Edelweis, Stieg Larsson, and GAP wars

Thursday: After work I went with Phil and the gang to Edelweis, a charming little German pub with the most amazing Thursday special I've ever experienced. You can get a liter of beer for $5 and a brat with sour kraut for $3. I downsized to a 1/2 liter and then ended up having two of them. But all in all the cheapest dinner you can get. Also you get to rub elbows with Mike the accordion player and Richard Prichard and old (possibly senile) old man who as allegedly been married 6 times and showed us not only his moon rocks but some antique Chinese coins he's "not supposed to have." This week we also met Lupe and Carlos and their white, uber-friendly "bro" who joined our table unsolicited. They were fun. No harm done.

Friday: I got up and did... nothing. I read the rest of "The Girl with the Dragon Tatoo" by Stieg Larsson. Not going to lie, it was a little difficult at points because it's set in Switzerland and there are mentions of things I know nothing about and casual references to places I've never heard of and can't pronounce. Overall I really enjoyed it though. I suppose I also went to Chicken Express with Rachel Seo (not my roommate) so that was good. At least I left the apartment once.

Today: I went to check my mail and STILL don't have the work pants I ordered from the GAP at the beginning of LAST MONTH. Geesh! Can't even call them because they're not open on Saturday. Dumb. I went and got a couple of grocery items at Target and now I'm chronicling my less than thrilling weekend. Being broke is no picnic. You pretty much have to invent things to do for free or read books. I'm ok with it but it doesn't make for very exciting blog posts. I'll let you know how the sequel to my book ("The Girl Who Played with Fire") is when I finish it. Possibly this weekend unless I finish watching class lectures. Which reminds me I have several hours of that left to do. Gross.

Tales of a poor college student

I am still unemployed. I have a promising lead at a Dominos (so glamorous) but due to my apparent lack of employ-ability I'm not counting any eggs just yet. I've been trying to focus on school but the fact of the matter is when you have extra time it means you feel even less pressed to accomplish things. Like for instance, you'd think I would clean my room with my spare time, or exercise perhaps. No. I have been watching tv. Mostly reruns. Pathetic.

I'm in Manufacturing Information Systems and right now we are just learning about making html websites. I'm wondering if this will make me able to do anything nifty with this ol' blog here. Probably not but I can dream. And poke around. I have the free time.

At this point if anyone was following along here... I've officially bored them to death. Sorry guys.

Ob La Di Ob La Da Life Goes On

I love the snow but here's what I don't love. Getting "stuck" because the melty snow under your tires is about the consistency of snot. This happened to me yesterday when I left for the post office. The boys living at the house I lingered in front of came out and offered to push. I told them I was about to execute a plan to back up and turn around and go the other way. They thought that was my best strategic move. It worked. I escaped with merely a bruised ego. No big deal.

Second semester of my super senior year has begun. We are about a week in and so far, so good. Working on my first MIS assignment... a website! When I have something that works and looks half decent I shall direct you, dear reader (Mom). At this point I'm learning to make the most basic things happen with html so trust and believe you aren't missing anything yet.

Other classes seem ok so far. Just kind of warming up. It's too early in the race to be sure but I think it will be a good semester. Here's hopin!

She LIVES!

I have survived! I came through finals ok and I made it through "NonTrad Christmas/Marin Road Trip 2011" virtually unscathed. I did make a few idle threats on my sisters' lives but who wouldn't? That back seat got a little small there near the end.

I have started my intersession class (roughly 1/2 done!) and I'm thinking back on the good time I had New Year's Eve. Time for a list!

2010, thanks for...

...MSDA. It was hell-on-wheels while we were in the middle of it but in hindsight it was a great experience and it brought me closer to so many of my classmates. I love togetherness!

...Paper Conference in San Antonio. Again with the togetherness! So many good times...

...the most epic pub-crawl we've ever seen. I may have coordinated it...I only wish it was something I could put on my resume.

...the summer in the oil fields. I know nobody saw that coming but it really was an adventure and I made some great friends. Can't complain about that!

