Why Fire Truck Drivers Aren't Paid That Much.
Good thing I was up late last night, because if I wasn't I would have been joyfully awakened by a loud siren, and eventually a big crash and the sound of dragging metal. Turns out that I guess the fire people hadn't quite worked out which route to use to bring fire engines into this new dorm area yet, so they tried to fit a truck in between the light post and the flower/rockbed right outside my window, and discovered it didn't fit. They ended up trampling most of the bed, and finally running over a water main and dragging it with them for about twenty yards before coming to a halt right in the middle of the three quads, lights flashing siren blaring. Quite an interesting thing to see when you randomly look out your window. The trail of dirt and huge ditch the wheels dug is still there a day later, it'll be a lot of fun trying to clean that up I bet.
Hasn't been a whole lot to blog about, I got up on time the last few days and am getting into the exercise schedule I'm shooting for, and thus far no trace of the injury from the summer, although I'm taking it a bit easier to start out. Decided to really focus on how much I eat at meals, you can still get all the great tastes by only having a very small portion of each thing they have. The main problem used to be the eggs/potatoes/sausage etc etc etc I used to cram in for breakfast, and then still have a decent sized lunch and dinner. The breakfast/dinner schedule is what I'll be sticking to, with granola cereal/canteloupe/banana/OJ and milk being the start to the day, and generally the meat of the day over rice and a random side dish being the dinner. The pounds are starting to drop off again, and now that I'm back at school and have multiple choices when it comes to exercise, even if running is eliminated as an option again, I should be able to reach a happier level.
Thursday night was the inaugural poker game, with some of the old school players participating. I ended up the big winner, but there was a lot more luck than skill involved. You don't have to worry about bluffing or betting when you know you have the best possible hand, for example. Quite a nice feeling to have. They decided to go in for $10 a piece instead of the usual $5, so who knows maybe that will become the standard. A few other people who saw my away messages are wanting to get in on the action next week, so that might become a Thursday night thing or something. As long as I'm winning, the frequency of the matches doesn't really bother me. :)
Had a friend visit who I hadn't seen in quite some time, she'd spent the summer galavanding around the globe to various countries, apparently having a ball of a time. We had our usual good time as she called me stupid and I made fun of the way she says certain words, including my name. The need for a futon in here became even more evident as she ended up deciding to crash here instead of troop all the way back to her off campus house around 3am. Apparently my Mom is now heavily researching the idea, basically to prevent me from going out and buying the first thing I see. I don't particularly care, but it would be nice if it would be sturdy enough to last through the year and then into the future, as I begin to move around. Sure is easier than moving a full bed and couch around, especially if you can take it apart. Funny thing about the night was she left my playlist on shuffle when she went to sleep (I'd apparently dozed off earlier) because she enjoys background music while she sleeps. Well an elephant stampede could have gone through the room while she was asleep, because after random Metallica and Creed and whatever else had woken me up like six times, she hadn't moved a muscle. I'd gotten a ton of sleep the night before, and ended up getting up at like 7 anyway, so it was no big deal. Always nice to hang out with long-time friends with whom you can completely be yourself, with no worries as to how it will appear to them. Some people are inherently laid back, and regardless of what you say, it'll never be taken the wrong way. Those people make life so much more relaxing.
Other than that not much to report, halfway through a weekend, with a whole list of stuff to take care of tomorrow and especially Monday, so we'll see how that goes.
Tuesday, October 01, 2002
Thought I'd Never See The Day...
Well I said I was going to go all out on the whole open minded thing this year, and so far I've kept to it... Got assigned a group for my Business Plan project in Writing 109EC, seems like a pretty electic group, apparently the meeting we're having outside of class to start setting things up is going to be at one of the group member's sorority where she lives, apparently they have a nice big living room they use for a lot of group projects or something. That'll be a new experience, four years later I've never been in a fraternity or sorority. First time for everything. I actually managed to listen to her talk without really stereotyping her immediately, so I think I'm improving.
In other news I turned in my app thingy for House Co-Chair or what-not, that should be interesting. I figure might as well start taking on leadership roles where I have to deal with morons, practice for the future. I'll probably take the reins and be the group organizer for this Business Plan project too, least that way I can be sure of a decent grade. The awesome news is that I don't have a final on the very last day like I thought I did, turns out it's taking place late the prior week. So I'll probably be heading home that weekend instead of having to wait til the Monday. Good deal. Er wait a second, why am I in a hurry to get home again? :/
Well I said I was going to go all out on the whole open minded thing this year, and so far I've kept to it... Got assigned a group for my Business Plan project in Writing 109EC, seems like a pretty electic group, apparently the meeting we're having outside of class to start setting things up is going to be at one of the group member's sorority where she lives, apparently they have a nice big living room they use for a lot of group projects or something. That'll be a new experience, four years later I've never been in a fraternity or sorority. First time for everything. I actually managed to listen to her talk without really stereotyping her immediately, so I think I'm improving.
In other news I turned in my app thingy for House Co-Chair or what-not, that should be interesting. I figure might as well start taking on leadership roles where I have to deal with morons, practice for the future. I'll probably take the reins and be the group organizer for this Business Plan project too, least that way I can be sure of a decent grade. The awesome news is that I don't have a final on the very last day like I thought I did, turns out it's taking place late the prior week. So I'll probably be heading home that weekend instead of having to wait til the Monday. Good deal. Er wait a second, why am I in a hurry to get home again? :/
Monday, September 30, 2002
Are You In Group 1 Or Group 2?
