Lessons learned in a dark hall

Monday my wife had a photo shoot for Decclo.  It went fairly well and you can see all the picture online in various places.  One of my Wife's model's, a friend of hers, stayed the night with her little one. Some stuff ended up in the hall but I didn't think anything of it.  It isn't unusual for some stuff to get left out after a shoot.  Shoes, lights, props, those sort of things get left out and eventually get but away.  Everything did except for a pair of shoes with a tupperware lid.  I knew they were there.  I walked past them every day for most of the week.  I even tried using the lid once, which was too small for the container I was trying to put it one.  What did I do with the lid?  I put it back with the shoes of course.

It was last night when I learned my lesson and I am sure that most of you have guessed a portion of what is going on.  I was really tired and fell asleep a couple of times during a TV show my wife and I were watching.  I was so groggy.  I walked down the hall then remembered I had a great story idea so I walked back into the living room to write down the idea.  By the time I finished my wife was ready for bed.  We turned out all the  lights and I was going to guide her down the hall.  I could in my mind's eyes see all the obstacles littering the hall floor.  My wife, being cute, started using her cell phone as a flash light.  Proving I didn't need the light to see where I was going I promptly walked off away from her and stubbed my toe against the high heeled shoes in the hall.  Muttering and nasty thoughts ran through my mind.  I limped to the bedroom and checked my toe.

It was warm and slimy, and felt as if my toenail had been half ripped off.  I'm pretty sure I turned chalk white but I don't know seeing as a mirror was not around and the wife was too busy laughing at the end of the hall to see.  I walked into the bathroom where I would remove my toenail.  Fortunately when I turned on the light and inspected my toe it was only skin that had been damaged and not the nail.  My wife eventually got her laughing under control and was able to help.

Moral of the story don't leave your shoes in the hall.  On the up side of all this even when I was hurting I didn't blame my wife for what had happened.  I knew it was an accident and it was my fault for not moving the darn things.  Next time I will move the shoes though...

What were they thinking...

So today I saw an ad for the newest addition to the macitosh/apple line.  I think it is a great is idea.  I like the looks of it and may even consider purchasing one because of how useful it would be.  It is a tablet computer that, depending on how much cash you want to fork over, can do a plethora of things.  I'd like it to be known that I am a PC guy and I am really excited about Mac's new computer.  The cool thing is there cheapest model is $500 dollars and is touch screen.  Not much more expensive than the iPhone and has more features.  I think it may blow Amazon's kindle right out of the water.  You can read books on it and for a couple of hundred dollars more than the kindle, can surf the net, take notes, download apps, etc.  I really like the product.  I really have to wonder what the heck they were thinking.

It's no surprise that the letter I would end up in the name as the first letter.  We kind of expect it.  I don't know why it crept into their naming scheme but it has and it stick, so be it.  The problem is foresight.  You don't make a product and stick I in front of it and Kill at the end. iKill would not be a very popular computer in my opinion.  We can also eliminate such things like iHate, iDye, iWish, or any other bad combinations.  And as seen with the iPhone and iPod other manufactures are taking advantage of the i- naming scheme.  Like the iDock, speakers for the iPod, or iVibe, a massager that is regulated by music on your iPod.  Now MadTV saw the humor in this (I haven't seen the skit but I did find it) about two years ago and created a skit using the name of the new product just released.  Apple's new tablet computer is called iPad.  Yes it does sound like a feminine product that can connect to your iPod (which is what the MadTV skit is about).

Why on earth would you name your product like a product that is associated by both genders as a bad time of the month?  What is wrong with the name iTab?  or iWrite?  What about iAm-A-really-handy-portable-computer-that-is-super-light-weight-with-multilateral-functionality?  Granted that last one is a mouth full but it is infinity better than the name iPad.  Whoever is in charge of coming up with names needs to be fired.  If it is a committee of people the whole group needs to go, even the ones against the name because they weren't competent enough to get the idiots for the name to see how bad it was going to be.

That being said I really do like what it claims it can do and I am seriously considering purchasing one.  I think it would be very useful for doctor's offices to eliminate paper work.  If the doc needed case history, instead of a file he has the tablet computer.  Oh well maybe after this naming shenanigans the i will slowly be pushed out of the naming process, but probably not.

