Ah, it's officialy Summer. A warm, joyous season whose coming is marked by the bloom of Summer flowers, the buzz of bees and the weekend decorating of power poles with rarely legible signs. These signs, no matter if they're made from high quality vinyl or smeared cardboard, all declare the same message: Summer is the season for sales. Not just any sales, but the magical sales of Summer, the ones you find up and down Any Street U.S.A in someone's front yard or garage where loads of junk which nobody wants anymore can be begrudgingly bought by parents for happy children for only thirty-five cents. The first step to enjoying these traditions of Summer is to acquaint yourself with the knowledge that even though all might carry the chance that the Dress-Me-Up G.I. Joe you've been looking for is on a table somewhere, not all sales are created equal. So, in order to help you make the most of your saleing experience (and to avoid doing work), I bring you, the types of yard sales.

You're welcome.


The Yard Sale:
The most well known of all the sales is the Yard Sale, and is traditionally held in the large green area in front of a home. This type of sale is often named a Garage Sale by accident, by people who we hope do this because they're novices at hosting a sale and not because they planted grass on their garage floor. Yard Sales come in all shapes and sizes, and can be properly identified by bored people sitting in lawn chairs staring at large tables and items of furniture covered in unwanted presents of holidays gone by.

The Garage Sale:
The second most popular type of sale is known as the Garage Sale. These sales are typically held in someone's garage, or possibly under their carport. These types of sales can be somewhat cramped and often have a slightly odd smell that can be vaguely reminiscent of poorly ventilated sweat socks. These sales can be a great place to find a treasure, but beware, make sure that before you stop at what you think is a Garage Sale you confirm that it is in fact what it seems to be, and not just a messy, open garage. Explaining why you are digging through boxes in someone's garage to the local police will surely put a damper on your sale experience.

The Estate Sale:
Normally held after someone has passed away (or occasionally by a disgruntled relative who is house sitting) the Estate Sale is generally an open-house type sale where everything inside can be purchased or stolen when nobody is looking. These sales can be a great way to acquire an entire collection of bright pink china or dolls in knitted parasol dresses, if these are the types of things you desire.

The Rummage Sale:
Held in backrooms or basements of churches, Rummage Sales are typically run by kindly little old women to try and raise money for their churches. Found mostly during the holiday season, these types of sales have a lot of old books, Avon bottles, and hand crafted items such as quilts for purchase. These types of sales also may sell or serve refreshments, which may or may not taste like the nearby Avon smells, to the shoppers who braved smacking their heads on low ceilings while trampling up and down stairwells.

The "Huge" Sale:
Also known as the "Gigantic" Sale and the "Humongous" Sale this type of sale is a pure myth. Once lured into following the signs proclaiming a "Huge Sale" shoppers often find themselves stuck at the end of a dead end one way street or in a corn field two counties over. Sometimes shoppers will get lucky and come across the elusive "Huge" Sale but are often sorely disappointed when it turns out to be a blanket spread on the grass with a few items of clothing, olive green lamps from the 1950's, and some used tires.

The Four Family Sale:
Four Family Sales are usually located in upper-middle class neighborhoods and are generally when mothers get together to sell their used baby items. Items at Four Family Sales are commonly overpriced as the mothers selling them have forgotten that their children were born decades ago and nobody has any use for polyester infant leisure suits. These types of sales are, however, a good way to stock up on baby or toddler toys, good children's furniture, and the occasional sailboat.

The Block Sale:
Block Sales are when people from an entire block wide community get together and decide to obstruct traffic and annoy non-participating neighbors by holding a sale. Some of the major types of sales described above can be found in a Block Sale, including the Yard Sale, Garage Sale and Four Family Sale. Block Sales also include stands or tables where children often pressure shoppers into buying watered down lemonade and hard cookies for six times their market value.

Sales are a great way to spend a lazy Saturday afternoon this Summer. Next time you find yourself out and about and notice a sign with a bright florescent arrow pasted to it, I hope you follow it (and find it) and enjoy yourself while digging through someone else's junk. So, happy sales to you, and remember, all sales might not be created equal but all of them hold the equal chance of you finding their contents in the garbage can if you are willing to wait long enough.

Posts until IBOM's 1000th post: 78

I think I'm finally going to move my blog over to it's domain. Maybe. Or, I could just put it off for another three years. I don't think any of my three whole readers care either way, do you?

Blogger is starting to get on my nerves, I don't mind the ads, but now I've been having problems with having to refresh blogspot sites six or seven times to get them to show up, I'm getting triple posts every time I post to boot. It's just starting to look like maybe I had better switch over and start handling it all myself.

I'm just so ungrateful and whiny.

Why is there a decapitated rubber Squidward on my desk?

....Do you think it could be a hint?

Posts until IBOM's 1000th post: 79

At the farmers market today I was sad at how expensive produce is, realy. Four bucks for a pound of cherries? I could pick eight pounds for that much, all I would have to do is tolerate falling off a ladder a few times. No big deal. I can do that much for sweet cherry goodness!

For those of you who live in states where you have to pay a quarter to use a public restroom and then have to pay another dime for that square of paper, this may not be all that expensive sounding to you, but I don't live there, I live here, and it is.

Man, I want cherries and I don't want to have to sell a kidney to get them. If I do that, then I won't be able to eat solids because the meds'll just make me yuke them back up, and it wouldn't matter then anyway.

The Haiku of the Day:
I'm going to go
and U-pick my own dang fruit,
and I won't even share.
Posts until IBOM's 1000th post: 80

Today is one of my younger brother's birthday party (his actual birthday is tomorrow) so I'm off to go pick up people and drop them off at the party site (pool party, whee...just what I want to do, spend the day herding a bunch of kids around a pool. I should take a whistle, and blow it at people and then gesture at them with obscure hand signals.) and pick up the cake.

It should be fun, or something.

The haiku of the day:
If it rains today,
It means I get to forfeit,
And go back to bed.

Posts until IBOM's 1000th post: 81

This conversation was overheard yesterday at a workshop, because I was eavesdropping, like the busybody I am.

Lady number one, "What a cute baby! What's his name?"
Lady with the baby, "His name is John."
The first lady replies, "Really? That's my nephews name."
The lady with the baby smiles and says, "That's my nephews name too, because he's my nephew. He's going to be my daughters husband, we've already planned the wedding."

This left me hoping that he was her pretend nephew.

The haiku of the day:
Obligatory:
Back away very slowly,
Put down the banjo.

Sorry.

Posts until IBOM's 1000th post: 82

I'm actually so hot, that my brain has finally fried into itty bitty peices of fried grey curd and I've snapped, becoming a fan girl. What does this mean? This means I have to make a Uninhabited Planet Survive fanlisting. I'm doing this because today I had a relapse and reverted back to age 11 and joined a bunch of fanlistings and was very sad when I didn't find one for UPS. Sad, sad I tell you.

So, if you've seen it, and want to join, let me know and I'll pop a link when it's done. If you haven't seen it, you should, because it's cute. Until then, I'm off to go have a Jr. High moment.

The Haiku Of The Day:
It's hot goddamnit.
It's never going to cool down,
and I shall melt here.
Posts until IBOM's 1000th post: 83

I'm pleased to announce the victors of the Balloonympics were The Carnivores, triumphing over The Chia Pets 6 to 5. One point victories are always the sweetest. I'd also like to mention now, that I did not pick their team names, they named themselves.

It was a close one though, in most of the games they played (Three rounds of seven different games and then a war) they ended up tied, the teams were pretty even too, which was surprising because I let the team captains pick team members, instead of just having them do a random draw. They even picked the four-year-olds, I was so proud.

It was absolutely a big hit, they even asked for a 'rematch' Balloonympics in August. The Chia Pets were pretty sad about losing, but they perked up when I gave out the prizes. All in all I gave away about 2000 dollars (Not real money, mind you, but the money the YCC uses in the YCC Store. It's almost as good, because I sell high quality junk). Prizes were 100 bucks to everyone who played, 20 to each on the winning team, and then 10 dollar prizes for things I made up as I was filling them out. These were like "Best Balloon Sitter" and "Best Wetter Getter". My personal favorite was "Best Chin Balloon Passer", it takes talent, you know, to pass a balloon with your chin.

I only got hit in the face with one balloon, and although I was asked repeatedly "Can I hit you?" nobody really did. (because I told them no, because I'm seriously mean like that) So, I didn't end up as wet as I thought I would, it was more like a consistent dampness then a complete soaking. Please refrain from any jokes, I promise you I've exhausted them all.

Also, the camping trip is a go, if anyone wants to tag along. July 17th, you don't even have to bring a tent, because I've secured a huge two-room one. Oh, and I'm making s'mores. How can you turn that down?

My lips are so chapped that they bleed when I talk. I swear this is not related to the ship of sailors that I visited recently. I have some Burts Bees lip balm stuff, it seems to be helping. It's rather unattractive to be talking to someone and have blood trickling down your chin, people start to get the wrong impressions of you.

About the movie - I'll just post what I've been telling everyone: no matter what your political leanings everyone should see the movie. Even if it is biased against Bush, there is still truth in there that everyone deserves to know. Just go see it, and form an opinion for yourself. Don't just take the word of the government because they're the government, or the media because their the media, or other reviewers. If that's not enough for you, here is a fun snippet of information from Harper's Index:

Minimum number of misleading statements on Iraq made by the Bush Administration's top officials since March 2002 : 237 [Committee on Government Reform (Washington, D.C.) ]

All the more reason just go see it and form an opinion on what you think, instead of being told it. Besides, sheepyness isn't as sexy as some people think it is.


