RyanHarne.com

And Happy Mother’s Day! Flowers are a must. Anything beyond is even more necessary.

Yesterday was supposed to be a day of total relaxation before a storm of studying planned for today. However, the weather remained rather forlorn all day with clouds and clouds, yet it stayed warm. So, I sucked it up and went outside to read after my Chinese chicken dinner.

In a *random* string of events, this morning happened to be very bright and cheerful outside, perfect for a last-round campus photo shoot. That was nice.

And now it rains, or at least thunders a lot. Regardless, I’ve been studying and taking care of business.

I’ve reached that point again where my brain is starting to hurt and I can’t think coherently enough to blog thoroughly. Everything seems to just be spilling out of my head and onto this keyboard. Finals do wonders to your conscious levels of thought.

Oh, and after seeing Virginia Tech’s student discounts on Apple computers, I need a Mac soon. So good.

Three days to go.

Addition: Tonight we had our first real thunderstorm. Hail and all. It definitely looked hurricanish. Oh wait. Then maybe that hurricane we had at the Texas A&M game counted as a thunderstorm too. Hmm.

Anyways, well I ran back from Abigail’s dorm. I dodged hail that was the size of musketballs and that was after they hit the ground. It was for real. My corduroys are soaked.

More studying tonight

Linear algebra is over. My first, and possibly last, totally online course has been completed. After studying for nearly 8 hours, I trekked to the Emporium where I and many others began our doom. However, I had one distinct advantage.

Red Bull. To me it tastes like liquid Smarties, but regardless it truly does provide energy and focus, not to forget the amazing list of vitamins etc. I finished the MATH1114 final in about 40 minutes. 24 out of 25 questions correct. So I have a solid A in linear algebra. Admittedly, over the course of this semester I took 172 practice quizzes in preparation for graded assignments (about one quarter were for my studying for the final) so that would have helped. But my body was physically drained by the time I reached the emporium today, so the Red Bull kicked in where I was not able to.

Thanks Jeremiah for the subtle, inferred Red Bull recommendation.

The needed exam grades for EF were posted today. I need a 71 to get an A in the class. That makes me happy. So I shall not worry so much about ultra-studying there but rather focus on multiVar and physics even more.

The weather is great. I think I’m going to take a break for some reading.

Godspeed to everyone taking exams!

My first year of college has passed me by. Of course, I am still cramming for finals and such, but classes and daily responsibilities are yesterday’s news.

Much has changed in this past school year. But for the sake of my time right now, I’ll hold off on that blog until next week.

My last physics class was yesterday. Roger Chang is the smartest, kindest, and most brilliant person I’ve ever known. He helps students out without regard to his own personal time and he tirelessly and individually grades every one of our tests. The effort and life he puts into each class keeps me awake every moment. He deserved applause as he concluded the last class. He received applause as he concluded the last class. My favorite class this semester by far.

Even though our design didn’t perform very well in the EF final-round competition, we still got a great grade for the whole project. Now that I know my project grade, I am not at all worried about the exam. In fact, I’m not really worried about any of my exams; my review so far has been very productive and self-assuring. Anyways.

Jeremiah got his iBook today. A two-day trip from Taiwan (I believe that is correct) to Boston. I told him that today will be my jealous-of-Mac-users day. He said he thought that was every day. I said, “even more so today.”

If I don’t get an iBook or PowerBook soon, I will claw my eyes out. And then replace them with a pair of glowing/flashing spheres. Oh that’d be hott. No.

Yeah. This is my study break. So this blog and its lack of cohesiveness reflects my current state of mind. I suppose I should get back to work.

Addition: I found out that I’ll be living in the exact same room next year as I did this year. So I kind of feel stupid for having to move out, but whatever.

Even more exciting is what I Just found out…

I was offered an SEC Mentorship position for next semester! I accepted, no less. This is great!

“When a hand is stretched out to pick the flower, the stem quivers, and seems in effect to shrink back and offer itself at the same time.” - Les Mis

I’ve been wanting to do one of these for a while, but have not found one worth my time. I am taking this from Bryan.

