Pathophysiology if Phun

Phun, yes that is the word. Do not question it, just accept it.

Soooo, just finished my midterm for Patho and I think it went well (I'm sitting in the commons now outside Eric's last class listening to some crazy 18 year olds making really weird rap music...sort of sounds like armpit music and raspberrys, but it's all right because they're cool).

Eric wants me to promise that I won't post anything too disgusting, but I have to admit that I think the most interesting things I have learned have to be some of the most disgusting. For instance, did you know that with an electrical burn that the electrical charge will follow the nerve all the way until it terminates? It burns the tissue and causes necrosis all the way along the nerve which is not visible until basically the dead tissue eats it way out to the surface or becomes so infected that they need to do a fasciotomy to relieve the pressure (aka they cut you open). I have some great pictures...but I won't use them all up just yet. Gross hey?

I was thinking about that the other day. They actually have wound healing nurse specialists. Their job is to look after patients with wounds that are difficult to heal. Some people live with open decubitus ulcers for over a year before they close by secondary intention. Can you imagine what kind of agony they must go through? A gaping hole over their sacrum for a year? I can not fathom it myself. So who knows? Maybe I could look at doing something like that. I am beginning to develop an iron gut...if I can ever figure out what I want to be when I grow up, maybe that will be it.

In the mean time, my near future goals consist of washing the dog (who smells) and doing some laundry (so we don't smell) and then washing some dishes (which really smell!). Gots to right a journal tonight...another chapter in the "This is how I am feeling about you feeling about me thinking and feeling about you feeling" emotional-introspective-oh-please-don't-make-me-write-another-one journal for my nursing clinical course *sigh*. My last one was about the importance of accurate clinical documentation, maybe I'll write this one on the importance of not over emotionally-analyzing every aspect of my life :) Somehow I doubt that will go over well. Oh well, onward and forwards, if anyone thinks of some morally/ethically/tear jerking issue that needs writing about I would be pleased to hear it.

Until next time, Cheers.
-Rebecca

The Scrooge of Halloween!

We didn't have any candies tonite for Halloween, I dressed up as Scrooge - No Candy for You! Fortunately for us, we also didn't have anyone stop by. It might've been the dog barking everytime she heard someone on our steps out front, or it might've been the actual steps (not safe at the best of times!)

Someday we'll do the Halloween thing, not because I believe in ghosts, ghouls or goblins. Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings is about as close as I get to that stuff, but mostly because I think it'd be a lot of fun to build some kind of themed, automated Haunted House :-)

So. I'm feeling a tiny bit Emo tonite, I hope you can forgive me. Today was mid-term #1, Friday #2. This semester is limited in it's midterms (thank goodness), but still it makes me think. I love learning, there is just about nothing in the world I'd rather do, but I'm not sure I like school. It's odd, being in classes, learning to start a life that I feel I've already started. I know, I've done it bass-ackwards but still, it's harder going back then I expected. When I'm at work I'm where I am happiest (almost all of the time), when I'm at school I'm just sitting, listening, not doing anything. I enjoy learning, and, granted, there are lots of times I'm learning at school, but sometimes I feel like something is not right. So what to do....

I've already changed from a business major to computer science. That was definitely a step in the right direction, but is it right? I don't like learning without doing anything. I can read from a book all I want, listen to yet another theory lecture, but I'm at the point where I want to build, play, make. So where does that leave me?

School isn't going to be quick, I'm not going to give up, that's for sure, but it's going to take a while. My four year program might take five, but that's ok. (I need the time to learn the math!) That won't stop our lives. We are still going to SoCal next year (again!), we may be going to NY even, and who knows where else. Kids are coming, they can't wait too long! And we just need to enjoy our lives more. So what do we do?

Right now, that's the big question, we've spent so much time worrying about the future that we have, in some ways, missed out on life in the day to day. We need to figure that one out, and once we do I think we're set. Just how to do it is the question? That is to be seen....

We'll keep you filled in :-)

- E

I don't know what it is about space, but it's one of those things/places I find very cool. Must've been something from being a kid, or maybe just the sheer challenge of getting something to travel that far, through that harsh of conditions just to get it up there. But one of my favorite movies is October Sky, I love looking at High Altitude Rocketry, and anything just outside of the bounds of earth absolutely fascinates me.

So seeing the HALO project by Canadian Natrium42 was downright awesome. (Sorry, corny wording, but I can't think of any other way to say it!)

Check it out!

-E

What I read...

I've had a day. So to procrastinate/try and feel better I thought I'd blog. Of note, it is exactly one month since the last one!

I read lots of blogs (even though I don't blog often) such as the following:

I read lots of tech stuff, like:

• Coding Horror - A great blog with lots of interesting articles (at times rants) about stuff that I do quite often (ie: work). Lots of good architecture and design info...
• Joel on Software - Another one of those overall interesting tech blogs (though slightly boring at the moment now that he's on a promo tour).
• Scott Hanselman's Computer Zen- A M$ employee, but I did read him before then. Really great reading, especially the Weekly Source Code. Just goes to show you can be a programmer and be cool! (It's ok Mom, I've come to accept my uncoolness....)
• WebmasterWorld - This is how I know of stuff so soon that goes on, on the web. I've let out my secret. Though there are actually a lot of other places that are quicker to post news, this one is usually pretty good, and usually right on the money.
  

