The Theme Song Starts to Play...
Luck be a lady...
Luck be a lady...
LUCK BE A LAAAAADYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY, TONIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIGHT!
I'm off all, back Sunday a richer/poorer man.
Thursday, September 05, 2002
Bubble Here, Bubble There.
You know how when you take the SAT you have to go through like a whole page of bubbling your first name, last name, birthdate, gender, school address, etc etc etc? How it's really boring and teacher spends like an hour explaining how to do it? Well it's officially, about 10% of you are complete morons. My job for yesterday and today has been to go through a stack of about 600 of these scantron forms, and fix all the mistakes. There's people who choose to do every other column, randomly on either the pink or white alternating columns generally depending on their gender. There are people who write it and don't bubble in at all, or people who bubble without writing. There are even people who bubble in all the letters of their name in the SAME column, making it impossible to tell what their name really is if they didn't write it in. My fun doesn't stop there though, I then get to write in and bubble in a four digit test code on every single sheet, luckily it's always the same. No such luck for the ten digit student ID however. After alphabetizing the entire stack of 600, I then give the first student the number 0000000001, the second 0000000002, and so on until 0000000600. That's right, I have to bubble in all ten bubbles for each of those. So fourteen bubbles per page, and yesterday I finished about 200 students, so roughly 2800 bubbles. Not including the fixing the names fiasco. My hand felt like it was going to fall off, being ambidextrous would have been nice. And I still have the largest stack to go. Then I get to go downstairs and run them all one at a time through the feeder to score them. I hear I'll get to do some of that this morning before I go back to bubbling.
The good news is, I was sent a thingy in the mail that gave me two free nights at the Stratosphere in Las Vegas on Friday and Saturday night. So I said I was "unavailable" for work tomorrow. I suppose the $150 I make over these couple days will be nice in the long run. I'll probably even go back on Monday just because I don't have anything better to do. This weekend though, I'm gonna relax and live the good life. Even with the concept of free, didn't find anyone interested, mainly due to the short notice and people having other plans. So it looks like myself and the father will be trooping out there, which is nice because then I don't have to drive, and can get some quality book reading in.
Lastly, I'd like to give a booyah to Kelly Clarkson for taking home the American Idol crown last night... I haven't been a diehard fan, just started watching in the last couple weeks, but still witnessed some pretty amazing performances. Downloaded both her upcoming single "A Moment Like This" and her version of Mariah Carey's "Without You", the latter of which is my favorite performance from the entire show. Also going to plug a song I've been trying to remember to download forever and finally got around to snagging. Live's "Lightning Crashes" is one of those songs where the melody is so simple, and yet you can't help but sway along with your eyes closed, envelopd by the music. It gets louder later, but my favorite part is those opening riffs.
Now it's off to work, all the live long day.
You know how when you take the SAT you have to go through like a whole page of bubbling your first name, last name, birthdate, gender, school address, etc etc etc? How it's really boring and teacher spends like an hour explaining how to do it? Well it's officially, about 10% of you are complete morons. My job for yesterday and today has been to go through a stack of about 600 of these scantron forms, and fix all the mistakes. There's people who choose to do every other column, randomly on either the pink or white alternating columns generally depending on their gender. There are people who write it and don't bubble in at all, or people who bubble without writing. There are even people who bubble in all the letters of their name in the SAME column, making it impossible to tell what their name really is if they didn't write it in. My fun doesn't stop there though, I then get to write in and bubble in a four digit test code on every single sheet, luckily it's always the same. No such luck for the ten digit student ID however. After alphabetizing the entire stack of 600, I then give the first student the number 0000000001, the second 0000000002, and so on until 0000000600. That's right, I have to bubble in all ten bubbles for each of those. So fourteen bubbles per page, and yesterday I finished about 200 students, so roughly 2800 bubbles. Not including the fixing the names fiasco. My hand felt like it was going to fall off, being ambidextrous would have been nice. And I still have the largest stack to go. Then I get to go downstairs and run them all one at a time through the feeder to score them. I hear I'll get to do some of that this morning before I go back to bubbling.
The good news is, I was sent a thingy in the mail that gave me two free nights at the Stratosphere in Las Vegas on Friday and Saturday night. So I said I was "unavailable" for work tomorrow. I suppose the $150 I make over these couple days will be nice in the long run. I'll probably even go back on Monday just because I don't have anything better to do. This weekend though, I'm gonna relax and live the good life. Even with the concept of free, didn't find anyone interested, mainly due to the short notice and people having other plans. So it looks like myself and the father will be trooping out there, which is nice because then I don't have to drive, and can get some quality book reading in.