Exercise

So today was the first midterm in systemic physiology for me.  It was harder than I thought it would be.  I forgot the professor likes to ask choose all that apply questions.  I'm just hoping I passed.

I've been working out with my wife.  It has been a lot of fun.  We laugh a lot because of some of the ridiculous motions I make when trying to get down a certain sequence.  Fortunately it is my wife so I don't feel awkward about it.  I like exercising at home rather than in a public area.  I hate the feeling that everybody is watching me.  Granted probably nobody is and everyone else may feel exactly the same but I still dislike the feeling of being watched.  Especially if it is one of those class type thing, aerobics or the like, where I feel like a goof ball for doing the darn movements.  Bleh.  I hope to trim my gut down a bit, I mean it would be nice when I do a curl if a keg doesn't appear.  Also I have been told that chiropractic is an athletic event that we need to be in shape for.  I think I'll just invent a machine...

Politics... what I usually try to avoid.

Well for the first time today while I have been going to school I listened to the radio on the drive over.  I normally don't, I like the quiet thinking I'm able to have during the drive.  I was behind someone with a bunch of bumper stickers, one being a radio station, so I tuned the radio in to the station curious as to what my fellow commuter's taste in music was.  As I tuned in it was a debate about something related to Prop 8.  I think the trial to determine if the courts will overturn the vote is about a week in.  A common thread though that was brought up was that prop 8 violated the constitutional rights of homosexuals, as relating to the 14th amendment.  Sadly it is quiet an abused amendment but that is a different matter all together.  The point is the 14th amendment was based on racial discrimination not sexual orientation.

I really don't want to delve too far in to the politics of things.  I understand politics are necessary but I really can't stand them.  What I typically see is a difference of opinion degenerate into a bickering, nit picking, childish argument over opinion and not fact resulting in the loss of good relations.  All I'm trying to point out is that a new stance or argument needs to be made not using the 14th amendment as a basis.  I will also freely admit that I am not a lawyer but I thought the amendment to be pretty clear in stating what it was for.  I guess all I am really saying is I don't think marriage for same sex couples is a constitutional right from the 14th amendment.

I often hear we should celebrate diversity.  If that is the case why is everyone trying to be the same?  Why the uniformity?  Why are some of the most intolerant people  I know (with regards to people thinking differently from the way they do) are the one standing under the banner of diversity?  I was really impressed with the columnist the radio show host was interviewing.  I'm not sure who he was but he was a person who I could respect.  While he was against prop 8, often on the ground of amendment 14, he still allowed others to have their opinion.  He wanted to change opinions through education and not through an eye for an eye mentality.  Of course I only caught part of the show but that is how the guy came off.  If more people could be level headed like this guy I think we could get a lot more done.

Anyway I guess it is about time I start making the stances that are important in my life.  Which I guess is the real reason for this post.  I don't care if you have a same sex couple.  It is their choice to have that relationship just don't tell me it is a constitutional right they are fighting for.

Productive Weekend

So I've been keeping up with my three goals I made for the year.  I am quite happy with myself.  Usually by this time I have already given up my resolutions and moved on.

This weekend I finished writing a short story, only a couple of pages long, and did some work on another.  I think it is now approaching the four page mark.  I know it doesn't sound like much but I had a lot of studying for school to squeeze in as well.  I'm working on looking at every situation as a possible story idea.  In fact one just walked up to me.  I'd explain all the details but it would require a lot of back story, which sadly I don't have the time to write just now as I'm trying to get this finished between classes.

Saturday my lovely wife began prepping for a photo shoot she is doing today.  The shoot is to advertise as clothing company a friend is starting up.  The company is Decclo.  The idea is that designers submit a design, which are then voted for.  After the votes come in the most popular in the voting gets printed and sold.  They will only print if they reach 100 votes.  The designer then gets a lump sum of cash for winning and then royalties for every shirt sold.  They've had some hiccups with all the logistics of getting the website up and running proper but they are selling through there blog right now.  Anyways my wife put a lot of time into preparing for the shoot so hopefully the weather plays nice for her.  If it doesn't I know she'll manage.

Midterms are upon us here at school.  My wife has also made it through the halfway mark for her classes.  From here on out for me it is going to be exam after exam.  Well I am away to study for the exams I have this week.  I just hope I do well with them.

