My Very Own Life

Julie/Julia

2009-09-14T23:00:00.000-04:00

I’ve been pretty stingy with my money lately. Or at least I feel I have been. The reality may be quite different from what I perceive it to be. I try not to buy frivolously, I’m not spending as much money on food in the work cafeteria, nor am I making myself believe I really need something when it’s clear that I really don’t. I’m questioning almost every purchase I think about by asking myself if I really need what I’m about to buy. Surprisingly, the act has helped me set down a few high-dollar items. It’s been an exercise in frugality lately, and I’m not sure my girlfriend is really appreciating the sudden change. Along with questioning my purchases, I’m starting to do the same thing to hers.

A week ago, we stopped by Horizon Books in downtown Petoskey. It’s a cute little bookseller with a coffee shop, some tables and chairs, and a fireplace. Mel wanted to look for a book; any book, I think. When we got there, I immediately set my sights on the Fantasy/Sci-Fi section. Mel hit up some nonfiction then eventually settled back over near me, at the Best Sellers. I ended up with Hyperion by Dan Simmons based on a review from an employee. It’s amazing how quickly one can decide to drop $10 when someone else says it’s okay.

Mel was still perusing the Best Sellers, unsure of which one to get. Remembering that she had been dying to see the movie Julie and Julia, I handed her a copy of the book by the same name. I could only presume it was a novelization of the movie. She agreed, and we set out. We began reading our novels at the beach the next day. On the way home, she expressed more interest in seeing the movie. I decided that I was going to stop being a tight-ass and take her to it.

We went to see it tonight. If you haven’t seen it, I recommend it. To shortly summarize: the movie is about a woman who wants to do something with her life and at the encouragement of her husband, starts cooking through Mastering the Art of Cooking in one year and writes a blog about it. 500+ recipes in 365 days.

The reason that I find this movie so great is that she takes something quite impossible and actually does it. She cooks almost every night (sometimes very extravagant meals) and then she writes about it. Some posts are short and some are long… but she does it. What’s even more amazing to me is that she actually finished it. She finished something monumental like that.

After we got home, I hit the computer and searched for the blog. Reading the first post was a bit surreal. Something from a movie should not be in real life, y’know? It just doesn’t feel right for some reason. I know it was based off real events, but it’s still a bit weird.

I called Mel over to show her my find. Her look was first curious, then smiling when she saw “Julie/Julia”, and then turned to a lit up smile once she realized it was the blog from the movie. I don’t think I’ve felt that good about something in a long time. I hope she actually reads it.

So, those of you who have seen the movie: What did you think? Did you get anything out of it?

I don’t see any reason why I can’t finish a project now.

2009-08-24T23:03:00.003-04:00

In my last content-filled post, Stan gave me some good advice. Paraphrasing: "Don't make a huge list and don't expect to get it all done." Good idea, Stan. I've taken your advice and am working with it.

I've decided to work with cleaning up as much as possible. Starting with the kitchen: Most of the dishes are done, the floor is swept, the counter is wiped, the appliances are cleaned. Tomorrow, I will be working on the living room and bedroom, hopefully finishing the bathroom if I can get to it. Raarr! Motivation!

If I have time left over after all of that, I'm going to work on getting my website setup and ready to go live. Once that is done, it's on to getting some el-cheapo business cards! Woo! Business! Yeah! Rawk! I'm estimating this step taking less than a night. I have hosting space, I just need a domain and a WordPress setup.

And then! If I have time, I'll research quick-and-easy computer desks. I'm thinking that something extremely simple will work. Maybe a couple layers of particle board as a top and some steel legs. I may run into the problem of "no tools" though. Hrm...

Funny Pampers Ad

2009-08-24T09:04:00.004-04:00

via ExpectNothing.com

Freedom

2009-08-23T22:42:00.002-04:00

The girl is gone for a week (or more?) to visit her grandpa in N. Carolina and I'm here all alone. Ronery, oh so ronery. Poor rittle me. I miss her dearly already and know I will for the full duration of her vacation. Most men may consider themselves a bit more free in this situation, but I'm not sure that I do.

