Mistborn Trilogy, take 1

In my life, I haven't been known for reading works of fiction very often, nor of particularly enjoying them when I do.  However, there are key exceptions, like semi-physics-based sci-fi/fantasy novels that address realistic human concerns.  In recent years, I've read both the Harry Potter septology and Ender's Game and enjoyed both of them very much.

This June, I asked my lovely, awesome friend Bridget what her book recommendations would be for me this summer.  Her and I have similar interests in books, but she reads more than I do, so I can always count on her for a good recommendation.  She said that I absolutely had to read the Mistborn Trilogy, by Brandon Sanderson and that it had replaced Ender's Game as her favorite book in the history of books.  Naturally, I went down to the bookstore and picked up the entire trilogy in a paperback box set.

They were awesome.

The remainder of this post will be dedicated to my thoughts on each book in the series without giving away too much.  If you haven't read this series, go out and get it right now, because it's just that good.  I'll try my best to avoid the worst spoilers, but in order to adequately describe my thoughts on these books, I have to give a few things away.

Mistborn: The Final Empire

Sanderson describes this story as a fantasy/heist story/kung fu epic, and I think that's a pretty good description.  The story is about a young, orphaned street urchin named Vin who gets recruited by a specialized thieving crew to try to pull off an almost impossible task in assassinating their world's emperor god.  Vin is pulled into this thieving crew because she possesses a rare form of magic called Allomancy, which allows the user to harness power from metals they ingest.  Because she possesses all of the powers, as opposed to just one of them, she is called a Mistborn, the namesake of the series.

Throughout this book and its two sequels, I was really impressed with Sanderson's efficiency in telling a story with only a few words.  Though this book is fairly long, it packs a large quantity of plot and character development into each of its pages.  There are almost no wasted words and at no point in this novel did I question the author's decisions in placing words, sentences, or section where they were. This novel and this series were very well done and I can appreciate basically everything that Sanderson chose to do throughout.

Having finished the series, I can really appreciate the contrast that Sanderson gives with symbols and character development.  A large portion of this story is given to Vin's development as she changes from an abused, paranoid shell of a person into the confident, trusting young woman she becomes.  I particularly appreciated her internal monologs in which she states that the 'real' her is neither the street urchin that she was, nor the young country noblewoman she was pretending to be, but something in between.  I found that particular contrast to be impressive. 

My favorite character throughout this novel and throughout this series was Sazed, the Terrisman.  He is first introduced in chapter 8 (I believe) of Mistborn and remains an important character throughout the series.  Almost immediately, he is shaped as a tall, but gentle scholar who seeks to fulfill his role in life, but also seeks to effect change however he can while living that role.  Needless to say, I felt an immediate connection and followed him closely as I read each book.

The resolution to this book is unexpected.  Unless you're somehow clairvoyant or have already read or heard a spoiler, you won't see the end to this book coming.  It was probably even more so for me.  For good or ill, I often like to read the last sentence of a book before I even start just to give me a feel for how the book with end.  Sometimes this reveals epic spoilers, but more often, it just gives me a general idea of the feelings the author is trying to convey by the ending of the book.  (I read the end of chapter 38, not the epilogue.)  In this case, it was something of a spoiler, but not unforeseen, given the context of the book.  However, I managed to misread the pronoun in the last sentence replacing a 'he' for the 'she' that was actually there.  This lead me to believe that Kelsier took up Vin's role at the end of the book.  As the resolution unfolded, my mind blew apart, leaving little chunks of brain all over my apartment.  It was that good and made even better by my initial misread of the final sentence.

The Well of Ascension

This book is a continuation of the story from the first Mistborn book.  Vin, Elend, and much of Kelsier's crew try to establish a government in place of the Lord Ruler's regime and face many challenges to their authority and legitimacy.  Additionally, Vin has to struggle through her feelings of love and affection for Elend and another man who she believes might understand her better.  And they do, eventually, find the Well of Ascension.

Of the three books in this trilogy, this one was my least favorite as a stand-alone novel.  It proved to be an excellent bridge between the premier, Mistborn, and the finale, The Hero of Ages, but I didn't particularly enjoy it, in and of itself.  Of the three books, this one is the longest (just slightly) and contains the least change from beginning to end in setting, scope, and plot.  At the end of the story, the characters are basically in the same place they were left at the end of Mistborn, except with one big, new problem on their hands. I thought the parts of establishing and re-establishing the government of the land and Vin's love triangle, particularly, took too long and could have used to be more concise.  Brandon Sanderson was still good at fitting a lot of plot and character development into a few pages, but I thought he could have done better with those two particular parts.

