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June 28th, 2009
09:33 pm - My little victory!
Every year I check my credit report with the three major agencies. And if you don't already know this, you can get your three agency credit report free once a year. This year, I decided to splurge and spend the extra $10 or whatever to check my credit score. I'll likely be applying for a car loan soon, so I want to know where I stand.
I have a credit score of 775! Yes, above 700. Holy shit! This means I have excellent credit. After screwing my credit entirely while in college, I have finally reached the ranks of the financially independent.
My only credit limitation is the $25K direct federal student loan I have, which is currently in deferment until I finish my graduate studies. It only has an interest rate of 4% and while in deferment it doesn't accrue interest anyway, so it's not really a worry to me. I will tackle it once I have steady employment outside of school.
The one negative account I have will go positive by September next year, given I keep it in the black. I have enough saved up in my banking account to buy a car with cash. Granted, it would be a small inexpensive car, but yeah. :D Go me!
I think I'm going to leave a few thousand in savings and take a small loan on the car anyway. I like having that padding in my bank account. For the moment (until my fellowship and scholarship run out), I'm making more than my expenses so I'm not worried about paying a small loan off pretty quickly. I will need to get proactive and start looking for replacement money once those sources run dry, though. I might actually take Dr. P up on his Teaching Assistantship offer. If I'm going to be a professor, I might as well start acting like one.
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April 8th, 2009
03:21 pm - My 20 min of zen
I live in a city. Not overly huge, but not small either. It has some pockets of rural areas though and my "long way" to school and back is along the River Rd that follows the Mississippi River. It's all cow fields and farmland. I decided to take my camera with me today and take some pictures to share. It's beautiful right now with everything in bloom and the sun shining. The temperature is wonderful too. Just cool enough to use the liner in the jacket, but not so cold that I need gloves. :)
I like to joke that my 20 min ride to or from campus along River Rd is my zen for the day. No one can reach me because I can't answer my phone. I don't have music to listen to. It's just me, the bike, and the countryside. It's a great way to de-stress after a long day.
Here's a slideshow of the route: http://s155.photobucket.com/albums/s292/carlagodzilla/20%20min%20of%20zen/?albumview=slideshow
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March 21st, 2009
10:02 pm - Facebook stole me away
I never update here anymore. Kinda sad, but Facebook is faster and read by more people. Still, it's nice to have this here for when I'm feeling deep and pensive. Or when I just want to share something that maybe I don't want all my cousins to know about...lol.
For instance: I've been watching this Spanish cop show (Los Hombres de Paco) to try and get my Spanish synapses firing again. The show is funny yet touching. I usually leave it playing in the background while I work on the computer. Just listening to the rhythm of the language is helping it come back.
Well, lo and behold, there is a very romantic and sexy lesbian relationship blossoming on the show. These two are so beautiful. This scene is their first kiss after a lot of uncertain flirting and tension. http://www.chakpak.com/video/ps-4x16-first-kiss/485062 I love the song that plays in this too. FYI: The guy freaking out at the end is the father of the redhead. He thinks it's the other guys daughter and sister in the bathroom. He doesn't realize it's his own daughter making out with the guy's sister. Tough way to find that one out.
So that's what's up with me. LOL That and a lot of motorcycle riding (she came back from the shop better than ever!) and homework. Life is a little monotonous right now. School, school, more school, and a little fun. I'm trying not to do anything self-destructive to break the monotony (like I usually do). Instead I'm focusing on myself. I want to go buy some 3-step acne stuff from Clinique and try some of their concealer, maybe get my eyebrows waxed, get some contacts or new glasses. I bought some sexy jeans, since I've lost some weight (and most of my stuff no longer fits). I still have some ways to go on the weightloss, but I'm getting there. Joan was joking that we should call up her friend CC (the girliest girly-girl we know) for a girly-day. Go have makeovers and mani-pedis. :) Sounds like fun.
Current Music: Radiohead - "All I Need"
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January 9th, 2009
08:48 pm - Parts on the way!
Woo! After a month and a half of no running bike, my parts are being shipped. UPS says they'll get here on Tuesday. I'm hoping a little sooner.
