This place is stoopid

Valley summer nights hotter than usual - like we needed that! I know, I know...the whole country is suffering a heat wave, but when the low temperature is 93 degrees, it sucks. I'm all heat cranky. This is how I feel:

Five questions

The five questions meme. Here's how it works:

1. Leave me a comment saying, "Interview me."

2. I will respond by asking you five questions. I get to pick the questions.

3. You will update your journal with the answers to the questions (or leave your answers in my comments).

4. You will include this explanation and an offer to interview someone else in the same post.

5. When others comment asking to be interviewed, you will ask them five questions.

Greg interviewed me:

1. What's the most beautiful object in space?

Just one? JUST ONE?!?!?! Alright, there's the pretty blue marble. There's also Rho Ophiuchi, but that technically isn't just one object. But it always comes back to Saturn, for me. Especially with the images that Cassini keeps sending back, Saturn is a constant battle of sunlight and shadow, globes and rings...there's a sense of perspective here that we can't get anywhere else (yet).

2. You've got two weeks, a full tank of gas (and means to refuel), snacks and a credit card. Where you going?

Assuming I need to start from home, I drive north from Phoenix, heading through Sedona and Oak Creek Canyon. I stop for good food in Flagstaff. I then drive north and go through Zion and Bryce National Parks in Utah. Continuing north, I head into Idaho, driving through the Sun Valley area, and continue on to Glacier National Park in Montana. From there, westward to Vancouver. I head south and hit Seattle. Now that I've had a few days of city life, I head out to the Washington coast and then take Pacific Coast Highway all the way down the west coast. I'll take a detour to Powell's, I mean, Portland to restock on books, but otherwise I'll stay on the coast all the way through Oregon and California (stopping off at the Ferry Building in San Francisco) down to Cambria where I'll turn inland because the southern California coast is boring. Time for a quick meal in L.A. with friends before heading back to Phoenix. (My suitcase is calling upon me to fill it. Restless!)

3. Old stand-by: Dinner with any three people, living or dead. Who are they? (And, yes, you can just sit quietly and eavesdrop on the conversation if you want.)

I am obviously well-known by my interviewer, because I would definitely want to be quiet and eavesdrop. This is a hard question, because for the most part, I find ordinary people discussing their daily lives to be the most interesting. Maybe just three people off the street. (The sentimental part of me would invite Dad to have one last meal with Mom because she misses him so much and I'd leave them alone.)

4. You can teach your students one concept and one concept only, but they will completely understand and embrace this concept. What's on the syllabus?

How science is done. So many students want to learn the immutable truth, but science is all about change, a process and not a set of facts. And I would hope that, by the end of the course, I'd never hear the question, "Is that true?", but rather, "How'd we figure that out?"

5. What's one fear you wish you could eradicate from your system?

My biggest fear is of doing the wrong thing. This extends to all parts of my life, and I wish it didn't. It isn't just the big things like where will I move to or what my next life goal will be. I worry about making a bad choice of route to take or dinner I'll cook. We all make bad choices, but I don't want my fears to stop me from making choices at all.

Reflection

Nothing much to say. Just feeling kind of blue and amorphous. Makes me think of reflection nebulae; here are a few in Corona Borealis.

Vancouver

I hope that y'all had a lovely holiday weekend. We spent a blissful few days in Vancouver. The weather was glorious - cloud-free and 70-degree temps. The food was yummy, the scenery was gorgeous, and the downtown area was full of interesting neighborhoods to explore. We logged over 25 miles of walking in two days. Highlights: walking the perimeter of Stanley Park, eating dessert on the balcony of our hotel room, perusing an amazing Chinatown, observing Canada Day celebrants. We definitely want to return to Vancouver some day. None of my pics could capture the wonderful time we had, but I'll post one anyways.

Winging it

Kind of a strange week for me. Despite being on vacation, I discovered that I feel better if I get to the gym at 5:30 am than if I sleep in and get there at 9:00 am. Um, why am I getting up so early during my summer vacation? I've turned into a morning person as well as a night person? Sleep is for the weak! But...but...I like to sleep. Gah!

I'm at the airport, waiting to board a plane for Vancouver. I've gathered peanut M&Ms, water, and sudoku puzzles. Ready to go! (Especially since there is some right-wing whack job on the TV.) Have a great weekend everyone!

Global, Local

We had a very pleasant weekend, including seeing two movies. The first was "An Inconvenient Truth", which was very well constructed. Not that I need to be convinced about global warming, but I thought Gore presented the scientific reasoning in a very clear fashion. Great graphs - I need some of those graphs. I am such a geek. We also saw an IMAX film, "Roving Mars". It was nicely done, but I found some of the mix of computer graphics and real images bothersome. For example, often when the rovers are shown roving on Mars, the devices are moving against real images that they have sent back to Earth. The blend is wonderfully done, but I wonder if the audience misses out on what is real and what isn't? As a scientist and educator, I find myself being concerned about such things. And I wanted more images of Mars!

We are lucky to have an IMAX theater in our neighborhood, but it's in a very busy mall. Yesterday the mall was even more annoying than usual, with a beauty pageant for little girls occurring in the food court. Yes, six-year old girls wearing bikinis, parading in front of strangers, learning that their self-worth is totally dependent on their body image. Good job, parents!

Speaking of the neighborhood, Greg has mentioned our concern for First Person Shooter, the man who's always playing computer games at our Starbucks. Recently he's been there at all times of day and night, obviously without leaving, and we had grown convinced that he was living out of his truck. That's never easy, but 110 degree weather makes it even worse. We haven't seen him for a few days, and we've found that we're kinda worried for him. We're also worried for Preacher Dude, He's a pastor near the university, and for ages he's been at Starbucks in the morning writing his sermons and chatting with everyone. He's the kind of man who will let you know you're welcome to show up for Christmas Eve services, but doesn't attempt to preach to you. He was gone for quite awhile, and we had assumed he was off on one of his frequent trips, but he came back this week painfully thin and obviously ill - cancer. If you have time, beam healing thoughts towards Preacher Dude; he'd do the same for you.

Seven Songs

According to my most beloved Kirsten, I am to list seven songs I am currently enjoying. Feel free to play along if you like. I decided to look at my "Top 25 Most Played" on iTunes to help me out. Wow, um, maybe I should listen to something other than NIN sometimes? Nah. All of the following are by NIN:

• "The Perfect Drug" - Lost Highway soundtrack - A good song, with a beautiful video featuring Trent Reznor with his most Morpheus-like look.
• "Beside You in Time" - With Teeth - The pulsating rhythm of this song really gets under my skin.
• "Eraser" - The Downward Spiral - I've been listening to this a lot in traffic recently, over and over again. This does not bode well for other people on the road.
• "Eraser (Denial: Realization) - Further Down the Spiral - Rumor has it that Fight Club was written while listening to this album. Mmm....Fight Club...
• "March of the Pigs" - And All that Could Have Been - This live track takes me right back to the concert experience. This song is at its best performed live.
• "Last" - Broken - "This isn't meant to last. This is for right now."
• "Leaving Hope" - Still - You've likely never heard this album, but this is Trent's finest work. This song features delicate, sorrowful piano playing. I don't know if I so much enjoy this song, but rather that this is the song that most affects me.

Tell me where to go

I want to plan another trip during this summer vacation of mine. I just haven't decided where to go yet. There's also the additional snag of work obligations, so the trip will most likely have to be short pending meeting schedules. Here are some of my ideas so far:

• Convince Greg to quit his job and take a long trip with me. (My favorite idea by the way)
• Drive to the Central or Lost Coast of California. Can't do that often enough.
• Find a nice spot on the Atlantic Coast to visit, as I've never seen the Atlantic Ocean.
• Go back to D.C. and hit all of the museums that I didn't get to in January. (And go back to some I did see. Meteorites! Spaceships!)
• I've never been to Boston, and I could go see a game at Fenway.

