Epic Fail or Epic Sucess?

list of failures:
                  getting lost in the building I work in
                  choking on water
                  dropping a very expensive physics book
                  eating gluten

list of successes:
                    finished my homework early
                    may have got a collaboration with a university in Canada
                    Printed out some very useful study materials for the GRE
                    Read two sections in my quantum optics book


Well, it's 4 vs 4.  The glass is half full/empty.  Now, how to look at it.....

Rebuilding + Homework + Studying + Work = Busy

At work, I've started rebuilding my entire set up.  I had to change a lot of things anyway, and it would be nice to have it more condensed.  So, I moved the set up to behind the laser to save room.  I also switched the place where we put our sample to right next to the microscope.  Eventually, we will use a sample on the microscope instead of my sample holder now.  So, we are prepared for that step.

I just found out that the annual birthday party for my dad, my brother and myself happened last week.  I didn't even know about!  Of course it went back to just being for my dad and brother, like it was before I was born.  I guess we'll just have to have a mini birthday celebration in December where I can give them presents too! And maybe go to olive garden. MmmmMmmmm.


I have my second homework set due in two days.  I'm about 2/3 of the way done with it and I already have some of it written up as a final draft.  I have to make final drafts of physics homework.  When I'm figuring out the problems, I just make a mess on the page.  I can barely figure it out myself! haha.

I've been studying for the GRE, but I think I'm going to study in a slightly different way.  I've been taking the online quizzes instead of just studying what I think will be on the test.  This way takes a lot less time, and I think in the end it will tell me what I really need to study.  So far I have taken 3 out of about a million quizzes.  Okay, there's more like 50.  But that's still a lot!

I will try to get pictures up soon.  I have to remember when I'm on my laptop and not my work computer.  That's apparently harder than it sounds for me. lol.

Hungry!

I am hungry all the time on this gluten-free diet.  It's so frustrating.  I've been talking with my friend Ali, and she said that I should switch to brown rice instead of white rice.  Hopefully that helps a bit.  I'm snacking like crazy!  Also, I found this delicious garlic herb cheese spread for my sandwiches.  Never thought I would enjoy sandwiches for two meals a day!  I went to the canteen for dinner, and they didn't have much gluten free.  Normally their whole meal is gluten free, but they went for pasta and breaded chicken today :(  I probably looked really weird checking out with my kiwi, coke, and boiled eggs. lol.

I just read Nikki's blog about her friend's friend's (keeping up) miscarriage.  It was soooo sad. but bittersweet that "the first time he opens his eyes he sees Jesus." I almost cried and I don't even know these people!  I guess it kind of hit home for me a bit.  My biggest fear (for when I'm older. Don't worry.)  is that I will never be able to see my child.  I'm afraid of either having a miscarriage or dying during labor.  It's so scary!  I hate health class for freaking me out.  I've even considered adopting to avoid the whole issue.  Of course, I will have to come to an agreement with my future husband, in the future.  I really shouldn't be worrying about this now.  Alex and I have spoken of marriage, but he doesn't want to get married until after he gets his PhD, and I don't want to get married until I'm in graduate school at the earliest.  So, I've got at least two years until I should be worrying about this.  Why am I stressing now?  It's entirely irrelevant now.  ugh!

Well, Pistachio, my tortoise, seems to be doing very well with Mari and Maitland.  Maitland claims that he likes Mari better.  He may.  I know he hated my old roommate Carol.  He would hiss at her all the time.  Granted, she did hiss back and gave him the very attractive nick name Piss.  I know.  Lovely right?  I wish I had a picture of him here, and my dogs.  I brought pictures of my family, and I constantly am updating my computer background with new pictures of my nieces from Nikki's blog.  I guess I just am a little homesick.  It'll happen when you're half way across the world for almost 3months.  Wow!  It's been almost three months.  I'm almost half way into this project.  That's crazy, and kind of makes me feel like I need to get to work. lol.  Homework and studying for the GRE need to come first right now though.

I will try to start taking more pictures and post them, however, they will not be nearly as cute as the ones of my nieces.  Sorry, I'm no longer a little chubby girl with budding teeth or an adorable smiley baby.  Though I am smiley.. and maybe a little chubby. lol.  Certainly not as chubby as little Hannah though!  I have some pictures on my camera that should be posted.  They're of really cute monkeys at a monkey zoo I went to a while ago.  They actually let the monkeys come out with the people along with a few other animals.  Now, where did I put my camera?...