Class starts Monday, so of course, my free time will be nil again. I will make time to fix my bike though.
And reading Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance is nice motivation and inspiration. It's not about Zen and it's not about motorcycles...but it is. It's mostly about philosophy and Quality. But it's a good book. It also puts into words that feeling I get when I get stuck in fixing the bike. The example used is a screw that gets stripped (which has happened to me). You perception of that screw changes dramatically and suddenly that 50 cent screw is worth the entire cost of the bike, because without getting it out, it won't run. I'm over-simplifying it, and believe me, this book is quite heady stuff, but that's the part of it speaking to me the most right now.
Now I can't wait for my parts so I can apply what I've learned. :)
Current Music: David Gray - "Please Forgive Me"
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January 6th, 2009
03:23 pm - The Saga of the Office Chair: an Outline of Incompetence
I. Buy a computer chair from Office Depot.
A. Wrap it up as a Christmas gift.
B. Drag it under the tree on a blanket because it weighs close to 80 lbs.
II. She likes it, yay!
III. Go buy another one, so that we match while gaming. :)
A. The store is out of stock.
B. The price of the chair has gone up $50.
C. Never fear, a floor manager is here! Manager will gladly order you the same chair at the original price from the warehouse in Houston. It should be delivered the next day. In order to get the $50 off, it has to come from the warehouse (instead of another local store), but he'll drop the delivery charge.
IV. Anticipate delivery.
A. The weather is beautiful, bright blue, mild temps, calm breezes.
B. You could be out enjoying the day, but you have to wait for the delivery.
C. Call to check on the delivery.
1. There is a weather delay. (Really? WTF?)
2. You check the weather in Houston...all clear as well. (Huh.)
D. New delivery date is Monday. Whatever, you got $50 off and free delivery. Suck it up.
V. Anticipate delivery, take two!
A. Leave house briefly (an hour at most) to take Joan to work.
B. Sit at home all day, waiting.
C. Call to check status. It's on the truck, on the way. Okey-dokey.
D. Drive to pick Joan up from work (an hour and a half maybe).
E. Call to check status. They tried to deliver and no one was home. Mother&^#$*&^%s!
VI. Deliver the damn thing already.
A. Unmarked white van shows up on curb.
B. Man at door says he has an Office Depot delivery. Yay!
C. Unloaded and in the house, finally.
VII. After lunch, open box and begin assembly.
A. Most pieces out and looking good.
B. Curse in vain as the last piece is pulled out. The gray mesh fabric chair that you ordered has come with a black leather seat cushion. All the other pieces are gray mesh fabric. The box says on it in big letters, "GRAY MESH FABRIC". The pictures on the box show gray mesh fabric. But the seat cushion? Not gray mesh fabric.
VIII. Contemplate how people can go through their lives making such huge glaring mistakes and not be bothered by them.
IX. Contemplate why it bothers you so much.
X. Give up and put the chair together with a black leather seat cushion and a gray mesh back.
Well, okay, X didn't really happen. It sort of fits the whole zen mood I'm in though. Joan's on the phone with the manager right now trying to see how we can resolve this and get a seat cushion that matches the chair. Hopefully it will be something easier than, wait for another truck to pick it up and deliver another one.
Current Music: Weezer - "Pork and Beans"
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December 31st, 2008
09:46 pm - Back in the saddle
Wow. It's been over a month since I last posted. I guess I've gotten caught up in Facebook and neglected my little journal.
It's been a great year overall. It had highs and lows but in the end, most of the bad stuff was all in my head and turned out well in the end. A little gumption and a little unwillingness to let others determine my fate (and a lot of pushing from my better half) turned into success.
I end 2008 at 31 years of age, steadily working towards a masters degree, still in the running for the PhD, much happier about both of those things. I passed my test for black belt and am just waiting on the actual belt to arrive, but I'm already learning my new material which is awesome. I bought a motorcycle, fulfilling a dream I've had for over 10 years and even though it's not running at the moment (but I did trace that down to the fuel pump and it'll get fixed as soon as the stores open back up), I plan on putting a lot more miles on it in 2009. I made some great new friends, here at home and through the internet...school friends, biker friends, and gamer friends. I still struggle with anxiety at times, but I'm getting better at controlling it and I even managed to survive a week alone during Thanksgiving.
