Well, kids, I know I said it would be three more weeks before I could tell you what I gave myself for my birthday, but I have since changed what I gave myself, making it possible to talk about it here.
I am going to "on-call" status at my night job. This does not mean that they can call me in the dark of the night, and I have to rush right in. No, it means that I might be willing to come in if they have a big project and I have the time. Might. And they might be willing to take me when my day job won't let me work. Might. I had given notice with my last day being the 15th of June, but I was a little nervous, and they really wanted me to stay, so this is the solution to both of those problems for the time being. My plan is that I will not even think about going in until late August, maybe September. I need a break. I will be getting off at 4:30 in the afternoon, now, and I can't wait.
Also, in other changes, I bought a computer this weekend. Thank you all for all of your input. It made my decision a lot easier, especially the advice that the dual core processor was probably more power than I needed. In the end, I went with cheap, light, and fairly reliable as my priorities, especially when I learned that most of the software I thought I might want to buy for a grad school program I haven't even applied to yet is upwards of $600. My desktop is an HP that my good friends Carl and Jill gave me, and it's been a tough little computer. And it giggles when it shuts down. I've been very happy with it, so I went with HP on the laptop. Special thanks to Jon G. for finding the compy and to his wife Erin for putting up with us looking at a similar model in BestBuy and getting all geeky about it. Apparently I bought it just in time, too, because it is now sold out. It is red-ish metalic and shiny, and I like it.
With any luck, I will be taking a graduate course at Metro State this fall. I have to wait until everybody else registers before I can, and I still want to see if I can borrow some money for it, but employee development will re-imburse me, and the co-chair of the department said he'd probably sign me into his course if I get really stuck. So, yay! I'm looking at Advanced Writing, so hopefully that will still be open. And I'm just taking a class. One. That's singular for all you out there who are trying to get me to drop everything and go full time.
On the whole, I'm very excited about having my evenings back. I plan to spend many of them in other people's backyards. (You know who you are.) Yay!
Other than that, the weekend was fantastic. The sis is moved home, and yes, I do miss her, despite my previous entry. I got to have family birthday lunch at the Macaroni Grill, which is a fantastic place to eat. I watched a little of the Indie 500. Then I spent quality time with Carl and Jill playing games in the air conditioning. Then I went to Mel and Danika's for a fantastic evening of smores. Then I spent Monday doing my grant writing work, and since the washing machine was broken, I didn't have to do the laundry, so instead I went back to Mel and Danika's. I got to ride in her stepdad's BMW convertible. That was pretty bitchin. We got hollared at in the hood. Also, Tony Stewart did not win the Coca-Cola 600 on Sunday because he injured his shoulder and he has dropped to 20th in the Nextel Cup Series point standings. That's a shame. NOT!
So, on the whole, the weekend was great, the situation is about to change, and I hate Tony Stewart. Pretty good summary, considering how disjointed the whole thing was so far, huh? ;)
Posted by LoWriter at May 30, 2006 08:57 AMOn call is great, I did that for a while with Kohls and it was wonderful! I could just call them and say 'sure I can work now'... ahhh, sweet sweet money without having to show up daily for a job. I think that's a good plan.
Redish-metallic printer eh? Sounds pretty, I need a picture... or maybe a link?
Danicka (sp) Patrick came in 8th, I didn't watch, I just heard this morning on the way to work... the guys on the radio were geeking out about it...
Posted by: 10lees at May 30, 2006 09:39 AMrawk on with your bad-ass computer! :o) and cheers to more social time! hoorah for summer 2006!
Posted by: dr gonzo at May 30, 2006 10:31 AMThere is a link, but the "red metalic" description is slightly misleading and the link pic doesn't really show it off. It is not bright red. It's only the cover, and it's mostly black with a deep maroon marbled in so that it doesn't scream red. (I think we all know how I feel about screaming red.) It's pretty sleek. I don't actually have it in my hot little hands as yet. It's coming in the mail. And then I have to get software. And a printer. But all told, the purchase should be under $2,000 with cash to spare, which was my goal.
I didn't see the end of the Indie 500, but Danica Patrick was leading when I shut it off. I don't really like Indie racing much. It's very dangerous. But I wanted to see how she did. Good to know. (I'm a little jealous of her; I'm not going to lie.)
I am quite excited about added social time and more time for me. I am going to start by organizing all my crap. Then, I am going to scrub every wall in my house down. Then I am going to throw away some clothes. Then, I am going to watch TV. I'm quite stoked. Maybe I will even spend some time with my workout machine and take off some of the "I'm too tired to do anything but eat supper and go to bed" pounds I've gained in the last two years. I'm quite stoked about having a little healthier life, getting my excercise routine in place, and just generally spending time outside in the sun more.
Posted by: Lo at May 30, 2006 10:53 AMI heard your BMW story last night from your friend Mel, who just so happens to be on my tuesday night softball team. I was just sitting on the bleachers before the game and she started telling a story about a BMW convertible in the hood. It was very deja-vu-esque until I figured out where I had heard the story before.
Posted by: jeff at May 31, 2006 08:22 AMIt's true, and it was pretty funny. Once again Lo, i'm reminded that you have connections to pretty much everyone.
I told all the people in my office about our BMW expererience & how everyone on north Lyndale decided to "holla" at us. They all thought it was pretty funny.
What i want to know is why i don't get that much attention when I'm driving my Honda.....
I mean, a Civic is cool...right??
It's Bethel man... we're all connected
Posted by: 10lees at May 31, 2006 09:56 AMMySpace for dummies? wait... no...
Posted by: dr gonzo at May 31, 2006 10:25 AMjeff and Mel, that is awesome. Yay softball! I'm glad the BMW story is circulating. It was fabulous. I never drew the connection before. I also think it's funny because I'm not sure if/when I have met you myself, jeff.
Also, Mel, I am often surprised by the connections, too. There were a lot of people in the English dept. who knew me that I didn't know, but also, I was friends with a lot of random people from different social groups, so a lot of people know me through other people. I've never been much of a group person. I generally drifted along on the edge of a lot of different groups. Erin once said that if she sat down with me in Market, a whole group of random people would sit down with us and she would always be surprised at the people you'd get together at a table. It was always funny to me because I would never by any stretch of the imagination consider myself popular. I just like lots of different people. It's the thing I miss most about college.
10 and dr. g-- yes, it is bethel. But bethel was not that small. :)
Posted by: Lo at May 31, 2006 11:00 AMNope, I don't think we have ever met. I just know a number of your friends. Pretty much any of them that ever worked for ITS at Bethel. I just started reading your website after schdav, 10, and JMo linked to it.
Posted by: jeff at May 31, 2006 11:38 AMThat's awesome. Meeting through the blogs. Well, I'm glad to have another reader. Yay!
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