Now, I'm off to the bank and to the feed store. If you're wondering, I go to the feed store not to play with the squeaky dog toys (honest) but to buy animal food. The squeaky dog toys are just an added bonus.

I had something else to post about, but I'll do it later. For now, it's time for the haiku of the day:
I like home shopping.
It's like going to the store,
Without all the smells.

Posts until IBOM's 1000th post: 84

I haven't posted my opinion of the movie, but I will as soon as I get back. The last couple days have been completely hectic and I haven't really been home at all, (and when I've been home, I've been on the phone. I think I've spend 15 of the last 38 hours on the phone. You'd think I'd have something worthwhile to say in all that time, but I didn't) instead I've been gallivanting about town getting myself into trouble.

Today is the Balloonympics (a day in which two teams go head-to-head in mad phat balloon splatting action games for prizes) and I have to rush out of here early to set up the game stations and finish filling up the 300+ balloons left that aren't yet full of freezing cold water. With a hose. Oh yes, how thrilled am I. My fingers are already all wrinkly and swollen from filling and tying those balloons. I hate tying balloons. I'll give you a cookie and a stack of meat if you do it for me.

So far, I've already had five pop on me this morning from the huge bag of filled balloons I wrestled into the back of the car. I'm completely soaked. Water balloons + games + prizes + kids = cold. It should be a very, very wet day, and depending on your outlook, it may or may not be the fun kind of wet.

Anyway! More postings later, but for now, the haiku of the day:

Win dollars for you!
Win dollars for your teammates!
With splatting balloons.
Posts until IBOM's 1000th post: 85

I guess I'm going to see this tomorrow.

Now mind you, I'm not the type of person who voices their opinions loudly to everyone with in earshot, and certainly not about politics. Even those who know me may not be aware of my views on our current mess of so called leadership and my plans on where my vote is going in November. I don't watch every political show out there, or follow talk radio, (Although I have watched and snorted on occasion at certain people on Crossfire and actually enjoy Air America) and I don't fill my blog with pages and pages of politics because most of the time I find the stance taken by most people on most issues completely irrational and don't even want to go there. (Like the whole "Think Of The Children!" stance on gay marriage. You couldn't think up anything better then that old line? Not only is it overused, but it has absolutely no reasonable application on the subject. Children are in no way maimed or scarred by two people who love each other getting married. Unless, of course, you don't want them to learn what a commitment is and how to follow through with it.)

I do believe the war in Iraq, 9/11 and other incidents were handled in, not only a grossly horrible fashion, but in selfish, self-promoting and immature manners that blatantly disregarded the lives, liberties and safety of not only the people here in America, but in other countries as well. These opinions are formed by the fact that there is far too many circumstances telling us all that Bush and his cronies are doing a Very Bad Job, then there is telling us otherwise.

It will be interesting to watch this, and see what it has to say. I'll post tomorrow after I go see it, and let you know what I think.

Posts until IBOM's 1000th post: 86

During the logging of things for a database, Robin came across a childcare named, I kid you not:

The Young and The Restless Childcare

I can picture little John and Marshas duking it out over who's the real father of that Cabbage Patch Doll. It is both completely terrifying and hysterical all at the same time.

Posts until IBOM's 1000th post: 87

Part of the Runlk (that's a mixture of walking and pathetic "running" I do in the morning. The running part is more lies then actual running) I do every day consists of walking around a local schools track. Four times around the track = one mile. Yes, this is cheating, but if I actually walk the two and some odd miles through neighborhoods I get distracted by peeping in uncurtained windows, and if I'm caught doing that again, I violate my parole.

Walking around this thing over and over makes me dizzy. About the ninth time around I'm starting to think it's time to get off the ride. Plus, it turns my shoes red. The track isn't one of those fancy-shamshy tracks that are paved or even covered with that rubber stuff they cover playgrounds with. Nope, it's good covered by good ole fashioned house-of-ill-repute sawdust. This isn't so bad, as long as you don't walk around it with bare feet. Trust me on that one.

There is a sawdust/barkdust mill around here, and they have huge piles of the stuff just glistening in the sun. It just sits there, and nobody pays attention to it. I always wondered what it would be like to sneak in and sled down one of those five story high piles of sawdust. Painful, itchy and probably conjuring a few tears, but would the rush of sliding down a huge mountain of sawdust be worth it? Would it? Would you make it to the bottom, or would you get stuck somewhere in the middle and sink down inside the pile of quickdust until you drowned? How would you climb up to the top without sliding back down? How would you get it out of your hair? I'll pay someone two bucks and a cookie to find out for me.

Anyway, I should quit posting blathering nonsense and get back to work. I'm sorry I don't have more witty or thought provoking things to talk about, I promise to work harder on that tomorrow, or maybe the next day.

Oh, before I forget: Hark! Tis Yon Haiku of Thy Day! -

I have some good tea,
It has vanilla and mint,
And if I drank, Schnapps.

Posts until IBOM's 1000th post: 88

Fred was pretty livid yesterday, according to the Federal Aid office he doesn't qualify for FA because he, in the eyes of that particular government office, is still a dependent, and mother makes too much money. Even though he hasn't lived with or 'depended' on her for a good handful of years now.

Of course, we all know the real reason he can't get help is because, thanks to his sexual preferences, he is a wealthy man, and is hiding it from the IRS. Oh, and he's not sharing with me, because he's a weasel turd.

Regardless of that however, it really started me wondering. Why is the cut off date for dependence in the eyes of the FA people 23/24? How annoying is that? You can vote at 18, you can drink at 21, but until you're 23 or 24 the government thinks your mommy and daddy should be paying for your classes and picking out your pencil cases for you. (My mom isn't allowed to do this for me anymore, because she always gets me the ones with the boy bands on them, and that's so uncool.)

I moved out of my moms house when I was 18, and got very tired of having to run back and get copies of her taxes and her signature on things because they had deemed me dependent. If I was such a dependent, then why was the power company still billing me and not billing her each month? I don't feel it's my 'families responsibility' (as the lovely lady in the office told him) to pay for my college.

Now don't get me wrong, I'm not saying tax payers should pay for it either (actually, I think higher education should be available to everyone and be much more affordable or even, god forbid, free, that way everyone who wanted to go could go without all the rigmarole) I do think it's your own responsibility, but college is expensive, and with the lovely cost of living right now, who can afford it? Lord knows I can't, and I'm dang sure my mom can't afford to pay for mine either. I do think that the age that the FA stops viewing applicants as dependent should be 18.

Everyone has the right to learn, and it irks me to high heaven that Fred - a brilliant, albeit smelly, man - might not get to go to college because our government is contradictory and unreliable.

Posts until IBOM's 1000th post: 89

I'm a big poopyhead.

Tornarius is the sexiest man I've ever seen.

Yeah. I'm a butthead too!

And I get paid for it.

WRONG! It goes like this:

I am elegant and beautiful and have fantastic magical powers!

Tornarius is the hairiest man I've ever seen!

He eats worms and wears diapers!

He gets paid for it!

Take that, mister man! And I'm changing my password too!

Posts until IBOM's 1000th post: 90

Updates updates everywhere. I've already walked 2.5 miles, drank a half gallon of water, posted to all blogs I'm involved with.

The updating includes even DS, where I had to 'borrow' someone's account to send myself an invitation for it, because he hasn't. He hasn't because he's lazy, or because he really didn't want me to have anything to do with it anyway, even if it was my idea.

If I turn up dead today, it's because that irked him (or because he found out that I'm stalking his cutie patootie) and you know who to go after.

Now I am about ready to tackle my morning work load. I've got a bunch to do today, including some seriously boring meetings and an appointment with the FA office. I could also fall asleep at the wheel and die when I hit the port-o-potty. It could happen.

What a productive little girl I am! I should give myself a raise, or even better, the rest of the day off.

And lo, the haiku of the day:

What lazy people!
Get up at 5 AM
And walk with me too.

Posts until IBOM's 1000th post: 91

I am being struck with the urge to travel, especially to travel overseas. Partly inspired by the disgusting friends I have who are currently or were just recently on trips and sent me postcards, I'm also drawn by the fact that I really like traveling and want to try my hand at some international stuff.

I love exploring new places (I get lost in every new town I go to on purpose, it drives some people I know nuts), and seeing new things. I want more culture and I really feel like traveling is something I need to do before I hit Med school anyway. It's a need, I can't explain it, but I really feel I have to do some traveling very soon.

Traveling is also one major factor in my choice to apply for the Peace Corps in 2006, not because it's an easy way to travel (I'm not that deluded) but it will offer me a chance to see another culture while fulfilling my bizarre need to be of service.

Traveling will also be a great way to take a break from the circumstances and situations around me, to walk away and come back with a fresh perspective on stuff. It'll be cleansing, I need that.

So perhaps it's time to start planning something. Some trip that will just be relaxing and fun and maybe involving hostels and backpacks. Any suggestions on good places to go, and cheap ways of doing it?

Posts until IBOM's 1000th post: 92

I'm currently in the process of planning a camp out for the YCC that will take place sometime in July or August depending on what the final plans are. (OMSI is currently having a camp-in where you get to sleep in the submarine they have on display there, it's very tempting, but is also 45 dollars a person.)

This thing started from a simple sleepover at the Center into a possible two/three day trip. The Center has had (has had...ah) wonderful luck with their adult camp outs in the past, so I figure, the YCC camp out should be just as successful. It will be a good way to spend a few days this summer.

