You know, those days.
Last night I think I slept a grand total of two hours. I kept tossing and turning; I couldn't make my brain shut off. Of course now, since I didn't sleep, I'm such a zombie that I can't make my brain turn on.
So it goes.
If any of you have read a considerable amount of Kurt Vonnegut's work, you'll come to notice I'm pretty influenced by his writing.
Did I say that before?
I guess all I did was mention the source of "So it goes" in my first post.
I really want to read right now, but my eyes are so heavy. I'm not sure if I can. It'll be a long day though, if I don't.
I'm reading East of Eden by John Steinbeck.
(I know I'm slow, but I just learned this neat-o linking trick. So I'm playing with it.)
This post feels somewhat pointless.
One of those days.
A long one today, from East of Eden.
"They landed with no money, no equipment, no tools, no credit, and particularly no knowledge of the new country and no technique for using it. I don't know whether it was divine stupidity or a great faith that let them do it. Surely such a venture is nearly gone from the world. And the families did survive and grow. They had a tool or a weapon that is also nearly gone, or perhaps it is only dormant for a while. It is argued that because they believed thoroughly in a just, moral God they could put their faith there and let the smaller securities take care of themselves. But I think that because they trusted themselves and respected themselves as individuals, because they knew beyond doubt that they were valuable and potentially moral units - because of this they could give God their own courage and dignity and then recieve it back. Such things have disappeared perhaps because men do not trust themselves any more, and when that happens there is nothing left except perhaps to find some strong sure man, even though he may be wrong, and to dangle from his coattails."
30 November 2010
29 November 2010
It just shouldn't be this hard.
A conversation I just had. M is the male and F is the female. K is me.
K: Hello.
F:...hi.
(moment of silence)
F: I went through hell to get here.
K: I'm sorry. What can I do for you?
F: I just found out about a ticket I didn't know I had.
K: Would you like to pay that ticket?
F: I guess.
(hands me a letter, I look up the citation)
K: Looks like is $35.
(holds money, does not hand it to me)
F: How long will this take to clear?
K: It is cleared from our system after today, but it's 7-10 days for DOT to clear it.
(blank stare)
K: (somewhat slower this time) It will be cleared from our system at the end of the day today. It will take between 7 and 10 days for DOT to have it cleared in their system.
M: (mumbles something indiscernable)
K: (leaning foward) I'm sorry, what was that?
M: Can you like give us a paper to take to them?
K: I will give you a receipt as proof of payment but usually they will only clear the suspension after they have received the official document from us.
M: So will they clear it?
K: (slow) Yes. It takes 7-10 days. We send them the information.
F: Well is there a number I can call?
K: A number you can call for what?
F: To know when you guys have cleared it.
K: (slower still) We will have it cleared from our system at the end of the day. After today, it's not in our hands anymore. It's with DOT in Madison. You have to deal with them.
F: But is there a number I can call?
K: If there is, you would have to get it from them. It's not our jurisdiction after today.
F: So is there a number I can call?
K: I'm sure there is but we do not have that here. You need to get it from DOT in Madison.
F: So you don't know if there is someone to call?
K: I do not. We do not have that information here.
F: Oh. (still holding money)
K: (short pause) So it looks like your ticket is $35.
(F throws money at me)
K: Here is your change and receipt.
F: I wonder if I can get the number from...(mumbles)
K: Keep your receipt with you as proof of payment. You can try to take it to the DMV but it's unlikely they will accept that.
F: thanks.
This is just not that complicated. It really, really isn't. Most days I feel like our population is getting more and more dumb.
If there are no stupid questions, then what kind of questions do stupid people ask? Do they get smart just in time to ask questions?
Scott Adams (the Dilbert guy)
K: Hello.
F:...hi.
(moment of silence)
F: I went through hell to get here.
K: I'm sorry. What can I do for you?
F: I just found out about a ticket I didn't know I had.
K: Would you like to pay that ticket?
F: I guess.
(hands me a letter, I look up the citation)
K: Looks like is $35.
(holds money, does not hand it to me)
F: How long will this take to clear?
K: It is cleared from our system after today, but it's 7-10 days for DOT to clear it.
(blank stare)
K: (somewhat slower this time) It will be cleared from our system at the end of the day today. It will take between 7 and 10 days for DOT to have it cleared in their system.
M: (mumbles something indiscernable)
K: (leaning foward) I'm sorry, what was that?
M: Can you like give us a paper to take to them?
K: I will give you a receipt as proof of payment but usually they will only clear the suspension after they have received the official document from us.
M: So will they clear it?
K: (slow) Yes. It takes 7-10 days. We send them the information.
F: Well is there a number I can call?
