Tuesday of Tuesdays

Oops, maybe 2:30 AM is too late to get to sleep. I woke up this morning just in time to realize that I was really late for chemistry. I decided to get another hour of sleep and study the chapter myself. It wasn't too bad, it was another concept I've had before, and I actually think it makes sense this time.

In trig we had an exam that I blew thru. I'm really glad I'm taking it again, it really does make this transition easier.

This evening I hung out with Ashley mostly. We watched Gilmore Girls, which we haven't done in a long while. After that she went home to do homework, and I actually sat down and watched a TV show for the first time in a long while! I watched Father of the Pride, that new adult-ish computer-animated series. It was pretty funny, I might have to start setting some time aside for that.

That reminds me, I'm also in the middle of laundry... Post again soon

Bite the Bullet

Ok, so maybe work isn't that bad. Its still not what I want to do, but it's not that bad.

I posted my resume on Monster.com, hopefully someone will see it and think "intern...", but we'll see. I guess I might be able to hang in there at this job for a while. As long as they don't volunteer me for Winback... I refuse. Nancy says she likes Winback because she has more goodies to offer people, but that means I'd have to be even more of a salesman. If anything, I want to be less of a salesman!

School was usual. I don't have enough time to do what I want, blah blah blah. At the moment, I don't really think it matters. I'm an adult now. I need time for myself, but I can get that later. I'll just suck it up for now. Things will get better, yes they will.

Good day off

Why are days off always shorter than working days? It was a good day, but way too short. I actually woke up at 10 today, which was an accomplishment for me. I went to church with Ashley, and spent most of the rest of the day with her.

We went to Hancock Fabric to get flannel for pajama pants, and watched an RC car race in the parking lot. After that, we rented a bunch of movies from King Soopers and vegitated for a while. How does 3PM turn into 7PM that quickly? Anyway, Ashley went home, and I finished my Spanish composición, called my family, and now here I am with almost nothing to show for a day off. Doing nothing is supposed to be more relaxing than this. Oh well.

School and work tomorrow, but only 1 class, and then Tuesday is no work, so its all good. I did watch Castaway today, and it reminded me of a very important point: tomorrow is another day that may bring some welcome surprises! Bring on the day!

Life, the Universe, and Everything

I'm starting to think this full time employee\student thing isn't for me. I'm still getting thru, but I sure wish I had more time off. One day off of everything isn't quite enough, methinks.

Class is going great. I actually feel pretty relaxed about this whole college thing. I've got a full load and I still don't have to do that much studying. I'm keeping up with homework, but its not really that hard. Sure, that'll probably change as soon as I get classes I've never taken, but it seems like the profs usually go over anything that's important.

Its work thats really draining me right now. Its not a bad job, but getting up the will to drive there and sit is slightly harder. I don't know how long I want to make myself a slave to America's stupidest segment of society. "I'm not gonna have TV for a week just because your equipment failed?" Try a board game, ma'am. I've heard they're fun.

I think I'll start job hunting. I don't mind this job, and I'll keep it until i find something else. However, I don't want to stay there longer than I have to. I'm smart enough to do something better.

New Computer!

Yay! I just spent a bunch of money on a new computer! Well, not an entirely new computer, but the important parts. I got a new case, an Athlon 64 3000+ CPU, a new motherboard with 8 USB2 ports, 512MB of DDR RAM and a mini USB hub.

It was really time to do it, and I'm really glad I did. I haven't seen phenomenal performance increases, but the case looks MUCH better, and I feel better knowing that my hardware is updated. I now have a really great PC once again. Besides, I didn't spend a fortune. I got pretty good deals.

Oh yeah, and Mr. Waterbury has made a couple of basic updates on the band website (www.bhsband.org), so I guess my project will continue to be used! Sweet! Still need to get some students/parents/instructors involved, but there's a BBPA meeting coming up.

Work again tomorrow? Keep on truckin'...

Day Off

Finally, a day off. Why did that take so long to get here? I hope I get used to this schedule.

Work is still pretty good, but it's getting hard to drive in and park and find a desk. Once I'm on the phones I actually feel pretty good, but just the process of getting to that point is a work of patience.

