And the Sun was on the Rise

Feeling the Pressure

2009-08-05T16:35:58Z

Finally posting again, since I'm sort of stuck at a school for my old job and have nothing better to do in between clicking buttons on the computers. Of course, I'd much rather not be sick while I'm doing it, but that seems like a futile hope at this point.

Plus, when I get home, I have to do some work on my stupid sports fan paper. I really couldn't care in the least about it at this point, but I made a committment and I have to honor it. Too bad I've been sick the past couple days and have gotten exactly zero work done on it. With any luck, I can finish it fairly quickly once I get home and then take a nap.

In the meantime, I'm still stuck here. That's just great, considering I'm past due. Today is going to be a very long day.

Rounding up July

2009-08-02T03:36:33Z

As always, I mean to post, forget to post and realize that it's a lot simpler not to post than it is to post. It ends up being three weeks since I've last posted, the fact of which Live Journal loves to taunt you with whenever you visit the site. But no matter! I am finally back with a post about July, the gist of which is pretty much I went to Disneyland, why am I not in Disneyland now? The good news is that we upgraded our tickets into Annual Passes, so we can pretty much go back to the park anytime we'd like. Currently, we're aiming at early October, so that we can finally see the park in all of its Halloween glory.

In other news, I am still gainfully unemployed, with even fewer prospects on the horizon and no replies to my applications. Perhaps someday soon I will get an interview, and, God willing, it will be somewhere near home and not out in the boonies somewhere. In any case, the job hunt gets tiring very fast, which is why I spend a great deal of my time obsessing over Disneyland. It, at least, is a more inviting subject to mediate upon and promises good returns on my emotional investment. My job search? Not so much.

There's really nothing else to report. I'm sure I do other things with my spare time, though they are so boring or mundane as to not even pop into my head as I write this. Reading, fooling around with the computer, watching television, etc. I keep looking for some self-discipline or initiative, but apparently they are in short supply. In any case, I am exhausted and heading to bed in short order.

On Organizational Accomplishments

2009-07-06T03:51:55Z

I actually got quite a lot done today, though in some ways it doesn't feel like it. I suppose that's because you don't get the emotional payback on a project that doesn't significantly alter the landscape of your life. I emptied an entire box from my apartment filled with stuff from my bathroom, worked to either put things away in their proper place, combine them with duplicate items to reduce space or threw them away. I also cleaned up all the bins that the stuff was in and packed them away in another half-full box. It was a big task, but all I'm left with is an empty box in the garage, which doesn't really make me feel like I got anything accomplished. I think that's why people don't follow through with organization/decluttering projects often, simply because it is hard to see a constant improvement. It's there, but it's not always visible, so you feel like nothing has really changed and you're just wasting your time. I'm working to keep from feeling that way, being content with what I do get accomplished. In the long run, I want to live a more simplified life without piles of stuff everywhere, and I definitely do not want to move somewhere and end up opening boxes full of crap because I was too lazy to go through them now, when I have the time. I may never have everything perfect, but I can definitely make things better.

Happy Fourth

2009-07-05T04:22:26Z

I hope everyone had a happy Fourth of July!

Mine was quite nice; I spent the morning hanging out at home, reading and watching National Treasure: Book of Secrets. In the afternoon, we went to the pool for a while, then headed to the country club to watch the local fireworks display from there. I enjoyed my Fourth, but I do find the recent focus on the holiday as one of grilling and fireworks slightly distressing. Where's the focus on patriotism and our nation, advertisers and networks? Believe me, there's more to this than a day of work to eat hamburgers and watch pyrotechnics. The band at the country club played Sousa's "Stars and Stripes Forever" twice, but didn't bother to play our national anthem.

So I ask everyone who reads this to take a minute and think of the men and women who decided to break away from tyranny and form a new republic that sought to provide "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness" to the people of this nation, at great personal risk and with no assurance of success. They are the ones we should be focusing on today.

Waiting for my Heart to Slow Down

2009-07-03T03:58:27Z

The puppy tumbled partway down the stairs today. He's perfectly fine, but I about had a heart attack. Taking care of a puppy has me pretty much determined that I'm not cut out for having kids. Case in point, the puppy was actually more upset by my screaming than by his actual fall. So, if raising children is worse than raising a puppy, I'm probably going to be dead of a heart attack before they turn a year old. I'll stick with the puppy, as long as he sticks to the ground floor.