Any ideas? Suggestions?

Peeves

The NBA season is over, and now begins the emptiness that will last until September 7th. I didn't particular care about or for either Dallas or Miami. What peeved me more was the choice of Tom Petty for the Finals music. Tom Petty? I've nothing against Tom Petty, but when I think basketball, Tom Petty does not immediately spring to mind. (Alonzo Mourning is a stunningly gorgeous man, by the way.)

I was subjected to another peeve of mine today. I was in a public restroom, watching yet another neurotic person wash their hands and then try not to touch anything on the way out. Really, people, because most do wash their hands, the inner doorknob has less germs than the outer doorknob. Anyway, this person was so obsessed with not touching any fixtures with her clean hands that she gave up trying to turn off the water. Yup, that's right, she left the water running rather than touch the faucet. Guess that's okay, we have so much water here in the desert after all.

Family Matters

Happy Father's Day to all fathers out there, especially my friends who became new fathers this year - Brian, Randy, and the latest, Jon!

I just returned from a weekend in Sacramento. I was there to visit the family and attend my niece Ashley's graduation from UC Davis. Congrats to the Spoiled Princess! I also met my great-nephew Hunter (my niece Renee's son). He's just adorable. I had so much fun with him. And as with any family gathering, much food was eaten. I'm sorry that I forgot my camera, because I think you won't believe how much food there was at the graduation party without evidence. Oof. My brother, mother, and I helped my sister with party preparation - I spent an hour shredding pork for pulled pork and carnitas. Whoa.

This was my first time flying to Sacramento, and it was lovely from the air: rivers, farmland, flooded rice paddies, flocks of herons. I do miss Northern California. I kinda miss my family, too. As it was Father's Day, I went to visit my father's grave. He's buried in the cemetary next to the old drive-in theater he used to take us to. I remember watching Star Wars out the back window while my parents were watching something lame on the front screen. And yes, I was wearing PJs.

Wish fulfillment

Everybody wish Charly an amazing summer - he's at MIT for a summer research program, and it sounds like he's already having fun. Go Charly!

Did you know that Whole Foods will let you try samples of chocolate? I jokingly mentioned at the cheese counter that they should have out samples of the chocolate like they do of the cheese, and the cheese dude said that they keep some bits of the chocolate behind the counter and that they'd break open any chocolate I wanted to taste. I thanked him, backed away slowly, and have not yet taken advantage of the opportunity. What an opportunity!

I had a strange dream, in which I found an audio clip of Trent Reznor singing the theme from "Firefly". I'm sure that falls under "wish fulfillment fantasy", but I'm not sure how.

Big Thoughts

There was a news story this week about Wendy's renaming their "Biggie" and "Great Biggie" sizes because the names confused the customers. So "Great Biggie" will now be "large" and "Biggie" will be called "medium". The previous "medium" will now be the "small", and they have eliminated what was once their "small" option. The portion sizes aren't changing, just the names. This reminded me of my attempts to get small sodas on my road trip. I like the caffeine, sugar, and ease of use of fountain soda while I'm driving. However, I don't want half a gallon of soda. I always get the smallest size, but depending on the gas station/convenience store, this smallest size varies greatly. Two years ago, on my first long solo road trip, I was able to get 16 oz. Last year, those were harder to find, and in many cases even when I could find the cups, the stores were no longer stocking the lids. I found myself using coffee lids frequently. This year, I didn't find a single 16 oz option, located few 20 oz (in once case, the store had permanently blocked the bin for these cups) and usually found myself just not filling up a 24 oz cup all the way. At one store, the clerk took a long time ringing me up, because he'd never had to use the code for the smallest soda size before.

I never did give into my craving for Fritos (only three ingredients - corn, oil, salt), because the small bags I found contained four servings.

Just look

No words necessary - NGC 5866, from Hubble

Road Notes

You know that jerk on the road who rides right up on your tail til you have to move over and let them pass? And then you see them do that to other people? You know how you bemoan the fact that there is no police officer around and once, just once, you'd like to see the jerk get caught? Last Tuesday, near the New Mexico/Colorado border, I finally saw the jerk get pulled over. Yay!

I was at a convenience store on the outskirts of Pueblo and the dude in front of me asked for a case of bacon. The clerk brought a case of bacon out of the storeroom for him.

While playing in the snow at Rocky Mountain National Park, a toddler was singing "Jingle Bells". Well, it did look a lot like Christmas.

On the way back home, between Flagstaff and Phoenix, my little two-year old grey Honda Civic passed the 45,000 mile mark. The car averaged 40 mpg on this trip, maxing out at 48 mpg the day up in Rocky Mountain National Park - gotta love coasting with gravity! I would also like to give heartfelt thanks, from me and a family of deer, to the brakes on the car.

In case you're not yet convinced to run out and visit your National Parks, here's an image of what the parks protect and preserve. (I always come back from these trips wanting to be a ranger when I grow up.)

Now I get it

Look, it's the Colorado River...in Colorado! (This really amuses me.)

Tonight found me in Santa Fe. New Mexican food, fancy hotel, bubble bath and a fluffy robe - gosh, I love this town. But I'm ready to head home.

Bolder

Since I visited for the first time two years ago, I've dreamed of returning to Rocky Mountain National Park. I spent today there. So lovely. Green meadows, wildflowers clinging to the barren tundra, frozen lakes, waterfalls of snow runoff, rivers, glaciers, elk, snow...I wish I had more time there. So much I haven't seen yet! On the way back to the hotel, I headed to Pearl St. in Boulder. Ate dinner at the Boulder Cafe. Hung out at the Boulder Bookstore, which is a fine bookstore, if a little lacking on the science fiction. Walked past High Crimes, the mystery bookstore, but it was closed! Too early! Grabbed some candies at Belvedere Chocolates. All-in-all, a lovely day.

This is the third year in a row I've spent time in this area. Returning to Boulder now feels a little like coming home. My first trip to the Boulder area corresponded with my first long solo roadtrip. I remember being so nervous about it! I remember even hesitating to go up to RMNP by myself. Now I think nothing of jumping in the car and heading out for a few days. I'll always think of this area fondly, not just because of the natural beauty, but because it is a place where I learned more about myself.

Red Rocks

Ever since I saw the U2 concert video "Under a Blood Red Sky", I've wanted to go to a concert at Red Rocks in Morrison, CO. Check that one off life's to-do list. Tonight I went to Red Rocks - Nine Inch Nails (with TV on the Radio and Bauhaus). Gorgeous scenery, a waxing crescent moon, stars, planets, great acoustics, and my favorite band. Just what I needed. And to Trent, about what you said to the audience after "Hurt"? Right back at you, a millionfold.

(For those of you keeping track, that's one year, five NIN concerts in four states.)

Mutants

We went to see "X-Men" today. I must say that I enjoyed a movie where I could listen to the voices of Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellan, and Kelsey Grammer. If only there were a role for Christopher Plummer...

I haven't determined what superpower I'd want for myself, but I did enjoy using the motion-activated paper tower dispenser after the movie.

Slab

I know this image came out a few weeks ago, but it's been my desktop wallpaper ever since. When I was a little girl, I had a scrapbook of all things Mount St. Helens, and I'm still fascinated. - growing rock slab in Mount St. Helens, from APOD and USGS

Sleep, precious sleep

I crawled into bed at 10 pm last night and crawled out of bed at 10 am this morning. I think I needed that.

