Parenting

I'm watching a parent (can't tell if it's Mom or Dad) red-bellied woodpecker encourage a young woodpecker to forage.  The parent is chasing the child around the tree trunk gently pecking at him while the child squeaks and ducks.  Yesterday the parent was still feeding the child with just an occasional encouraging peck.  Today I think the parent is about out of patience.  The young woodpecker reminds me of a teenager--a bit disheveled and awkward, sometimes whining, and without the dramatic coloration and confidence of the parent.  As all children do, I'm sure that within days he'll become a handsome, self-assured adult, ready to take on the world (and my bird feeder.)

Bass Fishing Club

I get several online newsletters from Auburn--one for being a current student, one for being an alumnus, one from COSAM--the College of Science and Math, another from the School of Engineering.  I particularly enjoyed reading this article about Auburn's Bass Fishing Club.  Over the last year or so, the 30 plus student members of the club have donated over $40,000 to the University from their winnings.  In addition to making the monetary donations, they also work with local boy scouts to help them get merit badges for fishing.  As my son says, "You gotta love Auburn."

Sex and the City 2

Sex and the City 2 made me miss my sisters and my girlfriends!  I was planning to go to Pensacola this weekend for my brother-in-law's birthday, but I forgot to make a reservation to board Coma.  So, I'm lonely and feeling a little sorry for myself.

It's very peacefully raining right now.  It's been so hot; I'm sure we need the rain.  There are thunderstorms around the area, but not here.  I hope it stops before morning; I'm considering a 7:30 bike ride and breakfast.

Tomorrow (Scarlett) I'll study.  I've almost finished my Reliability Engineering homework and I'm learning Python--an object oriented programming language that I'll be using with Google App Engine in "the cloud."  I have a paper due Monday night about cloud computing--should there be standards?  What are the obstacles to cloud computing and what are the opportunities? Is there or will there be interoperability in the cloud? And, I need to do some work on the experimental design for my research.  Still learning every day, but learning's easier this second semester.

The Cloud

I'm two class meetings into the Cloud Computing class and I already know that Computer Science is my interest, not Industrial and Systems Engineering.  When I graduated in math with a computer science minor in 1973, I wanted to go to grad school in applied math and/or computer science.  At that time, the only opportunity at Auburn for that was Industrial Engineering, so I entered grad school in the Industrial Engineering Department.  Auburn has changed a lot in 35 years.  There is now a degree in Computer Science and Software Engineering.  That is where I belong.  I'm still interested in computer science and programming.  I'll finish my Industrial and Systems Engineering Masters degree in December, but if I decide to continue my education, I think it should be in Computer Science and Software Engineering.

The Cloud is interesting.  What is the cloud?  Is there "a" cloud or several clouds?  I don't think there's a definitive answer to these questions today.  We watched a video of James Patterson speaking about UC Berkley's view of  "The Cloud."  This is the paper that inspired the talk.  I still have many questions and hope that this course will enlighten me.  On Thursday, part of our class time will be in the lab learning Python (it's a computer language).

Pedal, pedal, pedal

My legs feel like jello.  On one of my runs, I pedaled around the gym 1 1/2 times holding onto a handkerchief (with my instructor on the other end) for occasional balance.  My legs are SO tired.  I think I'll bring my wrist guards to the next class, just in case.  My goal is to be able to ride the unicycle alone by the end of the summer session.

Our seminar today was interesting.  Auburn Engineering is collaborating with a city (of 800,000 people) in China to build a university there.  I've looked on the AU website and can't find anything about it.  As I understand, AU and the city have 45 days to finalize their agreement at which time the building will begin.  I got the impression from the question-answer session following the seminar that some form of an agreement had already been reached; the 45 days is only to finalize it.  At the seminar, we were shown a video about the city, and its secretary--described as a "super mayor"--spoke in Chinese about his city.  A translator, also from the city, interpreted.  I had to pay very close attention to understand the translator.  The town is best known for manufacturing eye glasses and auto-parts and I have no idea how to spell the city's name!

Break is over

The break was wonderful!  I managed to take care of most of the things I miss.  I had lunch and dinner out for almost every meal; sat on all of the porches in Poplarville and was treated to a pair of summer tanagers and a swallow-tailed kite; enjoyed many showers; washed several loads of clothes; treated my poison ivy;  petted Harry; relaxed with a manicure and pedicure; bought coffee at Langenstein's and granola at Whole Foods; walked in Audubon Park and finished the crossword puzzle and sudoku every morning.  My daughter arranged a birthday celebration where we each painted a streetcar--my painting is hanging in my hallway.  I visited with many friends, kept several doctor's appointments, and purchased a new TV--the remote stopped working on mine.  Best of all, I spent good quality time with Allan and my children.