Who Wants a Clean House?

2009-07-02T03:30:24Z

Whenever I need to feel motivated to clean up/declutter, I just watch some Clean House on the Style network. Today's task was tackling the pile of makeup that had accumulated in my bathroom since I cleaned out my apartment in Austin. The problem with having two places to store things is that eventually you fill both places up. In order to get my makeup under control, out of ziploc bags and into containers and drawers, I had to clear some of it out. Luckily, Niecy inspired me to not hold onto makeup I've never worn, or haven't worn in years (which is gross). I still need to run to the Container Store to buy some more matching containers to fit in my drawers, but everything is pretty much in its place and I actually have some free counter space.

I spent yesterday working in the office, getting that cleaned up, but there's still more to go. I have a few more miscellaneous boxes from school to go through, as well as some clothes that need to get hung up somewhere. I'm trying to accomplish something every day, but with the new puppy to keep an eye on (and snuggle), I have to pick my battles and spend my time wisely. I'm currently unsure as to what I'm tackling next, but I figure if I work a little while each day, it should get clean eventually!

A Little Update...Finally

2009-07-01T03:27:57Z

I suppose it's a little cliche to start an entry with a cheerful little statement about how long it's been since I last updated, but it has been a few months, so I'll ask for forgiveness and move on from there. I don't know if anyone is still reading my (sporadic) entries, but I suppose I can keep journaling for posterity, if no one else. A lot has been going on in my life lately, both good and bad, and while I may not be interested in reliving it at the current moment, I would like to have a record to look back on and reflect.

I've also found that as I avoid writing in my live journal, I also avoid doing anything else creative - fiction writing, photography, scrapbooking, etc. At the very least, I need to try to devote more time to doing the things I love and less time staring at the computer or TV screen. While it might seem counterproductive to be writing in an electronic journal, I think the simple act of writing, even if it's with a keyboard rather than a pen, will stimulate the creative flow I've stifled over the past year or so.

The first half of 2009 hasn't been all bad, but I'm hoping to accomplish a lot more in the remaining six months. With luck, that will include a job, but I'm going to remain positive and focus on enjoying myself and using my time wisely. I'm not sure where I'll be six month from now, but I hope I'll be happy with how I got there.

Save Me!

2009-02-04T16:12:30Z

I am here at the TCEA conference, and feeling vaguely like shooting myself in the head. I got an e-mail from my capstone supervisor this morning; she wants updates and I'm still trying to figure out the software. I think I made a serious error in taking this capstone; I was just too polite/nice/whatever to admit that I really don't have the skills to undertake this project. Add to that the fact that she wants the project done in less than a month...I think I am royally screwed. Plus class assignments, this independent study paper I haven't started, job applications, etc.

I just pray that I will get everything done and graduate in May.

Posted via LiveJournal.app.

Home at Last!

2008-11-27T02:04:06Z

I'm finally home...the last week and a half has been very long and tiresome. I actually skipped out of class at the break to get on the road early. Traffic wasn't too bad, though there were plenty of bad drivers on the road.

Now all I have to do this weekend is relax, eat and watch NCIS episodes. Life is good.

Posted via LiveJournal.app.

A Treatise on Buses

2008-11-14T02:43:08Z

I like buses. Don't get me Wrong, they are efficient, energy-saving and encourage a culture that is independent of automobiles. However, only running buses on a major downtown/ university route twice an hour, when it is dark, cold and windy, is just mean.

That is all. Thank you.

P.S. I am very, very cold. Send St. Bernards, stat.

Posted via LiveJournal.app.

A New Era

2008-11-05T05:33:46Z

I am extraordinarily proud of my country right now, and impressed beyond all measure by President-Elect Obama's speech this evening. I think that we have made a choice tonight that says we want change and that we are willing to work to get it. We have hope for the future and the willingness to act on that hope and, to paraphrase Ghandi, create the change we want to see in the world.

Obama is right. It isn't going to be easy, and it isn't going to be quick. But it will happen, because we will work to make it happen. We will no longer stand by while our nation slips down the drain. Instead, we will take up John F. Kennedy, Jr. on his timeless demand: Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country.

Let's get to work.

Via iPhone

2008-10-27T17:34:27Z

Excitingly, I can now post to my livejournal from my iPhone. Maybe now I'll actually update more often since I can write things down when I think of them rather than waiting and procrastinating. Huzzah for technology!

