It's quiet out tonight. Also much cooler out. I decided against making my own dinner and got some Papiano's (locally called Papa John's, but it'll always be Papiano's to me), so I went into town a little. Qdoba is closed for the night - that is not in the Qdoba spirit! Qdoba is supposed to be there at 3 AM when the concerts let out. Maybe it's just summer hours. I saw at MSU how summer and the academic year are very different. Papiano's is on 9th St across from the Mitsubishi dealer, so I got to see my Lancer Evos. I get the feeling that nights like tonight are going to be very full of physics in a couple of months so I'm enjoying it now. I didn't touch the PS2 today, which is good. I was either out exploring or reading my Lewis & Clark book, which I intend to return to after I've had my fill of pizza.
Edit: Unrelated to anything, I think a good DJ name for Einstein would be E=DJ^2. Also, I am thinking about naming my iPod.
Edit 2: Paul says I should learn to drive stick better so I can test drive the Lancer Evos. If only I had something to practice on...
31 July 2005
the high road
I went to Mary's Peak today. It was insanely better than Bald Hill. First of all, the road to Mary's Peak is a trip in itself. I took the same highway out of town as I did for Newport, but when the highways split I took the smaller one this time. The road goes through some heavily forested area. As you get several miles out of town the road starts getting crazy. The sign says it all - a 'squiggly road' symbol, followed by NEXT TWO MILES. It's basically a slalom. Some of the curves have huge bankings, almost like a racetrack. Pretty wild.
Then I turn onto Mary's Peak Road. The new road doesn't have the slaloms, but it's got ups. Mary's Peak is the highest point in my county and is the highest of Oregon's coastal mountain range, so the road has a lot of altitude to cover. (Fortunately, the road goes like 95% of the way to the summit.) There were a couple scenic points to pull off at, but I went straight for the top. There's a parking lot at the top that you're ostensibly supposed to have a pass for, but there were no booths to sell them anywhere, so I parked there anyway.
There was a picnic area where lots of people were hanging out, checking out the good view of Philomath. However, my goal was the summit, not the tourist area. There was a decent trail up to the top because of the TV / radio transmitters up there. I'm still out of shape so it was rough going, but nowhere near as bad as Bald Hill.
The payoff was great. The summit has no trees on it so you can see everything around you. I could see Mt. Hood, among other mountains. One of them (Three Fingered Jack) was where the OSU grad student died last weekend. To the west you could see the Pacific. Unlike the picnic area, there were only a couple other people at the summit, and at one point I was alone. It was amazingly quiet up there. It was also cooler, the breeze felt very nice.
I went back down and was relieved to see my car had not been ticketed or towed. As I descended I remembered a Car Talk call from a guy whose brakes caught fire after going downhill (and braking constantly) for several miles. So, I decided it would be a wise idea to learn how to use the Malibu's overdrives. They work very well if you put them in that kind of situation. After cruising a couple of miles in Overdrive 2 I leveled out, put the Malibu in Drive and went through the slaloms again.
On my way back I took some side stops in Philomath. There was a thrift store, but it didn't have much that I was looking for. There is also the Re/Max Quantum Properties place. (How does that work? "We've got a lovely two-story overlooking a magnesium atom.") Philomath has a furniture store too. As I've previously stated, a primary goal of mine is to locate a sofa or futon. They had a futon that might fit my needs (it's not as expensive as others), but I need to think about it. Maybe I'll get the frame from them and the mattress somewhere else.
I took lots of pictures. I tried to make a panorama, but Fischer has more patience with learning idiosyncrasies of computer programs than I do. I might pick one or two and post them later. I know I could be dumping the lot of them to the Yahoo site, but I'm lazy.
My eating schedule is off, it's 8:30 PM and I might stall a little longer before fixing dinner. I have to get my sleep schedule back on track first. I have been staying up late to read my Lewis & Clark book.
In iTunes news, there is now a fierce battle for the #10 spot on my Top Ten, and some of the other Top Tens are battling their way up. (Of course, nothing is going to touch #1 because it has 60% more plays than #2.) It's kind of interesting watching how the songs interact with each other.
Tomorrow I pay rent, get lecture notes, and it's not supposed to be above 90 outside. The PH 211 kids have their midterm, and I should find something productive to do. It's also a birthday for someone I'm not on speaking terms with anymore (they know who they are). Whee.
Then I turn onto Mary's Peak Road. The new road doesn't have the slaloms, but it's got ups. Mary's Peak is the highest point in my county and is the highest of Oregon's coastal mountain range, so the road has a lot of altitude to cover. (Fortunately, the road goes like 95% of the way to the summit.) There were a couple scenic points to pull off at, but I went straight for the top. There's a parking lot at the top that you're ostensibly supposed to have a pass for, but there were no booths to sell them anywhere, so I parked there anyway.
There was a picnic area where lots of people were hanging out, checking out the good view of Philomath. However, my goal was the summit, not the tourist area. There was a decent trail up to the top because of the TV / radio transmitters up there. I'm still out of shape so it was rough going, but nowhere near as bad as Bald Hill.
The payoff was great. The summit has no trees on it so you can see everything around you. I could see Mt. Hood, among other mountains. One of them (Three Fingered Jack) was where the OSU grad student died last weekend. To the west you could see the Pacific. Unlike the picnic area, there were only a couple other people at the summit, and at one point I was alone. It was amazingly quiet up there. It was also cooler, the breeze felt very nice.
I went back down and was relieved to see my car had not been ticketed or towed. As I descended I remembered a Car Talk call from a guy whose brakes caught fire after going downhill (and braking constantly) for several miles. So, I decided it would be a wise idea to learn how to use the Malibu's overdrives. They work very well if you put them in that kind of situation. After cruising a couple of miles in Overdrive 2 I leveled out, put the Malibu in Drive and went through the slaloms again.
On my way back I took some side stops in Philomath. There was a thrift store, but it didn't have much that I was looking for. There is also the Re/Max Quantum Properties place. (How does that work? "We've got a lovely two-story overlooking a magnesium atom.") Philomath has a furniture store too. As I've previously stated, a primary goal of mine is to locate a sofa or futon. They had a futon that might fit my needs (it's not as expensive as others), but I need to think about it. Maybe I'll get the frame from them and the mattress somewhere else.
I took lots of pictures. I tried to make a panorama, but Fischer has more patience with learning idiosyncrasies of computer programs than I do. I might pick one or two and post them later. I know I could be dumping the lot of them to the Yahoo site, but I'm lazy.
My eating schedule is off, it's 8:30 PM and I might stall a little longer before fixing dinner. I have to get my sleep schedule back on track first. I have been staying up late to read my Lewis & Clark book.
In iTunes news, there is now a fierce battle for the #10 spot on my Top Ten, and some of the other Top Tens are battling their way up. (Of course, nothing is going to touch #1 because it has 60% more plays than #2.) It's kind of interesting watching how the songs interact with each other.
Tomorrow I pay rent, get lecture notes, and it's not supposed to be above 90 outside. The PH 211 kids have their midterm, and I should find something productive to do. It's also a birthday for someone I'm not on speaking terms with anymore (they know who they are). Whee.
