Too Hot to Drink

Test Day

2009-10-01T17:06:24Z

Today is the 2nd day of my stats class, and we're taking an exam. It's on everything math-y from basic math up to first year college algebra.

Apparently, even though there is technically not a pre-req for the class, the prof is going to waste our time by pretending there is. If you fail the test, you don't get kicked out of class but you will be strongly encouraged to drop it.

The problem is, I really need stats. It's a requirement to graduate with a degree in anthropology. I have to take this class, as do probably most of the 225 people registered. It's not like we're doing this for fun.

Anyway, she didn't give us a review session or anything. I did a little study/review on my own yesterday, but I didn't have time for much. Plus my TI-84 that I ordered 2-day delivery from Amazon Tuesday morning has not yet arrived, so I will be going in to this test without a calculator either. Oh well. I know it technically doesn't matter what I get on this exam, but I hate the thought of going in to any test poorly prepared.

You just keep on fucking that chicken

2009-09-21T21:12:10Z

The roommates moved out this weekend, but they left speakers and a printer and some bags of garbage outside that will cost us over $20 to get rid of (garbage co charges $20 for every "extra container"), so hopefully the hobo that takes our cans will collect those things as well.. otherwise I don't know what we're going to do with them. We already had to pay extra this summer from everyone's garbage (we didn't charge the roomies any utilities so we have been paying double what we would for garbage, water, power, gas, etc...).

On top of that I've got a fridge full of their old food to throw out, which won't fit in the garbage because of their stuff... gah. If only we had a large and free dumpster like at PSU..

On the positive side, Aaron and I both have offices to organize and decorate and I can finally take all of my belongings out of the garage. I've got all my books, office supplies, school supplies, and some of my clothes out there that have been waiting all summer long to come in. It'll be nice to have my own things in my own home again. ^^

Curse you, enforced conversations!

2009-08-17T02:10:45Z

Got my grade in for my Egyptian Archaeology class (that was FAST!). B+

I got 100% on my 2 assignments, a B on the midterm and an A on the final, but I missed 2 of the mini-assignments where you are supposed to post a discussion response to classmates' work. If I'd done those two I would have gotten an A for sure. Oh well, B+ is good for me, but damn those sneaky discussion response assignments!

woot for awesome times

2009-08-16T00:18:42Z

Finished my Egyptian Archaeology class on Thursday; I think I did very well on the final. Now to enjoy a nice few weeks of break before Aaron and I are off to Seattle for PAX, and then when we get back I finally get to start setting up my home office (Hooray for personal space! Hooray for my books being in an actual room instead of buried in the garage!).

Also, we got two kittens: Sgt. Hatred and Dr. Orpheus. They. are. adorable beyond belief. ^_^

What does "matte velvet" even mean?

2009-07-27T21:20:14Z

My life is a perfectly adequate picture of mundane calm. And I am very content with this. Here's an update.

The ants have tried to regain a foothold in our house, but I once again vanquished them with the help of a can of Fresh Linen Febreeze. Seriously, I don't think I'll ever buy ant killer spray again. Febreeze works wonders and makes the house smell fresh at the same time! (Cue sparkling smile and a woman holding up a can of Febreeze)

In a drastic shift away from my longstanding disinterest in accessorization, I not only bought a bottle of blue shimmery nail polish for the summertime, I also ordered two bottles of nail polish in darker colors for autumn, one in a dark, shiny red, and the other in a "matte velvet" grey, sort of blueish-gun metal-y from the picture. Maybe it's that my life has been more organized and polished lately, so I have time to think about these things more often, but I have become actively interested in things like what new boots should I get to wear with a-line skirts come November, and what kind of eyeliner I should buy that won't smear everywhere.

College-wise, I finished up my Science Fiction lit class with an A and I'm doing pretty well in my Archaeology of Egypt class (midway through). In my spare time I've been watching Bones and working through a "Learning C#" manual. And working on my DNN portal site for PSU's student population.

barkbarkbark, etc.

2009-07-07T17:25:50Z

I would really love just one day, one day, where all of the dogs surrounding my house did not bark constantly every. single. hour. What the fuck are they barking about all the time? And how do they still have vocal cords left? And where are their fucking owners?

Who all is going to PAX this September?

2009-07-03T08:47:04Z

Unlike last year's grand and perilous debacle, this year I am prepared for PAX. I've got my full weekend pass purchased, I've got tickets on the West Coast Starlight to ride the PAX train, and oh yes, we're staying at this hotel.

So~ who's going?? We must plan meet ups!

One gratuitous shot of my hotel, because we scored a SWEET deal on it (like, 50% off on the room rate), and wouldn't have been able to afford it otherwise.

A++

2009-06-22T15:54:41Z

Settling in

2009-06-19T21:38:03Z

It is the Friday before classes start back up again, and I think we're more or less settled in the new place. Tomorrow we are getting up early to go grab the last furniture items we need, and then we'll be set.

It's been a crazy two weeks: severe cold (complete with loss of voice), tooth extraction at the dentist, Aaron's parents visiting for a week, finals, and then of course the moving and working.

