Life

I've been watching this show on the Discovery Channel.  It's narrated by Oprah, it's gorgeous on my HD TV and it's all around really really interesting. (Cite here that once again I am a nerd and love to watch educational things especially about animals.... :). 

I know that you can buy these DVD's but I think they're like $60* or something so I've just been taping them.  I have 8 of the 11 episodes taped and have watched two of them.  The first one was about mammals, so you know....I can relate.  Fun fact, I don't know if I just missed this in elementary school or what but I totally didn't know bats are mammals.  I guess it makes since because I knew they didn't lay eggs, I just never put them in the same category as other mammals.  I think it's because they're not hairy....

But anyway, my main thought is the conclusion I came to while watching Episode 3: Fish.  I don't know if kids under the age of, say....15, should be watching this stuff.  First like all discovery shows there's the animal mating, which actually you don't see in this series, but they talk about it a lot.  Second, and most importantly is that I'm pretty sure this kind of stuff will scar little children.  I'm pretty sure that I'M scarred. 

Case #1:  In Episode 2: Mammals we're learning about how mammals can adapt to their surroundings so well, so we're looking at Reindeer (I so don't remember their technical name.....it wasn't caribou).  They have specially designed hooves that are soft in the summer and hard in the winter to cut through snow.  Nifty right?  Then it's talking about the crowning feature of mammals is that they protect and care for their young for much longer than most other species.  THEN it goes to a momma reindeer who has lost her calf and how she'll spend days trying to find it.  And then in Oprah's soothing voice you hear, but she won't find it alive.  Cut to the shot of a dead reindeer and about four vultures tearing meat off of it.  Well thanks Life, you've made me cry.  'Preciate that. 

Case #2:  The entire fish episode.  There is just way too much of "there's always a bigger fish out there".

Case #3:  And last again in the fish episode.  There is some fish in Hawaii, that is two inches long and spends it's entire life sucking it's way up the side of a 400 ft waterfall trying to get to 'tranquil waters' up above it where it can breed.  This fish literally uses it's sucker  mouth to inch it's way up the side of a freaking waterfall.  And this is the message that Oprah leaves us with, "Very few are strong enough to make it.  Most spend their entire lives trying to get up the waterfall just to fail and die at the bottom."  Again. Thanks for the life lessons.  This is really what I want little children to be learning.

Just to be clear, this really is an awesome series and I'm really glad that they are showing it on tv so I can have it and not have to pay for it.  I'm just saying I'm not sure I would let little kids watch it.  I'm just way to happy with my niece thinking that lions and zebras are friends to every subject her to this.  At least not until she's way older.

*I really have no idea the price I'm just throwing something out there....

Things I've learned lately

The past couple of weeks have been really busy, but I've still made time to learn a couple of things. Well a couple of things in addition to the fact that Dominos delivers until at least 2 in the morning, and a 24 hour doughnut shop is the best thing ever, as well as the worst thing ever.

Only the paranoid survive.  My professor told this to me as we were testing at 12:30 at night one night.  This was in relation to electrical systems and how tiny little things can totally screw up your hopes and dreams.  But I've realized that this can apply to all things.  Oh your friend didn't say hi to you?  They hate you.  Someone didn't give you a compliment on your new shirt?  You're obviously fat.  See?!  It totally works.

RPE - Rate of Perceived Exhaustion.  RPE is actually the new "hip" thing that personal trainers tell you to pay attention to when you're working out and it really means rate of perceived exertion.  But I found that exhaustion and it's relation to the amount of sleep you get works just as well.  See if you get anywhere from 2 or 4 hours of sleep you really feel awesome.  You can totally function normally and it's exactly like you're getting the total amount of sleep you need.  3 hours really messes with you.  But the most disgusting amount of sleep you can get is either 5 or 7.  I feel like if you can only sleep this amount of time you might as well not sleep at all because it's the same effect as getting hit by a large vehicle.  You feel like crap.  So remember, less is more, unless it's too much less, then it's much much less and never more.

Stoves catch on fire.  This actually happened about two and a half weeks ago but I hadn't had time to actually think about what or why it happened.  I was making pasta, going along just fine, I had just set the water to boil and then I look over and the entire burner and pot are on fire.  Total flames coming out from under the burner.  Now this is not because I am dirty and my burner pans are just dirty.  I honestly had just cleaned them.  To this moment I have no idea why it caught on fire but I've had to replace the burner pan and the pot.... and I'm still too afraid to turn that burner back on.  But what was weird was my reaction.  So flames are coming off and I didn't know what to do.  I turned the burner off..... still flames.  I took a hot pad and took the pot off and put it in the sink.... still flaming.  I tried blowing on.... (ya I don't know why I just did)  still got some four inch tall flames.  At this point I really had no thoughts going through my head.  I somehow knew that water would be a bad idea.  I couldn't remember why but I just knew it would probably be detrimental to the situation.  (I have since remembered that I did not want to do this because what if the fire was caused by oil?  Then throwing water on it would just make the fire pop and jump probably onto my or my hair.  Not a desirable outcome.)  So I just waited kind of staring dumbly at the fire and it eventually died down.  Then about one full minute later the fire alarm went off.  Thhhhaaaannnnkkkksss for warning me there was a fire.

Weird two weeks.

It's Happening

I think I've begun to embrace my inner nerd.  As of today I finally bit down whatever pride I had and attached my jump drive* to my keys.  This is an extremely common practice among nerds engineers because as we're going about our day doing engineer-y things like taking SEM pictures, copying someone's homework, lab testing, etc. you really just don't know when you need to bust out your jump drive!  You'll need immediately to transfer data from computer to computer, home to work, or from random data taking device to your laptop.