30 July 2005
saturday = supply runs
I've run out of a bunch of supplies for food again so I have to get out to the store today. I also have to do laundry - I haven't done laundry since I got here. I might have been able to get a little further even but one of my favorite pairs of khaki shorts finally got holes in it, and the other needs to be washed. At least I've got a good book to read while I'm waiting - I got my dad Undaunted Courage by Steven Ambrose for his bday, and I liked the looks of it so much that I got myself a copy. It's about the Lewis and Clark expedition.
I might head up to Albany as well to check out some of the bigger stores they have there. I really need to find a sofa or a futon, but they're either horrendously expensive or I need to move them myself. Finding a decent couch is my primary apartment mission now.
I'm still going to try to do exploring this weekend, just tomorrow. I haven't decided where yet, maybe Mary's Peak.
The PH 211 kids have a midterm on Monday. I think they might get hosed. Fortunately I've only got labs next week, I don't even have to grade the exams. It could be fun to see what they write though. One of the other grad students said that because I'm new I'd probably get PH 201 or something for fall, and those classes can have 700 students - almost four times larger than ISP 209! She said grading all their exams could take thirteen hours. On top of that, their helproom here is more flexible. If I work helproom, the students can ask me anything from any class. That will certainly keep me on my toes - at least it's good practice.
I really don't know too much about how my program works yet. I'm going to try to get some advising next week. I think I might have to take a lighter version of the PhD's comp exam. From what I can tell, this is actually a one year program instead of a two year like I assumed. I think I take three terms of classes (we're on the quarter system), do my internship, then come back to OSU and give a report, take the comp thing, and be on my way. It's going to be an intense year. At least I won't be stuck in grad limbo for a decade or something. The other grads mentioned yesterday there was a guy who went to grad school here for nine years and left without a degree. I think Piled Higher and Deeper helped me quit my PhD before I started. Maybe I'll do a PhD somewhere down the line, but right now it is definitely not being considered.
I might head up to Albany as well to check out some of the bigger stores they have there. I really need to find a sofa or a futon, but they're either horrendously expensive or I need to move them myself. Finding a decent couch is my primary apartment mission now.
I'm still going to try to do exploring this weekend, just tomorrow. I haven't decided where yet, maybe Mary's Peak.
The PH 211 kids have a midterm on Monday. I think they might get hosed. Fortunately I've only got labs next week, I don't even have to grade the exams. It could be fun to see what they write though. One of the other grad students said that because I'm new I'd probably get PH 201 or something for fall, and those classes can have 700 students - almost four times larger than ISP 209! She said grading all their exams could take thirteen hours. On top of that, their helproom here is more flexible. If I work helproom, the students can ask me anything from any class. That will certainly keep me on my toes - at least it's good practice.
I really don't know too much about how my program works yet. I'm going to try to get some advising next week. I think I might have to take a lighter version of the PhD's comp exam. From what I can tell, this is actually a one year program instead of a two year like I assumed. I think I take three terms of classes (we're on the quarter system), do my internship, then come back to OSU and give a report, take the comp thing, and be on my way. It's going to be an intense year. At least I won't be stuck in grad limbo for a decade or something. The other grads mentioned yesterday there was a guy who went to grad school here for nine years and left without a degree. I think Piled Higher and Deeper helped me quit my PhD before I started. Maybe I'll do a PhD somewhere down the line, but right now it is definitely not being considered.
28 July 2005
end of the week
Today sucked for work but was OK in other respects. The weather is hot and dry again, which is slowing me down and incapacitating the locals. I taught recitation today. I had one kid in the morning session and he asked me the one book question that I hadn't fully worked out, so I got to stand around pondering and looking like an idiot. I didn't figure it out in front of him. After hearts club I sat down and it took me less than five minutes to find the problem - it was just Physics Rule #1, I had just made a stupid mistake in the geometry. Which is to be expected, because I basically haven't done physics since April. I got some lunch and went to the next recitation knowing that I could handle the material now. Nobody showed up to the second recitation. I waited about half the time and then bailed. Fortunately I am only doing labs next week, those are much easier to wing.
I went back to the bank again. This time I brought my sack of loose change that I hadn't cashed out in years - my new bank has a coin counting machine that is free for members. I had $27.63 in change, none of it quarters and including over 600 pennies and several hundred nickels and dimes. That sack of coins must have been 2/3 of the weight I lugged around today. I also got an email from my friend Erin that I sent the MIT book too, it sounds like she loves it.
As for me, I put on a Hawaiian shirt and I'm going to take a siesta, then maybe find a book to read. Maybe some SImCity. In any case it's the weekend for me now and I'm taking full advantage of it.
I went back to the bank again. This time I brought my sack of loose change that I hadn't cashed out in years - my new bank has a coin counting machine that is free for members. I had $27.63 in change, none of it quarters and including over 600 pennies and several hundred nickels and dimes. That sack of coins must have been 2/3 of the weight I lugged around today. I also got an email from my friend Erin that I sent the MIT book too, it sounds like she loves it.
As for me, I put on a Hawaiian shirt and I'm going to take a siesta, then maybe find a book to read. Maybe some SImCity. In any case it's the weekend for me now and I'm taking full advantage of it.
27 July 2005
the red pen is back
I finished doing my first grading in a long time. Too bad there were only ten papers instead of 185. The other TA and I decided we are basically a good cop / bad cop team. Before you start making cracks - I'm the good cop, and that does not make it a bad cop / bad cop routine. I don't know why we decided to do this, teaching is basically the opposite of interrogation. But I'm feeling pretty laid back and the other guy wants to be more of an ass, so there we go. I'm also supposed to prep for recitation tomorrow, but I'm just going to slap something together in the morning like last week.
I love reading Piled Higher and Deeper, especially since I'm now a part of this culture. I'll ask the other grads tomorrow at hearts club if they read it. If not, then it's clearly my duty to bring it to them. I haven't seen any PhD strips posted in the halls, mostly just Dilbert. I've also seen one of the randomly generated papers by a group of MIT troublemakers.
I love reading Piled Higher and Deeper, especially since I'm now a part of this culture. I'll ask the other grads tomorrow at hearts club if they read it. If not, then it's clearly my duty to bring it to them. I haven't seen any PhD strips posted in the halls, mostly just Dilbert. I've also seen one of the randomly generated papers by a group of MIT troublemakers.
man 1, tomato soup 0 (but just barely)
I had an epic battle with a can of tomato soup today. Shortly after that my computer chair broke. I figured if I couldn't eat lunch or surf the web without incident, I shouldn't be out and about today. I only went out briefly to get lecture notes for the class I TA because I have to teach recitation tomorrow. The poor bastards have a midterm on Monday.
I am expanding my culinary repertoire again tonight by making burritos. Over the weekend I got some ground beef and I've already had burgers a couple of times. I still need to find a good burger seasoning though, my burgers are pretty plain. I should ask Mikey what goes into Mikeyburgers. I also had grilled cheese and tomato soup for lunch, the first time since I've been out here.
Here's the deal with the soup. It comes in pop top cans. The tab quickly fell off without doing anything. I stated aloud that there is more than one way to skin a cat, and pierced two holes in the lid so I could pour the soup out. However, the soup was so viscous that it resisted pouring. I then stated that there are more than two ways to skin a cat, and broke out the can opener. I soon found to my dismay that the lid of the can is set deep enough below the rim that the can opener's blade does not touch it.
I had to call a timeout to think about this for a couple minutes.
