As you can see by the time stamp, I'm not sleeping like I should be. I slept for a little bit, then was wide awake. I hate lying in bed trying to sleep, when you know its not going to happen. So I decided to get up and try to trick my brain into being sleepy again. I thought I'd write about the end of my softball season.
This was my second summer to play church league softball with Adaton. We got knocked out of the tournament tonight. The softball/baseball format is probably on the bottom of my skill sets. I'm just not that good at it. I played a couple of years of little league and still get harassed by those who remember my habit of 'hoping for a walk', but usually striking out. Playing home run derby in the back yard, I had no problem. Doing the same thing on the field; I haven't been able to connect. So I switched to soccer year round and church basketball growing up, and enjoyed those much more.
Anyways, my last at-bat for the season tonight I struck out looking. The ultimate no-no in baseball, and even worse in slow-pitch softball. I typically swing at the first pitch just to avoid that possibility. These pitches looked very much outside to me, but the ump saw it differently. Such a long walk back to the dugout after you strikeout. You almost want to just go ahead and walk to your car. I see how hitters can get in slumps more so than other sports. You have so long to analyze your failure in between at-bats it can get in your head. Soccer, basketball, football, etc. the action is much more continuous, so if you make a mistake you can shake it off quickly. You can also do little things in those sports, passing, defending, blocking, etc., to build your confidence back up, where as in baseball its all or nothing on hitting. What baseball lacks in 'endurance' associated with those other sports, it makes up for in head games.
We ended up losing by one run, which doesn't help one's feeling of blowing it. Brian Regan has a pretty good bit on striking out in softball which helps me to laugh at my own inability.
Maybe I can get to sleep now.
Friday, July 9, 2010
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
Atlanta 2010 - Part 2
With several big events as of late I have found myself like a kid on Christmas Eve, unable to sleep. This was no exception. After tossing and turning all night I decided to get up at an hour that on a weekday I struggle to get up. My wife gives me a hard time about it, but what can I say, I just get excited. It did give me time to get all our ticket stuff printed and spend some time with my parents on the back patio.
Mom came through with breakfast and we got on the road shortly afterward. David and I listened to the German slaughter of Argentina in the World Cup. Rebecca and Emily kept up their napping tradition in the back seat.
We got to Atlanta in the early afternoon. Our first stop was the world renowned eatery, The Varsity. I was introduced to the world's largest drive-in as a young boy through my dad. It is adjacent to the campus of Georgia Tech, so he allegedly frequented it 2-3 times a week. So if we ever got near the I-285 loop growing up we made the stop for a hot dog and fries. The girls were not as thrilled about grease with a side of hot dogs and onion rings, as me. However, it was my one request for the weekend, so we got to go. As always it was packed, even during non-lunch hours. I had one chili dog and one naked dog with an order of fries and greatly enjoyed every bite.
Our next stop was Atlantic Station, a newer shopping area on the north side of Atlanta. Our main reason for choosing this shopping center was the IKEA store. This Swedish furniture and home good store is only located in a few cities. Rebecca and I have been a couple times but have always been rushed. It really is a commitment to go to this store. You start upstairs, wind around though all the display rooms, organized by areas of the home, all the while writing down items you like. Then downstairs is the self-serve area, where you pick up all the things you liked upstairs. There's only one bathroom at the entrance and exit, so be sure to go before you begin shopping. We made our way through the store fairly leisurely. Our big purchase for the day was a new office chair for Rebecca. For better or worse there is more to that story to come in Part 4. When we finished there we made the short drive over to the other shopping area. The girls went in their stores, while David and I quickly made the lap around all the stores we wanted. I got a few shirts and some brown socks (I know, very exciting).
With the time change, it got to be much later than it felt. We left downtown and headed to our hotel in Marietta. We used my Priority Club points to purchase the hotel rooms. It took longer than necessary to check-in. There were two people in front of me, and I've seen people purchase cars quicker than it took them to check-in. I don't know what the hotel check-in people are doing on their computers, maybe a background check (there must be some government involvement to slow it down that much), but it takes way too long when they should already have my information from the reservation. We finally got our rooms. They ended up being adjacent with a connecting door. We unloaded all our stuff, then headed out for dinner.
