Early Morning Earthquake

So yesterday morning I awoke to my bed going up and down and proceeded yell at my husband to stop shaking the bed. Realizing he was still sleeping, I yelled, "what was that?!" waking him up. He didn't feel anything, and I didn't hear anything, and since we had kicked the old dog out of our room at night, I thought I was dreaming. I had already had 4 dreams in the last 2 weeks about having an earthquake, so I thought it was another one. Yeah, it was real – a 4.5'er. At least this flatlander didn't cry this time (but in my defense, the Nisqually quake was a 6.9).

That's right, I've seen tornadoes, waterspouts, been through 4 hurricanes, and none of them really scared me. There's just something about the earth moving out from under me that really freaks me out. I used to have a dream all the time when I was a kid, and even still have it once in a while where I'm walking, wherever it may be, and I turn right. When I walk straight, I would go into a neighborhood I've never been to, and walk toward a big white house. Sometimes it would be a few steps, and other times I would almost get to the house, but every time, the sidewalk would fold out from under me and I would fall into the dark. That's the same feeling the earthquakes give me. I really hate those things.

 

Stellar solar ideas

There have been some really cool developments in nanotechnology lately that I've started an idea journal complements of Engineering 104. Northwestern University and the University of Illinois have teamed up in the development of flexible circuitry. The latest edition of Popular Science also featured a breakthrough in a new anti-reflective technology by the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute that takes advantage of the structure of titanium-oxide and silicon layers to capture 96% of sunlight, no matter what the weather or region of the country.

I'm very excited about both of these stories because I've had an idea for a couple of years that I want to try and develop my Senior year at Western. I've seen too many movies to tell you what it is, but it is now in the journal along with notes about these breakthroughs.

The last couple of weeks have gone by fast and have been very weird. We've spent the last 2 weeks with cold and clear weather up here and it snowed again. In fact to get anywhere in the yard, you just walk on top of the frozen foot-plus of snow. In the low-lands they had continuous fog - day and night. It was like driving from Alaska to San Francisco within a half-an-hour. Today it seems like everything may be returning to normal. It is in the upper 30's and raining, so I'm hoping some more snow melts. I've been having dreams about seeing my lawn - do you think they mean something?

A New Dawn in American Science

Today, the FDA approved stem cell transplants from pure human lines! I don't have much time to get technical, although Molecular Biology was my favorite class, but we will now be able to catch up with Europe's scientists. And I won't go into the political side, because face it, there are not enough wishful parents to adopt the frozen embryos from people playing God and having litters. Enough said.

Geron, who applied for FDA approval, will begin with embryonic stem cell transplants in paraplegic adults to see how well their spinal cord and nerves regenerate. As soon as they can prove it is safe in adults, which they already have in Europe, they can begin trials on children and on auto-immune diseases. Imagine if a Type 1 diabetic can get all new Beta cells in their pancreas, or if Multiple Sclerosis patients can get new nerve generation, or a lymphoma patient new marrow, and the list can go on and on. It's such an exciting day in Nerdworld!

A New Chapter in American History

What a historic day, and what an inspiring speech. Did you see all of the Americans that congregated in D.C.? America has finally caught up with the rest of the industrialized nations of the world - we finally have a leader that's not an old, white, rich man. But Obama is more than that. He seems like he is ready to fight America's problems head-on, and encourage Americans to work together to solve them. I heard hope, faith and cooperation in his Inaugural Speech.

I also loved the John William's arrangement of Simple Gifts, especially because it was performed by Yo Yo Ma and Itzhak Perlman - the best composer of our time and two of the best classical musicians performing his music. Awesome.

Robots and Mii's

I love my Wii Fit! It's nice to see that I'm the most fit person in the family, too. Don't get me wrong, each of us have their own strengths, but all around as far as balance, endurance and strength go, I'm the most fit. Neener neener kids (and hubby). It's nice to see my BMI hasn't gone up too much since high school, too.

I'm what you would call a seasonal runner, but now I can run in my living room without having to bundle up and I can do Yoga without having to drive 45 minutes to the nearest Yoga class. Muy Perfecto!

I love our robot in Engineering, too. The guys in my group are pretty cool, and seem to be indifferent about having the only girl in class in their group. I think once I demonstrated some leadership skills and that I actually know a little about computer programming and mechanics, they were much more at ease. I still get weird looks from some guys in class, though.

