be able to characterize with IR and melting point cuz I don’t even know what kind of condition it’s in.

and that’s not even the worst of the two labs this week.

Wednesday I had physical chemistry lab... we had to do some kind of optical rotation lab where we measured the angle the compound bends the light (or not) based on its chirality (I think) ... see.. even now I’m not sure wtf I did. Part of the problem stems from the fact that on the day of the lab I had

a)      no partner

b)      a massive fucking headache

c)      no clue wtf I was doing

It made for an... interesting.. lab experience to say it gently.... I didn’t dilute my solution properly.. and ended up having to dilute it more later... and the real kicker is the fact that my data is complete shit because I had a headache, and I was supposed to look through this little machine and read the angle the light disappeared... so of course my vision was less than optimal that day. Basically I read it as increasing with decreasing wavelength and it was supposed to be completely opposite.

*fucking fuck*

If it wasn’t for the midterm tomorrow... I would crawl in my bed and hide under the covers and just cry.

I’m still close.

Instead, I’m doing flash cards in the hopes that it will help me study for the midterm tomorrow where I have to know around 30 polymer names and structures.. as well as what their common uses are. Plus about 60 reactions of which I need to know about 10 reaction mechanisms.

Sound like good times?

Come on, you know you want my life.

well, back to the salt mines.... someone please have a drink for me.

it's NOT Friday yet

for once, I’m grateful it’s NOT Friday.. and that’s because I’m on reading break. Friday means it’s almost over... and I’m not ready for it to be over.

I was laying in bed this morning, enjoying the serenity of quiet and wonderfulness... realizing that next week I’d be back to getting up at 5am and spending 5 hours a day on transit... dealing with labs, lab reports, homework and exams.

I love it, and I hate it. I think that’s the general mantra of all students.

Yesterday I went on a tour of an analytical lab that I could potentially work at.. it’s energizing, people... the work I could be doing... I’m SO excited.. like for reals excited. Like a job where I could actually ENJOY going to work every day. I’m sure this is what people are supposed to feel like when they go to college. This is what the world is supposed to be like.

and yet.... I still can’t help but wonder if I’m going to be able to “have it all” .. I won’t graduate for 2 more years.... by then I’ll be 34 (going on 35)... and I want to have babies.. and work.. and maybe get my masters...

ACK!!!

Is there time for all this?

Plus.. what if my grades aren’t good enough to get me a job..? The company talked about how good vs great grades aren’t that big of a deal, but bad grades matter. I had ONE bad term where I only got 50% on two of my classes and then failed a class.... what if that one term makes the difference of job vs not... and then what am I supposed to do? What good is a degree if you can’t get hired?

Why can’t I ever stop worrying and stressing about things that could/might happen in the future?

Why can’t I ever stop worrying and stressing in general?

I write this as I put off working on my essay assignment that is worth 10% of my grade.

fuck.

adventures in lab

so I guess you're wondering what I've been up to lately?

NO?

well.. I’m going to tell you anyway.

this is ALL I was doing.. I swear.

ok no... I’ve actually been BUSY! My 2nd term started at school... and I’m taking 3 chemistry courses.. all chem electives.. as well as a laboratory course. The lab is probably the most work because there are 2 labs every week (for four hours each) and the lab reports are due one week later. So my weekends have been spent doing my labs.. and that’s basically it. I did take SOME time off to hang with friends and watch the Superbowl... (I must admit even though I hate Beyonce, she rocked the show).. and do SOME fun stuff with friends. I think life needs a balance.. so I’m trying really hard to not feel guilty about not doing hw to be social... it’s a work in progress.

So anyhow... I’ve been busy busy... but it feels SO good to be back in classes again. I really did miss it last term when I was off.

I didn’t miss studying though... lol. Which is what I’m supposed to be doing right now.. I have my first midterm in spectroscopy and I should be writing summary sheets... but instead I’m doing this. (I needed a break)
(I didn’t really need a break, but I wanted one)

OH... so you’re probably wondering about the name change of my blog. (or not, but again.. I’m going to tell you anyway)

I just haven’t been super inspired to write a lot in this blog.. mostly because I don’t have time.. and I also don’t have the energy. So I thought maybe a revamp of my blog might re-inspire me to write. So much fun stuff happens in my chem labs that I thought I’d share it with you guys...

I PROMISE it’s not going to be all about science.... cuz that would be really boring... I’m not quite sure what it’s going to be about yet.. but we’ll see.

For example.. I did a lab this week where I had to determine the Manganese concentration in an unknown sample by radioactive decay... so we irradiated the sample, and then measured it on an instrument. Sounds awesome, right? Turns out... the irradiation takes 83 minutes.. and the sample analysis takes 70 minutes! Wanna know what I did while all this was going on?

why do some cards bounce really slow with a black side??? It's one of the great mysteries of life, IMO COMPUTER SOLITAIRE!

oh yeah.. and just before you get jealous of my awesome life... I also played

how do you ALWAYS get the high score when you play this?

COMPUTER PINBALL!

you know you’re jealous now.. I can feel it. Plus I’m sure you’re all lining up in droves to handle radioactive material. Right? Totally.

So you guys.. I should get back to my homework... and I really hope you guys enjoy this new adventure!

I did some organizing!

jselizabeth's photostream on Flickr.

I actually did some organizing with my photo's and uploaded some of the pics that had been sitting on my computer for months... go me!

the newer ones are the trip to the mountains and the beach I did over the weekend... :)

Have a Merry BUZZY Christmas!

