neon

Surprises of all surprises...
I got A's in both American Christianity and French Lit!

In fact, I got A's in every class except physics (A-) and my favorite class, quantum mechanics (B+), making my Fall '09 semester my third best gpa yet.

Universe, I know you keep telling me to major in French but guess what. You can't make me.
And I am going to rock my second half of physical chemistry class because guess what else. It is my subject of research, and I am not going down without a fight.

So there! :P

(You know what's uber depressing though? I already have homework I could be doing for both my quantum mechanics lab and my thermodynamics class...what the heck?? Where did my break go??) Edit/Confession: I've been working on my thermo homework while waiting for an experiment to go through, and I've sort of been enjoying myself. Nerd I am indeed.

Makes the world go round and makes me a little angry

$45 in insufficient funds fees later, and what do you get?

A New Year's Resolution to actually use that beautiful Excel spreadsheet you made six months ago to keep track of money.

AGOIahrnadhah!

More resolution posts to come. What are yours?

(500) weeks of

It seems like elementary school just can't stop repeating itself.

Or junior high.

Or high school.

It seems...it is written.

It was really fun to go through old photos! We were so little! Dearest Kim, you are in every one. Probably because you are my oldest friend.

Oh, the love/hate relationship I have with cliff hangers....

You know what Christmas presents I think I end up loving most?

Books.

In fifth grade I got Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. By the time we got to California the next day, I had devoured it and was begging my mom to buy me the next two.

The year I was sick during Christmas and had to stay home instead of going to my grandparents' house, I had Ella Enchanted and The Golden Compass to keep me company.

This year, I think I surpassed my own speed reading record by consuming Catching Fire (minus eight chapters I read in Borders yesterday afternoon) in approximately three hours.

And this time, I can't beg my mom to go buy me the next book because
IT DOESN'T COME OUT UNTIL AUGUST 24th.

Dear friends,

You must all read these books so we can go to the midnight release party that Borders will surely throw.

My recommendation of these marvelous works of storytelling is my Christmas present to you.

Merry Christmas and happy reading!

Yours truly,

Katie

Christmas Adam

You know what is particularly awesome about Christmas break?

Random free concerts with friends.

Working in the lab whenever and for however long you want.

Playing Rock Band (of course).

Going shopping and finding jeans that fit...finally!

Reading a book until 1:00 am just because you absolutely had to finish it in one sitting (The Hunger Games...oh my greatness...I adored it).

Being home. And not having to do anything.


*Cue random photo from last summer's trip to San Fran with the fam. Aren't we cute?

Minuit Chrétiens

"For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever..."
-Isaiah 9:6-7

Merry Christmas everyone! May we remember why we celebrate.

i can't stop myself from blogging lately

probably because I have a desperate desire to put off studying and finals and all other associated things...

Dear Jody,

You are absolutely right.
Life is beautiful and I love where I am right now. Sometimes I just get silly when I'm up late at night and am supposed to be finishing French papers.
Thank you for the reminder. :)

Your ridiculous friend,

Katie

copper wires to be varnished, soldered, and laced

My header is the thermometer that I'm working on rewiring right now. I had to take pictures of it to make sure I could remember how to put it all back together, and then I realized the photos were kind of cool...so here it is as my header....

Just to put your fears at rest.

:)

in the pages

I have goals for Christmas break so that I do not waste my time. They range from the very silly to the very serious:

Play guitar on Rock Band on expert. On every song.
Watch every episode of Avatar with ballroom people.
Read "Uncertainty".
Read my book for my chemistry girls book club, "Land of the Green Plums".
Memorize the "Ice Ice Baby" rap (yeah CJ!)
Research grad schools.
See "Sherlock Holmes" and "(500) Days of Summer" (again).
Start running SnO2.

What are you doing over your break?

rummaging for answers

I went. I watched. I loved.

"(500) Days of Summer."

(aka "Amélie"* of the US)

Except "Amélie" is pure agony until the very end and then it's absolutely wonderful.

And "(500) Days of Summer" oscillates repeatedly between absolutely heartbreaking and absolutely perfect.

I think the reason why I loved it so much was because I am afraid I will become Summer.
But Summer ended up all right in the end.
And I will too.
P chem** finals and bad karma and all.

*Did anyone else think that part where Tom falls asleep in the theater and inserts himself into a movie just screams Amelie? Or the omniscient narrator who tells us all these random details at the very beginning? Or the cinematography? Or the part where Tom walks down the street, and it becomes an illustration?

**It's over! Now all I have left is French, American Christianity, Gold Bar Latin, and Physics...

the most human color

and so we pick ourselves up and cling to the hope that we can do this.

my internship application is all complete, letters of recommendation and all, and for today, i'm trying to accept that as enough.

life, the universe, and everything

It is freezing, biting, negative kelvin (ha) degree days like today that make me wish I could live in this world instead:

Nantucket

Flowers through the window
lavender and yellow

changed by white curtains –
Smell of cleanliness –

Sunshine of late afternoon –
On the glass tray

a glass pitcher, the tumbler
turned down, by which

a key is lying – And the
immaculate white bed

Dear William Carlos Williams,
I kind of (mmm litote) heart your poetry.

Dear Universe,
Please don't kill me next week (I'm talking to you, p chem and physics finals).

elementary

I am almost tempted to go see this on Christmas Eve.
But then I would miss out on animal wars* with Becky and Jeff...
Anyone want to go see it the day after Christmas?

*Every Christmas Eve my 17 year old brother, [almost] 19 year old sister, and I sleep in the same room and play a game where we make forts out of pillows and then throw stuffed animals at each other.
We are really cool.

8th time's the charm

K. Seriously? I believe I am done.

Highlight of my night: everyone sitting around the octahedral glass table (that had one C8 and 8 C2 rotations...chem test on Monday...) at Sara's Christmas party discussing my dating life.

"Is he team Jacob or team Edward? Because if he's team Edward then I don't think it's going to work out."

Bam. Pretty much all you need inquire apparently.

Best part: that would be Anthony who said that quote.

I heart my chem major friends.

white

It is the first day of December, and it has yet to snow and stick.

Perhaps I will convert to global warming after all.*

Happy Tuesday (oops, it's now past midnight, make that Wednesday) everyone!

*I still think Al Gore is ridiculous, and so is all of the political hype surrounding global warming.

Oh, and with that footnote, I just reminded myself of a thought.

Anyone else share my disbelief and anger that Obama got the Nobel Peace Prize?

Ridiculous.

Especially when people like Greg Mortenson were nominated.

Grrrr.