trippy

My parents, Candace, and Brooklyn are flying into Charlotte, NC, tomorrow on a cheap air fare, and I'm driving up to see them for the labor day weekend tomorrow morning. This was all planned yesterday after many problems, so I feel really good now about my ability to help plan things on a very short basis.

I also finished 1984 yesterday. Very good book. Led last night to a very interesting debate with Nathalie over the ending...Two totally opposite memories of how the book ended. Without trying to give away the ending, she thought that something happened that I don't remember happening. Something quite crucial, actually. But I like her ending better...
Also bought Breakfast of Champions by Kurt Vonnegut and started reading that...pretty funny.

Just got back from taking my first organic chem quiz:
1. (2 points each) Draw the Lewis structures for the following molecules
a) C2H6
b) HCN

2. (6 points) Draw the structural formula for the 3 secondary amines of the molecular formula C4H11N

And that was the extent of the quiz. If you don't know what an amine is, it doesn't matter: you can still just draw the structures. Then only thing you'd need to know is that secondary means the N is attached to 2 C...but we learned that in class. That was the whole quiz for a week's worth of teaching! During class, I had to poke myself to stay awake as we learned about resonance (again) and bond angles and shapes (for like the 5th time). At least he's a fun teacher.

I shall post again when I get back from seeing Brooklyn and the others. I really need a digital camera.

OK, who was this?

27 Aug, Wed, 20:37:37 Google: "Chris Tripp"

Nothing to write about...Uhh...

Last night I actually came out of my room for a little bit. I wandered into someone's room to watch the Daily Show with him and another girl in there, and then another girl poked her head in to tell us (for some reason) that there were people doing calculus down the hall, so I ran out of the room and down the hall to find no open doors. Running back to the original room, I was pointed to the other end of the hall. I asked at every open door along the way, but no one was doing any math. Some guy, however, decided to help me in my venture, so we walked to the end of the hall, where I found somone with the exact same computer case as mine, but no calculus. I talked to the guy helping me find math and his roommate for a while about, well, math, until I got a phone call and was on the phone with Nathalie in the hallway (someone was actually studying in the quiet study room) until I went to sleep around 1. I must concede that Drew was right: it's not the same just talking to people online and on the phone, but I'm sure it will get easier (or at least I hope it will). Actually, I got off the phone around 1, and was stopped on my way to my room by the people across the hall needing calculus help (yay!), so I helped them for about 10 minutes then went to my room, knowing that I needed to go to sleep but fully woken up by the math. Despite that, I forced myself into my bed and to sleep. If anyone's still reading this...which is highly doubtful...congratulations! You have now reached the end of the post.

Fun facts about the University of South Carolina:

-83% of first-year students have never been hurt or injured due to drug or alcohol use
Translation: 17% have

-77% of students have 0-5 drinks per week
Translation: 1/4 of the student body drinks more than 5 drinks a week

-2 out of 3 students have never driven a car while under the influence of alcohol or other drugs
Translation: 33% have before or do now drive drunk

-The majority of students have not used marijuana in the last 30 days
Translation: In the last 30 days?! I hope to God that qualifier doesn't need to be there for the "majority" part to still be correct

It's a good thing I'm not easily swayed by peer pressure, because it seems that it's apparently quite prevalent here.

My organic chem teacher is so badass. Him...approximately: "We're going to spend this entire semester making atoms happy." Yay! Also, talking about the synthesis of urea that started organic chem, "Just remember that it all started with synthetic pee, and you should do fine." Then at the recitation class period thing, he talked about Buckyballs and nanotubes the whole time. Too bad we just reviewed general chemistry stuff all class period, because I really want to know how much I'll like the class while learning new information. Also had English. Eh....it's English. Then came breakfast and the organic chem class, after which I had an hour and a half to kill, so I went and sat on one of the 10 or 12 benches around this large pool-type thing with three fountains in it in front of the library. I read what I had to for English then some 1984. That book is really quite depressing...but very good. Then I went to intro to chemE, another 'eh' class. From there, came the recitation class for organic chem.

After that, I went to the Union place to check the mail, and I had a package from my family waiting for me. It came in a box that they smashed to pieces and wrote "Blow-Up Doll XXX" on it before they sent it covered in duct tape. After laughing with the people behind the counter, half-wondering if they actually did send a blow-up doll, I took the large box and struggled back to the dorm. I then got right to my homework (on Friday? yes) of writing "Why I want to be an engineer" and reading the first 40 pages of the intro to chemE book. Realizing that the box still lay unopened on my bed, I went to write on this blog about my day. I shall now open it.

