All About Pi

My schedule this fall is pretty tight. I leave at about 6 AM every morning and usually drop Dad off at work downtown (and Mom on occasion), and then drive up north to work. (I work as a quality assurance intern for a enterprise level data security company.) I work from 7 until 8:45 or 9:15 depending on the day and then I drive back to school for class and then back to work and then back to school. I get home late most nights. Since I'm gone so much of the day, for my birthday the Turners gave me a great insulated lunch box that is BIG. She wanted to get something to label my lunchbox "Brent's box of π." She couldn't find anything so she just wrote it on a piece of paper and stuck it in mesh pocket on the front (it's readible). It's great! I pack a lunch and dinner leftovers and I have two great meals away from home.

I told Mom on the days I eat at work, they have a nice lunchroom with microwaves (4 stacked on top of each other), disposable silverware, hot chocolate packets, napkins, water filtered water, etc. So, I enjoy eating my lunch there. Sometimes, I'll eat my dinner there since it is easy to heat everything up. Mom asked me where I eat when I'm at school. I told her there were lots of microwaves all over campus but often I go to the engineering lounge because there are three microwaves there. However, each microwave has something wrong with it. One microwave has a paperclip attached to it to push in to open the door (that button is broken). Mom laughed and said, "Probably the engineering professors's wives were tired of their broken microwaves that their husbands had tried to fix but not alway successfully. The husbands were probably told to get rid of the microwave and of course, how could they get rid of something that still worked as long as you tinkered with it!"

This last week a fellow worker asked me what I liked to do in my down time. I explained my schedule to him and that I go to school all day every Saturday to do homework and studying. I just don't have much down time. He said, "Brent, you sound like a robot!" "Hmmmm, I said." Then he asked, "Do you like cake?" I answered, "Yes, I like cake." (I should have said I love the Lawrences chocolate cake with peanut butter cream cheese frosting.) He responded, "Well, I guess you're not a robot because if you were, you would say, 'No, I only eat pi!'" I promptly brought over my lunchbox with Tamara's handwritten label, "Brent's box of π." My friend laughed over that one!

Happy Easter!

On Easter, I had green eggs and hands!

Orson Scott Card

Hey - check out this cool article by Orson Scott Card that Dad tipped me off to.

Here are the Stats!

I started my new semester back at SDSU this week. The other day I was sitting in a classroom in the engineering building, alone, waiting for a class to start. My engineering statistics teacher from last semester walked by the open door and noticed me. He came in and said he was surprised I hadn't picked up my final exam. I said, "Oh, I had forgotten to get it." He then said, "Well, you didn't get a 100% on your final!" (I had gotten 100% on all tests during the semester.) He laughed and said, "You only got a 99.7%, you forgot to carry a coefficient!" Ah, an A is an A!

Mom questioned how a teacher of a large statistics class would remember one student and his exact final grade. Well...I don't mind speaking out in class. I try not to be obnoxious, but I don't hesitate in helping teachers if they have a mistake in their math problems (you know, drop a negative, or something like that). So I guess my teachers know who I am. It is a good thing, however, that I'm a good student.

I AM AN UNCLE!

How cool is that! I went to Phoenix with Mom and Dad on New Year's day so I could see my new little niece (and help dad drive back the next day!). She seemed very fragile and at first I was a little unsure about holding her. Maybe when her neck and back are a little stronger! But she sure is sweet and so little.

I had a good time Sunday putting the craddle together - the one Chelsea and I slept in when we were infants. Hopefully Carmela will enjoy the soft rocking motions.

Congratulations to the Turner family (Mom, Dad and baby!).

Finally Prepped

Mom walked by my room tonight and saw me all tucked into bed with my overhead light on and me just staring at my bookshelf. Mom questioned my stare and saw that I was looking at the shelf with all my engineering textbooks. Ah ha! She thought she had discovered the secret to my school success - I just stare at the books and absorb all the information! What does she imagine I do in all the hours I spend each week in the library? Wish finals could be just that easy - just stare at the textbooks and absorb all the information! Wish me luck!

Blowing out the Candles

Mom thought she'd take a birthday video, so here it is!