While searching my apartment for more advanced tools of the piercing or bludgeoning variety, I finally came across a solution. I jammed a pair of pliers into the ineffectual pouring-holes and wrenched the lid off, thus securing victory and a side dish for lunch.
The school paper says that a grad student (not in my department though) fell 700 feet while climbing and died over the weekend. It took another climber an hour to reach her. This is why I like terra firma. I'm not going to fall 700 feet to my death playing Gran Turismo 4.
Between Lance Armstrong and the shuttle launch, there have at least been some good points in the news recently. Political stuff just gets me upset.
I am expanding my culinary repertoire again tonight by making burritos. Over the weekend I got some ground beef and I've already had burgers a couple of times. I still need to find a good burger seasoning though, my burgers are pretty plain. I should ask Mikey what goes into Mikeyburgers. I also had grilled cheese and tomato soup for lunch, the first time since I've been out here.
Here's the deal with the soup. It comes in pop top cans. The tab quickly fell off without doing anything. I stated aloud that there is more than one way to skin a cat, and pierced two holes in the lid so I could pour the soup out. However, the soup was so viscous that it resisted pouring. I then stated that there are more than two ways to skin a cat, and broke out the can opener. I soon found to my dismay that the lid of the can is set deep enough below the rim that the can opener's blade does not touch it.
I had to call a timeout to think about this for a couple minutes.
While searching my apartment for more advanced tools of the piercing or bludgeoning variety, I finally came across a solution. I jammed a pair of pliers into the ineffectual pouring-holes and wrenched the lid off, thus securing victory and a side dish for lunch.
The school paper says that a grad student (not in my department though) fell 700 feet while climbing and died over the weekend. It took another climber an hour to reach her. This is why I like terra firma. I'm not going to fall 700 feet to my death playing Gran Turismo 4.
Between Lance Armstrong and the shuttle launch, there have at least been some good points in the news recently. Political stuff just gets me upset.
25 July 2005
statistical aberration
I went to the bank this morning to sort out a couple of things. First off, when I opened the account they just assumed I like to be called 'John'. So now everything I get from them has 'John R' stamped all over it. John R is a road. Secondly, my new PIN (and it has since been changed) was 1234. Seriously.
I think my MuVo is utterly fried for some reason, so I'll probably take a picture of the TV to show off my new Pontiac Solstice coupe in Gran Turismo 4. I found out that the local Meijer equivalent has PS2 games, and a good selection of them too. So at least I don't have to worry about going to Salem to find a damn EBGames. However I asked my TA counterpart today where to buy computer stuff, and he said I'm doomed. Unless people are up in Portland for some reason, they just buy stuff online. Sad.
I think I'm going to take a little siesta right now. I might do some planning or sorting or something later, but I'm tempted to go out and get Ratchet & Clank and play through it again. (I don't actually own R&C #1 or #2, my bro got them as Christmas gifts. I don't think he's even beaten Going Commando yet.)
I think my MuVo is utterly fried for some reason, so I'll probably take a picture of the TV to show off my new Pontiac Solstice coupe in Gran Turismo 4. I found out that the local Meijer equivalent has PS2 games, and a good selection of them too. So at least I don't have to worry about going to Salem to find a damn EBGames. However I asked my TA counterpart today where to buy computer stuff, and he said I'm doomed. Unless people are up in Portland for some reason, they just buy stuff online. Sad.
I think I'm going to take a little siesta right now. I might do some planning or sorting or something later, but I'm tempted to go out and get Ratchet & Clank and play through it again. (I don't actually own R&C #1 or #2, my bro got them as Christmas gifts. I don't think he's even beaten Going Commando yet.)
the twilight of GT4
Went to the coast today. I'm a little singed from hanging out on the beach. It was good though.
I sat down to Gran Turismo 4 and beat the last four super license tests to get the Pontiac Solstice. Unfortunately my MuVo has taken this opportunity to crap out. It was the only thing I could get the PlayStation 2 to read. So, I will have to find another device before I can take tons of pictures. That car was the last one I really wanted to get. I am 95.4% done with GT4, and the last 4.6% is so hard to get I'll probably just leave it at that.
I sat down to Gran Turismo 4 and beat the last four super license tests to get the Pontiac Solstice. Unfortunately my MuVo has taken this opportunity to crap out. It was the only thing I could get the PlayStation 2 to read. So, I will have to find another device before I can take tons of pictures. That car was the last one I really wanted to get. I am 95.4% done with GT4, and the last 4.6% is so hard to get I'll probably just leave it at that.
24 July 2005
23 July 2005
the news in brief
Not much happened today. I could've had a sofa - hell, I could've had two - except the Malibu is not conducive to sofa-hauling. Also, there is a Mitsubishi dealer on 9th that has a pair of Lancer Evolutions out front, a red one and a silver one. Sexy. I forget about them except when I'm driving around and pass them by. I think tomorrow I'm going to the coast.
22 July 2005
and i've never been to boston in the fall
Today's Google Earth theme was alternative energy. I was poking around Mojave, CA trying to find Scaled Composites when I remembered that there are a ton of wind turbines around there. I had seen them on the SpaceShipOne documentary, and I think Mythbusters went out to Mojave for something as well. Anyway, if you know they are there it's hard to miss. The resolution is high enough that you can see the shadows of the blades. I also found that nearby is a spot where the power company laid out a bunch of spare blades. It's pretty cool.
I looked up some solar plants next. I found a good sized PV array outside Prescott, AZ, but it wasn't too exciting to look at. I wanted something like the solar plants in SimCity 4 that I love using. It turns out that the US only had one of those - as a test facility - and it's not running anymore. I guess I'd assumed than all you needed was 3,000 wealthy residents...In addition, the site is in a low-resolution area, so I can't even get a good look at it. Oh well.
I spent the day waiting for my DSL hardware to arrive. UPS came by yesterday between 2 and 3, but today they didn't show up until a quarter after five! I hate UPS. The hardware was pretty easy to set up except the phone company had forgotten to send me a letter with important user name and password info, so I had to call tech support and make them tell me.
Things have been going well since then. I'm on my own DSL now, so I don't have to worry about dialup, or the neighbor's DSL going down, or being kicked off the neighbor's DSL, or having problems because the neighbor's DSL isn't secure. One less thing to worry about and I'm happier for it.
The temperature has been a bit nicer recently, though the other grads are still bitching. I'm getting pretty far on sorting through the gigs of music I got from the guys. One of my favorite finds is a punk cover of 'The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything' - it amuses me, especially since it reminds me of PJ.
I looked up some solar plants next. I found a good sized PV array outside Prescott, AZ, but it wasn't too exciting to look at. I wanted something like the solar plants in SimCity 4 that I love using. It turns out that the US only had one of those - as a test facility - and it's not running anymore. I guess I'd assumed than all you needed was 3,000 wealthy residents...In addition, the site is in a low-resolution area, so I can't even get a good look at it. Oh well.
I spent the day waiting for my DSL hardware to arrive. UPS came by yesterday between 2 and 3, but today they didn't show up until a quarter after five! I hate UPS. The hardware was pretty easy to set up except the phone company had forgotten to send me a letter with important user name and password info, so I had to call tech support and make them tell me.
Things have been going well since then. I'm on my own DSL now, so I don't have to worry about dialup, or the neighbor's DSL going down, or being kicked off the neighbor's DSL, or having problems because the neighbor's DSL isn't secure. One less thing to worry about and I'm happier for it.
