Gearing up
Sep. 24th, 2007 18:08![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
torquillIt was a very busy weekend. I came out of it with insufficient sleep, but I gamely went about gathering myself together this morning, cleared out the trunk, broke down Opportunity and stashed it in the trunk, and helped my dad load junk into the pickup for a dump run. Then I went off to Davis.
First stop was Cowell, where I made an appointment for later in the afternoon. Perfect. Paid for my locker at the ARC (same one, different combo; at least I know where to find it). Confirmed that my checking account got the necessary funds. Cruised to Dutton and found a line out the door for Undergrad Financial Aid -- I guess I'll talk to them on Thursday, as it can wait. Quickly bought books and loaded them into the nylon bags I had brought, which were slippery but nowhere near as fragile as the bookstore's plastic ones. Whether I manage to get away for only $350 is yet to be seen -- it depends on how "Required" the required notebook is for biochem (I left it to buy later). Went to Cowell, had my checkup, got a little bloodwork and discovered that dehydrated turnips are even more impossible to get blood from. I went out and chugged a liter of water, then spent the next half hour running all over campus trying to find an open computer lab (nope). By that time the liter was processed, the nurse managed to finally pin down an errant vein, and I donated the necessary vital fluids. Then it was time for the 3:50 train home. I bought a monthly ticket for October (another $250)... I really hope I can get those additional funds from Financial Aid to help with transportation costs.
This is the riskiest time of year to be bicycling around campus; there are a lot of 1) pedestrians who don't realize that if you walk in the middle of the bike lanes or suddenly step into them without looking, you're liable to get run down, 2) inexperienced bicyclists who don't keep to the right when they're slow or else wander all over the lane, and 3) drivers who aren't used to being around bicyclists. I didn't quite hit any pedestrians, and very carefully gave the cars a wide berth, but it's going to be nutty until the people walking actually learn to look. A bell doesn't register to them, and often a call of "behind you" or "watch out" doesn't either --![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
eastbaygreg's suggestion of an air horn is tempting.
My hands didn't like carrying twenty pounds of books in bags around campus for a couple of hours. That's what I get for going to the bookstore earlier than just before departure.
Spirit is still at the station, showing only a little sunburn on the seat; next week I may cruise by the Bike Church to see whether the new crop of bikes has come in, as I'd like to trade it in. I need to bring up the duplicate textbook I got last quarter, as they're buying books through the 2nd. There are a couple of other little things to do, but I've dealt with almost everything I need before classes start. Yay!
First stop was Cowell, where I made an appointment for later in the afternoon. Perfect. Paid for my locker at the ARC (same one, different combo; at least I know where to find it). Confirmed that my checking account got the necessary funds. Cruised to Dutton and found a line out the door for Undergrad Financial Aid -- I guess I'll talk to them on Thursday, as it can wait. Quickly bought books and loaded them into the nylon bags I had brought, which were slippery but nowhere near as fragile as the bookstore's plastic ones. Whether I manage to get away for only $350 is yet to be seen -- it depends on how "Required" the required notebook is for biochem (I left it to buy later). Went to Cowell, had my checkup, got a little bloodwork and discovered that dehydrated turnips are even more impossible to get blood from. I went out and chugged a liter of water, then spent the next half hour running all over campus trying to find an open computer lab (nope). By that time the liter was processed, the nurse managed to finally pin down an errant vein, and I donated the necessary vital fluids. Then it was time for the 3:50 train home. I bought a monthly ticket for October (another $250)... I really hope I can get those additional funds from Financial Aid to help with transportation costs.
This is the riskiest time of year to be bicycling around campus; there are a lot of 1) pedestrians who don't realize that if you walk in the middle of the bike lanes or suddenly step into them without looking, you're liable to get run down, 2) inexperienced bicyclists who don't keep to the right when they're slow or else wander all over the lane, and 3) drivers who aren't used to being around bicyclists. I didn't quite hit any pedestrians, and very carefully gave the cars a wide berth, but it's going to be nutty until the people walking actually learn to look. A bell doesn't register to them, and often a call of "behind you" or "watch out" doesn't either --
eastbaygreg's suggestion of an air horn is tempting.My hands didn't like carrying twenty pounds of books in bags around campus for a couple of hours. That's what I get for going to the bookstore earlier than just before departure.
Spirit is still at the station, showing only a little sunburn on the seat; next week I may cruise by the Bike Church to see whether the new crop of bikes has come in, as I'd like to trade it in. I need to bring up the duplicate textbook I got last quarter, as they're buying books through the 2nd. There are a couple of other little things to do, but I've dealt with almost everything I need before classes start. Yay!
