Early Start, Late Finish

That’s my Mondays for you. I start at 5:40am with a wake up call so I’m not late for work. This morning it’s been pretty easy, but I have a feeling I’ll be struggling through this shift about half the time. After I get off, I’m headed for breakfast (this morning an “eggchilada”?) and then possibly back to sleep. I’m gonna need all I can get.

Next on the agenda is Alcohol class, lunch, and then 4 more hours of work. But that’s going to be the easy part. Chance to get more homework done and make more money.

Tonight is when the real fun starts. I’ll be spending about 3 hours in the ARH office talking to people about committee stuff. I’m hoping things won’t get as crazy as last year. Then after Exec Board is over I have a feeling I’ll be sleeping for an hour or two because I’ve gotta be back at work at midnight.

Start the day before 6am, end after 3am. What the hell was I thinking when I scheduled those shifts?!

Edit: Apparently “eggchilada” = breakfast burrito. Who knew?

Currently Playing: Green Day – Boulevard of Broken Dreams*

I walk a lonely road
The only one that I have ever known
Don’t know where it goes
But it’s home to me and I walk alone

I walk this empty street
On the Boulevard of Broken Dreams
Where the city sleeps
and I’m the only one and I walk alone

My shadow’s the only one that walks beside me
My shallow heart’s the only thing that’s beating
Sometimes I wish someone out there will find me
‘Til then I walk alone

*Note: this song in no way denotes my current mood, but I’ve been there before and that makes me appreciate it so much more.

Waiting Game

It’s 4:15 and mail isn’t here yet. So what am I doing? Dealing with ARH Committee funnness (yeah, I know it’s not a word), listening to bad ass music, and posting. Yeah, one of the things I didn’t really consider when I said I wanted to be Vice President was the fact that I would take over responsibility for both the Policy Review and Constitutional Review committees. For any of you who were around last year, you know what a nightmare it became.

At first I was a little apprehensive about taking over those responsibilities. And then I realized the upside: I am in control. I can dictate how things go down, and I can ensure that things don’t get out of hand like they did last year. Booya!

Seriously though, I’m going to do my best to make the process as efficient and as fair as possible without wasting people’s time. The first meeting is going to be next Monday night in a kind of open-forum-come-and-go-as-you-please format. Starts at 7pm and lasts a couple of hours. If you’re interested, I’ll see you there.

Currently Playing: TRUSTcompany – The Fear and Deeper Into You

Standing here
I’m cold inside with fear
And I can’t feel my soul
Take me in
I’m yours again
For awhile – just like the last time

Lead me from the fear
And I won’t leave you here
There’s a way out
There’s a way out
There’s a way from here… believe

I feel weak
I’m slowly losing touch
With what is left in me
Take me in
I’m yours again
For awhile – just like the first time

I need you
To keep me here
I’m starting over again

—————————–
I feel it eating at me, while you still drown me.
And cross the line over and over again.
It’s all around me, now I’m here cause of you.

Now I’m falling, I’m falling now cause of you.
Now I’m falling, deeper into you.

Tired of hating myself; I can’t let me cross the line for her.
I’m not me when I dream, there’s someone else in me.
That I fear cause of you.

Now I’m falling, I’m falling now cause of you.
Now I’m falling, deeper into you.

I’m not me when I dream; I’m not me when I dream, anymore.
Because of you.
Now I’m falling, I’m falling now cause of you.
Now I’m falling, deeper into you.

Smooth Sailing

So far, so good for this semester. There’s been plenty of opportunity for the last few days to suck, but nothing has gone wrong yet. In fact, most things have gone surprisingly well. I’ve been able to spend a good portion of time with Amber. I found out that racquetball is a pretty good workout for me (and I’m not too terribly bad either). There was really not much reaction at all to the new mailroom policy and scheduling went surprisingly well. I ended up with one 6-8am shift and one shift on Friday. Neither of those things are great, but I’ll be around 26-28 hours every week after figuring in two days worth of mail delivery and forwarding. I can definitely handle that. I’ll never argue with more money. The best part is that most of my shifts come in blocks so they aren’t spaced out over the whole week.

The next few days should be a pretty good predictor of how the next few months are going to turn out. I’m about to get assigned a project and project team in one class and really get into most of my other classes. I’m almost looking forward to class the rest of the semester.