Sure, I can do what I want, when I want (Fallout 3 is currently idling on the TV to my right, calling my name. Don't worry, D.C., I'll be there soon, I promise.), but I feel like I've been more hindered than anything. A part of me is gone and won't be back for a week.

What should I do to pass the time? I've considered building a mini to-do list and trying my hand at some stuff. I wouldn't mind building a better computer desk for myself. The one I have is a bit small and gets cluttered a lot. I'd like one that fits in the corner neatly and has a bit of shelving.

I also feel that the apartment could use a good cleaning, so I'll probably end up doing that. Not your run of the mill vacuum, sweep, mop. Oh, no sir. I want something a bit more uber. Clean of all shelves and dust, vacuum under furniture, etc etc. Should keep me busy if I can stay away from distractions.

I feel I should also get my company up and running in full order, too. I'll start a website, get some cards, get organized. That should keep me busy for a couple nights.

After all of that, I get to work on classes. I'm taking three through Lawrence Tech online. (Thanks, NCMC Internship! Mwah!) I need books. Bad. Books books books. Blah. Why are they so expensive? Damned commies.

D.C. is still calling. Time to go rescue it from Muties.

No title

2009-07-24T00:09:00.010-04:00

Right, well, it's been a while since I've updated the blog. The lack of an update isn't much of a surprise to me. Staying up to date on this is not really one of my strong suits. Whatever, I'll give it another go. I think I need an outlet; why not use this? I'll restart with a series of updates.

For whatever reasons, I don't run as much anymore. I was originally using it as a means to get the girl's attention and not really for myself. Oops. I still enjoy it when I can find the energy and motivation to go, I just need to reset my focus and figure out why I want to run again. Somehow, I've managed to keep most of the old weight off. When I stopped running consistently, I was at 185. I've only gained about 5 - 10 lbs since the running has stopped, so that makes me pretty happy.

The girl and I have been living together for a few months now. We've had a few rough patches (who hasn't), but things have been pretty good. This is actually the second time we've tried the whole "cohabiting" thing. The first time, she moved out after a month. This time around, she sneaked in on me. She started spending the night again, then before I realized it she wasn't going home for the weekends anymore. It was pretty cute, actually.

I'm still working at the college in Petoskey, MI. I've recently (read: January) been hired on as a Tech Intern while I chip away at my Bachelor's degree through Lawrence Tech. My employer is a huge help, actually: I get a good bit of it paid for every semester; plus a nice bump in pay (still not what I'd like to be making, but I can't afford to be picky); and a lot of on-the-job experience. Unfortunately, the experience isn't exactly what I'd hoped for... but I'll take what is offered. It will help in the long run, plus look pretty decent on a resume.

Taking my experience at troubleshooting from work, I'm trying to start up a business repairing computers. How cliche, right? "A twenty-something tech-guy is going to fix computers? Puh-leez, I've seen this one before." Whatever. I need the money and people need their computers fixed.

There's an update in a nutshell. I need to find a focus for this blog so I actually feel like writing in it. I got sick of LiveJournal over six years ago, so I'd like to keep this from becoming, "OMGZ MY LIEF IS SO HARD!!!111"

Writing used to be a passion of mine, so maybe I could take that up again?
Tech tips? But that's what I plan on using my business blog for.
Work rants? Nah, don't feel like getting fired any time soon.

I'll think of something.

4 months

2009-03-02T10:02:00.002-05:00

Holy shazbot. A 4 month hiatus from blogging. Kinda blows. I didn't mean to neglect you, blogosphere. Forgive me?

Arg!

2008-11-04T09:49:00.002-05:00

Got up and voted this morning. Wrote in Tina Fey (because she's hot as Sarah Palin, and probably much smarter). After that, I went for a run to wake myself up.