Yep, all in all, a fine year. I hope you can all say the same, and my the next year be even better! Happy New Year everyone!
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November 18th, 2008
02:38 pm - Grounded
I didn't realize how much I was taking my motorcycle for granted until it wouldn't start one morning. I'm assuming it's the sparkplugs that are the problem, since it has been getting harder and harder to start. Regardless, it's been an emotional and spiritual let-down not to be able to go ride, even with how cold it's been lately. It means that if I don't ride into campus with Joan and take the car back home, I'm stuck at the house all day. That means I can't sleep late if I want to be able to do anything, like buy the parts to fix the bike.
I finally did get the tools I need to change the sparkplugs, but now I have to wait til I have time to do it. I have a dinner meeting tonight and class tomorrow. Possibly tomorrow afternoon. I want to have it running by this weekend. I miss it. :(
Current Music: DeVotchKa - "How It Ends"
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November 12th, 2008
06:30 pm - Something just hit the fan....
The cable company knows not what they have created. Joan has been upset because they are systematically removing one or two channels from our cable lineup every few months. Today, we're missing three channels that were there not long ago. She is all manner of pissed off and letting them know about it. I figure it's their way of forcing people into digital cable, but she's not having any of that.
She's cute when she's angry sometimes.
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November 8th, 2008
01:44 pm - It's over!
Black belt test is a memory, and I feel like I did fairly well. Not as well as I could have. I started getting a panic attack right as we started, for crying out loud, but I'm proud of myself for pushing through it and continuing on when all I really wanted was to ask to sit out. I've also been having that weird breathing problem again, which distracts me. But I made it through forms and basics with only minor flubs, but then my stance could've been better, my moves weren't as sharp as they could be, and I shouldn't have flubbed any of the forms. So I guess there's still plenty of room for improvement, but I think come January I'll be tying on a shiny new belt. :)
I did manage to snag my toe up with Pasqua's foot at some point during knife defense. I felt it hit her foot and looked down and my second to last toe was pointing in the wrong direction. I tried to pop it back out, but it wasn't budging. I hobbled up to the testing board and asked my instructor to "please straighten this out before I can feel it." Hehe. Everyone seemed amazed later at the position it managed to get in. I'm just glad he was able to pop it back into joint and it doesn't seem to have broken anything. It's certainly very purple today.
I also got to break concrete! Woo! I did that with an axe kick after not breaking a different concrete slab with my hand. He decided to experiment with one he found in his back yard that just so happens to be a lot stronger. Go figure. :/ So after bruising my hand on that, he switched it out and let me do the axe kick. Then I punched through a board and did a knee strike on another. Fun fun!
We didn't finish til 10:30pm (started at 6:30pm) so it was quite a long night. We went out to eat afterwards, but I was so exhausted I don't remember much of it. I can't wait for January, assuming I did pass...which I think I did. My parents weren't able to come last night to watch me because of the horrible traffic (there was a 5-car+2-semi pileup on the interstate), but I hope they can make it to my promotion.
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November 7th, 2008
01:49 pm - It's on!
Tonight is the night. I test for black belt. I'm a little bit nervous, but mostly just ready to get it over with. I still get that washed-out, possibly-about-to-faint feeling sometimes in class, so I'm hoping that does NOT happen tonight. I hope I remember to save some energy in the tank to last the whole night instead of getting so stressed that I tense up and wear myself out after just doing basics. I hope Kimmie and I both have wonderful tests and that the rest of my friends have wonderful recertifications.
I had a nice filling lunch of thai food. I have a protein drink mix with me to mix with a bottle of milk before seminar. Likely I'll have to go straight from seminar to home and then directly to the dojang. There's no room for traffic, so I hope the roads are clear or I won't get any time to warm up.