First of the flood of exams...

Well to start off I just took my first exam in BioChem.  It was really easy.  It wasn't biochemistry really.  I have a the second test, which will be a take home, to do next week.  It will be easier than the first because it is open notes and open book.  If I can't pass this class with a B I think I need to really reconsider my career path.  Granted a Chiropractor is not a biochemist but if I can't pass a gimme class what the heck am I doing?  I think I would face a mad depression and become a ditch digger.  Sadly that means my wife would be the real bread winner with her graphic design skills while my degree in biology decays away without my using it.  I don't think I would deserve the right to use it, in fact I think I would be forced to give the degree back to my alma mater.  Maybe they ought to refund me for failing me so badly.  Really though digging ditches wouldn't be that bad.  I'd get to use lots of cool toys and I'd be out in the weather.  So long as I wasn't digging ditches in Seattle I'd have a tan that would make the wife jealous.  Also through the use of manual tools I'd end up ripped, with biceps the size of a small child's head and abs you could do your laundry on.  With abs like that I could make a little extra cash by hiring myself out as a washboard.  I'm sure there are people out there that still use washboards, like the Amish.  You know this ditch digging thing is beginning to sound really good...

I'm trying to get my mind wrapped around the fact that I need to study for a harder exam coming up.  The problem is my mind is all abuzz with biomolecules preventing me from focusing.  You may think with the pretty colored balls that chemist use to make pretend biomolecules are cute but I assure you the blasted things won't leave you alone once you start thinking of them.  The incessant buzz is deafening.  Unlike flies you can't spray or swat them away.  I suppose one could try and vent them from the mind through a pressure release like valve, if you have such a thing installed of course, but that would leave the wild things open to attack or infect others and that is just unacceptable.  If any of you become infected from the biomolecules running amok in my brain I apologize right now.

I'm off to see if I can get my mind to settle.  Maybe a relaxing game of zombie bash will do the trick...

Ranting!

I need to rant right now.  Which I think makes for a blog first for me.  Not the ranting but that I have two posts in a single day.  I was looking at one of my wife's tweets about the weather being akin to Scottish weather.  Her reference to Scotland made me really missed it at that moment.  I was curious to see how much tickets would be.  Fortunately it would be cheaper than last time we flew ($2000 just about) at a grand total of 1550 for the two of us.  I looked at the taxes and fees section and that was 478.51 per person, so 957 for the two of us.  Over fipping half of the ticket.  Why on earth must I be charged that much in taxes and fees?  I don't fly first class, can't afford to and I don't know anyone who could either, so the trip itself is quite taxing.  If I were to go by boat at least I would have some leg room.  Granted it would take me a week or two to get where I wanted to go but that is a lot of leg room.  I think the thing that really bothers me is that when you go to a site offering cheap airfare they hide those fees until the end.  Do yourself a favor and book directly from the airline's website. For the most part you can can the same price and better service.


I think next time I try and book a flight I may try booking it on the phone or in person with the airline and see if I can haggle the price down a bit.  I love flying and I really think airlines get a bad deal with having to pass the fee's and taxes they get charged onto the passengers.  Maybe someday I will develop that quantum transporter I talk about so we can travel places around the world almost instantaneously.  Now that would be fun trusting your life to a highly powerful computer to break you down into data and reassemble you on the other end of the line.  Better make sure the machines and communication lines are well maintained...

Rainy days and Goals

Finally the rain has let up around here.  Can you believe there were tornadoes in Orange County?  I'm not sure what the sizes were but still.  I think some one should have given them better directions to tornado alley, no offence Oklahoma.  It has almost been a constant down pour the past couple of days.  It still looks as if it will rain but it hasn't yet.

Yesterday while I was sitting in class we heard what sound like an explosion that shook the room.  The fact that my school was an old warehouse and all the guts in the ceiling are exposed (because they decided to leave the false ceiling out) added to the scare factor.  That had to have been the largest clap of thunder I had ever heard.  I live about six miles or so from school and my wife said it shook the house as well.  I feel bad for LA cause the weatherman says the storm is moving south.

