Remember two weeks ago?

First of I hope you all remember that I am an entity in the blogging world. I know I've been gone for two weeks. Evidently a week off from school also means a week of from blogging. But anyway. So at the end of my last post I talked about my 'chemical engineers do it in packed beds' shirt (which coincidentally i'm wearing right now). I told you I'd give the first person tell me what it means would get a prize. Well only one person guessed and they are close enough so they get the prize. This is what my aunt-in-law Heidi guessed (Heidi does it feel weird to realized your technically Brett's aunt?)

Heidi said...

Ok I am nowhere near being as smart and educated in the chemical engineering department as you are, so this is as far as I could understand that term: a packed bed is a hollow tube of some sort designed to hold packing material (or structured packing, depending on who is doing it, right?) to improve contact between two phases (commonly known as matter, I believe). Yeah, I feel smarter already. Of course, like I said before, nowhere even close to you, but I did learn something new today. Thank you for expanding my horizons! :)

So she got the gist of it. A packed bed is short for back bed reactor (at least where I spent all my time that is what it means!) And usually (at least in all my homework problems) the packing is a catalyst. So what chemical engineers do in packed beds is chemical reactions. So true to my word Heidi gets a prize. So what is a good prize? I don't know. So I decided on something I made myself and something I use all the time. A wooden spoon & spatula set. Sound random? It is. (My mom actually makes the wooden kitchen utensils but these ones, with her help, I made myself. They work great in nonstick pans, stirring cookies and I imagine for spanking children as well.) I'd hoped to make all the rest of you jealous of heidi by telling you what her prize was but alas most of you who read this are members of my family who either have a wooden spoon/spatula from my mom or I gave you one for christmas already. So Heidi, do you want your wooden spoon and spatula? if so email me at fitch.margaret@gmail.com with an address so I can ship them to you.

And the rest of you should be jealous just because!

Colorado weekend numer dose! (A little late)

I told ya a few posts ago I was going to document my second weekend in Colorado (this time in Ft. Collins at Colorado State University).

It started early friday morning when 10 Chemical engineers and two professors piled into two white dodge caravans.Then this happened. That's the transmission fluid on the side of I-80 east a few miles past rock springs. That was from the other van. After a few hours spent in Rock Springs Wyoming a suburban was rented and we were on our way. The suburban was a BIG upgrade from the as-little-extra-features-as-possible government vans. Most people slept the rest of the drive.I also discovered Wyoming isn't nearly as long when you aren't stuck back-seat-middle-feet-on-the-hump in a truck (like the weekend before). Which gave me more time to enjoy the countryside.Everyone on the trip (well at least in my car) discovered how great my dad is. I have the dependent habit of calling my dad whenever I need to know something (he's usually pretty close to the internet). The rest of the car is convinced 1800-freeinfo goes directly to my dad's phone.

Well we were late but me made it to CSU. In time for dinner and a hypnotist show... which I volunteered for. It was a hard choice which pictures/videos to post. I took a derivative to optimize funniness while minimizing embarrassment. (just kidding by the way). Do I post flexing my butt for an audience, ballet dancing, disco dancing, doing CPR when I heard blood not mud...

Now if your wondering if I was really hypnotized... I think so. I do remember most everything but I also remember being willing to do perfectly embarrassing things (see video above). However I could choose to not do things... like I didn't look at the nudist volleyball tournament and I did gamble.

The next morning was bright and early. We listened to some papers presented and then was the Chem E car competition. The Chem E car competitions is between various AIChE Student Chapter through out the region (glossary of terms: Chem E=Chemical Engineering AIChE=American Institute of Chemical Engineering) The car has to go a certain distance carry a certain weight (announced just before the competition). The car has to run off of a chemical reactions. This years car was a Sodium Bicarbonate and Glacial Acetic Acid reaction. (I wasn't on the team so I'm not sure of specifics but I'm pretty sure what goes down is the reactions happens within a pressure vessel and then the pressure is released and that runs the car. Courtney is that right?) Here is the car running.. You might turn your volume down I'm yelling through most the video.

Following the days activities there was a banquet.
This is everyone dressed up. Afterward we all went out for drinks. I've been 21 for just under six months and I figured it was time to get IDed. This was my conversation with out waiter. He hadn't IDed anyone else at the table who had ordered alcoholic drinks and I had to be sure to be IDed so:
'If I order a Margarita will you please ID me?' 'Um. Okay' 'Good. Can I have a Margarita' 'Can I see some ID' 'Course I have it right here.'*pose for picture* 'Okay good.' 'Thanks, now can I make mine a virgin please.'

(you gotta love how ineffective and scary looking the red eye tool is)

Well that kind of summed up the trip. There were lot's of funny stories that would make this post even longer but most of them were you kind of have to be there or at least know the people they are about. But here are a few more pictures.

See these two people. That is Dr. Whitty and Steve. Dr. Whitty is wearing Steve's hippy-old-man sweater and aviators. That is the straightest I've ever seen steve stand the the most slouchy I've ever seen Dr. Whitty. We decided the sweater just make you look like your slouching.
Thats me (and Dr T and Brandon) waiting for the Car competition to start. They held it in the stock judging pavilion... can you guess what the room smelled like.. Some people were trying to decided if the extra methane gas in the air would effect their reaction.
Again Dr. Whitty. He admitted to us that he and his wife religiously watch desperate housewives. Well when we saw this at a gas station for only $4 and it was even his birthday... we had to get it to go with his paper plate birthday car we'd made him.
And finally the girls that made the trip fun. These girls are two of the coolest girls in the major (2 out of not very many but still.)

You see our shirts. Can you read them. They say 'chemical engineers do it in packed beds' the first person that can tell me what the shirts means gets a prize. (Courtney I'm not sure you can compete in this competition)

Ever have one of those days

Do you ever have one of those days where it just feels like nothing is connecting up right. There are no disasters but nothing still seems to work out quite right. Like when your a penny shy of exact change or you just missed the bus.... I'm having one of those weeks. I think its punishment for looking forward to spring break (1 more day!)

Fun Idea: Pay it Forward

I commented on my sister-in-laws blog for this post before I read the rules. Because of lazyness i'mm going to use the same limitations as her.

The first five people to leave a comment on this blog will receive something made by me. However there are some limitations.

1. I make no guarantee that you will like what I make.
2. What I create will be just for you.
3. It will be done this year.
4. You have no clue what it is going to be, poetry, clothes, paper goods, or a little invention of my own. I may bake something and mail it you . Who knows? Not you that's for sure!
5. I reserve the right to do something extremely strange.

Here's the catch, if you choose to do this. You must post this on your blog and be ready to make something for five people too. This will be fun! When you receive the fabulous item I make you, you must post a picture of it on your blog.

Who raised me??

Everyone:
I'm pushy and loud but I get things done.... and today I'm not going to apologize for it. Okay I'll apologize, sorry, but I still think I'm right. Who instilled these strong willed characteristics in me???? Mom... I'm looking at you.
When Brett asked for my hand in marriage my dad warned him I'm just like her (my mom) and he was right. (Now I can always tell Brett he was warned.)

(On it's way. Colorado Weekend numero dose... just wait for pictures of me breaking out of my shell, hot women, me getting IDed and a car running off of glacial acetic acid and sodium bicarbonate.)