Digging in...

Well, the semester is pretty much in full swing now: Homework for all my classes, starting to get into research, and still learning about the area. I spent the better part of last week catching up from the4 days of class I missed while in Seattle, then today I decided to switch out of a theoretical math course into an applied dynamics course that will actually help me on the qualifying exams this coming spring. (Plus the theoretical math course was rather frustrating... and the homework assignments were taking 20+ hours/week.)

So now this week I get to catch up on 2 weeks of the dynamics course, but the Prof seems pretty nice and will let me make up the assignments I've missed without penalty. He's an entertaining older guy (a "legend" in the dynamics field I was told) that wrote the book we're using, and it looks like the majority of the HW is coming up with problems (and solving them) that he can use in the next edition of the book. Sure, its "slave labor," but it means that the homework might actually have a point (besides learning), so that makes things a little more interesting.

Other than school, I've still been going to the GCF bible study and went to a game night on Saturday with all the GCF studies. I've also been systematically checking out possible churches in the area. I went to one on Sunday with some of the GCF guys... there was good, in depth teaching but the service style was pretty traditional, which at times I find constraining. I dunno... I already know there's not a Mars Hill:Ithaca, (for you non-Seattlites, I attended Mars Hill Church while at UW in Seattle) but I find myself really missing that church. I still keep up on all the sermons via podcast which has been great, but not the same as being there.

OK... off to class. My computer should get here sometime this week from Seattle, so I'll have a better chance of integrating some pics into these posts.