5...4...3....2....1...

Happy New Year!!!!

I don't know what I'm doing for the celebratory countdown yet...I mean, it's me! I procrastinate. Maybe I better make a new years resolution about that. Hm, nope, I'm gonna be realisitc.

New years resolutions: Everybody makes them. Maybe not every year, but at some point everyone stops, has the moment of clear thought and stillness that may mark an epiphany, and says "Next year, I'm gonna..." Once I thought I'd make a resolution to make no more resolutions, as I tend to not follow them, and then feel bad. But, realizing that was rather an oxymoron...I stopped that idea. This year, I'm gonna be realisitc. I'm not going to "lose 20 pounds this year", or even 10. I'm not going to resolve to "eat less sweets" I like them too much. Other favorites include keeping in touch with family and friends more, or smiling more, or telling so-and-so that you love them, or remembering to pay attention to the small things in life. Nope, none of these for me either. I know they are all good goals, but I'm not turning them into a resolution that I can break. Though I will try harder to keep in touch with people, I'd rather just do it, not resolve to do it. "Do, or do not. There is no try." I really do love that quote. I'm not going to try to be less judgemental. Hell, we all know I'm stubborn, obstinant, and set in my ways. I'm a college graduate for goodness sake. I'll just do what I learned was a "good idea" in school...keep my opinions to myself.

So what? You ask. What are you going to resolve to do as this fine year turns from 2003 to 2004? (By the way, how the hell did 23.25 or so years of my life go by this quickly?) My resolutions for 2004:
1. Floss. Yes, floss. It's something I'm supposed to be doing anyhow, and I don't want to lose my pretty pearly whites. And, this last week, I've flossed 3 out of 4 days, if you count Sunday. So, I've already started to turn it into a habit; continuing shouldn't be all that hard. Some habits are good for you...really.
2. Survive the year. Good resolution, don't you think? It's not all that crazy really. Oh, I don't mean...live through the year, though I plan on doing that. I mean, do a semester of classes for work, work hard, get ready and start my Masters. It's a different world. I don't want to be someone I don't recognize one year from now.


I could keep going but I seem to have developed a nasty cold thing. I actually have a fever! I haven't had one of those in forever. Earlier today it was 100.6. My normal body temp is about 98.2 or 98.4 so, I'm all burning. I have the chills and aches and a nasty cough. I think some bug made a New Year's Resolution to attack me. So, who knows if I'll be up at midnight counting down the numbers with everyone and blowing noise makers. I certainly won't be kissing anyone. I think the cold realized today was a great day to infect me--so many possible vectors to infect others. I may be able to make it til 11 and watch the times square ball drop. Makes me think of the last couple of New Years' celebrations. Me and Katie, watching movies one year and missing ours so staying up til one to celebrate with mountain time. Me and Katie drinking an entire liter or more of champane by ourselves. Play Project Gotham Racing and eating S'mores out of the fire. It was becoming a tradition. Sadly, Katie has already celebrated somewhere on the Continent. I raised my water glass to you in a toast at 5PM Katie, hope you and Jenny had a great time doing whatever--ringing in the new year.

Now, I'm gonna go find dinner and feel miserable. See--now had I made a resolution like "I'm gonna be a happier person in 2004" I'd already be breaking it. Yup, Flossing and Surviving til 2005. I think I can manage those!

Another day...
Another Dollar! Blah, I work to fast. I have finished most of what I thought would take me all week. Good thing I have found a few more projects. I wonder how much stuff I'm gonna get done now that I'm working full time for the next 2.5 weeks, and then 25 hrs a week after that?!?

On another note, I learned that I am indeed registered to take classes the way I need to. Now I think I should go about figuring out how to drop my minor, since I'm not actually getting one anymore. I'm not sure if you have to tell them you are not doing something. :P After all, I don't want it to affect my diploma! So, off I go to the email page to find out who to email and tell them I am no longer seeking a Minor in Spanish Studies. Would be fun if I had time. Hm, I COULD register for 15 credits of upper division spanish for next semester...--yeah right!

Lists and more Lists

Today has been a day of lists. I have made one for work...which i keep adding too, I made one for home, which I have crossed some things off on. I made one for internet stuff too, here it is:

1. Update blogs
a. Back-date entries for Whimsical Doodles for vacation
b. Find out about Meandering Evengale (Katie I left you a note on the posts screen that isn't published)
2. Brainstorm new website
3. Application to grad school online

I wonder why I have #3 last? Probably cause I need to procrastinate on something over break. Anyway, I will be updating this page later today with all my adventures from finals and going home for the holidays. I just thought I would put something here for people to read in the interim.

Go Packers!

Happy New Years and Merry Christmas to the Packers, who received a unexpected gift from the Arizona Cardinals. Yes, the Cardinals beat the Vikings in the last play of the last seconds of their game to make the Packers the North Division Champs. The packers take on Seatle, and old coach Mike Holmgren, on Sunday at 1. Too bad Mr. Holmgren's team has an terrible habit of 1. not being able to beat the Packers, and 2. Not being able to win on the road. Games at Lambeau, anyone want to predict the outcome?

I'm dreaming of a white Christmas...