This story is not as much about the plot itself as it is about the character development.  This is another problem with this book as a stand-alone novel: it serves as a great prelude to the Hero of Ages with some excellent character development that sets up that story very well, but doesn't accomplish that much in its own plot. I generally appreciated the character development of Vin, Elend, Breeze, and Spook, but I cannot say the same for the development of my favorite character.  In this book, Sazed is given a brief taste of that one thing he's wanted all his life, then has it ripped away from him, leaving him a sad, empty shell of a man, doubting even his most firm internal convictions.  Objectively speaking, the character development is probably good, it just hit way too close to home for me to really appreciate it.

In the end, Vin, Elend, and Sazed do find the Well of Ascension, and we're left with something of a cliffhanger as to what will happen to the main characters and the world in which they live.  Again, this gives great setup for the epic finale, but does not lead to a great resolution for the novel itself.

The Hero of Ages

Instead of the main plot conflict coming from physical armies, it is derived more from intangible powers.  There is still plenty of physical confrontation, as this is a theme of all three books, but the primary conflict comes mostly from outside, metaphysical powers.  Just when everything seems hopeless, the Hero of Ages is able to ascend and to make things right.

This is pretty much now my favorite book in the history of books.  Everything that seemed to go wrong in The Well of Ascension was corrected in The Hero of Ages.  It blew my mind all over the place, and I love it.

The theme of contrast that I appreciated in Mistborn was even more apparent in Hero of Ages in the contrast between Preservation and Ruin.  The mists, which are of Preservation, are white, while the ash increasingly coming from the ashmounts, a tool of Ruin, are black.  Additionally, I like that Sanderson made Vin a type of Ruin with her ability to destroy and to wreak havoc on her enemies and Elend a type of Preservation with his desire to maintain peace and order.  This effect is magnified when one considers that Vin predominantly wears black and Elend wears his white suits given to him in the previous novel.  That particular effect is easier to catch when you read the paperback version as opposed to the hardcover.

I also really like that Sanderson was able to convey a sense of absolute hopelessness through the pages toward the end of this novel.  In most stories, one can tell that everything is going to be alright in the end and that the main characters will all be fine.  Near the end of this novel, I couldn't help but wonder if everything was going to come crashing down and the resolution would be one that is unhappy, but fitting for the context.  I love those kind of books, but I didn't really think this one was going to be one, thus I was supremely pleased with the resolution that Sanderson was able to create.

I also really liked the character development of Spook in this particular novel.  Throughout the first two books, Spook is a mostly unimportant and forgettable character.  However, in this one, he becomes one of the central characters, overcoming much of his forgettability to become integral to the plot and the well being of the other characters.

The Hero of Ages was just plain awesome.

Over the last couple months, I've really enjoyed reading these books.  I've even read the Alloy of Law as well, but I think that'll be a blag post for another day.  Though I don't often enjoy fiction, these books are of a genre and style that appeals to me as no other novels really have before.  Brandon Sanderson is truly a remarkable author and is able to do things that most other creative writers are just not capable of.  These books have captured a place as my favorites and will probably remain so for the foreseeable future.

PS - If you want to check out more of Sanderson's stuff, click here.

That Time of Year Again

With my two favorite baseball teams being, unquestionably, the worst two teams in the league, it's time for me to look forward, once again, to football season.  Before I really begin, some notes on the coming season:

• There are about 33 days until the whited out kickoff of my BYU Cougars against the Cougars of Washington State in a game I've affectionately dubbed the 'Cougar Bowl.'  I'm going to try to get a pair of tickets to this game and head over to Provo to see it. 
• I hate Utah.
• My BYU Cougars, again, take on the Oregon State Beavers, whom I've come to know and love.  I'm a Beaver believer when they take on any other opponent, but against my Alma Mater, they're just another team to slash down.
• Both Oregon State and BYU look very similar to what they were last year, for good or ill.
• Though I love OSU, I think I want to travel down to Eugene to take in a Ducks game at Autzen Stadium.  I've heard it's loud and awesome, and I'd like to see it for myself.