K: A number you can call for what?
F: To know when you guys have cleared it.
K: (slower still) We will have it cleared from our system at the end of the day. After today, it's not in our hands anymore. It's with DOT in Madison. You have to deal with them.
F: But is there a number I can call?
K: If there is, you would have to get it from them. It's not our jurisdiction after today.
F: So is there a number I can call?
K: I'm sure there is but we do not have that here. You need to get it from DOT in Madison.
F: So you don't know if there is someone to call?
K: I do not. We do not have that information here.
F: Oh. (still holding money)
K: (short pause) So it looks like your ticket is $35.
(F throws money at me)
K: Here is your change and receipt.
F: I wonder if I can get the number from...(mumbles)
K: Keep your receipt with you as proof of payment. You can try to take it to the DMV but it's unlikely they will accept that.
F: thanks.
This is just not that complicated. It really, really isn't. Most days I feel like our population is getting more and more dumb.
If there are no stupid questions, then what kind of questions do stupid people ask? Do they get smart just in time to ask questions?
Scott Adams (the Dilbert guy)
It is difficult to wash one's hands when wearing bandaids on multiple fingers.
Howdy!
I promised myself this morning I would update today, since it's been a long weekend and such.
But my fingers hurt, so I'm not sure how long this will be.
Why do my fingers hurt?
Cuz I'm an idiot.
I was helping my coworkers fold something like 500 letters to be sent out in today's mail, so I was somewhat hurried. For some reason my brain shut down in the middle of a fold and I sliced open three of my fingers at the same time.
Go me.
Moving on.
I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving. I spent mine with a friend of mine, Paula, and her family. We had loads of fun. Then I went to my dad's in the later part of the evening. At 2am Friday, I woke up to go out with Paula again - Black Friday shopping. We had a good time, and I made it back to my dad's around 8am, I think. We made a turkey to have a small Thanksgiving: Dad, Sara, and me.
Having four days off in a row was fabulous.
Saturday night I met up with my buddy, Scott. Later we met up with some other people and I didn't end up at home til something like 6am Sunday morning. Good times. :)
But alas, back at work at 7:10am today, back on my regular schedule. Trying to type long citation numbers with just one finger. Letter typing with bandaged fingers isn't too terrible, but for some reason using the numeric keypad is somewhat difficult when I'm covered in bandaids.
I feel gimpy.
OH!
I'm going back to Kansas soon! In a month, actually. I leave here at some GODAWFUL early hour of the morning on 29 Dec. I think I'm supposed to be at the airport at 5 am or something nasty. I'm in KS til midday on 2 Jan.
(ow.)
On another note...
For those of you who know me, which should be all of you who are reading this, I don't like public comment postings. I have my wall turned off on Facebook, and I also do not allow comments on my status updates. This was also true on here - I had the comments feature turned off. However, I do like private messaging, as with Facebook, so here was my solution. I have my settings done in such a way that if you so desire, you can leave a comment on any one of my posts, but it will be hidden from everyone else. I don't really know why, but I've just always hated the idea of one person's comments being visible to everyone. The purpose of me writing a post is so everyone that is interested in what I have to say can read it. But that doesn't mean that those of you who read this necessarily have any interest in what someone else may have to say. So, I think I set it up right. Some of the features on here are not easily understood. But we'll see, I guess.
So there. :)
uummmmm...I feel like there was something else I wanted to share. I cannot remember.
So I will end with two quotes, both food related, in celebration of the last Thursday in November: the day we all eat way too much.
One, because it celebrates the joy of gathering to share a meal.
-It's the company, not the cooking, that makes a meal.
Kirby Larson
Two, because I'm sick of being told what to eat. ;)
-Preach not to others what they should eat, but eat as becomes you, and be silent.
Epictetus
And since I'm nice enough to help you save time on Google...
Kirby Lane Larson is an award-winning author of a number of books for children, including Oppenheim Platinum Award-winner The Magic Kerchief, illustrated by Rosanne Litzinger. Her book, Hattie Big Sky, was a Finalist for the 2007 Scandiuzzi Book Award of the Washington State Book Awards, and won a 2007 Newbery Honor. (wikipedia)
Epictetus was a Greek Stoic philosopher. AD 55 – AD 135
To Epictetus, all external events are determined by fate, and are thus beyond our control, but we can accept whatever happens calmly and dispassionately. Individuals, however, are responsible for their own actions, which they can examine and control through rigorous self-discipline. Suffering arises from trying to control what is uncontrollable, or from neglecting what is within our power. (wikipedia)
I promised myself this morning I would update today, since it's been a long weekend and such.
But my fingers hurt, so I'm not sure how long this will be.
Why do my fingers hurt?
