Ok. First for a little background.
Back when I was still in school, I submitted a paper to www.smc-it.org. The paper was a short synopsis of what I did for my thesis.
The Third IEEE International Conference On Space Mission Challenges For Information Technology (SMC-IT 2009) is mostly organized by NASA Jet Propulsion Labratories. The IEEE is "The world's leading professional association for the advancement of technology". In addition to giving a ~25 minute presentation at the conference (July 19 - 23, 2009), the paper I will submit will be published in the proceedings! I'm so so surprised, happy, and slightly mortified.
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
In Closing...
Another year has gone by, and I feel compelled to write my own little synopsis of 2008 along with all the other bloggers in the blog-o-sphere. Horray for redundancy!! I do plan to keep this mostly family-related though, so hopefully mine will be as unique as the next guys'.
The tone of 2008 was set in motion by events that started in October of 2007. In chronological order, I started with turning in my thesis proposal. This was turned in right in the nick of time, and was the beginning of the grueling year ahead for me. Shortly after that, my brother got rear-ended in a car accident, which was the beginning of his even more grueling year. This caused him, my family, my husband and I to really be pushed to our limits both physically and mentally. Nothing much else happened to us during 2008, but let me tell you, these two things were quite enough!
We all ended the year on a better note - Erick had a successful surgery on his back which has enabled him to be free from the pain medication, and the pain of the accident altogether. I not only finished my thesis, but graduated. Life is now good for Erick and I, and our families are thankful that the drama in our lives has ceased for the time being.
Two things that have surfaced recently that do not prove to be good omens for 2009 is the health of my father, and Angel's father. My father is scheduled to have a biopsy of the lung, and Angel's father needs to have a biopsy of the liver if I'm not mistaken. Hopefully these things will get taken care of swiftly and will have no serious repercussions.
Aside from the accident and the thesis, 2008 was a pretty good year. Here's to 2009 being much better, with everyone in good health, happy, and carefree!!
The tone of 2008 was set in motion by events that started in October of 2007. In chronological order, I started with turning in my thesis proposal. This was turned in right in the nick of time, and was the beginning of the grueling year ahead for me. Shortly after that, my brother got rear-ended in a car accident, which was the beginning of his even more grueling year. This caused him, my family, my husband and I to really be pushed to our limits both physically and mentally. Nothing much else happened to us during 2008, but let me tell you, these two things were quite enough!
We all ended the year on a better note - Erick had a successful surgery on his back which has enabled him to be free from the pain medication, and the pain of the accident altogether. I not only finished my thesis, but graduated. Life is now good for Erick and I, and our families are thankful that the drama in our lives has ceased for the time being.
Two things that have surfaced recently that do not prove to be good omens for 2009 is the health of my father, and Angel's father. My father is scheduled to have a biopsy of the lung, and Angel's father needs to have a biopsy of the liver if I'm not mistaken. Hopefully these things will get taken care of swiftly and will have no serious repercussions.
Aside from the accident and the thesis, 2008 was a pretty good year. Here's to 2009 being much better, with everyone in good health, happy, and carefree!!
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
Freedom!
Well, since the shenanigans of the cruise/graduation, things have not slowed down for me one bit. I went from working on baby to working on other things, and am keeping busy - and LOVING IT! I must say that I am enjoying myself completely. I love the fact that I don't have to say no to people anymore. I've seen some very old friends recently, that I miss so much, and am seeing more of them this evening! I've noticed though that my old friend, the computer, is getting pushed by the way-side in the after work hours, and I'm starting to miss it a teeny tiny bit. Though I miss it, I think that having a good, healthy separation for awhile is a good thing. I think it will help bring my focus back, so I can return to the interwebs with a vengeance. On the other hand, it's nice to be able to lose myself for a whole day cooking in the kitchen, and not have to work harder at anything else to compensate for the time lost. There are a whole bunch of projects around the house that need to be done too, like painting, and doing a thorough carpet cleaning, so I think I'll be busy for awhile. I'm excited for what the future holds, and that I can talk about thesis in the past tense forever and ever.