The temperature has been a bit nicer recently, though the other grads are still bitching. I'm getting pretty far on sorting through the gigs of music I got from the guys. One of my favorite finds is a punk cover of 'The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything' - it amuses me, especially since it reminds me of PJ.
21 July 2005
press button for BS
In a stunning success for the Pizza Guy Theory, I found a store with a USB number pad shortly after bitching about it. The Pizza Guy Theory states that the pizza guy will show up right after you get fed up and yell "WHERE THE HELL IS MY PIZZA?!" Or more generally, loudly bitching about something not happening will make it happen almost instantly.
The new number pad seems to work OK, but now I am totally out of USB ports again (and I've got seven USB ports). I'm a USB-intensive computer user. One thing I can note about the pad is that instead of writing out 'Backspace', the maker shortened the button's label to 'BS'. So I've got a BS button for my computer now.
The new number pad seems to work OK, but now I am totally out of USB ports again (and I've got seven USB ports). I'm a USB-intensive computer user. One thing I can note about the pad is that instead of writing out 'Backspace', the maker shortened the button's label to 'BS'. So I've got a BS button for my computer now.
top ten
Here is what iTunes says my top ten most played songs are:
10. Easier To Run (Linkin Park) - 29 times
9. Anthem (Pi soundtrack) - 32 times
8. Air (Paul Oakenfold, Global Underground: New York) - 32 times
7. In The End (Linkin Park) - 38 times
6. Milk and Sugar (The Hard Lessons) - 42 times
5. No Man's Land (Pi soundtrack) - 44 times
4. Every Time I Look For You (Blink-182) - 49 times
3. Leaving Planet Earth (Paul Oakenfold. Global Underground: New York) - 54 times
2. Somewhere I Belong (Linkin Park) - 72 times
1. Cure For The Itch (SI) (Linkin Park) - 119 times
So that's what I've been listening to. Can you tell I like Linkin Park? The SI in #1 means I went into Sound Forge and cut out the first minute because it was just screwing around until the actual song started, hence the song is Sans Intro. I think these are pretty much in fixed order, though there's a mix of Flaming June by BT and a mix of Finished Symphony by Hybrid that are fighting their way to the top ten.
10. Easier To Run (Linkin Park) - 29 times
9. Anthem (Pi soundtrack) - 32 times
8. Air (Paul Oakenfold, Global Underground: New York) - 32 times
7. In The End (Linkin Park) - 38 times
6. Milk and Sugar (The Hard Lessons) - 42 times
5. No Man's Land (Pi soundtrack) - 44 times
4. Every Time I Look For You (Blink-182) - 49 times
3. Leaving Planet Earth (Paul Oakenfold. Global Underground: New York) - 54 times
2. Somewhere I Belong (Linkin Park) - 72 times
1. Cure For The Itch (SI) (Linkin Park) - 119 times
So that's what I've been listening to. Can you tell I like Linkin Park? The SI in #1 means I went into Sound Forge and cut out the first minute because it was just screwing around until the actual song started, hence the song is Sans Intro. I think these are pretty much in fixed order, though there's a mix of Flaming June by BT and a mix of Finished Symphony by Hybrid that are fighting their way to the top ten.
warmup
I finished all the work I'm supposed to do this week. On Tuesday I taught lab, which was fun because the students are easy to work with and the lab was very simple. Today I taught recitation. I was a little concerned because I have not done physics problems since April, so I am mentally out of shape. I was going to prep for it but I ended up killing all of last night with the tasks described in Paragraphs 4 and 5. Oops. I spent some time on it this morning though, and it turns out I'm in fairly sharp conditino. I had five students in the morning and one in the afternoon, and I think working through the problems with them helped them all out.
I met up with some of the other grads, who play Hearts together at lunch. They've obviously been at this a while, because they have different decks for different numbers of players and all of the cards are well worn. The decks are stacked with extra cards to handle more players, so there are two Queens of Spades in the six-player one. I had a couple hands where I got both of them ('Hatin' on the new guy!'). Tuesday I held onto second place for a while, but I got hit with some bad hands and came in second to last. Today I got completely hosed early on (me with 88 points, next highest 33), but I held out and went several rounds without taking points, managing to sqeak into second-to-last place at the end. I have seen one of my officemates a couple of times but I haven't actually met him.
The lack of routine is messing with me. I work on Tuesday and Thursday, at different times and with off days in between. In addition I think I'm still adjusting to Pacific time. Then add heat. It's wearing me out. Second recitation today especially got me because I needed a siesta after lunch.
I beat Jak II, so my new project of no use is going through the gigs of music I took from PJ shortly before I left. The mass of files started around 21GB, but I'm deleting stuff left and right before I start actually sorting. For instance, Ben Folds gets thrown out when I see it, because I don't like him, as well as Linkin Park, because I already have them. Non-MP3 files get tossed too, especially WMA. (On top of WMA sucking in general, I've got an iPod so I can't listen to them even if I wanted to.)
I also went through the entire archive of Piled Higher and Deeper, which is probably my favorite webcomic, especially since it's about grad school. I'm entertained that I'm part of the system now, even if only for a brief period. (Though one character actually quit her PhD to form an industry startup!) I don't know if they read it here, but they should.
UPS tried to deliver my DSL hardware today, but I was at recitation at the time. Fortunately the pirated DSL is working again, so I can hold out for another day. I also got the book I ordered for my friend, so I'll probably get it in the mail tomorrow. It's an MIT book, so I'm going to figure a way to work IHTFP into the inscription. I don't intend IHTFP in it's primary meaning though, just as an inside joke. It's actually going pretty well here. (For those not in the know - I'm guess 99% of you - you can Google it.)
I've had Freeman for about two months, and I think there's only one thing left I need to remedy: I need a number pad. I can't enter numbers quickly or skip around in Winamp and it's irritating. I think there are USB number pads available. Too bad there are no technology stores nearby.
I'm done working for the week, so I don't know what I'm going to do for the weekend. I'm thinking of heading out to Newport.
I met up with some of the other grads, who play Hearts together at lunch. They've obviously been at this a while, because they have different decks for different numbers of players and all of the cards are well worn. The decks are stacked with extra cards to handle more players, so there are two Queens of Spades in the six-player one. I had a couple hands where I got both of them ('Hatin' on the new guy!'). Tuesday I held onto second place for a while, but I got hit with some bad hands and came in second to last. Today I got completely hosed early on (me with 88 points, next highest 33), but I held out and went several rounds without taking points, managing to sqeak into second-to-last place at the end. I have seen one of my officemates a couple of times but I haven't actually met him.
The lack of routine is messing with me. I work on Tuesday and Thursday, at different times and with off days in between. In addition I think I'm still adjusting to Pacific time. Then add heat. It's wearing me out. Second recitation today especially got me because I needed a siesta after lunch.
I beat Jak II, so my new project of no use is going through the gigs of music I took from PJ shortly before I left. The mass of files started around 21GB, but I'm deleting stuff left and right before I start actually sorting. For instance, Ben Folds gets thrown out when I see it, because I don't like him, as well as Linkin Park, because I already have them. Non-MP3 files get tossed too, especially WMA. (On top of WMA sucking in general, I've got an iPod so I can't listen to them even if I wanted to.)
