Okay, so it was easy after all...

Scored 98% on Friday's biology exam. What was I worried about?

Not-So-Easy A

Took my first major test of the term today. It's one of five tests I'll have to take in Biology 120, and purportedly one of the harder tests of that course. It was about 45 multiple choice questions, a handful of matching questions, and a single essay (on how to define criteria that supports a scientific claim).

The hardest part dealt with cellular structure (e.g., organelles, bilipid membranes, mitochondrial structure and its importance to the electron transport system, etc.) and cellular respiration and production of adenosine triphosphates (ATP) for energy (you know: glycolysis, Kreb's cycle, pyruvates, acetyls, blah, blah, blah), but I have a good feeling about it overall.

I'll go out on a limb and say I scored a high A, somewhere in the 95%+ range. We'll see if my prediction pans out. Now to catch up on all the other classes I've neglected while studying for this test...

The Primordial Soup that is my Circulatory System

I found out yesterday that I am, indeed, immune to mumps, measels, and rubella (MMR). I also found out that I am "equivocal" when it comes to varicella (chicken pox) immunity, which means that while I have some antibodies in my system, I don't have enough to be considered officially immune (meaning I need another $146 worth of vaccinations).

Anyway, this got me to thinking about what kind of junk I have running through my bloodstream. Now, I know it's loaded with red and white blood cells, platelets, probably too much cholesterol, and so forth, but there's something strange about the fact that it's also teeming with antibodies. Now the part that has me weirded out is, what exactly do mumps, measels, and rubella antibodies do when there's no mumps, measels, or rubella germs to kill?

I mean, do they sit around and talk about how they're going to bust a cap in the first mumps or measels germs to trespass on their turf? Is there some kind of MMR games they play (and, like Rudolph, do the few varicella antibodies feel left out because they can't play in any more MMR games?)

Do antibodies get old and die? Is there some kind of retirement home for them? What about the veterans that have actually fought in the MMR wars? Do they get special treatment or reverence from the antibodies that only talk about fighting off disease?

In truth, it creeps me out a little to think about all the living (and dead) things swimming around inside my bloodstream. I'm not a clean freak, but it is a little disconcerting when I realize that an entire host of bacteria, viruses, antibodies, germs, and other microorganisms have moved into my body and taken up residence. Makes me want to run my blood through a coffee filter at least.

Eh. It's early and I probably should be sleeping more...

Ghost Ship Sets Sail

The manuscript for Hogshead's Ghost Ship was emailed tonight at 10:10 p.m., together with a line drawing of a nifty hilfskreuzer provided by my pal Gene Moyers (thanks, Gene!)

The other Hogshead project, What Went Down, should be on book store shelves any day now, which will give me four books released in two months. When it rains, it pours.

Whose Bright Idea Was This?

I haven't complained much about getting up at 5 or 6 a.m. to go to school this week, but why on earth would anyone start a training class 8:00 a.m. on a Saturday?

I was up at 5:00 a.m. - after getting to sleep about midnight - and have to go take the Healthcare Provider BLS/CPR course today. I'm really not enthused about it, but it may just be lack of sleep catching up with me (four hours Thursday night, five last night). Not that that's blogworthy news, but I was feeling grumbly and had to gripe about it to someone.

Training at 8:00 a.m. on a Saturday. Hrmph.

The (Relatively) Short (but Informative) List

1) Got into the EMT program. Tuesdays and Thursdays, 6pm-10pm, for fifteen weeks, including clinicals. Starts a week from tonight.

2) I'm immune to Rubella; still waiting to hear about Mumps and Measels, but since I've never had Rubella, it's probably from my MMR. One less shot to worry about. Haven't heard yet if I'm immune to Chicken Pox. It cost me $122 to find this out, by the way.

3) Got the Biology and Psych classes I wanted. Had to drop Spanish to fit it into the schedule. Final result: 16 credits at one college, 8 at another.

4) I'm in contact with SJ Games about a large project for 2004/2005. Can't reveal details, but I'm seriously considering taking it on. First draft would be due around Sept/Oct 2004.

5) Ghost Ship is coming due. I was sick for two weeks (and now busy) so it's languished a bit. I really need to wrap it up and get it done so I can stop worrying about it. Deadline is the 19th.

6) Got my early copy of GURPS WWII: All the King's Men yesterday. It looks good. Up to the standards of the WWII line. Hope it sells well; it was a painful process getting through this one. Should be out later this week, I would guess.

7) Saved about $100 buying three textbooks online instead of via the bookstore.