*tears at duct tape with keys*
*remembers that I haven't seen my car for about four days*
*also remembers that I've only had one drink of actual H2O in at least a week*

Stuff in Box:
-paper towels used for packing, to be reused by me as paper towels
-paper plates
-plastic forks
-Excedrin
-cheese crackers - I don't like these, but it'll be a nice way to make friends with the RA
-enigmatic aluminum foil oblong - opening it reveals paper towels - opening those reveals...*drumroll*...Teriyaki sauce? what the hell?
-instant rice - must be what the Teriyaki sauce is for
-two boxes of Kudos
-a Twix bar *opens and eats*
-bag of beef jerky
-box of mini cookies
-three cans of Pringles which won't last me to the end of the weekend...one of my few weaknesses
-box of oatmeal creme[sic] pies
-box of ding dongs
-box of fudge brownies
-box of hot chocolate packs - won't need this for a while, but should be nice once I do
-easy mac
-fig newtons
-12 packs of beef-flavored ramen noodles

Wow. I'm going to get so fat. I just hope that walking across campus is enough exercise to keep me "fit"

Thanks to everyone involved in sending me that food...very nice

Today was my first day of classes. I woke up at 9:30 so I had time to get ready and eat before I had to be in Calculus III at 11. I had a brownie and a Dr. Pepper for breakfast. Once in Calc III, I became aware of the fact that I bought the wrong book, but we didn't use it all day anyway. Instead, we talked all about the history of calculus and quite a bit about fluid dynamics. I assume we'll get into vectors and multiple variables next time. I then walked 15 minutes across campus (sweating by the time I got there) to my computer science class. Once there, after a brief time spent in the wrong classroom (bastards for changing without telling me), I realized that it was a class mostly about computer hardware and circuits, which I don't want to get into. So I sat through the class "learning" to convert between binary, hex, and decimal for an hour, assuming that I would drop the class when I got back to the dorm. I stopped to get a sandwich at the Union on my way back to the dorm, because I can't eat fast food all the time. Once back in the dorm, the internet wasn't working, so I called and told the computer people that I was on the network but couldn't get on the internet. Their response was "What you mean?" so I cleared it up with "My internet's broke." They told me they were having troubles with it but that someone was working on it. I then went to bring my computer book back ($110 - w00t) and to switch out my calculus book, which all went pretty simply. From there, I headed to Organic Chem Lab, at which I sat at for 30 minutes with the other 7 (also w00t) people in the class before we decided that the teacher wasn't coming and left. I thought it was kind of strange to go to the lab before the class, anyway. I came back to a working internet and some wonderful pictures from Nathalie on hotmail, which made me even happier than I already was. I dropped out of that computer class and am now taking only 14 hours. Checking my presumed schedule for chemical engineering, though, I'll still be fine in scheduling. On another bright side, I only have 2 classes on Tuesday and Thursday now and don't have to make that 15 minute, nearly impossible walk anymore.

All in all, a pretty uneventful but still quite fun and exciting day. I'm looking forward to more classes and maybe even some homework tomorrow.

Humidity is now my least favorite thing in the world. I walked around campus today for a little bit to find the buildings where I'll be taking classes (9 blocks in 15 minutes...I can do it...right?), and I was sweating and panting by the time I got back...FROM WAKLING! Now, I know I'm a pussy who throws up when he lifts railroad things, but I don't think I should get that hot from walking around. The humidity here has got to be at least 2 million percent. Even when it's all rainy and dark, the heat sucks (and is even worse in light drizzle). I would love to get back into the arid deserts of Texas.

Speaking of which, I'm coming back on Friday, October 10 because I get the next Monday and Tuesday off for "Fall Break." I'll be able to see any of you who happen to be in town, so if you don't like me, just plan on leaving for the weekend. My classes end at 2:15 on Friday, and I'll try to get the earliest flight possible. I plan on spending that whole afternoon with my family, but I will go out at night once they're asleep (maybe 10:00). I'll be on AIM all the time, so I'll just talk to whoever will be in town then.

Tomorrow (Wednesday, August 20) is National Homeless Animals Day, so everyone that owns an animal has to throw it out tomorrow. You may want to say your goodbyes tonight. Any animals caught hiding in attics or basements will be immediately exported from the US to whichever country eats that certain animal as a meal. Nathalie, your cat is the only exception because you just took her to the vet today. However, should you decide to let your cat go free on National Homelss Animals Day, the money that you spent at the vet will be refunded 150%, and there's always a chance that another stray cat will come your way. Besides, you always have Greg.