I also went through the entire archive of Piled Higher and Deeper, which is probably my favorite webcomic, especially since it's about grad school. I'm entertained that I'm part of the system now, even if only for a brief period. (Though one character actually quit her PhD to form an industry startup!) I don't know if they read it here, but they should.
UPS tried to deliver my DSL hardware today, but I was at recitation at the time. Fortunately the pirated DSL is working again, so I can hold out for another day. I also got the book I ordered for my friend, so I'll probably get it in the mail tomorrow. It's an MIT book, so I'm going to figure a way to work IHTFP into the inscription. I don't intend IHTFP in it's primary meaning though, just as an inside joke. It's actually going pretty well here. (For those not in the know - I'm guess 99% of you - you can Google it.)
I've had Freeman for about two months, and I think there's only one thing left I need to remedy: I need a number pad. I can't enter numbers quickly or skip around in Winamp and it's irritating. I think there are USB number pads available. Too bad there are no technology stores nearby.
I'm done working for the week, so I don't know what I'm going to do for the weekend. I'm thinking of heading out to Newport.
18 July 2005
what is this "work-ing" you speak of
I have to go back to work. Bleh. I haven't worked since I graduated. I'm TAing some calc-based physics labs tomorrow. The first one is at 9AM, and I have to go in early to double-check some stuff from the lab manual. Then I get to do recitations on Thursday, which will be more what I'm used to. The class is an 11-week course packed into 4 weeks, so it's going to fly by.
Today was long, but at least it was productive. I ordered my DSL and opened a local bank account, all before lunch. I met with Zlatko and the other TA about this class we're teaching and I think we're all going to be winging it, not just me. Between the heat (another high 90's day, still 75 now) and the amount of stuff I got done today, I'm worn out.
This weblog is good for writing stuff down but it's not really all that funny. I'm going to think about how to remedy that.
Today was long, but at least it was productive. I ordered my DSL and opened a local bank account, all before lunch. I met with Zlatko and the other TA about this class we're teaching and I think we're all going to be winging it, not just me. Between the heat (another high 90's day, still 75 now) and the amount of stuff I got done today, I'm worn out.
This weblog is good for writing stuff down but it's not really all that funny. I'm going to think about how to remedy that.
17 July 2005
the system is down
I went to Salem's Best Buy today. I bought a USB hub and Jak II for PS2. When I got back I found that the wireless internet I have pirated all week stopped working for whatever reason. Unlike the problem at home, I can renew my IP address fine - it just doesn't help. So until further notice I am back on stupid dialup. I am trying to find out how to get Qwest's DSL service, but they don't seem to have my new number in the system. I don't want to have to wait for them to get their damn act together.
Anyway, tomorrow I have another meeting about the class I TA (I start actually teaching on Tuesday). I also need to get this internet crap resolved fast.
Anyway, tomorrow I have another meeting about the class I TA (I start actually teaching on Tuesday). I also need to get this internet crap resolved fast.
16 July 2005
i have technology-finding problems
I was out and about a bit today. It's Saturday, so I checked out the Farmer's Market. It was actually very nice, most of First Street gets closed down for it. I bought some strawberries that are quite good. I also went to the normal store to pick up regular groceries. I grilled a chicken breast on the Foreman grill, which is a step up from what I've been eating so far. I haven't been too bad though, I've only had fast food once or twice this week. The chicken was damn good.
I went to Borders today to get the MIT book for my friend, but it turns out nobody has it. I'll probably have to get it online. I have another MIT book that's pretty good but it's a little depressing, so I'm not going to send it to my friend. Reading the MIT books is very interesting because MIT is so much different from everywhere I've been. I was tempted to apply to MIT for grad school but they didn't really have a good program for me, and I don't think I could handle the environment anyway. I wonder if they ever bothered to formally reject PJ.
My apartment is starting to come together. I got some more shelves so I can get more crap off my card table. I listened to Car Talk while putting them together, I've been enjoying listening to those knuckleheads. With more of my stuff sorted my pad is looking less like a storage shed and more like I actually live here. I really need to find a sofa or futon though.
One thing that I basically confirmed today was that Corvallis is a technology desert. We don't have an EBGames or Gamestop, let alone a Best Buy. And the nearest stores aren't in the next city over. They're in Salem, which is about an hour away. Harsh. Corvallis does have a Mac store but that's like saying, "Sorry, we don't have any gasoline, but we do have diesel!" Thanks, that does me a ton of good. At least I know where to get iPod gear. I'm obviously going to have to plan a sortie to Salem - I have $35 in Best Buy reward zone coupons that aren't usable online, I could use a USB hub, and I'm itching to get a new clearance rack PS2 game.
The next town over does have a billiards hall. In fact, I think there's plenty to do around here (except buy technology). If only I had a crew to hang out with. I should meet some of the other grads next week, but what I really want is for the other new guys to show up. I have to wait until late September for that. At least I should be thoroughly settled by then.
I really want to go to a Hard Lessons concert. They have not posted anything about a West Coast tour yet though. If they come to Portland I don't care what else is going on, I'll be there. I'm trying to find out what kind of local bands there are, but I don't know if there's anything like the Hard Lessons.
I went to Borders today to get the MIT book for my friend, but it turns out nobody has it. I'll probably have to get it online. I have another MIT book that's pretty good but it's a little depressing, so I'm not going to send it to my friend. Reading the MIT books is very interesting because MIT is so much different from everywhere I've been. I was tempted to apply to MIT for grad school but they didn't really have a good program for me, and I don't think I could handle the environment anyway. I wonder if they ever bothered to formally reject PJ.
My apartment is starting to come together. I got some more shelves so I can get more crap off my card table. I listened to Car Talk while putting them together, I've been enjoying listening to those knuckleheads. With more of my stuff sorted my pad is looking less like a storage shed and more like I actually live here. I really need to find a sofa or futon though.
One thing that I basically confirmed today was that Corvallis is a technology desert. We don't have an EBGames or Gamestop, let alone a Best Buy. And the nearest stores aren't in the next city over. They're in Salem, which is about an hour away. Harsh. Corvallis does have a Mac store but that's like saying, "Sorry, we don't have any gasoline, but we do have diesel!" Thanks, that does me a ton of good. At least I know where to get iPod gear. I'm obviously going to have to plan a sortie to Salem - I have $35 in Best Buy reward zone coupons that aren't usable online, I could use a USB hub, and I'm itching to get a new clearance rack PS2 game.
The next town over does have a billiards hall. In fact, I think there's plenty to do around here (except buy technology). If only I had a crew to hang out with. I should meet some of the other grads next week, but what I really want is for the other new guys to show up. I have to wait until late September for that. At least I should be thoroughly settled by then.
I really want to go to a Hard Lessons concert. They have not posted anything about a West Coast tour yet though. If they come to Portland I don't care what else is going on, I'll be there. I'm trying to find out what kind of local bands there are, but I don't know if there's anything like the Hard Lessons.
14 July 2005
the hill of futility
I spent the day sitting around waiting for my UPS-shipped stuff to arrive, which it didn't until late afternoon. Consequently I didn't make it over to campus to meet with the guy I'm working for. I played a little GT4 and listened to Car Talk while waiting for the UPS guy, so it wasn't too bad. Whatever it takes, I'm going to meet with the prof tomorrow. This has been drawn out all week and I'm tired of it. Maybe some of the other grad students will be around, and I can meet them too.