Oregon State

Unfortunately for the Beavers, looking very similar to what they were last year means that they'll probably look about as bad as thy did last year.  I don't think they'll slip against Nicholls State, like they did last year against Sacramento State, but the outlook is still bleak.  This team has a lot of young players on both sides of the ball that still haven't quite meshed into a teamed.  Though the Pac 12 is largely overrated, it contains good teams with many more talented and more experienced players than OSU's squad.  The Beavers are a better team at home than on the road, and this year's home schedule is tougher than last year's, with more teams that are capable of beating OSU.

Record: 3-9
Wins: Nicholls State, @Arizona, Wazzu
Losses: Wisconsin, @UCLA, @BYU, Utah, @UW, Arizona State, @Stanford, Cal, Oregon

This year's civil war game will, once again, go to the Ducks.  The Beavers always play well against the Ducks and usually play very well at home.  However, the University of Oregon doesn't have to worry about things like "academics," and thus, like much of the SEC, are perennial national championship contenders.  The Beavers will, likely, finish last in the Pac 12.

Ducks - 38, Beavers - 24

BYU

With the abomination of a quarterback know as Jake Heaps now being Charlie Weis' problem, the BYU Cougars are set to do at least as well as they did last season.  This year's schedule has a good balance of teams throughout, with there being a bit of a cakewalk there at the end.  I think (as objectively as possible) that BYU is capable of beating any team on their schedule this year.  The games against Utah, Boise State, Notre Dame, and Georgia Tech will be tough, but I think BYU is capable of winning all of those games.  Much like last year, the offense should be capable of making plays and the defense will bend occasionally, but won't break often.

Because the Cougars are very likely to win at least six games, they should earn and accept a bowl bid, likely the Poinsettia Bowl in San Diego against a second choice from the Mountain West.  Though San Diego State may not finish second in the Mountain West Conference, an SDSU v. BYU Poinsettia Bowl would probably sell as many tickets as any bowl game is going to sell, including the BCS bowls and the National "Championship."  Therefore, I'm picking San Diego State to go up against BYU in the Poinsettia Bowl.

Record: 11-2
Wins: Wazzu, Weber St., @Utah, Hawai'i, Utah St., Oregon St., @Georgia Tech, Idaho, @San Jose St., @New Mexico St., (@)San Diego St.
Losses: @Boise St., @Notre Dame

Believe it or not, Riley Nelson hasn't really had a chance to go up against Utah.  We can all see that the abomination of a quarterback known as Jake Heaps didn't have what it takes to take on a bitter rival, especially at home.  However, Riley Nelson, like the acclaimed, mobile lefty that came before him in BYU history does have it... in abundance.  I think Utah goes into this game confident that nothing much has changed in the BYU squad since the end of last year and will realize that they've never actually faced Riley Nelson when the team around him hadn't already given up.  Riley, in his one and only opportunity, should be able to go into Rice-Eccles Stadium and bring the Cougars home victorious... by more than 7 points...  for the first time in 16 years.

Cougars - 38, Utes - 28

Oregon State @ BYU

This one is going to be no-contest.  Last season, BYU beat Oregon State by 10 in Reser Stadium despite not playing their best game.  Like I said before, Oregon State plays much better at home than they do on the road and BYU defends LaVell Edwards Stadium well.  Riley Nelson will plague the Beavers' defense with his running ability and the Cougars defense will be able to shut down OSU's running game handily.  The Beavers will get their points and stay in the game for a while, but it won't be close in the end.

Cougars - 41, Beavers - 20

I'm excited.

The House of the Lord

Disclaimer: This post is about LDS (Mormon) temples.  As such, this post will be geared toward an LDS audience.  If you're not a Latter-day Saint, feel free to read it. There's nothing secret here, but be prepared to be bored out of your mind.

Over the years, I've had a somewhat complicated relationship with the temple of the Lord.

When I was baptized and received the Aaronic priesthood, I was able to go to the temple to do baptisms and I thought it was the coolest thing ever.  I felt like I really had a connection to those who had passed on and like I was doing something that was good and right in the eyes of God.  That experience was also the topic on which I gave my first sacrament talk.

