Is That Spring I See?

Maybe it was just a glimpse of what's soon to come, but nonetheless, it was a beautiful day today. No snowfall - just the sun.

The weather really affects my mood. I can tell. Sunnier days I'm really upbeat, gloomy days - I'm more chilled out. The snow, as pretty as it is, makes for some really gloomy days where I spend most of my time just sitting under, in my opinion, the best household item that Japan has to offer, my kotatsu.

There are some advantages to being snowed in. I can work on countless (and many unfinished) crochet and craft projects. I can try to finish the books that I've started - I'm still working on 4 simultaneously - a bad, bad habit. And I can watch all the shows that people seem to go gaga over: Lost, Grey's Anatomy and Friends. It's wonderful and all, but the apartment is so gloomy AND it's cold.

But today, it was nice enough out that I was able to go for a walk without having to worry that I was going to slip onto my back. And even though it was still 38 degrees out, it felt warm to me, and I drove with my windows down. =)

It was very refreshing and it made me realize that Spring WILL come. It will. Heck, it's already March!



REST IN PEACE
Two people that I knew passed away this week. The first was a fellow BME colleague. He was doing some flight training down in California. Just a few minutes after take-off they ran into engine trouble and unfortunately, they crashed into a neighborhood - taking the lives of everyone on the plane. He wasn't flying the plane, but he was there.

The people in the Biomedical Engineering major at UCI are a close group. We might not know everyone that well - but we know each other. Engineering forces us to work on a lot of group projects together - and sometimes the curriculum is just so enduring that we just need each other for moral support. I didn't know him that well, but the guy was insanely smart, had a lot going for him and he liked that fact that I listen to Tears for Fears.

We're all in shock.

The second was a cadet from UCLA Air Force ROTC. He was our Wing Commander back in my earlier years of ROTC. Great guy - and he was a F-15 pilot in the Air Force. He was killed in a collision during a training session.

They were both so young - and had bright futures, it's so unfortunate.


Two deaths in a week...I really appreciated today's weather.