E-homework, nerdy dancers and banana biscuits

I've had all my classes now!

First in the morning is chemistry. I really like my professor, but I suspect I would like almost any chemistry professor. Next is calculus, which I wish didn't run four days a week, but the tradeoff is that the class is only 50 minutes and that is a very good idea for a math class. It's funny, in chemistry the prof griped a bit about the 80 minute lectures we have on Wednesday and Friday, and many of the students echoed him. I was amused because I'm used to classes being two to three hours long - even at PSU my French class was two hours. Both chem and math use an online service called WebAssign for some of the homework and although it sounded like it would be a pain, I find I like it. Both have been fairly easy so far because I already have background from high school (I expect math to be like this for a while), but I don't mind because I'm still figuring out how to organize everything.

Space opened up in ballroom dance, so I switched out of tap. Space opened up in writing too, but I decided I want to keep women's studies. The first class was interesting; she talked about the "wave" model of the history of feminism and gave us the assignment for our first paper, due next week. The grade I get will be a "moment of truth" to see how good my ideas and expression thereof really are. Dance I went to today and after climbing two flights of stairs three times looking for the room, I learned the basics of waltzing. I chose to be a "leader" because most people were choosing to be "followers", but when we rotated through partners I found a few followers who probably should have been leaders. I was surprised at how much exercise it was. It actually hit that aerobic-but-sustainable middleground that for me is overshot by running and undershot by biking and walking. I think swimming is the only other exercise I know that reaches a similar level.

Chem lab was predictable, we don't have any homework this week and we're just going to get a lab orientation on Thursday.

I haven't really made any friends yet, but I've met a lot of people and there are a few I keep seeing around. There's this one guy I find really interesting whom I first met at the lame (reminiscent of middle school) "stop-n-glow" dance, where he was dancing like a maniac to the dumb hip-hop. The next day he was dancing equally impressively to live rock at "Intermingle", and on Monday I saw that he's in my chemistry lecture. Then today on the way out of ballroom dance I met an older man who is coming back to school for his second bachelor's degree and we talked for a bit. I've also run into one person I know and three people I used to know, whom I didn't know were going to U of O - as well as the one person I was expecting to find here.

I went on my second big grocery trip today and evaluated my last one. One of my goals with my food was to generate a minimum of waste. The only things that went bad were about half a cucumber and some lettuce, so I feel like I'm doing pretty well. I made some biscuits last week out of the mix my aunt left me, and then I made another batch yesterday substituting a banana for the requisite egg. They were delicious and I pretty much don't plan to use eggs with this mix anymore. It also gives me a handy disposal route for bananas if I don't eat them before they get too ripe.

Oh, and on the bus today I heard the most hilarious ringtone. It was a drab voice - not quite a computer voice, but like one of those message recordings, and it said: "Hello. I am the phone. Answer me. Answer me now."

Added 10/1, 2:30 pm - a few things I forgot to include:

Although I am wary of the "freshman fifteen" (a quantity of weight I cannot afford to gain) I've actually been on the lower end of my usual weight since moving here. And in calculus, I am frustrated by the girl who sat next to me the first two days and calls out answers that are correct, but does it at about ten decibels.