I am looking for a few brave and patient adults to accompany me on this trip, so if you're interested (and don't mind spending two days straight with a couple dozen kids) and are in the area drop me a line. We're going to stay in teepees. It's really cool, then again, I'm really nine years old and just pretending to be twenty-four, so of course I think so.

The only thing that has me worried is the possible possibility of possible outhouses. I have Sanophobia, I've tried something for it but it just didn't work. Outhouses are terrifying. I think it stems from far too many horror movies in which people are grabbed down through dark holes in shabby wooden buildings to their sewage-laced doom. I'm also unsettled by public restrooms, not just because they're disgusting, but because they're scary.

In other news, I have FA papers to drop off tomorrow so I get funding for next term. It would be a shame to not be able to go in Fall because I didn't get the proof that they gave me funding last term to them. I have a couple appointments in the morning beyond that for work, and then I get to spend the rest of the day finishing up some courses that are due up before the end of the month.

I am so, so very boring. And with that lousy update on my extremely norm life, I leave you with the haiku of the day:

Outhouses are bad!
You can fall in them and die,
Drowning from the sludge.


Posts until IBOM's 1000th post: 93

By the way, Happy Fathers Day to all you fathers out there, and of course, the haiku of the day:

Today is Sunday,
I'd rather be asleep now,
But instead I suffer.

Posts until IBOM's 1000th post: 94

I've got to get to the YCC early today and submit the new schedule to be put in the Center's newsletter. I also need to talk to a few people about a couple of activities I'd like to do this summer. None of it involves selling children to Gypsies, but it should still be fun.

Today we are making glow-in-the-dark light switch covers, so if you're in the area, just drop on by. We'll be outside today, so just come around back to find us. I think anyway, if it gets too hot I might decide to stay in our room, since we have AC in there.

Posts until IBOM's 1000th post: 95

In protest of the heat (It's supposed to be 92 today but it's already 85 outside and is only 11, so I'm expecting a good 100 today) I am playing hookey someplace with a pool.

You can come if you want, just no naked swimming.

Haiku for today:
Sunburned I shall be,
Because it just never fails,
Between house and car.
Posts until IBOM's 1000th post: 96

Welding is going on today. They're producing some tool prototype for their company and it involves welding. It also involves a whole wide range of curses that would make any sailor proud.

Welding is this very odd sort of thing. People actually pay to get degrees in welding, yet, you can go blind doing it. Where's the upside in that? I guess part of it is cool because you can pretend you're some weird mad scientist in some lab welding together pieces of your new husband/wife/significant other/dog.

Welding: it's the inspiration for the haiku of the day:

The welder smells bad,
Making my screen flickery,
And blinding neighbors.

Posts until IBOM's 1000th post: 97

After a horribly cruel week of waiting, I have my grades:

70910 ATH A
71285 MTH A
74958 PSY A
75254 WR A

I'm in shock. Seriously. I knew Psych was an A because the Prof posted it, and I figured Writing and NAS were both A's because I'd aced everything up to the final, and I couldn't have bombed bad enough on the final to get anything less, in theory of course. But.....

Whoah. Math? Math is an A? There has to be some mistake. This has to be like that lone, mysterious credit Robin got for beginning Jazz Dance that she never took. A fluke. A freak of nature. If it is though, don't notify the college, I'd rather just have them be oblivious to their mistakes and give me all A's next term too.

I have a TRiO appointment at 2:30, and while I'm out and about I'm going to pick up Buddy's library card for him. He signed up for the summer reading program. I still say they should have one for adults, I would do it. I promise not to read anything inappropriate.

Posts until IBOM's 1000th Post: 98

IBOM's been around for a while now. It will celebrate it's fourth birthday in March of next year, which is surprising because it hasn't felt like it's been four years. Time does go fast when you're having fun with sailors doesn't it?

In that four years though, I haven't posted as much as some people, and maybe my posts haven't been of any noticeable quality whatsoever, but it's been fun all the same.

At the time of this posting, there are exactly 100 posts to go before IBOM reaches it's 1000th post. It may not be a whole lot in the grand scheme of Bloggerland, and it may have taken me a awfully long time to get here, but whadda know, 1000 posts.

Hopefully the 100 posts it takes to get to the 1000th aren't crap, but I make no promises. Of course, my dear three readers, I suppose if you've been with me this long, nothing short of naked pictures is going to scare you away. Loyalty, I like that in a stalker.

Posts until IBOMs 1000th post: 99

Oh, a haiku for today:

Cheap bread is crappy,
It makes your sandwich crumble,
And fingers get gross.

Ok, that was a bad one, I'll do better tomorrow.

It's been a year, for those of you involved, since CTF has opened. I am very frustrated with myself over my lack of progress and not meeting my goals, but I can change that.

Starting today I will be posting over there daily, as well as sticking to the program I had picked. Also, I'll be posting at TPC too, because nobody posts there anymore either.

Those of you who are also in CTF I challenge you (yes! challenge! WOO!) to post daily and really get back into the swing of your stuff. I encourage it not only because I know you can do it, but because I don't want to do it alone.

To update on the computer, I did (with the help of a friend) what I thought would work, and it didn't. So, being completely out of ideas, I gave the computer back along with a ton of very heartfelt apologies.

I feel bad. I feel bad and I couldn't fix it.I feel bad, couldn't fix it, and they paid me anyway. This has got to be some sort of sin.

A computer was unceremoniously dropped off here a few days ago in the hopes that I could fix whatever in the world is wrong with it. I don't know how I became everyone and their Uncles' red headed step-child's Computer Tech, but here I am.

I am now convinced, after a slew of trial, error, and attempts to pry my own fingernails off in frustration, that I have to uninstall and re-install Dial Up Networking.

This is scary. I don't like the idea of removing files that could potentially make Windows decide to go belly-up (it does that just fine on it's own, it doesn't need any extra help from me). On my own computer? Yeah, alright, I can handle that. I would cry, but I'm pretty sure I would live. On someone elses though? The thought is terrifying, mostly because I have no interest in buying them a new system.

So, as soon as I'm done working for today it's off I go to try and see if I can get plumes of rainbow colored smoke to come out of the tower. Wish me luck, yeah?

A haiku for today:
Hate Thee Microsoft!
With your faulty softwareness,
And stupid ding sounds.

I have albums at ImageStation, but all of the photos are coming up 'This picture is unavailable, please try back at a later time'. Does anyone else have ImageStation, and is anyone else having this problem? Not that my pictures were that important, but most of them there I don't have anymore and I'd hate to lose all those fantastically artistic shots of Enchanted Forest.

I'm adding some more albums today for the heck of it. I'll post links to them later, so you can cyber-stalk me. Doesn't that sound like fun? I thought so too.


Haiku for today:
Oh, summer divine!
Fun, water, blooming flowers,
And sore sun induced blisters.

Fred and I on the loomingingness of Med school in our future, and it's accompanied financial ruin.

Rhea Rhyolin: How much is it? 3000000000?
Saetan SaDiablo: 300000000000000000000000000000000000000000
Saetan SaDiablo: And 99 cents.
Rhea Rhyolin: Well, thats that for me, I only have 299999999999999999999999999999999999.89
Rhea Rhyolin: I can't go, oh well..
Saetan SaDiablo: We're freaks.
Rhea Rhyolin: I can't find anyplace where it says what it costs
Rhea Rhyolin: Looking at about 30k a year
Rhea Rhyolin: so $120,000 for four years
Saetan SaDiablo: For your MD
Saetan SaDiablo: And then another 2 years for specializaion.
Saetan SaDiablo: specialization.
Rhea Rhyolin: So too damn much
Saetan SaDiablo: But
Saetan SaDiablo: They offer loans and scholarships.
Rhea Rhyolin: Wowee! So I can flunk out of med school AND be in debt!
Saetan SaDiablo: We're totally gonna die.
Rhea Rhyolin: Well, at least we'll be starving med students together
Saetan SaDiablo: Yeah! We can hunt rats and eat 'em.
Rhea Rhyolin: Hell no, I want me some squirrel
Saetan SaDiablo: Call me Houser.
Saetan SaDiablo: Doogie Houser.
Rhea Rhyolin: More like Hoser

Also, this is the most adorable game on the planet. It's also free. Free is good. Come sign up, and let me know what your name is, yeah?

I just got back from Lane's Eighth Grade Graduation, it was long, and long, but it was fun. Lane is now off bowling for her 8th Grade Party, she leaves on Friday to spend a week with a friend trampsing around some amusement park someplace. I'm really proud of her, she's even single handled signed herself up for Volleyball and Color Guard camps for the summer to make sure she doesn't fall behind.

I bought her a stuffed bear (she collects them) some balloons and a frame to put her certificate in. Fun fun. I took some pictures, I'll stick them online later.

I'm off in about 15 minutes to do the very final Final of the term. Hallelujah. I've seriously enjoyed going back to school, and I'm so glad I've managed to finish this Term, all while trying to convince myself I still have all A's. I am however, very sure, that math is not one, but I won't know until the 17th because they like to jerk me around as much as possible.

I'm taking the summer off so. I have so much business trips and garbage to take care of that I can't do both without missing classes. Maybe now that classes are out for a while I'll actually get my sense of humor back, oh, and sleep. I love sleep.

I'm off to Tillamook, even though it's driving 150 odd miles for a meeting, it'll be nice to get away from stuff for the day. I love the beach, and I plan on spending at least five minutes there.

Of course, this also means I lose an entire day of studying for finals.

Someone put soap in the fountain near my house. I'll take a picture and post it because it amuses me.