Yesterday was just a bad day.  Whole thing was off, I don't know why.  You would think that the middle of the week would be a good day but it wasn't.  Maybe it has to do with the exams coming up.  Midterms are right around the corner.  My wife's midterms should be coming up soon as well.  She'll do fine I am sure of it though she probably worries.

Here is hoping for a better day.  So far it is going well.  Odd that for me on a day where I spend all morning among cadavers studying them the day is on the up.  Maybe it is because I am surrounded by people who are definitely having a worse day than me.  I finished reading the book of genesis and I am into exodus know.  Still right on target with my bible reading goal.  I want to try and get it finished before the end of the year.  Also I have made a goal to lose some weight and get into shape.  My wife has taken up the challenge with me of getting into shape.  She found this DVD called "Bollywood Burn" I believe.  We started tuesday with the DVD and while we were laughing at all the funny motions we were making it really worked out the muscles and did bring on a good sweat session.  The moves are really simple and I didn't think that it would do much for me but I feel it today.

I have this book on writing short stories that I am working with.  I really find writing relaxing, I don't know why I have troubles getting into the mood though.  I think it is generating ideas that is my problem.  Also with all my school work it is sometimes very hard to stop thinking about the resting membrane potential of cells and what happens when it is disrupted.  Would you want to read a story about cells?  I don't think so, at least not with the material I have floating about in my head.  I'm sure half of the people reading this blog feel asleep during that last few sentences, with the other half who didn't promptly leaving the page.  My guess is my Wife is part of the sleeping group.  Hopefully she reads this after she gets all her school work done.

My Wife used to have me tell her about something I really liked to but her to sleep.  Like computers.  I would go on about all the cool things I was putting into the computer I was building and before I could finish talking about the first and most important part, the CPU, she would be out.  Of course I felt ridiculous stopping at the CPU so I finished telling her all about it so she could dream about my dream computer.  I have a feeling though she may have smashed it to bits in her dream...

Cops are funny...

So today on my way to school I had a cop try and intimidate me.  At least that is the only explanation I can come up with for his behavior.  I'm driving along and a light turns yellow so I stop and next to me in the other lane is a cop car.  I want to say that he pulled up after I stopped but I can't be 100% positive.  Regardless I look over to see who my fellow commuter is and I make eye contact with him.  He had kind of a stern look on his face, I felt like I had done something wrong which I hadn't.  If anything the cop should have gone after the car that barely slipped past the yellow-red light that I was following.  I broke eye contact and desperately ignored the impulse to look back over at the cop to see what he was doing.  After what felt like an eternity dragging its feet passed the light turned green and I was sure that was going to be the end of my cop buddy.

Alas I was mistaken and instead of him speeding away as I had hoped he would, He stayed with me.  In fact he was going slightly under the speed limit.  He was deliberately messing with my head.  I drove like I normally do which means I was obeying the traffic laws and the guy was still pacing me.  It was weird.  We cam to another light and I was sure that he would pass on through and that would be the end of it but again I was wrong.  Instead as I stopped at the light he stopped with his front bumper and the midway point of my car.  What the heck was he doing this for?  I don't speed, I rarely even go through a yellow light.  My car is in working order.  Why me?  Why the law abiding individual instead of the other speedsters around me?  I sat wondering what was going on waiting for the green and wondering what the cop would do after the green light.  Well the light turned green and the cop left me in the dust.  In fact he was one of those speedsters.  Why he thought I deserved that treatment I have absolutely no idea.

I've been told this behavior was typical for the police in the area.  I really hope not.  Then again I also saw a cop flick on his lights so he didn't have to wait at a red light.  I've seen that a couple of times around here actually.  I never saw that at home, doesn't mean it didn't happen of course but I've defiantly seen it happen here a few times.

While I had a cop try and intimidate me I do understand they aren't all like that but I don't like it.  Oh well.  I do like cops.  I have a few buddies that are headed that direction career wise.

Dreaming of home...

I feel fortunate enough to be able to have another place I call home.  Not only does home refer to the US, but for me Scotland.  I sort of adopted it.  My wife is from there and the first time I flew over there I fell in love with Scotland.  There is a song about leaving one's heart in San Fransisco, I left mine in Scotland.  At least a part of my heart anyway.  I honestly cannot describe, or even give reason to the feelings I have for the place but I truly love the place.  The fresh air, the culture, the people, the food.  The feeling is so tangible for me I can literally feel it in the air the moment I step off the plane.  Though my wife would probably disagree I think I get just as excited to visit Scotland as she does.  I've tried telling her that Scotland is as much my home as it is her's, but she claims it on seniority rights having lived there for 19 years of her life.