Tried again for two miles, but ended up hobbling the last mile or so. F'cking pain in my shins/calves is getting really old. Every step I take, it hurts. Not a burning or a throbbing, but a sting. A lot of websites say I just need to work through the pain and it will eventually go away. Let's hope so.

Now it's off to the shower and then back to school!

Nike+iPod

2008-11-02T18:49:00.003-05:00

Rawk!

Mel got me some stuff that I am now going to brag about here.

First up is the armband for my iPod Touch, so I can walk with it and not have to worry about it in my pocket. My iTouch fits nicely in it and seems like it'll work very nicely. It kinda looks like this one:

Next up is the Nike+iPod sensor for my shhoooees. It's basically an advanced pedometer that will upload its statistics to nikeplus. Along with that, she also got me a rubber case for it so I can attach it to my shoes. Pretty sweet. :D

Yeah!

2008-11-01T19:45:00.002-04:00

Ran a mile and a half practically nonstop. I did it on the treadmill today. I definitely like treadmill running better, because the pace is set for me. I think my final time was around 15-16 minutes.

205

2008-10-30T19:15:00.002-04:00

That's my weight up there. When I started this whole thing (about) a month ago, I was about 215-220.

I ran another mile today. My time was worse, because I'm not completely over that whole "giving blood" thing... either that, or it's a poor excuse. Probably the latter.

I've started integrating more pull-ups and push-ups into my work out, just for some variety.

The Great Outdoors

2008-10-25T19:18:00.002-04:00

When I began this expedition into running, I've stuck mainly to running indoors, on a track. Track running is fun, easy, and it gets the job done. But so help me, does it get boring after three weeks. You see the same thing over and over, nine times or more (nine laps to a mile).

Today, I ventured outdoors and went on the nature trail on the college's property. One time around is 1.25 miles and the scenery is gorgeous! Rivers, streams, trees, wildlife, yay! I did some off-and-on jogging on the trail, almost fell a few times, got chilly, and exhausted myself. Fun times were had by all (well, at least myself). I did that twice and called it a day.

My only worry is that before long, I'll find the trail boring and I'll need to find somewhere else to go. I hope I can find something...

Yes!

2008-10-24T21:22:00.001-04:00

Achievement reached!

It's been just 3 weeks of on-and-off training, but I managed to run a mile non-stop. My time wasn't that great- around 8 or 9 minutes, but I did it!

Das Moosic

2008-10-21T22:03:00.003-04:00

I didn't get to run today. I'm a bit disappointed about that. Sometimes, I feel that if I miss a day, I'll never attain my goal. ... Whatever that is, at this point. I don't know that I'm running to get in shape, or that I'm doing it to lose weight. I think I'm just running to run. I enjoy it. It's a nice stress outlet. Whatever the reason, I don't want to stop.

Over the past couple weeks, my phone has been acting kinda weird. It will end calls unexpectedly, it'll report the battery is completely dead when it has a full charge (charged it the night before), and would crash/freeze up. So, I did what any normal human would do: I contacted Alltel and requested a new phone since mine is under warranty. The new phone came and I checked it out. It is nice. Just a brand new version of the one I currently have... except it doesn't allow mp3 ringtones. Normally, I wouldn't really care, but I like my ringtone... and it is an mp3. Unfortunately, the new phone just won't cut it. I'll be sending that back. Is it weird that I'd rather have a broken phone that will let me use mp3s as a ringtone than a perfectly working one that won't?

It's my life

2008-10-19T13:35:00.003-04:00

I've updated my sub-title. I think I've finally realised that the life I'm living is, in fact, my own. I tell ya, it feels kinda nice, too.

I pushed myself really hard yesterday while working out. I started off by jogging a bit less than a mile before I got bored. On my last lap, I looked down at the empty basketball courts and decided to go run on them.

