i'd rather be stargazing

dude, so lie groups homework is due tomorrow. 7 problems.... i don't really understand the particulars of what's going on although i have a good idea of the big picture if i can gloss details... that makes so that i know enough that the problems are meaningful and interesting but not enough to be confident my solutions are right, or close enough to right to get by... blah.

i have a problem with group work lately. if i work on homework with just one other person where we can both mind our own business but ask each other questions on occasion, i'm ok with that. when there's more than that and we try to collaboratively talk up solutions, i just run out of patience lately. i don' know why that is. it happened again tonight. leigh and colleen were working on lie groups, i joined them and so did minh. finally, they're talking and talking and i didn't quite follow them so got off on my own tangent thinking... after a bit i figured, i wasn't really collaborating with them or gaining much useful info or insight out of the process so i might as well work at home where i'm comfortable and can listen to music, etc. as i work. so that's what i did... they're still working together, i'm minding my own business, not confirming my solutions with anyone, but much happier with the system... go figure.

why would i rather be stargazing? well i'd just about rather be doing anything than homework i don't fully understand, but maybe you read the entry a week and a half ago, maybe not where i commented "stargazing just got a million times cooler... ask me in a week"... so the day eric and me went to the plantarium, i finally bit the bullet and bought myself the $300 telescope i'd been eyeing for a bit. it's super cool (goto www.meade.comclick on "ds" and check out the 2130 i believe it is)... it is reflective instead of refractive, and it's computerized... there's two motors that move the scope around and aim it... when you go outside, you find a star you know through it, and tell it where you are (latitude and longitude) and what time and date it is and then you can scroll through menus full of stars, pick what you want to see, and it'll automatically find it for you... you can hook it up to a computer to download info on where like the space stations etc are too... it's completely awesome. eric and i have taken it out 2 or 3 times since i got it... i saw jupiter's moons and stripes and saturn's rings for the first time -- completely awesome! i was sooo pumped... why was it a secret for a week? simple... didn't want a lecture from the parents on spending money while on a relatively low salary while they were here, so it was living at eric's place until yesterday... do dah =)

in short, here i am, half done with an assignment i'm tired of, and i have an awesome telescope sitting across the room on a night that's clear and relatively warm (10-15 F higher than last week) and i'm stuck not stargazing... this is sad.

other completely random observation.... so since i've been living with amanda, i try to acclimate to her habits... like if i toss something she thinks should be recycled, she fishes it back out... so i'm super conscientious of keeping stuff out that can possibly be recycled and actually recycling now... dad tried to throw away a plastic bottle while he and mom were visiting this weekend, and i stopped him and made him recycle too.
amanda on the phone just now, "how can you say that? it's like against the law to not recycle...seriously! they could fine you for throwing that away!!!"
dad in response to me telling him where to put the bottle, "lar, no offense, but i toured the memphis recycling facility before with work... they were taking all the stuff people turned in, and throwing all of it away except for plastic bottles... and only some kinds of those because they were worth less money if they weren't clear.. and even only some of those since they were short staffed to catch every single one that came down the conveyor belt... the thought's nice, but the system doesn't actually do what you think it does... i have no problem throwing this away"
duuuuuuuuude... woulda been great to have amanda hear that one. whatever... it's the thought that counts... recycle the stupid bottles to maintain peace with the roommate, and whatever happens to them, happens. the end.
(was that not the most random digression ever?) =P