Currently Playing: A New Found Glory – The Story So Far

Did you notice I was afraid
I thought I’d run out of things to say
Two more hours until today burns this away
And it starts all over again

What?

How exactly does one “discover” something like this?

I’m still trying to decide if this is real or not. Either way it’s a pretty sticky situation.

Another strange discovery. This one is kinda cool though.

Ashlee is having a tough time. Oh, wait. I don’t care. Apparently there’s an online petition demanding she stop singing. Yes, I signed it, along with almost 82,000 other people smart enough to know a hack when they see one. I almost feel bad for her. Almost.

They must not want to sell any pens.

Just a note: in the time it took me to write this post almost 200 people signed the “Stop Ashley Petition.” If you’d like to join in the fun, I’ve added the petition link to the sidebar click the link above.

Hello, Mr. Vice President

Due to some unfortunate circumstances, our ARH President was unable to return to his position for second semester. Our Vice President took over and decided he would remain in the position until our elections in approximately two months. Meanwhile, that left the position of Vice President open. When asked my thoughts I quickly said without thinking, “I wanna be Vice President.” Little did I know, the rest of the Executive Board apparently liked my spur of the moment idea, so I’m now the ARH Vice President and acting Information Coordinator. Woohoo! The new title is kinda cool, and I’ve pretty much increased my job responsibility 100%, but that’s ok. It should be fun and it’s only a few weeks when you get right down to it.

In other areas of my life, I’m still trying to get settled into the routine of this semester. It’s going to be hard until I have a normal week though. That won’t really happen until next week or the week after that because CAs haven’t scheduled for the semester yet. I’m still trying to figure out what I want my shifts to look like and I just can’t decide.

I think my classes are going to be good this semester except for Business and Government in Society (BGS). The title is misleading; what it really means is “Ethics.” It’s not that I think ethics is boring really, because there are some very complex situations that can arise when dealing with ethical issues. It’s just that so far my teacher has been incredibly boring. Boo.

I’m hoping to get back into a regular posting routine. We’ll see how it goes.

Currently Playing: Stargate SG-1 – Avatar

Splinter

Monday night (Tuesday midnight) I worked a shift in Putnam. When I got to the desk and went to sit down, there was a small chunk of wood on the chair. I went to brush it off and quickly recoiled in pain. I looked, but couldn’t see any splinter or anything so I figured I just got a poke.

Yesterday morning I woke up and my finger hurt. There was kind of a purply mark on the edge of my finger, but I honestly couldn’t remember why it might have been there. As the day wore on, it continued to hurt and I was still confused. Finally, I remembered what happened the night before and decided to investigate.

When I got home last night I went to work with tweezers and a fingernail clipper. I could feel a little something that didn’t feel quite right. So I finally spotted some discoloration that looked like a splinter, but I couldn’t get to it. I had apparently jabbed this thing so deep into my finger that it was barely visible at all. I ended up cutting off the top layer of skin and going after it with tweezers. I couldn’t grab on to the damn thing and so I started pushing hoping to get a better edge to grab. Instead, the thing shot out of my finger like I was popping a pimple. (And the readers all wish I had been less specific.)

Definitely one of the strangest things that has happened to me in a while. I’m sure you’re all thrilled that I chose to share.

Currently Playing: Maroon 5 – Sunday Morning

Sunday morning rain is falling
Steal some covers share some skin
Clouds are shrouding us in moments unforgettable
You twist to fit the mold that I am in

So Much to Say

Since I last posted, a ton of stuff has happened. I’m sure I’ll never remember it all, but I’ll try and hit the highlights.