Cuz I'm an idiot.
I was helping my coworkers fold something like 500 letters to be sent out in today's mail, so I was somewhat hurried. For some reason my brain shut down in the middle of a fold and I sliced open three of my fingers at the same time.
Go me.
Moving on.
I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving. I spent mine with a friend of mine, Paula, and her family. We had loads of fun. Then I went to my dad's in the later part of the evening. At 2am Friday, I woke up to go out with Paula again - Black Friday shopping. We had a good time, and I made it back to my dad's around 8am, I think. We made a turkey to have a small Thanksgiving: Dad, Sara, and me.
Having four days off in a row was fabulous.
Saturday night I met up with my buddy, Scott. Later we met up with some other people and I didn't end up at home til something like 6am Sunday morning. Good times. :)
But alas, back at work at 7:10am today, back on my regular schedule. Trying to type long citation numbers with just one finger. Letter typing with bandaged fingers isn't too terrible, but for some reason using the numeric keypad is somewhat difficult when I'm covered in bandaids.
I feel gimpy.
OH!
I'm going back to Kansas soon! In a month, actually. I leave here at some GODAWFUL early hour of the morning on 29 Dec. I think I'm supposed to be at the airport at 5 am or something nasty. I'm in KS til midday on 2 Jan.
(ow.)
On another note...
For those of you who know me, which should be all of you who are reading this, I don't like public comment postings. I have my wall turned off on Facebook, and I also do not allow comments on my status updates. This was also true on here - I had the comments feature turned off. However, I do like private messaging, as with Facebook, so here was my solution. I have my settings done in such a way that if you so desire, you can leave a comment on any one of my posts, but it will be hidden from everyone else. I don't really know why, but I've just always hated the idea of one person's comments being visible to everyone. The purpose of me writing a post is so everyone that is interested in what I have to say can read it. But that doesn't mean that those of you who read this necessarily have any interest in what someone else may have to say. So, I think I set it up right. Some of the features on here are not easily understood. But we'll see, I guess.
So there. :)
uummmmm...I feel like there was something else I wanted to share. I cannot remember.
So I will end with two quotes, both food related, in celebration of the last Thursday in November: the day we all eat way too much.
One, because it celebrates the joy of gathering to share a meal.
-It's the company, not the cooking, that makes a meal.
Kirby Larson
Two, because I'm sick of being told what to eat. ;)
-Preach not to others what they should eat, but eat as becomes you, and be silent.
Epictetus
And since I'm nice enough to help you save time on Google...
Kirby Lane Larson is an award-winning author of a number of books for children, including Oppenheim Platinum Award-winner The Magic Kerchief, illustrated by Rosanne Litzinger. Her book, Hattie Big Sky, was a Finalist for the 2007 Scandiuzzi Book Award of the Washington State Book Awards, and won a 2007 Newbery Honor. (wikipedia)
Epictetus was a Greek Stoic philosopher. AD 55 – AD 135
To Epictetus, all external events are determined by fate, and are thus beyond our control, but we can accept whatever happens calmly and dispassionately. Individuals, however, are responsible for their own actions, which they can examine and control through rigorous self-discipline. Suffering arises from trying to control what is uncontrollable, or from neglecting what is within our power. (wikipedia)
24 November 2010
I feel a little bit violated.
As it has been stated that a word to the wise is pointless, the stupid ones need advice, this is a word to the stupid:
It is somewhat inappropriate to dig a pile of cards (DL, student ID, visa, etc.) from your bra while standing at the desk of someone requesting one of those things.
Honestly, ladies, I understand. It is not often that we can find a pair of jeans with pockets larger than a tube of chapstick, if there are even pockets at all. But, I think there is a reason that purses were invented and are mass produced. Wallets, too. I know if you're out at the club or a bar trying to look hot, you might not wanna carry around a purse and you are even less likely to have pockets in that scenario. That's one of those places that's gross enough on it's own that carrying items in your bra is a bit more acceptable. However, if you're at my window, inside a school, with your child, and you do have pockets on your person, then using your boob storage device for anything other than boob is, again, inappropriate. And kinda gross. I don't know when you last showered. Ew, dude.
Seriously, she walked away, and all I could do was repeatedly squirt sanitizer on my hands.
On another note:
I can't wait til we're barcoded or have a chip in our wrist that takes the place of using credit cards. Asking for IDs is frustrating because so few people can just say, "Sure!" and show me. They have to make stupid comments ("Who would steal a credit card and buy this?"), ask stupid questions (me: "Do you have a photo ID?" answer: "Why, do you need it?"), or somehow manage to annoy me in some other way.
