Today is Yes

I finished my Thesis.
The SA attendant lady told me I was pretty.
I ran into friends.
I love my mom.
I'm rich.

Love,
Gert

Renewed Faith in the Population of MPLS

From overheardinminneapolis.com:

Human nature is powerless to resist. It's a bridge. It's a spoon bridge, with a bright red cherry on the other end. The subliminal message is, climb over the bridge and touch the cherry. Everyone wants to.

Mehhhhhzap!

Not feeling particularly motivated today. Very scattered and all over the place. I guess these things happen. My diet and sleep have been so fucked lately that there isn't much hope for my brain. Yesterday was bizzare -- my loss of appetite situation reached a new peak. Food absolutely sucked. I had half a bowl of cereal and half a bowl of soup and a slim fast, because it was the only thing with vitamins that I could stomach. Work was absolutely absurd, and triggered a fainting spell which I managed to pull myself out of before keeling over behind the desk. Afterwards I was completely drained. Yet didn't go to sleep until 4 in the morning, which has become kind of a pattern as of late. But I suppose not being able to sleep because you don't want to is better than having insomnia! I feel like I'm rolling down a hill. Exhilirating decline. But not decline in the adult 'my life is in ruins' sense; it's the child-like abandon sense. Which I suppose is my modus-operandi. So all is well! Mmm, problem solving via blog. Love it.

Check It!

I made another blog, BRAINSKILLZ. There's a link down there on the right.
Feedback, pleez!

μέγασ ελληνικόσ !

Today at the U one of the Archaeology undergrads is giving a symposium on the O μηχανισμός των Αντικυθήρων (the Antikythera Mechanism), which was more or less the world's first computer, though it was analogue instead of digital. Basically it's an astrological calculator, but the amazing thing is how advanced the mechanisms were. It's comparable to 18th century clock-making. A sponge diver found it off the Greek island Antikythera, and Jacques Cousteau was one of the divers who helped recover it. It was on a Roman cargo ship, so there's lots of debate as to what they were doing with it. The best guess is that it was being brought to Rome for one of Julius Caesar's triuphal processions, having been made at Rhodes (another Greek island), which was a center for engineering and mechanics, as there was an academy there founded by the Stoic philosopher Posidonius. The craziest part is that the principles behind it's function are based on heliocentrism, rather than geocentrism, which was Aristotle's deal. Heliocentrism was not popular.

I can't explain how it works, so here's what Wiki says:

The mechanism has 3 main dials, one on the front, and two on the back.
The front dial is marked with the divisions of the Egyptian calendar, or the Sothic year, based on the Sothic cycle. Inside this there is a second dial marked with the Greek signs of the Zodiac. This second dial can be moved to adjust, with respect to the Sothic dial, to compensate for leap years.
The front dial probably carried at least three hands, one showing the date, and two others showing the positions of the Sun and the Moon. The Moon indicator is ingeniously adjusted to show the first anomaly of the Moon's orbit. It is reasonable to suppose the Sun indicator had a similar adjustment, but any gearing for this mechanism (if it existed) has been lost. The front dial also includes a second mechanism with a spherical model of the Moon that displays the Lunar phase.
Finally, the front dial includes a parapegma (a precursor to the modern day Almanac) used to mark the rising and setting of specific stars. Each star is thought to be identified by Greek characters which cross reference details inscribed on the mechanism.
The upper back dial, is in the form of a spiral, with 47 divisions per turn, displaying the 235 months of the 19 year Metonic cycle. This dial contains a smaller subsidiary dial which displays the 76 year Callippic cycle. (There are 4 Metonic cycles within 1 Callippic cycle.) Both of these cycles are important in fixing calendars.
The lower back dial is also in the form of a spiral, with 223 divisions showing the Saros cycle. It also has a smaller subsidiary dial which displays the 54 year Exeligmos cycle. (There are 3 Saros cycles within 1 Exeligmos cycle.)

HOLY SHIT!
All this in a 33x17x9cm bronze case. It was tiny for what it did, and the time it was made.
BEHOLD THE GREEK BRAIN POWERS.

