hey, all.

Thanks for the comment, Jeremy. I looove getting comments.

I know I don't blog nearly enough. I finished my big paper for my History of Mass Communications class and have taken the 3rd of 4 Intro to Astronomy tests. Live on this blog, we will see if the score has been posted (I took it Monday).
(Drumroll)...
Joel's latest test score is...


78.
wow.
WOW.

On the previous tests, I scored a 74 and a 68...both 6 points below the class average. However, I scored 3.5 above the average this time.
I have NO IDEA how this happened. Seriously. I did all 5 chapters in about 2 1/2 days time this past weekend...skimmed more than usual...unlike the first two times, did not fill out the study sheet...plus i also was working on that research paper this weekend.

Okay, more coming tonight.

I have also now today listened to Pink Floyd's Wish You Were Here. I just turned on Old by Starflyer 59. Usually I don't listen to this many albums at work, but I need my favorite music today.

I think a lot these days about placement. "Where's my place?" That sort of thing. I suppose that's not unusual for people in their mid-20s to ponder. Of course, I have been for years, but more lately than ever. I guess now that I have an actual date of when I hope to graduate from college, I keep thinking about where to go from there. My main concern is being able to provide and pay the bills well while having time for significant other and eventually family, writing, the magazine, etc. If possible, however, I would like something more fulfilling. We'll see.

I keep having to correct myself for thinking of God in terms of karma. My thoughts keep straying to "After working so hard in school and being responsible at a job I don't like, surely God will make sure it all pays off." Yes, Scripture talks about sowing and reaping, but I'm not really a big believer in karma and don't want to incorporate that into my spirituality. It could be that I don't find a better job. Who knows?

Currently listening to: Pink Floyd, The Wall

I realized I finally have hit the point where I dread going into work.
I guess I'm just tired of feeling like a piece of meat, which is what I am here. Someday this will all change.
Until then, I'm swamped in school, which helps a bit. : )

Nothing much to say these days.

Okay, actually...lots to say...but my thoughts aren't organized enough to say much.

This weekend I have to work on a midterm and do a term paper. I don't really mind, though, because I've had a ton of good times the last week or so.

About the most exciting thing that's happened to me today* is that I went and got a hot fudge shake at Dairy Queen on my lunch break. Yes, I ate more than that for lunch; I brought stuff from home.

Ben asked me last night about blogging. This means that hopefully I'll have a new blog to point you all to go read and laugh and enjoy.

We're looking at a bit of a full house this coming week. Should be a blast. I like everybody.

The song on my Launch player right now is by Hot Hot Heat. Dig. GREAT stuff. I really need to be able to afford this album.




*unless I wanted to complain about things, which I'm tired of doing so am not going to do today.

i reeeeeeeeeally wanted to go the show last night.
unfortunately...and you're all going to laugh...
at the grocery store a couple days ago, Pringles chips were on sale. so i grabbed some bbq and some sour cream and onion.
what i did NOT notice is that the latter was the "fat free" kind.
that wouldn't be so bad, i've got some pudge i need to keep under control. however, the fat free kind is that way because it contains our good pal Olestra.
i won't go into the physiological details of what olestra does, but let's just say that eating half a can of that kind of chips on a sunday afternoon isn't a particularly good thing for a person's stomach. yeeeah. so...i didn't end up making the show. bleh. at least stacey and i should be able to make it to see denison witmer on tuesday night, depending on a couple circumstancial potential difficulties.


kelly asked:

"how IS history of mass comm going? are you taking it with Doc Allen? do you have to write a big paper?"

I think it's going all right. We do have to right one paper that's pretty big, but I don't think it's humongous. 7 pages or so, that isn't too bad. I wish I had more time to do it and more time to research, but oh well. The class is with Doc Allen, I believe.
I really like the class. I'm learning a ton. I spent a lot of time on the weekend getting ahead on the reading.


tomorrow!

Well, I don't feel sick yet. Well, I kind of do. That has more to do with the fact that I waited an hour and twenty minutes for my co-worker to come back from lunch so I could use the restroom, finally got there, all the stalls were occupied, and that was a while ago.

In other news, my pudgy stomach is bigger than it should be. Time for some discipline.

Nothing like a little afternoon Fugazi and some coffee. Makes me feel like a person again.

I've calmed down a little and am now going to research how long germs can exist on surfaces. I bet they can't for very long. I mean, they can in warm, hot, wet, moist type places...but on your normal surface, only the really crazy (i.e. e. coli) ones stick around, I bet.
All right, WebMD says that most cold-causing germs have a very short life...certainly overnight is long enough for the ones here to die. I feel a lot better now.

One of the exciting (take that as you will) things about my job is the fact that I work at several different desks, depending on the day of the week, co-workers' absences, etc. 3 days a week right now I am in someone's cube; I've described it in this blog before.
Yesterday she was working and had a horrible cold. She sounded really miserable and I felt really sorry for her. She's kind of a sister type for me and usually she's good for a tease or two, but I felt so bad for her that I didn't even make fun of her at all.
So this morning I'm sitting here, having recently finished eating some breakfast while sitting here, and I realize...I'm in her cube, soaking up her germs, using her keyboard and mouse (I usually switch phones, thank goodness).
Understand that I'm a hypochondriac already.
So, rather than spending my lunch hour here, eating leftover soy sloppy joes and reading my History of Mass Communications homework reading, I'll be heading over to the Super Wal*Mart in Council Bluffs (thus endangering my health even more just being in that town) and picking up some echinacea, Cold-eez, and whatever else enters my little mind as being necessary to stave off a cold. Normally I wouldn't be this crazy about it, but Special Company is coming next week and I just have to be busy with everything going on, anyway, and so this would not be a good time for that wicked cold that's running around.

Busy times, Busy times.
Last week Liz moved back to Omaha. She's crashing at my place for a month or so until she has a steady job and a place of her own. She was around for a few days, then left for Cornerstone early Sunday morning. Saturday afternoon, my parents arrived in town. They're here until sometime tomorrow morning. I finished Modern Familiar Essay last week. Intro to Astronomy is ongoing. Last night I started in on History of Mass Communication. Because of University people being difficult, I have to pay for this one. It will cost me about a week and a half's worth of wages. I can't pay yet; somehow I'll find a way to do it eventually. Stacey flies in on Tuesday!

And there's your big update.

Today is one of those days I just wish I could walk out the door of my job and never come back. I'm tired of having so many bosses and being owned by several departments (some not even officially), all of which like to pull on me at the same time. It's ridiculous. All right, I'll stop being whiny. I'm kind of stuck here for now...a person with no real skills hasn't much choice. : ) So may as well just do it.

The other day I had to work with a guy on the phone who honestly did NOT know his work address. He had to have me call his secretary because he did not know it and wouldn't look for it himself. The sad thing is that I guarantee you he's making a ton more than this deskmonkey.
Okay, enough of that.

Here's an amusing story. On Friday, the Omaha Summer Arts festival was starting. It takes place downtown here and some of the food vendor tents were right outside the north side of our building. I overheard the head of security for our building tell two maintenance workers to make sure and keep those north doors locked because "we don't want any Mexicans coming in here." I found out who his boss is at the state level and called him, then sent him an email. I'm really uncomfortable with what might happen if the security guy knows who it is who turned him in (and he probably does), but I had to fight it somehow. Racism just doesn't belong. I'll say right now that most of the men in my largely Hispanic neighborhood work a lot harder than some of the goons on his security force (though some of them aren't bad at all).

Wow, I'm just full of piss and vinegar today. I'll blame it on missing my sweetheart and the fact that the Cubs are losing a lot lately.