Today, I'm at work. The school is almost totally closed - no classes - yet my department is open. It is intensely quiet, as there are almost no people roaming about.
I like getting paid to do homework, blog, and read. Now if I could just get paid to sleep. :)
Later today, I'm going to a friend's house for a baking party.
That is all.
Except for this:
I am free of all prejudices. I hate every one equally.
W. C. Fields
It is somewhat inappropriate to dig a pile of cards (DL, student ID, visa, etc.) from your bra while standing at the desk of someone requesting one of those things.
Honestly, ladies, I understand. It is not often that we can find a pair of jeans with pockets larger than a tube of chapstick, if there are even pockets at all. But, I think there is a reason that purses were invented and are mass produced. Wallets, too. I know if you're out at the club or a bar trying to look hot, you might not wanna carry around a purse and you are even less likely to have pockets in that scenario. That's one of those places that's gross enough on it's own that carrying items in your bra is a bit more acceptable. However, if you're at my window, inside a school, with your child, and you do have pockets on your person, then using your boob storage device for anything other than boob is, again, inappropriate. And kinda gross. I don't know when you last showered. Ew, dude.
Seriously, she walked away, and all I could do was repeatedly squirt sanitizer on my hands.
On another note:
I can't wait til we're barcoded or have a chip in our wrist that takes the place of using credit cards. Asking for IDs is frustrating because so few people can just say, "Sure!" and show me. They have to make stupid comments ("Who would steal a credit card and buy this?"), ask stupid questions (me: "Do you have a photo ID?" answer: "Why, do you need it?"), or somehow manage to annoy me in some other way.
Today, I'm at work. The school is almost totally closed - no classes - yet my department is open. It is intensely quiet, as there are almost no people roaming about.
I like getting paid to do homework, blog, and read. Now if I could just get paid to sleep. :)
Later today, I'm going to a friend's house for a baking party.
That is all.
Except for this:
I am free of all prejudices. I hate every one equally.
W. C. Fields
22 November 2010
Lemme 'splain somethin', lucy.
H'okay.
I want to know how many Irish people wear green hair. I wanna know how many people living in the country of Ireland have green hair. I'm gonna guess not too many more people dye their hair green there than people in this country. I'm just gonna guess.
SO. Just because my hair is dyed green, it does not mean I am Irish (though I am, a teeny, tiny bit), it does not mean you have magically transported to Ireland, and it does not mean I have a pot of gold lying about.
Of course, I am not accomplishing much by advertising this information on here, as the only people that read this are intelligent enough to know otherwise. And they know me well enough to NOT make smartass comments like, "Oh, where am I? Am I in Ireland all of a sudden? I thought I was just coming to buy bus tickets and all of a sudden I feel like I'm in Ireland!"
Bite me.
ALSO:
no, it's not the Packers. Nor is the purple for the Vikings.
it's not for a school.
it's not for any team.
it's not for any country (as that was also asked of me recently: "is that for a country?" WTF are you talking about, dude?)
it's not for anything other than I like these colors, and I especially like to be different.
Those of you who say, "wow, green! I don't see that color very often. I see red, and blue, and pink a lot, but never green!" YOU ARE THE WINNERS
My hair is funny colored so I don't look like every other jackwaggon out there. (that's for you, mom)
So that's my whine for the day.
And now I gotta come up with something to end with.
aha! How delightfully applicable to this post.
A word to the wise ain't necessary - it's the stupid ones that need the advice.
Bill Cosby
I want to know how many Irish people wear green hair. I wanna know how many people living in the country of Ireland have green hair. I'm gonna guess not too many more people dye their hair green there than people in this country. I'm just gonna guess.
SO. Just because my hair is dyed green, it does not mean I am Irish (though I am, a teeny, tiny bit), it does not mean you have magically transported to Ireland, and it does not mean I have a pot of gold lying about.
Of course, I am not accomplishing much by advertising this information on here, as the only people that read this are intelligent enough to know otherwise. And they know me well enough to NOT make smartass comments like, "Oh, where am I? Am I in Ireland all of a sudden? I thought I was just coming to buy bus tickets and all of a sudden I feel like I'm in Ireland!"
Bite me.
ALSO:
no, it's not the Packers. Nor is the purple for the Vikings.
it's not for a school.
it's not for any team.
it's not for any country (as that was also asked of me recently: "is that for a country?" WTF are you talking about, dude?)
it's not for anything other than I like these colors, and I especially like to be different.
Those of you who say, "wow, green! I don't see that color very often. I see red, and blue, and pink a lot, but never green!" YOU ARE THE WINNERS
My hair is funny colored so I don't look like every other jackwaggon out there. (that's for you, mom)
So that's my whine for the day.