School isn't as bad. Maybe thats just because I've been doing that for 13 years already, so I know what to expect. Having one and two classes a day is really, really nice, and I'm staying current with my homework for the most part. Today I need to do a bunch, but that's what this day off is designed for.

At least Friday was payday, that made it all worth it. Oh yeah, and I got a real credit card to buy gas with. Its a Capital One Platinum and it has a whole $300 credit limit. Thanks a lot. That will go a long ways when I have a car emergency.

Oh well, back to homework for a bit. Love you everyone!

They work!

Indeed, the speakers do work. They don't blow me away and redifine my listening experience, but they work, and they're bigger than the ones that go to the stereo. Thats all that counts, right?

Alright so I've learned my lesson. No more buying speakers from shady guys in parking lots.

But work was pretty good. Very strange day; my team had no coach (which is very bad when you need one to override something), and no actual place to sit. I ended up sitting in the back where the Quality Assurance people usually sit. But other than that, it was actually a pretty good evening. Especially since tomorrow I have off from work!

Scam-arino

Guess what? I just got roped into a scam! I should have heard of this one, should've thought twice, but oh well. Actually, I'm surprisingly happy! For all I can tell, the speakers actually work.

I bought a pair of floor speakers from a couple guys in an SUV. They seemed a little shady, but I didn't think much of it. I figured at worst the speakers were stolen. Their excuse was that they were installers and their SUV had been overstocked, and they would sell the extras before anyone noticed. I didn't completely buy the story, but these seemed like pretty good speakers, so I went ahead and did it.

When I brought them home, I tried hooking them up and they initially didn't work. I went on the web to look up the company and find information on the speakers. However, the first thing that popped up was a scam alert. I started reading a couple of stories of exactly the same situation, a couple with exactly the same excuse. I got worried, but eventually i figured out that I was trying to hook it up wrong anyway. When correctly connected, a trickle of sound does come out, and I think when they're hooked up to my stereo they'll work fine.

As for the speakers themselves, they're a pair of 3-foot high sturdy black oak boxes, and each of them has two 8" bass drivers, a 5" midrange, (all 3 of them are kevlar with foam pads), and a 1" titanium-coated tweeter. I sure hope I can get these working, because they're starting to look like a decent buy for the second time today.

Blah

Another day, another... dollar? It was a good day, but where did time go? I think waking up at 11:00 must have made the difference. Sleeping in is great, but it sure makes the day seem short.

Ashley and I spent most of the afternoon together watching the extended version of Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves. After that we had dinner at Old Chicago, which was good as always. We talked about what we've been doing.

Apparently, Ashley's mother wants to buy another rental. She currently has her one of her own, then owns the paperwork on Ashley's, and is thinking about doing another. If you don't know anything about the rental house situation, Marcy's rental has been in renovation for the past year, and has been ready to rent out for about 2 months. Ashley's rental has been in renovation for almost a year, and still has a bit of work to to. But between working on the two houses, Marcy has not taken a day to herself in months. And now she wants to buy another! Ashley's not sure what to think, but does admit that it would keep her mom sane. Ashley's starting to think that her mom needs a rental house to renovate to keep herself happy.

After dinner, we both went home to finish homework. I studied a little español, and I'm working on my math lab assignment currently. The online lab is also pretty cool, as they guarantee a response to questions within 12 hours. However, this particular assignment calls for 2 different questions on separate days. Why is this necessary, again?

Long Day

Today I spent the day with Ashley, her mom and her grandpa, Bob. Bob's a very cool grandpa, and I think he's getting to like me. Anyway, he took all of us shooting at a range in Ft. Morgan, and it was really fun. He's a bit of a gun nut; he's an NRA member, has a concealed weapons license, and has a rotating collection.

He started us off with a couple of handguns, and we got to try out the 100-year-old .22 rifle that Ashley inherited. Its pretty cute; its basically a BB gun with gunpowder. Instead of shattering the clay pigeons that we had set on a hill, it left holes in them.