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Crazy Day
Today is one of those days that I'll remember for the rest of my life. It will definitely be hard not to remember it!
I woke up early to take my second thesis format review to the Graduate Studies office, so I could beat anyone that may happen to turn theirs in today. When I called them the last time, they made it a point to tell me three times that they are reviewed in the order that they're received, so I wanted to jump the gun a bit. So, I turn in second format review(sfr) at 8:00AM sharp, and go to work.
Today is also the day that I normally meet with the professors. Last night when I printed up sfr, I also printed my six signature pages on the 100% cotton 20 lb. white paper in the event that I could persuade them to sign. I also had some books of theirs to return, so I wasn't making a wasted trip in the event that they wouldn't sign. Needless to say, they wouldn't/couldn't sign until I get final approval for the "good paper". So, I returned their books and went on my way.
Depending on what kind of day I'm having, I'll either stay up on campus to finish my work day, or I'll go home and finish there. Today was one of those days where I was up in the air, but I had things to do that were on the way home from San Bernardino, so I figured I'd stay up here to finish work, and get to the other things after work. I am SO GLAD that I stayed up here. As I was working, I decided to check my campus mail, and I get an email from the Graduate Studies office saying that I have successfully completed all of the corrections from my first review, and that I'm ready for the "good paper"!!!
Without wasting any time, I sent an email to my thesis committee with the attachment from the grad studies office, and start heading over to the CS department. It turns out that my entire committee was within arms reach(very rare), and I got all three of their signatures on all six copies.
The moral of the story is to BE PREPARED! You never know what life may throw at you, and sometimes it really DOES turn out better than you expected!
I woke up early to take my second thesis format review to the Graduate Studies office, so I could beat anyone that may happen to turn theirs in today. When I called them the last time, they made it a point to tell me three times that they are reviewed in the order that they're received, so I wanted to jump the gun a bit. So, I turn in second format review(sfr) at 8:00AM sharp, and go to work.
Today is also the day that I normally meet with the professors. Last night when I printed up sfr, I also printed my six signature pages on the 100% cotton 20 lb. white paper in the event that I could persuade them to sign. I also had some books of theirs to return, so I wasn't making a wasted trip in the event that they wouldn't sign. Needless to say, they wouldn't/couldn't sign until I get final approval for the "good paper". So, I returned their books and went on my way.
Depending on what kind of day I'm having, I'll either stay up on campus to finish my work day, or I'll go home and finish there. Today was one of those days where I was up in the air, but I had things to do that were on the way home from San Bernardino, so I figured I'd stay up here to finish work, and get to the other things after work. I am SO GLAD that I stayed up here. As I was working, I decided to check my campus mail, and I get an email from the Graduate Studies office saying that I have successfully completed all of the corrections from my first review, and that I'm ready for the "good paper"!!!
Without wasting any time, I sent an email to my thesis committee with the attachment from the grad studies office, and start heading over to the CS department. It turns out that my entire committee was within arms reach(very rare), and I got all three of their signatures on all six copies.
The moral of the story is to BE PREPARED! You never know what life may throw at you, and sometimes it really DOES turn out better than you expected!
Monday, September 29, 2008
Good Day / Bad Day Pt. 2
Well, even though I'm exhausted right now, I'm feeling pretty good. The single-most important feature I had to implement is now FINISHED! When I started a week ago, it was like looking down the barrel of a loaded gun. I was scared shitless, but it seems like taking baby steps, and keeping your nose to the grindstone really does pay off. It turns out that it wasn't as hard as I thought it was going to be. My work is far from done, but one major milestone is under my belt, and I feel great! All I have to do is keep up this pace, and I think I'll actually make the October 15th deadline. Woohooo!! Graduation here I come!
P.S. I fucking hate it when people are disrespectful of people in the library. Fuck them all.
