Saturday, September 3, 2011
An Excellent Exzellenz-Universität
The "Haus" of the Meldrumhaus
After our crazy day of moving between cities, we started settling into our apartment in Aachen. While we really like the apartment (now, anyway) and the location, we experienced firsthand the consequences of an unfortunate German tradition: when they move, they take everything. I mean everything. We knew that they typically take their kitchens with them, so we specifically rented an apartment with a kitchen. We weren't totally anticipating the loss of curtains or interior lighting; I suppose we should consider ourselves lucky that the previous tenant(s) forgot the light bulb in the hood over the stove--I think we cooked by that for a meal or two. Who takes their curtains and curtain rods when they move?
Anyway, despite the lack of privacy and lighting, we managed to sleep off most of the move on Thursday in preparation for the IKEA trip on Friday. We got to IKEA in the Netherlands at about 10:40 am, and after 6 hours staring at lego-furniture, managed to make a trip back to the apartment, thanks to two very generous labmates of mine who provided a car and legal permission to drive one with a trailer. That, and untold pain and suffering bring our furniture up the five stories to our apartment. Eva and Jochen, we will name our firstborns after you. Or make you cookies. Probably just cookies, actually.
Upon arrival in the apartment with the furniture, it was getting dark (cf. lack of lights), and I was having a problem, as you can see in this movie we made.
Now that you've seen this circus, I want to take a moment to show what a strong, useful, manly, virile man I am:
That's right, I built all of that. All of it. (With a little help from IKEA.) As of Monday evening, our furniture was built and the clothes were put away, leaving nothing to do but clean the kitchen and bathroom and to install lights. And yes, I, Tyler, having no training in electrical engineering (other than watching my dad finish the basements of two houses), installed three, nay, FOUR light fixtures in our apartment. Also, I learned how to install wall anchors to hold up our new curtain.
The keen observer will note that these pictures really only show the furniture and not the apartment as a whole. This is because we're still missing some things (like a bed frame), and I didn't want to take the time to clean it up enough for posting on the internet; that is, I couldn't be bothered to make the bed, er, air mattress. Once we have either a bed or a tidied-up room, we'll give a more full apartment experience. Regardless, not only is our apartment quite pleasant now, but I'm feeling pretty dang pleased with myself. Now I just need these blisters to go away from my thumbs.
Anyway, despite the lack of privacy and lighting, we managed to sleep off most of the move on Thursday in preparation for the IKEA trip on Friday. We got to IKEA in the Netherlands at about 10:40 am, and after 6 hours staring at lego-furniture, managed to make a trip back to the apartment, thanks to two very generous labmates of mine who provided a car and legal permission to drive one with a trailer. That, and untold pain and suffering bring our furniture up the five stories to our apartment. Eva and Jochen, we will name our firstborns after you. Or make you cookies. Probably just cookies, actually.
Upon arrival in the apartment with the furniture, it was getting dark (cf. lack of lights), and I was having a problem, as you can see in this movie we made.
Now that you've seen this circus, I want to take a moment to show what a strong, useful, manly, virile man I am:
That's right, I built all of that. All of it. (With a little help from IKEA.) As of Monday evening, our furniture was built and the clothes were put away, leaving nothing to do but clean the kitchen and bathroom and to install lights. And yes, I, Tyler, having no training in electrical engineering (other than watching my dad finish the basements of two houses), installed three, nay, FOUR light fixtures in our apartment. Also, I learned how to install wall anchors to hold up our new curtain.
The keen observer will note that these pictures really only show the furniture and not the apartment as a whole. This is because we're still missing some things (like a bed frame), and I didn't want to take the time to clean it up enough for posting on the internet; that is, I couldn't be bothered to make the bed, er, air mattress. Once we have either a bed or a tidied-up room, we'll give a more full apartment experience. Regardless, not only is our apartment quite pleasant now, but I'm feeling pretty dang pleased with myself. Now I just need these blisters to go away from my thumbs.
Chutes and Ladders: Moving Day Edition!
Okay, boys and girls, here is the game board,
and here are the rules:
1. On Tuesday, hypothetically the 23rd of August, you must start AND end at "Our Old Apartment" by connecting with each station/square at least once and following only the direction the arrows indicate.
2. On Thursday, hypothetically the 25th of August, you must start at "Our Old Apartment", make a round trip to "Our New Apartment" and back, and finally end at "Our New Apartment" by connecting with each station/square at least once and following only the direction the arrows indicate.
3. On both Tuesday and Thursday you have the luxury of using a car provided by your landlady for the first trip from "Our Old Apartment"to "Streetcar Stop" (the dashed line). This shortcut can be used only once per day.
4. On Tuesday, you only bring 180 pounds of gear, including two 70-pound suitcases and two 20-pound backpacks. On Thursday, you bring approximately 360 pounds of gear in the following distribution:
a. On the first trip, you bring two 70-pound suitcases, two 30-pound carry-on bags (one wheeled, one not), and two 20-pound backpacks.
b. On the second trip, you bring one 70-pound suitcase, one 10-pound grocery bag, two 20-pound backpacks, and a bicycle. (However, it is, conveniently, a very light and beautiful bicycle, much like the one found here.)
c. Transportation is never quite at street level, so each article must be lifted up to the streetcar or the top deck of the train, and then back down again at the end of the trip.
d. Bonus exercise: "Our New Apartment" is on the fifth floor. No elevator. Assuming an average story height of three meters (and 2.2 pounds is one kilogram), calculate the energy required to lift all of the gear from the ground to "Our New Apartment". (g=9.8 m/s/s) Express your answer in kilojoules.