Posted via LiveJournal.app.

Writer's Block: Where in the World...

2008-04-03T02:15:55Z

If you were independently wealthy, where in the world would you live and how would you spend your time?

View 500 Answers

I think anyone who knows me even the slightest bit can answer this one. Disneyland. There is no other place on the planet where I could wake up every morning and be happy. Even if I were in a grumpy mood, just taking a ride on the Jungle Cruise or It's a Small World would cheer me up. Then there's the food...churros, dole whips, Mickey shaped pretzels. Luckily, all that walking would help keep the weight off. I could stay in there from dawn to dusk and still not have my fill. Hmmm...anyone have any lucky lottery numbers?

Book Log, 12/17 - 12/23

2007-12-24T05:05:03Z

Murder 101/Maggie Barbieri
Mystery First Time
The Devil Inside/Jenna Black
Fantasy First Time
The Chocolate Cat Caper/Joanna Carl
Mystery First Time
The Chocolate Bear Burglary/Joanna Carl
Mystery First Time
The Chocolate Frog Frame-up/Joanna Carl
Mystery First Time
Lord John and the Private Matter/Diana Gabaldon
Mystery First Time
Lord John and the Brotherhood of the Blade/Diana Gabaldon
Mystery First Time
Fool for Love/Eloisa James
Romance First Time
The River Knows/Amanda Quick
Mystery Reread

Weekly Total: 9
Yearly Total: 393

Book Log, 12/10 - 12/16

2007-12-17T04:45:37Z

Overkill/Linda Castillo
Mystery First Time
Dancing with Werewolves/Carole Nelson Douglas
Fantasy First Time
Halfway to the Grave/Jeaniene Frost
Fantasy First Time
Hell's Belles/Jackie Kessler
Fantasy First Time
Blood Brothers/Nora Roberts
Fantasy First Time
The Beautiful Cigar Girl/Daniel Stashower
Non-Fiction First Time

Weekly Total: 6
Yearly Total: 384

Book Log, 11/26 - 12/2

2007-12-03T01:01:14Z

Force of Nature/Suzanne Brockmann
Mystery First Time
Simon Says/Lori Foster
Mystery First Time
My Favorite Earthling/Susan Grant
Science Fiction First Time
Say You Love Me/Rita Herron
Mystery First Time
Bloodfever/Karen Marie Moning
Fantasy First Time
Probable Cause/Theresa Schewgel
Mystery First Time
Dead Shot/Annie Soloman
Mystery First Time
This Rough Magic/Mary Stewart
Mystery Reread

Weekly Total: 8
Yearly Total: 372

Book Log, 11/12 - 11/18

2007-11-19T04:35:07Z

Tombs of Endearment/Casey Daniels
Mystery First Time
Blood Poison/D.H. Dublin
Mystery First Time
Undercover in High Heels/Gemma Halliday
Mystery First Time
The Serpent Prince/Elizabeth Hoyt
Romance First Time
It Had To Be You/Susan Elizabeth Phillips
Fiction First Time
Kiss an Angel/Susan Elizabeth Phillips
Fiction First Time
Death Reins In/Michele Scott
Mystery First Time

Weekly Total: 7
Yearly Total: 356

Book Log, 11/5 - 11/11

2007-11-12T02:34:57Z

White Heat/Cherry Adair
Mystery First Time
Play Dirty/Sandra Brown
Mystery First Time
Heartsick/Chelsea Cain
Mystery First Time
Alone in the Dark/Elaine Coffman
Mystery First Time
Suspect/Jasmine Cresswell
Mystery First Time
Looks to Die For/Janice Kaplan
Mystery First Time
Driven/Eve Kenin
Science Fiction First Time
Red Seas Under Red Skies/Scott Lynch
Fantasy First Time
First Lady/Susan Elizabeth Phillips
Fiction First Time
Ain't She Sweet?/Susan Elizabeth Phillips
Fiction First Time
Breathing Room/Susan Elizabeth Phillips
Fiction First Time
Die For Me/Karen Rose
Mystery First Time
Thrill Me to Death/Roxanne St. Claire
Mystery First Time