And now I gotta come up with something to end with.
aha! How delightfully applicable to this post.
A word to the wise ain't necessary - it's the stupid ones that need the advice.
Bill Cosby
17 November 2010
Two today. Cuz I'm pissed off.
"Pay a ticket. I don't got it. I hafta call my dad, sumthin. I got a license plate. (insert plate #) Like 35? So like, after I pay dis, it goes away? Cain't get my car registered."
"Well, yes. I see one ticket on your license plate number and it is 35 dollars. Once this ticket is paid, it takes the Department of Transportation seven to ten days to update their system."
"So you like gon gimme a receipt case somebody be pullin me over?"
"Yes, I will give you a receipt that shows record of this payment. My advice is to keep it with you whenever you're driving."
"'kay."
That was a painfully unintelligent conversation I was just forced to have. If only I could insert vocal inflection. It would be worse for you all.
A Letter to Parents,
What your children turn into is YOUR RESPONSIBILITY! It's not the fault of TV or video games. Video games, under the right circumstances, can actually do a bit of good. My best friend was not allowed to have a Playstation when he was younger. That is, until he came across two broken ones at two different garage sales, took them apart, figured out what was wrong, and built one functional system.
It pains me to see people of my generation that are so impersonal, rude, and unintelligent. The iGeneration. That's what we are. And whether I like it or not, these people are all going to be in charge of the world when I'm older.
"The Berlin Wall fell and out we came, the post-Cold War kids laid claim to AIM.
LOL, OMG, yo, BRB. Space, colon, dash, closed parenthesis." (MC Lars) iGeneration Lyrics
Here's what happens:
Parents have babies. Parents teach those babies. What they teach those babies can be either good or bad, or somewhere in between, I suppose. Then, those babies grow up and they have babies. They, then, impart the intelligence, work ethic, manners, etc. of the prior generation. Then their babies have babies and they do the same thing. Now, if the "first" generation lets their children think that there is no value in intelligence, nothing important about respect, and that using grammar is for losers, then what do you think those children will teach their children? And so on.
This is how I ended my last post; it accidentally worked for this one as well:
True terror is to wake up one morning and discover that your high school class is running the country.
Kurt Vonnegut
So, I will leave you with more thoughts. Italics added for emphasis.
-Education is a social process. Education is growth. Education is not a preparation for life; education is life itself.
John Dewey
-Education is simply the soul of a society as it passes from one generation to another.
Gilbert K. Chesterton
-It is a thousand times better to have common sense without education than to have education without common sense.
Robert Green Ingersoll
-Much education today is monumentally ineffective. All too often we are giving young people cut flowers when we should be teaching them to grow their own plants.
John W. Gardner
Finally...
-Excellence is not a skill. It is an attitude.
Ralph Marston
"Well, yes. I see one ticket on your license plate number and it is 35 dollars. Once this ticket is paid, it takes the Department of Transportation seven to ten days to update their system."
"So you like gon gimme a receipt case somebody be pullin me over?"
"Yes, I will give you a receipt that shows record of this payment. My advice is to keep it with you whenever you're driving."
"'kay."
That was a painfully unintelligent conversation I was just forced to have. If only I could insert vocal inflection. It would be worse for you all.
A Letter to Parents,
What your children turn into is YOUR RESPONSIBILITY! It's not the fault of TV or video games. Video games, under the right circumstances, can actually do a bit of good. My best friend was not allowed to have a Playstation when he was younger. That is, until he came across two broken ones at two different garage sales, took them apart, figured out what was wrong, and built one functional system.
It pains me to see people of my generation that are so impersonal, rude, and unintelligent. The iGeneration. That's what we are. And whether I like it or not, these people are all going to be in charge of the world when I'm older.
"The Berlin Wall fell and out we came, the post-Cold War kids laid claim to AIM.
LOL, OMG, yo, BRB. Space, colon, dash, closed parenthesis." (MC Lars) iGeneration Lyrics
Here's what happens:
Parents have babies. Parents teach those babies. What they teach those babies can be either good or bad, or somewhere in between, I suppose. Then, those babies grow up and they have babies. They, then, impart the intelligence, work ethic, manners, etc. of the prior generation. Then their babies have babies and they do the same thing. Now, if the "first" generation lets their children think that there is no value in intelligence, nothing important about respect, and that using grammar is for losers, then what do you think those children will teach their children? And so on.
This is how I ended my last post; it accidentally worked for this one as well:
True terror is to wake up one morning and discover that your high school class is running the country.
Kurt Vonnegut
So, I will leave you with more thoughts. Italics added for emphasis.
-Education is a social process. Education is growth. Education is not a preparation for life; education is life itself.
