Our house is towered by trees that are three-four times taller than the house. It's beautiful and peaceful, and I'm so glad we chose this place to live. We nearly chose a townhouse similar to the one we left in Philly, and as it turns out, the townhouse is across the road from the train tracks (which we learned after we had chosen the house)...
Right now, we're about a half mile or so from the tracks, and for me, it's a pleasant sound every day (Eric doesn't particularly like it ;) ). It reminds me of my grandparents' house. It's just a slight whistling that I can hear a few times a day. If we had moved into the townhouse, it would have been a nightmare. Eric and I went driving around downtown Seneca over the weekend, and we crossed the tracks several times. It even has an old train station. :)
I had to go to the post office the other day, and it was so busy! For a little town like Seneca, I was surprised. I had to fill out the address forms for a couple of packages, and while I did that, at least 10 people walked in to stand in line. Thankfully, I got through the line quickly enough. I just love the "feel" of this little town. It's so spacious, friendly and quaint. I know there are things I won't like about it (such as the fact that many people keep their dogs outside :( ) but overall, the pros definitely outweigh the cons. I'm hoping that Eric's coworker's wife (who is an avid humane society employee) will eventually be able to find me a part-time job. I have a lot of veterinary experience, so that would make me a valuable eployee, and it would be a very rewarding (albeit sad at times) job to have.
I wrapped Eric's presents last night, so I'm all set for the holidays! Speaking of presents... I accidentally opened Eric's present to me. We had several Amazon.com boxes stacked up, and I chose the one that I thought had my gifts to him... but when I opened it, I saw that it was the Friends season box set. Oops. I was disappointed that I "ruined" Christmas, but oh well... I'm sure my gifts to him will make up for it. :)
Tomorrow after Eric gets off work, we're heading to DC for the holidays. I'm sad that I won't be spending Christmas with my family :( but I'm excited to learn the traditions of his. I thought about offering to make monkey bread like my mom does every Christmas morning, but Eric's parents' house may be a bit too chaotic for that... so I'm just going to make some quiche!
Off to watch The Santa Clause, one of the best Christmas movies... :)
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Small Town, SC here we come
Eric's new company paid for movers to take our stuff down, but the movers wouldn't take any liquids, and Eric's company wouldn't pay for the big televisions to be moved since the movers would have had to build a crate for them... so, we rented a U-Haul trailer to pull behind our SUV. We put the televisions, my aquarium and all our liquids in the trailer. In the back of the SUV, we had Jaiden along with my fish (in a cooler) and my snails (in a styrofoam cooler). It took five movers 6 hours to pack up our stuff and put it into their truck. We stayed in the house overnight, blanketless and pillowless--but with an air mattress at least--and had to use U-Haul blankets and clothes for pillows. We woke up and painted four rooms in the house the next day. We had to hire help, but it was well worth it, and hopefully that'll help get the place rented/sold.
We left that night at around 8PM and arrived in DC at midnight. Eric hauled the fishies into the house in order to keep them warm, and we put Eric's wine collection (all 50 bottles!) inside to keep them from freezing. A storm was going through the south around that time, so we decided to stay the next night as well. We hopped back onto I-95 and when we reached I-85, I took the wheel. I had never driven a trailer before, but quite honestly, it wasn't anything to be worried about. That is, until we hit the weather.
It always happens. Whenever Eric and I switch seats, the nasty weather starts. When we drove from Philly to Austin to get my stuff, 10 minutes after I started driving (and Eric slept in the back), a rain storm hit like nothing I had ever seen before. I was going 30MPH and couldn't see a thing. I considered pulling over, but I was afraid that nobody would be able to see us and would hit us. Eric slept through the whole thing.
This time, at least Eric was awake. It began snowing 10 minutes after I started driving, which was no big deal at first... but it began accumulating on the roads. Any time we ran into slush, which was often, the trailer would get squirrelly. We saw numerous cars in the ditch, and every time we approached a downhill slope or a turn in the road, my knuckles turned white. At one point, some idiot was going 30 MPH (safe driving speed was around 45), and as I went to pass her, Eric attempted to put the car in four wheel drive, which made the whole thing feel funky and I panicked a bit, especially since the trailer began swaying back and forth. So, I got off at the next exit and let Eric drive. The weather cleared up 30 minutes later.
We arrived in Seneca about 10 hours after we left DC. The house we're renting is in a pretty part of town (although there are probably very few "ugly" parts ;) ) with lots of trees and houses that are spaced far apart. Ours is a brick house with a front porch and it's on an acre. We have three bedrooms (one of which is my horsey Woman Cave/guest bedroom, lol) one guest bathroom and a teensy little master bathroom. There are two living rooms, one carpeted and the other hardwood. We're using the hardwood living room as our joint office/aquarium room. Speaking of hardwoods. I will never... EVER... have hardwood in a house we plan on owning. Ever. They're nothing but a pain in the ass, and my feet are always dirty! I would have to sweep or vacuum every day, and that's just not my thing. Not to mention they're impossible to keep from getting scratched. Because of the movers and just general furniture moving, we're going to have to sand the stupid floors before we leave. Absolute pain in the ass!