Weekly Total: 13
Yearly Total: 349

Book Log, 10/29 - 11/4

2007-11-05T02:50:50Z

An Ice Cold Grave/Charlaine Harris
Mystery First Time
Forget Me Not/Marliss Melton
Mystery First Time
Match Me If You Can/Susan Elizabeth Phillips
Fiction First Time
Natural Born Charmer/Susan Elizabeth Phillips
Fiction First Time
Blaze/JoAnn Ross
Mystery First Time
No Safe Place/JoAnn Ross
Mystery First Time

Weekly Total: 6
Yearly Total: 336

Game 1: Red Sox 13, Rockies 1

2007-10-25T04:14:35Z

13-1? For a team so highly touted, that's kind of sad. Oh, well, Sox are up 1-0 in the World Series, and those long faces over on the Rockies side don't bode well for their chances in the rest of the series. Seriously, my mom and I kept calling each other with jokes about the Rockies coach - first, he was writing letters to be dispersed into the crowd asking them to rescue him from the dugout, then he was looking up real estate in other countries to escape to, and finally he was looking longingly at the Red Sox dugout and wondering whether to ask them for a job.

Anyway, that was a stellar game for my guys - that fifth inning was a killer, and Josh Beckett just kept nailing those strikeouts. That's the mark of this year's Series - they're not the oddball team going against the odds. Instead, they're professional ballplayers with a good camaraderie and a relaxed attitude. And that's what helps them win. The key is to sit back, relax and play ball.

Going to Disneyland

2007-10-23T04:49:48Z

Well, the midterm went okay. I think I probably got a 'B' on it, but we'll have to wait until next week till see. Other than that, I'm working on my family's trip to Disneyland in December. Basically, the way most of our trips work is that my parents decide we're going to go and I make all the arrangements simply by dint of being a) the best at manipulating the internet and b) being on the internet all the time. It doesn't really bother me mainly because I like being in control of everything and being the master trip planner plays right into that.

Of course, planning this trip is just another excuse to not really care about grad school, but that's another whole issue. In the meantime, I do need to start working on my research papers. Oh, goody.

Book Log, 10/15 - 10/21

2007-10-22T01:56:53Z

Territory/Emma Bull
Fantasy First Time
Hard Evidence/Pamela Clare
Mystery First Time
Into the Dark/Cindy Gerard
Mystery First Time
The Lies of Locke Lamora/Scott Lynch
Fantasy Re-read
The Summit/Kat Martin
Mystery First Time
The Secret Diaries of Miss Miranda Cheever/Julia Quinn
Romance First Time
The Scottish Companion/Karen Ranney
Romance First Time
The Inquisitor/Gayle Wilson
Mystery First Time

Weekly Total: 8
Yearly Total: 325

Let's Go, Red Sox!

2007-10-19T04:15:54Z

Oh, Cleveland. You suck and have learned better than to mess with the Sox. That's because we are awesome and Josh Beckett can kick your asses any day of the week. So go home and cry in your stupid loser town, because Saturday night we will be back at the Holy Church of the Red Sox - Fenway, baby!

Book Log, 10/8 - 10/14

2007-10-15T00:54:27Z

The Dying Game/Beverly Barton
Mystery First Time
No Regrets/Shannon Butcher
Mystery First Time
Claiming the Courtesan/Anna Campbell
Romance First Time
Lady Be Bad/Candice Hern
Romance First Time
Black Silk/Metsy Hingle
Mystery First Time
Shamus in the Green Room/Susan Kandel
Mystery Re-read
Darkly Dreaming Dexter/Jeff Lindsay
Mystery First Time
Take Me Tonight/Roxanne St. Claire
Mystery First Time
Double Blind/Gayle Wilson
Mystery First Time

Weekly Total: 9
Yearly Total: 317

Book Log, 10/1 - 10/7

2007-10-08T02:27:50Z

Missing/Jasmine Cresswell
Mystery First Time
I Dreamed I Married Perry Mason/Susan Kandel
Mystery Re-Read
Not a Girl Detective/Susan Kandel
Mystery Re-Read
Wired/Liz Maverick
Sci-Fi First Time
Making Money/Terry Pratchett
Fantasy First Time
Count to Ten/Karen Rose
Mystery First Time
Kill Me Twice/Roxanne St. Claire
Mystery First Time
Last Whisper/Carlene Thompson
Mystery First Time
Head On/Colleen Thompson
Mystery First Time

Weekly Total: 9
Yearly Total: 308