Holy moon.

My gosh. Tonight is the first time in my life that I've seen the moon in 3D without a telescope. My brain's been registering it in 2D this entire time.

What a treat.

I successfully made Gazpacho for dinner. It was a balmy 81.5 degrees out today which means my apartment will turn into a furnace shortly.

Friday was an excellent walking day. I walked for a few miles for errands and to shake off the intentional failed exam yesterday morning. We can drop the lowest out of three, that was mine.

Ah yes, pre-final exam week. It's like the calm before the storm. My body is wearing itself out before it's getting its workout. I've paced around the apartment, did my homework, did lots of reading, played some music, cleaned, cooked, cleaned, did more reading, and thought a whole lot.

...and I went on the most wondrous bike ride too. It was my first ride in possibly 8 months. My body rejoiced. I sweated! I got the better half of a runner's high on my uphill way home. I absolutely can't wait to do it again.

But that's a bit of the problem for bursitis so I've contained myself from physical exercise for the next few days to be polite to my hip. It can be frustrating sometimes. We've had three solid weeks of beautiful weather and rolling around on the floor doing physical therapy exercises doesn't seem to be quite as fulfilling.

Departure to Svalbard is approaching. I've scoured the internet and discovered these fantastic links:

Longyearbyen

Svalbard

Longyearbyen

Yay!!! It snowed there over the weekend. I find packing most difficult when the weather is 180 of what it is at my current location. I am, however, definitely packing a swimsuit.

The last time I was there, I can't even remember if I knew we were going there beforehand. I went with my senile parental units and the Bigottos, whose father is actually as senile as my father. My father was the only one who went swimming that day. My warmest clothes were cotton socks, tennis shoes, and a cotton hoodie purchased during a summer trip to South Carolina. We didn't see any polar bears. Half of us crossed a "raging torrent" of a river via a very friendly Norwegian's back and discovered a multitude of large fossils. Then we had a cup of tea. I think Longyearbyen was the place where I ordered Arctic Char and received a menacing-looking fish with sharp, pointy teeth on a plate. I've wanted to go back ever since.

I think I'll bring a frisbee this time and ditch the cotton.


Here's a link to our trip from ages ago. We went via Greenland, Iceland, Lofotens to Svalbard. Don't worry, it's all photos.

North of Northern Europe

.

Where to?

I'm still not adequately studying. I did, however, open the powerpoint lecture notes and give them a quick lookover, meaning I looked at the pretty pictures and ignored the words.

After a holiday on Monday my brain has become permanently on vacation. I'm already carrying out plans for summer extravaganzas. All of the gallivanting begins immediately after the biology final where I'll vacate the country to Denmark, I think?

Yes, I'll fly away to Denmark, then Norway, and then Norway. I'll end up in Svalbard at 11:30 pm which will be okay in terms being scared of the dark and polar bears since the midnight sun will be out. In fact, I'll experience solstice above the arctic circle for the very first time. This really excites me.

Svalbard is a very beautiful part of the world and it even feels like another world. It's normal to carry a rifle outside of the city for safety. It has a huge coal mining economy. It has less than 2,000 people living there. It got bombed during WWII. It has glaciers and flowers. It has loads of fossils of tropical plants larger than my hands.

I'm tempted to change my ticket to stop in the Lofoten Islands. It's probably the most beautiful place I've ever been lucky enough to travel to.

Last weekend my parental units stopped by and kidnapped the kiwi and I. We ended up in Friday Harbor and watched Star Trek. It was a really nice.

In thrilling news, our potted plants are growing! And fast, too. I'm expecting a jungle when I return.

And lastly, I'm still employed!

Photo of some years ago:

babble of a brainless numbskull.

It was 20:46 on a cold and drizzly night... curled up at the desk with a glass of wine and a physics book with world pop blasting on a crackling clock radio. That clock said 20:56. Apparently there's a wormhole between that and my desk again.

I've been reading for too many hours. It's my turn to write something!!!

I'm starting to succumb to Mid-Quarter Crisis. It's sort of like this.

but enormously worse.

I'm trying to think real hard about how truly exciting the summer extravaganzas will be. Three bloody weeks. Am I a whiner or what...

I'm also thinking how much of a pain it will be to chat with my TA tomorrow. He speaks english but unfortunately, the material is still a foreign language to me, as is our course book too.