I'm not sure of the exact name of the exercise, but some people call it "gut-busters," I call it "full-courts," and I'm sure it goes by many more names. The basic principle of the exercise is to sprint back and forth from line to line until you run the entire length of the court. Since I suck at describing, here's a picture.

After doing that, I hobbled over to the drinking fountain to get rid of the dry mouth, rested and decided to go for more. This time, I sprinted the entire width of the gym (about 3 basketball courts) and tried to sprint back. By the time I got 1/3 the way back, I was done. I tell ya, I've never been in so much pain in my life, but when I woke up... it was gone. Sure, my abs and legs are a bit on the sore side, but it's nothing I can't deal with.

Once you realise pain is momentary, working out becomes a lot easier.

"You get out what you put in."

Zen

2008-10-18T11:43:00.001-04:00

Right, well... It's been quite a while since this has been updated. Sorry for that. A lot has been going on as of late.

I started running on a more-than-occasional basis; going to the gym/track a couple times a week or more. I'm not going for long distances just yet. There's a slight need for me to build up some stamina, as I haven't really gotten out to exercise in quite a while. Each time I go out, I walk about a mile and try to run/jog one or two miles. This has been going on for about two weeks, but I already feel ten times better.

Along with exercising, I'm trying to sweat the small stuff. I've finally realised that the only person you can control is yourself, and that there's absolutely no use in fussing over the way other people act or feel. I'm just worrying about myself and enjoying the time I spend with other people. It seems to be working pretty well so far.

On a side note: I went out last night to see a local band play at a local coffee shop and I had a great time. I think I want to start doing that some more, possibly even starting up the guitar or piano again. Music really is a big part of my soul (gak!) and I enjoy listening to it and pretending I can play it... So, what the hell? Why not see if I can actually learn how to play it for a change.

Phew.

2008-10-03T13:49:00.002-04:00

Okay, so I know Project "Better Myself" was supposed to start at the beginning of the week... but sometimes things don't work out the way you want them to.

...especially when it comes to working out.

I guess I just have a natural aversion to getting up and sweating before I have to be to work. Or maybe it's just me being lazy.

Either way, I finally got out and ran a bit today. I didn't (read: couldn't) run for too long, as I'm a bit out of shape... but I made it work.

Here's to hoping I can keep it up!

Screw Nintendo

2008-10-02T23:52:00.003-04:00

Seriously. Screw Nintendo up the arse.

A year and a half after I get the DS Lite, they announce the DSi. The new handheld system that will play DS and DSi games. The DSi has TWO built-in cameras, SD Card support, a built in browser, etc etc.

Matt and Sarah have complained about this in the past. Nintendo releases something great, supports it for a year or so, then comes out with the next-best version. Where's the love, man?

Could you imagine if consoles did this? There'd be mass chaos as fanboys bitched and moaned about having to buy the next-best every two years. At least the life-cycle of consoles is five to six years. Not great, but better than two.

T-Minus 1

2008-09-29T00:27:00.001-04:00

If all goes as planned, project "Better Myself" will begin at daybreak. I should have gotten to bed earlier, but I needed to do laundry. Stupid dryer...

Posted with LifeCast

Fooding

2008-09-17T13:07:00.001-04:00

What's nice about the iPod touch is it's ability to replace a laptop. It's a lot smaller, but practically everything you can do on a laptop you can do on here. Downloading files isn't really possible, but that isn't a big deal. I have the web, I can check my email and reply, and I have my music. Yes sir, I think this was a good investment.

Now I wish I had gotten. The 32 GB version..

Posted with LifeCast

Phone Toning

2008-09-17T02:25:00.001-04:00

I ended up working 12 hours straight thecother day. Doing what? Something called to"phone line toning". I put a little box on a phone line that made a tone go through while a guy in the other end scanned the physical ends of the phone system for it. Boring. Monotonous. Tiring. If I never do that again I will be happy.

The tech we hired to help us cost $90/hr. Crazy stuff.