John Dewey
-Education is simply the soul of a society as it passes from one generation to another.
Gilbert K. Chesterton
-It is a thousand times better to have common sense without education than to have education without common sense.
Robert Green Ingersoll
-Much education today is monumentally ineffective. All too often we are giving young people cut flowers when we should be teaching them to grow their own plants.
John W. Gardner
Finally...
-Excellence is not a skill. It is an attitude.
Ralph Marston
Why I like deaf people.
Deaf people are, overall, less likely to swear at you. In my experience, anyway.
This post will not actually be about why I like deaf people (though I DO {I didn't decide to be a Spanish interpreter, did I? NO. Think about that one, nudge, nudge.}). This bit is actually about why I hate people who think they are not responsible for anything (which could, theoretically include deaf people, I know). People that come to my window and swear at me about their parking tickets. You parked illegally, you moron. So we ticketed you. No, we don't care if you work here. Working on campus does not exempt you from campus parking rules. So pay your freaking ticket and get out of my face. Go whine to people who care. Thanks to you, polite stander-by, for trying to quell the ridiculousness.
On a better note!
My presentation went well yesterday. Wish my teacher could've been there, but at least it was video taped so he can see it. We were well spoken and succinct, and either clear enough or boring enough that there weren't too many questions at the end. :) I do have one question I need to further research with the intention of reporting back on Thursday, er, tomorrow.
I'm pretty proud of myself for updating three days in a row. I guess it helps that my work is generally slow, and now that I'm finished with my presentation, I have no more work to do for class for the rest of the semester. So I have a bit of time on my hands. :)
So far, the only person that I know reads this is my mom. Hi, Mom. :) Mipp you.
Okay. For my promise now. Help me out, Kurt Vonnegut!
-True terror is to wake up one morning and discover that your high school class is running the country.-
This post will not actually be about why I like deaf people (though I DO {I didn't decide to be a Spanish interpreter, did I? NO. Think about that one, nudge, nudge.}). This bit is actually about why I hate people who think they are not responsible for anything (which could, theoretically include deaf people, I know). People that come to my window and swear at me about their parking tickets. You parked illegally, you moron. So we ticketed you. No, we don't care if you work here. Working on campus does not exempt you from campus parking rules. So pay your freaking ticket and get out of my face. Go whine to people who care. Thanks to you, polite stander-by, for trying to quell the ridiculousness.
On a better note!
My presentation went well yesterday. Wish my teacher could've been there, but at least it was video taped so he can see it. We were well spoken and succinct, and either clear enough or boring enough that there weren't too many questions at the end. :) I do have one question I need to further research with the intention of reporting back on Thursday, er, tomorrow.
I'm pretty proud of myself for updating three days in a row. I guess it helps that my work is generally slow, and now that I'm finished with my presentation, I have no more work to do for class for the rest of the semester. So I have a bit of time on my hands. :)
So far, the only person that I know reads this is my mom. Hi, Mom. :) Mipp you.
Okay. For my promise now. Help me out, Kurt Vonnegut!
-True terror is to wake up one morning and discover that your high school class is running the country.-
16 November 2010
a feeble attempt at updating...
Today, I have a presentation in my Deaf History Class. I am presenting with a wonderful lady, Amy. We are going to talk about a few Deaf Colleges. At one time there was another girl in our group, but it wasn't working out. So Amy is going to talk about National Technical Institute for the Deaf, a part of Rochester Institute of Technology, and North Central University in Minneapolis. This school was founded as North Central Bible Institute, and is a private Christian school. These two schools are pretty big. I'm talking about three smaller schools. Harvest Deaf Bible College, Capital Baptist Deaf College, and Sword Deaf Bible College. These schools are all fairly new, the oldest being Harvest Deaf Bible College, founded 1994. Our presentation is about ten minutes. Our teacher is not able to be here today, though, so our presentation, along with the two other groups going today, will be videotaped for him.
Anyway...that's about it. I work this morning til 11, then I gotta go to the library to print (I miss free printing!) our research paper. Then, class at 2. I think we're the last group to present today. I'll find out when I get there I guess. :)
I think that's all for today.
Except, of course, for a much wiser person's words:
There is plenty of room at the top because very few people care to travel beyond the average route. And so most of us seem satisfied to remain within the confines of mediocrity.
--Nnamdi Azikiwe
(to save you all google time: Benjamin Nnamdi Azikiwe (November 16, 1904 - May 11, 1996) was the President of Nigeria from 1963 to 1966. He was the first person to assume the office of the Nigerian Presidency.)
Anyway...that's about it. I work this morning til 11, then I gotta go to the library to print (I miss free printing!) our research paper. Then, class at 2. I think we're the last group to present today. I'll find out when I get there I guess. :)
I think that's all for today.