I also hope that SBN had a good day today because the last thing I want or need is for him to be in a bad mood tonight. His father was going in to the hospital for something today and he's got some lawsuit hovering over him (I'm pretty sure I know what that's about...and the bastard just won't go away), so he's got plenty of reason to be bitchy. I hope something excellent happens to make him happy tonight.
And here's hoping I don't break my hand on the concrete I'm supposed to break. :)
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November 5th, 2008
03:26 pm - Things that make me happy
1) New presidents...especially ones I voted for. :)
2) Women's basketball! The first game is tonight. Exhibition game, but still...yay!
3) The mental image of a puppy in the White House.
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October 23rd, 2008
09:10 pm - Drugs
The legal kind. I finally made it into the doc for this sinus cold I've been having. Yep, it's an infection. I have a prescription of antibiotics and he told me my blood pressure looks well enough to take decongestant for a few days to help ease my symptoms. Finally!
I hope I'm feeling better next week and can get back into the swing of things with karate and running. I test for black belt in two weeks! Holy shit. Yeah, I need to be better for that. I've got my paper written, my forms filled out, my material learned. Just need to get my stamina up and work on the endurance exercises.
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October 19th, 2008
11:58 am - In other news...
I was given a conditional pass on my math comps. After intially being told I didn't pass, I petitioned and was given a decision based on the rules I started under. This means I have to make a B or better in the math class I'm currently in and another class in Numerical Methods. This I can do!
So I'm still a Mechanical Engineering PhD student. I'm feeling a whole lot better about grad school after having a little chat with my professor. Sometimes I wonder about him, but then we talk and I learn something completely new. I hope one day when I have my own grad students, I can put them at ease as well as he does.
I still can't believe I'm looking forward to being a professor. It's not something I seriously considered til I started this process, but now it seems almost pre-ordained. I always figured it would be something far off in the future, but it appeals to me now that I know more about the whole process. I'm still considering goverment work, but academia would actually be a lot more convenient and probably a lot more fulfilling. We shall see. The Wheel weaves as the Wheel wills. :)
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11:51 am - I apparently chose the wrong profession...
or I've just been watching too much Strong Bad.
Your result for The Commonly Confused Words Test... English GeniusYou scored 100% Beginner, 100% Intermediate, 100% Advanced, and 100% Expert! You did so extremely well, even I can't find a word to describe your excellence! You have the uncommon intelligence necessary to understand things that most people don't. You have an extensive vocabulary, and you're not afraid to use it properly! Way to go!
Thank you so much for taking my test. I hope you enjoyed it!
For the complete Answer Key, visit my blog: http://shortredhead78.blogspot.com/.
Take The Commonly Confused Words Test at HelloQuizzy
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October 15th, 2008
11:32 pm - Campy
Oh, by the way...we own a freakin' camp!! By popular demand, here are a couple of pictures. Maine is beautiful in the fall, no?
( Clicky for pickies )
I hope we get to go up and play soon...though we'll have to wait til next summer for swimming and such. Things are starting to get very cold up there.
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October 11th, 2008
01:12 pm - Things they don't tell you about grad school...
At least from an engineering standpoint:
1. American students do not have an adequate mathematical preparation in undergraduate engineering programs to compete with foreign students. You MUST supplement the requirements with additional math classes (a lot of them!) if you want to come close. Foreign students typically take classes in Advanced Engineering Math, Partial Differential Equations, Complex Analysis, etc. in their undergrads. American students don't.
2. You are responsible for understanding the rules and getting your paperwork done on time. Your major professor is there for guidance and moral support, but most likely, they have no idea what paperwork you have to turn in. You are second on their list of priorities, the first being research. Although if you are an RA, you are doing research, so you rank a little higher.
3. Make friends with the secretaries. They are your lifeline. They know EVERYTHING! They know exactly what forms you need to fill out and when, and they'll get it all signed for you if you are nice to them.
4. Apply for any and every scholarship you can find. It's nice to have money and it looks good on your CV when you head out into the workplace.
5. You can switch to Engineering Science and still end up as Vice Chancelor of Research at a University. Comforting to know that if you don't pass your prelims, there's still hope.
