Lindsey

This past week has been hell week. I know that everyone has had final tests and/or is having final tests, but something about the tests I’ve had to take have been different. I don’t know what it is - they are more big picturey, less what do you remember than what did you learn, how will you use it in the future, all the advantages, disadvantages. All about instruments and techniques I’ve only read about. How will I use a mass spectrometer - what forensic samples go into a gas chromatograph, and what kind of detector would you use? I mean, I’m not sure a person can write as though they understand something they’ve only seen sitting idle and read about.

Only one test to go and thats next Tuesday, so I have a few days to think about other things, and then it is the polymers and biopolymers exam. It is expected to take… 5 HOURS! Starts at 1, and I better get back in time to watch House and SVU. What does he want us to know? Structures of 50 different polymers (like plastics, nylon, polyurethane, basically anything that starts with poly- or ends with -on) and how they formed. That is ridiculous. Not possible. We’ve have 4 1/2 months, he’s had almost 50 years, and he has to look at them when he writes them down. So basically,everyone fails, and he just curves. Some of last years students didn’t finish, still got a B in the class, so no harm done. Hopefully, it’s the same way. I’m not going to start studying yet because it seems pointless, and I will do better if i start sunday night, continue monday day and tuesday morning and then just do it. Because it takes so long, the test was supposed to be at four and he changed it to one, because he says around five hours.

Enough whining about tests.

So what else is new? Not much, just waiting to go home. Getting a free chaise lounge from a friend who decided to go to med school and he and his wife don’t want to deal with it. I also need to go get a bigger cat carrier for the trip home. The one i Have is for one adult cat. Inadvertently got it for a -5 dollars because I gave it to the woman at Petsmart, along with a five dollar coupon for it and a bunch of other crap, and she didn’t ring it in, but rang up the coupon. Didn’t know til later when I was looking at the receipt, and I figured I spent enough money there that day. It was the day I got the cats, and I wasn’t running back up there. But anyways, I need something big enough that they can stand up, stretch, and use a small litter box. Also, not planning on telling the hotel/motel we stay at about them. Figure don’t need to pay extra money when the cats aren’t going to hurt anything. I’m not sure if they charge you for cats anyways. Regardless the cats are getting too big to share the little carrier for any length of time.

I’ve also been taking them on little trips with me to get them used to riding in the car. They get pretty freaked out, but no Mitzie-esqe howling the whole time. So that’s good. They calm each other in the carrier. Now, if only they could calm each other outside the kennel, that’d be great. They are in their naughty teenage period. Two of their favorite games - how much water can i pull out of the water dish with my paws, and digging for quarters in their litter box. Both are in the kitchen so not only do i have water on the floor and cat litter, I have wet, emulsified cat litter stuck to the floor that I have to do with a paper towel because i can’t get enough force with the mop. Seriously not fun. They also are bursting with energy, and into exploring. Like on top of the refrigerator, in the cupboards, on the tv/entertainment stand, on bryce’s computer monitor, on the bookshelf, on my dresser, where i think they ate a pair of earrings, my sink and makeup, and of course, the toilets. So I’d like to move either the food and water or the litter box so they can’t make double fun, but then they dig in whatever else is around, like toothbrushes. And toilets. Of course, most of this occurs at night, because they get the spray bottle if they do it during the day. But my garland from the entertainment stand is always on the floor, books are off the shelf, I wake up to strange noises in my room, i go to get a drink of water and there is a cat leaping from the refrigerator with the cupboards open and mangle ritz crackers on the counter.

I bought them a laser light, and try to use it to run them into sheer tiredness, but I think I’m only increasing their stamina.

On the other hand, they have become much more friendly, and like to flop at your feet when you try to walk by, so I’m hoping that the trip home, with Gina’s constant attention, and perhaps playtime with Thomas the cat help their social skills more. We’ll see how the dog goes. And they are not going to Rausch’s–between crabby Patches and crazy Hogan, I think it would be traumatic. Being barked at and chased? Not good for the scaredy cats.

Any suggestions for how to tame the beasts, or how to make an 18 hr car ride easier with them? One thought for stopping their explorations I’ve had is to put tape sticky side up on the areas they use to get up there and then they will forget about it because they are removing tape from their feet and fur. But then they might eat it. Suggestions?

I also have been figuring out Christmas presents. It is hard to know who to get them for and what to get them. I have Gina done, Bryce done, but no one else. Now I have time to get some-maybe Bryce and I will get that done soon.

Anyways, I don’t have much else to tell everyone. Bryce keeps everyone pretty informed.