...my wide travels. I've never felt so grown up as when I've been terrified that I would be lost, and then wasn't. I never got really lost and I did it all without Garmin SanDiego!

...Kyle. He's kinda cool. I sorta like him. But seriously he's fun and sometimes you need more fun in your life. :)

2010, what the hell?!...

...Susan & Mahjabeen leaving. Uncool. I'm going to be bitter with you about this for a while.

...Simulation. I knew it had to come around eventually but it was PAINFUL.

...The financial-aid-scares: the 2010 edition. Seriously I'm about on a first name basis with the graduate school and the financial aid people who have to do their black magic to get me my money. This is ridiculous.

2011, I'm excited you're here. Kudos on starting things off right. Always important to make a good first impression. Here's to hoping you and I have a good run!

Finals: Day 2...summary

Day's Stats

Finals: 0 (ish...take home requires attention)

Hrs. of sleep: 8 (ish... it's a Christmas miracle)

I basically spent my day working on my take home final for Advanced Econ. 9:30 to approximately 4 (except for lunch... I nuked soup and made a grilled cheese for those concerned about my nutrition during this difficult time). Put a good dent in it. Should be able to wrap it up tomorrow. This evening was all about SIM with Ed. I worry our model is too simple but then I remember it's possibly because our class models were SO CRAZY. Whatever. We've committed. It'll be fine.

Next maneuver: Go to bed. Again at a decent hour...unless Conan gets good. Finals week sucks but somehow I'm working in more sleep... how does that happen?

Tomorrow's plan: Get to school by 9ish and just start annihilating that econ final. Go team!

Finals Day 1.5

Captain's log--Star date: 12/13/2010 00:08 central time

Current coordinates: Durland Hall

Status: Groggy

I managed a nap this evening after dinner and cleaning the kitchen (it was bad and I had to clean it before the health department found out). It was supposed to be for 20 minutes but because I'm tired and our microwave clock is way wrong I miss-set my alarm and overslept (a whole hour nap!) and left Ed to fend (simulate) for himself. Woops. Good news, he forgave me.

Tomorrow's agenda: 9am begin Advanced Econ take-home final in earnest. Work until 2 or 3 when Ed and I begin working on SIM. Eat at some point... fill all spare time with Econ Final. Try not to fall asleep on my computer.

Next maneuver: go home and go to bed at a decent time. Tomorrow should be good.

I live to simulate another day...

So SIM got done Friday at 9:10pm and I promptly went to get my fun on. Power hour at Brant's is always a good way to start the night. :) Actually before that I took a break to have Birthday dinner with Kyle. He took me to 4Olives which is swanky-er than I knew. It was AMAZING. He also brought me flowers. Very pretty ones...

See? :)

He's a nice boy. Anyway, the rest of the weekend was pretty much engulfed by sports. The cats won but I didn't see it live because of the crazy weather and my wimpy outlook on said weather. But it was ok because watching it at Leslie's over pizza sitting on a couch was much more enjoyable than sitting through the end of the cold and then through some steamy heat and burning sun to watch my cats play like a high school team and just pull out the win in the end. Anyway I digress. We spent some time with Preston (Kyle's BFF) and his family that evening and then some more time with friends in Aggieville. Today we watched the Chiefs game at Tubby's (again with Preston and his girlfriend Alex) before Kyle left for home. They won too. Which is good because I figure Kyle would be crabby if they lost. He'll be in fine gloating mode since my Broncos lost too. Awesome for me. Anyway. I digress again. This evening I went to play flag football for my department. It was double header night and we just couldn't pull out a win to save ourselves. But true to our unofficial name, we will show continuous improvement (team Kaizen!). Football is always fun even when we lose.

We get our next SIM project tomorrow (it's technically posted now but I'm too scared to look at it) and I have to knock out a quick CAM lab report tomorrow before class so tomorrow is shaping up to be super fun. On the bright side, Stacey brought me cookies tonight for my birthday so I have those to look forward to...

PS Chicago pictures are uploading and I'll try to pick out highlights to post soon. I'm just too tired to do it now.

