Saturday, November 24, 2007

Coming in to the home stretch

Yesterday, woke up from my zombie-like sleep with the word enantiomers stuck in my head. This morning it was Sn1 substitution.

I find myself having to suppress the urge to start every new conversation with a breathless rendition of what I have to prepare for in the next week: "man, I've got a quiz, exam, and a practicum next week. I have to be able to identify like 75 animals by slide or specimen, and every single lecture day I have left in O-Chem has something due and/or a quiz or exam. There's a big exam the last day before finals, and I still need to finish chapter 8, and the class is finishing with chapter nine, and and and..."

I've tipped over the top of the first rise on a big roller coaster, I'm heading down and starting to accelerate, my stomach is lifting a bit from the lack of gravity and the effect is not exactly settling. I can see a couple loops out there, some bumps, and a tight turn or two. I could get all wigged out, but here I sit, and the car is going, and there are no brakes, so what's the use of getting all worked up. So, my practice is to relax and be as productive as I possibly can without raising my blood pressure.

Enjoy the surrender that life sometimes requires,

Bp

13 comments:

Catherine Just said...

sounds like my life

Stu Farnham said...

Just remember that a plan coming out of a dive pulls the most Gs not at the bottom, but on the way back up...

Bpaul said...

Now there's an image Stu

...

I can't overlay it at the moment -- my brain "analogy machine" is on the fritz I think.

I'll ruminate further.

4 said...

So... I've been watching this car spinning out of control with no breaks down the organic chemistry highway. But I forgot where you're going. What's at the end of the road with the OGOC effort?

Bpaul said...

One term of Ochem required for my Bachelor's in Science in Organismal Biology. Graduation date (knock on wood, hidden requirements aside) This spring.

Then I immediately enter a master's program for a Master's in Education, and a Secondary Teaching Certification (GTEP) so I can teach biology in High School.

That is another year and a half after my BS graduation.

Bpaul said...

By my hopeful calculations, I aught to be entering my next career before my 40th birthday.

Anonymous said...

The G-force comment was intended to say that the stress you feel means you are coming to the end of the term (pulling out of the dive).

You organic chemists are *so* literally minded.

4 said...

I've got to say, teaching high school biology sounds awesome. As a veteral sub and 5-year junior high wrestling coach, I see the appeal.

Bpaul said...

Sometimes I still wonder if it's a sane decision, remains to be seen.

Stu Farnham said...

Wouldn't you rather KNOW whether it was the right choice than wonder?

Too little time for woulda-shoulda-coulda.

Bpaul said...

I'm going to do a public service class thingy (called a "Capstone" at PSU) where I'll be in low income high school classrooms a lot next term. If that's horrible, I'll just get my masters and teach Junior College instead, or get my PhD and teach college, or something.

Lots of options, all good.

Katye said...

*COUGH*

Thank God I will FINALLY be kept in a luxurious manner to which I am accustomed.

...

I will return this interruption to its regularly scheduled listening of the new Foo Fighters album. Why is it all the men I am attracted to are either weird looking or want to teach high school biology?

(YO Peanut Gallery, that is a rhetorical question.../eye Farmhand)

Bpaul said...

What about weird looking AND want to teach high school biology.

Maybe that's why I'm sporting the ring, two requirements in one man.

woohoo!