Except, of course, for a much wiser person's words:
There is plenty of room at the top because very few people care to travel beyond the average route. And so most of us seem satisfied to remain within the confines of mediocrity.
--Nnamdi Azikiwe
(to save you all google time: Benjamin Nnamdi Azikiwe (November 16, 1904 - May 11, 1996) was the President of Nigeria from 1963 to 1966. He was the first person to assume the office of the Nigerian Presidency.)
15 November 2010
It sure has been awhile...
But really, not that long. I left Kansas on the last weekend of July. It is now only November. Some days I feel as though I've lived here for EVER, yet other days I feel as though I just moved yesterday.
So, I said I would try to keep up with everyone on facebook, that I'd call, email, write, etc. In an effort to learn my new surroundings, I have not done any of these things (as you might have noticed). Today, I decided I would just start a blog. I may or may not be able to keep up with this as I hope to, but at very least, I know I have this outlet.
You might notice my blog title seems a bit bleak. Know, please, it is not intended that way. "So it goes" is the commonly recurring sentence in Kurt Vonnegut's Slaughterhouse-Five, one of my favorite novels.
For those who may be wondering, here's a reasonably short update, from arrival to today:
I lived my first month in the great state of CheeseNBeer, rather, Wisconsin in my dad's house, in Racine, WI. I used this time to find a new place to live, one much closer to my new school: University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. The drive time from my dad's house to the campus could be anywhere from 40 minutes to an hour, the more likely being the latter. Though this would have been manageable (I have friends that live in Racine and commute every day), it was not preferred. Moving 600 miles does not do much good for a person on a very low income, so the closer I could be to my school the better. I also used this first month at my dad's to search for a job, albeit, not very hard at first. Who wants to move far away and start working immediately? Not me. Plus, I knew I was moving into Milwaukee, and I didn't want to have a job in Racine. I thought that might defeat the purpose.
Within just a couple of weeks I had found a decent apartment, and was waiting to hear from a prospective employer - the school. I moved to my new apartment on September 1st, started my new job and class on September 2nd.
This semester I am in only one class. I was hoping I could start with in-state tuition, as I used my dad's address for the application. However, there are more requirements than just an in-state address to qualify for residency tuition. As my finances were limited, I was only able to enroll in one class - Deaf History. I am loving this class, and I have a wonderful teacher. His name is Joel. Next semester I will have enough loans to take three classes. This setup will work to my benefit, I think. Though some days, out of boredom, I utter sentences previously unbelievable to me (Man, I wish I had some homework!/It'd be nice to have a paper to write today), taking just the one class has given me ample time and opportunity to learn my community, my school, where to go for what, and to meet new people.
As I said, I started work on the same day as I started class. I have a job on campus (wonderful!) working for the Parking & Transit Department. Primarily, I work inside as a cashier. I take payments for parking tickets, and I sell Milwaukee County bus tickets. That's about it. :) Some days I fill in working outside, in a booth in one of the the parking garages. When I'm out there, I take payment for parking. Loads of fun, huh! When I work inside or in one of the parking garages, I have lots of time to do homework, read, etc. I have been reading A LOT lately, which has been awesome; I had missed reading for pleasure. Also, I ride the county bus from my apartment to campus, so I have time for reading then as well.
I've met some fun and interesting people since I've been here, and I am making great friends. I'm still pretty homesick some days. Even so, I am so very happy to be here. I've always liked this city, and I am liking it even more now that I live here. Plus, what could be better than doing what you really want to do with your life? Granted, I'm not an interpreter yet, but I'm studying to be an interpreter, which is progress! I get to go to SSA (Student Signing Association) events and practice my sign with other students, hearing and deaf alike. Though some days I think I must have been crazy, thinking I could move 600 miles away from everyone and everything I know and start a new life, I feel generally good and at peace with my decision and the situation.
I hope to come back to Kansas for a visit over Christmas break. I'm working minimum wage and finances are hard, but I'm doing whatever I can do to save for a trip back. I'll always take donations! ;)
To my Blackdoggers:
I miss you all so deeply. I miss the nights at Callahan's, I miss Monday night bowling (and Tuesday morning going to work after sleeping just 3 hours{thanks for your patience Patrick!}), I miss opening the store and seeing so many people I adore come in by the time I'm done working, that I just cannot compel myself to leave, and I miss everyone's hugs. AND I miss GOOD COFFEE!!!!! oooooh I miss a good latte! All of the coffee here is crap. So icky. BLEGH. But, coming back to Blackdog for the best latte I'll find anywhere is just one more thing to look forward to in a trip back to Kansas. On the flip side, if anyone has the means to travel, and you wanna see Milwaukee, you definitely have a place to stay.