My first morning here, as I was setting up the aquarium, I heard a scratching in the wall. I banged on the wall, but it only stopped for a few seconds. I tried to ignore it, thinking it would just go away, but it didn't. I went outside and heard it there, too, so I figured it must be in the gutter and was trying to get out. About an hour later, I was in the bedroom on the laptop, and I heard a significant scurrying above me. I don't know if it was on the roof or in the attic, but the damn thing did it ALL MORNING! It sounded like a 20-lb cat up there, pouncing around in glee as if it enjoyed hearing me and the dog making sounds of protest. Even his barking didn't make it go away. Thankfully, I haven't heard it since (this was a few days ago), but it can't possibly be over with.
Eric got our first power bill: $84 for 8 days. It's because of the damn heat pump we have. It's totally inefficient at heating the house unless it's 50 degrees or above outside--so really, I just don't see the point of it. I can see it maybe in central and southern Texas for cool nights, but in upstate SC? It doesn't stay THAT warm in the winter. So, we're looking at wood and pellet burning stoves, but they're pretty expensive and might not be ideal to install. We'll see... but a $300+ heating bill is not ideal.
The people around here are nice. They never stop talking, either! People wave all the time and just seem generally happier here. So, the water tastes like a copper penny, we have *something* living in our roof, and our heating bill is going to be outrageous, but I love it here! :)
Here are some pics of the house--the "before" pics:
Office:
Office:
My woman cave ;)
Master bedroom:
Eric's man cave:
We left that night at around 8PM and arrived in DC at midnight. Eric hauled the fishies into the house in order to keep them warm, and we put Eric's wine collection (all 50 bottles!) inside to keep them from freezing. A storm was going through the south around that time, so we decided to stay the next night as well. We hopped back onto I-95 and when we reached I-85, I took the wheel. I had never driven a trailer before, but quite honestly, it wasn't anything to be worried about. That is, until we hit the weather.
It always happens. Whenever Eric and I switch seats, the nasty weather starts. When we drove from Philly to Austin to get my stuff, 10 minutes after I started driving (and Eric slept in the back), a rain storm hit like nothing I had ever seen before. I was going 30MPH and couldn't see a thing. I considered pulling over, but I was afraid that nobody would be able to see us and would hit us. Eric slept through the whole thing.
This time, at least Eric was awake. It began snowing 10 minutes after I started driving, which was no big deal at first... but it began accumulating on the roads. Any time we ran into slush, which was often, the trailer would get squirrelly. We saw numerous cars in the ditch, and every time we approached a downhill slope or a turn in the road, my knuckles turned white. At one point, some idiot was going 30 MPH (safe driving speed was around 45), and as I went to pass her, Eric attempted to put the car in four wheel drive, which made the whole thing feel funky and I panicked a bit, especially since the trailer began swaying back and forth. So, I got off at the next exit and let Eric drive. The weather cleared up 30 minutes later.
We arrived in Seneca about 10 hours after we left DC. The house we're renting is in a pretty part of town (although there are probably very few "ugly" parts ;) ) with lots of trees and houses that are spaced far apart. Ours is a brick house with a front porch and it's on an acre. We have three bedrooms (one of which is my horsey Woman Cave/guest bedroom, lol) one guest bathroom and a teensy little master bathroom. There are two living rooms, one carpeted and the other hardwood. We're using the hardwood living room as our joint office/aquarium room. Speaking of hardwoods. I will never... EVER... have hardwood in a house we plan on owning. Ever. They're nothing but a pain in the ass, and my feet are always dirty! I would have to sweep or vacuum every day, and that's just not my thing. Not to mention they're impossible to keep from getting scratched. Because of the movers and just general furniture moving, we're going to have to sand the stupid floors before we leave. Absolute pain in the ass!
My first morning here, as I was setting up the aquarium, I heard a scratching in the wall. I banged on the wall, but it only stopped for a few seconds. I tried to ignore it, thinking it would just go away, but it didn't. I went outside and heard it there, too, so I figured it must be in the gutter and was trying to get out. About an hour later, I was in the bedroom on the laptop, and I heard a significant scurrying above me. I don't know if it was on the roof or in the attic, but the damn thing did it ALL MORNING! It sounded like a 20-lb cat up there, pouncing around in glee as if it enjoyed hearing me and the dog making sounds of protest. Even his barking didn't make it go away. Thankfully, I haven't heard it since (this was a few days ago), but it can't possibly be over with.
Eric got our first power bill: $84 for 8 days. It's because of the damn heat pump we have. It's totally inefficient at heating the house unless it's 50 degrees or above outside--so really, I just don't see the point of it. I can see it maybe in central and southern Texas for cool nights, but in upstate SC? It doesn't stay THAT warm in the winter. So, we're looking at wood and pellet burning stoves, but they're pretty expensive and might not be ideal to install. We'll see... but a $300+ heating bill is not ideal.
The people around here are nice. They never stop talking, either! People wave all the time and just seem generally happier here. So, the water tastes like a copper penny, we have *something* living in our roof, and our heating bill is going to be outrageous, but I love it here! :)
Here are some pics of the house--the "before" pics:
Office:
Office:
My woman cave ;)
Master bedroom:
Eric's man cave:
Saturday, October 30, 2010
Okay, I'm tired of school
Yep, I did it again. I'm burned out. I need a damn break. Good thing I have one coming!
I had to drop two of my five classes. It was fine at first, but once things started picking up, I found myself unable to keep up with my job--and unfortunately, it's more important right now that I keep up with my job than go to school full-time. So I'm taking multivariable calculus, physics, and engineering graphics. I'm not liking physics. I did well enough when I took algebra-based physics a few years ago, and calculus-based physics isn't really any different, but for some reason I'm just not getting it this time around. I understand the concepts, but manipulating the equations I have to use is difficult for me for some reason. I don't remember ever having this much difficulty with physics. GRRR.
