MQP, Weddings, Friends, and the Kitchen Sink.
MQP (senior project) is due Thursday, but pretty much we need to be done tomorrow. We thought it was going to be a little over 100 pages, but then we learned we are supposed to double space it and possibly put each figure on its own page. Now it's looking like it will be close to 200 pages. Keep in mind that this was done over one term. WPI has 7-week terms. Okay, well, to be honest, we started writing a bit of the background 2 weeks before that, but not all that much.
Anyway, it was a really cool project, and besides the recent stress of deadlines and presentations, the only part I disliked was the hour-long commute. My bosses/advisors are both really cool and smart, and gave us a ton of help and advice. Plus, my project partner and I work really well together (except when I'm burnt out after a week of stress substituted for sleep, and then I'm slightly grouchy).
If you want to know what its about, we worked on light detectors. I could tell you more, but then I'd have to kill you. Seriously. I had to fill out crazy paperwork and get a background check before I could work there.
On other notes, my social life has been pretty dead since MQP started. The 8 hr days + 2 hrs of commuting kills me, plus I'd been pouring a ton of time into the Society of Physics Students. I organized a fruit drop, where Aristotle and Galileo argue about gravity and test it by dropping fruit off a 5 story building. It turned out really well, but added much more stress and work.
I got to spend 1 weekend in CA with Ron, and he came here at the end of the summer for a full week. I leave Saturday to go scuba diving with him in Naja over fall break (yay!). We finally set a date: July 8th, at the place in Lake Tahoe that he really liked. Side of the mountain with a great view and a danceable floor, plus the time is set for right around sunset =). Ron's friend Peter, who works for Unversal Studios Japan playing the fiddle and doing dance stuff (apparently amazingly good at both) will probably be playing for us.
Ron and his parents are coming out for Thanksgiving with me and my mom and her bf. It will be an interesting 'Parents meet the Parents' type of thing, but Ron and I plan on avoiding extended interaction. Thursday and Friday with them, but the rest of the week on our own. I have tickets for us to Blue Man Group the saturday before, in the 'poncho' seats, so that should be fun.
So, on a completely different topic, kind of a rant (but a mild one). There has been the topic of 'friends' lately. My roommates had a 'friend' who they have been cutting out of their lives lately, because for the past year she has been nothing but negative, requiring that everybody's lives revolve around her, which requires everyone to be as depressed as she is. I understand that people go through hard times, but this girl has zero desire to make her life better, and every desire to make life harder for some people (like my roommies girlfriend, who, while an awesome person, has committed the crime of dating my roommate).
My point is, there are many kinds of friends. I've been seeing lately that I have had some pretty poor judgement, making friends who are only there when it is convenient. However, just when I start to dwell on that, I look around and realize some of the true, true friends that I have: people like Kim, who has always been there for me since 2nd grade, or Chris, who things never change between us. And people like Shaunna, who, although I have only known her so long, has a way of brightening everyone's day and making people have fun, even when they are stressed, and who seems to bond with people to form a very large extended family. And speaking of extended family, the Stawaszs, who, even though they aren't my peers, have always been there for me, like Cyndi (former neighbor, still in touch) and Claire, my adoptive godmother. My roommates are great too, really caring about how my day is instead of just surface 'Whats up?', and willing to share their day as well.
To those of you who have disappointed me, life will go on. I hope you have found real friends and also treat them as real friends (but just for some reason didn't click with me), because otherwise someday you will wake up to see that when you need help, no one is there. To those I have disappointed, I apologize, I did not or do not know. Send me a note, and I'll see if we can make things better. I hope everyone has found someone who can support them in times of trouble. There are many of you who know that you can call me at any time of the night; there are those of you who I have specifically left my ringer on for several nights because I knew you would call at 3am. To all of my friends out there, if you didn't know before, please know that now. Call me anytime you need me. I know you have been or will be there for me.
So, that's my long-winded 'clouds are in the sky but the sun is starting to peek through when and where you least expect it' speech. Hopefully I didn't depress too many of you, but this is my journal, and it is something I wanted to get out there.