  • Celebrated my sisters 20th birthday with bowling, Phantom of the Opera, and dinner at a Mediterranean restaurant called Kababji (ka-botch-ee).
  • Drove 6 hours to Nebraska to see Amber’s family and meet her brother and his wife for the first time.
  • Bowled again at the bowling alley in Albion and won one of three games. (Who knew Albion had a website?)
  • Made a good impression with her brother and his wife. (I think. I hope.)
  • Drove 6 hours back to Wichita, while talking to Amber via two-way radios and trying to share music from my iPod using the iTrip.
  • Entertained kids at my parents New Year’s Party. (Exhausting)
  • Bowled again for the 3rd time in a week.
  • Went to a movie in the balcony at the East Warren in Wichita. (Very nice)
  • Played Trivial Pursuit 90’s Edition and felt really stupid. I bought it for my sister for her birthday because I thought we might actually know some of the questions. Ha.
  • Went ice skating and wiped out big time.
  • Came back to Manhattan, only to find that after hitting 70 a few days earlier, Winter was finally ready to show up.
  • Decided to head to KC a day early due to crappy, icy, nasty weather to avoid being late for flight to Las Vegas with other MIS Club members for the Consumer Electronics Show.
  • Took 3 hours to get to KC.
  • Left for Las Vegas basically on time despite the weather!
  • Missed Amber.
  • Was amazed by some of the stuff in Vegas (like the sheer size of everything).
  • Went into the majority of the casinos on the strip.
  • Saw a bunch of cool electronics stuff.
  • Saw a lot of the same kind of electronics stuff.
  • Got sick of looking at electronics stuff.
  • Walked everywhere in Vegas.
  • Got sick of walking.
  • Lost $50 between slots, video poker, and Blackjack.
  • Won $120 (for the trip) playing Blackjack.
  • Wished Amber could have come with.
  • Was less than impressed with some things in Vegas. Like the same stuff over and over at CES, and the quality of our rooms at the Luxor for $180 a night.
  • Went the entire Vegas trip without being able to use my cell phone without big charges. You don’t realize how nice it is until you don’t have the option.
  • Made it back to KC right on time, but baggage and shuttle took forever.
  • Bawled my eyes out to stupid songs in the car.
  • Got to eat with Amber at Olive Garden.
  • Had some CA “training” and scheduling. 6-8am shifts here I come. For two weeks anyway.
  • Worked my first shift of the semester and checked in a bunch of new people to Putnam.
  • Played Texas Hold ‘Em with Hannah, Noel, and Patrick.
  • Lost.

Here’s some things I haven’t done in that time:

  • Unpacked all of my stuff or set up my room in Putnam.
  • Appreciated Amber enough. (This will be fixed.)
  • Laundry.
  • Bought my books or supplies for classes that start Wednesday.
  • Deposited the money I won. (It’s burning a whole in my pocket.)
  • Slept enough.
  • Really slept well.
  • Had one very important conversation with someone. (This one is coming soon I hope.)
  • Made enough money.

So yeah. I’ve been busy. It’s been a lot of fun, but I’m pretty much ready for the quasi-routine that the start of the semester will bring. And I need to get crackin’ on those things I’ve missed recently. Oh yeah, pics coming soon.

Beauty

Last night I watched the movie American Beauty with my family. It’d been a long time since I’d seen it, and I’d forgotten how much I like it. The story does a pretty good job of showcasing just how fucked up the world can be, yet still be beautiful. Still, I can’t help thinking the ugly is slowly overtaking the beauty in the world of today and it’s pretty sad. I wish more people would remember these kinds of things:

I had always heard your entire life flashes in front of your eyes the second before you die. First of all, that one second isn’t a second at all, it stretches on forever, like an ocean of time… For me, it was lying on my back at Boy Scout camp, watching falling stars… And yellow leaves, from the maple trees, that lined my street… Or my grandmother’s hands, and the way her skin seemed like paper… And the first time I saw my cousin Tony’s brand new Firebird… And Janie… And Janie… And… Carolyn. I guess I could be pretty pissed off about what happened to me… but it’s hard to stay mad, when there’s so much beauty in the world. Sometimes I feel like I’m seeing it all at once, and it’s too much, my heart fills up like a balloon that’s about to burst… And then I remember to relax, and stop trying to hold on to it, and then it flows through me like rain and I can’t feel anything but gratitude for every single moment of my stupid little life…

Currently Playing: Simple Plan – Perfect World
Without you I just can’t find my way

Merry Christmas

It’s been a good day for me. So far the break has been nothing but good to me. I’ve enjoyed having little responsibility and just being able to relax and do things at my own pace. Today really wasn’t much different. Some of my relatives are in town, and I was not really sure how that would affect our Christmas morning routine (if at all). Nothing really changed except the process might have taken a little longer than usual due to conversation on the side.