After dinner I decided to try and make up for a wasted day, so I drove out to Bald Hill which is supposed to be a decent hike. It's about a mile horizontally from the parking lot to the top of the hill, and over 400 feet vertically. It was a bit rough, but I made it to the top without incident. I found that basically, it's a field. The only property that makes it different from a regular field is that I had to waste an extra 270kJ or so of energy to account for the vertical displacement.There wasn't even a redeeming quality like a lake or a waterfall. It's just a stupid field. You can hear cows mooing from the next hill-field over. The view was decent, if you like looking at farmland. There were too many trees to see Corvallis though, which is what I was hoping for. I could barely make out the OSU stadium. I gave up and went back to the car to enjoy the A/C cranked up all the way. So that's my tale of futility and the outdoors. I'm not giving up though - I'd like to head out to Newport as soon as I can manage it, and the Columbia River Gorge was spectacular but it is past Portland so that will take some effort.
Anyway, at least I have the rest of my stuff here now. I broke out some of the books and I am enjoying one about MIT hacks that might be a good one to send to my friend Erin. With all my extra stuff here it seems I need to get some more shelves or something. I nailed my dorm room in Hubbard Hall right away, but it's going to take a while to settle here.
Jim and I managed to find the last of the Gran Turismo 4 real-world tracks in Google Earth. My latest finds are Fermilab, MIT and CalTech. Jim tried to find CERN, but it's buried. I had the same story with the old SSC site in Texas. What to find next?
After dinner I decided to try and make up for a wasted day, so I drove out to Bald Hill which is supposed to be a decent hike. It's about a mile horizontally from the parking lot to the top of the hill, and over 400 feet vertically. It was a bit rough, but I made it to the top without incident. I found that basically, it's a field. The only property that makes it different from a regular field is that I had to waste an extra 270kJ or so of energy to account for the vertical displacement.There wasn't even a redeeming quality like a lake or a waterfall. It's just a stupid field. You can hear cows mooing from the next hill-field over. The view was decent, if you like looking at farmland. There were too many trees to see Corvallis though, which is what I was hoping for. I could barely make out the OSU stadium. I gave up and went back to the car to enjoy the A/C cranked up all the way. So that's my tale of futility and the outdoors. I'm not giving up though - I'd like to head out to Newport as soon as I can manage it, and the Columbia River Gorge was spectacular but it is past Portland so that will take some effort.
Anyway, at least I have the rest of my stuff here now. I broke out some of the books and I am enjoying one about MIT hacks that might be a good one to send to my friend Erin. With all my extra stuff here it seems I need to get some more shelves or something. I nailed my dorm room in Hubbard Hall right away, but it's going to take a while to settle here.
Jim and I managed to find the last of the Gran Turismo 4 real-world tracks in Google Earth. My latest finds are Fermilab, MIT and CalTech. Jim tried to find CERN, but it's buried. I had the same story with the old SSC site in Texas. What to find next?
13 July 2005
where in the world
It's been quite a bit slower around here after the chaos of driving and moving in last week. I tried to meet with the guy I'm going to TA for, but I couldn't find him. I waited around for like an hour but he was still MIA so I came back. I'll try again tomorrow. I told the phone company to hook me up, but that could take until Friday and I can't work on getting DSL until my phone works.
I checked out some more stores today too. There's a place called Winco that has bulk foods like Costco. In that plaza there was also a hobby store. It was cool, but definitely for serious modelers like my Uncle Mark. They had special brushes and clamps and everything. I think I'd like to do an Me-262, but I haven't done models in a long time so I would probably mess up whatever I tried to do.
Tomorrow I'm getting the seven extra boxes of stuff that wouldn't go in the car, so I'm looking forward to that. I was kind of holding off checking out the nearby scenic hill until I could get my camera's tripod, and there's a ton of other stuff I would like to have around.
I've been running Gran Turismo 4 in the background, but that's not the main way I've been killing time today. That award goes to Google Earth. It's like a combination of Terraserver, MapQuest and the Yellow Pages. Screwing around with it gives you a real good sense of geography. After I'd found my apartment, my home in Clarkston, UCSD, NHMFL, Disney World and Kennedy Space Center, I found a more difficult challenge: the real-world tracks from Gran Turismo 4. Some of them were fairly straightforward. Others I had to stumble across someone else's drawn-on Google Earth screenshot. I think the only track remaining is Circuit de la Sarthe, and that's because it's a temporary track composed of local French roads. By the way, don't miss the link in this post's title. I amuse me.
I've also been reading a book one of my friends sent me about the Golden Ratio. It's actually quite interesting, especially when they mention bizarre properties about the Golden Ratio or Fibonacci numbers that I had no idea about. I'm trying to find something I can send back to my friend, but I can't think of anything offhand. I'm sure I'll think of something.
I checked out some more stores today too. There's a place called Winco that has bulk foods like Costco. In that plaza there was also a hobby store. It was cool, but definitely for serious modelers like my Uncle Mark. They had special brushes and clamps and everything. I think I'd like to do an Me-262, but I haven't done models in a long time so I would probably mess up whatever I tried to do.
Tomorrow I'm getting the seven extra boxes of stuff that wouldn't go in the car, so I'm looking forward to that. I was kind of holding off checking out the nearby scenic hill until I could get my camera's tripod, and there's a ton of other stuff I would like to have around.
I've been running Gran Turismo 4 in the background, but that's not the main way I've been killing time today. That award goes to Google Earth. It's like a combination of Terraserver, MapQuest and the Yellow Pages. Screwing around with it gives you a real good sense of geography. After I'd found my apartment, my home in Clarkston, UCSD, NHMFL, Disney World and Kennedy Space Center, I found a more difficult challenge: the real-world tracks from Gran Turismo 4. Some of them were fairly straightforward. Others I had to stumble across someone else's drawn-on Google Earth screenshot. I think the only track remaining is Circuit de la Sarthe, and that's because it's a temporary track composed of local French roads. By the way, don't miss the link in this post's title. I amuse me.
I've also been reading a book one of my friends sent me about the Golden Ratio. It's actually quite interesting, especially when they mention bizarre properties about the Golden Ratio or Fibonacci numbers that I had no idea about. I'm trying to find something I can send back to my friend, but I can't think of anything offhand. I'm sure I'll think of something.
11 July 2005
settling in
I'm getting settled in Corvallis. I went over to the physics department today and got my ID and keys. They even had my office assigned already. It's pretty nice. I think tomorrow I'm meeting with the prof I'm going to TA for. I think it's calc-based physics, so I'll actually have to think. At least it'll be a good refresher, because I haven't done physics in a couple months.
I figured out how to make some of the equipment in the kitchen work, so dinner was hot dogs off the George Foreman grill with fries on the side. From the stove, not the Foreman grill. I'm following up that success by making brownies. It's not going to be fun doing all those dishes though.
I figured out how to make some of the equipment in the kitchen work, so dinner was hot dogs off the George Foreman grill with fries on the side. From the stove, not the Foreman grill. I'm following up that success by making brownies. It's not going to be fun doing all those dishes though.
10 July 2005
a pirate's life for me pt. IV
It has been a very hectic couple of days but I am finally moved in to my new apartment in Corvallis and my dad is on his flight home. My new place is very nice, has one of the lower rents we found and is only two blocks from the physics building.