Oh yeah, and the commute to school? I'm so over it. It takes me at least an hour and a half to get to school. If I have a class at 11AM, I have to leave my house at 9AM in order to catch a train that will give me enough time to walk to my class from the train station. And when my classes are done, I have to wait (normally 20+ minutes, sometimes as long as 45-60 minutes) for the train that takes me back home. It got very old very quickly. I can only do so much studying on the train... many times I have to take the "express" train which is very crowded and leaves me no physical room to have my books open to study. About half the time, the trains are late. Before I started commuting, I thought I would be able to just get used to it, but no way. It's a HUGE time suck, and I'm not able to be productive most of the time. Thankfully, one of the classes I dropped was the one where I have to wait 45-60 minutes for the next train.
Anyway, I'm more than halfway done with the semester and I can't freaking wait until the end. My classes end December 3rd and then I have finals the 6th through the 10th. AND THEN WE MOVE! Eric got an incredible offer in South Carolina. It was actually me who found the job. ;)
We had been visiting Eric's friends in Atlanta and I wanted to drive through Greenville since Clemson University is somewhat close by, so I figured it would be a good place for me to transfer. We drove through the campus, which is in a rural part of the state (about 45 minutes south of Greenville), and we drove up through the rural parts to Greenville and then back on the interstate to go home. While we were still on the road, I got on the laptop and started looking for jobs for Eric. I happened to find one that happened to be exactly like what he does now. A couple of weeks later, after Eric and I had gone on our honeymoon, Eric applied for the job, and a week or two after that he had a phone interview. They invited him down for an in-person interview, and since I wanted to be there to support him, we decided to drive (they would only pay for his flight, not mine). While he was in his interview, I drove around a little bit and happened upon the lake nearby, Lake Keowee. It's GORGEOUS! It looked like a lake taken straight out of the mountains of Colorado--and by the way there are smallish mountains very close by, so the whole setting is just so pretty.
Anyway, Eric rocked the interview and had an offer a few days later, which we took. He's leaving November 10th, I'm staying behind until the end of the semester, and then the movers are coming to pack up our stuff and off I go!
My last day at the aquarium is next Saturday. I'll definitely miss it but it'll also be nice to have my Saturdays back. There aren't any aquariums in Greenville, but I'm hoping to find a tack shop to work at.
I won't be starting school again until fall of next year, but while I'm taking my break from school, I'm planning on saving up to buy a horse! WEEEE! :)
I had to drop two of my five classes. It was fine at first, but once things started picking up, I found myself unable to keep up with my job--and unfortunately, it's more important right now that I keep up with my job than go to school full-time. So I'm taking multivariable calculus, physics, and engineering graphics. I'm not liking physics. I did well enough when I took algebra-based physics a few years ago, and calculus-based physics isn't really any different, but for some reason I'm just not getting it this time around. I understand the concepts, but manipulating the equations I have to use is difficult for me for some reason. I don't remember ever having this much difficulty with physics. GRRR.
Oh yeah, and the commute to school? I'm so over it. It takes me at least an hour and a half to get to school. If I have a class at 11AM, I have to leave my house at 9AM in order to catch a train that will give me enough time to walk to my class from the train station. And when my classes are done, I have to wait (normally 20+ minutes, sometimes as long as 45-60 minutes) for the train that takes me back home. It got very old very quickly. I can only do so much studying on the train... many times I have to take the "express" train which is very crowded and leaves me no physical room to have my books open to study. About half the time, the trains are late. Before I started commuting, I thought I would be able to just get used to it, but no way. It's a HUGE time suck, and I'm not able to be productive most of the time. Thankfully, one of the classes I dropped was the one where I have to wait 45-60 minutes for the next train.
Anyway, I'm more than halfway done with the semester and I can't freaking wait until the end. My classes end December 3rd and then I have finals the 6th through the 10th. AND THEN WE MOVE! Eric got an incredible offer in South Carolina. It was actually me who found the job. ;)
We had been visiting Eric's friends in Atlanta and I wanted to drive through Greenville since Clemson University is somewhat close by, so I figured it would be a good place for me to transfer. We drove through the campus, which is in a rural part of the state (about 45 minutes south of Greenville), and we drove up through the rural parts to Greenville and then back on the interstate to go home. While we were still on the road, I got on the laptop and started looking for jobs for Eric. I happened to find one that happened to be exactly like what he does now. A couple of weeks later, after Eric and I had gone on our honeymoon, Eric applied for the job, and a week or two after that he had a phone interview. They invited him down for an in-person interview, and since I wanted to be there to support him, we decided to drive (they would only pay for his flight, not mine). While he was in his interview, I drove around a little bit and happened upon the lake nearby, Lake Keowee. It's GORGEOUS! It looked like a lake taken straight out of the mountains of Colorado--and by the way there are smallish mountains very close by, so the whole setting is just so pretty.
Anyway, Eric rocked the interview and had an offer a few days later, which we took. He's leaving November 10th, I'm staying behind until the end of the semester, and then the movers are coming to pack up our stuff and off I go!
My last day at the aquarium is next Saturday. I'll definitely miss it but it'll also be nice to have my Saturdays back. There aren't any aquariums in Greenville, but I'm hoping to find a tack shop to work at.