And when I'm feeling like I need a laugh:

• XKCD - But be careful ~
  

  Warning: this comic occasionally contains strong language (which may be unsuitable for children), unusual humor (which may be unsuitable for adults), and advanced mathematics (which may be unsuitable for liberal-arts majors).

And to feed my Arm Chair Model Railroader hobby:

• CNJ Bronx Terminal - Tim Warris, of FastTracks fame, has lots of good tips on modelling in general. I remember the first time I saw his article in Model Railroader, it had to be one of my favorite layouts!
• Blood Sweat & Tears Railroad - The site showcases a great railroad (which unfortunately no longer exists) as well as links to many other great railroads.
• Carl Arendt's Micro Layouts Site - My current favorite, he showcases trackplans that squeeze a lot into small spaces. Not all of the micro layouts are the craftsman quality of some of the others seen here, but they are all very creative!
  
• Also Dan's Train Blog, The Körschtalbahn and the Clearwater Valley Railway. All very good, and interesting reads, though some aren't updated as often as I'd like
  

And to feed my other creative impulses:

• Makezine Blog - Art and engineering from all over the world. A great read, some of the coolest things I've seen shows up here! And the Faires are even better!
• Brass Goggles - My tiny foray into the real art world. Some very amazing stuff, my only complaint is that it isn't updated nearly often enough!

Last, but definitely not the least, is family (and friends who are family):

• Mom & Dad Bouwsema - A great way of keeping up when it's hard to keep up! Also, I regularly read the Train Station Saga's....
• Ambling Ramblings - A great name, from B&K, brother and sister-in-law, joint MST3K partakers. I don't know if I should link them though, they don't link me ;-)
• And Emma - The beautiful Miss Grose! Unfortunately no longer updated, too busy with a new little brother I think.
  

So, that's pretty much what I read. When I need a break, I look at most of theses blogs/sites and it makes me feel good again!

Dream House....

We were vegging a bit and watched the last bit of North by Northwest on Turner Classic Movies. What a movie in all of it's 1950's glory! Over the last few years Becky and I have been figuring out that we really quite like Mid-Century Modern style and design, and this was the epitome of it. The best part was the Frank Lloyd Wright inspired Vandamm house.




These pictures are courtesy of Flickr. We've decided that our future house should be inspired by this one, it would be great to have that space, wood and rock balance. And the cantilever, although not true Frank Lloyd Wright (that's not me who knows this, the JetSet guy said so, and I believe him) I would feel better knowing there were supports underneath it.

Unfortunately this house never existed, so we'll just have to build our own version, complete with modern, but mid-century modern inspired furniture.

And while we are on the topic, I really like this house-warming gift idea. Becky and I will just have to go and find more old Popular Mechanics and Life magazines till we find one almost as cool as that!

On the ideas of gifts (seeing as only family reads my rants called a blog), I wouldn't mind North by Northwest for Christmas!

I've been found out....

In fact, my code is compiling right now... :-)

(Kudos to XKCD)

Dog Names...

From my (our) sick and twisted minds. (Sorry Mom!)

So if you cross a Pomeranian and a Poodle we found out yesterday you get a PomPoo.

So that got us thinking, that wouldn't a pure bread Pom (one puppy with two Pomeranian parents) be a PomPom?

Or even worse, wouldn't a pure bread Poodle be a PooPoo?

But that's not even the worse of it. We figured that a Golden Doodle (A Golden Retriever and a Poodle cross) should then be a Poo Retriever.

But we know a Pit Bull, nice dog, but if you had one crossed with a Shitzu, well, you know what you would get.

Now if that Pit Bull/Shitzu crossed with a Standard Poodle, in Canada you would get the Standard Bull S#!t. Heaven forbid it was an American Pit Bull that crossed, or you might get...

Radio Paradise

If you can get past the asking for money... Radio Paradise is one of my favorite radio stations to listen too, a nice mix of everything. The Postal Service is currently playing, good band...

And if you feel guilty like me, buy a shirt :-)

http://www.radioparadise.com/

Oil Town

It's great living in oil town, did I ever mention that? All these fancy cars, huge houses, money coming out of everywhere. Including our pockets.

Found out today that our rent will go up 10-15% when our lease is up. Fan-freakin-tastic. As if we don't already pay enough? Oil town is great, for those who make money off of the oil, for the rest of us, especially students, it sucks.

But that is enough of my left wing rant...

It is Valentines, and we are home because of school, but on Sunday we are going out for breakfast. There are so many things I love about my beautiful wife, but two that were clear today is that she is ok with Breakfast as a fancy meal out!! And two she uses the word frackin' off of Battlestar Galactica. Yes, she can geek-speak, even better than me.

-Eric

Public Service Announcement - Prevent Screen Burn-in

With Kick-Ar$3 screensavers....

http://www.reallyslick.com/

-E

P.S. This proves that school really is good for something, finding cool stuff in the campus paper.

Very Long Time, No Blog

I'm procrastinating studying for a test, which I've skipped my Psyc class to study for. And lone behold, I decided what about my blog, you know that thing I haven't updated in a year. That's ok, because only my two brother's and sis-in-law checked it :-)

So I'm back, I like this blogger thing, and I want to make GB work the same. Yah, that other thing I haven't worked on in a year. We've been trying to sort stuff out, and I think we're getting closer.

Also check this out: Su27 Model

Cheerio,
E