I have never had less faith in humanity than I have at this moment. I just got back from "First Night Carolina," a supposedly fun-filled night for first-year students only at the college. I happily left with a couple of people I met before, and the most prevalent (if not only) topic of conversation among all the freshmen standing outside waiting to be picked up in buses was drinking and partying, not really my proverbial cup of tea. So I sat on the bus quietly and listened intently for a new topic of conversation. Greek life came up once, but was quickly turned back into partying and shouts of "Go Cocks!!" a phrase you would think could only be even remotely funny so many times. Apparently not. Apparently it's funny all the time. When we arrived at the football stadium, the buses unloaded the children, and we were all ushered into the farthest corner of the stadium to watch the cheerleaders and learn all the cheers for the football team. Here's the part that made me lose faith in humanity. A professor with a phD in African American studies, a man worthy of being called "doctor," was brought to the stage to deliver a speech about our first year in college. The young adults, children if you will, started to complain about this man giving a speech! They wanted their precious cheerleaders and party friends back! Everyone was holding a conversation while this man was talking! Then an alumnus came up to talk about student life, and I could barely hear him while straining my ears over the roar of everyone else's conversations. Even the mascot looked like he was mocking the two speakers. The cheerleaders and the student body president were all talking over these two people. After this disapointment, there was a "party in our honor" in the upper part of the stadium which I and a few others opted out of, and I came straight here to post on this site. I still have hope, though, that I will find people that share all of my passions once school starts and I start having actual classes.

UPDATE
Everyone went out to a party, and I stayed in the dorm (of course). I went out of my room and saw a big group of people at the end of the hall who also didn't go to the party. We discussed Zelda, coaxial cables, and SSB...w00t! Now I'm going to go play cards with them and talk to Nathalie on the phone.

I'm leaving Friday night. Now, I'm packing my computer away, so I probably won't talk to most of you in person again for a while. Bye.

I finally got a cell phone. Yesterday, I got home, and the phone was just charging in my room. The number is 929 8945....and I don't know what to put as a voicemail greeting/thing. It's even harder than making a profile on AIM.

Wow. Guess what?! My parents are mad at Joe and Tabitha...AGAIN! Joe's car broke down, and I went to pick him up in Dallas and bring Brooklyn and him back to his apartment. When I got back to my house, my mom yelled at me for not bringing them back with me. And also for not bringing the broken car with me, too...as if I could have tied it to the hood of the Jeep. If I wait long enough inside of this house, I'll be able to hear more yelling about things such as "This never would have happened if they both just worked closer to home" or "I can just imagine how much they ignore Brooklyn when they're at their apartment." I personally can no longer wait to leave my home for college and get away from the incessant arguing about my brother and his girlfriend. I'll still get to talk to all of you over the internet, but I won't have to put up with the stupid crap that goes on in here. I can only hope that my parents will read this post and finally understand just how much I hate being in my house with all the stupid fighting because this is one thing that they won't stop no matter how much I tell them.

Thought for the day:

I'm a pessimist and can bring out the worst in any situation, but it's still so hard to be depressed when there's so much to be happy about. And even if only one thing makes you seriously happy (and there's always one thing), that's all you need. Yes, life's not fair, and we're all going to die in the end, but make the most of what you have now. Live in the present, using the past as a guide, looking to the future only if you want to. You only live each moment once.

I've decided to play hockey in college. I know that I will probably be killed and have bruises all over my body, but at least I'll have fun doing it. I decided this while ice skating for the first time yesterday. It was pretty similar to rollerblading, except that stopping was more difficult...and the ice skates sucked (I hope). One time, while trying to stop, I twisted around right down onto the ice. It didn't start to hurt until we were leaving the rink, and then it began to hurt more and more. But it feels much better today than yesterday, and should be all better by tomorrow, which makes me want to play hockey even more, knowing that stuff heals quickly...I guess... Now all I have to do is learn how to shoot and handle the puck, skate well, and be checked into the boards! So easy!

Also yesterday, water balloons were thrown...and missed their target again and again. Nathalie and Olivia, you two need to take lessons in how to throw water balloons. First, throw them hard enough to where they won't bounce off of the people at which you throw them. Throwing them this hard will also prevent said person from being able to catch them and throw them back at you. Second, aiming is a good thing. Third, just for Nathalie, don't leave your bucket full of balloons out for the victim (moi) to pick up and use against you. But it was a bloody good time. See how much fun it is when the victim is unexpecting?

In other news...Comments work now...thanks Drew