Progress!

Progress at work:  I improved the resolution of my camera by a little bit, and if I get more components, I can improve it by a lot more!  Exciting.

Progress in school:  I actually understand most of this homework set!  I just did the first three problems in half an hour.  And I know I got them right. Yay!!!  I have one little definition that I don't understand and I'll be able to do the next part.  After that I may need to do some reading.

Progress in life:  Well... that's general...  hmmmm....  My bike is getting fixed.  So, I will be able to get around quickly and easily soon once again.  I went to the contemporary choir rehearsal on Monday.  It was taught in Dutch and I actually understood what I was supposed to do most of the time.  It was surprising.  I'm going to the rehearsal for the classical choir tonight.  I will probably end up joining that one.  I like classical choirs a little better plus they have less people which is always nice when it comes to choir.

This weekend or next weekend I will be going to Alex's house to visit his parents and go see a movie with his friends.  I'm excited to get away for a weekend.  This place is a little too related to stress for me right now.  but it's a good work environment motivation wise at the moment.

Well it's almost lunch time, and I forgot my gluten-free bread at Alex's place.  So, I better get going.

Gluten Free week 2!

I can eat Dairy!!!!! wooo!!!!  Turns out I'm allergic to soy.  Leave it to soy icecream to help me figure that out. haha. so I had about two servings of dairy at once and didn't get sick.  Thus, I'm not allergic to dairy as far as I can tell.  But soy is evil and my new enemy.  But, now I know why I was randomly getting sick this past week.  I think it'll be really funny if I end up being allergic to soy and corn because those are the main stream substitutes for gluten and dairy.  That'd be entertaining.  I'm so excited to eat chocolate and ice cream and cheese and milk.....  I also found a little Chinese store that sells baking soda, crisco, and popping corn.  I've been dying without them.  My boss was very impressed that I found those within three months when she's been her twenty some years and hasn't found them! lol.

Class is HARD!!  Apparently I need background for the first assignment that I don't have.  It's taking forever.  I have two problems left and I'm just stuck on the math, but I can't make them work. I'm supposed to prove that this crazy function equals zero, but I'm 98% sure it doesn't.  grrr....  frustrations.  This kind of reminds me of Comp Mech.... huh.

Gluten Free Day 4

I have made it to day four, and I want chocolate!!!!! OMG I want chocolate.  And I found out that I can have dark chocolate which is the best kind anyway.  So, I better leave soon to go buy a ton!

Anyway I'm about to schedule the day I can take the Physics GRE.  Apparently Amsterdam is all full, and I will have to go to brussels which could be fun.

Alex is sick now.  One guess who's fault that is...  oh wait.  He's sick and kinda grumpy but really cute.  Work is slow, but hopefully I will make progress tomorrow.

Gluten-Free Day 3

So, I haven't died.  yay!!! But I have had a nasty cold for the past few days and they just don't have useful medicine here.  Oh well.  I took the day off yesterday, drank a lot of tea, took a couple of hot showers, and I feel a little better.

One thing I've learned is that gluten-free bread sucks.  It's just gross, at least the kind I have is.  I'm going to try and buy a different kind today, but that means I have to go into the city.  That's slightly more difficult since Alex borrowed my bike and ran over glass.  Now I have to replace the entire back tire.  We tried to patch it up, but the slice was just too big.  Hopefully I can just take the bus and get some tasty bread.  That's all I miss... well and cheese... and icecream.  OK apparently I miss a lot.... chocolate.... The milk is the more frustrating part.  I can do without the gluten.  There's gluten free bread and cookies and cereals and snacks and flour.  I just want my tasty milk back.  grrr.  This is going to be harder than I thought.  Even harder than when I was a vegetarian for a month and a half.  Oh that reminds me, they have this delicious bacon wrapped ground pork here.  It's so good.  I made a meat rub for the first time last night for it.  It turned out a little salty, but very tasty.

Other than that not much has been going on.  I narrowed down my colleges by a few, and I've been playing a lot of Mario Party.  Maybe I need a life... nah!