I spent the past few days in the cooler climes of Flagstaff, hiking and snacking and soaking and watching basketball playoffs and giving into my new sudoku addiction. Now I'm back in sweltering Tempe, decidedly enjoying the A/C and still giving into my new sudoku addiction.

Indy

I enjoyed being a judge at the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair last year so much that I immediately knew I wanted to do it again. This year, it was held in Indianapolis. I dragged Carl along with me, and we were both assigned to the Space Sciences division. We arrived in Indianapolis late Monday night, and as we were checking into the hotel, I noticed a woman wearing an ISEF badge. Turns out that she was the mother of one of the students competing and she thanked us for volunteering our time. This had already been an amazing experience for her daughter, and she'd decided to become an engineer because of the competition. Nifty!

On Tuesday, after registering at the Fair, Carl and I walked about downtown Indianapolis for a little bit.

Looking down a side street:

The State Capitol is pretty:

I don't know how much more American you can get:

One of the perks of being a judge is attending a panel of Nobel Prize winners, who show up to the Fair to interact with and inspire the students. Jocelyn Bell Burnell was on the panel, although not a Nobel Prize winner. (But she should be!) Hers is a story I relate to my classes, and I was surprised at how emotionally affected I was by her. Another thing that struck me about the prize winners overall is how normal, but extremely competent and confident they were. They reminded me of astronauts. (As a side note, all of the folding chairs had "Hoosier Dome" embossed on them. Definitely in Indiana.)

Wednesday was devoted to judging. All the kids look so young, although you have to be a high schooler to compete. Many of the international students wear their national dress. Most of the projects are so far beyond what I could have done at their age. One student I interviewed had already submitted his work to a professional journal and was partway through the peer-review process. My most entertaining interaction was with a student who noted that I was the "second aggressive female astronomer" who had asked him a specific question. I smiled all friendly-like and said, "Excuse me?" To which he responded, "I meant, you're just so on top of things." Hmm...methinks he doesn't speak much to people with breasts.

All-in-all, I enjoyed judging again and found it very rewarding. Next year's fair will be in Albuquerque - all the fun, plus green chile!

Done

I just submitted the last of my grades. This semester, this nightmare of a semester, is finally done. Tomorrow, I shall commence my life again. Hmm..maybe I'll get a haircut, as I had to tie my bangs in a unicorn-like fashion to finish grading. Hmm...perhaps I shall go shopping for summer clothes that fit. Maybe I'll even download the pix I took in Indianapolis. The possibilities are endless!

Just plain screwy

It was halftime of the Suns-Clippers game, and it was already midnight. The Eastern Time Zone is all screwy.

I'm in Indianapolis, where I'll be a judge at the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair again. The next few days will be hectic, but rewarding. Should I be grading? Oh, yes. Perhaps I should do a bit of that before turning in. Of course, the Suns game is still in the third quarter, so I'll be up awhile longer anyways.

On Edge

The end of the semester is upon me. Too much, too soon. I've written ten exams so far this week, and I still have one to go. I haven't even had time to grade. For the first time, I think I might not be able to get grades in on time. I have aggravated my neck and haven't been going to the gym. I keep telling myself there's just one week left, but it freaks me out instead of soothing me.

On the other hand, I received a lovely note from one student and a box of chocolates from another. Walking across campus this morning, I was joined by a student who wanted to chat about the Sun. And have you seen this pic of Saturn, from Cassini?

Alphabet Meme

I got this meme from Mike: "Write ten words beginning with that letter in your journal, including an explanation what the word means to you and why, and then pass out letters to those who want to play along. " He gave me the letter N.

1. Nice - this is typically how I'm described. Not that it's bad, but it is boring. Whenever I try to break the mold, though, I fail. Guess I'm doomed to be nice.

2. Niche - thought I'd found mine; turns out I haven't. That's a good thing, I believe, because I'd hate to think that life couldn't change after the age of thirty-five.

3. NASA - from Mercury to Apollo, Hubble to Cassini, grad school funding to E/PO grants, NASA has had an effect on my life that's almost impossible to describe. Perfect? No, but where would our understanding of the cosmos be without NASA?

4. Nebula - birthplace of stars, birthplace of dreams. The cycle of life and death playing out on an unfathomable scale. Seeing this image of the Vela supernova remnant when I was a young girl marked the beginning of my journey towards being an astrophysicist.

5. Nerd - gee, ya think?

6. Nature - you might be sensing a theme here. Taking the time to appreciate the universe around me is very important to me - looking through a telescope, touching a moon rock, sitting on an cliff overlooking the ocean, pressing my nose against the airplane window to peer at volcanoes, hiking in the cool mountain air... It isn't that I don't appreciate man-made works of art and literature, but nature awes me.

7. Night - I love the darkness, the cool air, the silence. I love the stars, Moon, and planets all shimmering above. I love moonlight streaming through the window and the last lingering stars before dawn.

8. Never - I never thought I'd fly alone on a plane. I never thought I'd lose 60 lbs. I never thought I'd drive across country alone. Never is a word that I will attempt to use more judiciously in the future.

9. Nine Inch Nails - the last few years been rough, and I don't know what I would have done without Trent Reznor - new album, concerts, and lyrics that speak to me like no others.

10. Next - mmm...the possibilities are endless.

Sights

• The Grand Canyon illuminated by the early morning Sun
• Nevada reminding me of Mars
• Mt. St. Helens ominously steaming
• The Space Needle looking tiny in the distance
• The Tacoma Narrows Bridge and its "strong winds" sign
• The Port Washington Narrows while eating a chocolate chip cookie
• Mt. Rainier so pristine, so close, illuminated by the setting sun
• Night-time Phoenix, reminding me of Coruscant, because that's just how I am

All in one day...it's an amazing world.

Dreamsong

Last night I had a very odd dream. It started with a discussion with a student, who said he owned a bookstore specializing in history books. (Surprising, because he doesn't strike me as being particularly bookish.) However I was reminded that I had been neglecting the course I was taking on running my own business. So I dragged myself to that class, where we were doing some sort of trust-building exercise by singing solo in front of the class. Everybody else performed lovely renditions of Beatles songs or snippets of opera arias. Me, I couldn't think of anything. No songs, no words were in my head. When it was finally my turn, I burst into the only song I could think of at the time - "Particle Man" by They Might Be Giants. Much laughter ensued. I left the class, but on the way out I did sure take that last chocolate donut.

My dreams are typically straightforward to interpret: student interaction is done on a daily basis, I'm obsessed with books, and I want every bit of chocolate I see. The singing was prompted by chancing upon a student who was demonstrating her singing skills by singing "Country Roads" by John Denver in her best soprano vibrato. Now that's weird.

Good day

Today is the first Sunday after the first full moon after the vernal equinox. Many people celebrate this day - we did so by preparing a breakfast of bacon, eggs, and banana walnut pancakes. It was a very pleasant day overall, a nice respite from the hectic semester that this has become. Only four weeks left, including finals. I'm not convinced I'll be able to finish all my grading and other obligations. But for most of today, I forgot that. It was a good day.

The Moon!

Alright, it isn't a spectacular image, but it is my first astrophoto, taken after tonight's astronomy lab. Moon!

To Do

Last week was so busy that I didn't even have time to write my weekly to-do list. Now I'm fearing that I've forgotten something important. I'm sure the students will let me know. I did accomplish one thing on my mental list - to have a nice mixture of work and play this weekend. I graded and completed bills/taxes, but I had a massage, and we also ate at two restaurants we hadn't tried and spent part of one evening reading at a coffee house. I feel a little bit better about beginning these last five weeks of the semester, but they're going to be hectic.