P.S. I fucking hate it when people are disrespectful of people in the library. Fuck them all.
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Good Day / Bad Day
Today is one of the bad ones. I'm frustrated with my work (school-work... my actual job is dandy). Normally I'm all for learning something new, but I'm in one hell of a pissfire today. I suppose it's just a combination of exhaustion, stubbornness, and frustration. I feel like I'm in a bubble that I want out of, and the only way to do it, is to do the work that I'm frustrated with and not passionate about anymore. I feel lost - there are so many things to know, that I know halfway or don't know at all, and I have to figure them out on my own. I'm not the brightest math person, or even programmer for that matter, but I DO like a challenge. I'm just sick of the challenges right now and there's one around every corner. I'm dreaming about ordinary differential equation solvers and different software architectural patterns right now, and I don't like it!!!!
I just want to be a crazy heavy metal chick who can actually hang out when invited, and bake lovely little pastries for people. That's it. Hopefully in a few short months I'll be able to do just that. I can't wait to just have a full-time job.
/endRant
I just want to be a crazy heavy metal chick who can actually hang out when invited, and bake lovely little pastries for people. That's it. Hopefully in a few short months I'll be able to do just that. I can't wait to just have a full-time job.
/endRant
Sunday, August 24, 2008
Babies, Drugs, and Rock -n- Roll
Contrary to popular belief, I do not hate children. Just because I have not yet chosen to bring a life into this world myself, does not mean that I hate children, or do not ever want to have children. I do, however, have some strong views on this subject (keep in mind that these are my opinions):
I believe that if you bring a life into this world that you ought to have a damn good reason to. Having children to bring attention to yourself, keep a marriage together, or because your biological clock is ticking are not good reasons. Not good enough for me anyway. If you bring a life into this world for those reasons, then you're short-changing that life.
Population growth is exponential, and being the consumer world we are now, our resources will therefore decline exponentially. Yes, the Earth will most likely survive this, but we as the current life forms on this planet may not. I lived next to a family of four, and I could not believe how much garbage they produced. Quite sickening. We need to take care of our Earth, and bringing more consumers into it makes matters worse - especially when there is no regard for it in the first place.
If you ask me, however, what would justify bringing a life into this world, I could not answer it. This is precisely why I have not yet done so. I have not found my reason yet, and I'm not sure I ever will. Some people have called me selfish, but my logical mind cannot comprehend how it could be considered so. I think it's quite the opposite actually. I feel like that for now, one reason is that this decision I've made is helping further our life on this earth by reducing carbon emissions. I'm taking my time to prepare myself if I ever do decide to have children. If I do ever have one, I'd like to have a game plan. Taking the time to be well prepared is not selfish!
Lets not forget that I have my own proverbial baby right now - my thesis. For the past 4 years, I've been working on my masters degree and working full time. If I were to have a "miracle" during all of this, would I be able to carry on? Most likely the answer is "no". Right now I barely have enough time as it is to accomplish the things that I've previously committed to. Is it ok with everybody that I finish one feat before I start another? /endSarcasm
I'm not going to sit here and pretend that I know what parenting a human is like. From what I've heard from real parents though, is that it is hard, and you don't get much sleep. I've also heard that it's the most beautiful thing in the world. This is a bit naive, but it sounds like my friggin thesis! (only a bit less rewarding) It's been very hard, and I don't get much sleep. I don't get to go out much because of it. (I don't have to find a babysitter though, so you got me there) I know all those mothers out there are probably rolling their eyes, but just let me just say this - You probably haven't gone through a computer science masters program and chosen the thesis option either. I'm only saying this because this has been a very hard 4 years - and you don't know it unless you've been through it. I saw some pretty dark times. After I have a real baby, if I ever do, I'll let you know which one was harder, and it'll probably be the MS.
