Eventful Couple of Days

Hey everybody. Thanks to all who posted last time. I forgot about my blog for awhile, but alas, the lost is found! Like the prodigal son, I feel like I'm coming home as I have returned to the bloggospher after squandering my time doing other silly things--work, socializing and the like. WHAT WAS I THINKING?! haha. Anywho. As my title would suggest, it has been an eventful couple of days. Here's why.

You know what? Let's just start with yesterday. Yesterday was...a plethora of things. To start out with, our whole team at work went to a Catholic school in the north part of the city. I was muy impressivo con myself because I (with my trusty partner, Tyler) presented DNA and enzymes to a Grade 7/8 split without a hitch. It was awesome! This was after our presentation to a Grade 3/4 split on fire, my personal favorite. In the fire presentation, Tyler and I blew fire into the air using an ice cream pail, some plastic tubing, corn starch, and a lit candle. It worked REALLY well. THEN came the best part--the methanol cannon. Comprised of five tin cans, some duct tape, two paper cups taped together around the rims to form a plug for the open end of the tin can on the top end of the cannon, a hole in the bottom can of the cannon about the circumference of a small straw, a pipette or dropper was needed to get the liquid methanol inside so we could evaporate it and light it. Who was in charge of ensuring the fire kits were ready to go before we left for the school that morning? I guess that would've been me. I guess it would have been me, then, that would have forgotten to put the pipettes in the two fire kits for the two pairs of presenters that would each be teaching fire at the same time to two different groups. We estimated the amount of methanol that needed to go into the cannon (insert nervous giggle here), but all worked out in the end, with the exception of a few sets of ringing ears!!

In the other room where fire was being presented, however, they were not so lucky. Since they didn't have a pipette either, they had to guess how much methanol was to go into their cannon. I guess they're not as skilled at estimating as we were, because both end cans on the ends of their cannon blew off and crumpled, causing the flame from inside the cans to blow out each end, setting the teacher's desk, her papers, the carpet surrounding the demonstration table and the garbage can to light on fire. OOOOPS. Well all turned out relatively well except the most accident-prone guy on our team received some minor burns from trying to pick up the cannon immediately after it blew fire. Obviously, since you didn't hear about a school burning down yesterday morning on the 6:00 news, the fire was stamped out by the Rubbermaid fire kit and all ended well albeit the principal's initial scowling.

So there you have it. A lesson yet again teaching us that fire is fun, but fire is scary. We're going to carry mini extinguishers wherever we go from now on ;).

So yesterday we learned a lesson about fire in our science workshop. Today, I independently (before I went to work) conducted my own little experiment--not on fire, but rather on water. Yep, right in my own home! So until this morning, I have been without a shower nozzle in my bathroom, so I've been bathing. Whatever. This is irrelevant besides the necessity of you knowing that I was not used to using the showerhead that Dad installed yesterday. So, in my grogginess this a.m., I got into the shower and didn't really seal the curtain shut like we all know we must. OOPS. So, I got out of the shower and stepped onto a somewhat "damp" mat on the floor. It wasn't really wet, so I wiped the water up around the mat, and stepped off the mat only to find that most of the flood had patches of wetness. "Interesting," I thought to myself. I wiped those spots up, too, then moseyed downstairs. Upon my arrival downstairs, however, I was welcomed with the rhythmic dripping, or shall we say running, of water from the ceiling directly above the couch--yes, the leather couch, down onto the couch. Ick. The bathroom is directly above the couch I discovered. But, despite the flooding experience, Mom stayed sleeping, and I managed to dry everything up on my own and only be 3 minutes late for work.

Mentioning that I dropped my summer class after only 1.5 hours of it last night is hardly worth it after those exciting stories. Summer is too fun to be holed up in a classroom at night.

Um...as far as what else is new, there's not a lot. Yesterday and today at work, I have jumped in with both feet to the idea of having a science camp group for girls during two of our weeks this summer and possibly continuing it throughout the year. I don't know how much of it I'm allowed to say on here, so I'll stop there. I AM pumped, though!!! I spent my morning today working on that and I am giddy everytime I think about it. Weeeee!

Playing first intramural slopitch game tonight and am pretty excited, then Dana and I are dressing up and going out on the town to celebrate. Celebrate what, you ask? Can't say. Sorry. TEEHEE.

Hasta la vista mis compadres!
~Jen

Paint stained and definitely anticipating the frazzled frolic

Well folks, the frazzled frolic is going to begin again after a week of merriment and moving. Why, you ask? Well I'll tell ya. I began work at the university today with the EYES program (not the optometrist, but Education Youth in Engineering and Science).

Today at work was pretty cool. We talked about routine and stuff that we'll be getting involved with as of well, right away. Then the four of us girls that are instructors volunteered (graciously ;) ) to go shopping for supplies with Derek. Yep, it was a stressful morning ;). We went to Costco and ate their samples for appetizers and to calm our growling stomachs, and shopped for other random things like meat tenderizer (which apparently contains enzymes that break down the protein protectants around the DNA in cells--I know, WHOA), wheat germ, flour to set on fire, random things for Rube Goldberg set-ups (look it up!), etc., etc.!

Tonight we had over 20 hardcore people out for some slo-pitch despite the temperature of +3C (with windchill 0C). haha...it's going to be a good summer.

Sorry I don't have any wildly entertaining stories this time...maybe next time. I'm tired and going to bed...bed that is in the middle of our front room amidst many, many unlabled boxes that contain a lot of miscellaneous stuff. I'm excited to get into my room that was painted today by my wonderful father. When I got home to see it, he had started the second coat and I guess I had a horrified look on my face because he asked, "What's wrong?" Then I proceeded to tell him that the brown I had picked out looked purple on the wall for some reason and no longer matched my bedding that I was trying to match it to. OOPS. But, being the gracious father that he is, he let me go buy another gallon at Wal-Mart in the right color. Lydia and I were going to paint the new color on tonight after ball, but when we got here with the paint, I immediately put it in my room. We went into the kitchen for cake and strawberries, then Mom pointed out that I'd forgotten to get low-lustre paint, and had got semi-gloss, which wasn't good I guess. I remembered specifically asking the old man who mixed the paint to give me low-lustre, and I was pretty annoyed with the situation. SO, Lydia and I walked back to Wal-Mart and after all that way, customer service didn't let us return even though we had the receipt because we didn't bring back the right can. Turns out I did buy low-lustre the first time, and had put it in my room and was returning another can of paint altogether. OOPS. haha...guess it was a "nice" night for a walk! heehee...Bless Lydia's heart, though, because I was clearly getting tired and grouchy, but she boosted my spirits and hung around after we got back from Wal-Mart and we made popcorn and watched TV.

SIDE NOTE: For the record, TV is garbage. Thanks for letting me rant.

Well, I must get some sleep because I think we're getting a WHIMIS test tomorrow at work. Score! haha...yaaaa...I'm having a blast though. Seriously! MAN, I have to go to bed. I'm getting grouchy, even while writing this post.

Can't wait to hear from you all in your comments (HINT HINT--although not very subtle)...hehe...

Over and out.