Final Class List: BIOL 120 (Human Biology), PSYC 111 (Intro to Psychology), HDEV 100 (New Student Orientation), AH 110 (Employment Issues in Healthcare), AH 230 (Management Issues in Healthcare), FISC 110 (Fire Prevention Chemistry and Physics), HLTH 160 (EMT Training).
Total Credits: 24
Tuition: $915
Book Cost: $350
EMT Supplies: $125
Immunizations: $265 (and counting)
CPR, First Aid, HIV Training and Certifications: $110
Total Cost: $1765

Geh.. $1800 in two weeks. It's going out faster than it's coming in.

GURPS SWAT Review

One of the first reviews of GURPS SWAT is out, and it looks good. The review is very short; you can read it here.
I hope everyone else is as kind.

Sayonara Banzai

After much painful deliberation and schedule rearranging, I emailed Gene Seabolt about the upcoming GURPS WWII: Banzai project and told him I wasn't sure I could hold up my end of the deal (20k words due Feb 1) and do a decent job. In the end, he relented, though not without a bit of resistance. Glad to know I'm wanted, at least. So Banzai is now off my plate and fully in the capable hands of Gene Seabolt, Hans-Christian Vortish, and Shawn Fisher. As much as I was looking forward to co-authoring with them, I know they'll do a great job... and I might actually survive the next three months.

Sean Punch, GURPS line editor, emailed me a day or two ago and said they're setting up the 2004-2006 schedule and wanted to know how free I'd be to write. That's a tough question, since I'm so busy from Jan-Apr, but have no clue what the rest of the next couple years will bring. I'll probably give him a qualified "busy, but would like to write some" answer and see what he comes up with. I'm really hoping to get through this school/training crap and get some part-time work so I can get back to writing stuff I really want to write, which includes a lot of fiction and even a GURPS book now and then.

I'll keep you posted.

If You Prick Us, Do We Not Pay?

Got poked multiple times today: Hepatitis-A vaccine, Hepatitis-B vaccine, Tetanus and Diptheria shot, and a TB skin test. Most painful part? The $148.18 bill.

The Saga Continues

Couple quick things:

I found out from the instructor of the local EMT class that I can only get enrolled if 1) I am already affiliated with a local emergency services department, or 2) have declared Fire Sciences as my major at college. Well, since I stupidly put down Nursing instead of Fire Sciences, I'm out of luck.

On the positive side, there's room at another college/FD - about 50 miles via the freeway - and I've been promised there's still slots open in the class, which begins January 20. Now if only it would quit snowing long enough for me to make the drive and get registered...

Matriculated

It's official. As of 3:38 pm today I had been enrolled, paid, photographed, poked, prodded, and shuffled from one department to the other, but I finally left the campus officially a college student once again.

I have to go beg the professor to let me into BIOL 120 (Human Biology) so I can get moving down the biology track I desperately need. I'll see her Monday morning at 9:30 when the first class begins.

I also have no solid answer from the Fire Sciences director about whether I can enroll in FISC 170 - EMT Training - without actually passing the firefighter program at the local department. Hopefully I'll see him on Monday, but if not, I can catch him Tuesday evening when the first session starts.

All in all, it's been a rigorous and painful bureaucratic mess, but the folks at the school were at least nice about it.

Current Schedule
SPAN 101 (Intro to Spanish) 5 Credits - Need this to brush up, mostly; I'm sure this'll be a snooze class and easy A, but I do need some grammar rules clarified. Sadly, however, it's an 8:00 a.m. class. Geh. Beats calculus at 8:00 a.m., which I did many years ago.

HDEV 100 (New Student Orientation) 1 Credit - This was a complete waste of time, but a requirement for all "new" students. Heh. Been a while since I was new at anything.

AH 110 (Employment Issues in Healthcare) 1 Credit - One of the requirements for the RN program. Grabbed it while it was open.

AH 230 (Management Issues in Healthcare) 1 Credit - Ditto.

FISC 110 (Fire Prevention Chemistry and Physics) 3 Credits - I needed to get to the 15 Credit full-time slot, and figured this might go nicely with EMT and firefighter work with the local fire and rescue teams. This class covers the dynamics of fire, including chemical and physical properties of flammable materials and fire itself (fire characteristics of gases, liquids, and solids; fire extinguishing agents and procedures; movement of smoke; etc). I may end up dropping this if I can get into BIOL 120 and/or the EMT program. Not sure I could handle 29 credits!

PSYC 111 (Intro to Psychology) 5 Credits - Need this for the RN program. It falls on the same nights as the EMT class, however, so if I get into the EMT program, I'll drop this and catch it later. It's fairly easy to pick up almost anywhere, including online.

Total Credits: 16
Tuition Cost: $770
Book Cost: $325... and most of them were used.

More updates after I talk to the BIOL and EMT folks. A writing update will be forthcoming as well, but honestly I've been trying to jump through college hoops for two weeks, and the writing has been sparse.

More to come, I promise.