April 14, 2000
Sixteen Sheets of Paper

It is a rainy day in more ways than one. First of all, it really is raining outside and that makes everything more complicated. Fortunately it is only sprinkling and I didn’t get that wet going to class this morning, but any manner of precipitation is a pain in the butt. Secondly, most of my friends from class have gone to the AIAA conference so none of them were around this morning for me to talk to. I guess I am a little lonely without everyone around and the dreary outside conditions only add to that.

I only have to go to two classes today, however, because of the conference. Dr. Fitz-Coy and Dr. Carroll both cancelled class (astrodynamics and aerodynamics, respectively) because so few people were going to be there. Dr. Hsu, our numerical analysis professor is in Savannah with the AIAA congregation so he wasn’t there for our class this morning, but the teaching assistant gave us some handouts to help with the homework. There were only about eleven people in numerical analysis this morning. I still have to go to my circuits class at 3 PM. We have some homework due and I have to take notes so those who are absent today will have something to copy. I guess that’s my responsibility while everyone is away. It’s not like I am going to intentionally miss class or anything - except for the day I went to the Kennedy Space Center I haven’t missed any classes this semester. As soon as I say that something will change that statement. Let’s hope I don’t get sick before finals like I did last semester!

The past week has been interesting. I spent most of my free time on the astrodynamics project that was due Wednesday. On Tuesday night Stuart’s friends took him to the Gainesville Ale House to celebrate his twenty-first birthday at 11 PM. I met them there and watched Stu have several different kinds of shots, mostly bought by his sister, Robyn. At one point he asked the waiter not to bring anything else, but everyone was determined to see how drunk they could get the birthday boy. I knew he was pretty intoxicated when he threw his arms around me and said, “My girlfriend loves me!” I don’t usually get such affection! I got Stu a decorative alcohol flask for his birthday from Things remembered. It said “Happy 21st Birthday” and had the date (April 12, 2000) on it. The gift seemed to be a hit with the birthday boy and everyone else too. I also got him a small bottle of Goldschlager (is that how it is spelled?) since I know he loves it and he won’t buy it for himself because it is expensive. By the way, the guy at the liquor store seemed impressed when I was purchasing it and he also took the liberty to tell me how young I look. Thanks, dude. Anyway, after I left the Ale House (approximately 12:30 AM) I had to go home and copy part of the astro project so that it looked nice enough to turn in the next day. I finally went to sleep at 4:30 AM and my alarm was set for 7:30 AM.

Poor Stu was not feeling very well the next morning before class started. He showed up in time to get together with his astro group and put their project together, but then he skipped astro class to take a nap. I gave my part of the astro project to Mike and Todd and as far as I know it got turned in. I didn’t stick around for the two of them to work out all of the issues Mike insisted on bringing up and I trust that they were responsible enough to get the whole thing at Dr. Fitz-Coy at the right time.

So now I am sitting here in my room waiting for the rain to stop so I can pack up my car to go home this weekend. I have a lot of stuff ready to be packed into the car, but I haven’t packed any clothes to wear this weekend yet. This is the last time I will be home before the end of the semester and I need to take as much stuff with me now as possible. Granted that I am going to leave a lot of stuff here in my room over the summer, but I am guessing that the winter clothes can be taken away. Maybe that’s not a good statement considering that it is quite cold today. Anyway, as soon as the rain stops (or lets up a little) I can get this accumulation of clothes and shoe boxes off of my floor and into my car. Besides having to unload come of my crap at home I am going to see the Lincoln High School production of “Oklahoma!” tomorrow night and I am going shopping for a laptop computer! This is exciting stuff. I had better go and see how hard it is raining outside. Check for my usual Monday night update that I will write after the Alpha Chi Omega chapter meeting. Yeah!