After that, he let me try a couple of his high-power rifles. One of his new aquisitions that he let me try was a Russian WW2 rifle with 30-06 ammo. That thing delivers quite a kick, but I actually didn't do too bad. We had a target set at 100 yards, but with 20 shots between Bob and I, it didn't have a hole in it. We also visited some of their relatives, and also the cemetary to replace some pots.

After that, I went to work my first real shift. It wasn't all that bad. My team seems pretty lively for call center workers, but I think I'll like a few of them. My coach Eric seems pretty... uptight, but he tries to stay level-headed. The team could be affecting that uptightness; they love to disagree with company policies. Either way, I'm gonna be there a while, better get used to it.

Training is finally over! I'm not a new hire anym...

Training is finally over! I'm not a new hire anymore! I may be the lowest totem on the pole, but I'm on the pole at least. The graduation ceremony was cheezy as ever; there were about two dozen guests present. But it was much appreciated that the company would make the effort. And I got an award for perfect attendance thru training.

This morning was a little less exciting. Ashley's really having a bad week. Her bank was charging her $400 on an overdraft account she never opened. Her car is on the fritz and she's had nightmares that it'll catch on fire. She's still in high school, and that fact is really getting to her now that she's in class. And to top it all off, Ty visited the high school the other day. Her period isn't helping her mood any. She's even starting to get fed up with Cassie, which I've never seen from her.

Oh yeah, and my math teacher gave us an assignment to use the school's tutoring services. It wasn't an explanation or a tour, its an assignment for points. (Didn't I just get out of high school?) On the plus side, I went into the room today, and it's a really great study atmosphere, so maybe I'll end up using it after all.

All the usual...

So yeah, there hasn't been a whole lot going on. At work, we've got one day of Transition Pod left. I met my coach Eric (my direct supervisor), and he seems pretty cool. He's not a rule basher, but he does insist that I don't get in trouble because then he gets in trouble which he'll bring back to me. But he has cool spreadsheets!

Spanish today was decent. We're still going over things I know from previous experience. I forgot my composition, but I did figure out how to use the keyboard to type Spanish characters without the symbol chart. For example:

¡Hola! ¿Cómo está usted? Soy así así. Soy un poco perezoso, pero muy intelegente. ¿Qué hora es? Es siete veintecinco...

Yay for accent marks! And it works in any program. It will come in handy for next time.

I miss Ashley, especially since she had a bad day today. Hopefully I can find a little time to see her tomorrow.

No school Monday or Tuesday, and I'm lovin' it! I...

No school Monday or Tuesday, and I'm lovin' it! I get to sleep in for a change, and I get a chance to play Neverwinter Nights! Its such a sweet deal!

Work tonight was pretty usual. I'm not looking forward to the aftermath of Hurricane Francis, but I may actually be spared for another week since Hurricane Ivan has just been spotted. I had a lady tonight explain that hurricanes were either scary or boring. I guess that's one way to look at it if you live there.

I've been keeping up with homework, but having no school has helped that. I just hope that my normal work schedule will clear things up. I'll be fine if I just don't procrastinate.

I'm missing Ashley, but we had a good weekend. We're both starting to catch cold, but it hasn't slowed me down yet. I'm not so sure about Ashley.

Last Saturday off... EVER

Thats right, today was the last Saturday I'll have off ever again. After today, it'll be all Sundays and Tuesdays (besides this Friday.) But it wasn't such a bad day. To start off the day, Ashley and I went to get her tires rotated, and one flat fixed. She said her steering has been floating when she goes above about 45 mph, and that's been happening for a few days, so hopefully this will help. After that, Ashley and I got Quizno's and watched a movie on my computer.

After that, I took her home so she could go to work, and chatted with her Uncle Greg and Aunt Carol for a bit. About 10 minutes into her shift, Ashley called and said she was done and was coming home. It was great, but it ruined my plan to go to PC Club and buy a USB hub. So instead we stuck around. Pretty soon after Carol and Greg left, Uncle Bud and Skylar (Bud's 3-year-old grandson) dropped by, and Skylar and I played for a little bit. I introduced him to "Where's Cassie," a game where we throw the dog's blanket over her. After that, Ashley and I went to the mall in hopes of catching PC Club. I arrived about 10 minutes after close, so we went to see The Princess Diaries 2. The movie started at 9:40, so we skipped and wandered arount the mall instead. I bought Neverwinter Nights, and Ashley got more jeans from Old Navy.