I won't be starting school again until fall of next year, but while I'm taking my break from school, I'm planning on saving up to buy a horse! WEEEE! :)
Monday, August 23, 2010
I'm DONE with calculus!
FINALLY! I managed to get B's in both the Calc I and Calc II classes. Of course, I was hoping for A's, but this was my first try at calculus, they were accelerated courses, and the professor was tough, so I'm content with my grades.
I did actually get a video of the spitting puffer the last time I went to the aquarium, but Eric is sleeping and I don't want to rummage through the house to try to find the camera... In the same exhibit that the puffer is kept is a huge spiny lobster. I didn't even realize he was there until the biologist mentioned him--the lobster has a hiding spot so I never saw him. Lately, I've been target-feeding him with a chunk of herring on a pole, and the guy is voracious! It's so fun to target feed. I also target feed the moray eels, which I've always thought looked a bit creepy. Plus, they're venomous and they have creepy teeth. And creepy eyes.
Another exhibit I was cleaning the other day has four smaller spiny lobsters (and by smaller, I mean about a foot long). One of them found its way into the "backside" part of the exhibit by crawling over the wall. A grouper also lives back there, having jumped over the wall. There's a net that normally rests above the tank (to keep exactly that kind of escaping from happening), but it was tied up and out of the way when I got there. There's also a board that rests above that backside of the exhibit and I was sitting on it, cleaning the viewing part of the tank. I had noticed that the escapee lobster was down toward the bottom, but another lobster was near the top on the other side, threatening me with his beady little eyes, so I kept an eye on him while he attempted to attack the brush I was using. I noticed something out of the corner of my eye, look down, and see the escapee all the way up at the top, about a foot away from me. Creepy lobster.
I finished, and decided it would probably be a good idea to put the net back to where it normally was. Not 10 seconds later, one of the lobsters had grabbed the net with its claws, pulling the net into the water. It wasn't just a coincidence, either. The lobster was pulling that net into the water like a man reeling in a fish. I frantically grabbed the net from him (gotta be a boy) and hung it back up. I swear, the things these fish are capable of...
I did actually get a video of the spitting puffer the last time I went to the aquarium, but Eric is sleeping and I don't want to rummage through the house to try to find the camera... In the same exhibit that the puffer is kept is a huge spiny lobster. I didn't even realize he was there until the biologist mentioned him--the lobster has a hiding spot so I never saw him. Lately, I've been target-feeding him with a chunk of herring on a pole, and the guy is voracious! It's so fun to target feed. I also target feed the moray eels, which I've always thought looked a bit creepy. Plus, they're venomous and they have creepy teeth. And creepy eyes.
Another exhibit I was cleaning the other day has four smaller spiny lobsters (and by smaller, I mean about a foot long). One of them found its way into the "backside" part of the exhibit by crawling over the wall. A grouper also lives back there, having jumped over the wall. There's a net that normally rests above the tank (to keep exactly that kind of escaping from happening), but it was tied up and out of the way when I got there. There's also a board that rests above that backside of the exhibit and I was sitting on it, cleaning the viewing part of the tank. I had noticed that the escapee lobster was down toward the bottom, but another lobster was near the top on the other side, threatening me with his beady little eyes, so I kept an eye on him while he attempted to attack the brush I was using. I noticed something out of the corner of my eye, look down, and see the escapee all the way up at the top, about a foot away from me. Creepy lobster.
I finished, and decided it would probably be a good idea to put the net back to where it normally was. Not 10 seconds later, one of the lobsters had grabbed the net with its claws, pulling the net into the water. It wasn't just a coincidence, either. The lobster was pulling that net into the water like a man reeling in a fish. I frantically grabbed the net from him (gotta be a boy) and hung it back up. I swear, the things these fish are capable of...
Friday, August 6, 2010
Okay, okay
I never update this thing because I never really think people are reading it lol.
I have one week and one day left in my calculus II class. What really sucks about this accelerated course stuff is that I understand the concepts (mostly), but when it comes time to take a test, I've been cramming so much that my mind just BLANKS. The last test we took was going really well, but it was taking me a while to finish. By the time the class ended, only two people had finished, and he just collected them. When the vast majority of a class doesn't finish a test, doesn't that say that #1 something went wrong in the teaching or #2 the test was just too long? He doesn't see it that way. He thinks he teaches his classes the same way every time, so therefore every class "should" be treated equally.
I know, I know... I wouldn't be bitching if I had been one of the two that finished early. Anyway, so I had to leave one of the questions completely blank, and I wrote "no time" on it... to which he responded, "need to get faster." Bastard.
Welp, my little puffers are still alive and kicking (swimming?), and my snails are breeding like rabbits. The smaller of the two puffers is much more bold. He'll at least swim up to something in the water (like the brush I use to clean their tanks), while the bigger one swims up and down the side of the glass, looking for his escape. At the aquarium, I've changed exhibits all over again, and one of the exhibits I'm working on has a spitting puffer. No, that isn't an actual breed... this particular puffer was trained to spit water at people whenever he wanted food. It's so cute. I've been trying to get a video of it, but he only did it the one time I didn't have a camera.
I can't wait until calculus is over with. After calculus, I have a month long break from school which includes a weekend in Omaha, traveling to Georgia/South Carolina to scope out possible future places to live, and then our HONEYMOON!!!
