Panio!!

So, I was just playing around on the piano in our piano lounge here at Jester. I absolutely love this piano. It's nice and, I would try to tell you what type of piano it is, but I don't entirely know what it is. Haha.

This week has felt really weird, because while I still had Calculus homework, and a programming assignment, and even logic homework I feel like it's mainly been review for tests and such. When it comes to reviewing I feel sort of weird. I feel really good about everything that is coming up on these tests, and when other people ask questions and I help explain things to them I understand them better and that's how I review my stuff.

This post isn't really starting with much of a clear idea of what I want to say, not that there's nothing I'd like to say, just nothing that is in the forefront of my mind right now. So it's basically going to be a "I feel like blogging, but not sure what about post."

First, I'll explain the title, "Panio!!" We were sitting here, just kind of hanging out, and my friend texted us asking if we were in a classroom or in the Piano lounge. My friend Corey responded with "Pano" and then later he went and said "Panio!" So, there's that.

Actually, recently we were talking a lot about Full Metal Alchemist and the whole seeing the truth thing and all. So, we decided that Corey would lose his voice in the exchange, and so he went a couple hours without talking, just to continue the whole thing. We're too cool for you!

I completely lost my train of thought, which is funny because my mind was already scattered. =P

Well... Until I actually have more thrilling things to say, or comment on, or fill you guys in about, I'll be off. Haha.

The Necklace Story

This is basically just a random post where I will explain to you the meaning of the necklace which I have worn pretty much every day since the 8th/7th grade.

I got my necklace towards the end of my seventh grade year when my grandma decided that they shouldn't only be focusing on the people graduating, so she bought me this necklace with a cross on it.

I'm pretty sure I never took the thing off. Well, during my 8th grade year some of my friends decided to give me charms to put on my necklace. From my friend Caitlin Dahl, I received a peace sign; from Emilee Cavaness, I got a key; from Arianna Neal, I got a lock; from Chelsea Fell, I got a piano, a fish, and a Japanese coin.

Each one of these charms is a reminder of my friends who I don't think I could forget if I tried (not that I want to). In the last 5 or so years that I've worn the necklace a lot has changed. I decided that the 7 charms were too much, and narrowed it down to a lock, a piano, a cross, a peace sign, and a key. The coin ended up on my car keys, and the fish I put on my house keys. That didn't make them mean anything less though!

Well, my grandma saw this, and it made her happy that I liked the necklace so much so she gave me a little prayer box to put on it. I gladly put the prayer box on my necklace in between the cross and the peace sign.

Some more time progressed, and my necklace broke more times than I could count, but I kept wearing it. Eventually, the peace sign disappeared. I still have no idea what happened to it, but it was just gone one day. One of the times my necklace broke I had my friend take it so she could fix it up and what not. When I received my necklace back the next day my piano was missing, and no one knows where it went. The fish, broke one day when my dad opened the door as I was unlocking it and I dropped my keys.

The lock lasted the longest (I think) of the charms that are no longer on anything. My friend Christopher always joked about unlocking the lock with the key, and one day when we were bowling he got a little bit overzealous and broke the lock. It's actually still somewhere in my home.

As far as the non-charm things go, my prayer box is currently housing two things. The first thing is a rock from my friend Christopher's house that my friend Emilee put there. I haven't taken it out except to show to people here and there, but it's been there for a while.

The other thing I keep in my prayer box is a star. A little paper star that I was handed last semester by an acquaintance. The girl who gave it to me was in my CS classes, and I started getting to know them from just being around them before classes started. It wasn't really until the end of the semester/the start of this semester that I really started hanging out with them though. Ann, who gave me the star, along with her whole group of friends has worked their way into my life, just like anything else that has ended up on my necklace.

A story of love, and joy, and friendship. A story of distance, and loss, and pain.

A story of hope, and renewal. =D

Basically, this necklace has been through a lot of stuff with me, and for some reason, when I don't feel like continuing, it inspires me to keep going.

Extension of Last Post

Please don't read until you have read the previous post.

I've figured our an easy way to put this.

I know that this set of friends is legit, because I find myself faced with the exact same feelings when I know I won't see them for as little as a day.

The same feeling I had at the end of CSSI, and the same feeling that keeps my pushing forward to FUSE.

The same feeling that made me dread graduation, and pray that the 9 hour drive wouldn't distance me from my friends.

This feeling isn't something that just happens. It is that feeling that I have needed for so long now.

A strong base of friends here at UT who I would do anything for, just as I would for any friend from high school, or CSSI.

I love these guys more than words can express, and I really do fear that I won't tell them, because for some reason I'm not too keen on being the cause of the whole sappy scene, and it'll cost me.

In case this finds its way into your hands, I love you guys, and hope that I portray this somewhat on a daily basis.