I'm really digging the design process, but we only have ten days to get our first project proposal finished. Just with this class, I know I've picked the right career path. I can be creative and analytical all at the same time! It's cool to know that within three years, I'll be using this process to design green renovations! El futuro es claro!

Conservatives Finally Remember How to Conserve

I admit, I have been very critical of the Democratic Congress as many readers of Phat Phuque already know, just because it seems that they are not accomplishing anything we elected them to do - i.e. get us out of Iraq, re-regulate Wall Street, hold investigations into the oil market manipulation, etc. However, I have to give them kudos for a rare Sunday session vote yesterday in the Senate that vastly expanded protection of America's wilderness areas and added more protection to already established National Parks and Forests. Although the Senate is controlled by Democrats, praise must be given to the 9 Republican Senators that signed onto the bill which will go to the House, soon.

Believe it or not, the Republican Party used to be the party of nature and resource conservation. Beginning with Teddy Roosevelt's (one of my favorite presidents) establishment of the National Park system and continuing into the 70's with the banning of DDT, designation of Earth Day, and the clean-up of America's waterways. Somewhere along the line in the 80's they were bought out by big oil and other energy company lobbyists and abandoned their care of America's resources. I like to think that Teddy Roosevelt turned over in his grave when Bush abandoned the Kyoto Protocol. So good for you 9 Republicans, I hope that you can forward the Republican support into the House for a bill to put on President Obama's desk. See Schoolhouse Rock for the process ; )>

And while I'm praising the Republicans (which won't happen again for a long while), I'm going to give a rare "atta boy" to Dubya for his designation of 195,275 square miles of reefs and atolls in the Mariana Islands and America Samoa as a national marine monument. Despite his recent lift on off-shore drilling, Bush has protected more unique areas in the ocean than any other president or leader in the world with this new designation and the one off the Hawaiian Islands in 2006. Also thanks for the happy jigs you've been performing Dubya, you make me smile when you try to dance. And today, for his last press conference, he delighted us with another new word – misunderepresented. Awesome.

Stillaguamish Flooding

Wow, what a day. We were completely cut off from everywhere for quite a while so we went out and took videos and pictures of the flooding from our side. Then last night, I came within inches of hitting a deer, or a forest rat as Uncle D calls them, as I was taking my daughter to basketball practice. It jumped up from a ditch, over a snow burm, and onto the highway right in front of my car.

I can't believe how much it has rained over the last 3 days, and we still have over a foot of snow! I uploaded one of our videos of the flooding to YouTube (Anmlucas), but will upload the others later. It just takes too long from our house. Do NOT make fun of my spanish video if you choose to watch the river video. Soy una principiante. Don't judge.

Anyway, here are some flood pictures:

This is the traffic light that is usually a half a mile from where the river goes under the highway.

Here is a closer look at the river going over the highway - those are NOT our kids. Darrington may have been cut off from everywhere else, but the kids still went to school with a 2 hour delay.

This is a side road near Trafton - some people we knew arrived as we were leaving and had a boat meeting them to get back to their house.

The old railroad bridge between Trafton and Oso was taking a beating by the Stilly. The river was all the way up to the top of both bridges' pilons.

And finally, the favorite fishing spot - the river about 2 miles from our house was moving faster and fuller than I have ever seen it!

Some good news - I saw pink in the sky this morning and the peaks of Whitehorse Mountain and Mt. Higgins trying to part the clouds. That means sunshine today! YAY!

Ark Builder Wanted

Well here's another unwanted day of no pay because of the weather. They've shut down our highway due to standing water, and will shut it down in Arlington city limits within the hour due to major flooding on the Stillaguamish. There is no guess as to when it will crest, because the snow level is all the way up to 7,000 feet, and we still have over a foot of snow to melt here. Also, the rain is coming down so hard, our cell and satellite signals are in and out. I guess it is just as well that I miss work, since I woke up around 3am with a fever and other lovely GI symptoms, but I was going to make it a Purell day at work anyway. The river god says it shall not be.



So, OMG, I am the ONLY girl in my engineering class! I walked in and could just feel all the eyes on me. I ended up on a team with 19 year olds, because the guys my age, behind me didn't want to work with me. Whatever - we had fun on our first project failure. We had the most crooked tower, but dammit I bent it to balance and at least it stood.