5. (Physical challenge!) Bicycles are not allowed on the bus connecting Schwarzrheindorf Kirche to "Streetcar Stop". But, the rider of the bicycle must be at both "Bus Stop" and "Streetcar Stop" to help with loading and unloading of the suitcase, respectively. To accommodate both rules, you must (1) load at Schwarzrheindorf Kirche, (2) ride faster than the bus to "Streetcar Stop", and (3) be ready to unload at "Streetcar Stop". You have 5 minutes. Viel Glück.
6. (Discussion topic) At "Streetcar Stop", you realize that the streetcars are quite full. You have a choice. You may either (1) ride to "Bonn Main Train Station" in the slightly less-full streetcars and take two trains (with a train change at "Köln Main Train Station") that will require you to move the gear between two trains multiple times, (2) ride in a more full streetcar to "Siegburg Train Station" and not have to transfer gear at "Köln Main Train Station", or (3) send the luggage with one person ("Sara") on a streetcar with sufficient room while another person ("Tyler") rides like hell to meet the streetcar at "Siegburg Train Station" before the train for Aachen departs in 45 minutes. The ride from "Streetcar Stop" to "Siegburg Train Station" is 8.6 km long. Which option do you choose? Justify your response. (We chose number 2, FYI. Despite "Tyler's" protestations that he could surely beat the train to "Siegburg".)
7. You have 36 Euros to complete the move on Tuesday, and an additional 36 Euros on Thursday. Conveniently, that is enough for unlimited rides within the entire game ("Northrhein Westphalia"), but only on the slow trains; each connection from "Siegburg Train Station" to "Aachen Main Train Station" is approximately 90 minutes long.
8. You begin at 9 am on Thursday and must be done by 8 pm.
Good luck!
4d. 36.08 kJ
and here are the rules:
1. On Tuesday, hypothetically the 23rd of August, you must start AND end at "Our Old Apartment" by connecting with each station/square at least once and following only the direction the arrows indicate.
2. On Thursday, hypothetically the 25th of August, you must start at "Our Old Apartment", make a round trip to "Our New Apartment" and back, and finally end at "Our New Apartment" by connecting with each station/square at least once and following only the direction the arrows indicate.
3. On both Tuesday and Thursday you have the luxury of using a car provided by your landlady for the first trip from "Our Old Apartment"to "Streetcar Stop" (the dashed line). This shortcut can be used only once per day.
4. On Tuesday, you only bring 180 pounds of gear, including two 70-pound suitcases and two 20-pound backpacks. On Thursday, you bring approximately 360 pounds of gear in the following distribution:
a. On the first trip, you bring two 70-pound suitcases, two 30-pound carry-on bags (one wheeled, one not), and two 20-pound backpacks.
b. On the second trip, you bring one 70-pound suitcase, one 10-pound grocery bag, two 20-pound backpacks, and a bicycle. (However, it is, conveniently, a very light and beautiful bicycle, much like the one found here.)
c. Transportation is never quite at street level, so each article must be lifted up to the streetcar or the top deck of the train, and then back down again at the end of the trip.
d. Bonus exercise: "Our New Apartment" is on the fifth floor. No elevator. Assuming an average story height of three meters (and 2.2 pounds is one kilogram), calculate the energy required to lift all of the gear from the ground to "Our New Apartment". (g=9.8 m/s/s) Express your answer in kilojoules.
5. (Physical challenge!) Bicycles are not allowed on the bus connecting Schwarzrheindorf Kirche to "Streetcar Stop". But, the rider of the bicycle must be at both "Bus Stop" and "Streetcar Stop" to help with loading and unloading of the suitcase, respectively. To accommodate both rules, you must (1) load at Schwarzrheindorf Kirche, (2) ride faster than the bus to "Streetcar Stop", and (3) be ready to unload at "Streetcar Stop". You have 5 minutes. Viel Glück.
6. (Discussion topic) At "Streetcar Stop", you realize that the streetcars are quite full. You have a choice. You may either (1) ride to "Bonn Main Train Station" in the slightly less-full streetcars and take two trains (with a train change at "Köln Main Train Station") that will require you to move the gear between two trains multiple times, (2) ride in a more full streetcar to "Siegburg Train Station" and not have to transfer gear at "Köln Main Train Station", or (3) send the luggage with one person ("Sara") on a streetcar with sufficient room while another person ("Tyler") rides like hell to meet the streetcar at "Siegburg Train Station" before the train for Aachen departs in 45 minutes. The ride from "Streetcar Stop" to "Siegburg Train Station" is 8.6 km long. Which option do you choose? Justify your response. (We chose number 2, FYI. Despite "Tyler's" protestations that he could surely beat the train to "Siegburg".)
7. You have 36 Euros to complete the move on Tuesday, and an additional 36 Euros on Thursday. Conveniently, that is enough for unlimited rides within the entire game ("Northrhein Westphalia"), but only on the slow trains; each connection from "Siegburg Train Station" to "Aachen Main Train Station" is approximately 90 minutes long.
8. You begin at 9 am on Thursday and must be done by 8 pm.
Good luck!
4d. 36.08 kJ
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