I have one week and one day left in my calculus II class. What really sucks about this accelerated course stuff is that I understand the concepts (mostly), but when it comes time to take a test, I've been cramming so much that my mind just BLANKS. The last test we took was going really well, but it was taking me a while to finish. By the time the class ended, only two people had finished, and he just collected them. When the vast majority of a class doesn't finish a test, doesn't that say that #1 something went wrong in the teaching or #2 the test was just too long? He doesn't see it that way. He thinks he teaches his classes the same way every time, so therefore every class "should" be treated equally.
I know, I know... I wouldn't be bitching if I had been one of the two that finished early. Anyway, so I had to leave one of the questions completely blank, and I wrote "no time" on it... to which he responded, "need to get faster." Bastard.
Welp, my little puffers are still alive and kicking (swimming?), and my snails are breeding like rabbits. The smaller of the two puffers is much more bold. He'll at least swim up to something in the water (like the brush I use to clean their tanks), while the bigger one swims up and down the side of the glass, looking for his escape. At the aquarium, I've changed exhibits all over again, and one of the exhibits I'm working on has a spitting puffer. No, that isn't an actual breed... this particular puffer was trained to spit water at people whenever he wanted food. It's so cute. I've been trying to get a video of it, but he only did it the one time I didn't have a camera.
I can't wait until calculus is over with. After calculus, I have a month long break from school which includes a weekend in Omaha, traveling to Georgia/South Carolina to scope out possible future places to live, and then our HONEYMOON!!!
Monday, August 2, 2010
Friday, June 4, 2010
Calculus and work
That's all I seem to be doing these days. I've been studying so much calculus that it's been entering my dreams on a regular basis. I'm not doing as well as I'd hoped, and a lot of that is because I've been getting anxiety before and during my tests. I've been putting so much pressure on myself that my mind completely blanks when I take these damn tests. I'm still passing, but I'm not happy with my grades.
Anyway, I got two new puffers! These guys are fat and healthy, but not nearly as social as the last two. :( They dart around whenever I clean the tank, and in general are much more shy. Oh well. Hopefully they'll come around. A month or so ago I set up a 5-gallon tank solely for breeding snails (to feed the puffers). I never realized how slowly these things grow. I put around 20 snails (around 1/4" each) in the tank, and within days, I could see little packets of eggs on the glass of the tank. I have tons and tons of little baby snails in there, but they're growing sooooo slowly! At this rate, I'll never be able to make use of these snails.
I also have a new dressage board!
Anyway, I got two new puffers! These guys are fat and healthy, but not nearly as social as the last two. :( They dart around whenever I clean the tank, and in general are much more shy. Oh well. Hopefully they'll come around. A month or so ago I set up a 5-gallon tank solely for breeding snails (to feed the puffers). I never realized how slowly these things grow. I put around 20 snails (around 1/4" each) in the tank, and within days, I could see little packets of eggs on the glass of the tank. I have tons and tons of little baby snails in there, but they're growing sooooo slowly! At this rate, I'll never be able to make use of these snails.
I also have a new dressage board!
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
On the fishies
I bought two figure-eight puffers a few weeks ago, and they were doing great--eating voraciously, swimming around happily, etc. But almost three weeks to the day after I got them, one of them was looking rather lethargic, and didn't really eat. I separated him into a little breeding box thing that I have, trying to help him since the current in the aquarium was throwing him around a bit. I also put some Melafix in the tank, hoped for the best, and came down the next morning. He was still alive, but died that afternoon. Same with the other puffer, although that little guy was a fighter. I transferred him into a makeshift hospital tank (a bucket with a heater) and put some anti-parasitic meds in, and he seemed to be swimming around a bit, but he died a few hours later. :( I just didn't catch it in time. I was pretty upset when he died, because he really didn't want to seem to give up. RIP little puffers.
This one was the laid-back, shy one. He had a particular hiding spot that he loved. The other one (the one looking straight at the camera) was aggressive, and would come right up to your fingers and nip, thinking it was food. He would also nip at the bristles of the toothbrush I use to clean their tank.
Sigh... so, I gave away my two cichlids, since puffers really aren't supposed to be kept with cichlids, and I'll be getting one or two more puffers again soon. When I do it this time, though, I'll be giving them the anti-parasitic as soon as I get them home--apparently parasites are pretty common with these puffers.
The other day at the aquarium, I helped feed the bowmouths! Here's a pic of one:
They're about 5-6 feet long, and they're trained to feed in a really cool way. The tank they're in is a huge, 760,000 gallon exhibit, so it's not like you can just kind of aim for them. They have a pole about 15 feet long, and this pole is dropped as far down into the tank as possible from this "dock" hanging over the tank. The pole doesn't reach the bottom, but the bowmouths are able to find the pole, and they follow (with their noses) the pole all the way up to the surface of the water, where they're presented with fish or crabs on a different pole. Sounds easier than it is. They don't just "follow" the pole--they actually PUSH on it while they're on their way up, and I had to push back with the pole every single time to prevent them from scratching their snouts on the dock. I had to basically use all my weight on the pole to keep them from pushing it out of my reach. These guys are voracious!
This one was the laid-back, shy one. He had a particular hiding spot that he loved. The other one (the one looking straight at the camera) was aggressive, and would come right up to your fingers and nip, thinking it was food. He would also nip at the bristles of the toothbrush I use to clean their tank.
