02/03/2007: "A lazy Saturday.. Macgyver-style!"

Slept 8 hours today, attempted 9 but didn't really quite make it. For some reason, my body's internal clock has a really keen sense of time and when it hits those critical hours after when I should be up and preparing for classes (0745 or 0945/1015, depending on the day), I start waking up every 30 minutes or so. I suppose this is a good thing, or at least better than easily sleeping through classes.

Today's been a pretty laid-back day. I prefer to put all the actual 'work' off for Sunday to try to at least salvage some semblance of a weekend. Not too much to do, so it shouldn't be too bad. Japanese homework, a little Japanese studying, and that should be about it. As for what I did do today, it wasn't too bad. Spent a few hours in the kitchen teaching my younger brother and sister how to cook some basic dishes (and how to cook a little more efficiently), explained the physics (heat transfer, freezing and boiling points, elements that will lower and raise said points) behind some basic cooking, baked some cookies, taught them how to make some basic candy, then watched a movie (Princess Mononoke). I also covered some "necessary" life skills, such as how to make a cup out of aluminum foil for melting things.

Remember, kids, you can make anything out of aluminum foil. If you can't, then you're just not trying hard enough or don't have enough foil.

Realizing that I only have one year left of school has been weighing heavily on me as of late. It's still a whole year to go, but I have a lot to do in that time, particularly in my senior year. I need to start applying for grad schools, scholarships, companies. Lions, tigers, and bears.. oh my! Fortunately, I should be taking the bare-minimum 12-credits for my entire senior year (instead of the 18 I'm doing now), so I don't think time considerations will be so much of an issue. If I play my cards, right, I should be able to work through my senior year while I'm at it. Why would I do that? I really have no clue.. just kinda seems like something I should be doing.

That's another thing that's been getting to me: I just don't feel productive, like I should be doing so much more than I am. Most of all, I think it's a fear of slowing down. I see so many people around me settling for mediocrity, accepting a standard and willing to live with it, but that's not what I want. Slowing down is a step above stopping, and I definitely can't be having that. I'd look into working now, but it feels like I barely have enough time to do my school work as it is, so that's not such a wise idea. Looks like this summer has potential, though.

Alas, not much can be done about all this now. Just some more stuff to keep in the back of my mind over the coming months. Right now my priority is to get better at Japanese, learn some new things, and get up and go to school.

Off I go!


Jason

On Sunday, February 4th, Kat said:

Good for you-i'm trying not to settle either. And i hear you about trying to balance school, work (or looking into work), and finding grad schools/applying which really does take up quite a bit of time. Gah...