Poetry & Science

"In most poems I am going back and forth from the microscopic to the visible, from the exploding stars to human tenderness and fear, from the objective to the subjective, in order to get some temporary assurance."
-Czech immunologist and poet Miroslav Holub

Season's Best

Best bike ride since I've been back, possibly. Sheila pumped my tires up (couldn't find the apt. pump), and the ride home was pure glory. I was like a midnight speed-racer, whipping between the lanes, unseen by all but the scrawny black cats which scrambled out of my way (I wasn't phased). The wind was whipping all around, trying to blow me over, but I could've cared less. I was the embodiment of the storm's eye. I guess my powder blue baby isn't so bad after all.

The Result

So, the conclusion of my last post...WORST DECISION EVER. But I guess I know now.....
Apologies to everyone I scared the shit out of. I'm alive. Kendra has been taking amazing care of me all night & day.
I'm so lucky to have an amazing friend to force me to drink water and to spoon me. Work tomorrow should be interesting. I need to go to bed soon. Lesson learned!

Owie!

My throat is a raging battle zone of illness. I hurt.
LIfe plan is in progress. Had my interview at Calhoun Cycle today...really hope it works out. I'm supposed to find out beginning of next week.
Connor and I went out to celebrate his birthday last night and came to the conclusion that we're going to move in together. There're a lot of cool 1 bedrooms around Whittier/Stevens for really cheap. I'm shooting for the under $600/month range.
(BTW, the bedroom will not be shared. I'll most likely be relegated to the living room space, as Connor hasn't had a bedroom for like 2 years). I personally think there should be a ladies first rule, but whatever. I can deal. Last night we were a little buzzed up and making crazy plans to learn French together and go to Paris next year. That would be intense/amazing, depending on how well we end up getting along, cooped up together.
So my summer of self-improvement and biking and living cheap is becoming a real possibility. This is good.
God, I'm so sick. I hope I can make it through Voltage. Might have to take some of the oxycodone I've hoarded. Maybe starting now. Anchors aweigh!

Exhausdead

Woah. That was a whirlwind week/end. Went up to Bemidji Wednesday to get my car fixed, which turned into what should have been an episode of the Amazing Race. Me and the '89 Dodge Colt versus fucking adverse road conditions for 2 hours, with semi trucks blasting by my wiper-less car in the 2" slush and ice. Got to mom's house, cracked open a beer, felt better. Got some life-plan shit under control. Things are working, hopefully. The car took longer to fix than expected, so I was layed over in Bemidji and soon to be late for work. Ma and I went to pick up my car Thursday morning, and WHAM we get rear-ended by a big red truck, which more or less takes the back end off mom's car. Great! Drove back to MPLS, worked for 6 hrs, then came home and fucking crashed. Friday at work was long and painful. Show at the Turf was stellar. Skoal Kodiak is the music of my soul. Saw some peeps, had some beers, the usual. Then Saturday I got my hair did, went shopping and generally hung out with Kendee, including a pit stop in Golden Valley to hang out with her ma and the 'little things.' Birthday party was bitchin, now I'm wiped.
Hopefully gonna get a call from Calhoun Cycle this week for an interview. Car is fixed, first goal is completed, second goal in progress. Now I need to find a new place. Yeah! LET'S DO IT.
Don't have too many plans for the week, other than working full time and takin care of business. Still haven't done my taxes....this is boring.

How'd That Happen?

At this particular point in time I am more or less disgusted, disappointed, bored, and sick of everthing. Except Kendra Grant Malone. I can't think of anything I want to do, or anyone I want to see, except for her, sitting on my bed, sharing ciggarettes and Tisdale and stories with me.
Things need to change. Everything needs to change. Job. Living situation. Car. Mainly my complete and utter lack of motivation to accomplish any of these alterations.
Goal: get through this week by going through the motions. Then its BIRTHDAY TIME. Then I will see some light in all the faces I do adore, despite my aforementioned predilection for one person in particualr. After this fucking hideous car shit is taken care of, then I will start on the other things. I Will. Really.