Lastly, I'd like to give a booyah to Kelly Clarkson for taking home the American Idol crown last night... I haven't been a diehard fan, just started watching in the last couple weeks, but still witnessed some pretty amazing performances. Downloaded both her upcoming single "A Moment Like This" and her version of Mariah Carey's "Without You", the latter of which is my favorite performance from the entire show. Also going to plug a song I've been trying to remember to download forever and finally got around to snagging. Live's "Lightning Crashes" is one of those songs where the melody is so simple, and yet you can't help but sway along with your eyes closed, envelopd by the music. It gets louder later, but my favorite part is those opening riffs.
Now it's off to work, all the live long day.
Wednesday, September 04, 2002
A Welcome Change.
Got my housing packet info thingy in the mail yesterday, and received quite a surprise when I opened it. Back in the Spring when I applied I put down Manzanita Village, the brand new still being built at the time dorm area as my first choice, and San Miguel, the dorm I'd been in for three years running, as my second choice. When I got the initial acceptance of my contract, it showed me as getting a single again in San Miguel. I spent the next few months talking myself out of Manzanita, for reasons such as the possibility construction wouldn't be finished, major utilities or the internet might not be working, and reasons such as a greater distance from most classes, and the 217 freeway, as well as proximity to IV. Well, it turns out something got bumped along the way, and I ended up getting into Manzanita. There actually are a lot of pros to go with the cons, the largest of which is that of the 800 or so slots available in that dorm, only 400 will be given to freshmen, so there will be a lot more upper classmen there. I've dealt with freshmen for a while, and I'm pretty bored of them. Another plus is that everything will be brand new, assuming it's all done and working. I'll be eating at Carrillo instead of Ortega, which is the brand new dining commons that's been under construction for over a year since it was previously an eatery for those living in San Rafael. The description seems to say on a daily basis things will be "cooked to your order" so to speak, including stations like Mongolian Barbeque. My building is the closest one to the food, which should be nice. :)
So, for all your stalking needs, I recommend checking out the Las Encinas Quad in Manzanita Village at UCSB, and I'll even narrow it down to Arguello House. To be even more discrete, I'll complain about how I did end up on the first floor. The good news is my building is four stories instead of three like most of them, but of the 17 buildings in the Village, mine has the smallest number of people. That means 40 people in the building divied up over 4 floors. In comparison, just on my floor back in San Miguel, there was 25 residents, with 50 total being on my "unit hall" of my floor and the female floor below us. Seems like there will be a lot less traffic, with only 10 people or so living on each floor. I'm wondering how the exterior door keys will work, if it will be the same one for only Arguello House, or all of Las Encinas Quad, or all of Manzanita Village. Needing a different key for each building would be pretty lame. You'd think they'd at least allow you into the buildings in your quad. More good news from the phone usage front, they've gotten rid of the old stupid way of hitting flash then dialing *01 to answer call waiting, now only the flash key is needed. That was really annoying, because no one ever did it right. So starting September 19th you can start mailing me at my new address at school.
PO Box 15324, UCSB
Santa Barbara, CA 93107
And the countdown begins. I'm up early because I'm working back downtown at the place I was for today, I figure more spending money isn't a terrible thing since I didn't have plans today anyway.
Got my housing packet info thingy in the mail yesterday, and received quite a surprise when I opened it. Back in the Spring when I applied I put down Manzanita Village, the brand new still being built at the time dorm area as my first choice, and San Miguel, the dorm I'd been in for three years running, as my second choice. When I got the initial acceptance of my contract, it showed me as getting a single again in San Miguel. I spent the next few months talking myself out of Manzanita, for reasons such as the possibility construction wouldn't be finished, major utilities or the internet might not be working, and reasons such as a greater distance from most classes, and the 217 freeway, as well as proximity to IV. Well, it turns out something got bumped along the way, and I ended up getting into Manzanita. There actually are a lot of pros to go with the cons, the largest of which is that of the 800 or so slots available in that dorm, only 400 will be given to freshmen, so there will be a lot more upper classmen there. I've dealt with freshmen for a while, and I'm pretty bored of them. Another plus is that everything will be brand new, assuming it's all done and working. I'll be eating at Carrillo instead of Ortega, which is the brand new dining commons that's been under construction for over a year since it was previously an eatery for those living in San Rafael. The description seems to say on a daily basis things will be "cooked to your order" so to speak, including stations like Mongolian Barbeque. My building is the closest one to the food, which should be nice. :)
So, for all your stalking needs, I recommend checking out the Las Encinas Quad in Manzanita Village at UCSB, and I'll even narrow it down to Arguello House. To be even more discrete, I'll complain about how I did end up on the first floor. The good news is my building is four stories instead of three like most of them, but of the 17 buildings in the Village, mine has the smallest number of people. That means 40 people in the building divied up over 4 floors. In comparison, just on my floor back in San Miguel, there was 25 residents, with 50 total being on my "unit hall" of my floor and the female floor below us. Seems like there will be a lot less traffic, with only 10 people or so living on each floor. I'm wondering how the exterior door keys will work, if it will be the same one for only Arguello House, or all of Las Encinas Quad, or all of Manzanita Village. Needing a different key for each building would be pretty lame. You'd think they'd at least allow you into the buildings in your quad. More good news from the phone usage front, they've gotten rid of the old stupid way of hitting flash then dialing *01 to answer call waiting, now only the flash key is needed. That was really annoying, because no one ever did it right. So starting September 19th you can start mailing me at my new address at school.