But before I get into it: check out the new iPod/iTunes ad. It so rocks.

1. first grade teacher - Mrs. Bourne
2. last word[s] you said - “cya” when saying farewell to Abigail
3. last song you sang - I tried to sing along with The Vines “Ride” [check the new iPod ad] but it didn’t work out, so we broke up
4. last person you hugged - your mom…I mean Abigail
5. last time you said ‘i love you’ - yesterday, i do believe
6. last time you cried - a few days ago actually, more like teared
7. what’s in your cd player? - as Bryan admits, nothing, because I also use my iPod
8. what color socks are you wearing? - white hanes with the grey toes and heels
9. what’s under your bed? - me, my desk, my digital life
10. what time did you wake up today? - 7am for my workout
11. current taste - well I am sampling some Lindt Mocha right now…
12. current hair - see webcam shot
13. current clothes - a ‘vintage’ basketball jersey from my childhood and tan corduroys
14. current annoyance - the rather lame questions this quiz/survey is posing
15. current longing - to get this blog done so I can read at Bollo’s
16. current desktop picture - ::checks:: SeaLab 2021
17. current worry - pondering how my summer will turn out; job, trips, people, etc.
18. current hate - I don’t think I truly hate anything, but I was really annoyed at the lack of a hint of organization at the EF Design Project Final Competition tonight
19. story behind your LJ user name - Jeremiah always wanted me to use it somehow, he actually wanted it to be my domain name
20. current favorite article of clothing - my old dixie youth allstars baseball jersey I found in my attic when I was home a few months ago, it has my name on the back and I think that is hot
21. favorite physical feature of the opposite sex - their facial disposition when they think no one is watching
22. last cd you bought - Diana Krall’s The Girl In The Other Room
23. favorite place to be - Bollo’s/Starbucks with Abigail while reading good books, then something will distract us both and we’ll go into a wild, elaborate discourse about some facet of life
24. least favorite place - whenever I’m inside on a nice day, especially when I’m in a dorm
25. time you wake up in the morning - normally 630am or 7am, this summer my job will get me up around 4am…woot!
26. if you could play [another] instrument, what would it be? - I think it would be incredibly fun to play the cello; I mean…come on…you have to admit you like the cello, everyone is a cellist at heart
27. favorite color - now this fluctuates, but right now I’m feeling the reds
28. do you believe in an afterlife? - yes, yes
29. how tall are you? - five feet and eleven inches
30. current favorite word/saying - “shut up and eat your cheese sandwich”; very funny indeed
31. favorite book - The Discovery of Heaven by Mulisch was phenominal
32. favorite season - whatever it happens to be at the present, I’m very impartial to the seasons
33. one person from your past you wish you could go back and talk to - number one is matt, number two no one would guess, except maybe a select few
34. favorite day - Thursday, forever this will be my favorite day
35. where do you want to go? - Switzerland or New York (but I’ll need mondo amounts of cash for either location)
36. what is your career going to be like? - it better be exciting and full of interesting, non-boring people
37. how many kids do you want? - two or three or all adopted
38. what kind of car will you have? - in the future? likely my TDI Jetta and either an Audi TT Turbo or a nicely equipped Miata, all manual transmission

Well, that was interesting. Not that incredible. Maybe in another month or two I’ll find a better one to seriously crush the normalities of that survey.

Until then, go read a book.

My time of sheer studying has arrived. While my work load has been rather heavy at times this semester, I’ve been smart enough to keep up with the material out of class so that I never have to cram for a test. But exams are just days away, and even I must give in to near round-the-clock studying habits.

One aspect of Virginia Tech that I do not like is the weather. While I can hardly put blame on the campus itself, the weather patterns in this area are absurd and unruly. We had approximately three full weeks of nice, partly sunny, 60degF-ish weather followed now by (as called for) a full week of 40degF cloudiness. Very annoying.

Anyways. Tonight I’ll spend my life at the emporium working on material that must be completed. Hopefully, I’ll last.

I have nothing to mention right now. My agenda this week is extensive and that’s about it. Bleh.