BUT I am now open for request for fanfic. :) Here you go. If you have an AO3 archive, let me know, so I can gift you! It is SUCH A FUN FEATURE.

So, on the 23rd me and the fam went and saw the Transiberian Orchestra. My parents have been doing it alone for the past four years and this is the first year my sister and I have been off at the same time a show happened so we could go. Felt a tad like intruding on their date night at first, then I remembered they have lots of date nights and are going to Hawaii in February anyway. Yes, my parents have a vacation fund. It's their 25th anniversary this December. I turn 25 in May, ha ha, do the math.

Now, I generally hate most Christmas music. Seriously, I do. Years of being in band and having to do a freaking Christmas concert and then helping with the school choir's 4 hour holiday monstrosity has put me off to most of it. I nearly had a panick attack playing the flute part for "March of the Toys" one year, so yeah. I still like some of the "Christmas" type music like "Carol of the Bells" and "I Saw Three Ships" in their instrumental forms, because it's pretty music. And Drak got me a CD with a lot of artists I like singing very good versions of Christmas Carols that make them less grating. But my general tolerance is low to none. I go so far as to avoid public places that may be playing said music and walk around with headphones on to avoid it when I can't avoid the places.

Yeah yeah, bah humbug, whatever. I think I have enough goodwill throughout the rest of the year to be a crankypants during this time of year.

Transiberian Orchestra, however, rocks really hardkore. There's some Christmas music in there, but it's like... they really do a good job with the orchestrations so that it's not fucking annoying and instead fucking awesome. It's more like really high energy classical music, which I have a huge friggin soft spot for, as I used to be a total snob and only listen to like, Bach. They also are REALLY super theatrical, which is a good 85% of the reason I like a lot of artists that I do (I'm a glam and prog rock girl at heart, and those bitches can put on a SHOW). Oh and we have floor seats which were epic.

It's also probably one of the most diverse crowds you will ever see anywhere. Ladies in their best pearl sitting next to dudes with band shirts and tattoos next to teeny boppers next to really old people--also awesome. My favorite kinds of crowds aren't full of people just like me, but full of everyone.

So how about some blurry concert pictures, eh? I wasn't allowed to bring my awesome DSLR camera, so I had to make due with Mom's point-and-shoot, and some of the pics she took, but there were some good ones and for the most part captured that really fucking hot electric violin player chick some of the awesome. As always, click to embiggen.

( lots of pics ahoy! )

In conclusion, go see TSO if you have the chance. They're even doing a non-holiday tour for their Nightcastle CD, which I've listened to since my parents are such huge fans and it's pretty awesome. I mean, fucking "O Fortuna" and an extremely fast rendition of Beethoven via piano and guitar in the same album? Ah yes.

ALL THE PICS, INCLUDING SOME I DIDN'T PUT IN THIS ENTRY

Have been disconnected from the internet since the 23rd. It's creepy how much of my life is on here. XD

Will be commenting and posting stuff provided it doesn't die again. Have fun concert (Trans Siberian Orchestra) to discuss (with lame pictures) and what is probably the most hilariously awesome gift ever.

I PASSED ALL MY CLASSES. I AM A REAL ENGINEER NOW FOR SURE!!!! I EVEN GOT AN A IN SENIOR DESIGN!!!!!

Edit: And super advisor emailed me telling me that only 12% of my graduating class has a job (and I am part of that 12% cause duh). Haaaaa TAKE THAT HATERS. Not as stupid as you thought!

More at we_r_nerdpunk/nerdpunk

Not taken with my new camera. Still playing with it. Other pictures will be f-locked, as they have people that are not me and that's my privacy deal. XD

( pictars )

OKAY, so... I have all the journal tabs up that I need to work with... damn. If I missed your post, I assure you it is not because I loathe you. It is because I have about 80 tabs open.