My promise: I will continue to write. I will not make a promise as to how often, but I will continue to write. I also promise that I will always end with someone else's words. Weird promise, huh? Well that's how I roll. :)
So today, dear friends, I leave you with this.
So, I said I would try to keep up with everyone on facebook, that I'd call, email, write, etc. In an effort to learn my new surroundings, I have not done any of these things (as you might have noticed). Today, I decided I would just start a blog. I may or may not be able to keep up with this as I hope to, but at very least, I know I have this outlet.
You might notice my blog title seems a bit bleak. Know, please, it is not intended that way. "So it goes" is the commonly recurring sentence in Kurt Vonnegut's Slaughterhouse-Five, one of my favorite novels.
For those who may be wondering, here's a reasonably short update, from arrival to today:
I lived my first month in the great state of CheeseNBeer, rather, Wisconsin in my dad's house, in Racine, WI. I used this time to find a new place to live, one much closer to my new school: University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. The drive time from my dad's house to the campus could be anywhere from 40 minutes to an hour, the more likely being the latter. Though this would have been manageable (I have friends that live in Racine and commute every day), it was not preferred. Moving 600 miles does not do much good for a person on a very low income, so the closer I could be to my school the better. I also used this first month at my dad's to search for a job, albeit, not very hard at first. Who wants to move far away and start working immediately? Not me. Plus, I knew I was moving into Milwaukee, and I didn't want to have a job in Racine. I thought that might defeat the purpose.
Within just a couple of weeks I had found a decent apartment, and was waiting to hear from a prospective employer - the school. I moved to my new apartment on September 1st, started my new job and class on September 2nd.
This semester I am in only one class. I was hoping I could start with in-state tuition, as I used my dad's address for the application. However, there are more requirements than just an in-state address to qualify for residency tuition. As my finances were limited, I was only able to enroll in one class - Deaf History. I am loving this class, and I have a wonderful teacher. His name is Joel. Next semester I will have enough loans to take three classes. This setup will work to my benefit, I think. Though some days, out of boredom, I utter sentences previously unbelievable to me (Man, I wish I had some homework!/It'd be nice to have a paper to write today), taking just the one class has given me ample time and opportunity to learn my community, my school, where to go for what, and to meet new people.
As I said, I started work on the same day as I started class. I have a job on campus (wonderful!) working for the Parking & Transit Department. Primarily, I work inside as a cashier. I take payments for parking tickets, and I sell Milwaukee County bus tickets. That's about it. :) Some days I fill in working outside, in a booth in one of the the parking garages. When I'm out there, I take payment for parking. Loads of fun, huh! When I work inside or in one of the parking garages, I have lots of time to do homework, read, etc. I have been reading A LOT lately, which has been awesome; I had missed reading for pleasure. Also, I ride the county bus from my apartment to campus, so I have time for reading then as well.
I've met some fun and interesting people since I've been here, and I am making great friends. I'm still pretty homesick some days. Even so, I am so very happy to be here. I've always liked this city, and I am liking it even more now that I live here. Plus, what could be better than doing what you really want to do with your life? Granted, I'm not an interpreter yet, but I'm studying to be an interpreter, which is progress! I get to go to SSA (Student Signing Association) events and practice my sign with other students, hearing and deaf alike. Though some days I think I must have been crazy, thinking I could move 600 miles away from everyone and everything I know and start a new life, I feel generally good and at peace with my decision and the situation.
I hope to come back to Kansas for a visit over Christmas break. I'm working minimum wage and finances are hard, but I'm doing whatever I can do to save for a trip back. I'll always take donations! ;)
To my Blackdoggers:
I miss you all so deeply. I miss the nights at Callahan's, I miss Monday night bowling (and Tuesday morning going to work after sleeping just 3 hours{thanks for your patience Patrick!}), I miss opening the store and seeing so many people I adore come in by the time I'm done working, that I just cannot compel myself to leave, and I miss everyone's hugs. AND I miss GOOD COFFEE!!!!! oooooh I miss a good latte! All of the coffee here is crap. So icky. BLEGH. But, coming back to Blackdog for the best latte I'll find anywhere is just one more thing to look forward to in a trip back to Kansas. On the flip side, if anyone has the means to travel, and you wanna see Milwaukee, you definitely have a place to stay.
My promise: I will continue to write. I will not make a promise as to how often, but I will continue to write. I also promise that I will always end with someone else's words. Weird promise, huh? Well that's how I roll. :)
So today, dear friends, I leave you with this.
"If you want to change the way people respond to you, change the way you respond to people."
— Timothy Leary
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