jumping beans! Hello from portland! I've been busy doing everything but school things since I got back. The drive here was pretty crazy and fun. As we approached p-town, it got strangely colder and snowier and we eventually discovered we were driving on three inches of solid ice. thank god we're still alive. portland was like a dreamland. On our way to campus, riley and I went and stomped some choice words in the golf course grass and made some pretty funny videos (which I will try to post). I kept getting stuck and unable to go uphill... its really weird to think you're going to have traction on gravel or something and then just slip on your ass. The day after we got here we went on a road trip to the coast and Astoria... lots of good kite flying... MLK day was spent shopping for and making five gallons of blackberry mead, which is now busy fermenting underneath my desk. sadly, the ice has melted and I must start classes again tomorrow, but everything feels pretty damn wonderful. Things got a bit boring after you all left for your respective schools, but I have to say it was a nearly perfect break... exactly what I needed... I expect everyone to do their damndest to have an excellent semester and let the blog know about all of it. I am currently looking at the employment pages for west yellowstone this summer... anyone else?

From my Thermo/statiscal dynamics Syllabus:
"Ludwig Boltzmann, who spent much of his life studying statistical mechanics, died in 1906 by his own hand. Paul Ehrenfest, carrying on the work died similarly in 1933. Now it is our turn to study statistical mechanics.
Perhaps it will be wise to approach the subject cautiously..."

...great... I can't wait...