I really did resist.  Six whole years of being an engineer and I resisted.  One because I really hate things being on my keys (I think I've mentioned this before).  But more importantly, having a jump drive on your keys instantly labels you as a nerd.  No escaping it.  The evidence is right there, in your hand or on your person at all times.  But by golly** it's so convenient!  Let's go take some data and then move it!

*(Most people I know call this a flash drive but that's in reference to the type of memory it is and I just can't sink that low yet)
**(I'm sorry.  "By Golly" is really lame.  I know this.  But it's Easter and I feel that I can't go anywhere near swearing on Easter)

I compromised my values....

Normally I'm a very "stick to your beliefs" kind of a person.  But I recently made a decision that went against everything I knew and trusted in.  I was trying to be a risk taker, part of the 'in' crowd, trendy if you will.  And I can now share with absolute certainty, that you have values for a reason -- they should never be put aside just to be "cool".  

I just didn't think the consequences would be that great.  I thought I would just try it once, because so many other people like it, and then I wouldn't have to do it again, or I might even like it, and it might even be good for me! 

No. 

Big Mistake.

I bought banana walnut oatmeal squares. From Costco.

I don't know what on earth possessed me but it had to have been evil.  I have known for more than twenty years that bananas are a plague.  They contaminate everything they come in contact with and thus can only be eaten by themselves and then disposed of immediately and far from your vicinity or they continue to contaminate from the grave!  Nuts also are of a contaminatory nature and should be eaten alone as well (if not covered in chocolate).  They should never be anywhere near something as precious as a brownie and trail mix is pushing it.  (On a more personal note, walnuts are my least favorite nut.)  Again. What was I thinking?

Here's what happened.  First, since it was Costco, the offending oatmeal squares were packaged with similar oatmeal squares with chocolate chips.  Who doesn't want those?  Second, I rationalized how healthy oatmeal is for you especially when paired with a nut, because as I've recently learned the good things in oatmeal combined with the good things in nuts creates the entire spectrum of good proteins you need to fight things like bad cholesterol and all those other things.  And then my kicker thought was, "really, how bad could these things really be?"  

Then yesterday I ate one.  And they were everything I imagined they would be.  Now I have like 20 more to choke down.  These things better be damn healthy for me.

pump ME up

I supposed you can tell what my life has been like lately with all this talk of working out. This however is more a timing thing rather then just what I've been thinking about. So I've started this workout challenge through a friend of mine. I actually did it last month but it was kind of thrown together so this feels like the first real month of the challenge. Here's what happens with the challenge:

*You put up money ($10 last month, $15 this month)

*You make goals about how much you will do for the month (we'll get to my goals in a sec)

*And then you do to the challenge, if you complete it you get your money back

This is what I've gotten myself into. Last month my challenge was - 400 sit-ups, 200 push-ups, 40 pull-ups, and 15 miles run. It was actually really easy. Except for the pull-ups but that's because I hate them. This time though the ante has definitely been raised. Over the next 45 days I have to do:

*1500 push-ups (not girl push ups mind you, the real ones)

*1500 sit-ups

*Run 20 miles

*Bike 30 miles

In all reality (if you break it down by day) this isn't actually that much....but still it seems like a lot right now. I'm really excited about it though. This kind of goal making actually really works for me and I think it will be really awesome. I'm excited for tonight and my daily 34 push-ups/sit-ups (ya it calculates out to 33.3 of those per day) and I think it's going to be a good 45 days.

*PS if anyone wants to join the challenge just let me know and I'll give you the website to join!

Spiralling Downward

I'm going to make a confession here... I have only worked out once in the past three weeks. Granted pretty much every night I do some push-ups, sit-ups and abs, and plank for at least a minute. But I don't really think that this counts. Now though I've confirmed it doesn't count. I've discovered that when I don't work out my mental health really starts spiralling towards crazy town. Maybe it's the endorphins, maybe it's just the fact that when my body isn't doing anything it's meant to be doing, or maybe it's really because when I'm not working out all I'm doing is sitting in my office and working. Ugh.

My whole point for this though is not just to admit that I'm a fat lazy ass.... but more to share my realization once again that working out is probably the best thing ever. It makes all aspects of my life better. And I'm just SO excited that today I get to work out by playing my favorite game - Soccer : ).

My Bucket List

Okay I kind of mislead the subject of the post with the title. I really don't have a bucket list. I think they're kind of a fun idea and really pretty awesome if you make one and then are able to follow through with it. I've just never made one. I even thought about what would be on it if I had one.... and pretty much I think of ridiculous things that would be really awesome if I get to do them, but I don't feel like my life would be a failure or not fun if I don't do them. But it hit me the other day that I really do have one thing on my bucket list.

I really really want to see the Northern Lights someday.

I truly feel that my life will not be complete unless I get to see this phenomena at least once. My last year of undergrad I did a report on electroMAGNETIC (*Not electromechanical. I was corrected by my dad :) interference specifically relating to the Northern Lights. Yes I do realize how nerdy that just sounded, but aside from learning about solar flares and what they do to our Earth, it basically solidified in my heart that I need to see this. I almost can't even describe the excitement that I feel when I think about how increibly awesome it would be to see something like that. I imagine/hope that it's about a thousand times cooler than I can even comprehend. It's kind of crazy to feel this passionate about something that I have no clue how I'll ever make happen. I wouldn't even know how to go about seeing it! Short of living in the extreme North, I don't think it can really be planned.... Maybe I'll just have to go on a lot of Alaskan cruises :)

So there's my bucket list. Pretty impressive right? The more I think about it the more I think that maybe you need a bucket list. Not really a list of random things you think would be fun but more a list of things you're really passionate about doing. It would help you get to know yourself I think.