Time for Round Three:

In an instance we have all been grasped from the inviting warmth of an Indian summer and cruelly clutched by the icy vise of winter's wrath. Not but a few days ago were we outside lolling in the sun's delightful rays without a care as to when winter would arrive. Now we retreat from the outdoors as quickly and cautiously as possible, as to avoid further exposure from the elements.

This is now a time for changes to be made, transitions in one's lifestyle in order for survival and minimal angst. To begin simply, a change in attire is required for those who would prefer not freeze whilst making a trek from point A to point B. I myself tend to wear leggings under my jeans, and tucked into my knee-high tube socks, with a camisole tucked also into my leggings, underneath a long sleeved shirt. This is only my basic and most essential layer. Then of course you add the boots for footwear (chique and functional), a scarf, mittens and hat for thermal preservation and to top it off, a long wool coat. Yes, this is the only way I have been able to survive the past few winters I have spent here.

Next thing to change is the way one plans their day. For those who have not lived further than a stones throw away from the Campus Center or Classroom Building, will soon learn how to meticulously plan out their day so that time spent in the cold is cut down to a minimum. Lists usually help if you're not good at mentally planning things out.

Finally, as the ice begins to form on the ground people begin to change their approach to walking outside. Steps become lighter while synchronously their speed becomes quicker. The lightness of step is key as to avoid a potentially very embarrassing blunder on the ice. Despite my own attempts to maintain the "lightness of step", I have fallen a grand total of six times during my career here at Dordt. These usually occurred while descending hills, but I hope to make an improvement on my record this year.

Well, I believe it is time to cease these ramblings and to get over the fact that this deluge of snow, wind and ice will not desist until late April. Adieu fair weather pleasures...

One Word:

GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR...............

It's been a while...

Life has been good so far this school year. As of now, its been one of the least stressful and most pleasurable semesters since the beginning of my college career. Admittedly, at the beginning of year, I wasn't all that excited to be back, nor did I feel mentally prepared for the tasks that needed to be accomplished. But since Tri-state has come and gone, I have been able to get the rest I need and things I wanted to accomplish finished in order to feel the level of preparedness that I normally like to feel in order to function normally.

That being said, I am not at all suggesting that this semester has come with its fair share of stresses. For instance, I already have freaked out about both of my science classes and the major fear that they will not go well. Tied to this, is the fear of the possibility of me not getting into the desired Medical Technology program next year. Another difficult thing to overcome has simply been able to find a rhythm to my day and my week. This is largely due to the adjustment of apartment living, but it finally seems to be settling down.

Taking all this into account, yes there have been good times so far and yes there have been highly stressful situations so far, but on the whole, I feel enormously blessed with the entire year. It has not only been academically rewarding, but even more spiritually rewarding. It is easy to look forward to what the next day may bring, the challenges which may be presented, the fellowship which may be enjoyed, and the simple moments where all that can be done is sit in awe of how amazing life is despite its many, many drawbacks. A lot of the time, it is still difficult to remain upbeat about the state of this world and how its being run, but to choose to enjoy the junctures that make this life worth living is enough to balance it out.

Well... now it is time to stop blogging and to start doing other more productive things with my day. Tot de volgende keer!

For the love of phospholipids and the like...

For those of you who do not know, phospholipids are the molecules which from the membranes of the cells of which compose our bodies (as well as many other things). A phospholipid is composed of two fatty acids (a fatty acid is a hydrocarbon with an alcohol group attached) and a phosphogroup. The phosphogroup is considered the head of the molecule and it is hydrophilic, while the fatty acid chains are hydrophobic. Multiple phospholipids, when they come together, align themselves up head-to-head and chain-to-chain forming a sort of layer. If you get enough of these together, a cell membrane will form.

All of this is being said, because, for one, I have been learning a lot about them lately and for two, its simply amazing how something that seems so simple is quite complex and takes many circumstances and processes in order to take place. Now this sort of discovery has occurred within only the past few centuries, but have existed for millenia. So you tell me, if we were meant to have evolved by our own accord over many billions of years, knowing what we need to do to ourselves in order to survive, how is it that we only just figured this out about ourselves? This is probably a stupid question, but how exactly did an atom know that it would need electrons, neutrons and protons in order to function properly? Or that an oxygen knew that it would need hydrogen in order to form the life sustaining liquid dihydrogen monoxide (aka. water)?

Another thought, if one believes the first law of thermodynamics to be true (that matter can neither be created, nor destroyed), how can you prove that something just exploded into existence?

It just seems to me, that for beings that had to use some sort of intelligence (or innate ability) in order to evolve into the vastly superior beings which we are, it take many years of research in order even somewhat understand the basics which support the existence of life. Perhaps I am just rambling incoherently, but this theory seems like a poorly constructed argument in order to explain away the existence of something superior to ourselves. Just a thought...

Well... that's enough thinking for a Sunday. Be diligent and diligently be...