I think it's obvious that I've worked hard. If it isn't, then I'm telling you right now. With that said, I also like to play hard, and I'm absolutely sick of being judged for it. Yes, I like to drink. Alot. I also love going to heavy metal shows alot. This doesn't mean that I like to drink all of the time or go to concerts all of the time, and that I'm some sort of degenerate. If I was, I wouldn't get the things accomplished that I set out to do, and certainly wouldn't be just about done with my MS.
So, before you go judging one part of my lifestyle, make sure you look at all the other facets of my life. If I haven't seen you in a long time, it's not because I don't like you, or your babies, or your pets, or your house. It's because I'm busy as well, and it's going to stay that way until my Thesis is finished.
I love you all. Please accept me for who I am, and what I have chosen as of right now to do with my life, and I will accept you. I think having children is great - for the right reasons, it's just not for me yet. If you know me, then you should know this. With that said, I am going to be MIA for the next few months so I can finish having my own "baby". Don't take it personal, and don't worry - I won't bore you with the details.
I believe that if you bring a life into this world that you ought to have a damn good reason to. Having children to bring attention to yourself, keep a marriage together, or because your biological clock is ticking are not good reasons. Not good enough for me anyway. If you bring a life into this world for those reasons, then you're short-changing that life.
Population growth is exponential, and being the consumer world we are now, our resources will therefore decline exponentially. Yes, the Earth will most likely survive this, but we as the current life forms on this planet may not. I lived next to a family of four, and I could not believe how much garbage they produced. Quite sickening. We need to take care of our Earth, and bringing more consumers into it makes matters worse - especially when there is no regard for it in the first place.
If you ask me, however, what would justify bringing a life into this world, I could not answer it. This is precisely why I have not yet done so. I have not found my reason yet, and I'm not sure I ever will. Some people have called me selfish, but my logical mind cannot comprehend how it could be considered so. I think it's quite the opposite actually. I feel like that for now, one reason is that this decision I've made is helping further our life on this earth by reducing carbon emissions. I'm taking my time to prepare myself if I ever do decide to have children. If I do ever have one, I'd like to have a game plan. Taking the time to be well prepared is not selfish!
Lets not forget that I have my own proverbial baby right now - my thesis. For the past 4 years, I've been working on my masters degree and working full time. If I were to have a "miracle" during all of this, would I be able to carry on? Most likely the answer is "no". Right now I barely have enough time as it is to accomplish the things that I've previously committed to. Is it ok with everybody that I finish one feat before I start another? /endSarcasm
I'm not going to sit here and pretend that I know what parenting a human is like. From what I've heard from real parents though, is that it is hard, and you don't get much sleep. I've also heard that it's the most beautiful thing in the world. This is a bit naive, but it sounds like my friggin thesis! (only a bit less rewarding) It's been very hard, and I don't get much sleep. I don't get to go out much because of it. (I don't have to find a babysitter though, so you got me there) I know all those mothers out there are probably rolling their eyes, but just let me just say this - You probably haven't gone through a computer science masters program and chosen the thesis option either.
I think it's obvious that I've worked hard. If it isn't, then I'm telling you right now. With that said, I also like to play hard, and I'm absolutely sick of being judged for it. Yes, I like to drink. Alot. I also love going to heavy metal shows alot. This doesn't mean that I like to drink all of the time or go to concerts all of the time, and that I'm some sort of degenerate. If I was, I wouldn't get the things accomplished that I set out to do, and certainly wouldn't be just about done with my MS.
So, before you go judging one part of my lifestyle, make sure you look at all the other facets of my life. If I haven't seen you in a long time, it's not because I don't like you, or your babies, or your pets, or your house. It's because I'm busy as well, and it's going to stay that way until my Thesis is finished.
I love you all. Please accept me for who I am, and what I have chosen as of right now to do with my life, and I will accept you. I think having children is great - for the right reasons, it's just not for me yet. If you know me, then you should know this. With that said, I am going to be MIA for the next few months so I can finish having my own "baby". Don't take it personal, and don't worry - I won't bore you with the details.
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