It is my plan and hope that as soon as I get my business up and running that we'll be able to visit at least once a year.  All my in-laws are in Scotland and I do truly miss them.  My wife and I had the pleasure of hosting Christmas for one of her older brother's and his girlfriend.  We didn't realize who much we would miss them until after they left.  My wife looks forward to the day where we can get most of her family over for Christmas.  It would actually be a cheap visit for most of them seeing as the American dollar is so weak in comparison.

Of course the inspiration of this posting comes from a dream I had last night.  The wife and I were getting ready to visit Scotland.  It was the final stages of of packing as well.  I know this because we were gather all our loose change and paper money to have it changed into pounds (British money) at the airport.  We actually had quiet a bit of change from there as well. about 25 pounds worth.  Sadly I awoke to no such vacation and a longing to once again go "home."  Currently it is covered in snow.  I saw a satellite image of it and it blended in with the clouds.  Sadly we won't have the means to get to Scotland anytime too soon but when we do go I think it is time for another summer visit.  Or perhaps spring as I have never been there in the spring time...

School and goals

Chiropractic school is back in full swing again.  I love my classes. I have a ton of great professors and I am looking forward to learning from them.  Sadly along with the greats you end up with duds but that is life.  I have one professor that takes fifteen minutes to do a two hour lecture.  Needless to say (But I'll say it anyways) the class is utterly lost in confusion.  Also a separate teacher demands respect but gives none thus creating and maintaining an atmosphere of disharmony.  It is wearing thin even for me.  Just as an example of what is going on during role call (yeah we still do that in professional school) an individual the professor was about to call called out "Here" before the proff called his name.  The proff then tore off a piece of masking tape, I think, handed it over to the student and forced him to put the tape on his mouth.  The proff refused to continue with class until the student did so.  The list of offenses is quiet long as well.  I do have to admit the incident I just referred to was fun albeit embarrassing to the student involved. On a more positive note I have a great group of students I'm going through my courses with.  I look forward to seeing them all succeed in the future.

I've been keeping up with my goals for the year.  I'm even ahead of the curve on reading the bible all the way through.  The language constructs used can make for a vary difficult read.  I sometimes feel as if I am in a whirlpool of words where the same idea or phrases even continue to twirl about my head.  What a very dizzy dance of words but I'm trudging along through it and I will persevere.

I know it may not seem like it with my track record but I really do enjoy reading and writing.  The power to take lines to form words to convey a message, or to take words to paint a landscape never before seen, is awe inspiring.  I do want to get better at the art of language so I truly am trying to get better at this blogging craze.  I do write short stories from time to time as well.  I think they are pretty good but I like keeping them among my close family and friends.  I usually share a rough draft with them and fail to polish the thing up to a point where I feel comfortable sharing with the rest of the world.  Oddly enough though I have this lifetime goal to end up with a published work.  Guess I better start working on the polish to get to that point...

welcome to 2010

Finally made it to the year 2010 and in some ways I am really disappointed.  I mean I remember growing up watching the TV and they had all sorts of cool things we'd be doing in 2010.  Where are the hover cars?  Laser pistols? What about the colony on the moon and faster than light travel.  Aside from that though 2010 isn't that bad I suppose.  On a more serious note I've decided to make some goals for myself this year instead of the usual  new years resolutions that don't even last 24 hours for me before I miss them.  While the list is still a work in progress I have a few ready to go.

The first of which I plan on writing more consistently on the blog.  I have a few to maintain but I don't maintain those well either.  This year I have decided I need to be better at this.  It feels odd writing about myself and what I do all day.  I didn't want to write anything boring so I didn't write at all. I was comparing myself to my wife's blog and I've decided to write for me and anyone who wants to read along is more than welcome

Secondly I have never read the bible from start to finish so I'm going to do that this year.  I figured out that if I read 5 pages a day I'll finish by the new year.  I just hope I make it past Genesis :S.

I had a third but I can't remember it right now... perhaps that should be a goal of mine...