David's request for the weekend was to eat at a Brazilian restaurant. Apparently there is a vibrant Brazilian community in Marietta because the hotel lobby guy gave several options. Unfortunately the first was a churrascaria, which meant it was only $40 a person. We continued on our Brazilian hunt only to find the next place was closed. It was about 9:30 by this point, so we just settled on the next place we could find, which was Spaghetti Warehouse. It was very good for a stumble upon place. Sorry about the Brazilian let-down David. They let me down in the World Cup.
We headed back to the hotel to enjoy some cable TV, since neither of us have it at our apartment. All four of us piled in the king size bed to watch School of Rock.
Day 2 continued the fun-filled weekend.
Mom came through with breakfast and we got on the road shortly afterward. David and I listened to the German slaughter of Argentina in the World Cup. Rebecca and Emily kept up their napping tradition in the back seat.
We got to Atlanta in the early afternoon. Our first stop was the world renowned eatery, The Varsity. I was introduced to the world's largest drive-in as a young boy through my dad. It is adjacent to the campus of Georgia Tech, so he allegedly frequented it 2-3 times a week. So if we ever got near the I-285 loop growing up we made the stop for a hot dog and fries. The girls were not as thrilled about grease with a side of hot dogs and onion rings, as me. However, it was my one request for the weekend, so we got to go. As always it was packed, even during non-lunch hours. I had one chili dog and one naked dog with an order of fries and greatly enjoyed every bite.
The Varsity
Standard crowd at The Varsity
We couldn't live up to our tourist mission without getting cool hats
They were pumped about the food.
That's not a sweat ring from her drink
Rebecca likes to degrease her food. On a related note, she also likes to employ foresters.
The grease didn't slow me down.
Full stomachs and clogged arteries smiles are the best.
Our next stop was Atlantic Station, a newer shopping area on the north side of Atlanta. Our main reason for choosing this shopping center was the IKEA store. This Swedish furniture and home good store is only located in a few cities. Rebecca and I have been a couple times but have always been rushed. It really is a commitment to go to this store. You start upstairs, wind around though all the display rooms, organized by areas of the home, all the while writing down items you like. Then downstairs is the self-serve area, where you pick up all the things you liked upstairs. There's only one bathroom at the entrance and exit, so be sure to go before you begin shopping. We made our way through the store fairly leisurely. Our big purchase for the day was a new office chair for Rebecca. For better or worse there is more to that story to come in Part 4. When we finished there we made the short drive over to the other shopping area. The girls went in their stores, while David and I quickly made the lap around all the stores we wanted. I got a few shirts and some brown socks (I know, very exciting).
With the time change, it got to be much later than it felt. We left downtown and headed to our hotel in Marietta. We used my Priority Club points to purchase the hotel rooms. It took longer than necessary to check-in. There were two people in front of me, and I've seen people purchase cars quicker than it took them to check-in. I don't know what the hotel check-in people are doing on their computers, maybe a background check (there must be some government involvement to slow it down that much), but it takes way too long when they should already have my information from the reservation. We finally got our rooms. They ended up being adjacent with a connecting door. We unloaded all our stuff, then headed out for dinner.
David's request for the weekend was to eat at a Brazilian restaurant. Apparently there is a vibrant Brazilian community in Marietta because the hotel lobby guy gave several options. Unfortunately the first was a churrascaria, which meant it was only $40 a person. We continued on our Brazilian hunt only to find the next place was closed. It was about 9:30 by this point, so we just settled on the next place we could find, which was Spaghetti Warehouse. It was very good for a stumble upon place. Sorry about the Brazilian let-down David. They let me down in the World Cup.
We headed back to the hotel to enjoy some cable TV, since neither of us have it at our apartment. All four of us piled in the king size bed to watch School of Rock.
Day 2 continued the fun-filled weekend.
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
Atlanta 2010 - Part 1
We decided several months ago to take a trip to Atlanta with the Franci and be super tourists for the weekend. With most of our weekends booked with weddings and other events, we decided to go 4th of July weekend. Since we all had Monday off work it ended up being a great time to go. After a good bit of planning we managed to squeeze into one weekend all the things we had on our list. It was a great weekend of relaxing and sightseeing, but most importantly I got to share it all with my wife and our great friends.
We got packed up and hit the road Friday afternoon. This car ride started a weekend tradition of the girls falling asleep while we drove. We got to my parents house, woke the girls up from their nap and ate dinner. Mom had a fabulous steak dinner for us.
