headed "home"...

Or what used to be home, but still feels like home in so many ways...

good ol' Indiana.  i would say, "I'll be out, so sorry no blogs", but my being in Tucson hasn't stopped that either :)

but I must say, my house is very clean in anticipation of my departure and my students have made the most adorable requests - such as...
-local chapstick that smells good
-local food
-pictures of buggies (Amish town)
-fall leaves
-clippings of grass

they crack me up...

i'll leave you with a song that's been buzzing in my head

the awkward and beautiful

Two amazing artists - they're a little awkward since they just met, but it's lovely huh?

a day in the life

So there were some funny random things today, so I thought I'd share...

6:15 AM - made bomb americano..mmmmmm

6:30 AM - the traffic continues on with construction Valencia...boooooo

8:45 AM - performed this demonstration for my chemistry class as we discuss chemical reactions


except I used a milk jug instead of a bottle, and it was horizontal allowing it to shoot across the room (on purpose), burning off the arm hair and skin on my right hand and arm (not on purpose)...let's just say the reaction was much smaller when I practiced it...

[ok not gonna lie, that was main highlight of the day]

10:15 - apologized to several of my classes for my generally gloomy disposition these days...that I had taken on too much, and though I swore I'd never be like my parents, I had become them in ways and now have to fight to do "enough"

1:30 PM - FINALLY got my 6th hour to be quiet and raise their hands by meticulously writing down on my clipboard every time someone spoke without raising their hand and being called on.  VINDICATION is the word that came to mind...but they also behaved so well together after that (which was an added bonus!)

2:30 PM - talked with a student about whether he should disobey his mother and get his citizenship through his father who is an American citizen. Did you know you have to pay 600 DOLLARS just to get your citizenship if one of your parents is American but you were born abroad?!?!?!?!?  That seems RIDICULOUS!!!! 

4 PM - Cereal and Star Trek - oh ya :)

blue eye color

So today happens to be a random science-y post. 

I was fascinated yesterday to learn there are at least 6 genes that contribute to eye color. This means that the way I (and probably you) learned about eye color, blue is recessive and brown dominant, is wrong! Blue eyes are basically pigment-less, meaning clear, resulting from the lack of melanin (the same thing that gives humans darker skin). Melanin causes browner eyes, so when they're clearer, Rayleigh scattering occurs making the eyes appear blue! This is the same reason that the sky is blue! 

SOOOO COOOLLLL!!!! 

and here are some creepy looking animals with blue eyes...but I still haven't figured out why I have a dark ring around my iris (which I learned is not caused by corneal arcus) 

ahhhh october

It's been quite some time since I said hey to ya'll - life's been nuts!

But an added blessing to the season of autumn is that it is now OCTOBER - my favorite month here in Tucson because it actually starts to cool off...but not today, it's still 95 out today...

I found this old woodcut related to the month of October from "The Shepheardes Calender"...random Google search but cool art!