These are just a few things I've discovered on this "journey". It's been frustrating at times, but I feel like I'm getting somewhere...slowly.
Current Mood: ![[mood icon]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/mood/purplelemon/sassips/content.gif) zen
Current Music: Brandi Carlile - "Again Today"
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October 4th, 2008
03:52 pm - A brief history...
of my Hawai'ian vacation: http://s155.photobucket.com/albums/s292/carlagodzilla/Hawaii%202008/?albumview=slideshow
There's even a picture of me, looking like the dork that I am. :) These are just a sampling, but will probably bore you just the same. Suffice it to say, Hawai'i is very pretty.
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September 29th, 2008
08:03 pm - Stuff
Hawai'i was awesome, but jetlag is not.
We own a camp!
I'm so swamped with work!! Bah!
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September 17th, 2008
09:00 pm - It's been a while...
To those of you in Houston....holy shit! I hope you get your power back soon. And, um, your house is still there and stuff. It got windy here again as Ike lumbered past. I was scared that the tree couldn't handle another beating, but it turned out to be okay. Joan thinks we have a couple more roof tiles flipped up, but it'll hold til we get back from....
HAWAI'I! We leave Friday morning for a long-ass flight to the islands. Now that I've gone to the doctor and got some medicine for my stuffy chest, I can finally relax and anticipate an honest-to-goodness vacation!
And the closing on the camp is tomorrow! I will announce more about that later. I still don't want to jinx it, but here's hoping everything goes down smoothly tomorrow and Joan becomes the new owner of a sweet little camp on the lake where she grew up in Maine. Her family is all set to go celebrate up there for us, since we can't get up there for it. Joan wired up the money today and her mom has power of attorney to sign all the paperwork for her. Woohoo! Once it's all set and actually ours, I'll post some pics.
Of course, my vacation is not all about play. I AM a grad student after all, which means even on vacations, there is stuff to do. I finally have some real research to work on, not just exercises to bring me up to speed. An actual real-world engineering problem that needs solving. I'll have to find some cheap wifi in Hawaii or else go hunting around for someone's unsecured internet (since the hotel charges) to get emails back and forth to my professor.
I also need to study for my math class. The first exam is the Monday after I get back. Thankfully we get back Saturday at noon, after an all night flight. I am anticipating jetlag. I hope I don't freak out too badly.
And then there's the fact that I'm switching degree programs. My professor thinks the best route for me to go would be to do my PhD in Engineering Science. I can transfer my fellowship and scholarship over without any problems, and then I can pick another discipline to diversify my program. I'm thinking a blend of Mechanical Engineering and Industrial...but it can really be anything, so I'll have to do some reading while I'm away and see what jumps out at me.
I'd also like to actually finish reading Carmen's novel draft. It's damn good from what I've read so far, but I don't get time to read anymore. I think she's already started the editing, but I still want to read it. I'm so proud! I hope this one gets picked up for publishing. I'm praying for you, hon.
I've got so much to do tomorrow...homework to turn in, meetings with my math professor and my advisors, haircut! if she's available, laundry, packing!, figuring out the time difference so we can actually watch the LSU game Saturday (I think it's at 8:45am Hawai'i time).
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September 3rd, 2008
09:39 pm - Back online!
We just got power back on about an hour ago! Thank God!! It was only two and a half days out, but that's two and half days in an 80-degree, 80% humidity house. I hope it stays on. Please! We were able to go to campus today and eat breakfast and dinner. There's power on campus so we charged up the cellphones and soaked up the A/C while we were there. We can actually start cleaning up the house now, which is good, because we'll probably have company soon. My brother and his family and my parents may all be coming. They are still out of power.
Now we just have to find some food. The stores are slowly coming back up. BR is a wreck! Just to give those who have lived here an idea. This was worse than Betsy. Sustained winds of 61 mph and gusts to 91 mph. Trees are down EVERYWHERE. Thankfully everyone is staying sane and getting stuff cleaned up with a minimum of fuss. That's just what you do around here.
Tempers are going to start flaring though if the power stays out more than a day or two more. 3 days is about everyone's limit.
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