But, today, it was back to class.  Reliability Engineering will be a challenge--lots of calculus.  I've found MathTV on YouTube and Dr. Math on the Internet to brush up on integrals, derivatives and limits.  A big group of people stayed after class today worried about their ability to handle the math, so at least, I'm not alone.  Cloud Computing will be interesting; I was one of 3 women among the 45 people in the class and the only person who is not a computer science major.  Very few of them knew more about cloud computing than I do and I don't know much.  I think I'm going to enjoy my summer!

Grades

My grades are posted for the spring semester.  I made an A, a B, and a C.  That works out fine since I need to maintain a B average to keep my assistantship.  Finals were very difficult for me--even when I knew the material.  It is so hard to solve a problem in a specified time, even with a formula sheet or the book.  Reliability Engineering this summer has a take home midterm and final.  I think I'll do well on those--it's the time that gets to me.  I can't remember what the professor said about Cloud Computing--maybe that there would be no final, just programming projects...that may be wishful thinking.  And, I think that research hours are only graded as pass/fail.  I'll probably upgrade the project I worked on in the spring and try to get a publishable paper out of it.  My professor said I needed work on the experimental design.  That doesn't surprise me since I don't think I've ever done any experimental design.  At least she said good things about the writing itself and the literature review that I did.  I look forward to the summer opportunities.  I spent this morning watching "math tv" on youtube learning about integration.  I think if I review derivatives and limits that will give me sufficient calculus to be comfortable with the statistical formulas for reliability.  Calculus is coming back to me; sort of like riding a bicycle, which is nothing like riding a unicycle!

Practice makes perfect?

It is in the 50s and breezy--a gorgeous morning!  I may have to walk to campus and study just to get myself out in the midst of the beauty.  This is a quick status update to give me a break from studying...I made 92 on my project.  That is a combination of the presentation and the paper.  No, I don't know what I missed yet; she's only posted the grades.  That gives me a good solid A in the class so there's not much pressure on the final.  Not so for LP--I need a really good grade on this one and I'm having some trouble applying what I thought I knew well.  We don't have a good set of problems and solutions to work on so I don't know if the practice I give myself is "making me perfect" or simply re-inforcing a bad understanding.  I probably will head to campus after lunch for some communal studying--sometimes talking about it really helps.

As much as I have enjoyed this semester I can't say I'm sorry it's almost over.  That's one of the good things about the way college is structured.  I get to start anew in two weeks.  I'll be taking Reliability Engineering, Cloud Computing and some research hours.  Hopefully there won't be quite so much backtracking necessary this time, but I don't expect smooth sailing.

Happy Mother's Day!

Econ

Econ for this semester is over...Hopefully, Econ is over forever, but I didn't do well on the exam.  At least, for now,  it's behind me.  I start tomorrow to study for the other two exams.  LP is at 8 am Monday and Adaptive Optimization is at 12:00 pm Monday.  I enjoy so much learning new things and studying, but I really do not even like taking tests.  Albert Einstein said, "Most teachers waste their time by asking questions which are intended to discover what a pupil does not know, whereas the true art of questioning has for its purpose to discover what the pupil knows or is capable of knowing."  My Econ professor is one of those teachers who waste their time.  I wonder if he realizes that it doesn't reflect well on him for students not to have learned what he intended to teach.

Sauna

It feels sort of like a sauna here this afternoon.  Looking out of the window I see the steam rising from the parking spaces and it is only 70 degrees outside--what will it be like this summer?  I guess I'll have to use my AC.  Today was the last day of class for spring semester and I turned in my final Econ homework at 2:00.   Hurray!  Can't wait to finish that final on Thursday.

It was raining hard this morning so I drove to campus.  I miss my walk, but hopefully, I'll have more energy for unicycling this evening.  Last week I made 7 claps.  That means I let go of the instructor and pedaled on my own long enough to clap my hands 7 times...pretty good for my 2nd class!

Winning is everything and nothing else matters...

I'm watching We are Marshall, drinking a glass of wine and crying.  It's such a movie about life and life is so fragile.  I had dinner with a friend last night whose best friend forever has ovarian cancer and is not doing well.  To make matters worse, her boyfriend of 2 1/2 years is not being very supportive.  How do we ever make it through?  I have been so fortunate to have my health (mostly), a wonderful, healthy and happy family and an understanding husband.  How else could I be fulfilling a dream and looking to an inspired future at 59 years old?

Heart...that's what really matters.