The Denver Colorado Temple

I went on another couple of trips to the temple to do baptisms and I felt equally awesome about those.  However, as they always do, things changed.  When I was called to not serve, it also meant that I would not be taking out my own endowments when I was 19, as most young men do.  I would have to wait.  I went to BYU in the fall, and went to do baptisms a couple of times at the Provo temple.  As much as the workers in that temple tried, they just couldn't make me feel welcome.  Each time I went, I had to explain, in gross detail, why I wasn't going on a mission to like seven different ancient dudes who couldn't hear.  I felt sad and demoralized in a place where I was supposed to feel the greatest joy.  The last time I went to do baptisms for the dead was in about March of 2008, over 4 years ago.

Would I tell you a story if it didn't have a happy resolution?  The answer is yes, but that isn't the case this time around.

A few weeks ago, my bishop realized that I hadn't actually been through the temple, despite being the ward clerk.  That's not a rule, it's just a generally accepted practice.  Unendowed men are chosen to be ward clerks about as often as women are chosen to be ward mission leaders, but that's a total tangent.  The next week, my bishop had the executive secretary set up an appointment with me.  I figured that we'd start the long road to preparing for me to go the temple, but when I walked in, my bishop talked a little about the temple ceremonies, asked me the interview questions, and filled out a living ordinance recommend for me.  It took a little effort, but I got the stake president's signature as well and I was ready to go.

This last Wednesday, I went through the temple for the first time to take out my own endowments.  I went with my dad and my best friend during my time in Provo, Hyrum, who flew out especially for the occasion.  After many years of living with and being around the endowed, I was very well-prepared for the ordinances that took place in the temple.  Several people told me that it would be weird and/or slightly difficult to do it the first time, but it all came very intuitively to me and I enjoyed the whole thing.  Despite not trying particularly hard to remember the elements of the ceremony, I have a great memory at this time in my life, and I felt like I remember quite a bit.  While I was there I recaptured some of that zeal that I'd had when I was a new convert and was able to go do baptisms for the first time.  I feel like the temple changed my life a little bit that day, and that it will change my life a lot as I continue to go back.  I look forward to going to the temple again many times in the future and trying to dissect and glean all the elements of the ceremonies.  I also look forward to being sealed to an eternal companion in that holy house, whenever that might come.

At the temple with Hyrum... and his gold medal.

The temple is the house of God here upon the earth.  It has taken me years longer to get there than I ever thought it would, but now that I've seen it, I know that it was worth the wait.  In fact the blessings of the temple are worth whatever sacrifice must be made.  The sacrifices of time and money are often concerns, but these are often small, especially for saints in North America.  The sacrifice of sin may be one that is much more difficult to make.  The Lord has asked us to give up certain behaviors in exchange for those that will bring us greater happiness.  If we are like King Lamoni and are willing to give away all our sins so that we can come to know God, we will greatly blessed and will be able to find this happiness eventually.  We must give up our sins in order to enter the temple and participate in the sacred ordinances that take place therein.  I testify that the blessings of the temple are worth it and will bring you to a state of everlasting happiness.

I know that this is the case for me.

The Marriage Relationship

I should probably start this post with the disclaimer that I've never been married and will undoubtedly not be married within the next year.  However, I've gathered some things from eternal truth revealed from God, the observation of other people's marriages, and the wisdom that I've accumulated over the last 23+ years of life on this Earth, so I think I have a pretty good basis to make the commentary that I'm about to.  Also, if this doesn't reflect the reality of things as they are, I will gladly live a life of celibacy and never think about any woman ever again.

There are two things that I absolutely hate to hear from married people.  The first is almost irrelevant and the second is of dire importance, such that I believe that the eternal life of man and woman rides upon it.

First, I really hate it when married people say, "Oh my gosh, I married the (wo)man of my dreams."  All I can think is, "Really?  You had the entirety of your imagination at your disposal, and *that's* what you came up with?  I'm disappointed."  If you married the person of your dreams, I applaud you on keeping your expectations low, but I have to wonder about your sense of creativity and imagination (and I'm an engineer).  Like I said, this is almost irrelevant, but I felt like I should share as long as we're on the topic of things I hate hearing married people say.

The second is far more common and far more important.  I really hate hearing married people say, "My [spouse] made me do [insert activity name here]," or "My [spouse] doesn't let me [insert activity here]."  I hear this most often from men speaking of their wives.  I assume it's usually in jest, but sometimes I have to wonder if the speaker actually believes it.

