| Locked |
[Mar. 3rd, 2009|01:15 pm] |
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This blog is now locked. |
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| Fourth Thursday in November |
[Nov. 27th, 2008|12:06 pm] |
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Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! Be sure to get your Recommended Yearly Allowance of tryptophan today. |
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| 30 years ago today... |
[Oct. 14th, 2008|02:02 pm] |
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Today, give thanks to former President Jimmy Carter, who — thirty years ago today — signed the bill into law that allowed Americans to brew beer in their homes.
"Sometimes when I reflect on all the beer I drink, I feel ashamed. Then I look into the glass and think about the workers in the brewery and all of their hopes and dreams. If I didn't drink this beer, they might be out of work and their dreams would be shattered. I think, 'It is better to drink this beer and let their dreams come true than be selfish and worry about my liver'."
— Babe Ruth |
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| Ever have one of those days? weeks? lifetimes? |
[Sep. 12th, 2008|01:40 pm] |
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My father told me a story once about a psychologist. He hired a guy to chop wood for a reasonable rate of pay. After an hour of working, the psychologist went out to the hiree and told him, "I'd like you to do something for me. I'll pay you four times our agreed-upon hourly wage, but I want you to use the blunt side of the axehead. I don't care how much wood you cut."
The woodchopper, albeit a bit befuddled, agreed. After ten minutes he came back to the psychologist and told him, "I can't work for you any more. It's good money, but I just can't do it.
"I gotta see the chips fly."
That story feels particularly poignant to my situation right now. |
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| I should be dragging more than I am... |
[Sep. 11th, 2008|12:25 pm] |
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About midnight last night I realized that I still hadn't done anything about a beef stew I had promised to bring tonight. Thank goodness for 24-hour grocery stores.
I finished preparing it and set it to start cooking about 2:30 AM. It then took me about an hour to wind down enough to go bed. Amazingly, I didn't really have that much problem waking up this morning. I guess because I've been responsible and have been getting a decent amount of sleep each night (for a change).
When I checked on the stew this morning before I left to work, it had been cooking not quite six hours. It's supposed to cook for 8-12 hours, so it was really only about half done, and yet I was... disappointed. I've not tried this recipe before, but it's a pretty simple stew (beef, potatoes, carrots, celery, onion, tomato base, salt, pepper, and a little vinegar). I don't know. Maybe it's because I felt a bit rushed due to my own procrastination. I'm sure it will work out fine, it will taste great, and I'll have nothing to worry about. Maybe it's that I haven't cooked much in a while. Maybe I just didn't really get enough sleep, and we've got a deadline tomorrow at work, and I'm a little too stressed to be my usual optimistic self.
Back to work... Oh, wait — it's lunch time. |
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| So, this isn't a bad thing... |
[Aug. 27th, 2008|09:01 am] |
I'm not used to not having to wake up so early.
I've trained my body to wake up between 6:30 and 7:00 now. This was so I could get on the road by 7:30 to make it to work by 9:00. Well, now I can get on the road at 8:00 and be at work by 8:30. So, theoretically, I could be sleeping in longer.
But I'm not.
I have fought my anti-morning tendencies most of my life, to varying degrees of success. Now I'm finally conditioned to waking when I should be, and I don't want to slip into old, bad habits. |
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| So... bloody... tired... |
[Aug. 25th, 2008|11:44 am] |
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I cannot remember when I was this tired. But I have been completely relocated to Westchester.
I have great love for ![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif) bigevil, fuzzygondol, 6sixofswords6, spondee, and teacherriki for spending blood, sweat, tears in helping me in this monumental task.
If I never have to do this again, it will be too soon. Gawd, I hate moving.
Soooooo tired... Have unpacked many of my clothes so far, emptying my suitcases and two boxes. The computer isn't set up yet, but the laptop is connected to the wireless network here.
Brain is not quite working yet. Legs, and more to the point feet, feel like they're going to fall off. I don't think I did anything detrimental to my back, even after moving the TV and the fridge down those damn stairs. We'll see tomorrow morning.
At least my commute just shrunk from 35 miles to 10 miles. |
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| 4900 Clair Del, Signing Off |
[Aug. 24th, 2008|08:28 am] |
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I am so vastly indebted to cburgess, eowyn42, and above all, the dear, sweet teacherriki, I do not know how I can repay them. Without their help, this move would not have been possible.
I'm about to pack up the computer and electronics now, so this is my last post from Long Beach. I moved in exactly four years ago tomorrow. It was a good run.
Have a beautiful day, America. |
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| Another letter meme, this one courtesy of fuzzy_queen |
[Aug. 22nd, 2008|04:12 pm] |
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Comment and I'll give you a letter; then you have to list ten things you LOVE that begin with that letter. Afterward, post this in your journal and give out some letters of your own.
( I was given C ) |
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| Inconceivable! |
[Aug. 21st, 2008|09:57 am] |
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Cracked.com is a wonderful web site, in a purely Pointless-Waste-of-Time kind of way (and if you already are familiar with the site, you know why that's funny).
In this case, I am happy to point out a recent article of theirs, entitled, 9 Words That Don't Mean What You Think. |
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| Sunday, Sunday, SUNDAY!!! |
[Aug. 20th, 2008|04:01 pm] |
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The truck has been reserved for Sunday. This whole "moving" thing is finally getting real. |
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| Historical signficance today |
[Aug. 19th, 2008|02:18 pm] |
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I had a bit of insight this morning, spawned by a quote I heard recently. Due to its basis in the modern significance of historical events, the obvious course of action was to bounce this idea off my father, a professor of American history and a costant student of history all of his adult life.
I thought I'd share our exchange here, for those who find this sort of thing interesting. The topic in question is this: "Do the lessons of the American Civil War remain relevant and pertinent today?"
( First, my 'insight' )
( My father's response ) |
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| Awww... man! |
[Aug. 18th, 2008|08:01 pm] |
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Well, this is sure to set all sorts of jokes in motion. Videos on YouTube will be popping up faster than rabbits in the spring. |
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| Architecture School |
[Aug. 17th, 2008|10:26 pm] |
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Way back in 1997, I started at the University of Southern California School of Architecture. This post is not about that.
The Sundance Channel is doing a television series called "Architecture School." It's basically a reality show filmed at Tulane University School of Architecture, and follows one studio class through one semester (or year, possibly) wherein they compete to design an affordable house. The "winning" design will then actually be built by those students in Central City, New Orleans, as the third such construction in a joint program between Tulane and the community to help people move back into quality homes following Katrina.
I bring this up because (1) having seen the pilot episode (available for free download from iTunes), it is the most accurate portrayal of architecture school and students I have ever seen on any screen, and (2) because two of my brothers, from the Hadrian Chapter of Alpha Rho Chi, are featured in this show: Casey and Ian.
Gentle reader, I urge you to check out this show. If you ever were an architecture student, you will recognize the same experiences you went through. If you were not, then you can get a better understanding of what I went through for two years, and what most of my friends and colleagues went through for four or five years.
Direct iTunes link here. More information and some clips can be seen here. |
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confused