Spring

More and more, it's feeling like spring here. It's not so cold (like it is back in minny). 50s are forcast for this week! Get out the road bike!

I managed to get mt hood ski race revenge last weekend, beating one of the punks who sprinted by me when I face planted last time. I ended up 2nd, but that was good, because I didn't face plant, and I had managed a 3 hr run the day before. Midterm season ended last night, with the physics final. The other midterms were above average, and the other one was average. I think I understand the material better than my C grade in circuits reflected. And maybe it's because the teacher is allowing us a 3X5 notecard on the exam for anything we can write, but chemistry is going pretty well this term.

Laurie's going to Seattle on the train this weekend. I'm going to brush up on Chemistry, Circuits and other bogus bull crap, i'm supposed to be learning about renewable energy dammit! The only thing of noteable note that's pretty cool and interesting that our class has learned or whatever is, about a week ago, we had a guy show us (the guy came to OIT) his car that he converted into a hybrid. How? well, 1st, he put a big Pb acid battery in the back seat, that would power everything electrical in the car (everything like radio, heater, a/c, lights, you name it.) And then, he wired this big battery up to the alternator, and made it so the alternator would only run (ie charge the battery), when the sensor (installed by the wheel well) sensed that the car was going downhill, or deccelerating. That left the horsepower of the gas engine, to concentrate on power the wheels of the car, not having to worry about the alternator. He said he's got 47 mpgs, and this was like a circa 1998 chevy or chrysler sedan or something like that. His car did not self support itself (it needed to be trickle charged at night every 3-5 days) but he was going to put a small pv panel on the roof so it wouldn't need to be charged at all. If wise asses in portland can build shit like this on their own, why cant idiots in detriot? Let's just blame it on George Bush.

OK, now I'm supposed to be working, not blogging. later.