Our next stop on the itinerary was Yogurt Mountain before we headed to the Drive-In Movie. For the drive-in we went in my brother's truck with a couch strapped in the bed for us to sit in for the movie. The yogurt shop is located in one of the uppity neighborhoods of Birmingham, so I'm sure the abundant clientele there questioned the large truck and couch driving through the parking lot. We were on a tight schedule for the movie so we had to get the yogurt to-go. I got about 4 flavors, my favorite being strawberry cheesecake, along with an abundance of toppings none of which stood out as a favorite, just a bowl of goodness.
We then made the trek out to Harpersville where our truck and couch rig is probably a more common scene. The drive-in was packed and we barely made it in before Toy Story 3 started. We parked the truck at a slight angle to the screen and watched the movie from the couch sitting in the bed of the truck. It was really a great set-up, comfortable weather, and aside from a barking dog for 10 minutes, could not have asked for a better evening. I'm a big fan of the drive-in theater. Its obviously not ideal for every situation, but if the weather is nice; the drive-in is cheaper, you can bring a couch to sit-in and you can supply your own snacks. I thought the movie itself was very good. I'm a big fan of the Toy Story franchise and was pleased with the third installment. It was a little more intense than the other two, so there were more action scenes which meant fewer comedic scenes. Not a big deal, just a change from the previous movies.
Day 1 of our trip was a strong start.
We got packed up and hit the road Friday afternoon. This car ride started a weekend tradition of the girls falling asleep while we drove. We got to my parents house, woke the girls up from their nap and ate dinner. Mom had a fabulous steak dinner for us.
Our next stop on the itinerary was Yogurt Mountain before we headed to the Drive-In Movie. For the drive-in we went in my brother's truck with a couch strapped in the bed for us to sit in for the movie. The yogurt shop is located in one of the uppity neighborhoods of Birmingham, so I'm sure the abundant clientele there questioned the large truck and couch driving through the parking lot. We were on a tight schedule for the movie so we had to get the yogurt to-go. I got about 4 flavors, my favorite being strawberry cheesecake, along with an abundance of toppings none of which stood out as a favorite, just a bowl of goodness.
We then made the trek out to Harpersville where our truck and couch rig is probably a more common scene. The drive-in was packed and we barely made it in before Toy Story 3 started. We parked the truck at a slight angle to the screen and watched the movie from the couch sitting in the bed of the truck. It was really a great set-up, comfortable weather, and aside from a barking dog for 10 minutes, could not have asked for a better evening. I'm a big fan of the drive-in theater. Its obviously not ideal for every situation, but if the weather is nice; the drive-in is cheaper, you can bring a couch to sit-in and you can supply your own snacks. I thought the movie itself was very good. I'm a big fan of the Toy Story franchise and was pleased with the third installment. It was a little more intense than the other two, so there were more action scenes which meant fewer comedic scenes. Not a big deal, just a change from the previous movies.
Our excited faces for Yogurt Mountain based on degree of excitedness.
Our tourist pose outside the store. Our truck and couch probably made the photographer think "they don't get out much."
One of our yogurt creations.
Our view from the bed of the truck.
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Day in the Lab
This is what I going to deem a "Mom Post." Meaning, my Mom is probably the only person who will enjoy reading this. So if you're not my Mom just scan the pictures to see if anything looks interesting. The only reason I write this post is to look back at years down the road and remember what I did in grad school.
Part of my thesis involves using radioactive fructose. By using radioactive fructose I can apply it to the plants and then use machines to detect the radioactivity and thus determine if it is in the plant or where exactly it is in the plant. Radioactive particles give off a certain energy that is detectable that allows it to be used as a tracer. Through various methods such as washing, combusting, metabolizing, 14C samples can be collected into small vials filled with liquid scintillation cocktail solution. This scintillation cocktail gives off small flashes of lights when in the presence of radioactive particles. I then put the vials in a Liquid Scintillation Counter which takes each vial and counts the flashes. This gives us a numerical value of radioactivity. If we know how much we put on the plant, then we can say what percentage is in each location. There's a lot more to it, but this is the simple version. Thanks for reading Mom.
I was running some samples in the lab this morning and decided to take a picture of it. This is the Liquid Scintillation Counter.
Part of my thesis involves using radioactive fructose. By using radioactive fructose I can apply it to the plants and then use machines to detect the radioactivity and thus determine if it is in the plant or where exactly it is in the plant. Radioactive particles give off a certain energy that is detectable that allows it to be used as a tracer. Through various methods such as washing, combusting, metabolizing, 14C samples can be collected into small vials filled with liquid scintillation cocktail solution. This scintillation cocktail gives off small flashes of lights when in the presence of radioactive particles. I then put the vials in a Liquid Scintillation Counter which takes each vial and counts the flashes. This gives us a numerical value of radioactivity. If we know how much we put on the plant, then we can say what percentage is in each location. There's a lot more to it, but this is the simple version. Thanks for reading Mom.