MONDAY 12-21-09 TO DO LIST

1) Pick up food from friend that hunts (delicious delicious food)
2) Visit last of the relatives
3) Drive home
4) Put gifts away
5) Study for GRE (1hr)
6) Write both Yule Tide Stories (by 2100 EST)
7) Do laundry
8) Sleep

SORRY TO RP PEOPLE FOR NOT TAGGING. SORRY TO PEOPLE I AGREED TO BETA READ FOR. SORRY TO PEOPLE I AM EMAILING IN REGARDS TO MY WEBSITE. I AM TRYING TO CATCH UP! :

So, I went to the graduation ceremony, even if grades don't come out until Wednesday. I kind of don't care at this point; if I'm a class or two off then I'll work it out. It marks the end of full time undergrad, at the very least.

It was good, and I have to admit, I almost cried a little. Six and a half years of college. My longest relationship. Even if undergrad has been a tad bit of an abusive boyfriend at times, I have to admit I really did love it. I mean, if I truly hated it then I wouldn't have stuck with it. Considering all the obstacles (unemployment, divorce, inadequacy, and far more emotional turmoil than I've ever blogged about) I have to say that damn, I did it. I really really did it.

I think one of the things that people outside of the engineering world don't understand is that the schooling can sometimes be a bit like boot camp. They break you down to build you up. And honestly? At the beginning I don't disagree. Engineering work on its purest level effects people's lives, and the last thing you need is someone that can't handle the pressure or the responsibility. Sometimes they forget about this with grades and research, but it's all about problem solving. For me, the problem I had to solve was the fact I wasn't a good student. My memory is terrible, lectures really really bore me, and I'd rather be doing than doing busywork. It takes me longer to get certain abstract concepts, and I took nearly every math class at least twice. In the case of Diff Eq I, I took it THREE TIMES.

But there were things I did get better than others, things I loved. Dynamics. Structures. Shaking it 'til it breaks, showing how things move; to most people that sounds terribly boring, I bet. And in the beginning I found it a tad boring too. But I'd gotten a taste of what the real work was like and wanted to get to the good part!

I'd be lying if I said I really wanted to quit some of the time. Oh lord, did I want to quit. I felt like the dumbest person in the world, and some of my classmates and professors would agree with that assessment. But I'm not stupid. I'm just odd, really.

I had a small talk with my advisor, as he's been probably the most consistently nice person to me in the department. And I think that maybe he's a little proud of me. He never asked me to reconsider what I was doing, or that maybe I wasn't smart enough for it. Even when I'd come to see him and I'd be asking how to stay off academic probation or how many times you can take a class before it's completely failed period (answer: there is no limit). And to hear him sound pleased to see me was always nice. I guess having one person in your corner (even if they were quiet in their way) is really helpful.

I guess my point is, that you know, sometimes you can do it. With a little luck, a shit ton of persistence, and support. If you truly fucking want it, the struggle won't be easier (it'll be damned hard) but it'll be worth it. It'll never be easy, but it'll be right. For me it was engineering, but for someone else it could be dancing or piling mud on top of their head.

And yes, I am a rocket scientist.

In good news, I also got a Canon Rebel. Pictures to follow when I've charged the batteries and played with it a bit. Also some of the grad pics. XD And my sister got me Season 1 of Mad Men, eeeee.

OMG...

XD I have a bunch of stuff to read when I get done eating and the family leaves. Oh my goodness. XD I'm going to chill tonight, proper report later.

So my sidekick was in town, which is always a treat, but we also managed to contact the other member of our old trifecta (who I will now refer to as "Mr. Cool"), and basically had the best graduation celebration ever. Highlights included:

- Sidekick handing me the phone to call Mr. Cool and after hanging up on him twice find out he's already in his car and almost where we are.

- Having fantastic food at the Brew Co and not having to pay for it (THANKS GUYS).

- "I don't get how the both of you guys aren't getting any." "Well you're a lesbian!" "What do you mean by that?" "It's all chick ALL THE TIME. If I were a chick I'd be a lesbian too!"

- Going back to my room to help me drink up some of the beer I have so I don't have to move it and sending ridiculous messages and texts to my girlfriend.

- "We should take over NASA and our motto will be, 'NASA: Grow Some Balls'."

