Mochi's going to be Yoda and go trick or treating!

...we have internet again.  AT&T DSL and customer service and maintenance people suck king kong balls.

I've been thinking about the past a lot and it's not coming back to haunt me, but it's making me miss my life back in California.  It's hard starting over...in more than one aspect.

Life here in Evanston is chill.  It's getting chillier, too.  hehe.  Thursday is expected to have a high of 42F.  Did you know that if people never talked about the weather when starting a conversation, they'd have nothing to say some 28% of the time?  (or maybe 18%?  i forgot).

I met up with Michael Strenk in Chicago and that was awesome.  A familiar face is always nice. 

My friends and roommates here are cool, but I'm just not used to having ALL ENGINEERing friends, and hanging out with only ENGINEERS.  Don't get me wrong, engineers are cool people, seriously.  But I'm not used to only hanging out with one group/type of people.  On the other hand, it's something different and enriching, but I always feel that it makes you susceptible to building up and living in your own "bubble."  I'm starting to think that everyone lives in their own bubble in some kind of way.  Our bubble currently exists of: 1. concerns of selecting an appropriate advisor, 2. finishing quantum mechanics homework without fudging too much of the algebra, 3. staying awake during Tuesday afternoon colloquiums, 4. yoga and other various group fitness classes, and 5. cooking food to save money.  This is seriously all we think about with the occasional thoughts of "Oh, let's go to Chicago!", which are very sparse since our free time is sucked up by the previously mentioned items, but more plainly put, sleeping, eating, SPACin' it up (gym), and homework.  For the past month I feel like we've been adjusting to and creating this own Materials Science world of ours and I wonder if this is how it is for a lot of other people out there.  What does it mean to have a global perspective?  What does it mean to be aware of issues outside of your own life/school/city/state/country?  You will never REALLY know what it's like to be this person or to live in this place or to experience this person's tragedy unless you yourself were that said person.  So how important is it that we strive to understand the lives of the people around us, advocate for those who need it, physically help those who can't help themselves, share our lives with people other than the people directly involved with our daily lives?  I went to Thailand this summer and was part of some missionary work, a different kind, where our jobs were to help bring in money/income for the organization so that they could use it for other suborganizations.  Now, I do believe we were a help and we could actually see (and count) the (monetary) consequences of our help.  But...what now?  I'm in grad school now.  I really don't have the time to be doing that kind of stint again.  And no, it's not because I'm just not making time for it, but it's because WE REALLY DON'T HAVE TIME.  How concerned should I be in doing something in my life other than engineering?  Sure, I'm definitely one to believe in a balanced life, but it really can't be balanced right now.  This is my job, I'm still a student.  I don't just go to school, but I think about it when I come home and when I eat and before I sleep and when I shower and when I wake up, always thinking about that freakin equation that just wouldn't work out right.  I'm going CRAZY.  I haven't had the time to just really sit and think and ponder and question my existence.  I just exist.  I'm a robot (in my robot voice). 

...okay, coming back to sanity.  I just feel emotionless and I really can't do anything about it.  Either that or I barf out all these emotions at once, and at this time, they don't make sense so I just dismiss them at once and conclude that I've gone mad.

Point being...we finally have internet "and that has made all the difference." - Robert Frost

We lost by 1 freakin point to ROTC.  Game shoulda been ours.  GRRRRR.

Sushiiiiii.  Ribs.  Delivery = awesomeness.

Weather here is so random. Thunder and rain during class.  Bright sunniness 2 hours later.

People do homework on Friday nights.  This is a very strange concept to me.

Life is all about IM FLAG FOOTBALL.  haha

-I survived my first tornado warning.  I kinda freaked out, esp. when Minna, Ruth, and Matt headed towards the basement.
-I fixed the Memory Card Error problem on my digicam by banging it three times against my palm.
-I joined the co-ed Materials Science Eng. flag football team!
-Learned the card game, Euchre (sp?)
-I went to the bike class at the local bike shop and learned how to change a tire.
-I learned that a dollar bill is useful to prevent air leakage if the proper materials are unavailable.
-Dani and I swam in Lake Michigan.
-I like biking.
-Election/predestination - not the big issues.
-I'm not around 80% asians and it's kinda nice...but I do miss the FOOD.  =(  (No 99 Ranch down the street).
-Professors are real people, too.  ("You enter grad school as a student, but leave as a colleague.")
-We signed up for the group fitness classes so we have a wide variety of classes - yoga, pilates, Japanese yoga, total body workout, cycle express, cardio blast, cardio hip hop, body strength, cardio box, and step challenge.  So far we've been to Yoga, Pilates, and Total Body Workout.  Total body workout kicked our butts.
-It felt weird using my brain again doing homework.  I also don't think I used a calculator for a good 6 months.  Ahhh it's school time again!
-Money is becoming an issue for once in my life.
-I miss my friends from California.  =(

...

I was in the locker room and some old ladies were talking about how the weather was sucky, and how they were thinking of getting FAKE sunlight so that they could wake up easier, and how nice it must be in SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA.  Uh huh...that's right.  I miss California.

Illinois ain't that bad, though.  Dani and I went to the beach, and we went IN THE WATER.  Not too bad.  And I really don't think it's that dirty no matter what y'all say.  Well, we'll see.  Hopefully I don't come down with some infectious diseases in my eyeball that makes me blind.  Eeek!  Anyway, it was cold, but not that cold.  Vi and I have done colder surfing back in Cali.  The waves here suck, but it's a lake.  So weird that you can't see across, though.

Isn't it a weird feeling to not have any deep thoughts whatsoever?  I feel so shallow.  Usually I always have some deep thoughts in the back of my mind and as of late it just hasn't been happening.  Speaking of shallow, the lake goes out pretty far still being shallow.  You can walk out quite a ways and it's still only up to your waist.

Getting back into class is okay.  It's kind of a good feeling to start thinking again.  I think I have a sleeping disorder...but I'll try to take more iron (I'm iron deficient) and maybe it'll be okay.

I love riding my bike...with my helmet on.  haha =P

We finally have internet!

Evanston's nice although it rained the past 5 days, but we finally saw the sun today.  Hooray!

I got a bike!  I love it.  I have a dorky helmet too and I wear it everywhere along with Ruth.

I'm 22! =)

I had dinner with my Dad and I think I have the best Dad in the world.

"The greatest fear of man is the fear of the unknown."

Is it?  I've become so accustomed to not knowing what's ahead that it's made me somewhat emotionless...or so I thought.  I still got an ounce of it left in me.  I don't like saying goodbye.  =(

I have the bestest friends and family! =)

Thanks for coming to the party and delighting me with your presence.  hehe. =P

I love Disneyland.  I'm going to miss it.