Also there's physics lab tomorrow. This usually sets fairly low on my happiness scale. I wake up with the mindset that I'm going into battle, yet I'm only equipped with a spoon; the enemies have the lab answer keys and maximized egos.

One of the most brilliant things I have to look forward to is no more lower-division labs or courses after this quarter. I am OFFICIALLY where I ought to have been approximately 3,552 year ago. I think this may be worth celebrating.

Of other slight concern, I think I'm still hired?

Last week was a brilliant birthday week. I am very, very happy to have the friends and family that I do. Thanks.

Photo of two weeks ago:


Cheesus, I need to study now.

Darn it, dilemma

Somebody's hijacked some of my photos without my permission. Normally I wouldn't mind except they're using them for profit which is a real bummer.

I did the right thing and wrote the company an email in both Spanish and English and twice.

I received a quick reply, and an apology which made me feel a whole lot better.

Though now, the photos are still on their site...

This gives me three options:
1) Be passive! They're probably very busy. Don't be a jerk.
2) Send a friendly reminder, but maybe in three languages this time. Nice or mean okay.
3) Let loose the hackers. There's no way they can be traced back to you.

... I guess I'll give them a couple weeks. And in the meantime, my website might be having a few major malfunctions as I update everything with those incredibly annoying watermarks. Jerks.


Other news: I'm hired!

But more details later until some brilliant unfolding decisions occur...

Picture of yesterday:

ooooooh dear.

It's begun.

I saw a small glimpse of sunshine during a 45+ temperature streak this week that's made me begin outlining my summer plans. Should I... go find/lose myself? Do something productive? constructive? destructive?

All sound equally good and fun which makes this outline quite challenging. Good thing I've been given a dumpster-full of incentives to aid me in the decision-making.

I, Melinda Annie Webster, have chosen... to get a job.

There are clear distinctions in this approach than previous choices - I will not be a vagrant. I will be gainfully employed and possibly constructive. I will be static.

What an exciting endeavour. Now all I need to do is get hired.

Other news.

I survived another quarter of physics! Finals week was simply amazing. I had a bad case of man flu and feverishly took my finals, brilliantly getting below average marks yet passing the courses with flying colours! Just, wow.

Then I flew to Oklahoma and slept, bicycled, and took a picture of the Pryor Creek Bridge on the Nature Trail.

2009

I have a math exam this morning.

What better time to update a blog with the unprecedented inspiration to write.

Actually I woke up much earlier today so that I could study. Getting up this early entails slow-movements and partial cynicism that I’m not yet in reality and possibly in my last dream of the morning. Brilliant for crappy writing.

It’s February but that’s no reason not to talk about January. It’s been a reeling year already – lots of people having lots of babies, New new year’s resolutions, a new quarter, and hey! New calendars (although we’re currently still using 2008; I changed it to February).

I started off my year in New Zealand and grumpily came back to school. I snapped out of grumpiness once I realized we’d been circling in the air for an hour or so well past our ETA. Snow? Are my shoes accessible in my check-in luggage?

Luggage took a while – my luggage caused four luggage trucks to jack-knife into a snowbank. At this stage I was laughing, half to the situation, half to jetlag. There were so many grumpy people around who really ought to practice scowling.

Anyhoo, I got home and went to class. I came up with a new year’s resolution to cook more often. That plan of action came about the next day.

That plan of action backfired on Saturday when I got a healthy bout of food-poisoning. I lived off of crackers and Gatorade for the rest of the week. The next week I ate out ~85% of the time and did not cook.

My next new year’s resolution was to stretch and eat more meat (since vegetables tried to kill me the prior week).

So far I’m alive. This one’s a keeper for now.

February is internship application season. Madness, I say.

The end.

Oh! Slacker!

Here's what happened with that sailing trip:

The N. Pacific Voyage of the Minnow

Everythingsago!

Background Information:

What are we doing: Sailing from Honolulu to the Aleutian Islands via Midway. Specifically Honolulu, to Midway (it's questionable whether or not we can stop on any islands along the way), hopefully Attu Island and Adak Islands, inevitably Unalaska for customs, and along the American/Canadian coast.

Why are we doing this: I have no idea.

