Ba-gok!

Week one done.

As of right now, my Biology class terrifies me - in the sense that I am going to have to work hard. But it's also exciting to be thrown into a class in which I cannot simply recall things from high school or use my wits to find a way around going to lecture but still doing well in the course. Kinda nice to be making that sort of transition.

I'm taking a poultry experience course of sorts -- at least that's what I thought it was going to be. In all honesty, I signed up for it because it filled a gap in my schedule perfectly, is only 3 units, and seemed interesting.

Then I realized that this course is only open to 2 students, and the location is off campus... but close to home! It's about a mile south of the house, in an area that I hadn't yet explored. This is the bike ride:


On my way to the facility, I passed the UC Davis airport (it does exist!) and a few creepy, abandoned buildings. When I finally got there, it seemed empty. I disinfected my shoes and wandered around a bit. Eventually I stumbled upon the kitchen area, where my instructor was enjoying a bowl of chicken soup.
I immediately thought to myself, "You dedicate your lives to them, and yet you eat them. I'm glad you aren't a pediatrician!"

My first day was supposed to be an orientation followed by a tour of the facility, but since some chicken research people had called in sick, we headed to campus to clean chicken cages. "It's your lucky day!" she told me. I found myself decked out in scrubs, a lab coat, overboots, and a face mask. I really wish I could have taken a picture of myself because I looked like I was part of a hazmat team.


I rolled eggs and cleaned up chicken poop for 2 hours. I know this sounds like a terrible time, but I had fun. I haven't had much up close and personal experience with chickens, so I found amusement in the occasional "ba-gok!" sounds and egg-laying. I also learned that commercial egg-laying hens have a lifespan of 2 years, and then they are "culled". Gotta love euphemisms. These hens came from a commercial farm, but instead of getting culled, they were sold to the university for research. "How nice." I thought.
Then I found out that they were going to be culled in two weeks. So much for borrowed time.

So that was that.

I'm taking a stupid math placement test tomorrow, something that I've been putting off. I took this thing last summer and didn't pass -- because I couldn't remember squat about factoring polynomials and all those lovely algebraic details that you learn in high school. But I need to pass it in order to take Chemistry this summer... so not passing is not an option this time around.

But before I go, here's a delicious recipe: Stuffed Tomatoes
I made the Lime, black bean and rice version. I highly recommend it!