I have the new place furnished to some degree now. I got the electricity hooked up but I haven't gotten around to getting phone, cable or internet. As for the latter, as some of you may have gathered from the title, it seems one of my neighbors has an unprotected DSL network...
Tomorrow I should get some more of the utilities hooked up, and I'm going to drop in on the physics department's office to let them know I'm in town. Today I think I'm just going to chill here and set things up.
I visited some family up in Portland last night, which was fun but I could barely do the drive back. It was supposed to be an hour and a half and I took two hours, including taking two stops to recuperate. Not fun.
I have the new place furnished to some degree now. I got the electricity hooked up but I haven't gotten around to getting phone, cable or internet. As for the latter, as some of you may have gathered from the title, it seems one of my neighbors has an unprotected DSL network...
Tomorrow I should get some more of the utilities hooked up, and I'm going to drop in on the physics department's office to let them know I'm in town. Today I think I'm just going to chill here and set things up.
I visited some family up in Portland last night, which was fun but I could barely do the drive back. It was supposed to be an hour and a half and I took two hours, including taking two stops to recuperate. Not fun.
07 July 2005
06 July 2005
the oregon trail: mission accomplished / refueling
My dad and I are settled into our hotel in Corvallis. Here's a brief summary of the trip: 2500 miles. 10 states. 4 1/2 days. 2 drivers. For the most part, not very fun. I think it was less painful than my drive to Tallahassee though. Probably beucase we didn't go through Southern states. We didn't get into most of our books on CD, but I did get The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (Tertiary Phase) radio play and I enjoyed it greatly.
Did you know it's illegal to pump your own gas in Oregon? I thought it was a joke. It's not. I looked it up to figure out why such a stupid law would be in effect. Apparently it was passed in 1951, ostensibly for safety reasons but really to keep gas station attendants employed. And I guess a combination of the powerful gas-station-attendent-lobby and good old inertia keeps it in effect. So this brings two questions up in my mind:
1. How is this law enforcable? I mean, if I pump my own gas is the attendent really going to call the police and have them chase me down when they could be doing something useful instead? Even if they catch me, I can probably play the Michigan card and say I thought the guy was joking.
2. What is the penalty for breaking this law? (I did some research, and several people claim it's a $500 fine or potentially even jail time. I have yet to find the actual law though.)
I've only had one fill-up here in Oregon so far, but if I'm going to live here for two years I'm gonna need some more gas. I think the act of pumping gas includes putting the nozzle back in its slot. So in today's incident when the tank was full and the idiot attendent was 'helping' someone else, I just put the damn thing back, took my receipt and left, effectively making me a lawbreaker. I may be able to get used to having some dolt pump my gas for me, but I'm not going to play their stupid games if it's going to waste my time. My tank is already half empty and I'm rueing the day when I have to go back.
I know it's not a big deal and I'm not really looking for trouble. I just hate it when the government gets involved in stupid day-to-day things like this. Politically I appear to be a moderate, but I really consider myself to be orthogonal to the axis of left vs. right. My projection onto said axis is currently a little left of center. I say that because I hate George W. Bush. I basically have a libertarian position that the government should take care of a handful of certain things, and stay the hell out of everything else.
Bet you didn't expect to see a prolonged rant about pumping gas, eh? Anyway, my new mission is to find an apartment and furnish it, thus establishing a base of operations in Oregon.
Did you know it's illegal to pump your own gas in Oregon? I thought it was a joke. It's not. I looked it up to figure out why such a stupid law would be in effect. Apparently it was passed in 1951, ostensibly for safety reasons but really to keep gas station attendants employed. And I guess a combination of the powerful gas-station-attendent-lobby and good old inertia keeps it in effect. So this brings two questions up in my mind:
1. How is this law enforcable? I mean, if I pump my own gas is the attendent really going to call the police and have them chase me down when they could be doing something useful instead? Even if they catch me, I can probably play the Michigan card and say I thought the guy was joking.
2. What is the penalty for breaking this law? (I did some research, and several people claim it's a $500 fine or potentially even jail time. I have yet to find the actual law though.)
I've only had one fill-up here in Oregon so far, but if I'm going to live here for two years I'm gonna need some more gas. I think the act of pumping gas includes putting the nozzle back in its slot. So in today's incident when the tank was full and the idiot attendent was 'helping' someone else, I just put the damn thing back, took my receipt and left, effectively making me a lawbreaker. I may be able to get used to having some dolt pump my gas for me, but I'm not going to play their stupid games if it's going to waste my time. My tank is already half empty and I'm rueing the day when I have to go back.
I know it's not a big deal and I'm not really looking for trouble. I just hate it when the government gets involved in stupid day-to-day things like this. Politically I appear to be a moderate, but I really consider myself to be orthogonal to the axis of left vs. right. My projection onto said axis is currently a little left of center. I say that because I hate George W. Bush. I basically have a libertarian position that the government should take care of a handful of certain things, and stay the hell out of everything else.
Bet you didn't expect to see a prolonged rant about pumping gas, eh? Anyway, my new mission is to find an apartment and furnish it, thus establishing a base of operations in Oregon.
the oregon trail, day five: corvallis, OR
Well, we finally made it. We can finally stop driving for days on end. I am very eager to find an apartment and get set up in it, but we don't start apartment hunting until tomorrow. Which is just as well because I need a break for a bit.
05 July 2005
the oregon trail, day four: kennewick, WA
We made it to Washington. Our relief was quickly tempered by the revelation that Washington is a damned barren wasteland. Fortunately we are on the Oregon border now and we will be out of this state first thing tomorrow morning. I tried to take the last stretch of driving but the wasteland drained what little energy I had left, so we had to switch drivers.
We could tell we were getting near Washington because we started seeing hybrids again coming from the other direction. We didn't see any in the red states. I saw an Insight and three Priuses in 10 minutes. It was like an oasis in the desert. Or not.
We started this morning in Montana. The place we were staying at smelled like asphault and diesel fuel. Ritzy. The first stop we made after that left a more positive impression. Montana has quite a few impressive hills, but that translated into a highway that was constantly twisting and turning because we had to navigate around them. We also went through about 50 miles of Idaho, which was pretty much the same. Idaho was the last time change, so now we are on Pacific time.
We drove about the same distance as yesterday, but I think my stamina for this crap is dropping. I am very happy that tomorrow we will reach Corvallis. As for right now, we are going to get some dinner at a local restaurant with Manhattan Project theming. Apparently there was a plutonium breeder reactor somewhere in this area.
We could tell we were getting near Washington because we started seeing hybrids again coming from the other direction. We didn't see any in the red states. I saw an Insight and three Priuses in 10 minutes. It was like an oasis in the desert. Or not.
We started this morning in Montana. The place we were staying at smelled like asphault and diesel fuel. Ritzy. The first stop we made after that left a more positive impression. Montana has quite a few impressive hills, but that translated into a highway that was constantly twisting and turning because we had to navigate around them. We also went through about 50 miles of Idaho, which was pretty much the same. Idaho was the last time change, so now we are on Pacific time.
We drove about the same distance as yesterday, but I think my stamina for this crap is dropping. I am very happy that tomorrow we will reach Corvallis. As for right now, we are going to get some dinner at a local restaurant with Manhattan Project theming. Apparently there was a plutonium breeder reactor somewhere in this area.