PO Box 15324, UCSB
Santa Barbara, CA 93107
And the countdown begins. I'm up early because I'm working back downtown at the place I was for today, I figure more spending money isn't a terrible thing since I didn't have plans today anyway.
Monday, September 02, 2002
Bigger, Better, Beautiful.
That's right, I'm talking about my new monitor! AHAHAHA yes I'm sure at least half the people who read that sentence immediately moved on to another one of their bookmarks. Assuming I was bookmarked in the first place, hah! Anyway, after like years of mumbling about it, and countless hours surfing the web looking for the best deal, and a few times coming tantalizingly close to winning an auction and then losing, I've finally ended up with a flat panel monitor. Aesthetically, it's actually better looking than I thought it would be. It's the Dell2000FP, that's 20.1 inches viewable. The final kicker was the price, when the Dell site decided to cut the prices of all monitors by 25% for a short period of time, that placed the monitor only slightly more expensive than most 18 or 19 inch viewable panels. The main reason 20 is such a good size is that its native resolution is 1600 x 1200, which is a size you basically can't use on any smaller sized monitors, due to text and everything else being so tiny. I ended up gaining two inches on my old monitor, as well as losing the two feet of depth I used to have to deal with. It's lighter, will give me a ton more room, and its already very clear how much easier on the eyes it will be. Even after a few hours straight of gaming or staring at it, there's no noticable effects like the typical headaches or whatnot one would normally experience. And hey, it even draws like 90% less power or something, so when I start having to care about electric bills (i.e. when I'm paying them) it'll help! :)
So all those who come over to watch movies this year will be much more pleased with the new addition. Cost a pretty penny, but I consider it a very good investment, since I paid several hundred less than it sells for retail, and I'm planning to have it for quite some time, as I move around from place to place over the next few years. My eyes sure will be thanking me.
My physical got delayed, as my recruiter figured out I needed the full on flight physical and not the general one all the non-rated applicants go through, which is going to put it sometime in October. Which means a trip down to LA at some point, probably on a weekday when I'll be forced to miss class. Oh well, as long as I know in advance I can probably make arrangements to counteract any possible problems.
That was strange. A very loud airplane just passed over my house. I live very close to LAX, but I'm not in the flight path, so that's not a normal thing. Sounded like a very large jet. It's a different world we're living in, when the first thing that crosses my mind when I hear an unexpected sound of a plane in close proximity, is whether or not its headed for me.
That's right, I'm talking about my new monitor! AHAHAHA yes I'm sure at least half the people who read that sentence immediately moved on to another one of their bookmarks. Assuming I was bookmarked in the first place, hah! Anyway, after like years of mumbling about it, and countless hours surfing the web looking for the best deal, and a few times coming tantalizingly close to winning an auction and then losing, I've finally ended up with a flat panel monitor. Aesthetically, it's actually better looking than I thought it would be. It's the Dell2000FP, that's 20.1 inches viewable. The final kicker was the price, when the Dell site decided to cut the prices of all monitors by 25% for a short period of time, that placed the monitor only slightly more expensive than most 18 or 19 inch viewable panels. The main reason 20 is such a good size is that its native resolution is 1600 x 1200, which is a size you basically can't use on any smaller sized monitors, due to text and everything else being so tiny. I ended up gaining two inches on my old monitor, as well as losing the two feet of depth I used to have to deal with. It's lighter, will give me a ton more room, and its already very clear how much easier on the eyes it will be. Even after a few hours straight of gaming or staring at it, there's no noticable effects like the typical headaches or whatnot one would normally experience. And hey, it even draws like 90% less power or something, so when I start having to care about electric bills (i.e. when I'm paying them) it'll help! :)
So all those who come over to watch movies this year will be much more pleased with the new addition. Cost a pretty penny, but I consider it a very good investment, since I paid several hundred less than it sells for retail, and I'm planning to have it for quite some time, as I move around from place to place over the next few years. My eyes sure will be thanking me.
My physical got delayed, as my recruiter figured out I needed the full on flight physical and not the general one all the non-rated applicants go through, which is going to put it sometime in October. Which means a trip down to LA at some point, probably on a weekday when I'll be forced to miss class. Oh well, as long as I know in advance I can probably make arrangements to counteract any possible problems.
