75 minutes of Spin

Josh and I attend a spin class twice a week at the early hour of 6:30 AM. Those 45 minutes are killer, but I feel so proud of myself afterwards that I survived. Today was our last spin class for the summer (we have a month break until the fall classes start up). Today was a "special" 75-minute class...I burned 600 calories. It was crazy long, and I was just glad that I finished the 75 minutes and didn't die. Someone in class said that we need to make shirts that say, "I survived 75 minutes of spin class!"

Chemistry Quotes

I found some chemistry quotes today. I thought they were interesting.

It is disconcerting to reflect on the number of students we have flunked in chemistry for not knowing what we later found to be untrue.
- Weber, Science With a Smile, 1992

We know very little, and yet it is astonishing that we know so much, and still more astonishing that so little knowledge can give us so much power.
- Bertrand Russell

I remember when I was an undergrad, and my professor stopped talking right in the middle of his lecture on atomic orbital theory. Dr. Baxter said in effect, "When we get to Heaven, God could tell us that we had it all wrong about this stuff...of course you still will be tested over it." And then he continued lecturing. That thought always stuck with me. There's so much knowledge that we "think" we know and then find out later it was incorrect or not entirely true. Scientists can study down to subparticles, but we can't fully comprehend it all. We say, "Oh, it's just chaos after that." I think there's still order to it; we just aren't smart enough yet to figure it out.

Well, I just thought I would offer a little food for thought. It's things like this in science that confirm my faith in God. Everything is too complex to have just "come about."

Visit to Marlow

Back in June, I took a little road trip with my Aunt Sissie and Mamaw down to Marlow, Oklahoma. We met other family at my great-grandmother's (Nona) to help her move. It was a nice time catching up and visiting. I saw my great aunts and great uncles...and my great-great aunts and great-great uncles! What a crew!

Uncle Alf, Aunt Lorene, and Nona 

I tried to organize all of Nona's jewelry. 

Aunt Kaye, Uncle Bob V., Mamaw, Nona, and Aunt Lynn laughing 

Me and Aunt Sissie 

Mamaw and me 

Uncle Bob, Mamaw, Me, Aunt Sissie, and Nona 

This is what I wish I was doing right now..."skiing" or at least falling down a hill in the snow. It is SO HOT here...like I'm sure it is everywhere in the U.S. right now. It's 10:30 at night here, and the heat index is 99...what in the world??? 

These are some people I work with from my research lab...Alan, Zeid, and Sulaiman. In all my pictures I've ever taken with the research group or at a conference, I'm either chees'in it or I look especially nerdy. This one is a toss-up! 

Why I Love the OSU Library

So I'm writing my pre-proposal finally. I convinced my advisor it was a good idea..now it's time for my committee to be convinced. I've been in the library A LOT it seems here at school. Searching for articles. Looking for books. Writing up my idea. So here are things why I Heart the OSU library:

1. The coffee shop has the best chai lattes...ever.
2. When I'm having a problem locating or printing an article, any staff librarian is EXCITED to help me. I feel like a celebrity.
3. The staff here know me. Somebody told me the other day, "Do you live here?" Okay, so maybe I'm here A LOT, but at least the librarians notice.
4. If our library doesn't have it, they'll get it for you in no time.
5. There are many good places to work in the library. Quiet places. Places to take a quick nap with no interruptions. (hmm...That'll be my next entry...Why I Heart Naps...)