Who's involved: Bob, Mike, Josh, and I from Honolulu to Alaska (after that a few of us will probably jump ship). Cathy until from Honolulu to Midway because she's smart.

When are we doing this: June 12/13th to indefinitely.

What are we going in: The Minnow, a Catana 522 Ocean Class, hull number 11.

Who's captain: Generally the youngest person on board (me) but when we get into trouble, I blame anyone.

Is there safety equipment on board: Yes, we have two kayaks and a baritone.

Will there be emailing: Yes, we will email via satellite phone and set up a semi-daily blog. We will also have a site where people can text us on the sat phone via the internet. It's free<-- hint.

What kind of food will be on board: Probably 1,429,148,903,492 bananas since Mike and Bob are doing the majority of the grocery shopping.

What will we do when we're bored: learn a different language, read, watch movies, cook, bake, play music, sand coconuts, whip lines, sail, clean, draw pictures, play scrabble, uno, chess, and poker, edit, take photographs and video, be annoying, exercise, do laps, break stuff, fix stuff.

What will we do when someone's being annoying: learn a different language, read, watch movies, cook, bake, play music, sand coconuts, whip lines, sail, clean, draw pictures, play scrabble, uno, chess, and poker, edit, take photographs and video, be annoying, exercise, do laps, break stuff, fix stuff. See also: keelhaul.

Do all of us get along: Don't know yet.

Do we have sailing experience: Some; depends on how you define experience. Here's Mike and Bob's experience.

How cold will it be: Pretty darn cold, especially if it's windy.

Is hypothermia a possibility: Always.

Are we scared: Yes.

What will we do in the case of a storm: Keep calm. Remember that the boat is very stable when inverted.

How warm will it be on board: As warm as it can be from the oven. We have lots of blankets and cold weather gear.

How warm will it be in general: As warm as the Midway islands get.

How long will we be in Midway: 5-10 days, depending on our visa. We may be the only tourist visa for Midway this year.

What's on Midway: Birds, people, an airport from WWII, a naval base, and garbage.

How long will it take to get to Alaska from Midway: Possibly one to two months or longer, weather dependent.

What is Attu and Adak like: Great places for migratory birds. Foggy, windy, rainy. All the development from WWII era has been abandoned. I think there's a (abandoned) McDonald's on Adak where we can get a quarter pounder with cheese.

What are we packing in our suitcase: Gloves, hat, swimsuit, waterproof pants, wetsuit, goggles, rubber boots, waterproof coat, lots of fleece, socks, underwear, and long underwear, sunscreen, sunglasses, toothpaste. No wool.

LINKS

About the Minnow:

http://viaboat.com/

The Minnow Blog:

http://hmsminnow.blogspot.com/

Our hypothetical track:




Another hypothetical track:

Mexico

It was extremely sunny, warm, pleasant, and everything else good.

Photos

More details soon.

Muvees

I saw a disturbing film last night called "There will be Blood."

I thought, "Well hey, if it's been nominated for eight academy awards, there must be some entertaining substance in it."

...Did I gripe.

It consisted of a continuous sickening, high-strung plot lasting nearly three hours. I was actually slightly upset over this, which has never happened before. I simply could not believe the maliciousness and morbid violence of the film. I felt angry, I was angry, I was grumpy. Grumble grumble grumble.

I slept on it.

The next day I woke up thinking how odd it was that I was so tore up over a twisted plot of some film. Gave it some thought, and realized there must be something to it more than just a bad film.

The fact that I was so pissed off at the film, at its sickening plot, characters, and end, is actually a bit impressive. I actually hate the main character of the film, but not for bad acting. How often do stories intentionally accomplish this? Granted, the film is gifted with better technology, but wasn't that what Shakespeare was supposedly pushing for similar emotions? It simply wouldn't have been right for such a film to end on a note of remorse; I would've just thrown it into the mediocre drama category. But no, the producers chose to piss me off and it's disgruntling impressive that the film emphasized such dark psychological intent.

So in the end, I absolutely hate "There will be Blood," but that's just because the acting is damn great.

My brain and education.

School? Good. Health? Improving. I'm at my wit's end with commuting. The breaking news is a snow forecast tomorrow. We tried climbing Mt. Pugh and Mt. Dickerman which were both wonderful climbs.

Oklahoma and Hawaii are in the near future.

I'm schleepy.