The house has a really tranquil quality to it. Even with the chickens and crows and dogs making noise all day long (our neighbors on all sides have pets of one variety or another, and the crows simply come with the neighborhood), it still somehow feels more peaceful than living downtown. Plus, the St. John's neighborhood is just completely hauss. Early-morning coffee by the riverfront, surrounded by trees and roses is sublime.

We're putting off the housewarming party for a few more weeks until our landlady can fix the yard. She told us before we moved in that she was going to have it resodded for us (it is, at the moment, a jungle of all manner of weeds. I can't identify half of them), but that still hasn't been done. We've been told now that it will be another week or so, while they schedule something with the contractor.

I'll keep everyone posted on dates/times!

P.S. Straight As on Spring term! Working 60 hours a week at two jobs combined, and a full load of upper division courses is still my bitch. Hoo-ha!

woot

2009-06-13T22:06:18Z

Now completely moved out of the Stratford, keys turned in, walkthrough done. Most of my stuff is in boxes at the new place in the garage, but we didn't get finished at my place until 1 in the morning last night (having started out at around 10 a.m.) and we were meeting up with Aaron's parents for the PSU Farmer's Market this morning at 9. Therefore, the unpacking process must wait until possibly Monday.

This period between terms is always so jarring. It's like jumping on a trampoline and then being stuck on pause mid-way in the air. Everything stops very suddenly. I've now got a week all to myself before I start summer classes.

Also, read Mansfield Park by Jane Austen and didn't care much for it. Aside from Austen's usual witty criticisms of the upper classes, there was not much entertainment. Plus, it ends with an incestual marriage where the heroine is pretty much treated like the faithful family dog to the very last page.

End of term (almost!)

2009-06-06T04:36:54Z

This term has been crazy as well as awesome. This week has been really, really interesting.

I completed my first ever graphical video game, Drug Hunt. It's still a little buggy, and I still need to get the bazooka animation to load, but it is playable, bottom line. Aaron helped me tons with the logic, but I know way more about C# than I did before, and I know that I really enjoyed figuring things out with it.

I completed my term project on community newspapers, with a fair amount of success and a lot of interesting results from my data gathering efforts.

I also completed my last article ever for the Vanguard and quit as online editor. I'm not leaving media, however. I'm starting up a new project for PSU called Kommeinia, which has a lot of potential to really form a cohesive community here.

And perhaps the biggest change of all, I'm finally moving off of PSU campus. This is my last night in the Stratford. I can't say I'm sad to leave, but I'm a little nostalgic for the era and a little nervous for the future. I haven't cohabitated with anyone in almost four years, and while I'm excited about the house in St. Johns, I'm also a little wary.

I dunno, maybe it's just that this is the fourth time in as many years that I've packed up everything and moved my life around. Maybe it's this cold I've got coming on.

Help me pass my anthropology class

2009-05-31T21:29:05Z

Hey LJ peeps

For one of my classes this term, I'm working on a project that explores community newspapers and how relevant they really are to people in the communities they serve.

So, if you are in the Portland metro area, please please PLEASE take this quick 10 question survey here: http://www.zoomerang.com/Survey/survey-intro.zgi?p=WEB2299GJV323Q

You will be doing me a huuuuuge favor.

Unrelated note: House party at my new house (yeah a HOUSE not an apartment or a dorm!) towards the end of June (probably Friday June 19)!! Everyone is invited. More details to come this week.

Thanks again for throwing some survey love my way!

Two notes

2009-05-01T04:53:58Z

As part of my online-editor duties for the VG, I maintain moderator/godlike status over our forums. Recently we've been getting plagued by spambots galore, so I set it to admin-moderated user creation this morning. Since then, I've received an average of 3 username requests per hour all day. Just a few minutes ago, "VAGSASSOZYWAK" tried to register. I denied the request but I think I'm going to steal that next time I need a character name for something.

Also, I've come to realize that this LJ has turned in to my little net-diary of nerdism. It is my only outlet!

Okay my Shadowrun playing friends...

2009-04-30T20:21:49Z

Two questions:

Does this remind ANYONE else of the illustrations from the South American supplement books:

Also, isn't her eyeliner just so rad?

Full Mexico City swine flu mask art here.

listening to "Beautiful Disaster - Roger Clyne" on Blip

2009-04-14T06:50:11Z

So excited for the RCPM show on Friday

The Nine AD&D Alignments Represented by Film & TV Characters

2009-03-23T04:17:49Z

From Laughing Squid.

PETA has officially left planet Earth...

2009-01-30T06:26:33Z

They are trying to rename "fish" to "sea kittens." Yes, seriously. They are. I don't even have words for this one.

http://www.peta.org/sea_kittens/about.asp

In 10 years will they use old Livejournal entries?

2009-01-26T18:29:09Z

On Saturday I went to the Someday Lounge with my friend Erik to check out "Get Mortified." It's a live show where people get up on stage and read from their high school diaries. The result us oftentimes hilarious, though I did learn that if I ever decide to teach, it's sure as hell not going to be in Cleveland.

The show is coming back in April and I will definitely be there. It's kind of like sharing an evening of "remember when we were stupid?" with a packed-to-the-walls crowd of strangers.

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