And that's all I'm doing. It's brown here in Green Bay. And warm! Who would have though light weight jackets and sweaters would be all that is needed on Christmas Day in town. It was a good Christmas all the same though, I now have cruise control on the Super Saturn, and I own the Lord of the Rings, Two Towers Extended DVD. My brother rocks! HE gets to go skiing in Aspen, CO for a week for school. I am jealous, but I really wanted cruise on my car, and besides...It's only a sixteen hour drive to the hills out there for me :P

I also got some perfume (Pink from V.S.), flannel sheets for my bed, and a thermos with nice Stainless Steel Mugs. Yes. It was a good christmas. I got to see my family for a week, and saw my extended family a few times. I almost got to relax.

I did miss having a lot of my friends in town like past years, but Erin is in town, Lance is coming, and Joe is in town...so I'm not completely lonely. I just realized that I don't get to spend New Years with Katie as has become tradition. :(

So, I'm going to go dream of more snow, and maybe getting a long night's sleep!

Home for the Holidays

I went home Friday for the holidays, and I'm home for a week. A good man has left this world, and I went to his funeral. Sometimes I wonder why good men (people) leave us so early, while repeat sex offenders or drunk drivers get to live on. There is something definately wrong with the balance of the world.

And a drumroll please!

I saw Return of the King last night. I am not saying a word until most people have seen it. Other than, I liked it, I enjoyed it, I'll go again. That doesn't give anything away, since you all knew I liked the first two, and the books, so it was almost a given that I would like the last movie.

I am done with my finals! GO ME. And now, for a nap!

YAY for tomorrow

Happy night before the opening of Return of the King! Some people get to see it tonight, but I don't. I'm not the lucky one. I have to see it on regular opening night tomorrow. I'm really excited to see it, but at the same time...it's the last one. I don't get to look forward to the next one, because there isn't a next one. Still, I love the books, and I'm sure the last installment will be great. Now, if they only create a "what the charecters did after" movie like I drempt about the other night. (I got to be an elf, and was dating Legolas...of course)

Tonight was the first of my last three finals. I studied for it, and it went well. I have yet to study for my test tomorrow. Oops, I get on that tomorrow morning, and I have to finish studying for my test on Thursday. I might actually do that tonight, and study for tomorrow's on tomorrow. If that makes any sense at all. Oh, so exciting! To be done with school for the semester. 1 down, 2 to go, and a nice study break in the middle of them!

Study Day?

Last free day before three solid days of finals. I have my easiest first, then a harder math based one--only hard because the teacher doesn't know what HE wants on the final half the time..., then my annoying Polisci final on Thursday. One each day--nice they don't bunch it up TOO much. Polisci's grade counts the most, becuase it is my only four credit class, but I have enough other "good" classes to make up for a lousy grade in there, if I don't do so well. I think I'll be fine though...after all, I have about a B going into the final. I should get a B on the final, so I shouldn't drop all that much. I am not sure about the rest of my grades. 6 classes, and I'm anticipating not dropping my GPA below 3.0, and a good thing too. I need a 3.0 to get into grad school.

The GPA is finished, the GPA should come out where it needs to be. Now all I have to do is get the bloody application done for Grad School, hand out my recomendation forms to people, update my resume, ... Sheesh. I also have to figure out if I need to apply to the school of continuing ed to take classes next semester. It never ends...

Another Long Day

...Over at last. Well, ok, so it's only 7 and a friday night, but if I'm not in bed by 9, some miracle must be keeping me awake. I had the Environmental Engineering Final today, the Soils Paper to turn in and poster presentation, and the GRE. ECK!

I think I did fine on all thing. The nice thing about the modern day GRE--it's computer based, so you get the verbal and quantitative scores before you leave. So, I know I did well enough to get into grad school. Instant Gratification.

Oh, so much more to say, but so tired, hard to push the key buttons.

Just one more note before I leave: Peanut butter, marshmello fluff, walnuts and chocolate chips, all melted together on a tortilla--YUM!

Return of the King!!!

It's coming. One week away. Do you have your tickets yet? Do you know when you are going yet? Do you honestly think I would miss opening night of this movie because it's finals week?!? NOT a chance. It would be a very kind and fortuitous day for those in Hell if I wasn't going. After all, I'm sure it snows in hell, the problem is there aren't any ski hills, and the snow isn't packy. So you can't play in it or on it, and that is why it's hellish. Yup, so it would be a KIND day in hell before I would'nt see the movie. Does that make sense? I am not really making much sense lately...I think it has something to do with it being finals extended week.

BUT--I have Lord of the Rings, Return of the King tickets! Rachel and I bought them online tonight for the 7PM show on opening night. It will be busy, it will be exciting, and hopefully there isn't a snow storm (not that I don't love snow, but not when I'm going to an event and all the idiots from rush hour are still out and about).

So here's to my last 4 finals, the GRE, the poster presentation and paper I have...and LORD OF THE RINGS. I think I'm preferencial to the latter!

SNOW!!!!!