Posted with LifeCast

Home Sweet Home

2008-09-16T00:03:00.001-04:00

Posted with LifeCast

LifeCast

2008-09-16T00:00:00.001-04:00

Set up LifeCast on iPod touch. Will make for short updates. Hopefully they will be more frequent.

Posted with LifeCast

The Bike!

2008-06-29T14:09:00.001-04:00

I got my bike back this afternoon. It’s as good as new. It really is amazing what a chain adjustment, gear grease, and some tightening of specific nuts/bolts/whatevers can do.

It pretty much stops on a dime now.
I can shift it without hearing a constant “clickclickclick” coming from the gears.
The gears also shift very smoothly. This is not something I’m used to. Hopefully it doesn’t take me too long to adjust. ;)
They filled the tires up a bit. I think they’re too hard right now, but whatever.

Those fixes and more!

What I’d like to be able to do in the near future is to repair my own bike. I should know how to do this stuff on my own, y’know? Just another thing to add to the list!

Fitless

2008-06-28T21:14:00.001-04:00

No, it’s not a typo. I really did mean to say “fit-LESS.” In other words, without fit.

My last foray into getting in shape was buying the $90 Wii Fit. I used it religiously for about a week or so, the it promptly went under my TV stand where it sits right now. My ex-girlfriend, Beth, still uses it, so at least it wasn’t a complete waste of money.The last time I ventured home, I brought back my dad’s mountain bike. He wasn’t using it, so I figured I would. The day after I got back in Petoskey, I rode into work. It’s only a mile and a half, or so. Nothing too strenuous… At least, not for the average person. By the time I got to work, I felt like I had to take a shower. I didn’t even bother riding up one of the bigger hills.

What exactly does this mean? It reinforces the fact that I need to get off my ass and get out to do physical activities. Heavily reinforces it.

We somewhat start the VOIP Phone project on Monday. The first step is finding the Ethernet jack numbers and writing them down, marking their location in the room on a map, and making sure the ports are live. My boss has a demo phone that he is taking home this weekend to test out. If all goes well, the tech staff will be given a phone or two to further test.

The dean of our department stressed that this experience is going to be a good one to have for a resume. I somewhat agree with this. The only thing I’m speculative about is the number of companies that would be converting to a VOIP service. Still, I guess it would be good knowledge to have.

The Times

2008-06-18T10:48:00.001-04:00

So, I guess it’s been over a month since I’ve updated this thing. Every time I go to make an entry, I end up sitting a blank screen for about two minutes, then I just close out of Live Writer and give up for the day. Finding something to write about isn’t the issue: I’ve got enough going on in my life that I could write a book about it. No, my problem is the words. I can’t seem to find the right words for what I want to say. This never used to be a problem for me.

When I was in 9th or 10th grade, I joined what was then called the “FF7RPG". A fan-based writers group for Final Fantasy VII. Our stories ranged anywhere from three pages to a hefty forty-eight pages. The stories took place in the world of FFVII and we use characters that we created or ones that already existed in the game world. The reason it worked was the level of creativity that went into each and every story. Fast forward to today.

My creativity is still alive and well; though a bit hidden. It’s almost as if it is asleep. I know I have it. It wakes up, stretches its arms and legs, and then goes back to sleep for a while. I need to figure out how to keep my creativity awake and active. The real question is: “How?” I might have a solution.

Less Internet. Less video games. Less movies.
More social interaction. More outside activities. More books.

Digressing a little…

Work is going to become extremely hellish in the next couple of months. We’re going to be installing a VOIP phone system costing… well, a lot. The project is going to be completed (hopefully) by October 1st. This is including soft phones for all classrooms, all teachers, and possibly more. Virtually every phone on analog campus is going to be replaced with a soft phone. I can’t really reveal too much, but the system is awesome. Hopefully I’ll be able to continue updating my progress on installing it as we go.