I have an appointment with TRIO today at 11:30. I also have an Exam at 2, and then three quizzes at 3. So all of this means I'll miss my brothers graduation from grade school because it starts at 1:30, so there is no way I can be there and at my exam.

This makes me sad. :( But unfortunatly there is nothing I can do about it. I'm having pictures taken though, so I'll have some of those.

I'm so so so happy today is Friday, this week has been disgustingly long. Next week should be better, I've got Math final on Tuesday, Psych final on Wendsday and NAS final on Thursday and then I'm all done with this term. The Prof. changed the final from Proctored to home/open book so I love him now.

Anyway, I'm off. I'll start posting more once finals are over with. Promise.

I lost at bowling, 87 to a 127. The 127 was bowled by a 3 1/2- year-old. I had a complete blast, and plan on going bowling again soon. I only threw the ball the wrong way once!

So it's time to get back to work and studying. I goofed more this last weekend then I have in months. I played a bunch of Multiplayer games, and a million games of Zoo Tycoon (which is so addictive). I needed the time to get my brain out of study mode though and give myself a break.

Today is another long day of tests, classes, and studying. The library is open until midnight for the majority of the week, so I'm thinking about taking advantage of that. So I really should get going, insted of sitting here avoiding it.

I need a cell.

In the start of getting things off my 'Things To Do Before I Die' list, I'm tackling two this week.

The first: #24 on my list, bowling. I've never been, and so, as the YCC Spring FT, we're going to a local bowling alley to see how well I stack up to a bunch of middle schoolers. We leave at 9:30 tomorrow morning and bowl until 1. Do pray for me.

The second: #39, making a quilt. Although I've sewn pillows and shirts before, I've never tackled a project like a quilt. The quilt I'm making is this one and it's super nifty. The really cool thing about this project, other then it's so simple even I can do it without sewing my fingers together, is that it's made from old jeans. What's even cooler, is this:

A few years back my Grandfather passed away from pneumonia that he got from a lowered immune system thanks to Chemo. My Grandpa was an amazing man, and probably one of the biggest influences on my life. I miss him terribly. My Grams kept all his old jeans, and gave the jeans to me to make my quilt with. So, I get to make a Grandpa Jeans quilt. I am totally stoked about it.

Anyway, I'm planning on the beginning stages of cutting (I've already got the patterns and supplies) this week, but no major work on it until Finals Week is over with.

It would be really cool to have finished (maybe with some neat matching fringy pillow cases) by the time I decide what my plan is in August.

I got an invite from my brother to move in with him and his fiancee in a three-story house they share with a few other people. Two are moving out and it's opening up a few rooms. I've been offered a room with a balcony, bathroom and walk in closet. Although it's not my own place, it would be nice to have my own bathroom again. That, and it's close to U of O, which as not my first choice (OSU was) it's still a good school. Being right there in Eugene, next to not only a community college, but a four year that I can transfer right into, is very tempting. (I would have had to commute every day to OSU, which is about a 80 mile trip there and back each day I have classes)

The guys are moving out in August so I'm going to make a trip to visit soon and see if it would work out, and if the offer still stands probably make my choice within the next month or so. It hinges on a lot of things, like if I can bring Shauna (the dog that doesn't belong to me but lives with me anyway), if my FA and transcripts and program can transfer over easily enough, and if I can find work down there part time to support rent and other bills while I run my part of my business down there, since PST can't support a third set of upkeep bills right now, because all revenue is going for upkeep and expanding. Plus, it's easier to keep stuff, like a cell phone, which I'll use for other things then PST, separate for tax reasons. (I'm not even supposed to be using Guido for anything but PST, because the IRS gets all weird about it, but shhh...don't tell anyone.)

Anyway, I'm not sure what exactly I'll do, but it is a good option to think about.

I am looking for people to play Stronghold with me, and Fred (also known as Lord Bobanagoosha). Kenneth, our sometimes third is away in Europe and I can't get Kevin pinned down long enough to ask him.

Anyone have the game interested in playing? Anyone? Or maybe AoW: Shadow Magic, that one is fun too but takes a heck of a long time to finish.

Time to go do some homework, tons to do in such a short amount of time.

Haiku for today:
Don't even bother,
For your men shall die in fire,
When I dump the pots.

More exams today. Whee! Shockingly I got a 94 on my last math exam. Who would have thought?

Something I've found that seems to be a side effect from working with children for far too long is the turning of things I say into a song. It's gotten so bad that I do it in normal conversation in public without even noticing it. Most of the time the songs are under my breath and have to do with whatever it is I'm doing, like the "I Hate Math" song, which is hummed in the Math Lab (very quietly) while doing homework. It's sung to the tune of Three Blind Mice and has "I Hate Math" as the only lyrics.

What can I say, it makes me feel better.

I also find myself singing everything to Michael. I'm starting to wonder if I really am finally in the process of losing my last marble.

Today's Haiku:

Sing off-key with me!
For the sky is grey and cloudy,
And we've nothing else.

I'm off to spend another wonderful day in the Math Lab. At least I only have one more Mod and the final left to do and then I'll be done with math. Hopefully with a high B, I'll take a B in math, mess up my A average, but I've got to pick my battles right?

Only two weeks left of this term. It went by really fast, I'm actually quite surprised. I don't think I'll be going summer (I'm going to use the time to catch up on work and finish client sites that classes have pushed back), but I will be going back in Fall. Taking Japanese I, yay! I want to take ASL too but I don't think I can do two languages at once.

Anyway, I should get going. Sorry my posts are so dreadfully boring, I just can't think about anything but brain lobe functions and math problems.

Here's a haiku for today:

Math Lab in the rain,
I am going to get an F,
Written cruely in red pen.

Kenneth! I hope you have an awesome time in Europe, don't forget to send me a postcard. ;)

The next two weeks are scary study weeks. I have ten tests in the next 14 days, so it'll be interesting to see how my grades stand at the end of term. Right now I am getting all A's, I honestly don't expect that to be the case in Math by the end of next week, but I can hope right?

I've got seven modules to read, and five to reread for Psych. I don't mind the reading, it's just so much information to toss at someone for one exam. It amuses me that they think I'll actually retain it. I suppose playing slots isn't going to help things any.

I should get back to work, but here is a haiku for today before I go:

Hear the coins jingle?
Fun are the slots at Pogo,
I will win it all.

Thank you, come again.

I sort of feel like things are moving to split the YCC (an activity program I run) up or take the youth program out of my hands again. This frustrates me a little because I've spent the last few years - the last especially - building the program in a way that makes the kids come back, and enjoy themselves and feel like they're part of the center, not just being babysat, which I think is the most important.

Nobody's really said anything. I've been asked a couple questions about my childbase ages, and also been told a couple people have expressed interest in dealing with older children (but nobody has come to talk to me, at all, they all go over my head, even though I do the youth program.) and that's been about it, but that's how it starts.

I've had the program taken from me in the past, and every time not only did it fail miserably (and let me tell you, it failed, not once, not twice, but four times, and each time I was the one called back in to fix it and take back over), but it also cause all the kids I had coming to quit, and took me nearly six months (after it had been given back to me, because the people who took it quit after a couple months) and major overhaul of the program to have them start coming on a regular basis again.

If they do decide to split up stuff, I have suggestions. Do you think anyone wants them? Of course not, what will happen is I'll lose all the older kids (90% of my classbase) and will have the younger children (I have six kids under 9, and only one comes regularly, and regularly for her is maybe three times a month)or will be asked to become an 'assistant' to whoever takes it over, which royally peeves me off. I run this thing, if anyone should have assistants it should be me.

So they'll take it, then they'll blow it, and nobody'll come anymore or the person who's taking it over will quit (because it's a big commitment, not just showing up and playing, there is work, like planning classes, and learning the children's names) and I'll have to rebuild the whole thing again.

What frustrates me, is I want to set up programs for infants and preschoolers and teenagers, but not enough kids come right now to merit it, plus the kids like being all in one group so I don't want to take that away from them.

Besides, if they want to set up groups, I think it would be fair to give me first pick of which class I want. Not just give it to someone who walks up and goes 'oh by the way, I want the older kids' and take it away from me and give it to them. After years? What kind of thanks is that? Is that really how important I am to their program? I'm not saying I won't share, or that I won't gladly work with other people to set up other classes. I just don't think I should have it jerked away from me with an 'oh by the way'. Plus, it cheeses me that none of these people who have 'expressed interest' in the older kids have ONCE offered to volunteer in the classes to see how it goes.

I would think before you even considered them to work with kids you'd have them come work with me and meet the kids. I can't even get people to commit to driving for field trips until the last minute, and they think these people will show up every class and follow through?

In all these years, I've only missed two classes. I know all the kids, their birthdays, their phone numbers, what schools they go to, their favorite color, their favorite movies, heck, I know half of their crushes. I could blackmail them, if I wanted to. We're buds, these kids and I, and it's been damn hard getting them to feel like they're really part of the Center and to get them to come every class. It just frustrates me that I've put all this time into it, and I'm just being seen as a stand in until they can get a real teacher, even though I'm the one who built the whole program.

If they do this to me again, I will cry, and then I will quit.

Like all small towns, mine has weird festivals that it does every year. In this case, the current festival is the Iris Festival, in it's 54th year of irisy goodness. It celebrates, (can you guess?) the iris (you're so smart), since Keizer is actually the iris growing capitol of the world. Or something like that.

We're proud. Iriss are pretty, and they smell fantastic, unless you're in an entire field of them, and then it smells like a cheap whore and you faint a lot. Also, there are bees.