For as long as I can remember, I’ve had trouble sleeping on the night of Christmas Eve. When I was younger it was due to excitement for Santa and all the presents that the morning would bring. But even into high school I’d still get that rush of excitement as I tried to go to sleep that inevitably meant I was going to wake up early (or at least lay in bed as long as I could stand it). The last few years the problem hasn’t been with falling asleep or even sleeping well. The problem has become going back to sleep if I wake up during the night. If I wake up much at all, the thought of presents pops into my head and that’s all it takes. I’m usually wide awake. Well, this morning I woke up about 8:10. And in keeping with the trend, there was no point in trying to go back to sleep. And that’s actually a decent time, unlike years past.

So we did the present thing. My parents decided to try a different tactic and gave us the big stuff first…

This is what makes the rest of these pictures possible.

While not unexpected, digital cameras are always awesome! My sister got an identical one that just happens to be the same model my dad got about six months ago. Imagine that. Of course, that means I’ll be taking lots more pictures, and I’ll probably post (some of) them when I get around to it.

My dad replaced my keyboard for me. If you never heard about it, I had an unfortunate accident with some keyboard-frying juice over the summer. This makes me very happy 🙂

My sister decided to get creative and designed this cross stitch pattern based on something we both enjoy: the world of Harry Potter.

So as the day wore on, I decided to test out the new camera and took some pictures around the house. Here’s a taste.

Albee is our oldest dog. He got a new collar today.

He may be old, but he still knows a trick or two.

Mirabelle got a new bed.

You’d think she has a rough life or something.

Boomer belongs to my aunt and uncle. She got to tag along on their Christmas road trip.

I leave you with a little Christmas spirit. And look, there’s still a few gifts under the tree. We’ll save those for a little later. Merry Christmas!

Currently Playing: Coming Home by The Appalachian Christmas Quartet

Done…

…with projects, finals, Christmas shopping, birthday shopping, wrapping presents, and done going out into the craziness that is the world in the week before Christmas.

It
feels
so
damn
good!

A recap of the last few days: got to see the Appalachian Christmas Quartet for the second time. Still awesome. I’ve spent way more than I anticipated for Christmas, but then again, what else is savings for? My mom’s birthday was yesterday, and we saw Spanglish, then had a nice meal at Scotch & Sirloin last night. Things have been crazy, yet at the same time the thought of having absolutely nothing school related makes everything very relaxing.

I leave you by describing one of the best laughs I’ve had in a very long. Here’s how it went:

Obviously joking: “I think when I grow up I’m going to open a restaurant called ‘Flaccio’s’.” (flatch-ee-o)

What I (and my parents) heard was “Felaccio’s” (fuh-latch-ee-o). I burst out laughing.

“It would be like an Italian eatery.”

At this point things are only getting worse and I don’t think she even realized what we thought she had said. By the time the difference between “flatulence” and “fellatio” was explained, it didn’t matter because I just couldn’t stop laughing.

The moral of the story: if you ever come across a place called Flaccio’s, steer clear my friend.

This song speaks for itself.

Currently Playing: Simple Plan – Crazy

Tell me what’s wrong with society
When everywhere I look, I see
Young girls dying to be on TV
They won’t stop till they’ve reached their dreams

Diet pills, surgery
Photoshopped pictures in magazines
Telling them how they should be
It doesn’t make sense to me

Is everybody going crazy?
Is anybody gonna save me?
Can anybody tell me what’s going on?
Tell me what’s going on?
If you open your eyes
You’ll see that something is wrong

I guess things are not how they used to be
There’s no more normal families
Parents act like enemies
Making kids feel like it’s World War III

No one cares, no one’s there
I guess we’re all just too damn busy
And money’s our first priority
It doesn’t make sense to me

Is everybody going crazy?
Is anybody gonna save me?
Can anybody tell me what’s going on?
Tell me what’s going on?
If you open your eyes
You’ll see that something is wrong

Is everybody going crazy?
Is everybody going crazy?

Tell me what’s wrong with society
When everywhere I look I see
Rich guys driving big SUVs
While kids are starving in the streets

No one cares
No one likes to share
I guess life’s unfair

Is everybody going crazy?
Is anybody gonna save me?
Can anybody tell me what’s going on?
Tell me what’s going on?
If you open your eyes
You’ll see that something, something is wrong

Is everybody going crazy?
Can anybody tell me what’s going on?
Tell me what’s going on?
If you open your eyes
You’ll see that something is wrong