Sigh... so, I gave away my two cichlids, since puffers really aren't supposed to be kept with cichlids, and I'll be getting one or two more puffers again soon. When I do it this time, though, I'll be giving them the anti-parasitic as soon as I get them home--apparently parasites are pretty common with these puffers.
The other day at the aquarium, I helped feed the bowmouths! Here's a pic of one:
They're about 5-6 feet long, and they're trained to feed in a really cool way. The tank they're in is a huge, 760,000 gallon exhibit, so it's not like you can just kind of aim for them. They have a pole about 15 feet long, and this pole is dropped as far down into the tank as possible from this "dock" hanging over the tank. The pole doesn't reach the bottom, but the bowmouths are able to find the pole, and they follow (with their noses) the pole all the way up to the surface of the water, where they're presented with fish or crabs on a different pole. Sounds easier than it is. They don't just "follow" the pole--they actually PUSH on it while they're on their way up, and I had to push back with the pole every single time to prevent them from scratching their snouts on the dock. I had to basically use all my weight on the pole to keep them from pushing it out of my reach. These guys are voracious!
Straight A's!
Yep, I got all A's for last semester. I'm currently taking a six-week Calc I course, and I'll be taking Calc II after that.
It was a miracle that I was able to get into Calc I. I had enrolled in this class a few months ago, and it's the only Calc I class for the Summer 1 six-week semester. Well, I had mistakenly thought that financial aid would carry over into the summer months, but it didn't, and on top of that, I never received a bill--not a letter, not an e-mail, nothing. So my school deregistered me from the class, and I didn't find out until well over a week later. Of course, by then, the class was filled, AND there was no waitlist for it! I was furious, and I called up in tears (I was really upset, as this would put me back a semester), but of course, there was nothing they could do. I even e-mailed the professor, and he was of no help.
Long story short, I checked multiple times a day waiting for someone to drop. The night before the class was supposed to start, someone happened to drop, and I snatched up that person's spot.
So, here I am, taking an insanely fast-paced calculus course. Two of them, actually. I'll be thankful when this summer is over. I hope I'm actually able to enjoy it!
It was a miracle that I was able to get into Calc I. I had enrolled in this class a few months ago, and it's the only Calc I class for the Summer 1 six-week semester. Well, I had mistakenly thought that financial aid would carry over into the summer months, but it didn't, and on top of that, I never received a bill--not a letter, not an e-mail, nothing. So my school deregistered me from the class, and I didn't find out until well over a week later. Of course, by then, the class was filled, AND there was no waitlist for it! I was furious, and I called up in tears (I was really upset, as this would put me back a semester), but of course, there was nothing they could do. I even e-mailed the professor, and he was of no help.
Long story short, I checked multiple times a day waiting for someone to drop. The night before the class was supposed to start, someone happened to drop, and I snatched up that person's spot.
So, here I am, taking an insanely fast-paced calculus course. Two of them, actually. I'll be thankful when this summer is over. I hope I'm actually able to enjoy it!
Sunday, May 9, 2010
Had a dream about Holmes on Homes...
Yep, I dreamt that his show came to my house in Omaha (the one I'm TRYING TO SELL), and he dug up the basement, and then, in typical Holmes, saw some things in other parts of the house that needed fixin', and fixed it. In my dream, I had a shower in the basement that some contractor screwed up.
Apparently, the crew got bagels (except, it was more like a bunch of bagels plastered together like a cake), and I took a piece... then worried that maybe I should have bought the crew bagels. I also apparently had left some food out the last time I was in the house (months ago), and was worried they all thought it was gross. I worry too much.
I'll post life updates some day, lol. Short version: I'm getting good grades this semester, and got screwed by the school for my summer schedule. Bastids.
Apparently, the crew got bagels (except, it was more like a bunch of bagels plastered together like a cake), and I took a piece... then worried that maybe I should have bought the crew bagels. I also apparently had left some food out the last time I was in the house (months ago), and was worried they all thought it was gross. I worry too much.
I'll post life updates some day, lol. Short version: I'm getting good grades this semester, and got screwed by the school for my summer schedule. Bastids.
Sunday, March 7, 2010
Newest aquarium pic!
I'm getting much more comfortable working at the aquarium. I'm still a little leering sticking my hand into an aquarium/exhibit I'm not familiar with, but now I can clean out an exhibit with venomous fish without feeling anxiety, lol. I think I'm most fond of the little rays that I take care of. When I feed them, I put the food under each ray, and they vacuum it right up. I'd like to have one, but they require a fairly large aquarium. Hm, maybe the next aquarium I get... ;)
Here's an updated pic of the setup. I put an additional filter in it (not pictured) since the one in this pic is only rated for 45 gallons, and the fish I plan on getting are messy. The driftwood has made the water all cloudy, so when I get back, I'll have to do a water change. Right now, it's cycling and building up healthy bacteria, so I'll have to wait to put fish in until that's done.
As far as school goes, I've been getting frustrated with my precalculus class. We've missed 4 days because of snow/sick prof, and he complains about the fact that it's put us behind... yet he proceeds to waste at least 15 minutes of every single class BSing. We had a test on Friday, and I don't even have the grade, but I know I did poorly. I sent him an e-mail as soon as I got home saying I was getting frustrated because we weren't given any homework, and could he please give us some practice problems to do so that we (I) can study more efficiently? His reply completely dismissed my worries. He said, "Don't get frustrated. One test won't kill you." What the hell? He's basically saying, "If you get a C, that's good enough. Here's a pat on the back." Great way to motivate your students, professor. Oh, and he never agreed that he would assign us some practice problems. What a lazy professor! Seriously. If only I could transfer into another class. GRRRR!!