I decided this year to participate in a Bloggy Ornament Exchange with the Sarcasm Goddess.. and I just got my awesome ornament from Lady Estrogen...


my adorable ornament with a surprise inside!


on our snowman Christmas tree!

The surprise was a little bullet! I laughed so hard I cried a little... then popped all the bubble wrap... which is a gift in of itself! Thanks again to the @SarcasmGoddess and @ladyestrogen!!

Much love and a Merry Christmas to all!

it's so right even when "Things Go Wrong For Me"

today I'm taking time out of my busy pj wearing, chocolate eating schedule to review an amazing new book "Things Go Wrong For Me" by the Midget Man of Steel.. It's a hilarious book about his childhood as a fat kid, being a parent and adventures in vasectomy land.. and if you can make vasectomies funny.. well then... you have an idea of just how gut busting this book is... which btw.. includes funny pictures!

Mr. Moooooog himself even stopped by an answered some questions about his new book..

Are you ever still amazed at how you made it past childhood without dying of a horrible self-induced accident?

YES. Forget about the self-inflicted stuff I wrote about. The fact that I was a child of the 70's when kids rode on their parents' LAP in the driver's seat without those pesky seatbelts while everyone smoked and survived is a testament that I was meant for something else. Probably manual labor.

What did your parents think about their part in some parts of the book?

My dad doesn't know I wrote a book. He's an asshole. My mom ordered 2. She hasn't read it yet. I'm SO GROUNDED.

How traumatizing was it to go back and relive your childhood memories?

Not at all. It's always fun to go back and realize how cartoonish your life actually was and that somehow you managed to survive no matter how hard God was trying to obviously kill you.

Are you going to let your kids read this book when they are older?

Yes. When they're my age. Mid-40's seems appropriate, or whenever I feel it's okay for my daughter to read about her daddy shaving his balls. So, you know, maybe never.

What is the weirdest word you ever got for DrawSomething?

Umm. That's a tough one. I try to avoid stuff like 'cat' or stupid things where all you can do is draw a cat. I loved 'Band Aid' because most people would draw, you know, an actual Band Aid but instead I drew dinosaurs.

What is the strangest or worst drawing you ever had to guess?

Has to be something my kids drew. My kids are awful at drawing. My son got 'Yoda' one time and pretty sure he sent me a Sleestak from "Land of the Lost" instead. OH, and 'moose.' My daughter's version of moose looks like something mutated. It's amazingly terrible. I have them all on my Facebook page in an album..I suggest going through them. Lots of 'wtf' moments.

Did you go on lots of dates with women you met on match before you met your girlfriend?

Um, no. I'm pretty picky. I mean, I met a couple of women but wasn't really really looking for a relationship. Mind you, I'd known and been married to my ex-wife for over 20 years so I was pretty much just trying to make up for that amount of the sex I missed during that period.

Did you make awkward eye contact with anyone while in the adult store?

ALL eye contact in adult stores is awkward. Especially when you catch yourself trying out the bondage stuff in a mirror. *shudders*

Would you ever trust anyone enough to shave your balls for you? (ala – She’s Out Of My League)

GAH. No. Never. I barely trust myself doing it.

Do you ever eat a 3 Musketeers and have V-Day flashbacks?

hahahahaha. You know, I had to put off 3 Musketeers for a while because whenever I'd buy one in the store I'd just impulsively masturbate. Calendars like that will do that to a man. That, plus Cosmo is usually at the counter in the magazine rack. Man's gotta do what a man's gotta do.

So there you have it folks... how can you NOT want to get this book?! So I'll help you out by posting the links to his book:

Amazon: Things Go Wrong For Me

Barnes and Noble: Things Go Wrong For Me


It's a great book by a great blogger and all around funny guy.. thanks again Moooooog for stopping by!

I'm an asshole... and other such non news

so I'm an asshole.

why you ask?


because I haven't fucking blogged in ... well.. i can't even fucking remember how long. It's really not my fault though. I'm working 6 days a week... and M-F I usually work 10+ hour days. When Sunday rolls around I don't even wanna turn on my fucking computer... let alone sit for 10 minutes and write some shit down. Hopefully though.. in a week or so I'll be done work and I'll be off til January and then back in school where I'll have about the same amount of free time.

BUT... I can procrastinate homework by blogging... plus as @OhNoaG and @JenReinmuth knows... Undergrads make for fucking blog fodder gold. (fuck those wanks)

Anyhow.. .that's really all that's been up with me. It's my birthday in a week (literally) and I can't believe how much has happened in a year. Though it feels like I'm not really in a better place than I was last year... that could be because I stopped taking my meds... because I'm poor and can't afford them. Could be because of all the shit life continues to send my way. Could be because it's that time of year ...and it always makes me sad. Over 2 years since my mum passed away and the feelings are still just as raw as they were 2 years ago. I really need to sit down with someone and talk about all these feelings.. but again... I don't have the money.

Though this year.. I am kind of digging the Christmas shit.... cuz I really used to LOVE Christmas before she passed.. I would decorate... sing Christmas songs... get all fucking joyous and annoying. The last couple years I've just been in avoidance mode... but I feel like this year.. maybe... I want to embrace it again. Or at least.. I'm gonna try. Hard as it may be.

Bring on the Christmas carols... baking, movies and fucking mistletoe bitches..... Merry X Miss is back!

(that's an old nickname I used to use back in the days o' Myspace)