2000-10-04 - 01:40:21

Surveying. It has been years since I TAed (taught) the class at Davis, and longer since I took the course, but a fair amount was coming back.

I had my first Surveying review class yesterday. The audience was about the same (maybe a touch older) than the Seismic course in SF on Saturdays.

When I look around and listen to everybody in my classes I can't help but think of Texas A&M and how unlike most of the other engineers I am. I had dorm friends, but it was a few years before I had engineering friends. Interestingly I made friends with a married girl ... she was really cool, as was her husband.

I really wonder if I should be an engineer. Modeler ... hmmm, I like that.

Today at the CALFED conference nobody had any negative things to say about my blue hair. I was the only freak at the conference. No, Redwood would remind me that he is a freak too ... (1) he wasn't there, and (2) people are still asking me what I'm going to do to him next. I tell them I'm going make him walk into work naked. They laugh of course. I know it really pisses him off that people think I'm influencing him.

But I wish that he'd start experimenting a bit in his own directions or pace. Sure, I have friends, including Redwood, who encourage me. I just don't want to feel that I have to slow down my pace at work so he can do something first so people will find out he is just expressing himself too. I guess I wish more people would realize that while I might encourage him, that we all have strange impluses.

Heck, if my boss wasn't so wonderful, I'd not be pushing the limits.

OK, so one engineer from Scripps Institute told me he loved my hair and thinks it is great that DWR is so open minded and diverse. I've been making an arguement to everybody that my appearance really _does_ make a statement to the liberal segment of the population and I actually feel I am setting new standards for the engineering profession as a whole. It is really sad, very few private or non-field engineers have piercings or wild colours for their hair.

I've always prided myself in my work, but I do have a long range plan:

(1) Quality work,

(2) Teach other engineers and be very friendly,

(3) Get my professional license,

(4) Publish my research.

The last goal is the hardest, but I have a Professor at UC Davis begging me to write my fifth chapter and publish it. Today somebody asked if we know how to find risk of drought. The people talking said they couldn't. It isn't arrogant of me, but they were wrong. I've done it. It isn't perfect, but the basic idea is there, and just needs more time and money.

It sucks that science is so political. :( My research could now be applied in my modeling group and California could be leading the world be creating better drought information ... but it is a long project. One I can only start to write about, but somebody else will have to finish. ::sigh::

Oh, I think I may work in the election in Nov. Why? Again I want the mass public to see somebody with blue hair in the public service. I want people to learn to judge based on ACTIONS not appearance. This is very important to me. It really is why I am adamant about my hair colour (and nice new cut Spring gave me).

So last night Cricket phoned me. We talked for hours! :) I don't know why, but she is just somebody I can really talk to. I'm very comfy around.

We talked about all sorts of things, but we also talked about sex ... the anal stuff. Now it is weird talking to her, because we aren't sexually active. Of course, I'd love to at the very least cuddle or maybe play around ... but I don't want to pressure her. This is cool, I've already told her this. So a small part of me always asks her or reminds her to tell me if she is not comfortable with my questions. So far she is wonderful. In fact, she gave me some really helpful advice about the location of my colon as well as ability to perform under pressure.

We talked about other things too ... I just __know__ that if she wasn't so busy that the two of us would be spending much more time together. ::sigh::

It seems like it is always time or distance. It really makes me wonder if this might be a good thing though, as I think I do want stability. It is just hard when your attention span is short and you feel 10 years younger than all your friends. It always has been like this my entire life, always the little brother.

-=-

<< previous - next >>