"Ashes, ashes..."
Volcanic snow.
Why not? A particle of volcanic ash is an amorphous (glass) fragment of coagulated minerals. A snowflake is just a crystalline lattice of water molecules.
In the 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens, a mushroom cloud of ash was ejected 15 miles into the atmosphere. The mountain spewed ash for about 9 hours. Three days later there were ashes falling on the east coast of the U.S.
Most of us are used to some snowfall now and then; how many people have gone out and shoveled blankets of ash off their driveways? They had to jump on that quickly, because ash can develop the consistency of concrete when it gets wet. (Talk about completely ruining the gutters on your roof.)
Volcanic ash also conducts electricity; an approaching ash cloud may look like a thunderstorm. And it carries the accompanying scent of sulfur. Can you imagine? Hellfire and brimstone are coming to town. Wow. Oh, and this ash would be extremely abrasive, so you wouldn't want to get it in your eyes -- or breathe it into your lungs. (Remember how it turns into liquid cement when it comes into contact with moisture?)
I have been out in a few driving snowstorms, when the wind is up and the snowflakes sting your exposed skin like the tiny high-velocity ice pellets they are, and you can't see ten feet in front of you for the blindingly furiously swirling whiteness. Can you imagine being caught in an ash storm? Imagine the air filled with a driving sleet of rock shards, the smell of sulfur invading your nose; your eyes start getting that nasty gritty gummy feeling, your throat stings and you can taste a tang of blood on the back of your tongue when the abrasive ash particles start making microscopic tears along the inside of your mouth. The air feels thick when you breathe it in, the sunlight has disappeared, and you're surrounded by this gathering darkness, heavy and invasive and suffocating.
Imagine.
This could be approaching hell on earth, if it was possible to begin to imagine such a thing.
--
Labels: imagine yourself here, science
Snowdust
I was driving south along the Front Range this morning under a thick bank of clouds when the snow flurries started coming down. It was strange, seeing the snow against a blue sky to the south, the sun breaking through cloud banks over the eastern plains. The snow dust was doing its smoky, snaking dance over the highway pavement. By the time I got into south Boulder, the neighborhood streets were white and the snow had stopped, and the sky overhead was a beautiful early morning blue.
--
Labels: everyday, imagine yourself here
Forensics, Chicago, and My Future?
So I've been doing some research on careers in crime scene investigation and forensics in general. As it turns out, CSI has it wrong. (But hey, it's TV.)
I thought for a while last year that doing "forensics" would be cool, maybe; but the more I thought about it, the more I disliked the idea of dealing with violent crime scenes and grisly dead bodies. I still don't like that idea. But as I discovered recently, that's really only the CSI part of it; after the scene technicians collect the evidence, the
analysts take up the evidence and work on it in a lab. OK, they look at photos of violent crime scenes and grisly dead bodies, but they're not actually
there. Big difference.
So, once again, forensic analysis is under serious consideration.
Also, I found out (don't ask why I was looking at Chicago apartment listings) that there are decent-looking 1-bedroom apartments available for under $1000/month (utilities included) in Chicago's Lakeview neighboorhood. I found this really cute place in a courtyard building with hardwood floors, right near Wrigley Field, on a nice-looking street with tall, healthy maple & oak trees.
I could live there. I think I'd like it.
And the
Illinois State Police run the world's third largest crime laboratory system. They have a nice lab in Chicago, and a "Forensic Scientist Trainee" program that I could do right out of college... Hmm...
--
Labels: my future, science
Biology and My Future?
I'm in the middle of another pre-exam multi-day study session. For biology. I always confuse the differences between the various phases of cellular mitosis and meiosis.
I'm not a big fan of microbiology. Anatomy and biomechanics are more my thing.
I talked to one of my coolest professors ever, Daria, on Tuesday. We had a chat about engineering and other careers, among other things. Once again, I was informed that medical education programs look favorably on engineering backgrounds. So, once again, I find myself looking favorably on the career of Physician Assistant. They're somewhere between nurse and doctor; to be certified, most programs do 2 years of graduate education followed by a year of internship rotations. (Yes, I have done my research.) And a P.A. can specialize in basically anything that a doctor can. I'm thinking maybe radiology, maybe orthopedics, maybe family practice -- I don't know. That's supposedly what the year of internships is for, so you can get an idea for what you want to do.
I went to the Rock N Soul cafe in east Boulder on Tuesday night to see my friend Janine sing. (She works at the hospital.) She was there with her bluegrass/folk trio, the Whipporwills. They sounded great! I love old-fashioned harmonies.
--
Labels: everyday, my future, science
Mornings
I wish there were more hours in a day. Then I could get everything done that I do now, and I'd be able to get in my required 8 hours of sleep. I like mornings, as long as I'm well-rested.
That's right, I'm a morning person. When I have the time. I love my bedroom in the summertime, when I leave my window and curtains open to the sunrise. There is nothing quite like waking up, sans alarm, to warm sunlight on your face and a cheery birdsong drifting on the air.
I think my perfect morning would happen like this:
I wake up, comfortable, well-rested, before my alarm goes off, with the pleasant realization that I have no obligations for the next few hours. Winter or summer, the temperature in my room is perfect: I'm not shivering, but it's just cool enough that I'm happy to wrap myself in a light fleece pullover and step into a pair of cozy slippers. The sun is barely risen, the house is blanketed by that peaceful quiet of early morning. In the kitchen, I turn on the coffee maker and set the oven to preheat. There are biscuits, ready-made, waiting in the fridge. I stand in front of the sink and stare out the window at the lightening sky. Hopefully there are some birds poking around a feeder in a tree. My dog (or cat) comes wandering into the kitchen after me and settles down on the floor at my feet after a brief pet on the head. When the oven *dings* (yes, I like ovens that *ding*) I slide the pan of biscuits in and set the timer (which also *dings*). By now the coffee is done, so I pick my favorite mug out of the cabinet and pour myself a nice steaming cup of hazelnut. One spoonful of sugar and a dash of milk (or cream?) later, it's perfect. So I stand against the counter and smell my coffee (mmm, hazelnut) for a few minutes while I stare out the window some more and watch the birds. Right about now, someone (mom? dad? sister? husband, someday...) comes into the kitchen, lured by the smell of hazelnut coffee and baking biscuits. I get a hug and a "Good morning."
Why can't all my days start like this?
--
Labels: everyday, food, imagine yourself here, ponderings
My first blog!
So... I've never done a blog before. This is my first blog post ever! Isn't it exciting?
No, not really. For me it is, though.
I decided recently that I really have no idea what it is I want to do when I graduate. I mean, I want to work, sure, but in what field? Healthcare, forensics, meteorology, science journalism, bioengineering... ? So I just do a lot of reading in my spare time. I love the nonfiction section of my library.
OK, I'm done. Whew, that was an exciting first post.
--
Labels: ponderings