I was running some samples in the lab this morning and decided to take a picture of it. This is the Liquid Scintillation Counter.
Sunday, June 27, 2010
Geocaching
The Longs and the Franci went geocaching Friday night on Mississippi State's campus. If you don't know what it is, its basically a worldwide scavenger hunt with your GPS as the main source of direction. People hide things, usually small containers with a log book, wherever and then post the coordinates on geocaching.com. The coordinates are usually just a starting point with the info online giving additional hints. Some are very easy and some are rather difficult.
I like it for several reasons.
I like it for several reasons.
- Its free.
- Its outside.
- You get some exercise.
- It lets you explore your corner of the world in ways you wouldn't normally see it.
We found 6 out of 7 and I'm pretty sure the 7th was in a tree that has recently been cut down. It was a nice evening with a full moon. We went to parts of campus I've never been to before and some were in locations I've passed many times and had no idea the geocache was there.
To get the Franci warmed up we took them to one Rebecca and I had already found almost exactly 3 years ago on one of our dates. The log still had our record of finding it so we took a picture with it.
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Wasteful Wednesday - Gutter Trouble
This installment hits a little close to home and hate I have to point out some of my own. I have seen this all over campus the last couple of weeks. Campus landscape has been putting out fertilizer in all the turf areas. They actually borrowed the Turf Program's tractor to spread it. If you've looked down while walking anywhere on campus you've probably seen it. The green prills indicate it is probably polyon, which is a slow release type of fertilizer. They have 'layers' of nutrients that are slowly released as the coating is broken down. A good fertilizer that doesn't burn the turf and requires fewer applications.
The problem comes in with the amount of fertilizer that ended up in non turf areas, namely concrete. By using a broadcast spreader it is very easy to throw fertilizer out of turf areas and into the street. However, all this street fertilizer is a waste of money and looks bad.
Turf is often finger pointed as a wasteful means of land use with all the maintenance requirements and chemicals needed. I most certainly disagree with that accusation, however seeing piles of fertilizer does not help our image. A little more care could save a lot of bad publicity.
The problem comes in with the amount of fertilizer that ended up in non turf areas, namely concrete. By using a broadcast spreader it is very easy to throw fertilizer out of turf areas and into the street. However, all this street fertilizer is a waste of money and looks bad.
Turf is often finger pointed as a wasteful means of land use with all the maintenance requirements and chemicals needed. I most certainly disagree with that accusation, however seeing piles of fertilizer does not help our image. A little more care could save a lot of bad publicity.
Monday, June 21, 2010
Summer Stall - Round 2
I'm in waiting mode again for my thesis. Right now I'm holding on two things that are preventing me from moving forward.
My professor is once again editing my thesis. He says he's about halfway through it and should have it to me by the end of the week. He has had it since June 4th. There are still two other graduate students who are also trying to finish that are taking up some of my boss's time. One has been gone about a year, the other since before I started grad school. They left to start jobs and finish their thesis on the side. So its slightly annoying that they decide to get after it at the same time I'm trying to finish.
The second is a machine managed by another professor on my committee. It has some kind of leak and I can't use it until it gets fixed. Once it does get fixed I have three rounds of testing that will each take about a week. The machine has been down since May 12. Every time I ask about it he says he's working on it.
My last day of work is coming up quick with not much progress seemingly being made. I fear I will be making trips back to Starkville to finish this thing.
My professor is once again editing my thesis. He says he's about halfway through it and should have it to me by the end of the week. He has had it since June 4th. There are still two other graduate students who are also trying to finish that are taking up some of my boss's time. One has been gone about a year, the other since before I started grad school. They left to start jobs and finish their thesis on the side. So its slightly annoying that they decide to get after it at the same time I'm trying to finish.
The second is a machine managed by another professor on my committee. It has some kind of leak and I can't use it until it gets fixed. Once it does get fixed I have three rounds of testing that will each take about a week. The machine has been down since May 12. Every time I ask about it he says he's working on it.
My last day of work is coming up quick with not much progress seemingly being made. I fear I will be making trips back to Starkville to finish this thing.
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