Monday, November 9, 2009

Sparks




It rained a lot today. There were quite a few sunny breaks, and the sun was pretty much fully down by 4:30. Another sign of fall. But all in all I found it was a good day. It wasn't really cold and actually quite pretty on my walk home from school. I had PE this morning, but we didn't have to go outside which is always a bonus, and it was the only time we have to do it this week because Wednesday's a holiday!! Carol band started at lunch today. It's a small band that plays very easy Christmas music during the holiday season every day. We practice in November and then perform in December. We play at the big light up and Saanich Hall and the Legislature, both of which are great to be a part of, and then at a bunch of seniors centers around the city. They enjoy listening no matter what we play. I started a hobo bag last week in sewing class and today when I started sewing it together I made a mistake right away and sewed it inside out. Mesure twice, cut once. That doesn't really apply here, but you get the idea. And a highlight of the day, was in science this morning. Our teacher did an experiment for us: sodium (VERY REACTIVE METAL) in water. It fizzled around in crazy circles for a few seconds before exploding, much like what happens when sparks pop in a fireplace. It was so cool, and we all screamed when it happened. I think we all need a few more sparks like that to brighten up our days. They reminded me of people running in frantic panicked circles before the pressure gets to much and they burst in all directions. It's something to bear in mind the next time you feel stressed. fizzle...fizzle...fizzle...POW!!! Wouldn't that be interesting to see a human do!
(*I feel I should explain the pictures. The top left one is actually baryum not sodium, and the bottom left one is rubidium. But they look close enough to the untrained-to-chemistry eye)