So, WTF ladies? We are more than English and History degrees - challenge yourselves with some math and science girls, or at least encourage your daughters to do so. Contrary to your mother's belief, math and science are useful and fun - you just have to look at everything as a giant puzzle, and realize you're going to be wrong sometimes. It's part of the cognitive learning process to be wrong in science, maybe that's why I like it so much.


Anyway, we'll be working in groups to design and program a robot along with a couple of other design projects during the semester. The best part about this engineering class is that half of our grade is based on creativity, working with others and writing first person accounts about each project. The other half of the grade is based on our 1 test, that's right - 1 test, and our projects themselves.

I really hope I am the robot and computer programmer in my group, but it would be a better learning experience if I'm challenged with the structure or electrical engineering, especially the latter. I really need to learn more than just the Chemistry behind electricity and start to use some electrical applications. I got seriously zapped in high school by my lab partner in AP Chemistry (cough cough Minton) and have been shy of electricity projects ever since. I've built chemical batteries and completed other electrochemical labs in college Chemistry, but I'm far from being comfortable with it, and I need to be for my future job. This should be an interesting learning process, I just hope my group partners find humor in mistakes, because I sure will be making some.

Rock Salt and Under the Influence of Kids

Yeah, I know, that's a weird title, but listen Arlington and Seattle...The Washington State Department of Transportation is using rock salt on all of its highways in the mountains and foothills. If they didn't we would still not be able to get to town without a snowmobile, along with hundreds of other mountain towns throughout the state. When there is that much snow, the rock salt is diluted during the melting process, and you aren't left with so much sand and rocks to scratch your car and chip your windshield. This snow event is rare, and should be handled as an emergency situation, not a wait and see, what will the salmon think committee hearing, morning-after quarterbacking situation.

Okay, now that I got that off of my back, ever notice how your kids influence your life, and in the long-run give you a beneficial change? Okay, well it's not that deep, but my daughter's influence has really paid off lately. She has begged me to get involved in her nature and conservation field trips, along with the science fair committee and the Community Science Night committee last year. All of this involvement, has really paid off. I used to volunteer a lot in high school, and was really sweating the volunteer portions of my scholarship and entrance applications. Then a friend pointed out all that the science help at the school was a form of community service. Duh - enlightenment.

She also convinced me to see the Twilight movie, and out of that, I stopped teasing her about the books and Hot Topic. I admit, it was kind of a cool movie, but wasn't enough to move me to read a teeny-bopper book series. I guess after you read and understand Michael Crichton in the tenth grade, your interest in emotional angst fades away to worrying that a bacteria could really mutate and infect the population rather quickly. Yesterday, she convinced us to go to the mall (my trip to Joe's was voted down) and I hit the Bath and Body Works semi-annual sale. I got about $50 worth of products for less than $20! Thanks kiddo!

School starts tomorrow. Wish me luck!

O9 and Oh my Head Hurts

Have you ever tried to explain to an 87 year old woman with dementia that her Medicare Part D plan has changed and you can't deliver her medicine unless she gives you her new information?

Yeah, that's been my start to 2009. I've worked 6 out of the last 8 days, mostly 9 hour days, and I'm beat. I've also spent my 2 days off working on essays for a scholarship and my entrance essay for the Huxley College of the Environment at WWU, and catching up on laundry.

Today is the beginning of a whole two days off in a row, and I'm going shopping. I have some Christmas money to burn and Joe's end of the year sale is calling my name. Let's see, Lady Carharts, hmmm, new hiking boots, snow shoes. Just kidding about the last one, but they would be practical right now.

Speaking of wild storms, it's supposed to warm up to almost 50 on Wednesday along with heavy rain in the foothills. This could be really serious, since we are at 500 feet in elevation, and the snow level is supposed to go all the way up to 3 or 4,000 feet. We still have over 2 feet of snow on the ground, here, so the creeks and rivers will be flooding. My only way home if the highway closes for flooding is also closed for avalanche and mudslide danger.

The good news about the snow is that it seemed to have insulated the fruit trees, and they have sprouted some gnarly growth knobs for spring. Mmmm...apples, and pears, and plums. Oh my.