Manna from Heaven

I don't feel all that integrated into my new ward yet.  Ok, I can't really say new ward as I've been here for 6 months now.  Just this Sunday while sitting all alone on the bench I thought to myself about how I don't even have visiting teachers or home teachers who visit me.  I did have some really great visiting teachers for the first few months, but they were reassigned and I've not known the identities of the new ones.  My home teachers have as yet to surface.

Then Monday came, a holiday.  I worked this holiday as it was the only time I had available to offer so many students extra hours and make-up hours before their final exams just around the corner.  While I was away one of my new visiting teachers stopped by with a treat for me.  Wahoo!  I cannot tell a lie, I do love getting treats.

I had a piece of this tasty confection today and found it to be most delicious.  It is exactly like I imagine manna sent from heaven would taste like (and it is sent from heaven, through my visiting teacher). Thank you Sister K. for the amazing delicacy, I've not met you yet, but I think we should be friends.

RE: NOTICE OF PENDING LEGAL INQUIRY OR ACTION

Subject: This is a reminder.

Dear Mr. Aaron M.,

It has come to our attention that you are in the possession of one video of Matthew W. and that you have failed to post this particular video on his blog.  These actions are unacceptable.  However they will be forgivable as now the above mentioned video has a unique opportunity to be part of a natal day celebration.

To fully atone for keeping said video to yourself you are required to deliver the goods to a Miss Windy Dawn as soon as possible.  Should you fail to meet these demands you risk having Windy’s Wrath turned on you.  You do not want this.  You will comply.  

Sincerely,

Miss Windy Dawn

The Keeper of the Blog-Chronicles

______________________________________________________

Subject: RE: NOTICE OF PENDING LEGAL INQUIRY OR ACTION (was: This is a reminder.)

Dear Miss Dawn,

I received your communication regarding the video depicting the actions of one M. W., a mutually shared acquaintance. I regret to inform you that I have been unable to identify the exact video in question as I am in the possession of no fewer than seven (7) videos recorded on the evening of March 4, 2011 which depict the said M. W. engaged in various acts of frolic and elaboration. As such, I have taken the liberty of collecting all said videos and posting them at the location listed below for your perusal. It is hoped that the material sought after may be located among these specimens for inclusion in the natal day festivities.

As an explicit timeline was not provided for the invocation of Windy's Wrath in consequence of non-response to your injunction, I will rest my case on the implication that 'as soon as possible' necessarily grants the defendant, myself, the right to determine the extent to which earlier compliance may or may not have been 'possible' and therefore affirm that my compliance has indeed conformed to the parameters specified given the presence of other pressing obligations in the time following receipt of the injunction and preceding execution of this compliance. I concur with the assertion that the angular motion of Windy's Wrath directed at my person would be undesirable to all affected parties and expect that the referenced demands are met to avoid this occurrence. I object however to the implication that my compliance in this matter in any way reflects an affinity for or tendency toward the acquiesence of will demonstrated by that collective known as the Borg. My compliance in this instance is wholly voluntary and does not confer future rights &c.

Most respectfully,
Aaron M.

______________________________________________________

The result of the above email correspondences can be found here.

Nervous

Thursday is a big day for me.  I will be presenting all my research on Reversible Dynamical Systems at the Masters Symposium and I'm not exactly ready yet.  I've spent the last month or so doing nothing but this and I'm just about burnt out.  I dread Thursday and at the same time I can't wait for it to get here so this will be over with already.

What are Reversible Dynamics?  Oh, I'm glad you asked.  A simple answer can be given with the example of a pendulum.  Consider the ideal swinging pendulum with no loss of energy due to friction.  Film this phenomenon.  Then play the video backwards (in reverse time) and it will appear exactly the same.  The idea is that the motion on the reverse film also corresponds to a possible motion of the same pendulum.

I can do this.  I am not nervous.

...deep breaths...

Have You Met My Twin Sister Yet?

Her name is Narsissa.  We always dress alike.  

almost graduating

I've been debating if I should walk for graduation or not.  My thoughts repeatedly go something like this:

Pros

I've never properly done it before.

Cons

I've never properly done it before.

It costs money.

And that's were my mind remembers I have homework to do and I never finish the list.

What's this about Windy never walking before?  Yeah.  I missed my High School and Seminary graduations in New Hampshire because I was already in Idaho starting college.  I thought it was lame to walk for only an Associates degree, so I didn't then.  We had a death in the family the week of my Institute graduation.  And then I decided, for sure, I would do this for my Bachelors.  And I almost did too.

My Bachelors turned out to be with about 3500+ others in Husky Stadium where it was impossible to organize people or even have the time to read out each individuals name.  I ended up standing next to people I didn't know, but we all quickly became friends.  As it turned out it poured rain on us.  I was cold and wet and miserable and still had another hour to wait before they'd get around to the Bachelors.  And at the point I would just be pushed across stage as quickly as possible and handed an empty diploma.  So I left.  Along with a ton of others who were cold and wet and miserable too.  All my friends had left before I did.  My family stayed, but I called them and we all headed out to have lunch together to celebrate.  So.  All in all, kinda lame.  There was only one picture ever taken of me that day and I took it with my cell phone while waiting around.

2005

I think it's time to celebrate properly.  I officially decided today I would attend my departments ceremony.  No more thousands of grads at Husky stadium for me.  Just a small group, all of us Masters or PhD grads in Applied Mathematics. That's more my style of celebrating.  And as soon as I decided and started telling people about it and ordering my cap, gown, and hood (did you know masters get a special hood??) I began to really feel excited about this!  I AM GRADUATING!!!!  Well in a month and a week I'm graduating.  But now I'm actually excited about it.  The kind of excited that makes you smile for no reason while you sit alone in your room doing homework.  Or that makes you walk a little faster.  Excited.