With The Iris Festival comes all the things you'd expect with a festival. Pancake breakfasts put on by the Fire Department, a parade that runs two hours and twenty minutes long (and grows progressively longer with each year and thanks to the morons on the city council who passed the no throwing law, no longer throws candy. $@%!! The candy was my favorite part! Some people throw it anyway, and risk the wrath of the council and the $15 dollar fine that comes with it) that has every church, school, and small business in the town marching in it, along with sisters, who are in Color Guard, in the front row...I'm told this is a good thing, because only people who are good at twirling batons and marching in place get the front row. I am good at neither, so I would probably be fired.

Also with it are street fairs, a carnival (which nobody'll go to with me, because they all stink), and a quilt show. I don't quilt, but I plan on going because I have decided I will make a quilt, even if it comes out lopsided or looking like a scarf.

So, our town is now clogged with about 200,000 people who don't live here, along with the however many who do, tramping up and down the sixteen block area very near my neighborhood, which means we have people parking dangerously close to in our flowerbeds. Which is rude, and makes me want to have them towed. Take that, tourists!

I have to write two essays for my application for TRiO (the one I didn't send for, but they sent to me.) I think it's a good opportunity, but I just don't know what to say.

TRiO if you don't know, is a program that assists low-income first generation college students. Which would be me, because lord knows I make no money, and my mom never finished college (although she is going back).

However, they're very adamant about wanting to help students who seem to come more from 'project' or 'gang' type lifestyles then a person like me, who doesn't do any sort of drugs or drink, doesn't have children, and is self starting enough to create my own business. (IE: capable of finishing my degree on my own, in the systems eyes)

Actually, what interests me the most about the program is they assist you in setting up all the stuff for your transfer on a more personal basis then you'd get with just a general guidance person from the college. That in itself is worth applying for, because I have absolutely no idea what I'm doing and the help would be nice.

Anyway, the essays need to be two pages long each, the first needs to be on what I think will be the toughest part of finishing my degree, and the other is on how I feel about my ability to finish. I can do both fine, I think. That is, I don't really have anything other then finances keeping me from going to school, and nothing keeping me from finishing. Both of which could potentially paint me as a huge egomaniac. I am, of course, but I don't want anyone who can help me get a scholarship to know that.

Anyway, they're all do in by the 28th, so I should get them done, since punctuality makes a good impression. Or, will make me look like a buttkisser. Either way, works for me.

If you haven't seen it, this is probably one of the best 'reality' shows on television right now. It's really interesting to see how people (who come from upper middle class families who've never had to do anything a day in their lives) deal with not only the physical demands of living in 1682, but the psychological demands of having to align themselves with the thoughts and rules of the Puritans, who were absolutely crazy.

Like all reality shows, they cry a lot. Especally when they have to milk goats, or pack water, or get out of bed.

There are only eight episodes, and they've already played four, so hopefully if you haven't seen it and want to, you can check your local PBS to see if they're repeating them so you can watch it too.

I hate reality shows, but I like this one. Maybe it's just that deep down I just like to gloat because I've cooked over an open fire and lived without power and had to pack water for years, and I can do it without crying.

After a few staff meetings we decided on creating a training movie for work, to explain to new users how to access and use the course system.

Guess who gets to do the voice overs?

So yesterday I sat with a (smelly, by the way, why do they smell?) microphone in my face for nearly six hours, taping and retaping this soundtrack. Fortunately (or unfortunately, because it means I have to do it again later) I had to quit to finish a report for Wr121 which I had last night. Not just any report mind you, but an oral report.

Lucky, lucky me!

Actually, the oral report went really well. I am extremely happy with the group of people in my wr121 class. There are only eighteen of us, so it's very friendly and very supportive, plus, my topic was on the horror genre, and it was thunderstorming outside, so I think I should get extra points for having such a great visual aid.

Thursday is the final, 2 page essay written in class. It should be a snap, unless he makes us write it by hand, which was threatened. Then I'm completely screwed and my perfect (perfect!) A will be blown, because he'll see how terrible I really am at spelling. I need spellcheck, my life is worthless without it.

Anyway, I'm off to NAS, and then I have to come back and finish up the math mod to go take the exams tomorrow. I have exactly enough time left in the term to get all the math work and tests done. I also have to schedule the psych test for Friday and reread all the mods. What frustrates me, is some of those mods are fifty pages long, and when you have five or six of them together it makes for far too much information to retain.

It's cruel!

Another Sunday has arrived. It seems I just get done with one children's class and along comes another one. Hopefully today goes better then last week, where a child split an entire flower pot of mud on the carpet, and left it for me to scrub out with paper towels. I was beyond thrilled.

Today we were supposed to make rockets, but since it's raining we're going to switch with the activity that was for next week, and make dreamcatchers.

The offer still stands. If you're in my area and have kids (or, are a big kid yourself) you can come on by, the class is open to everyone, and it's free. (Although I do ask for donations but nobody ever gives them) So, come play with me! Just don't dump any dirt on the floor, because I had about enough of that.

I'm not quite sure why the graphics are broken. Especially since Hotlake.com is functioning fine and the graphics are all pointing at the right place. Of course, I could always view this as a time to change the layout, but I really am too lazy. Plus, I already owe Kelly a layout and I haven't finished it yet because I'm a very bad friend.

Once the Term ends I should be able to update some of the things that have been suffering thanks to my far crazier then normal daily schedule. I did update the TPC Forums. It won't stay that way for long, I just needed a new and fun look until I had one that better matched the theme of the site. Go post there, and post often, because the Forums are lonely.

Only a month left of classes! I have two papers, two quizzes and 7 mod assignments due by Monday. Then I have four tests on Monday, and an oral report. I'm starting to think maybe I should just hire someone to clone me.

On the same line of classes. I am really starting to appreciate student feedback on teachers. The worst teacher story so far? One of the girls in my NAS class told me not to take Tech Writing from a certain professor, because the he is a total jerk, and wrote "You annoy me when you come to class" on her papers.

Edit: The graphics fixed themselves. I guess they knew I was getting ready to toss them in the bin for a new set of graphics that will do what I say.

Hee hee.

By the way, Blogger. Loving the new look!

Off to go bomb a Math exam and get the grade back on my NAS midterm. I'm currently running a pool, if you'd like to bet get them in now before it's too late. My money is on C!

I did not win powerball. However, I am planning on playing again, so maybe I will win Saturday. You never know right? Maybe someone on this side of the country might actually win it for once.

There is something wrong with me. Lately I've been watching this, in fact, I've been actually enjoying watching it. Perhaps it has something to do with the lack of sleep I've been getting lately, or maybe it's just because I no longer have any taste.

The link above is to it's official homepage which is in Japanese by the way. If you want English information on it, here you go. Heck, if you want to download it and suffer through the campy, horrible series with me, you can do that here.

Or, you can just shoot me now.

I finally thought up a topic for my next paper, so now I have the rest of today and three hours tomorrow to finish it before tomorrow night. The one thing about the class being so intense is that everything is completely rushed so you can't really throw out quality papers. This bothers me, because I hate turning in something I know is seriously sub-par.

I have a cool topic for another paper, but unfortunately it doesn't look like I'll get to use it. I've even written half the thing. :( Oh well, I'll save it and maybe I'll get a chance to use it in another class in a coming term. Or I could set up a website where people can buy my papers off of me. That seems to be popular.

Good luck to all of you doing finals this week. You're all ahead of me, none of mine start for another two weeks. Yay.

I got an A on not one, but both of my Writing 121 papers.

YAY!

Hopefully, the papers I turned in today are just as good. Now it's time to go read a module of Psych and get some sleep because it's Math Lab first thing tomorrow morning.

Fred bought me a 30 day gift card for Toon Town. At first, to Joe on the Street, it looks like he got this for me because he knows how much we like playing it together and how we both refuse to spend $19.99 a month on it (he got the gift cards at Wal-Mart for a dollar, can you believe it?) however, once you look deeper you'll see he did it for a completely different and slightly vicious reason. He bought it for me because he wants me to become more of a procrastinator then I already am, and fail Wr121.

See, I'm on to you Bub!

Actually, I'm totally excited he got it for me. Yes, it was created for grade schoolers but it's a heck of alot of fun, and yes I promise to do my homework before I play.

So, if you want to play with us, check your local Wal-Mart for the gift cards and if they've got them (on sale!) grab one and come whomp Cogs with us. Your homework isn't that important anyway, right?

When you go into the Testing Center they stick you at the end of a Very Long Line. You stand there for a while, shifting your weight and glancing at your watch every five seconds or so (or if you're like me, darting looks around the room trying to find the clock you know isn't there. After all, part of the fun of torture in a testing center is not having visible clocks).Then, once you've reached the end of the Very Long Line™, you step up to a desk and prove you are who you are (because we all know we want to take someone elses test for them) and scroll your X in a book.

I decided that this entire process of taking a test in the Center is much like entering into hell. You wait in a Very Long Line™ and once you've reached the end of said line, you sign your soul away. Then, you get the privilege of taking a test. That's what hell is going to be, one long, pointless test after another.

Probably ones where you're supposed to use semicolons correctly.

Upon looking at my grade in the little online Psych gradebook it seems that instead of a B on the Exam, I got an A.

This is what the phrase 'shock and awe' is supposed to be used for.

My English class last night, completely long as it was (even with the 30 minute early end time) was absolutely great. The teacher is very dynamic and entertaining (and you'd have to be, if you're teaching a group of tired and cranky people from 6 to 10 PM and don't want them to revolt, and hold the State Library hostage) and really made everyone feel comfortable.