Evil M&Ms

They were calling to me, those peanut M&Ms. I usually don't have them around, but there they were, leftover from the Vegas road-trip. I could not resist. All gone now. I guess I'll call this M&M incident "dinner" and move on.

NIN in Vegas

Got back not too long ago from a weekend in Las Vegas with Greg, who graciously escorted me to my fourth Nine Inch Nails concert of the past year. Vegas, as always, was fascinating and repulsive. NIN, as always, was spectacular. Opened with "Mr. Self Destruct" - aaiiee! Performed "Something I Can Never Have" - as a guy behind me blurted out during this song, "God can strike me down now". Saul Williams was an amazing opening act. I'm glad I've been introduced to his work - kind of punk hip-hop. Gotta see if I can squeeze in one of the shows on the NIN summer tour, which Trent says will be the last for the US for awhile. And is there any man who looks sexier with a tambourine than Trent Reznor? I know, it makes no sense unless you see him, but oh my goodness...

Stinky

I'm very glad that the sewer in the faculty office building has backed up into the air handler room. It's a lovely aroma and makes me happy to be in my office.

Saving my semester

I've written previously about how difficult this semester has been. I haven't really noted much improvement. I've made connections with individual students, but none of my classes have a good vibe still. And some of the students have been rough to deal with - the ones who get up and leave without trying if the lab has math in it, the ones who demand to know why they have to take the course for their major, the ones who yell at me because they find the course difficult and I have to bite my tongue and not yell back that this IS the easier version of introductory physics, the ones who are inert in the classroom... Last Wednesday, during the introduction to Mars lecture, my class was almost completely silent. Things that have sparked great discussions with previous classes did nothing here. I kept thinking during that hour, "I'm just gonna go back to my office and cry. Just bawl." Then one of my students approached me after class. He said that he was thinking about becoming a teacher and wondered if he could ask a few questions. Then he asked me, "How do you deal with a class that just refuses to respond, no matter what you do?" And I realized that some of my students were frustrated by their classmates' lack of interaction, too. We chatted for quite some time, and when he left he told me that he appreciated all of the effort I put into our class.

So I'd just like to thank Brian for saving my semester. I was pretty much bottoming out there, and he threw me a lifeline.

New pix from Mars!

The Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter returned its first images today - resolution on the image below is about 2.5 meters per pixel. Nifty!

Absence of Light

Planets shine by reflected sunlight, can you tell? - rings, moons, and Saturn, from Cassini

Weekended

This weekend was full of fun. We drove out to L.A. on Friday night and hung out at a coffee shop and Venice Beach on Saturday morning. It was lovely in L.A., enough to make my love/hate ratio 30/70 instead of the usual 5/95. Then we met up for brunch with Kirsten and Aaron - yummy! We also had a few hours of baby therapy with Tristan and Gwendolyn - it's lovely to see Amy and her twins, I'm just sorry that Brian is so busy we couldn't see him. Then there was the play - we went to L.A. to see Aaron perform and we were not disappointed. (Congrats, dude!) Then we went to see "V for Vendetta" at the Arclight. A great theater - all theaters should have such great sound, assigned seats, large screens, and a restaurant. And yes, that was all on Saturday. Sunday meant lunch with the folks and a quick drive back home, where my car surpassed 40 thousand miles at less than two years of age. Fun - hectic, sleep-depriving fun.

Alas, though, it also brought the end of my Spring Break. Boo!!! I'd rather be having fun.

Death Star approaching Yavin 4

Sometimes I just can't help myself - Mimas passing in front of Tethys, from Cassini

60

Today I hit the 60 lb mark - I've lost 60 lbs since August 2004. It's going slowly now, having taken almost six months to lose the last ten lbs. But slow and steady is a good thing. I'm going to try to keep it up a little while longer.

Today's View from Phoenix

Yesterday, a particularly cold storm ended 143 days without precipitation for Phoenix. Snow fell in the surrounding mountains, so today I went to one of Phoenix's urban parks - Papago Park - to take some pictures. Trust me, the beauty could not be adequately captured by my lame attempts.

Just to show you that I am indeed in the desert, here's the view to the South:

But here's the view to the East:

And here's the view to the Northeast - never has the contrast between Red Mountain and the White Mountains been so obvious:

Solar System News Roundup

The solar system was prominent in the news this week. First came news that Saturn's small moon Enceladus might have liquid water geysers. This would be an incredible find. The Earth is the only world known to have liquid water at the surface. Jupiter's moons Europa and Ganymede may have subsurface oceans. But for water geyser activity to be happening in Enceladus, the water would have to be awfully near the surface. Many questions remain, though - most small worlds are geologically dead, and I don't know that the scientists studying Enceladus have determined the reason for such unexpected geologic activity. Let's hear it, though, for the amazing science coming from the Cassini mission.

Can't leave the planet Mars out of the news. The Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter successfully completed its orbit insertion around Mars. It will be aerobraking into a low Martian orbit for the next six months. Expect the first Mars data in November 2006.

Lost in the coverage of Enceladus and MRO was the followup Hubble observations of the two new moons of Pluto. Scientists have determined that the two new moons show the same color properties as Charon, Pluto's largest moon, pointing to a common origin for all three moons. It is thought that another Kuiper Belt object smashed into Pluto and formed the three moons, much as we think a Mars-sized object impacted the Earth and formed our Moon.

And on a local scale, but seeming almost as important today, it's raining here in the Phoenix metro area, bringing an end to a record-setting 143 days without measurable rain! Believe it or not, some parts of the region are getting snow! From the Arizona Republic:

So far, so good

Other states have similar bills before their legislatures - keep an eye on them, people! From the Arizona Republic:

Offensive-coursework bill shot down

Students can't refuse materials

Robbie Sherwood
The Arizona Republic
Mar. 10, 2006 12:00 AM

The Senate rejected a bill Thursday that would have allowed university and community college students to refuse assignments that they found offensive on religious or moral grounds.

Senate Bill 1331, introduced by Gilbert Republican Sen. Thayer Verschoor, failed by a vote of 17-12. That means students will not have an alternative to reading or watching important but controversial works of film and literature such as Schindler's List, The Invisible Man or The Color Purple.

But that is because there is no alternative to those great works and their lessons, said Sen. Jim Waring, R-Phoenix, who led an impassioned floor fight against the bill. Waring held up a copy of Ralph Ellison's groundbreaking novel The Invisible Man, which is still opening eyes to the pain of racism more than 50 years after its publication. The book contains a graphic eight-page depiction of incest.The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, widely considered among the greatest American novels, but the subject of recent censorship debates because of the language it uses to depict Blacks.

"(Twain) was making a point about the South and about discrimination, about the treatment of people of color," said Allen, R-Scottsdale. "That book has been banned because some people were patently offended. I can find something patently offensive in a heck of a lot of things. Does that means students in college should not be exposed to what the world is?"

Verschoor and a pair of East Valley House members took on the issue after a Chandler-Gilbert Community College student complained that one of the books required for a class, The Ice Storm, offended him because of its sexual content. The student filed a grievance with the school, but the school denied it and offered him another class. The student refused and approached Verschoor about changing the law.

To demonstrate his objection to the bill, Waring also produced an e-mail from an Arizona State University student sent earlier this month to an instructor of a film class on Steven Spielberg. The student asked for an alternate assignment to watching the director's Oscar-winning Holocaust drama Schindler's List. The class also showed the R-rated World War II film Saving Private Ryan.