Desi food makes you sleepy

***Before I say anything else, my mother pointed out that my last entry implied I flossed my teeth for the first time ever. I would like to point out that I have flossed many times before, it's just...been a little while... nobody tell Melvin!!!***

So day two of school was pretty good. I only have one class on Tuesday Thursday (T and TU as the University calls them) and it looks like it's gonna be easy. John and Matt (a guy in my department and a friend of another guy in my department) are in it with me so if nothing else I'll have study buddies (but I reinforce that I don't think I'll need them that bad). When I finished with that I went and transcribed my notes from paper to OneNote (if you haven't tried it you should-- it' s pretty great!) and then went home for lunch. I spent my afternoon doing a couple errands and then I helped Mahj make some desi food (the main event of my day...maybe my week). I made palak paneer which is literally translated spinach cheese. It sounds sketch, it looks suspect, but it tastes pretty good. We had all kinds of food and I ate enough for at least three normal sized people and possibly enough for a small child as well. It was amazing.

I would have stayed at Em's eating all night but I had to grade a quiz (thankfully... I think that much food could kill a person). I went to bed early so that I could get up EARLY (6 am...which I considered sleeping in this summer...oh how times have changed) to go swimming (I had to try to compensate for all that eating I did...). Since I was up I decided to blog. I know you are riveted by all this recapping...settle down.

Tonight is "old" roommate dinner with my girls Leslie, KVD, and Stacey. Gumby's! I'm excited! I figure since I'm off to such an ambitious start, my day is gonna be pretty good. I'll let you know how it goes.

Showing Dad that I'm no fool...

Today was the first day of school...hooray! It's been a couple days so quick recap of what you've missed (not much):

I am no longer jobless! I am grading Operations Research 1 for Dr. Wu. I am supremely thankful for this because 1) I needed a job that fit my schedule and grading rocks in this aspect and 2) I can't work at the GAP in real life because I would spend all my paychecks on their clothes (that arrangement only works in my dreams). I got my first quiz to grade today (Yup, day one... Wu doesn't mess around)

I've also decided not to mess with the title of the blog... so what if my life is no longer an adventure? I fixed the tagline anyway... I'll change it when my girl J Greene tells me what to change it to alright?!

I did go see Vampires suck with Scarlett and it was... a movie. Like those Scary Movies they made it is really awkward... I dunno.

Farmer's market was delightful. I got cherry tomatoes, edamame, and peaches. All tasty.

IE pub crawl was, as expected, lots of fun. Hitting the ville with my people is always a good time and it's just so good to get the band back together.

Sunday I discovered tamarind sauce. It's better than any condiment I have ever had. I can't do it justice in words so get to a store with a desi (Indian/Pakistani) food section and get you some. It will change your life.

So that brings us up to today. I didn't sleep well last night because I flossed my teeth last night and my gums hurt something terrible and I think I was excited to get started with the semester. Even so it was a good day. I started by visiting the office before class... there were PW cinnamon rolls and they were AMAZING.

First class was simulation with Dr. Wu (who doesn't mess around) and he told us (as he tells all his classes) that his goal for day one was "enrollment reduction" and he informed one of the grad students (who do all their projects solo) that project two (which will take something like 200 hours) was going to be...well... he said "if you alone...you get killed" (all in his fantastic Chinese accent). Good start to my day. I then sat through Computer Aided Manufacturing (CAM) and then Advanced Engineering Economy. Advanced Econ will be fun because it's an Easton class. CAM...well it'll be CAM.

Tomorrow is my last UGE credit, Urban and Regional Economics. I don't know what to think about this at this point. We'll see. After my one class tomorrow we get to meet our freshman "buddies" and talk to them about time management and all that good orientation crap. Should be fun. I'm just crossing my fingers that for once the kids I am assigned will actually show up and be in our department. The last two years I've had non-existent kids. Fortunately there are always unaccounted for orphans for me to adopt.

Tomorrow night is desi food night to say goodbye to Mahjabeen who leaves for NYC on Thursday. I promised not to cry... the jury is out on whether or not I'll deliver on that. I guess if it get's misty I can just cuddle up to some tamarind sauce or samosas...