I was highly worried about how well I'd do. For those of you who read my blog, you'll notice I really don't implement proper grammar to everything, mainly because I find semicolons to be stupid. Oh, and pointless. Who really uses them in their writing? Besides Michael, that is. ;) In the three assignments we did in class, I found that all the students in there are pretty comparable to me, so I'm not really worried anymore.

One of the assignments was to pair off with someone and write a series of descriptive sentences. Descriptive writing is my favorite, so I guess my group sort of went overboard. It really made me feel more confidant in my writing and my ability to pass the class when the sentences the two of us put together were highly accepted by everyone in the room.

See, I knew my obsession with reading the thesaurus would pay off.

The class work itself doesn't feel that it will be so hard now, but it will still be intense. There are only seven classes left (all of course, four hours long) and each class has two to three papers due in it along with all the in-class assignments.

Weehaw.

Now I'm off to slink into the Math Lab and fearfully turn in the assignment that you have to do before they even let you touch the first Mod test and hope that I got all the answers right. I didn't get any right I'm sure, so after they're finished punishing me with staples to the thumbs, maybe someone will explain some of the concepts to me.

Since I started this class a week late (I transferred from Online to Math Lab study) I'm a week behind everyone else. This means I have to pass the last two Mod tests, get the new Mod and pay someone to do the assignments for me and catch me up. Week behind = bad. Especially if I want to complete all the Mods and finish the class this term, and I do because I seriously don't want to pay for this math (crap, any math) again.

Then I have Psych study (Hey, for those of you who care, I landed a high B on the last exam, two stupid points from an A. It's all good though. I excel at being mediocre.) and then NAS. I plan on once again doing all my Psych studying in the Phys Ed building so I can watch the sweaty guys in their highly dorky shorts run around as they chase little bouncy balls around a glass room.

Good times, boys and girls. Good times.

First class of my excelled English course is tonight. Four hours of English from 6 to 10. Woo.

It should be fun. Of course, they'll probably throw out a 'test to see what you know' first thing, and then it won't be fun anymore.

I'm being threatened with a lawsuit of 500,000 smakers over something that I didn't do, and wasn't even present for, they just decided it would be fun to throw my name in as a possible defendant.

I can't do any more up and downs, I really can't.

I love building 4. I don't even have any classes there and I still love it. I've never seen it from the downstairs, only from the upstairs. All major buildings on campus are connected by skywalks, so instead of walking up and down a dozen flights of stairs every time I'm there, I just walk around on the second floor from building to building.

4 smells like coffee.

I don't even drink coffee, but I find the smell comforting. Especially when it's pouring down rain outside and I'm rushing from one lab to the next. Right below the walkway is a coffee cart. I wish they'd pipe it into all my classrooms so I can smell it all day long.

6's walkways are all outside. It's where all the science labs are. Most of the time it's completely deserted and kind of spooky with it's huge tower like enclosed staircases that go down to the first floor. It has some cool outside tables though, that would be nifty to study at if it wasn't raining.

9 is the library, it has this funky brass statue of some guy running away with an armfuls of books dropping them here and there right outside it's glass doors. I'm not sure if this is some literary reference I'm not getting, or if they're trying to promote book theft.

7 is where my NAS class is, it's the Phys Ed building and it doesn't have a skywalk connecting it to anything, although it does have a covered area that connects the ground walkway from building 6 to building 7. I've often thought about jumping the wall and getting to 7 that way, but there isn't really a way down unless I want to learn how to slide down drainpipes.

2 and 1 have these wicked enclosed glass ones that you can sit and stare outside while you pretend to do your math homework. I don't know this from experience of course, I'm just sure you could do it if the mood struck.

There are other ones, but I don't really go in them since they can sometimes get you all turned around and because I don't have any classes in or near those buildings. Maybe one of these days I'll go early and just wander around the skywalks.

Sometimes they're full of people, all hunched over books and I feel like I'm breaking some silence only rule when I walk on the thing that makes the automatic doors swoosh open. Sometimes they're completely empty. I like it when they're empty. I really like it first thing in the morning when they're all empty. I don't know why, I just do. But I still like 4 the best.

As posted on the sidebar via the little link, the list of things I'm going to do before I up and croak, stolen from Go Fish. The idea, that is, not the list.

1. Visit Petra

2. Publish a Novel

3. Take a Gourmet Cooking Course

4. Finish My Degrees

5. Spend a Christmas in a Cabin in the Woods with friends

6. Travel to every State and send myself postcards

7. Visit all those cheesey tourist traps

8. Do the Entire 'Reach The Beach'

9. Build a house with HFH

10. Take Dance Lessons

11. Learn How To Watercolor

12. Visit A Catholic Church

13. Hot Air Balloon

14. Build A Armoire

15. Start A Scrapbook

16. Ghost Hunt in New Orleans

17. Visit Castles in Scotland

18. Learn Calligraphy

19. Rebuild A Really Cool Classic Car

20. Buy a Dirtbike

21. Take a Photography Class

22. Learn how to create a Stained Glass window

23. Karaoke in public

24. Learn how to bowl

25. Spend the night at Stonehenge

26. Get better at the piano

27. Learn how to play the electric guitar

28. Paint a mural

29. Hang glide

30. Finish an IF and enter it into a national IF Comp

31. Be a size 12

32. Apply to volunteer with the Peace Corps in 2006

32. Attend an Olympics

33. See every Cirque de Soleil show

34. Take flying lessons

35. Learn French

36. Learn how to make really foofy girly drinks (even though I don't drink)

37. Finish "Mister Sticky In His Garden"

38. Mount my stamp collection

39. Finish writing the pieces I've started



It'll grow as I add more too it, and knowing me I will. I will also do all of these things, because I said so.

My face hurts. I don't want to go see a doctor about the weird bruises but now that the whole left side of my right leg is a beautiful shade of yellows blues and greens I'm starting to think maybe too many bruises, however rainbowed in color they may be, is a bad thing.

"We should go early."

I say this because I know us, I know how we work. We're procrastinators. We come from a long line of them, it's in our genes. If it was a crime, we would have been tossed overboard years ago. So, I suggest a sound suggestion. You would think after a little over two decades of giving semi-decent advice people would listen to me. We've been in this situation before, and even those times, we should have gone early. I remember, and I apply it to current events. See, even I can learn from the past.

But...nooooo.

So we go, with fifteen minutes to get there, and a very vague idea of where we're going. We have a class. It's downtown. We should be able to find it right? We're smart, modern, capable women who can cook and run our own businesses. Finding this place should be no problem, we have pretty decent direction sense.

Of course, lying to yourself only hurts you.

So we start off, over the hills and through the woods, and after a few wrong turns, snappy dialogue (such as "Which street is that street after?" "Nevermind that, what street is this?") and about four trips down the same street we had just gotten off of, we found the parking garage.

I have recessive blonde genes, I get them from her.

So, we park, on the second level because everyone loves walking up and down slanted pavement in the dark, and clamber out of the car into the freezing wind. I stood squinting out of the little holes in the wall at the rain outside. There were guys doing construction out there on that sixty million feet high skeleton of a building in that stuff, it would suck to fall.

"Now, where are we going?"

How should I know? I'm watching the construction workers. Of course, I don't say this outloud. Instead I say something more sane and less stalkerish, "Maybe we should ask for directions?" I pointed in the general direction of the meter mai..person who was probably going to end up giving us a ticket later in the evening.

I tell her we're looking for the TAD Center and she wanders over to ask directions. She took just long enough for me to stop feeling my face.

"She said it's four blocks back that way."

"You sure? They said to park in this parking garage because it's close. Four blocks isn't close." I say this not because I'm lazy, but because it's true. Where I live, a block, maybe two, is close. Four blocks is the beginnings of a mile, and therefore deemed 'not close'. If you need to go four blocks over, you do the sane thing, and park near where you need to go, so four blocks becomes one block, and then where you need to go becomes close. Four blocks in this weather is asking for a cold that will follow you around all season long.

"Well, let's go look anyway."

Fine. I keep my mouth shut and off we go. See, I can keep quiet. Four blocks in the typical Oregon spring weather of rain that hasn't let up in three days and wicked wind, makes for a very cold four blocks. Eventually we make it four blocks and I stop and turn around. We're going in the wrong direction, I could have told you that three blocks ago.

"It's not down here, we were misinformed, I think it's a conspiracy."

"You think?"

"You did park awfully well, maybe they were jealous of your talented parking skills and decided to get back at us by sending us all the way down here in hopes that we would get lost."

"It's four blocks."

"That's all it takes."

So we walk back, and about a block away from the parking garage we run into the same meter person as before. Again we ask for directions, and this time she points in a different way. "You want to go four blocks that way, then two down."

Like hell.

So we thank her, and by now the slightly bemused expression I've been carrying around is permanently frozen to my face. We get back to the parking garage and give up. It's fifteen after, we're late. Might as well reschedule and try and find it another time, maybe even leave early next time.

I stare aimlessly out of the window as we pull out of the parking garage. My face hurts thanks to the wind and the annoying bruises, and as we turn left out of the garage I kick the glove compartment.

"Well...damnit!"

Poking her in the arm I point to my window. "It's right the hell there!" Right there, in the parking garage building, not more then two hundred feet from where we were parked were the lovely offices we had spent the last twenty minutes looking for.

Now that we had found it we were far too late to go. So I rescheduled but I didn't tell them why we didn't make it.

It was far, far too stupid.