"I came to class yesterday but left early because I do not watch R-rated movies," the unidentified student wrote. "This being the case, I was wondering if you had some sort of alternative assignment that you would like me to do instead of the Schindler's List journal."

ASU officials reminded the student that the course syllabus warned that the films in the class might contain language that is considered obscene and denied the request.

"It begs the question why you'd sign up for a class on Spielberg if you don't want to watch Schindler's List or Saving Private Ryan," Waring said.

While this discussion focused on moral objections due to depiction of violence or sexual content, you can imagine how us science instructors felt about this can of worms. We're keeping an eye out for reintroduction of the bill with changed language.

Sense of place

I awoke this morning from a very pleasant dream. I was in an urban area, perhaps a city park of some sort, quietly populated with a few people. It was snowing gently, muffling the sound such that all I could hear was the crunching of snow beneath my feet. I felt peaceful and content, with the day ahead of me seeming so full of possibilities.

Definitely a dream, not a reality. The sense of place I had in my dream that I don't have in my waking moments, well, it's left me feeling slightly blue today.

Shadows and Ice

It's been too long since I posted an image from the Saturn system - Enceladus, rings, and Saturn, from Cassini

Conflict

Static tranquility and glowing change - aurora over Alaska, by Daryl Pederson

Dull and Duller

This semester is chaotic and busy and stressful. I feel like I do nothing but work. And I'm excited that Spring Break is in a week so I can catch up on grading. I bore even myself.

Reaching Out

I was invited by the city of Scottsdale's Parks and Recreation Dept. to give a presentation at a family stargazing night this past Saturday. Despite the partly cloudy skies, a few dozen people showed up. Had a lot of fun, met some interesting people, got to see Saturn. All in all, a good time.

Students nominated me for an award at the university where I teach part-time. I'm not eligible for the award (due to the part-time status), but I was touched to be nominated. The award would have meant participating in the Last Lecture Series, which enables the faculty member to give the lecture that they would want to give if they only had this one last chance to speak to the public. (And I'll take it on faith that students just wanted to hear what I had to say, instead of just hoping I'd give this last lecture and then shut-up forever.)

So, I've been wondering...what would I say? It is a provoking thought. Sure, I could give a decent talk full of pretty astronomy images, but freed from the educational objectives of a traditional lecture, really, what would I say? I'm not sure, but it's something I continue to think about.

What would you say if you had one last chance to sway or move or motivate an audience?

New Moons Confirmed

Dammit! - two new moons for Pluto, from Hubble

Quantifying

Wow, time does fly...

Over 50% of my caloric intake today was chocolate of some form. That's a good day, I say.

Today was a holiday for me. I took the morning off, but worked the rest of the day. I made chili for lunches and a decadent pasta dish for dinner. I wrote eight physics quizzes. I wrote one astronomy midterm. I wrote half of a new astronomy lab. Whew.

I had to work today because I had a glorious weekend hanging out with friends. This weekend marked the twentieth anniversary of the college science fiction club where I've made so many friends. It's also where I met Greg over sixteen years ago. Some of the new members weren't even born when the club started! It was just lovely seeing all the geeks, many of whom I hadn't seen in years. I'm very glad I let Kirsten drag me to that first meeting so many years ago.

Hmm...if I go to bed now, I might get six whole hours of sleep! Good night, all!

What to do?

I just haven't reached my classes this semester. I wonder if it's because I was sick the first week and didn't make a good impression? I don't know, but the vibe in the classroom isn't as pleasant as it usually is. With one lecture in particular, I find myself stumbling for words at places where the complete lack of reaction catches me off guard. I think of teaching now almost as performance art, and I feed a lot off of my audience. This feedback loop is an unfortunate cycle this semester, and I can't figure out how to break out of it. It's a shame in so many ways - the students are not getting me at my best, and I'm not having the fun I normally do at work. I feel like the more I try to reach them, the more distant they become.

Any advice would be appreciated.

Enough with the whining...

...let's look at some comet dust! -cometary dust particles and trails, from Stardust

$1200.03

I know I only have to pay the $500 deductible (only $500 - sigh) , but the fact that some assholes inflicted $1200.03 worth of damage on my car in a random act of vandalism has upset me very much. And it isn't just the money - it's going to take about a week for the repairs. I have a rental, and it's covered by my insurance, but it isn't the same. Some worthless jerks have robbed me of time, money, and the little car that's taken me to friends and freedom and ragey music and peaceful vistas.

I don't understand meanness, but if your goal was to make me very sad, it worked.

Poopy

There are many times when I quell my baser instincts. I don't say the mean thing that pops to mind or perform the inappropriate action that would be immediately gratifying. Nope, I bite my tongue and try to do the right thing because I do believe the vast majority of people deserve no less.

So imagine how I felt this morning coming out to the car after breakfast to find two big shoeprints on the passenger side, one accompanied by a big deep dent in the door.

People are poopy.

:(

Stardust Mission Webcam

I've added a link to the Stardust Mission Cleanroom Webcam over in my "Favorites": http://stardust.jpl.nasa.gov/mission/webcam.html

Oh, to be there!

Tidbits

David stopped by for a few days on his epic cross-country roadtrip. (Jealous.) I think it's exciting that David is moving to Switzerland. Sounds so romantic and adventurous. (Jealous.) Best of luck to David! And wish him well getting over his evil sickness! (Not so jealous.)

I have not done any significant grading yet this semester. I am so screwed.

If Arcosanti weren't so cultish, I could totally see myself wanting to retire there. But, no.

It occurs to me that I should ask the chemistry lab tech if he's washed his hands before I accept the piece of chocolate, but for 73.5% cocoa content, it's so worth the risk.

We all know the dream is better than the reality, but do you ever wonder if you might just be wrong about that?

The green laser pointer I purchased for the astronomy labs kicks ass. I'm gonna get in trouble with that thing. :)

I think I shall eat a peanut cluster now.

Ahhhh!!!!!!

The Stardust mission is the coolest mission EVAR!!!! - cometary dust impact in aerogel, from Stardust

Tiny!

Only 5 earth masses! - the smallest extrasolar planet,with artist's representation, from Hubble

Whew!

For a moment, I thought this CNN headline was about me: Student: Teacher humiliated him over Broncos jersey

Uphill Battle

A lot of people have basic misconceptions about astronomy and science in general. Many seek out information, whether it be by reading magazines and newspapers, watching science programs on TV, or attending talks, like the symposium on religion, intelligent design, and evolution that I attended last night. The majority of Americans may be scientifically illiterate, but sometimes I think it's not due to an unwillingness to learn, but rather lack of ability to filter out the crap.

Case in point - this last weekend, the USA Today Weekend Magazine supplement, which appears in many papers nationally, published an article on how the newly discovered possible tenth planet "Xena" might affect your horoscope. Not tongue-in-cheek. Devoid of sarcasm. And listed under the subject heading "Science". So let's say John Doe wakes up on a Sunday morning and decides to educate himself in current events in science, so he opened up his newspaper, and pulled out this article. Didn't he do his part? Didn't he try?

Or he could sign up for a class at his local community college and walk into a room where a mousy mid-thirties chick attempts to debunk astrology as the pseudoscience it is. Who carries more sway - the nationally syndicated newspaper or me? I'm not claiming that this has happened, but rather use this example to illustrate my point. Misconceptions are being perpetuated by what we consider to be legitimate information sources. Sigh. I guess this is why I do what I do.

Rambling

I napped for almost two hours today. I think the stress of the first week of classes caught up with me. Or it could be the overeating. When I'm not feeling well and still have to work, I eat everything in sight to keep up my energy. Oof.