- Getting into the build lab and showing off my plane. Which was met with much manly approval at the bits I made.

- Finding some stray Mechanical Engineering major and an Econ major and a couple History majors throwing paper planes off the third floor mezzanine of Aero Building and showing them how it's REALLY done.

- Also the funny places some of the planes got stuck. We didn't leave the ones that made it to the floor, though, because that's mean.

- Going to Wal-Mart because the Redbox at McDonald's didn't have District 9 and buying un-manly alcohol. (the Wal-Mart one didn't have it either, cause it's not released yet, geniuses. XD)

- Seeing Mr. Cool's house and jamming on his instruments. (I was drums, Mr. Cool was lead guitar, and Sidekick was bass. Sidekick and I later switched cause his fingers went numb and I actually was pretty good on bass. I guess having long fingers helps). "So much better than Rock Band."

- Conking out during Star Trek. Mostly because I had consumed quite a bit of booze. And thankfully not getting pranked on.

- Making fun of Sidekick for sleeping with his shoes on. "It's a habit I developed from hitch-hiking, you never know when you need to spring up and flee." (For those of you new folks, Sidekick spent an entire summer once hitch-hiking from Indiana to Texas)

In the end, we've decided we need to figure out a way to work for the same company, that NASA is still full of the douches we hated in college, and nuclear powered rockets are just damn cool. Oh and Sidekick's spy work is fun (as he literally does some of that stuff now). There's the possibility of going to a shuttle launch in May, which will probably be rockin'. 25th birthday present? Fuck yes.

Yes, I think 2010 will be full of travel. This is a goal.

I have survived 2/3 finals, actually feel like I was decently prepared for the Propulsion one (though, for the life of me I always fuck SOMETHING up). Am trying not to be antsy, as I still have the last final. It’s for Fatigue Structures, though, so I’m not as worried. That class lets you use three equation sheets to fill with whatever you desire, and I very much like this, as I really have a hard time with memorization (and fucking hate being tested on that basis). Like, they actually test on your ability to WORK the problems, not just to randomly memorize shit that you forget right after.

Yeah, I’m a little bitter about memorization based tests in engineering classes. Cause they make no damn sense.

Anyway, back to some positive thinking. Have decided to go to the graduation ceremony even if it turns out that I’m a class shy (I hope I’m not, I really want to start work in January and help them out with the engineering modules and stuff) because what the hell. I’ll basically be done no matter what happens. Still seeing Super Advisor about stuff to make sure I know what the deal is, though. RIGHT. Positive thinking. Shouldn’t work myself up.

More of the Best of 09 Challenge!

( Read more... )

like, been online and seen a video and been like "That's so and so as a (man/woman/engineer)!"

I have found Male seventhe/first_seventhe



yeah.

Things I don’t want to forget but won’t leave my brain while I’m trying to memorize cooling methods for nozzles (hint: they have names like ABLATIVE and shit), so it’s best to just throw them up here.

- Write down and record that mnemonic for remembering stuff for math, probably after drinking (it’s to the tune of “Bad Romance” because that is a good melody to remember shit by... yes this involves me singing, hence, the booze)

- Figure out conflicting data as to when Elfe got that materia grafted to her I’m starting to wonder if that family has a predisposition to surgery addiction or at least a liking

- Meta post on how I stopped worrying and learned to love the cranky

- Sweep floor. Don’t want dust bunnies to eat Sidekick

- Message Sidekick and remind him that he owes me a drink. Or four.

- See if drunk DDR is still on for Thurs

- Email TAs about wrong homework grades. Splitting hairs, perhaps, but I could use as many points in that damn class as possible

- Write Crim a fic, or possibly a shit ton of fics about mad science. And porn. Or something.

- Oh yeah, and while you’re at it, Yuletide is due the 21st. Be sober long enough to write that.

- Find out after finals if you’ve actually graduated or not. And then get cap and gown if you are.

- Make a couple more EP covers and put songs in order and you know, post them.

Ok, back to the study guide. God, I wish this exam wasn’t at 8 am, I may just not sleep tonight I am so fucking nervous.