My Life IS Mine

2008-05-15T15:43:00.002-04:00

I got sick of my hair last night... so I buzzed it.

I took my hair down to stubble. Well, not quite that far, but pretty close. The last time I did this was in 2003 or 2004... Man, I've forgotten what it was like to have the wind on your head... Not your hair- your head. It's a nice feeling. Buzzing my hair only opens the doors for other things for me. It's a sort of cleansing. It makes me realize that my life does belong to me, and I am free to do with it what I want.

I'm going to start running or walking more... Just being active, really. I need to start eating better and stop resorting to Dr. Pepper or Mt. Dew as my drink of choice.

Unfortunately, as of late, I haven't been doing much of anything. It's been GTA IV, Bioshock, and working on Beth's website.

It's a real pity I never set "web languages" as one of my goals, because I'm dealing with that a lot right now. I set up a test bed server for the site so I can make some changes before I publish them live on the externally hosted domain (through 1and1). I'm taking Wordpress themes that other people have made and modifying them into what Beth wants. Progress is slow but steady thus far. After I fix my desktop (which blew up on me), I'll be able to really get some work done on the site. Working with my laptop just sucks because of the screen and the way it's set up with the mouse and keyboard.

Work at the college has somewhat taken off so far. I've begun working on one of the Tech Labs to get it set up for the upcoming semester. I have to Ghost the machines, register them on the domain, put AutoCAD on them, then DeepFreeze them. It's not hard work... Well, except when AutoCAD decides it doesn't want to register properly... Then it get frustrating.

Test post

2008-05-03T01:00:00.001-04:00

This is a test post from Windows Live Writer... I'm just kinda testing this out. So far it seems like a very solid blogging application.

Testestestest

The End of an Era

2008-04-28T15:24:00.002-04:00

About two weeks ago, my two-year relationship ended. I've been taking it pretty hard, but still a bit easier than I thought I would. I miss being with her and I'm sad that things didn't turn out for the better. Our lives are just in different places right now.

It's somewhat funny, though. The last thing finalizing the breakup was our Facebook account. It took us two weeks to change it from "In a Relationship" to "Single." This isn't the first time it's happened, either. She and I have had our ups and downs, but we've never really changed Facebook. Is this the same throughout our entire generation (The Facebook Generation(?))? It's something to think about, definitely.

Regarding my last post: I need to start getting my life in gear.

I've got some resources I've been looking at for Ruby, and have been doing the "teach yourself" when I can/feel like it, but I need to really get going with it. Twenty minutes a day just isn't going to cut it.
I've been keeping track of my gas expenses for a couple weeks. Every time I fill up, I keep track of how many gallons I put in the tank, how many miles I drove, and how much gas was. It isn't so much for personal finance- more for mileage. Still, it's nice to know how much money I'm spending on fuel.
A/V editing isn't really a concern right now.
Networking isn't much of a concern either, but I have been reading articles when I come across them. The Grid seems like it's going to be an awesome implementation when if/when it happens.

MY List

2008-04-10T18:13:00.001-04:00

Alright, I have been slacking, but that's not entirely my fault.

...

Okay, I lied. It is. Sometimes I just get too swept up in my own thing to do anything else. Let's hope this list changes that... if only for a while. I was supposed to get this done before Stan to make him post one of his own, but it looks like it's the other way around. If you want to see his list, click the link to the side that says "Matt's blog" or just click this one.

Below is just a few things I'd like to learn in the near future.

Ruby programming language
Personal finance management
Audio/Video editing
Greater understanding of computer networking.

I was going to lift "web languages" from Stan's list, but then I realized it's not something I really want to do. Anyway, we'll see how I can hold up to the four measly things I have on there.

Thanks, Stan. I needed the kick. :)

Favicon

2008-04-04T01:13:00.004-04:00

If everything works on your end, you readers should see my new Favicon in your favorites (hah!) or in the address bar of your favorite browser.

Gonna be a short post tonight.