So I'm wondering, what would be your reaction to someone sitting on a bench in Scottsdale who was barking and growling softly at passersby?

Congrats to Greg and Tim Pratt for the selection of their story "Robots and Falling Hearts" for Kathryn Cramer's and David Hartwell's Year's Best Fantasy 6. Yay!

I've developed a crush on Kevin Garnett, due to his new Adidas commercial. Yup.

Just the first week of classes, and I'm already behind. Sigh. This is going to be such a long semester.

Getting By

Lack of sleep and a long flight conspired to put me under the weather this weekend. Raging ear infection, to be precise. I'd have been completely miserable without the gentle ministrations of Greg, who brought me hot cocoa in bed, made a doctor's appointment for me, and settled me on the couch with hot tea and Empire Strikes Back. I am once again reminded how lucky I am in my friends and family. Did I mention Mom sent chocolate chip cookies and Sis brought us her famous peanut clusters? :)

But as you can imagine, being sick and still wishing I was on my D.C. trip made the first day of classes a little rough today. I was feeling down and uninspired, but then I received my course evaluations from last semester and my day started to improve. I work really hard at what I do, so it feels good to have my efforts be appreciated. Then I had a visit with Charly, who always brightens my day. (And dare I say he's a physics major now, hmm?) My physics lecture went a little rough, in part due to a lack of misunderstanding of the word "prerequisite" by many students. But tonight's astronomy lab had some friendly faces in it, and I just ate two chocolate chip cookies, so the first day of classes wasn't so bad after all.

A few pix

My photos from my D.C. trip sucked, but here are a few I liked (and I had to do something while watching Colts-Steelers):

I'm old enough to rule the world from here now.

However this building is much more impressive.

Here's the Lincoln memorial as seen from the WWII memorial.

I became obsessed with the Washington monument, which looks so gleaming white in the distance...

...but shows such beautiful texture up close.

So much, yet not enough

The problem with such an amazing trip is that I don't even know how to begin describing it. I spent last week in Washington, D.C. at the American Astronomical Society winter meeting. I had tremendous amounts of fun. The conference itself was impressive - over 3100 astronomers in attendance. There were many good talks and posters presented. I attended a talk by the NASA administrator - he painted a realistic picture of the future, but the budget next month is going to be very, very ugly.

In the past, I've generally attended conferences all day long and didn't explore the cities much. This time, however, I decided to follow my New Year's resolution, which is to not be such a good girl anymore. :) So I cut out of the conference in the afternoons and explored D.C. My explorations actually began the day before the conference started, when my beloved Philip and his lovely Faith took me to the National Air and Space Museum. Ah...heaven on Earth. I touched a Moon rock! And saw the Columbia module from Apollo 11! And the Wright Flyer! And the Spirit of St. Louis! I returned there again the next day when I cut out of the conference, and then I headed over to the Natural History Museum to check out the Gem and Mineral exhibit. Oh, so lovely. Especially the meteorites. Oh, the meteorites. I've never seen such a beautiful selection on display. There was a piece of Nakhla out to touch - I've touched Mars! I saw snippets of some of the other museums on the other afternoons, with my friend Kevin, and I must say that every other museum I've been to previously looks like a bad museum gift shop next to the Smithsonian museums. And the monuments and buildings are all remarkable. I took tons of pics, but they all suck compared to reality.

The socializing was excellent. Got to meet new people, including Jackie M.! Nice to see you in person. Got to catch up with the old UCLA astronomy crowd (Robert, Steve S., Suzi, Deborah, Brant). Hung out with the ASU astronomy crowd (Sam, Steve B., Paul, Kevin, Joe, Katie, Greg S., Hu, Ravi, Jason A.). Spent a lot of time, although not enough, with Philip.

As much as I was glad to come home, where Greg had a beautiful piece of azurite waiting for me from his road-trip, I was sad to leave D.C. There is still so much to explore there. I shall have to return soon.

Look at the pretty colors

I slept for one hour last night, before catching an early flight from D.C. to Phoenix. Greg very kindly picked me up at the airport and brought me straight to work. I spent some time curled up on Carl's office floor and have been getting work done very slowly. I'm at the point where I just want to look at pretty colors. Oooh... - the Orion Nebula, from Hubble.

Satisfaction

I'm at the AAS meeting in Washington, D.C. this week. (Blog entry about that when I return.) This morning as I walked around the exhibit hall, I heard someone call my name. I turned to see one of my former community college students presenting a poster. I have to say that it was one of the most gratifying moments of my life.

Tadpoles

Gotta love it when one of my former TAs gets a big press release. Go Amber! - galaxy mergers, from Hubble

So pretty

Couldn't you just weep at the beauty? - Saturn, through a methane filter, from Cassini

Roses

USC lost the Rose Bowl, lost the national championship and ended their 34-game winning streak all in one game. Happiness seldom comes in a tidier package. :)

Book Reviews - 2005

I've been keeping track of how many books I read each year since 1997. 2005 marks a new low in number of books read - only 39. Methinks I spend too much time on the interthingie. Here are the notables from my 2005 reading, in the order I read them:

• Perfect Circle - Sean Stewart: Lovely writing and a beautifully developed main character that ya just feel for, so much.
• Burger Wuss - MT Anderson: This man remembers what it's like to be a teenager. And the social commentary is hilarious.
• Alphabet of Thorn - Patricia McKillip: The world is so lush and beautiful and magical and you never doubt the magic can work.
• Whales on Stilts! - MT Anderson: Makes me giggle just thinking about it.
• Olympos - Dan Simmons: I did not like this one as much as its predecessor Ilium, but the daring and scope and joy of the writing makes this one a winner.
• Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince - J.K. Rowling: Alright, I don't agree with everything she did, but it's a measure of how much I enjoy these books and characters that I can form such opinions. Snape...ah, Snape.
• The Complete Calvin and Hobbes - Bill Watterson: Pure brilliance. The part of me that is glad Watterson retired while still in his prime wars with the other part of me that weeps for more C&H.
• Peeps - Scott Westerfeld: I didn't find the ending to be very satisfying, but I loved the scientific explanation of vampirism. That construct alone makes the book worth reading.

Happy Reading in 2006, everyone!

Good-bye 2005

Like all years, 2005 had its highs and its lows, but instead of dwelling on the bad, I'll concentrate on the good:

• Starting the year off with Greg and gently falling snow in Flagstaff.
• Roadtrip to Minnesota and all the friendship.
• Three Nine Inch Nails concerts. Three!
• Central California Coast with Greg.
• Avalon Ball with Greg, Kirsten, and Aaron.
• The huge amounts of appreciation I was shown by my students.
• Cozy birthday and Christmas.
• Another 31 lbs lost, bringing my weight-loss total to 56 lbs since August 2004.
• Ending the year here in Flagstaff with Greg and warm beverages and coziness and love, closing the loop..

Here's to hoping we all have a peaceful, fulfilling, and happy 2006.

Aurora Galleries

SpaceWeather.com has compiled all of their aurora images into a gallery, finally. There are some magnificent images here, contributed by people all over the world. Here's a current favorite of mine:

Enjoy!

King Kong Hurt Me

My neck hurts. It's hurt ever since I craned it up at a movie screen watching "King Kong" yesterday. Ow. I didn't like the LOTR movies much in their theatrical release forms, but I adore the extended versions. Therefore, I wasn't too cowed by the thought of seeing a three hour-long Peter Jackson movie. Was I ever wrong. The movie was incredibly boring - I think my neck hurts so much because I was trying not to nod off. It had some good moments, but I think I come firmly down on the side of this being a bad movie. The most interesting characters disappeared too soon (being a flaw that the major characters were not the most interesting), there were racist overtones up the wazoo, the special effects were wretched in many parts, and this movie provides more evidence that digital animation enables filler when storytelling is needed. The most interesting aspect for me was looking for all the product placements in the New York sequences. I'm glad that I saw it on the big screen, but it's definitely a movie I'll never need to see again.

