Fall is warmer than summer

What the hell... it's been 17 and above for the last week... why is fall warmer than the last few weeks of summer??!! Stupid Edmonton weather :P

Just finished my analysis of that code, deciphered all the output except for two numbers, which don't seem to have a set pattern. Oh well, it's the other numbers that are important anyways. Now just have to test it with the phantom; as well, we figured out a way to use the previous fit matrix to set the initial condition for the next registration, which should speed things up a little (like 0.5 seconds, but hey, multiply by 1000 and you've got a sizeable chunk of time saved).

In the home stretch with scholarship applications, just have to track down my references. >:S Dr. Brett has mailed them off (to me I hope), but Dr. Fallone doesn't seem to be answering my e-mails. That's slightly worrying, as I have to send the packages off by Wednesday. If worst comes to worst, I may have to give up the AHFMR app and just send Dr. Brett and Dr. Thompson's letters for the GRA, and hunt down Dr. Fallone for the 75th Anniversary app.

Well, two days (less actually) before Mom comes to visit! Just cleaned the downstairs, now have to clean the upstairs. It's not that bad actually, we've kept it pretty clean in the past week or so. Just have to go over the floor with a vacuum and wash dishes (an ongoing battle, tally-ho!).

Found something out last week: Marble Slab Ice Cream is the best! They mix a fruit/candy/chocolate with your ice cream of choice, with metal spatulas of all things. Makes for a good cone though, and it's open until 11 which means people can satisfy their after-dinner cravings. Some people say it heightens the commercialism on Whyte Ave, but they just haven't had a cone yet. Even anti-establishment-arians eat ice cream!

Well, changed my mind after trying out that yuuan yaki recipe; a bit too sweet for me. Will probably do teriyaki, which is easier anyways. Made green tea ice cream too, but it's not freezing well; probably because there's too much stuff in the freezers. If it doesn't work, we'll probably just walk down to Marble Slab or something. :P

For all that I've been writing about gourmet cooking, I had an apple and cheese and crackers for dinner tonight. Have to do better when Mom gets here (not that there's anything wrong with apple, cheese and crackers).

cheers, eating-for-survival-out-of-pure-laziness Ange

close call, and dinner plans

Holy shit, I almost got hit by a bus today O_O;;; Two more inches and I wouldn't be typing here. I was crossing the street, just when the signal turned to the flashing hand, so I assumed I was still good to go. I guess the bus driver didn't see me when he was turning, 'cause when I looked left it was bearing down at me at full speed!! Luckily I didn't freeze and managed to crutch myself out of the way, but the tire and side of the bus were like two inches behind me. Talk about escaping by the skin on your teeth!

Well, in other news, I'm almost done finishing up that analysis of the code I'm working on, and we're going to try scanning phantoms (basically big plastic cylinders of water with tubes in them) and rocking them back and forth to simulate motion, throw that at the code and see how it does. We'll have to come up with some way of rocking it besides manually doing it (standing there for half an hour, that's fun fun fun).

Dinner plans are finalized, Sun Sept 26 at 6PM. Just inviting max of 3-4, so I don't have to cook that much. :P Theme will be Asian-style, so I'm making Yuuan Yaki (pan-glazed fish with citrus and soy), rice with a bonito-topping, and green tea ice cream. Jess is probably bringing gyoza, and B'dette (if she ever gets back to me) will probably make something Japanese-y. Invited Lushi too, will have to tell her where I live later (her e-mail isn't working). It should be fun, and we might go see Hero (or Harold and Kumar Go To White Castle :P) after. I'll save the Eton Mess for C&M Night.

I'm probably going out this weekend with the KF peeps, will be nice to see them again as I'm not currently going to KF until my leg heals up. I see the doctor tomorrow, so hopefully he'll give me good news. Good thing that bus didn't hit me, or I'd be laid up for a lot longer!

cheers, Ange the incredibly lucky

more linkage, and reunion days (it seems)

hehe, seems like I'm linking to everything nowadays...

http://www.ualberta.ca/~aoleung/ follow the magic listbox

Plus I've added Panda-Cam from the San Diego Zoo on the sidebar. Pandas rock.

