My new nesting site will be in the tiny burg of Bellefonte (pronounced Bell-Font, not like Harry Bellafonte). I'm in the process of securing a two-bedroom apartment about three miles from work, which I'm hoping will enable me to bike to work when the weather allows.
I'm also getting some new wheels--a Toyota Corolla (used), which is my favorite kind of car. I drove three of them before Kat and I bought the Saturn; it was wonderful to sit in it and feel like I knew where everything was.
It's a luxe edition, with CD player and a zippy manual transmission, power everything. I'll miss having a moon roof like the Saturn did, but that moon roof always did threaten to make me have an accident, as I was constantly trying to check out birds overhead.I start school on Monday, which is already making me nervous. It's a busy time for me, and school makes it even busier. I had to take a "pre-quiz" this morning to determine my fitness for this course (which is just the basic Chem 101, or so I thought!), and I scored a miserable 6 out of 20! Oh dear. Obviously, my days of non-stop studying are far from over, but at least it's not another math class! Still, here are some of the skills I'm expected to have already:
--Solve “word problems,” i.e., translate words into algebraic expressions
--Relate functions and graphs (rectangular coordinates)
--Manipulate logarithmic expressions and solve equations involving logarithms
--Manipulate algebraic fractions
--Manipulate algebraic expressions involving exponents and radicals
--Understand and use exponential notation
--Do numerical calculations involving these concepts with a calculator
--Understand and manipulate standard units of physics and chemistry, including unit conversions and dimensional analysis
Uh... I think I have the dumb again....
So it's going to be a long semester. However, fall migrants are already starting to fly through Pennsylvania, and I'm hoping to get around a little easier to see as many as I can. Just last night, Gretchen and I saw a flock of fifteen Canadas heading to the north. A bit early, isn't it? But maybe they're ... wait for it ... EARLY BIRDS!
Wow. Tough crowd.
16 comments:
Oh my dear Delia... You are forging ahead. And a car too?! Wow.
School. You do not have the dumb, you will be fine.
You to have the too-much-going-on, but that will all work out. Your flock here and in real life is here to help you fly and nest anew.
Early birds... I did laugh. Really!
I wish you the best in your new nest!
Hee hee - I got a shot of geese over head through the sunroof yesterday. And I didn't wreck the fast-moving car. (yet)
Nice Corolla. MathMan drives one, you know. Wish I did (she said, throwing an angry glance out the window at her stupid Kia).
Wow, I don't know that I would ride a bike in Bellefonte anymore. That last time I was there in 2002 the traffic was unbelievable (and the town fathers thought cruisin' the Y in the 70s was aweful). To get to the mall or State College in those days I would take the back way through P Gap, except Grange Fair week, but then we lived near the corner of High and School streets in Beaver Heights. And yes you can live too close to school.
Good luck with school. I think that a lot of the math skills will come back after a few weeks.
Sweet ride! Good luck on the school thingy, 25th grade is hard.
Wow, you give a new meaning to the word transition. New place, new car and new classes.
Your friends in blog-world know that you have everything it takes to make it all come together. We're all wishing you well and will help you with your homework. Oops, but perhaps not chemistry. We're pretty much all left-brainers. But when you get to psych, lit, etc. you've got some power behind you.
All the best Delia. If I were there I'd squeeze ya!
{{{{{{{sueeze}}}}}}}
I'm thick as fuck, so I'm kinda lost as to what is going on, but I'm going to say good luck, nice ride, and smooches.
Delia--what to say, what to say. Life throwing curve balls? No, say it ain't so. So sorry.
But, what comes through in your post is an upbeat spirit.
Arrgghhh--Chem 101. I am out of here. Sorry, only English course for me. Best of luck in the course.
And may life bring you some sweet fall birds!
How could you have been in school for a zillion years and just NOW taking Chem 101? Now I have the dumb.
I got through FOUR Chem classes in college (Chem 1, Chem 2, Inorganic Chem and Organic Chem). Jeez, listing them like that makes me all proud of myself. And I SUCKED at Chem.
(I'm better at chemistry, knowwhaddamean?)
: )
As the world is tilting and whirling, you are securing an apartment and buying a car and starting school.
Um, wasn't I supposed to be worried here or something?
Proud of ya. Love ya.
Now you're talking my lingo, A Corolla and Math Concepts. Feels like my drive home.
I like my Corolla, it is a 5 speed S version that I have beat up hard. In retrospect, I liked my 1995 version better.
Good luck with the calculator and functions. BTW - I need to write a post about functions; my kids produced some great visual representations of them.
Ditto what Susan said. Things seem to be looking up so far.
Hugs-
My eyes are crossing just reading those math statements! I would so totally flunk in the first semester if I ever tried to go back.
You go girl and good luck to you! I hope you still manage to find some time and watch the birds.
Wow, you've been quite the busy woman since I left! Know that you have a Left Coast fanclub rooting for you to succeed. :)
You'll be happy to know I was quite the bird nerd while in Tucson (I even bought a book about desert birds). Unfortunately, I left my camera at Matty's so I was unable to take any pictures for you, so I can only tell you what I spotted:
-cactus wren
-black-chinned hummingbird
-loggerhead shrike
-cardinal
-gambel's quail (my personal favorite)
-white-winged dove (have a Stevie Nicks moment)
-mourning dove
-lesser nighthawk
Hope you're able to visit SF sooner than later.
Yikes. I had the dumb reading that expected skills list. I didn't even know what most of those words meant. (Not that I could see them, the ways my eyes glazed over somewhere in the second one.) It probably will come back to you, but mine, I know, are gone for good.
Thank you all for your kindness and encouragement. I've posted again to give you an update -- it was all too much for my little bird brain! So -- still fluxin' and flowin', and trying to stay positive. Thanks again--it means the world to have such great bloggy pals.
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