Oof

Yesterday was a lovely relaxing day. I was spoiled rotten by friends and family - thanks so much for all of the gifts and gift cards. I will now go buy all the clothing I need! I received socks and clothes and books and chocolates and a tackle box and sea salt and cocoa and much more. I'm a spoiled brat!

I'm also a stuffed brat - I cooked all day. For our holiday breakfast, I made sausage, roasted potatoes, scrambled eggs, and banana walnut pancakes. For holiday dinner I made chicken cordon bleu and pasta, because it's really all about the decadent cream sauce. Mmm...for snacking, well, there was a chocolate incident. Maybe several. That's all I'll say. It was a good day.

I hope that everyone is having happy and peaceful holidays!

35

Got up early and went to the gym. Headed over to Starbucks with Greg and had hot chocolate and a pumpkin cream cheese muffin. Treated myself to an hour-long massage. Greg and I had a late lunch at our favorite brewpub. We also went to the Phoenix Suns/Washington Wizards game. (Good game, even though the Suns lost.) Raked in lots of loot from friends and family. (Thanks, guys!) All in all, not a bad way to spend my 35th birthday. Except for finding that gray hair - I could have done without that. :)

Dover Decision

The latest ruling in the Dover, PA Intelligent Design case should make me happy, but it doesn't. My fear is that this will now get played out on a much larger stage. The judge's ruling that ID is a religious movement, rather than a scientific model, is correct, but now some proponents of ID are citing this as religious persecution. A couple of quotes for you, from a Washington Post article:

"This decision is a poster child for a half-century secularist reign of terror that's coming to a rapid end with Justice Roberts and soon-to-be Justice Alito," said Richard Land, who is president of the Southern Baptist Convention's Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission and is a political ally of White House adviser Karl Rove.

The Discovery Institute, a Seattle-based think tank, wrote that the judge has a "pernicious understanding of what intellectual and religious freedom in America means."

So, my friends, the battle is far from over, and in many ways may have moved even further away from being a scientific battle than it was before. If you want more information on how the Discovery Institute is waging this war, go to http://www.evolutionnews.org/. It's good to understand the strategy of your opponent.

Standing Still

Today is the winter solstice, when the Sun stands still before beginning its trek back towards the north. The Sun appears to hover, thinking about its next move before continuing on.

Kinda how I feel right now. I'm at a bit of a loss. I keep feeling like there is something I should be doing. Comes from always having tons to do during the semester, I suppose. I feel pretty useless when school isn't in session. Teaching is satisfying and meaningful and it enables me to (hopefully) contribute to society in a positive way. Without it, I am a loser. Blah.

Finals Week Tally

Received: one homemade pumpkin pie, 10 frosted sugar cookies, chocolate hazelnut candies, and 0.4 lb Valrhona extra-bitter chocolate

Graded: 56 astronomy term projects, 69 astronomy lab finals, 68 astronomy lecture finals, and 122 physics finals

Total hours of work: 60

Goal for the weekend: no work (except to answer student emails - just can't help myself)

And now I shall sleep.

Ah, yes, I remember it well.

Finals week brings out all of our hopes, fears, and quirks. I see the students struggle and remember being them. I remember doing so many of the same things and asking the same questions.

Will flash cards help? Um, if they're good flash cards. Not if you attempted to write an entire semester's worth of notes on five cards. (I still have the flash cards for my undergraduate astronomy courses.)

Will there be a curve? Dude, the class average is an 81%! (I think that makes me the easiest physics teacher ever.)

What is my grade currently so that I can calculate what I need to get on the final to earn (insert grade here)? I'll tell you, but don't you think it would be better so spend your time studying? I mean, it's a great time suck - feels productive and involves math - but studying would actually serve you better on the exam.

You professors just don't know how stressful finals are. Sadly, I am more busy during finals as an instructor than I ever was as a student. (Let's see...I've written and have to grade four astronomy lab finals, two astronomy lecture finals, and one physics final.) Maybe I work too much now, or maybe I didn't work hard enough then. Either way, I'm glad I'm not taking the tests anymore.

(PS. A student brought me a homemade pumpkin pie this morning, still warm from the oven!)

On a related note

A few of my astronomy students have voiced their surprise that not only do I correct their grammar and spelling, but I will also dock their grade. I've heard "This isn't an English class, you know." I like the implication that proper English usage is only necessary for their English courses, which have no bearing on the rest of their academic and personal lives, of course.

Don't worry. Next week is finals week, and then my petty griping will slow down somewhat. Until I hit the malls, that is.

Insight?

Can anybody tell me why so many students think the plural of "scientist" is "scientist"? No "s" at the end, or if on the rare occasion they do put the "s", it's as in "scientist's". Is this a typo or a misunderstanding? Just something spell-check doesn't catch? As I sit here grading papers, I find it to be annoying.

Strangeness

After almost the entire semester has passed, one of the students in my physics lecture told me that, not only does she live in the apartment across the hall from me, but another of my students lives in the apartment upstairs! Aaiiee! It also says something about the way I go through life ( head down, not making eye contact) that I didn't recognize these chicks. Sigh.

---

During an in-class discussion, one of my astronomy students raised his hand and asked very seriously, "Why are there so many songs about rainbows? And what's on the other side?" I told him that I've obviously lost control of the class when the kids start quoting "The Rainbow Connection."

---

A former student came to visit me this week. He's heading home to the deep South where he means to go to law school, which was always his goal. His plan has been slightly modified, however, by the fact that his family struck oil on their property. Now instead of pursuing law in part for the financial gains, he hopes to open a family law practice benefiting underprivileged folk. Wish him luck!

---

A student I hadn't seen since September emailed me to ask me if I could withdraw him from the class, because he forgot to withdraw before the deadline. I told him I didn't have that option on my final grade roster. He then emailed back saying that he learned that I could instigate an administrative withdrawal removing him from my class for "disruptive behavior" and would I please do so? If by disruptive, he meant making me laugh til tears streamed down my face, I have been so affected. Otherwise, I'm not going to lie to make up for someone's laziness. Egads.

Couldn't choose just one

A couple of images for your enjoyment - too beautiful to choose one over the other

New composite image of the Crab Nebula, from Hubble - Jeff is famous for his many Hubble images (for example, the Eagle nebula), and congrats to Allison for her great work.


Many moons, from Cassini - I want this spacecraft to send back such images forever.

Eruption

Fountains of material soar above the surface of one of Saturn's medium-sized moons - Enceladus, from Cassini

In the sunlight

Herschel crater catches rays - Saturn's moon Mimas, from Cassini

Thankful

In the spirit of Thanksgiving, here's a view to be grateful for - Saturn and Dione, from Cassini

Mathigoths

Last Friday, I was a speaker at Math Club. My talk was "Predicting the Fate of the Universe - Using Trajectories to Understand the Universe." It was a basic derivation of Newtonian cosmology, which is cool because it gives the general relativistic answers without all the tensors and pain. I quite enjoyed myself - several of the students were past/current students of mine, all were very smart, and many of them were "gothy" - dressed in all black, dyed purple hair, heavy eyeliner. I think it's interesting that Math Club has become an intersection of different outsider groups, and I think that's a good mix...geeky goths.