That was strange. A very loud airplane just passed over my house. I live very close to LAX, but I'm not in the flight path, so that's not a normal thing. Sounded like a very large jet. It's a different world we're living in, when the first thing that crosses my mind when I hear an unexpected sound of a plane in close proximity, is whether or not its headed for me.
Sunday, September 01, 2002
Three Hundred Sixty Five Days of a Lifetime, in Words.
Believe it or not, I've been writing in this Blog for a year. Doesn't really seem like it. Reading the first entry, much of it would be identical if I was writing it as we speak. If you've actually made it through the whole thing I salute you, you've covered approximately 229 pages single spaced, and 529,000 plus characters. You're one of 3,400 plus people who've visited the page for one random reason or another, just short of 10 a day or so. Many of you probably happened upon this page from a random search engine query, such as one of the many hilarious one's I've reposted. Others might be friends of mine, or family. The truth is, although I do check the counter info on a regular basis, if that was all I was interested in, this blog wouldn't be here. I'd be filling it up with words I knew would generate hits from search engines, along with links, popups, and the other lame things sites do to gain hits. Instead, these pages are filled with words of my own, that I just felt like saying at the time. I often go back and read entries from a month prior, a few months prior, a year prior. The funny thing is, I input these things so fast, that even a few days later, reading the words makes me feel like I'm reading someone else's novel. I literally laugh at my own jokes. It's quite pathetic when you think about it.
Have I succeeded in what I set out to do? I think so. This has been a journal that could never be replaced by pen and paper. The amount of time saved that's allowed me to be as articulate or convoluted as I wish without straining my hands is uncountable. I have this backed up to two different hard drives, so even if something happens to the Blogger server or one of my drives, I'll still have this journal to look back on, to see what life was like during my junior year in college. That's over now, it's now the month of September, in a short twenty days I'm headed back to school. I have a new career goal, a new path to follow, a new life to lead. There will be new people to meet, old faces to recognize, plenty of work to do.
Looking back, it's been a pretty good year, as have all of my years of college. No personal tragedies, no horrific injuries or illnesses, and although there was both physical and emotional pain of various kinds, there was always a rainbow through the storm at some point. Sometimes a new day, sometimes a friend to help, sometimes just a sentence uttered by someone, that cheered me up like nothing else could.
September 1st, 2001, was ten days before the event that shook the foundation of this country. In that respect, the world is a very different place than it was when I started this Blog. Then again, I feel I've also changed as a person as a result. In a good way.
Here's to you, the Reader, for sharing this last year with me. Believe me, you aint seen nothing yet.
I mean really, one of these days/months/years I'll be filling this with pages and pages about an actual DATE! :)
Believe it or not, I've been writing in this Blog for a year. Doesn't really seem like it. Reading the first entry, much of it would be identical if I was writing it as we speak. If you've actually made it through the whole thing I salute you, you've covered approximately 229 pages single spaced, and 529,000 plus characters. You're one of 3,400 plus people who've visited the page for one random reason or another, just short of 10 a day or so. Many of you probably happened upon this page from a random search engine query, such as one of the many hilarious one's I've reposted. Others might be friends of mine, or family. The truth is, although I do check the counter info on a regular basis, if that was all I was interested in, this blog wouldn't be here. I'd be filling it up with words I knew would generate hits from search engines, along with links, popups, and the other lame things sites do to gain hits. Instead, these pages are filled with words of my own, that I just felt like saying at the time. I often go back and read entries from a month prior, a few months prior, a year prior. The funny thing is, I input these things so fast, that even a few days later, reading the words makes me feel like I'm reading someone else's novel. I literally laugh at my own jokes. It's quite pathetic when you think about it.
Have I succeeded in what I set out to do? I think so. This has been a journal that could never be replaced by pen and paper. The amount of time saved that's allowed me to be as articulate or convoluted as I wish without straining my hands is uncountable. I have this backed up to two different hard drives, so even if something happens to the Blogger server or one of my drives, I'll still have this journal to look back on, to see what life was like during my junior year in college. That's over now, it's now the month of September, in a short twenty days I'm headed back to school. I have a new career goal, a new path to follow, a new life to lead. There will be new people to meet, old faces to recognize, plenty of work to do.
Looking back, it's been a pretty good year, as have all of my years of college. No personal tragedies, no horrific injuries or illnesses, and although there was both physical and emotional pain of various kinds, there was always a rainbow through the storm at some point. Sometimes a new day, sometimes a friend to help, sometimes just a sentence uttered by someone, that cheered me up like nothing else could.
September 1st, 2001, was ten days before the event that shook the foundation of this country. In that respect, the world is a very different place than it was when I started this Blog. Then again, I feel I've also changed as a person as a result. In a good way.
Here's to you, the Reader, for sharing this last year with me. Believe me, you aint seen nothing yet.
I mean really, one of these days/months/years I'll be filling this with pages and pages about an actual DATE! :)