In other news, had grad orientation. Slightly smaller scale than WOW, so we got one room in ETLC. People were lining up along the stairs and in front of the door to listen to people talk about stuff. Things I've learned:

1) People like to stare at people with crutches and bionic legs. :P
2) Speeches are basically about the same stuff as undergrad with "graduate" inserted.

Left after 15 minutes because I found out what I needed to know: Health Plan starts Sept 1, so nothing in August is covered. Crap. Well, Mat Johnson better cough up the money for that textbook so I can pay for my brace! :P

Today seems like one big reunion. Saw some people that I haven't seen since April. Went for lunch at Cafe Mosaics with Trish, Dallas, and Jess, good vegetarian food (potato, carrot and onion quesadillas? genius!). Trish is doing CompE MSc with Dr. Dyck (crazy guy apparently), Dallas is doing Environmental Eng at GMac (wants to retire at 30), and Jess is currently licensed to sell life insurance (I should probably get some, considering :P) and considering teaching English in Japan.

At the grad info session, ran into (well, I sat and they came to talk to me) Isaac, Dave and Jon. Isaac is doing stuff with silicon nano-crystals in Physics, Dave is in Controls/Robotics in EE, and Jon is in CompSci also doing stuff with Robotics. Everyone's stayed pretty close to their interests, and they haven't changed too much in 4 months (wouldn't expect it, but who knows).

Headed over to the Grad BBQ, saw Jason Ng; he's working for Dr. Dew, and helping out with ARVP (who wouldn't play with big robots? :P). They were holding the Engineering BBQ outside ETLC at the same time, so heard several "40 Beers" chants going on. Man, did we sound like a mass cult gathering when we were in first year? Scary. Dr. Brett and Dr. Koles were there, was going to say hi but Dean Lynch and a crony got to them first. Didn't want to interrupt, seeing as Deaner might have seen our movie :P.

Guess who I saw at the BBQ? Lushi! I thought she was gone to Malaysia for good, but seems it was only a summer-long visit. She's also in Biomed, but in the neural prosthetic/paralysis compensation side, working out of the glass building with all the pipes by Med Sci. She's actually living not too far away, 107 St and 80 Ave. Haha, that makes 5 people I know in a 4-block radius, should have a street party sometime. ^^

Well, that wraps up the reunions. I wonder who else is still here; Aaron is in Waterloo, Wes is at Carleton, Dave Zeibin is at UBC (doing architecture), Taylor is in the Air Force and Adrian I believe is going to Ottawa. AFAIK, everyone else is either still finishing up or doing undergrad here.

Hey, for all those in Edmonton and reading this, I'll be holding a potluck in about three weeks or so (before the last week of September probably) so keep it open. C&M for those in the know will be after I get this bloody brace off. >:)

cheers, Ange (all gradded out)

damn that looks good...

This is what comes of watching the Food Network (and on an unrelated note, World Cup Hockey). I've got a couple of ideas I want to try out this year, mostly food. Found a great recipe for winter, a chicken-sausage ragu on top of parsley-butter pasta. Goes well with salad and appetizers made of mini-breadsticks, parmesan cheese, radicchio or dandelion leaves, and italian deli meat. Wine too. It's a meal for many, so will probably invite some friends over to help eat.

Another is an "Eton Mess", which is a chocolate pavlova (sort of baked meringue that's crispy on the outside and soft and moist on the inside) topped with mounds of whipped cream, raspberries and topped off with chocolate flakes. Yum. Sounds like "cake and martinis" party kind of fare. Might do that after I get this damn brace off (carrying a martini glass with crutches not the best idea)...

Saw a show about a restaurant in Montreal, "Cube" in the St. Paul Hotel. Has a main floor restaurant area as well as a second-floor raw bar lounge (uncooked foods, like sashimi). The decor is interesting, square-themed dark and modern, and they have this one appetizer called "Salmon Three Ways" which is a terrine, sashimi, and something else that looks yummy but unidentifiable. Don't know the prices or service, but would be worth taking a look.

Chicken and Andouille Sausage Ragu:
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/recipe_views/views/107676

Eton Mess:
http://www.ece.ualberta.ca/~aleung/Eton_Mess.doc

Cube:
http://www.hotelstpaul.com/en/cube.asp
http://www.foodtv.ca/tv/shows/titledetails/title_46610.asp

cheers, Ange (nu-B Fu-D)