Here's an updated pic of the setup. I put an additional filter in it (not pictured) since the one in this pic is only rated for 45 gallons, and the fish I plan on getting are messy. The driftwood has made the water all cloudy, so when I get back, I'll have to do a water change. Right now, it's cycling and building up healthy bacteria, so I'll have to wait to put fish in until that's done.
As far as school goes, I've been getting frustrated with my precalculus class. We've missed 4 days because of snow/sick prof, and he complains about the fact that it's put us behind... yet he proceeds to waste at least 15 minutes of every single class BSing. We had a test on Friday, and I don't even have the grade, but I know I did poorly. I sent him an e-mail as soon as I got home saying I was getting frustrated because we weren't given any homework, and could he please give us some practice problems to do so that we (I) can study more efficiently? His reply completely dismissed my worries. He said, "Don't get frustrated. One test won't kill you." What the hell? He's basically saying, "If you get a C, that's good enough. Here's a pat on the back." Great way to motivate your students, professor. Oh, and he never agreed that he would assign us some practice problems. What a lazy professor! Seriously. If only I could transfer into another class. GRRRR!!
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Aquarium pics
I got some driftwood, but it's soaking right now. In a few days, I'll add the driftwood and rearrange the plants.
Monday, February 22, 2010
88% on my first test.
I'm so pissed off. I really dislike this professor... and not because I got an 88%, but because of the way he teaches.
He wastes time in class by talking about how our weekends went, and he CONSTANTLY goes off on tangents that have absolutely nothing to do with the class material. I never know what's expected of us, and the few problems that he assigned as homework (which he ended up not picking up) didn't have anything to do with what was on the test. He took SIX POINTS off one problem because I did it by hand instead of using the calculator. WTF?
I'm so frustrated with this professor--I wish my previous professor taught this semester. :( She didn't waste our time; she assigned homework and actually picked it up; she handed back our tests the following class, without fail (this guy took over a week and a half); and she always went over the material that we were tested on. She used every single minute of class time, and I considered it to be a fast-paced class. So how is it that my current prof can waste 15+ minutes every single class and still go over all the material that we need to know (for calculus)?? It's simple--he can't.
I've resorted to self-teaching, but even then, I don't know how I'll fare on his tests. I spent my class time on Friday teaching myself the second section of the chapter, and by the time I was done, we still had 30 minutes left in the class--and yet he's still teaching material from the second section today. I would continue to teach myself, but the questions that he asked on the test weren't covered in the material in the book.
GAH!!!
He wastes time in class by talking about how our weekends went, and he CONSTANTLY goes off on tangents that have absolutely nothing to do with the class material. I never know what's expected of us, and the few problems that he assigned as homework (which he ended up not picking up) didn't have anything to do with what was on the test. He took SIX POINTS off one problem because I did it by hand instead of using the calculator. WTF?
I'm so frustrated with this professor--I wish my previous professor taught this semester. :( She didn't waste our time; she assigned homework and actually picked it up; she handed back our tests the following class, without fail (this guy took over a week and a half); and she always went over the material that we were tested on. She used every single minute of class time, and I considered it to be a fast-paced class. So how is it that my current prof can waste 15+ minutes every single class and still go over all the material that we need to know (for calculus)?? It's simple--he can't.
I've resorted to self-teaching, but even then, I don't know how I'll fare on his tests. I spent my class time on Friday teaching myself the second section of the chapter, and by the time I was done, we still had 30 minutes left in the class--and yet he's still teaching material from the second section today. I would continue to teach myself, but the questions that he asked on the test weren't covered in the material in the book.
GAH!!!
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Woohoo!!!
I was just named as a semi-finalist in the Department of Defense scholarship that I applied for a couple months ago. It's still a long shot... 1,300 semi-finalists (out of 3,300 applicants) and only 250-300 awards. I'll know for sure March 31st.
I have an aquarium! I decided to go with a 55-gallon since the fish I'm planning on getting are somewhat aggressive and won't be able to live with very many other fish. I had some troubles setting up the filter. I got everything set up, and then Eric and I tried running water through it, but the filter kept sucking in air. An hour later, it dawned on me to make sure I had the hoses hooked up properly. Yeah, they were backward.
So, we got the filter running, and today I added 50 pounds of black gravel. I bought some stuff online at Petco (cheap!), and tomorrow I'm planning on buying some Bio-Spira (basically, it's good bacteria that helps get aquariums cycled faster). Hopefully by next week I'll have some fishies! :) Pictures coming soon!
I have an aquarium! I decided to go with a 55-gallon since the fish I'm planning on getting are somewhat aggressive and won't be able to live with very many other fish. I had some troubles setting up the filter. I got everything set up, and then Eric and I tried running water through it, but the filter kept sucking in air. An hour later, it dawned on me to make sure I had the hoses hooked up properly. Yeah, they were backward.
So, we got the filter running, and today I added 50 pounds of black gravel. I bought some stuff online at Petco (cheap!), and tomorrow I'm planning on buying some Bio-Spira (basically, it's good bacteria that helps get aquariums cycled faster). Hopefully by next week I'll have some fishies! :) Pictures coming soon!