I look like Guido jumped me by accident in a back alley and whomped the snot out of me. I've been getting really weird bruising for about three months now, I'm not quite sure where they're coming from, but I'll just out of the blue notice nasty bruises on my legs or arm or in one case across half of my stomach. The newest one is right above my left eye, it's all blotchy and gross. It's really unattractive.

I'm thinking someone snuck in and punched me in the eye last night. It really hurts too, the jerks.

1. Grab the nearest book.
2. Open the book to page 23.
3. Find the fifth sentence.
4. Post the text of the sentence in your journal along with these instructions.

"To continue your search for the meaning of life, turn to page 97.." Bart Simpson's Guide To Life: A Wee Handbook For The Perplexed

Stolen from the ever amusing Rebecca. :)

I owe you guys a bean dip recipe, don't I? Maybe I don't want to share my faboo recipe for faboo bean dip. It's really the only thing I've got going for me.

Faboo Bean Dip:

This is terribly simple and won't take long to make. It also makes a huge amount, the reason being is because I always make it for parties so in order to feed the masses, you have to make a ton of it. You can cut it down to whatever amount you need. I won't mind.

You Need -
1 (32 oz) can of refried beans, whichever brand trips your trigger
1 (32 oz) container of sour cream
1 container of salsa (I use a local company that cold-stores their salsa, but you can use a jar kind, if you like)
2 cans olives, one chopped one sliced
1 medium onion
1 medium tomato
2 avocados
1 small green pepper
1 (2 lb) bag of shredded cheese, I like the five cheese blend myself
A microwave
A huge bowl, because this stuff will magically expand

Worry not, you won't use all of this stuff, unless you're making a huge bowl of it.

Open your beans, and put them in your bowl, stir them around so they're not the huge clump that comes out of the can. Stick them in the microwave on high for about 5 minutes, stir, and place back in for another 5. Watch them so they don't explode. If they explode because you didn't watch them, it's not my fault and I won't clean your microwave.

You want them heated all the way through, so they get all smooth and creamy like they do when they're hot. I'm sure there is some technical cooking term for that, but, I don't know it.

While the beans are cooking, dice your tomato, onion, green pepper, and avocado and throw them all in the same bowl, and toss them together. Set aside about a quarter of this.

Pull your beans out and add about 1 cup of sour cream, 1/2 of cheese, the can of chopped olives, and 1/4th of a cup of salsa to the beans. Stir. Throw it back in the microwave and cook it until it's heated and the cheese is melted, usually about 10 minutes. Stir it about every three minutes.

Pull it back out, and top it with alternating layers of sour cream, cheese, salsa, and the mixture of chopped veggies. Try and end with sour cream. Once it's all topped, top it with the quarter of the veggies you set aside, and a big glob of sour cream and salsa in the middle, top that glob with the sliced olives.

See, simple stuff. Serve it WARM (otherwise it's just not as good) with your favorite chips.

It's death, really, but it tastes so dang yummy. Now I want some.

I told myself I wouldn't be one of those students who missed classes, it works for some people but it's just not something I am comfortable with doing. If I've paid for something, I hate not going to it. I don't exactly have the money to waste like that. Even if I was disgustingly rich I probably still wouldn't, actually if I was disgustingly rich I'd probably rinse off plastic wrap I found at other peoples house and reuse it, because that seems to be the type of weird and slightly disgusting habits all of the wealthy people I know have.

Now I have a seminar in May for PST that is at the same time as my English class, and I have to figure out if I can miss it or not. So far I've been lucky and all meetings and seminars and everything else have either landed on times when I don't have classes, or I've been able to schedule them in to time slots I have free. My luck was bound to run out sooner or later.

The big problem is, is I need to go to this seminar, it's extremely important. I mean, extremely, as in, it will define if my business can operate successfully in certain areas that we're aiming to expand to. But, there are only eight English classes total, so I can't really miss any of them otherwise I'm going to end up kicking myself for it or failing miserably. Let's face it, what would happen is everything that will be on any exams will be covered in the one class I missed, it's just the way it works.

Oh well, I'm not really going to worry over it right now. It just bothers me that I'm probably going to end up either having to miss this class, or cloning myself so that I can go to both.

I have to do a bunch of stuff for the committee meeting tomorrow, because I didn't have any time to get it done this week. On my list of nine things to do, only one is completed (You can tell because it has a great big red scribble all over it, it makes me feel accomplished, don't ask me why. It's not as good as a gold star, but it'll do). Oops. The more I think about it, though, the more I'm convinced what I really want to do is just go back to bed.

I have a request. Let's say you teach Pre-K or Kindergarten, and you wanted to buy theme boxes (Theme boxes, for those of you who don't know, are boxes that contain learning materials that focus on a single theme, like let's say, The Farm, and inside would be books, games, toys, movies, and curriculum that all focus on teaching subjects like math and art, through farm activities) for your classroom. What kind of theme boxes would you want, and why?

You can leave your answers in the comments, and I would appriciate it. Thanks.

I love spring. The air always smells like flowers and cut grass. I don't even mind when people look at me funny when I sniff the air. (And I do, because blooming trees smell so yummy) I even love the spring bugs, now that I don't live under that tree that was filled with larva of scary biting smelly red ants that invaded my house every year.

I like how at any odd hour of the afternoon I can sit under the Wisteria in the front yard and listen to someone in the neighborhood mow their lawn. It's a relaxing sound. It helps me focus and is calming. It's a shame it can't do my Math homework for me, then I would really love it.

I am pretty frustrated right now. On the 5th I went in and deposited $35.00 in my account, and when I went to take $20.00 (I should have had nearly $150 in there) I was told I had IF. So, I went inside and got a statement, and was 50 some bucks overdrawn, so I come home and figure it out, that this company had removed money without my permission. I had ordered something from them on the 12th and it didn't go through for who knows why, and they ran it anyway until the 29th and it went through, well, thanks to a bunch of other things, it also ran up 100 bucks worth of overdraft fees, which caused my check for my books to be sent back to the college.

I am livid, I wrote them about it and they had the NERVE to tell me it went through the 'next business day' when in reality it went through ELEVEN BUSINESS DAYS LATER! Even if I had never wrote them and told them to cancel the order, they had no right to run my card nearly three weeks later without my permission.

So, now, I'm demanding not only the money, but the overdraft fees as well. And thanks to that, the check that was sent back to the college incurred a 30 buck overdraft fee. That's 100 bucks in fees PLUS the 30 bucks they took out.

Bastards.

Also while I was at the bank I found out my business account was -50 because someone ordered checks when I never authorized it. But the amazingly lovely lady at the bank who was so sweet reversed all the charges and fees and put it back to normal, gave me the checks too.

At least the people at my bank are nice, otherwise I just would have cried.

Clothes that don't finish drying in the dryer, and you put them on anyway, are cold.

I rescheduled my meeting that was at 10 because I have to take Lane to the doctor. (She has an alien growing in her chest) It's now on Wednsday at 10, which should be interesting because I have two tests that day too. Hopefully it goes fast enough that I'll still have extra study time before I have to take them.

But that's alright, I will be spending from 10 tomorrow until probably about four in the afternoon on campus hidden away at the best study spot there (that's the one near the Child Development Center, with the blooming trees, if you need to find me) rereading my psych book, because I refuse to get anything below an 90 on this test.

Hurray, the day of the Great Chocolate Bunny has begun. I hope all of you have a good Easter, and make sure you don't eat any wet candy you find in eggs, and if you hunt for real eggs, make sure you eat them right away and don't leave them in your car with the windows rolled up and then eat them.

That would be bad.

I've got to go finish setting up some prizes, start the bean dip (I'll post the recipe for you tonight) and then go pick up my assistants and head over to the Center. One good thing about it, is I don't have to hide the eggs, someone else is going to do that for me while I'm doing the YCC. Not that I mind hiding the eggs, it's a lot of fun, there is just no way I can do it this year.

Also! Sign up sheets for the Spring field trip are out. If you want to go, head to the Center and sign yourself up. You've got about a month before they close. We're going bowling, it should be thoroughly embarrassing.

For those of you who keep coming here looking for Konjiki No Gash Bells OP, here it is. (It's the one taken from the Anime, not a full version, if there is a full version, that is. Hence the crappy quality. What can you do though?)

I just got back from a committee meeting. I've got a ton of things to do for it this week, and a ton of things to do before the YCC and the Egg Hunt I'm doing tomorrow, but I'm thinking of blowing it all off and heading to the beach. It's supposed to be 70 there today with no wind. I could sit out there with my Psych book and get sand in my hair. Sounds to me like a lot more fun then doing mock-ups.

Man, I want to go to the beach.

The fact that they canceled Wonderfalls is moronic. Proof that Fox doesn't know squat about good television.

So today while running my errands that I was doing with Robin, she ran into a local consignment store whose owners we know. She came back out and said that they were having problems with their computer, could I come in and look at it?

Sure, I say.

So I go in, and they were having a problem with their system where they log payments and items and all that stuff. A program from 1995 that runs in DOS that I've never even heard of. It wouldn't go past the title screen and popped up an error. Ok, I say, and go through the basics. When did it start, what were you doing when it started, did you call tech support? They answered all the questions (with a 'tech support won't even talk to anyone who runs the DOS version' because tech support on a whole, are by nature, asses).

So I start looking at it, and notice they have a backup file from two months ago, so I make copies of the normal program and the backup, and by that time I had to run off to class (canceled again, by the way) and go to a meeting. So I come back about 4, and starting copying files over one by one to find the file that had the error (this is after reading the manual twice and all sorts of crap). Eventually I found them, and copied the old ones to the new program and thank Jebus it booted and ran normally.

