Cute Little Totoro
Saturday, April 03, 2004
Learning from my mistakes is not a strong point of mine
Last year, a little later than this time, I was taking a class called Earth Forces. That class had a paper due at the end of the semester, worth about 15%-25% of the grade. I forget which, I think near the higher end of that spectrum. And I just didn't do the paper. I tried to do it, but forces well inside of my control made it impossible for me to finish it.
So here I am, 1 year later, in the same class, and I have to write that same paper. And it's due on Wednesday (my birthday!). I have books to write the paper from, but I haven't actually read them, or anything. So sometime in the next few days, I have to write an 8-10 page paper about the plate tectonics of Italy.
Yeah, I failed a class because I couldn't write an 8-10 page paper. I know people who have to write those all the time. I know people who practically write those in their sleep. My only defense is that writing papers seems to be much more painful for me than for other people. Last time I had to write a paper, it took like 5 days. And at least 2 of those days were almost unbroken periods of sitting in the living room, wearing Rory's hat, the big pants and the moon monster shirt and writing about interference colors and Anorthite lamelae.
Ah, well, off to read about whatever crazy crap formed the Italian Peninsula.
But first, a treat for those who dislike me. Last Monday, while I was out on the side of a highway measuring th e strikes and dips of the limestone bedding planes on either side of the House Springs Anticline, it started raining. I hate being in the rain and doing things. It just upsets me. Next time it rains, I'll write about how terrible the rain is, but it isn't raining now, so I'm feeling magnanimus. Where was I? Ah yes, the Anticline. Measuring strikes and dips on natural surfaces is hard enough at the best of times, especially when you're 5'4" and all the good exposed surfaces are about 5 feet off the ground. But in the rain, it becomes more awful than any other geology related thing in the world. You can't read the compass because it has water on it. You have to be careful not to get your map wet because it'll smear. When you write down the numbers, your pencil either won't just write on the damp paper, or it won't write but it will tear holes in it.
That's all. Keep an eye...um...ear out for Mindy Smith singing the songs "One Moment More" and "Jolene." She's so cool.
So here I am, 1 year later, in the same class, and I have to write that same paper. And it's due on Wednesday (my birthday!). I have books to write the paper from, but I haven't actually read them, or anything. So sometime in the next few days, I have to write an 8-10 page paper about the plate tectonics of Italy.
Yeah, I failed a class because I couldn't write an 8-10 page paper. I know people who have to write those all the time. I know people who practically write those in their sleep. My only defense is that writing papers seems to be much more painful for me than for other people. Last time I had to write a paper, it took like 5 days. And at least 2 of those days were almost unbroken periods of sitting in the living room, wearing Rory's hat, the big pants and the moon monster shirt and writing about interference colors and Anorthite lamelae.
Ah, well, off to read about whatever crazy crap formed the Italian Peninsula.
But first, a treat for those who dislike me. Last Monday, while I was out on the side of a highway measuring th e strikes and dips of the limestone bedding planes on either side of the House Springs Anticline, it started raining. I hate being in the rain and doing things. It just upsets me. Next time it rains, I'll write about how terrible the rain is, but it isn't raining now, so I'm feeling magnanimus. Where was I? Ah yes, the Anticline. Measuring strikes and dips on natural surfaces is hard enough at the best of times, especially when you're 5'4" and all the good exposed surfaces are about 5 feet off the ground. But in the rain, it becomes more awful than any other geology related thing in the world. You can't read the compass because it has water on it. You have to be careful not to get your map wet because it'll smear. When you write down the numbers, your pencil either won't just write on the damp paper, or it won't write but it will tear holes in it.
That's all. Keep an eye...um...ear out for Mindy Smith singing the songs "One Moment More" and "Jolene." She's so cool.
posted by Ryan, 10:06 AM