Sunday, February 14, 2010
New aquarium, new (old) job!
My wonderful fiance got me an aquarium for Valentine's Day! :) Actually, I don't have one yet, but he told that's what he's getting me. He had to get my input before buying anything. We're going out tomorrow night to look at one. I originally considered a 55-gallon, but saw a 75-gallon on Craigslist that looks pretty nice. Fingers crossed!
So, I'm back in school again, which is going well so far, and I have a job! Woohoo! I'm working at my previous employer again, and happy to have something to do, though they're keeping me pretty busy.
I worked at the aquarium yesterday. I've switched exhibits again, and I'm now taking care of a bunch of different fish--sharks (small ones), rays, lion fish, eels (gah!), clown fish... I also have to feed a couple of the sharks by hand. The first time I did it, I was a bit freaked out. The male will take it out of your hand without a problem, but the female is neurotic. She spins around in circles, and you have to practically follow her around and put it in front of her nose before she'll take it. The biologist I'm working with thinks it might be a neurological thing, but he says she's healthy and seems happy. I felt the teeth of the male when I fed them yesterday, lol.
I've finally gotten used to fish guts, I think. I can cut up fish without feeling all squirmy inside.
So, I'm back in school again, which is going well so far, and I have a job! Woohoo! I'm working at my previous employer again, and happy to have something to do, though they're keeping me pretty busy.
I worked at the aquarium yesterday. I've switched exhibits again, and I'm now taking care of a bunch of different fish--sharks (small ones), rays, lion fish, eels (gah!), clown fish... I also have to feed a couple of the sharks by hand. The first time I did it, I was a bit freaked out. The male will take it out of your hand without a problem, but the female is neurotic. She spins around in circles, and you have to practically follow her around and put it in front of her nose before she'll take it. The biologist I'm working with thinks it might be a neurological thing, but he says she's healthy and seems happy. I felt the teeth of the male when I fed them yesterday, lol.
I've finally gotten used to fish guts, I think. I can cut up fish without feeling all squirmy inside.
Saturday, January 23, 2010
Grades, wedding, update, etc...
Guess I should update this thing!
I ended up getting an A in precalculus, an A in organic chemistry, and a B- in biology... I ended up with a 3.557 for the semester, and was also on the Dean's list. :)
I also got into Drexel! I'm starting in the fall, and I'm going into environmental engineering. I kind of went from environmental science to engineering mostly because I'm a problem solver, and engineering is more of an "applied" degree--I can use what I know to solve problems related to the environment. I had considered chemical engineering since I seem to have a knack for chemistry, but I feel that an environmental engineering degree will accomplish the goal I set for myself when I decided to go back to school: giving back to the environment. I'll probably always want to do something else (like being a vet or being a tack shop owner, the latter of which I can still do many years from now), but I figure that's something I'll just have to live with. There are just not enough years in a lifetime to accomplish what I want to do! (For those that are interested, here's a link explaining environmental engineering: http://www.drexel.edu/academics/coe/cae/ugenve.asp )
The wedding plans are sort of coming along. When it comes to wedding details, I'm clueless. The whole wedding thing is just a foreign concept to me or something... I never know what I should be doing and when. *shrug* I guess as long as Eric and I sign the papers and make it official, that's all that matters. ;)
So, this semester, I'm taking precalculus II, an engineering class, and a literature class. After that, I'm planning on taking at least calculus and maybe physics this summer, but all of the other classes I need for the environmental engineering degree have to be taken at Drexel. I did get $13k in scholarships from Drexel, which is kind of a drop in the bucket (in my Midwestern-every-college-is-cheap opinion) considering how expensive Drexel is, but I guess every little bit helps! After Eric and I get married, I don't think we'll qualify for much aid. BOOOOO.
I ended up getting an A in precalculus, an A in organic chemistry, and a B- in biology... I ended up with a 3.557 for the semester, and was also on the Dean's list. :)
I also got into Drexel! I'm starting in the fall, and I'm going into environmental engineering. I kind of went from environmental science to engineering mostly because I'm a problem solver, and engineering is more of an "applied" degree--I can use what I know to solve problems related to the environment. I had considered chemical engineering since I seem to have a knack for chemistry, but I feel that an environmental engineering degree will accomplish the goal I set for myself when I decided to go back to school: giving back to the environment. I'll probably always want to do something else (like being a vet or being a tack shop owner, the latter of which I can still do many years from now), but I figure that's something I'll just have to live with. There are just not enough years in a lifetime to accomplish what I want to do! (For those that are interested, here's a link explaining environmental engineering: http://www.drexel.edu/academics/coe/cae/ugenve.asp )
The wedding plans are sort of coming along. When it comes to wedding details, I'm clueless. The whole wedding thing is just a foreign concept to me or something... I never know what I should be doing and when. *shrug* I guess as long as Eric and I sign the papers and make it official, that's all that matters. ;)
So, this semester, I'm taking precalculus II, an engineering class, and a literature class. After that, I'm planning on taking at least calculus and maybe physics this summer, but all of the other classes I need for the environmental engineering degree have to be taken at Drexel. I did get $13k in scholarships from Drexel, which is kind of a drop in the bucket (in my Midwestern-every-college-is-cheap opinion) considering how expensive Drexel is, but I guess every little bit helps! After Eric and I get married, I don't think we'll qualify for much aid. BOOOOO.
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