Oh, how I love that white powdery substance. It's great as a weapon, and art form, a beverage (though a VERY small one) on the tip of your tongue, and for writing songs about. It's cold bite is warmer than the harsh edge of a winter's night, and affords delight in the form of winter sports. AND, not to mention the wonders of warming your toes in front of the fire, and your insides with a cup of hot cocoa, or a nice coffee drink after playing in the snow. Building a fort and defending from the 8 foot snowman/monster that is approaching--firing my snowballs as rapidly as I can make them. Perhaps making a snow creature instead of a snowman. I know I'm partial to snow-dragons. Or riding down the ski hill as fast as I can on my skies, carving sharpe curves into the nearest black-diamond run I can find...or falling on my face, butt, knees, side, etc as I learn to snowboard--all the while enjoying the pure joy of the challenge, of trying something new, and of just being outside in winter.

So fall on your back, and make a snow angel as you stare up at the slowly dancing flakes and think of me, because I'll be here doing the same thing. If you don't have snow yet (or ever) I am sorry for you, for it is truely a grand experience!

And Katie, I'm saving a giant snowstorm just for us, so we can create said 8 foot snowman/monster, our fort and have our snowball war--complete with coffee drinks at Cafe Expresso afterwards!

OOOH!!! OOOH!!!

In searching for the PotC link below, I learned that Pirates of the Carribean 2 will be coming out in 2005. Let's hope the sequel is as good as the first!!!!

Mr. Will Turner, Captain Jack Sparrow, and Elizabeth Swan will be at it again! Ooh, Happy News!

Temporarily out of order???

I think my phone is strange. I ported (or changed service providers on a cell phone whilst keeping my number) this weekend to a Motorolla phone, and it was fine. I didn't like the phone though, so I went tonight to get a new one. I like this one, a Kyocera 414. It has many toys, but I'll leave those for a different day, though I haven't found the games on it yet... :( It is supposed to have some too. Oh well, I'll go find them. First I must finish my paper. Anyway...what I started saying, right now, if you call my number, it goes to voice mail but doesn't ring. That's cause the port hasn't finished, or something. As the parrot in Pirates of the Carribean would say..."Any port in a storm."

Gone?!? But why is the rum gone!?

I still have rum, but I have no more Inuyasha episodes to watch. Suck! And it leaves you hanging too. I want more! Damn. Now I have to find a place to get the tapes, rent them or something. If they even exist outside of Cartoon Network. In a subtitled or translated version that is. But, all is not lost...

For, though I have lost the Inuyasha, I am now the proud owner of Pirates of the Carribean. Which means I'll be seeing this movie quite often in the next few whiles. :) I do not mind. In fact, as soon as I'm done blogging, I'm off to do the inagural watching. I feel I should have some sort of ceramony, like when a new ship sails, or something. I've brewed some tea. Perhaps I'll find some chocolate and have a little mini-party to my going to Best Buy in my climbing clothes, covered in chalk, and getting weird looks whilst picking my copy out. I couldn't have just ANY copy you see. It had to be MY copy. And it is. So, I'm of to watch my movie, I leave you with the word of the day:

AVAST!

Turkey Day and a bad week

Ok, so I haven't written for a while. Not my fault (ok, it is, but I'm sure I can ameliorate the situation by writing a nice entry here).

To recap: Turkey time was last week, from Wed-SUnday for me. Go home, have time with family and friends, and food. The three F's, not including everyone's favorite four letter word for mishaps. I drove home Wed night, and then drove promptly to my aunt's condo in Door County. Thursday I watched the Packer's lose (man did that make for a grumpy thanksgiving dinner) and then ate food at about 3PM. We talked for abit, and then headed to my cousin Michael's for the other side of the family's dinner. At 6. Luckily I was smart and saved room! So I ate twice in 4 hours and was stuffed by the time I was done. Friday I spent in green bay, and had dinner at my aunt's house that night. There was a 2 foot fire on the salmon, but luckily for us ( I LOVE salmon) it was salvaged and was really yummy. Saturday I went climbing with Erin, Lance, Mo, and Mo's friend at Vertical Stronghold in Appleton. Good times were had by all, and that night I had dinner at my place with our neighbors (who moved, but will always be neighbors) Joe and Alma. They are in their late 70's, early 80's and they played grandparents to my bro and me since we were small. They are sooooo interesting and have great stories to tell. After they left, I brought my neighbor Al a thank you card and gift for helping me to fix my car when I was stranded a month ago. I ended up talking to him and Nancy (his wife) for about 1.5 hours. It was great, they are really interesting too. Sunday I went to church with my parents, and then ate dinner, took pictures of the car (I'll have them up on my website soon..just you wait), and drove back to my other home, here in the Cities.

This week is a kick in the ass for me. I'm reminded why I enjoy thanksgiving, and then regret enjoying it every year. Every year, I bring homework home to do. Every year, I do some, but not ALL of it. Every year, I regret not doing ALL of it. With only 2 weeks and finals after thanksgiving 'break', there isn't much time to finish all the papers, projects, homeworks, and studying needed. So yup, I have two weeks left as an undergrad student...plus finals. Assuming I'll pass all my classes (no worries there), I'll be a college grad before the month is out. Scary huh?!? So yeah....Welcome to the home stretch.