I find this to be patently false the vast majority of the time.  I don't think I've ever seen a person being physically forced to do something by their spouse.  I'm positive that it happens in certain situations, but that's the topic for another post (yeah right, not on this blag).  I think that, in the vast majority of cases, the true reasoning can actually be boiled down to two possibilities.  A better way of saying this would be either, "I fear the natural and/or contrived consequences that would be imposed if I (don't) [insert activity here],"  or "I am (refraining from) [insert activity here] because I love my [spouse] and am willing to make that sacrifice."

While the first statement is sufficient to keep a marriage relationship together and both members reasonably happy, it should be made clear that the second statement is the higher law.  For example, it's good for a man to say, "I'm not going to go out on a boat with a pair of hookers and a briefcase full of blow because I'm afraid that my wife would shoot me in the junk and take half my stuff."  That will, indeed, keep a marriage together and keep both members relatively happy.  However, it's much better if that man was to say, "I'm not going out on a boat with hookers and blow because I sincerely love my wife and it would break her heart. (And I don't want to give her herpes!)"  I use such an extreme example because "I'm not allowed to go out on a boat with hookers and blow," just sounds ludicrous.  Feel free to substitute a more appropriate example to your life.

The gospel of Jesus Christ teaches men and women that personal sacrifice is an essential part of happiness in this life and vital to the life hereafter.  To love someone is essentially to willingly make sacrifices for their benefit.  Christ performed the ultimate act of love when he laid down his life so that we could live eternally.  We should do the same in our lives and our marriages.  I believe that it is by small and simple sacrifices each day that we show love for one another and that we should not frame these sacrifices as acts of compulsion in our speech.  If you're doing something because you love your spouse, you should say it that way. In reality, no one can force their spouse, or anyone else, to do something contrary to their own will.  If you're doing or refraining from doing something, it's because you are making a choice to do so; and hopefully this choice is motivated by love rather than fear of consequences, though both are sufficient.

If and when I get married, this will be my approach to marriage.  I refuse to approach it any other way, and I will ask my wife to strive to approach our marriage the same way.  And, as I stated before, if I'm totally off base on this, I will gladly join a monastery.  That's just how I roll.

A Secret Combination

A few weeks ago, I received an email from someone associated with the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) about joining the Order of the Engineer.  This organization is a group of engineers who take an oath to be ethical in their designs, and to generally do what is right and best for the profession.  All who have graduated with at least a bachelor's degree in engineering are welcome to join.  The members of this organization wear a stainless steel (or wrought iron in Canada) ring on the pinky finger of their dominant hand to remind them of the oath they've made.

The Engineer's Ring

I thought it was a good idea in principle, but something felt just slightly off about it (in addition to the fact that I'm allergic to Chromium (II) Oxide).  I then read the Order of the Engineer website about the engineer's ring itself:

"In Canada, the Engineer’s Ring is a wrought iron ring accepted by engineers inducted into the Ritual of the Calling of an Engineer in a secret ceremony."

And it struck me that this order was basically a group who had covenanted to do good, but not in the name of the Lord.  Though this group is almost entirely harmless in both the temporal and eternal scheme of things, it still qualifies as a secret combination.

As a latter-day saint, I believe that I've made a set of covenants of a higher order that includes not only ethical design behavior, but a strict moral code to go along with it.  My hesitance to join the Order of the Engineer was inspired by my oath to do good not only in the sight of society, but also in the eyes of God.  I've been called not only to honestly design things to the best of my ability, but also to abstain from substance abuse and sensuality, to help those who cannot help themselves, and to do all that the Lord asks of me.  The covenants of the Gospel of Christ are inclusive of those made by the Order of the Engineer and include many others.

Even though the Order of the Engineer is a secret combination, I still liked the idea of wearing a ring on one's dominant hand to remind him or her of their obligation to society and/or to God.  Then I was hit with a stroke of genius inspiration.  Mormons have a very similar thing called a CTR ring, (for Choose The Right, a popular hymn that almost all members know by heart) which are often made of silver.  Though it is not directly associated with the covenants made, it can be worn to remind one to do what it right.  So, I bought one and and now wear it on my right pinky finger.

A CTR ring.  Not quite the same as the one I got.

And, as a disclaimer, despite the abominable label I've given to Order of the Engineer, I actually think it's a great organization that encourages engineering ethics, particularly for those who aren't necessarily religious.  You should join if you're interested... and have at least a bachelor's degree in engineering... and aren't allergic to Chromium (II) Oxide.