Six weeks behind the times at least, finally joined the crowd in going to see Signs. I'd actually heard a lot of mixed reviews, so it ended up being better than I expected. Not really in your face booyah launch you out of your seat scary, just pretty suspenseful throughout. Logistically, it didn't make much sense at all, but the concept of aliens wandering around isn't exactly realistic in today's day and age either. We'll go with 4 M's, it was creepy enough to make me be glad I don't live in the middle of nowhere. The acting by the children was pretty amazing, really helped set the mood. Not exactly at the caliber of a Hayley Joel Osment, but not too shabby in their own right. Also turned on Panic Room at what appeared to be about a half hour in last night on the RHA channel where they basically just show nonstop movies, which was decent. Only so much you can do with the concept though, there wasn't much depth to it. This one gets 3 M's, although I generally give higher ratings to Jodie Foster's performances, this one fell pretty flat. Some intense slow motion scenes that magnified the height of the action, but it got pretty repetitive.
Third day of classes today, which is my second longest day of the week. Monday Wednesday and Friday start off with a morning Econ 100A Microeconomics lecture, which so far is just regurgitating stuff I already knew, so I'll probably spend the time reading the book and working on the workbook during lectures, paying more attention if he actually covers something I haven't already learned 3 times in Acadec, Micro/Macro AP, and the Econ 1 and 2 courses. There are pop quizzes in that class though, as well as about scheduled ones every few weeks that end up being 75% of the grade, so you can be sure I'll stay on top of things. Hoping to stick with a 7am wakeup then workout concept, getting me back here around 8:15 in time to shower eat a decent breakfast and get over across campus. My second class of the day is at 2pm, which is my Econ 119 United States Business History lecture. So far looks like it'll be pretty much memorization, more of a history course with lots of reading and so forth than an econ course. That one is 50% Final and 50% exam papers, these two take home little 4 pagers where you get 6 questions and choose to answer one or something. Doesn't look like it'll be too rough either. On Mondays and Wednesdays I then have a two hour lecture from 3 to 5 for my Econ 138A Income Tax class... Yeah, it might be painful, but I figure of all the things that might be useful later in life, knowing how to save yourself money sounds like a pretty good deal. It's actually a two quarter class, think I'm taking 138B in the Spring. Today will be my first day of it since it doesn't meet Fridays, more on that later. Then on Wednesdays I have ANOTHER class, a Econ 100A section from 5 to 6, so that makes 4 straight hours of class on Wednesdays. Will definitly be the least favorite day. The good news is just one class Tuesday and Thursday and two short lectures on Friday, so I should be able to deal.
Gah, now I have to just avoid taking a nap during my 10-2 gap every other day after waking up at 7, haven't missed a class yet, no need to start now. :)
Six weeks behind the times at least, finally joined the crowd in going to see Signs. I'd actually heard a lot of mixed reviews, so it ended up being better than I expected. Not really in your face booyah launch you out of your seat scary, just pretty suspenseful throughout. Logistically, it didn't make much sense at all, but the concept of aliens wandering around isn't exactly realistic in today's day and age either. We'll go with 4 M's, it was creepy enough to make me be glad I don't live in the middle of nowhere. The acting by the children was pretty amazing, really helped set the mood. Not exactly at the caliber of a Hayley Joel Osment, but not too shabby in their own right. Also turned on Panic Room at what appeared to be about a half hour in last night on the RHA channel where they basically just show nonstop movies, which was decent. Only so much you can do with the concept though, there wasn't much depth to it. This one gets 3 M's, although I generally give higher ratings to Jodie Foster's performances, this one fell pretty flat. Some intense slow motion scenes that magnified the height of the action, but it got pretty repetitive.
Third day of classes today, which is my second longest day of the week. Monday Wednesday and Friday start off with a morning Econ 100A Microeconomics lecture, which so far is just regurgitating stuff I already knew, so I'll probably spend the time reading the book and working on the workbook during lectures, paying more attention if he actually covers something I haven't already learned 3 times in Acadec, Micro/Macro AP, and the Econ 1 and 2 courses. There are pop quizzes in that class though, as well as about scheduled ones every few weeks that end up being 75% of the grade, so you can be sure I'll stay on top of things. Hoping to stick with a 7am wakeup then workout concept, getting me back here around 8:15 in time to shower eat a decent breakfast and get over across campus. My second class of the day is at 2pm, which is my Econ 119 United States Business History lecture. So far looks like it'll be pretty much memorization, more of a history course with lots of reading and so forth than an econ course. That one is 50% Final and 50% exam papers, these two take home little 4 pagers where you get 6 questions and choose to answer one or something. Doesn't look like it'll be too rough either. On Mondays and Wednesdays I then have a two hour lecture from 3 to 5 for my Econ 138A Income Tax class... Yeah, it might be painful, but I figure of all the things that might be useful later in life, knowing how to save yourself money sounds like a pretty good deal. It's actually a two quarter class, think I'm taking 138B in the Spring. Today will be my first day of it since it doesn't meet Fridays, more on that later. Then on Wednesdays I have ANOTHER class, a Econ 100A section from 5 to 6, so that makes 4 straight hours of class on Wednesdays. Will definitly be the least favorite day. The good news is just one class Tuesday and Thursday and two short lectures on Friday, so I should be able to deal.
Gah, now I have to just avoid taking a nap during my 10-2 gap every other day after waking up at 7, haven't missed a class yet, no need to start now. :)
