Conferences?

Barry always comes back from his cross-country chemistry conventions with some great life-altering story. Chemistry has allowed him to experience so many different parts of the country and make great connections with great people, and I think I'm a little bit jealous about that. It's almost as if one can piece together the story of Barry's self-actualization through his journeys to various chemistry conventions.

Way back in the wee months of our relationship, on the night I met Barry's dear friend (and soon to be one of my dear friends) Neil, I first heard a snipet of what had become the infamous Anaheim trip. Neil spoke of it as a life-defining moment: "Have you told her yet? Does she know about Anaheim?" I had not yet heard about 'The Anaheim' and was extremely curious. "What? What happened?" I HAD to know. But Barry's only response was to Neil; "I'll tell her later." And 'later' turned out to be much later. At about 6 months, he felt it was time to tell me about the horrors of Anaheim.

San Diego. Oh how I hated when Barry mentioned San Diego. The best time of his life, he said. The best night, the best girl. For a while, a knot in my stomach used to tighten when he would talk about the San Diego trip. I think the knot was mostly comprised of heartbreak, or jealousy; anger of the fact that I could never be that windswept girl on the beach at just the right time and just the right place who gave the invaluable promise of hope. The words 'San Diego' used to make me cringe. Now, when he tells me I would like San Diego, I think he's probably right. Barry was happy here, and maybe San Diego was a turning point. Maybe not; what do I know?

Oh, Atlanta... this was the first period of time we really spent away from each other since we had started seeing each other. I really truly missed him, and I think he missed me. While he was making drunk dials while being oblivious to crime scenes, I was experimenting with strip-beer pong and illegal substances. I lost my favorite belt that night. The night he returned to Fargo, he picked me up at my freshman dorm, tired as he was, and it was then that I received the most enthusiastic and passionate kiss I think I will ever receive. We took an 18 hour nap together and he told me very little about his Atlanta experience (as usual) but the information was enough to gather that he had not found the experience to be a favorable one.

I wonder what St. Petersburg will hold? Our 'relationship' is now at the point in which we will no longer feel we "need" to be together at all times, so we will probably get along just fine without each other. I wish I could go with, for the sun, for the experience, and maybe an explanation of just what actually does go on at these mysterious "conventions" that have been such an influence on Barry's past few years.

Good things are to come.

Conferences

I'm getting ready to go the IAPS conference in a couple of days, I've had a notorious time at these things. For those familiar with me and my stories you don't need to review. For those of you who haven't been around to witness me in all of my glory let me recap.

Anaheim: I was still broken up over my first girlfriend breaking up with me and well to put it gently I was escorted from Downtown Disney. I'll never forget that one, well most of the stuff that happened before and after the escort out of town.

San Diego: Partied at a condo across the street from my hotel, the people in the condo didn't seem to mind. The next night stayed out until 6:30am with some people we met from Chicago and Orlando.

Atlanta: While drunk dialing my girlfriend on the balcony of a hotel I missed a murder on the rooftops below. At least when we pieced the time line together it makes sense that how it went down.

St. Pete: Who know, well I will and you will in a couple of days, should be interesting even if nothing interesting happens.

Perhaps it is an ACS spring meeting thing that gets me into some trouble. Lets hope so. I'm 25 now, and I should be all grown up.

First real post

As a chemist (PhD candidate) I get the "Whoa you must be really smart" a lot, and damnit it really bothers me. Not because they think I'm smarter than they are (but to realize this they must be pretty smart, right? after all it takes one to know one) but because I don't take praise very well. The interesting thing about praise, is that the more subtle you can give it to me the better I take it. After all to me it is just like cough syrup and last time I checked I wasn't coughing.

I don't understand why people don't think more, most people in this world just go through following the path of least resistance and being ignorant to their surroundings and it really frustrates me. They don't think about complicated things and that really separates me from them. Anyone could be a sample monkey and mix chemicals together all day. That is not hard, coming up with those experiments, that is the difficult thing.

If I could I would do thought experiments all day. When I'm running reactions or working something up and not really thinking about it, I am doing that anyway. My thought experiments usually consist of some physical phenomenon that occurs, or philosophical discussion I have with myself or with others. Here are some things I've thought about:

1. Quantum Philosophy- The relation of quantum mechanics to the seemingly randomness of everyday happenings. (more on this topic at a later date)
2. Mathematical modelings and statistical comparisons. An example would be how many people would I have to beg everyday to make 10k/year begging on the side and would it interfere with my goals.
3. Economical function and how do they relate to topic 1 or 2.
4. Are there other things I would be good at that I don't know, perhap some other talent that is totally unknown to me. (Could I make crosswords?)
5. Why don't people use logical choices anymore? Where was the logic in coming to that conclusion on your organic lab report you moron! Is there a way to teach someone logic?
6. What is happening on the molecular level to form crystals, why to they form the way they do. What solvent conditions are needed to form them in that fashion?
7. Why is my sleep schedule so messed up?

Those are just some of the things think about.

Writing and getting a good start

I guess this is probably my fifth or sixth blog. The first blog I had lasted about a year and then I moved to another website for another year. At which point I stopped writing.

The reasons why I'm starting one again and for good reason is to improve my writing abilities, vent my frustrations with things that bother me, and document the process that is obtaining a PhD in Chemistry.

Things that this blog will cover are; discussions of chemistry and it's ideas, philosophy (typically science-ethics, epistemology, utilitarianism) and some of the observations of daily-life as a chemist. Occasionally I will have my girlfriend chime in (she doesn't know it yet)