But Mercury Moves Quickly!

Favorite headline from CNN today:

Bad horoscope prompts PM to ban reporters' questions

Favorite quote - "He added that Mercury moves slowly and will not steer clear of his star until next year." Mercury actually moves pretty quickly on the sky, so I think he's trying to get away with something. Hmm...

Many Things

Whew. Busy. Very busy.

My mother and sister visited this weekend! I had not seen either of them in over a year. My own mother had difficulty recognizing me because of the weight-loss - nifty, I think. I converted them to the cult of IKEA and drove them around Northern Arizona. We had a lot of fun, and I was sorry to see them go.

The end of the semester is rapidly approaching, and I have so much to do! Grading, writing exams, applying for travel funding, preparing a talk... there are 84 things on my to-do list, and I'm positive that I'm forgetting something important.

Aaiee!

Three

Dione, Pandora, and Tethys seen against a backdrop of darkness and rings, from Cassini

All about me

With Greg off at the World Fantasy Convention, I spent the weekend in Flagstaff. Completely hedonistic. I left work on Friday and went immediately to my massage therapist for an hour-long massage. Then I drove to Flagstaff in the late afternoon. The sun was setting as I drove into the Verde Valley, highlighting the red rocks of Sedona in the distance. So lovely. But my goal was at the base of the San Francisco Peaks.

My time in Flagstaff involved soaks in the jacuzzi, hiking in the beautiful sunny crisp weather, and eating at some of my favorite places. I watched Revenge of the Sith and What The #$*! Do We Know?! I drank cocoa and window-shopped for hippy clothing. I managed to spend only $2.70 at the bead shop. I have arrived home completely relaxed, and the mountain air has helped my lingering cold tremendously.

As much as I love my students, teaching means I'm forced to be more social on a daily basis than I would typically prefer. It was nice to spend some time focused on indulging myself and enjoying some solitude. Mmm...purr...

Feeling Better

Mmm...mexican food...the perfect comfort food. Warm, soft, spicy...mmm....

I had warned a few students over email to be wary about attending office hours today, because I'm sick. One of the students showed up to my office with a thermos of hot tea and honey and a mug. That and a dose of DayQuil got me through the day.

I must say I receive much more support and affection from students than I ever would have anticipated. There's been hot tea and thank you cards and flowers and chocolates. There's been Star Wars discussions and magic tricks to cheer me when I'm blue. Visits from former students. Nice emails and hugs. Friendship. If you'd told me before I started teaching how much warmth I'd feel from students, I would have laughed at you. Now I know better, and every day I'm grateful.

Pesky Pluto

Pluto might have two more moons, bringing it to a grand total of three. The whole "is Pluto a planet?" debate just gets more and more interesting - from Hubble

New Things

Wow, time flies. I can't believe it's Friday already, although I'm grateful.

This week flew by in part because last weekend was full of fun. Greg and I joined Kirsten, Aaron and two other couples for a trip to Catalina Island to celebrate Kirsten's birthday. This was my first trip to Catalina, and it was wonderful. The trip involved eating seafood, seeing dolphins, and dancing all night! It was so much fun. And many congrats to Kirsten's sister and her new fiance!

Heard a new one this week. I received a message from a parent saying that her son, one of my students, had suffered memory loss in a pole vault accident and that he wouldn't be in class the rest of the week. Here's to hoping he recovers quickly!

Another new thing - word verification for comments. Hopefully it isn't too annoying for my gentle readers and commenters.

Noisy Daze

Last night, I could hear U2 being blasted from one of the chemistry lab rooms. Not quite sure why, but it's true. And earlier in the day, someone was making Chewbacca noises in the halls.

I ran into my favorite student from last semester yesterday. He's excited to be moving on to a major university next semester. Of course, he greeted me by asking me if I used my Jedi sense to note his presence and told me he'd seen Revenge of the Sith at the dollar theater the night before. My geekiness is known far and wide.

So is my reputation as being the prof who got a substitute so that she could see Nine Inch Nails. Students who weren't even in those particular classes give me grief about this. Such is my teaching legacy - I cut out for NIN. I wonder when that will show up on ratemyprofessor.com?

My random student stories for the week - I had a young woman stop working in lab for about 20 minutes while she had the hiccups. Just completely debilitated her. These seemed like ordinary enough hiccups to me, but I guess she seldom has them and she freaked out on me. So odd. And then there's the young woman in my lab on Wednesday nights who always leaves really early. I figured that it was due to work obligations or being tired from a long day. No. She goes home early to watch "Lost". Sigh.

This semester is wearing me down, between working long hours and getting up early to go to the gym. Yesterday I was almost crying in my office, I was so tired. But I got a lot of grading done - I'm caught up or ahead in all my labs! I'm on schedule in all my classes. My students are doing well. Another of my favorite students from last spring will be taking a class with me next semester. And last night, Mars and the Moon were a pretty sight in the sky on the way home, and I had a mug of hot chocolate before going to bed, so I guess it's all worth the effort.

Superposition

It's just hard to believe that views like this could exist - Dione and Saturn, from Cassini

Pattern Recognition

From today's Astronomy Picture of the Day, a very nifty way to watch an eclipse, by Philippe Haake:

Scents

I'm in a lab room near some chemistry labs, and one of the chem labs is performing a stinky experiment. Blah!

One of the geology classes brought back a bunch of halite samples from a field trip, lending a rather sulfurous aroma to the stockroom. The samples sure are pretty, though.

One of my students asked me the name of my perfume. He says he can always tell when I'm around due to my scent. I'm hoping it's at least a good scent.

During the physics exam I gave yesterday, one of my students was sniffing her wristband. She said it had a nice associative scent - reminded her of Christmas - to keep her positive during the exam.

Bread and chocolate chip cookies. Cinnamon and nutmeg. Mmm...

Cozying Up

Spent a big chunk of my weekend cozying up to The Complete Calvin and Hobbes. It is beautiful. All of the strips are produced larger than they were originally and on high quality paper. The color is gorgeous. The books themselves are huge, but you get the sense of reading an important tome while flipping through the pages.

I remember reading the first strip in the newspaper, after my brother pointed it out to me. I was immediately hooked. Calvin and Hobbes has helped me through many rough days, and I typically reread the entire collection once each year. I was ready for this new edition, and I'm enjoying it very much.

Sponge?

The Solar System continues to laugh at us - Saturn's moon Hyperion, from Cassini

Anger Management Therapy

I drove out to Los Angeles last Friday afternoon. It was mostly an uneventful drive, but the fires in L.A. made the Sun an amazing blood red as it set. It was one of those times that I had to chant "don't look at the Sun" over and over, because I really wanted to look for sunspots. Then I arrived at my beloved Kirsten and Aaron's abode, where they took good care of me all weekend.

One of the highlights of the weekend was meeting the new twins! Brian and Amy welcomed twins into the world a few weeks ago. I spent a pleasant hour holding Tristan and Kirsten held Gwendolyn and we had a pleasant conversation with Amy. Tristan was so strong! Babies are so much fun to watch, especially at that early stage. They make little cooing noises and I like to cuddle and coo back - so soothing. I was so happy to meet the new kids and look forward to seeing them again.

But the most glorious part of the weekend was the Nine Inch Nails concert at the Hollywood Bowl with Kirsten and Aaron. Yes, I know, it was the third time this year I've seen them in concert (and it should have been the fourth!). It just gets better and better. Mars rose over the trees during "Only" and from our seats I could see thousands of people responding to the music. I could dance and scream and sing at the top of my lungs - so therapeutic. I don't have any more NIN concerts planned - what will I do now to channel all my rage?