Starting B-term (a week and a half) I will be around much more and able to go do fun things. Give me a call. Or hope that I'll call. Or still call me before then if you need me.
Love to all,
Deanna
Anyway, it was a really cool project, and besides the recent stress of deadlines and presentations, the only part I disliked was the hour-long commute. My bosses/advisors are both really cool and smart, and gave us a ton of help and advice. Plus, my project partner and I work really well together (except when I'm burnt out after a week of stress substituted for sleep, and then I'm slightly grouchy).
If you want to know what its about, we worked on light detectors. I could tell you more, but then I'd have to kill you. Seriously. I had to fill out crazy paperwork and get a background check before I could work there.
On other notes, my social life has been pretty dead since MQP started. The 8 hr days + 2 hrs of commuting kills me, plus I'd been pouring a ton of time into the Society of Physics Students. I organized a fruit drop, where Aristotle and Galileo argue about gravity and test it by dropping fruit off a 5 story building. It turned out really well, but added much more stress and work.
I got to spend 1 weekend in CA with Ron, and he came here at the end of the summer for a full week. I leave Saturday to go scuba diving with him in Naja over fall break (yay!). We finally set a date: July 8th, at the place in Lake Tahoe that he really liked. Side of the mountain with a great view and a danceable floor, plus the time is set for right around sunset =). Ron's friend Peter, who works for Unversal Studios Japan playing the fiddle and doing dance stuff (apparently amazingly good at both) will probably be playing for us.
Ron and his parents are coming out for Thanksgiving with me and my mom and her bf. It will be an interesting 'Parents meet the Parents' type of thing, but Ron and I plan on avoiding extended interaction. Thursday and Friday with them, but the rest of the week on our own. I have tickets for us to Blue Man Group the saturday before, in the 'poncho' seats, so that should be fun.
So, on a completely different topic, kind of a rant (but a mild one). There has been the topic of 'friends' lately. My roommates had a 'friend' who they have been cutting out of their lives lately, because for the past year she has been nothing but negative, requiring that everybody's lives revolve around her, which requires everyone to be as depressed as she is. I understand that people go through hard times, but this girl has zero desire to make her life better, and every desire to make life harder for some people (like my roommies girlfriend, who, while an awesome person, has committed the crime of dating my roommate).
My point is, there are many kinds of friends. I've been seeing lately that I have had some pretty poor judgement, making friends who are only there when it is convenient. However, just when I start to dwell on that, I look around and realize some of the true, true friends that I have: people like Kim, who has always been there for me since 2nd grade, or Chris, who things never change between us. And people like Shaunna, who, although I have only known her so long, has a way of brightening everyone's day and making people have fun, even when they are stressed, and who seems to bond with people to form a very large extended family. And speaking of extended family, the Stawaszs, who, even though they aren't my peers, have always been there for me, like Cyndi (former neighbor, still in touch) and Claire, my adoptive godmother. My roommates are great too, really caring about how my day is instead of just surface 'Whats up?', and willing to share their day as well.
To those of you who have disappointed me, life will go on. I hope you have found real friends and also treat them as real friends (but just for some reason didn't click with me), because otherwise someday you will wake up to see that when you need help, no one is there. To those I have disappointed, I apologize, I did not or do not know. Send me a note, and I'll see if we can make things better. I hope everyone has found someone who can support them in times of trouble. There are many of you who know that you can call me at any time of the night; there are those of you who I have specifically left my ringer on for several nights because I knew you would call at 3am. To all of my friends out there, if you didn't know before, please know that now. Call me anytime you need me. I know you have been or will be there for me.
So, that's my long-winded 'clouds are in the sky but the sun is starting to peek through when and where you least expect it' speech. Hopefully I didn't depress too many of you, but this is my journal, and it is something I wanted to get out there.
Starting B-term (a week and a half) I will be around much more and able to go do fun things. Give me a call. Or hope that I'll call. Or still call me before then if you need me.
Love to all,
Deanna