The Luckiest

I'm about to be really... Blunt. I think my friends are the coolest EVER.

I meant to write this last night, but I decided to sleep instead. Who would have thought that. Haha.

So, I do a lot of posts about my friends, why is that?  Because I don't like talking about me, and I like talking about things that make me happy (insert friends here).

The friends I have made here at college, are without a doubt some of the coolest people know to mankind. We all have these epic quirks, and while it is possible that these quirks clash at times they also mesh really well. It's amazing how much humor can be Pokemon related, or other general nerdness.

Several of my friends here can recognize certain Pokemon based on their cry in the games.
Most all of them own a DS, one or two of which bought the 3DS at midnight release.
I'm pretty sure everyone loves music (Thanks to band or choir or other musical things).
Not all of them are CS majors, there is in fact a Liberal Artsy in the group.
Several levels of nerd can be passed in a matter of minutes, and it's really no big deal.
The Liberal Artsy also plays the Pokemans.
There is a general love for Full Metal Alchemist.
Two Erics, a set of Twins, and Two Williams.
They play Minecraft. (Not all, but a lot.)
We can pretty much hang out for long periods of time, just to be there.

I'm failing at making this sound as epic, and awesome as I want it to, because as much as I want to make this great, I want to sleep, so I'm sort of conflicted. =/

Sleep is about to win though, so I hope I can let you know better how awesome my friends are.

Also, this post is just about the new friends here at UT, if I included the old ones then you wouldn't stand a chance of having cooler friends. Sorry. =D

Love ya guys, and night!

The City Where Nothing Is Open Past Eight

Seriously!!

China Town closes by 9:30, and no coffee shops are open late with wifi and plugs! I have walked all around this town (nearish the hotel) for several hours and found nothing! Gwarsh!

OK, I'm back in Austin, and no longer in the "lively" town of San Francisco, but I had started updating this from my hotel room two nights ago. I also planned to blog yesterday, but I just got wrapped up in hanging with people, studying calculus, and sleeping.

Right now, I'm sitting in a Chemistry class, thinking about this last Christmas break. I remember telling a friend of mine, "Oh, I've kinda heard of Blog Every Day in April, but I've not planned on doing it. I mean, I'm pretty sure I'll blog most every day because I have so much time to kill."

Well, that was said after my first semester here at UT, where the craziest thing I did, was stay up all night doing homework for a class. I still managed to blog a lot, however, because I had so much free time. This semester, however, my free time has shrunk, and it's not really a bad thing. I spend a lot of time working on my CS programs, and homework for some of my other classes. The time between me finishing classes, and starting said work is usually spent hanging out with some of the coolest people I have met here at UT. Then I do homework, then sleep.

The schedule changes some, depending on what the work is, and all that, but it's usually the same. It's FREAKIN' awesome! Haha.

I mean, I'm seriously having such a good time this semester. Granted, I'm having to put a lot more effort into my classes, and the time allotted for my Calculus tests is destroying me. I know the materials, I just don't have enough time to get through all the math needed to solve the stuff.

Also, since Sunday, which was the first full day in San Francisco, I have had 4 and a half nosebleeds. The half was one that started to bleed, but stopped shortly afterwards.

Class is almost over, and I'll talk more laters! =D

Tasha!!!!

So, since the last post, quite a bit has happened.

For starters, I got to see Tasha. That was probably the most exciting part of it all. It was really exciting, and it made me feel really good about coming here.

So, there was the end of the ELA part of the conference, and the beginning of the Tapia conference.

The Tapia conference started in the crown room, which looks out over the whole of San Francisco. The view is breathtakingly beautiful. Remind me to show you guys some of the pictures.

Also since the last post, I finally went out and kinda explored China Town. It was really cool, and I wish we hadn't gotten there when they decided everything should be closing.

Now, we are headed to a coffee shop so Enrique can do homework while we hang out. =D

Conference Part One

Ok, so I've got like ten or fifteen minutes break right now.

See, I'm not just in california having fun! It's pretty cool so far. Richard Tapia has talked to us about the idea of underrepresentation, and it was a really good talk, I enjoyed it.

Then I went and looked at some posters that some people made about their research. It was all really cool, but a lot of it went over my head.

Now, there is a talk about Eigenvalues and BA Muscle Cars. Except it doesn't say BA. Haha.

Check back with you guys later.

San Fran

Yea, I'm back... In San Francisco, and on my blog. I apologize for not blogging for who knows how long...

I've been having a really great time here (in Austin) at UT this semester, so I have a lot to tell you there.

That will have to wait until I get back however, because right now, San Fran-freaking-sisco!

Haha. Right now, however, I am headed to breakfast. I'll try and keep you updated in between events, if that isn't against the rules or something. Haha!