A Child's Game

When people first meet me, they are often led to the conclusion that my favorite sport is football.  During the fall, I eat, sleep and breathe college football and my emotions for the next weeks are directly impacted by the results of the BYU Cougars football game the previous weekend.  I can also throw and catch a football like nobody's business and at 6'2" and a hair over 250 lbs, I look the part.

However, football is not the sport with which I feel the strongest connection, though it's a close second.  That distinction belongs to the quintessential American child's game, baseball.  Though most people find it boring and there's something of a lack of athletic prowess to the game, it's captivated my heart since I was very young.

I still remember the first professional baseball game that I ever went to.  Our neighbors had come across several tickets to a game between the Colorado Rockies and the visiting Kansas City Royals.  They weren't going to be able to go, so they gave them to my dad, who accepted and took me down to downtown Denver to see the game.  I don't remember many of the circumstances of the game, but I remember that I got to see Larry Walker and that the Rockies won 13-3.  Clearly they hit well and pitched decently... which is pretty much their M.O. most of the time.  Since then, I've been to many more games and have seen the Rockies win the majority of them.

Many of my fondest birthday memories were in Coors Field watching the Rockies take on various opponents.  I've been to numerous games either on my birthday or in close temporal proximity to it.  Last year, my mom even spotted me and one of my best friends tickets to the MLB All Star game in Arizona, which was the day after my birthday.  I feel fairly confident that this will remain one of my most cherished birthday memories throughout my life. Let's just say it'll take a lot to unseat it from the #1 slot.

One of the biggest reasons I like baseball more than any other sport is that I played it for several years.  I still remember Mrs. McGriff handing out flyers for Northern Lights Little League to her 3rd grade class.  It took a little bit of persuasion to get my mother on board, but she eventually came around.  Sometimes I played better than others... and I was in right field more than a few times, but I see the whole as a positive experience.

Though I'm a big fan of football, hockey, rugby, and lacrosse, there will always be an extra-special place in my heart for the sport of baseball.  I love watching the game and I probably love playing it even more. It captivated me when I was young and it will continue to captivate me well into the future. 

Go Rockies!  :)

Grad School Lessons, Take 2

As I finish up the winter quarter at Oregon State University, I've been able to pause an look back on the things that I've learned over the last 3 months.

• Sometimes you have to throw out style points and just grind through it.  Because I've already blagged twice about structural dynamics, I won't go into too much detail.  Suffice it to say that it wasn't pretty, but I managed to get through it by little more than pure tenacity.  And I'd even say that I learned a thing or two in the process.
• Only trust people to do your work as far as you can throw them.  This term, I had one class for which the homework was too be done in pairs.  My partner was a not-too-bright structural major (see previous post) who was in his last term and had already mostly moved to Portland.  Needless to say, I didn't trust him too much with the workload.  I let him spin his wheels on certain parts of the assignments, but in the end, I fixed everything that he did wrong and made sure that it was all up to my standards before turning it in.
• You'll probably adjust to your surroundings, eventually.  I already felt pretty comfortable at Oregon State when I walked through the doors, but it still took some adjustment from life at home and at BYU.  After six months, Corvallis pretty much feels like home (minus the spatially convenient Wal-Mart) and I've even gotten used to smell of coffee that penetrates the entire OSU campus.
• Sometimes, self motivation is hard to find.  Before I started grad school, I read most of the archive of Ph.D. comics and chronicled the pronounced theme of procrastination and not working all that urgently on research.  When you've got over a year (or several if you're a Ph.D. candidate,) to complete your research, there's a tendency in most people to put it off and read the College Football Nation blog on ESPN instead.  I'll finish the rest of this point later...
• Calling in sick isn't always an option.  I was sick for like the last quarter of this quarter (a sixteenth, if you will).  It wasn't anything out of the ordinary; just a common cold and/or upper respiratory infection.  However, it was quite miserable.  My throat burned and I was tired all the time as my immune system tried valiantly to stave off the illness. Then it somehow managed to skip right past my sinuses and go straight to my ears, causing swelling and mucus buildup that left me all but deaf for the last 2 weeks.  In a 10-week quarter, it's not possible to just take a week or two off.  I just had to suck it up, take lots of cough syrup, and ask people to speak up so that I could hear them.

Overall, this term wasn't too bad.  My first grade has even been posted; I got an A in my advisor's class.  Spring term holds Earth Structures (Seepage and Consolidation), Earth Retention, and Bridge Design, but I'm not going to think about that too much until after Spring break.