....oy. I was SO glad I got it working, since I had never even seen the program before I was extremely worried I wouldn't have a clue how to fix it and wouldn't be able to. (I didn't have a clue, I just did what I always do when something breaks, make copies of everything and find the file that cause the error)

I got freaking lucky. I also made a quick hundred bucks and got hired as the backup tech support for the store.

lol. Fun stuff. I think that was my tech support for the year though, I certainly couldn't do this every day as a profession.

This is just toooo bizarre.

The Subservient Chicken, type in what you want the chicken to do, and the chicken does it. So far the chicken has displayed excellent dancing abilities (tap, hula, boogie down, moonwalk, hokey pokey) and other weird things like taking a nap, stretching, doing jumping jacks, crowing (yeah, ok, too easy) and scratching it's butt.

Yeah.

Ok, so now not only am I completely amused, I'm also seriously disturbed. (Hey, is it really sponsered by Burger King? If it is, then I'm just more disturbed then I was to begin with.)

I've got a exam today, and a couple meetings after that, so I suppose I should go stop being lazy and get dressed.

My day is turning out to be very long. This morning I got to spend an hour in the bank trying to figure out why my account was 60 dollars overdrawn, just to find out that my debit card had been charged yesterday for an order that I canceled three weeks ago.

Fun stuff.

Then I get stuck in traffic behind some Mook who's driving around a huge thirty foot high pile of worthless green metal on the back of a semi. For an hour. It made me wish I was a cop, so I could give him and his flunkies driving the trucks behind and in front of him tickets.

Then I rush to class, just to find a note on the door that NAS is canceled today. One good thing about it is I picked up one of the suggested books I couldn't afford to buy for that class (I love how it's 29 bucks on Amazon but was 40 in the school bookstore, and they try and say they get no profit from it) from the library, and sat in the parkling lot in the car for an hour and read nearly half of it.

So now, I have to write these people and figure out how to get a refund for this AND the overdraft charges, schedual a Psych test for Monday, finish this book and another chapter that was assigned that I didn't get done over the weekend, and do a half of a module in Math cause I have to turn it in Thursday. Whee!

Maybe I'll make flashcards for Psych like I did for NAS in my calculator, not only was that good study time, but it was fun clogging up my calculators memory with crap too.

The other day while I was waiting for slow people to get out of the car at the grocery store, I glanced over across the little lane at a man putting groceries in the back of his truck. I noticed he had a child in one of those carts they make with the baby seats in them. I glanced down the lane and saw a woman coming down with another cart full of groceries and another kid shooting me dirty looks. The lady came up to the truck and turned and gave me another terrible dirty look, then grabbing the guy by his shirt, proceeded to pull him down and flaunt an unnecessary public display of affection to the parking lot. Then, shoving him away from her, she turned and glared at me.

In the tradition of Jerry Springer "He be my man."

Yeah lady, like I was really scoping out your boyfriendorhusbandorwhoever in the parking lot of WinCo. You can have him, and all your little raggamuffins, I promise I don't want them.

Geesh.

I spent two hours yesterday stuffing candy (roughly ten pounds), stickers, H.O.M.E Dollars (fake money used to buy stuff in the YCC store), and prize tickets (one for each of the 26 prizes) into a zillion plastic eggs yesterday. I'm thinking of going and picking up some more, the only thing that is stopping me is not knowing how many kids will be at the egg hunt.

Right now there will be roughly 10 eggs per kid, which isn't really a whole lot (hence the large amounts of prize tickets and candy), but I'm sorely tempted to go ahead and get another 100 eggs and making it 15 per kid. I've got the eggs split into younger kids and older kids, since their hunts are at two different spots.

I also have about 20 eggs that are empty because I ran out of candy. The more I thought about it, the more I was tempted to put things like nothing, empty candy wrappers, floss, and coupons for thirty cents off your next bikini wax in them, but my good side eventually won, and I didn't.

I should go get more eggs, but, again the only thing stopping me (and at the same time, making me think I should get more eggs) is there could be anywhere from a dozen to fourty kids at this hunt. Oh, the choices. I probably will go ahead and do it anyway, you can never have too much teeth rotting goodness at Easter! Jesus would have wanted it this way.

Frycow: Don't play on or near railroad tracks because:
1) A hobo may get you
2) You're probably not faster than a train
Instead of playing on or near railroad tracks:
1) Pet a kitty
2) Take pictures of ants marching

Auto response from Rhea Rhyolin: List at least two reasons why people should not play on or near railroad tracks and at least two activities they can do insted.

Can't be too careful of those Hobos boys and girls!

"Johnny got hit by a bus, Jim"

Actually, it's sung. Really. It's a terrible in joke among me and a few childhood friends that I highly doubt they even remember anymore. But we used to go around the neighborhood singing that line in all sorts of different styles, it became a game. Someone would pick a singing style and you'd have to sing that line (which made up the entire song, just that line sung over and over, in different ways in the same style, to make it have different meanings) in the way that was picked, or you'd be out. We were easily entertained.

It does have relevance to my post, honest it does.

Yesterday, Lane got hit by a car. She was on her way, via her bike, to the park to meet some friends. They were going to have a slumber party at one of her friends houses. It didn't happen. As she was going down the side of the road and crossing in front of a side street just as someone was turning, and he hit her.

The guy gets out of the car, freaks out (as I would as well) and goes to use his cell to call 911, Elaine takes it from him and calls Robin first. So, Robin gets this call from a freaking out Lane (can you blame her?) that she's been hit. So off we go.

On our way there we had to pull over for both the police and the EMTs. This did not make Robin happy.

The good news is, is that she's alright. Pretty shaken up, a total bruise, minor whiplash, can't really move very well, but beyond that she's fine. Her helmet was ruined, parts of it even broke off, if she hadn't been wearing it her head definitely would have been a smear.

It was an accident completely, so nobody was arrested or cited. The guy offered a good two dozen times to replace Lane's bike (which is fine) or the helmet (which the FDP is going to replace, and use hers as an example to people as why they should wear their helmets, it was beat up that bad). Of course, I'm amazingly glad she's fine, and also that the guy didn't get arrested or ticketed for it, since it was an accident.

Lane is doing alright, other then being mad now because she was forbidden by everyone including her soccer coach from playing in the game today. It's just best if she takes the weekend to rest.

I was looking over the police report (they gave Robin a copy) and at the top it has these little boxes you check to say what the aftermath of the accident was. There was property damage, personal injury, arrest, and a few others, and of course, fatality.

I reflected on it for a while, and came to the conclusion that not only am I glad that wasn't picked, but how very sad it would be that in one split second your entire life can be summed up with a little check of a box.

To the disgusting person who did this search and found my blog.

Shame on you, seriously.

So classes are all straightened out and settled now, books have all finally been purchased so I can get down to the nearly week behind homework that has been plaguing my sleep.

After fixing all my stuff out at the college, we went over to Jackie's where Robin ended up catching a someone's parakeet that had escaped. Since we couldn't find who it belonged to, and it was hurt (looks like a cat had gotten it's wing), she took it home with her. It's very cute, but she says it must have been loose for over a week, because it was so hungry.

At WinCo I picked up a slew of bulk candy and things for the Egg Hunt at the Center, that yours truly is both organizing and executing. So far I've got about 200 eggs, I'm hoping to get 200 more before Easter. It may sound like a lot, but when you break it down, 400 eggs only turns out to be about 20 eggs per kids if there are 20 kids, and I'm expecting anywhere from 20 to 30, so I am going to need more then 200.

So far I have candy (ten pounds of it), stickers, and H.O.M.E Dollars (the fake money used to buy things from the YCC store) to put inside them. I'm also going to put in real money (in the form of change, of course, and one egg with five dollars) and slips they can redeem for prize bags. So far I have three foot long licorice whips and jaw breakers the size of your fist to put in the prize bags.

I am a parents worst nightmare, and I love it.

I'm going to pick up some things at the dollar store (I heart) for the bags too. Chocolate bunnies, sun glasses, pencils, erasers, those stupid light up bunny necklaces. Stuff that not only thrills children to pieces, but won't cost me more then ten bucks for the whole shebang.

I also have a conference call for this evening about the YCC representing the Center in the upcoming Iris Parade. So, you all practice your pretty pageant waves and then come be in the parade with us. I'll even let you hand out the candy (it's illegal to throw it, stupid but true) if you promise not to eat it all, that is.

I changed my comments to Halocsan. Huge thanks to Rebecca for telling me about them. I appreciate it. :) Now nobody has any excuses for not commenting, you hear me?

Fred is on his way to Canada right now. Last I heard he was approaching D.C. I guess he's going to be gone for the next two weeks, so this means I will either have to do something terribly naughty he'll be proud of while he's gone, or something mean, like attempting to steal that extremely cute boy of his. Or, I could just break into his house, and steal his computer. It's not like he'd miss it or anything.

I tried to talk him into sending me postcards while he was on his trip, but it's rare that any guy I know who ever goes on a trip actually sends me the postcards like they said they would. I'm starting to think it might be a male chromosome that causes this, or perhaps laziness.

I have to leave here soon and go talk to a guidance person about switching some classes around, lucky for me I'm catching it just before the cut off for needing an instructors signature to get into a new class. I'm just hoping the refund of the class and books will cover the other class and it's books, because I'm seriously broke, and if I lose this credits guess who goes on probation? The thought seriously bothers me, I'm not an irresponsible person and don't want to get in trouble only four days into the term.

But, now I'm off, to study for a quiz I've got in a couple hours, and to attempt to find something tasty for lunch. What sounds good? Anybody?