Monday, April 10, 2006

Essentiality of Exponents

I'm sure you all remember those days in junior high or middle school when the pre-aglebra teacher walked in with a plastic smile stretched over her teeth, "Today, we are going to learn about exponents. I hope you find them as exciting as I do!" Her job then was to convince us that the hours of struggling to master such an abstract concept would somehow make our lives better...

I didn't get it back then.

Now I do.

Here's the simple truth involving the practical use of exponents: Scheduling YOUR grown-up activities (like getting your Bible study homework done, laundry, cooking, going to the bathroom...) is a practice in the futile. What normally takes mere minutes can now stretch out over hours and even DAYS! Caring for a newborn means this: Add exponents to the old amounts of time it took you to complete a task. Increase exponents by factors of "ten" if your baby is having a fussy or gassy day.

Example: Normally it takes me fifteen minutes to do one section of my Community Bible Study homework (there are six sections). On a non-gassy/fussy baby day, it takes 2 to the 2nd power amount of time to complete one section (multiplied by six). Today, on a gassy/fussy baby day, my study remains undone, Bible study is this evening and it is taking about 2 to the 20th power amount of time to complete one section. Follow me?

And I hope to finish my novel (1st draft) by the end of July... Heh, heh. Am I deluded or what? Don't answer that.

Okay, how many of you want to be on my "litter box groupie" list? I will notify you when new pics of the North American Wild Snorting Baby are posted. I know that's all you guys check in for. He's a lot cuter and more interesting them silly 'ol me. Let me know!

Now, what's that noise I hear crashing through my moment of silence? Sounds like a train horn... no, it's a wail. Gotta run. Diaper duty calls!

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Did you know that exponents can also go the opposite way? 1/2 squared is 1/4 and 1/2 cubed is 1/8 and 1/2 squared twice is 1/16. Any allegories?