You know, I didn't make a list today. I really should have, because I could have used it. I had absolutely no motivation to get my International Relations paper done. Any time I start working on it, I get distracted by stupid shit and attend to that for about a half hour. It feels like I have ADD right now... Seriously. It's a crazy feeling and I absolutely hate it. No matter how hard I try to concentrate on something, I have these forces that want to pull me away from it to do something else that requires less steady attention. Something a little easier on the brain. Screw you ADD-like tendencies. Screw you!

Upon review, I decided to edit out my place and city of employment in a previous post to protect those that I work with from anything I might talk about. Speaking of work...

The video happened at the end of February. The guys decided to bring in bottle rockets to shoot off. I assumed they meant outside... but it became clear that they meant at each other. The video is of a co-worker being ambushed. We called him to come in specifically for this. The audio is a little quiet, but you can hear clicking of lighters and then a "woosh" of the rocket.

And I bet you thought April Fool's Day was all I had to worry about, huh?

Flaming Snake

2008-04-03T20:20:00.003-04:00

This is pretty freaking spiffy. I played through normal mode on Brawl with Solid Snake and this is how one of the matches ended.

[Insert Witty Title Here]

2008-04-02T23:24:00.000-04:00

I've actually been thinking all day about whether or not to make a post today... but I guess I will.

Have you ever had one of those days where you just feel pointless? Not hopeless, not useless... but pointless. I guess I best describe it as feeling like there is absolutely no point to your existence. Like the world would do just as well without you. Now, I know that's not true in the least, but for some reason it sure feels like that today. It bothers me, too. Mainly because I have no idea what brought this on. I just started feeling it. Anyway...

I got work on the GhostCast server done today. Windows updates are done, AVG is on it, iTunes is on it (it doubles as an shared library). All it needs now is the Ghost software. The machine I was working was what we call "ancient". 1.7Ghz, 512MB of RAM, all on with an 8GB hard drive. It has a 500GB secondary, but that doesn't count. The updates on the thing took over 3 hours for everything and iTunes took about 30 minutes to scan 15,000 mp3s. *shakes head* We need some upgraded equipment, badly.

Aside from the server, work was boring today. I browsed ForumWarz(NSFW) for most of the day, got some stuff submitted to the forumbuildr(beta), made some posts in the Flamebate forums, and managed to make some progress in the game itself. I honestly don't know why I play it. There's no real reward to be gained. It's just fun and somewhat funny. Maybe that's a reward in itself?

Why do we play games anyway? What used to be a form of entertainment has turned into a time sink. I had a brief talk with Matt on the subject a while ago- that games just waste time and don't contribute to your skills at all. The time that is spent playing games could be better used educating yourself, bettering yourself. But, I do love to play games. Life is so unfair sometimes.

One of these days, I need to sit down and make myself a list of things I want to learn. I don't want it to be too long, but I also don't want it to be too short. My only problem is learning programming languages, should I add any. Where do I stop? You're never done learning a language, but it's also very hard to distinguish an end point to a goal on "Learn C++". Do I want to write a program in it? Do I want to be able to help people write their own programs? If anyone has an idea, please let me know.

I saw in Matt's blog (or in chat with him) that he was considering leaving his game systems in a box at his new apartment so he could accomplish more. I've actually thought about doing that, myself. My main problem is going to the Internet as a source of entertainment... even though it's really not that entertaining.

If I'm lucky, I'll have the list up tomorrow some time. Maybe my two readers can kick my ass into gear.

April's Fool

2008-04-01T22:47:00.005-04:00

Today is my mom's birthday. The previous sentence has nothing to do with this entry.

I work with a couple of pranksters at an industrial supplier- my primary job. One time, I got a call from them pretending to be "Tom" from Edison Electric looking for a "Keyless Kite Generator." I fell for it hook, line, and sinker. Other pranks are similar in nature: Quite harmless, but funny for both parties.