04 July 2005
the oregon trail, day three: belgrade, MT
It's the 4th of July and that is very apparent here on the outskirts of Bozeman, MT. We got into town kind of late and it took us a while to find a place to eat that wasn't closed for the holiday. Now we can see lots of fireworks. The fun kinds that are illegal in Michigan. It doesn't matter out here. The city we are in is on a large plain between some mountains - someone could blow up a brick of TNT and nobody would notice.
Today we started in South Dakota. We slept in and visited Mount Rushmore (which was neat) so we didn't get on the road until about 11 AM local time. Wyoming came after that, and now we're in Montana. Wyoming was pretty good. We started seeing some mountains there, but I-90 swung north so we could avoid them for the moment. I guess Montana is OK, but they have their share of idiot drivers.
We're getting to the point where we gas up wherever we can. We found in South Dakota that the midgrade gas was actually cheaper than normal unleaded. The pumps said the midgrade had ethanol, so we figure the locals have some strange aversion to ethanol gasoline. We pumped it in happily, seeing as all of Michigan's gas has ethanol added.
I think we're going through the mountains tomorrow. We're going to try for another 550-mile day tomorrow that should put us in Washington right on the border of Oregon. So we'll be out of the red states soon, which is good. (Side note: on Day One we saw a pickup with the license plate 'I 4 BUSH'. It explains a lot.) That means we should be cruising into Corvallis midday Wednesday. I can't wait, because I want to set up my apartment and this driving thing is starting to get old.
Today we started in South Dakota. We slept in and visited Mount Rushmore (which was neat) so we didn't get on the road until about 11 AM local time. Wyoming came after that, and now we're in Montana. Wyoming was pretty good. We started seeing some mountains there, but I-90 swung north so we could avoid them for the moment. I guess Montana is OK, but they have their share of idiot drivers.
We're getting to the point where we gas up wherever we can. We found in South Dakota that the midgrade gas was actually cheaper than normal unleaded. The pumps said the midgrade had ethanol, so we figure the locals have some strange aversion to ethanol gasoline. We pumped it in happily, seeing as all of Michigan's gas has ethanol added.
I think we're going through the mountains tomorrow. We're going to try for another 550-mile day tomorrow that should put us in Washington right on the border of Oregon. So we'll be out of the red states soon, which is good. (Side note: on Day One we saw a pickup with the license plate 'I 4 BUSH'. It explains a lot.) That means we should be cruising into Corvallis midday Wednesday. I can't wait, because I want to set up my apartment and this driving thing is starting to get old.
03 July 2005
the jolly green giant
In Minnesota, someone has gone to the trouble of erecting a 55' statue of the Jolly Green Giant.
the oregon trail, day two: hill city, SD
We only drove a little over 500 miles today, but we're pretty tired all the same. Part of it is that we stopped at some touristy places today. Wall Drug and the Corn Palace were things to visit just to have visited, but the air & space museum outside of Ellsworth AFB was pretty cool. There was quite a bit of rain when we left Minnesota this morning. Minnesota did have some power windmills, which was cool to see. Most of the day was spent driving through South Dakota.
We're staying at a hotel less than ten miles from Mount Rushmore for the night. We wanted to see the fireworks show at the memorial but it was insanely packed. We would have had to park somewhere far away and hike a couple of miles to find a good vantage point. We decided to bail and had a late dinner. I caught a glimpse of the B-1 flyover.
Things are starting to get kind of desolate in this part of the country. Cities seem to be getting smaller and further apart. At least we don't really have to worry about traffic. Tomorrow we're going to see Mount Rushmore and then drive another 500 miles or so. There's really no reason for us to push ourselves so it's looking like we'll be getting into Corvallis on Wednesday morning.
We're staying at a hotel less than ten miles from Mount Rushmore for the night. We wanted to see the fireworks show at the memorial but it was insanely packed. We would have had to park somewhere far away and hike a couple of miles to find a good vantage point. We decided to bail and had a late dinner. I caught a glimpse of the B-1 flyover.
Things are starting to get kind of desolate in this part of the country. Cities seem to be getting smaller and further apart. At least we don't really have to worry about traffic. Tomorrow we're going to see Mount Rushmore and then drive another 500 miles or so. There's really no reason for us to push ourselves so it's looking like we'll be getting into Corvallis on Wednesday morning.
02 July 2005
the oregon trail, day one: albert lea, MN (supplemental)
For dinner we had some pizza that was quite good. Unfortunately we really can't bring leftover pizza so we just left what we couldn't finish. We're back at the hotel now. My dad is checking maps for tomorrow and I'm taking advantage of the hotel's free Wi-Fi broadband. Once I let dinner digest a little I might go check out the pool. I think my dad is just going to sleep. He's earned it.
the oregon trail, day one: albert lea, MN
We made it to tonight's hotel after over 12.5 hours and 730 miles of driving. Bleh. I'm a little worn down, and I think my dad is really beat. Here's a brief summary of the day.
Michigan: Detroit is a little bad because of Superbowl construction, but otherwise driving as usual.
Indiana: Only in the state briefly, it was short and sweet.
Illinois: Driving sucked here. We managed to skirt around Chicago OK, but we then got caught in stop-and-go traffic for over an hour just because of a stupid toll booth catching everyone trying to get the hell out of Illinois. We then got the privilege of paying $0.80 for the holdup, to add insult to injury. Traffic just evaporated after that toll booth. The toll roads in general slowed things down - especially when the lanes coming out of the toll booths either disappeared or crossed each other. Thanks, Illinois.
Wisconsin: Not too bad, especially after Illinois. Lots of billboards for cheese. I missed the end of this state because I was dozing and only caught a glimpse of the MIssissippi River.
Minnesota: Hilly and pretty at first, but that gave way to seas of corn. All of the rest areas in the state are closed because of some silly budget mishap. Overall not terribly exciting and we'll put it behind us tomorrow morning.
Michigan: Detroit is a little bad because of Superbowl construction, but otherwise driving as usual.
Indiana: Only in the state briefly, it was short and sweet.
Illinois: Driving sucked here. We managed to skirt around Chicago OK, but we then got caught in stop-and-go traffic for over an hour just because of a stupid toll booth catching everyone trying to get the hell out of Illinois. We then got the privilege of paying $0.80 for the holdup, to add insult to injury. Traffic just evaporated after that toll booth. The toll roads in general slowed things down - especially when the lanes coming out of the toll booths either disappeared or crossed each other. Thanks, Illinois.
Wisconsin: Not too bad, especially after Illinois. Lots of billboards for cheese. I missed the end of this state because I was dozing and only caught a glimpse of the MIssissippi River.
Minnesota: Hilly and pretty at first, but that gave way to seas of corn. All of the rest areas in the state are closed because of some silly budget mishap. Overall not terribly exciting and we'll put it behind us tomorrow morning.
the oregon trail, day one: clarkston, MI
I'm outta here. We're aiming to get past Chicago by lunchtime, which will probably be the most difficult part of the whole trip. I think we're going to end up somewhere in Wisconsin tonight.
01 July 2005
hitting the trail
Somehow, everything managed to fit in the car. I leave in about 7 hours. I guess I should get some sleep.
packing
I leave tomorrow morning. I'm frantically trying to get everything packed. This drive out to Oregon seems a bit like the Mars rovers - launch first and send instructions later. Hopefully everything will end up OK.
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