The Great Week 8

This past week was another busy one. Luckily, my homework load was a little lighter this week thanks to the fact that I didn't have two exams on the same day. I did okay on Physics. I just need to be more conscientious next time about the multiple choice. I think my "cheat sheets" with equations on them also need some examples so I don't forget the process. I am actually glad that we have another test on Friday of Week 9 because then I get another chance to redeem myself. I have been doing pretty well in lab and on homework assignments thus far, so I'm not too worried about my grade. Botany went really well. I missed the top score in the class by one point! In lab, I only missed two points on the quiz. In addition, our group is almost done writing up our experiment. We just need to edit a few sections. Then, it will be ready to put on a poster board and present to the rest of the class in a little less than two weeks.

This week was an important one because I registered for my Spring Term classes. I had a little trouble when one of my classes had a time change and conflicted with another class, but I got everything sorted out, so now I am taking Physics, Anatomy, and Argument & Oral Advocacy--a kind of speech class featuring persuasive speaking, debate, and small-group discussion. I am looking forward to Spring Term, especially because of the large animal internship.

This week was also my first Vet Med Mentoring meeting as the secretary. Everything went off well. We practiced diagnosing a past case from the president's shadowing experience, which was really fun and good for our future work. We also read journal articles from the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association (JAVMA) to see what's new in veterinary science. One of the most interesting articles was about a new sutureless procedure to repair blood vessels (it involves a special kind of glue and something like tape).

I did not end up going to that BBB social because I had a lot of homework to do and wanted to get to bed at a reasonable hour. I spent most of last week up past 11:00, which was not the best.

I'm making really good progress on my Molecular Genetics project. I finished all of my research for my independent question, and now I just need to put everything together in a poster. We will have poster defenses during Finals Week, so I will need to know my poster like the back of my hand as well as understand and remember all of the concepts we have discussed in lab this term. I have already finished the first draft of the Introduction section of my poster, which is an exciting accomplishment to me. I can tell that the finished product is really going to be quite the achievement and something that I will be very proud of.

This weekend was another movie-filled weekend. We watched The Help on Friday while eating Chipotle burritos and chips with salsa. Sadly, we also finished the first season of The Big Bang Theory. It's going to be a hard wait until we get the second season. Last night (Saturday), we watched Sliding Doors with Gwenyth Paltrow and Bottle Shock with Chris Pine, Bill Pullman, and Alan Rickman. The former was about a woman who finds out what her life would be like both if she caught the train and if she missed it. It takes place in London, which was awesome because I saw some very familiar sights (including the Westminster Tube station!). The latter movie was about the early days of Napa Valley when California wines were just beginning to rival those of France. Tonight, I intend on catching up with Glee and getting a long-overdue dose of QI. 

This afternoon, my good friend Heather and I went to the QCBC for the Chocolate Festival. Ticket prices were a bit steep, but we went because we both need points for BBB and because the funds go to keeping the QCBC open. We had so many delicious chocolate treats and treats of other kinds, including Whitey's ice cream, dark Italian roast coffee from Starbucks, cookies, shortbread, truffles, marshmallows, cake, and more! We even took home a small bag of chocolate-covered raisins and a small packet of chocolates from Fannie May, a chocolate vendor in East Davenport. Heather says we should take a bike ride there in the spring. I have been a couple of times with Mom and Dad, but I think Heather would like it.

In other news, I have already started a small "bucket list" for my remaining time at Augustana. It's amazing how much time I can spend here and still not see everything:
1. Visit Skybridge, a color-changing skyway in Davenport.
2. Visit Niabi Zoo in nearby Coal Valley
3. Take a daytrip to Le Claire, Iowa, a Mississippi River town not far from here
4. Eat at Ribco (the Rock Island Brewing Company, a popular weekend hangout for Augie students)
5. Visit the Putnam Museum, a local science museum
6. Visit the Figge Art Gallery, which I hear has a lot of cool pieces
7. Take a walk through the greenhouse on the fourth floor of the science building. What's in there, anyway?

That's about it for now. I'm sure I will add a lot more soon as I remember things that I still need to do.

This coming week should be a good one. We have open nominations for Circle K at our meeting on Tuesday. Heather is nominating me for Service Chair, and I will have my chance to persuade everyone to vote for me Week 1 of Spring Term (our next meeting after this week). I also have another Physics test, which I intend to be better than my last test. I am most looking forward to Tuesday, though. I hear tell that my very good friend Hannah will be back on campus that night for Intervarsity, and I'm trying to convince her to make a pit stop at Heimdall to see all of us. I really miss her, and I want to talk to her and ask her how everything is going and if she has figured everything out yet. I know she will be back on campus for the start of Spring Term in March, but that is still an awfully long way from now.

I hope that you all have had a good week and that this next week will  be just as good and perhaps even better. Cheers!