Well, yeah... Today is April Fool's Day in most of the world. When you work with two people who love to prank, you get worried... and you worry a lot. Today is pretty much free reign for them to do whatever they want. Thankfully, the pranks they chose were harmless.

Peanut butter on two door knobs.
Shovels and brooms angled against the front door in such a way as to cause them to fall on me as soon as I opened it.
Tripped the circuit breaker to the main lights.
Poorly strung trip wire.
Hiding in the dark near the circuit breaker to scare the living daylights out of me.

They succeeded on a couple things, but I saw through most of them. The peanut butter was too obvious. Once I felt the glob, I just stopped going for the handle. The shovel/broom trap fell on me. The trip wire was easily spotted by me, which was promptly cut. Lastly, the scaring tactic worked somewhat. I saw one of my bosses through a window, but the other one jumped out of the dark and got me as I made my way to the circuit breaker.

Some other pranks that happened: Brownies made with sponges; Oreos with some toothpaste inside instead of creme filling; and lastly, an associate's car was tied shut (from the inside).

The whole idea of April Fools Day is just great. It's the one day out of the year where it's appropriate to be a jerk to someone as long as it doesn't cause any permanent damage. I really should draw up plans to make a site dedicated to pranking people. I know there are sites out there for that purpose now, but I think I could revolutionize the industry. Well, this is assuming there's an industry to revolutionize.

Did you get pranked today?

Work'n'stuff

2008-03-31T15:00:00.002-04:00

Just because it's spring break doesn't mean I get the week off of work from the college.

I work at the college library as a student technician. My duties include fielding calls from faculty/staff with broken computers or printers, entering data into the wireless database, sitting at a help desk so library patrons can ask me for help, and many many more. Overall, the job is very good to me. The people I work for are very laid back and are not quick to snap at the slightest mistake. They try to take a guiding hand as much as possible... and I like that.

The people I work with are pretty much the same way... Except they're just laid back. Quite a few of them are lazy and try to get out of their duties as much as possible. They look at the help desk as a way to browse the internet and watch YouTube videos. It gets quite annoying, really. I can't say I'm not guilty of that, but I don't do it on a daily basis like some others do.

During this week (well, the two days I can work here), I have some small pet projects that need to be done. There's a server that needs a new install of Windows on it so we can use it as a GhostCast server, I have a meeting on Wednesday with one of my professors to show him how to do some things in Office 2007, and right now, I'm working on a script for a video tutorial on how to work the smart classroom systems we have here at the college. I'll be writing and acting in it. Oh joy.

There's nothing I dislike more about myself than my appearance on film. I don't think my face is going to be in the video, but my voice will be. It's not exactly the most eloquent thing to listen to, believe me. I'll have to enunciate every last syllable to avoid sounding like a Michigander. No more speed talking for Don!

A blog?

2008-03-31T02:26:00.002-04:00

It's after two in the morning and I decide to start a blog? What the eff is wrong with me?

I feel tired enough to sleep, but I don't really want to right now. I'm cherishing every moment I have to myself. It's spring break, so Beth is at home right now, leaving me to my own devices. My only worries are getting up to go to work on time and getting an eight page paper done before next Monday. I think I'll be okay.

That leaves me time to myself. Me. Moi. I can do what I want. I can play video games all night if I want. I can hop on the couch, drink beer, and watch a movie as soon as I get home from work. Hell, I could even go out to the bar without having to worry about a significant other who has nothing to do.

Want to know the worst of it?

I won't take advantage of it. I'll piddle around online doing stupid shit. I'll look at digg.com five times in an hour. I'll probably take a look at my Forumwarz account at least that often, too.

I don't do the things that are important. I still need to finish my taxes (due on April 15th). I should probably be researching my topic for International Relations (that eight page paper that's due in a week). Ooh, and you know, this apartment could probably use some cleaning up. Some massive cleaning up.

I really need a motivational kick in the arse.