That about sums up the day, except the part after this that I play Neverwinter Nights. A good day, but I'm sad to say goodbye to Saturdays. It was nice knowing you, Saturday. We had many good times!

It's Friday!!!

And Friday didn't come a moment too soon. As much fun as Travel Pod has been, I need a break. Tomorrow I have the prospect of an actual day off, which I haven't gotten in a while. But that's all a ruse, because Sunday we start Transition Pod, the last week of training. But thats ok. I still have my sanity so far. Besides, my real shedule has Sundays and Tuesdays off, so I won't get a two-day weekend until I start taking paid days off.

Today was overall pretty good. I got up at the crack of 10 AM, changed my car's oil (it needed it), then I checked my account to see my huge stores of cash. After that, I went and bought Noodles and Co. and had lunch with Ashley, which makes the second time I've seen her all week since Sunday, the first being last night. It was very good to just sit down with her and... sit. The macaroni was good too, but I think we were both relieved to have the other there.

Work was usual. We got to listen to our own recorded calls, and I didn't realize that my voice is so nasal on the phone.

Oh yeah, and per a bet with the class a week behind us, we're gonna get a pizza party on Monday or Tuesday. They bet that they could get a better class average on the 2nd and 3rd week tests than we did, and I believe we won. Therefore, they're gonna pay for pizza for both classes. I'm happy about that :)

Yay! I got balloons last night! I was QA'd twice ...

Yay! I got balloons last night! I was QA'd twice last night (a Quality Assurance person listened to my calls and graded them), and I got 100% on both of them! That made me happy. I feel pretty comfortable on the phones, but the night never seems to end. Maybe being on the later shift will help pass the time. We'll see.

I was not ready for chemistry this morning. I had no homework, and no lab goggles or long pants for the lab day. I was prepared for a very bad day. However, I was able to buy goggles in the student store, and he never asked for the homework, so it wasn't as horrible as I had thought.

Money Money Money! After a season of financial drought, I'm finally getting a little back. My parents sent what I asked for, and I should be getting my paycheck thru direct deposit tonight. Yes Mom, I plan on saving some. I'm even sending $50 of every paycheck to my New Mexico account by the direct deposit setup, so I can't touch it unless I really need it!

Oh well, time to get myself out of financial sqander. OK, its not that bad, but still....

Random Thoughts for Free Time

Well shoot, you know what I just realized? They've screwed up my schedule for the last week of training! All thru training we've had Saturday and Sunday for a weekend, but this weekend I only get Saturday, then work Sunday thru Thursday. They do that so Friday we have a guaranteed day off and we start our schedules Saturday. I guess that works, but I was really looking forward to a good weekend. On the plus side, Friday is pay day. Sweet!

I was really worried when I thought this weekend was me and Ashley's 2 year anniversary, but that's next month, October 5th. I have that day off of work!

Spanish was alright. We had our first exam, which I took quickly and promptly left (per teacher's directions). It wasn't too hard. I forgot to do my workbook, so I'll be losing points there. Why didn't I remember that? It must've been too late last night. Either way, my efforts to improve my study skill need to be strengthened.

Oh yeah, and I can finally do laundry again. Sometime last week, a fire started in the plug. Lucky Aunt Nancy was there and noticed it. Uncle John came out a couple days ago and fixed the plug, but grandma's still bitching that the security system (which isn't even enabled anymore) shouldn't be wired onto the same circuit.

Dream Time

interesting dream, i'm gonna forget it if i don't write it down. i was on the run from the law for being some kind of super soldier\robot. i always started in a run-down apartment building that had been converted to a movie costume warehouse, and i'd so some fancy shooting and kung-fu and get away. for some reason, i was always worried about getting my satellite dish away with me.

then my mind would hit the reset button and i'd start back at the beginning, but with the prior knowledge of what i'd done. i had several friends with me, some from life and some not. then i woke up when she text messaged me. good thing she did, i would've been late for school!