| [Date] |
[Mood] |
[Rant] |
[2006-01-24]
|
bleh |
Been a long time since I updated this. Work is good. It's getting near the end of the project, so things are getting rather crazy.
I plan on updating this site in the near future. There's a lot of really outdated stuff on here now that I'm out of school and no longer looking for a job. I also plan on updating www.pjas.net. My new found knowledge in CSS and web design should come in handy.
Also, be sure to check out The Dorkcast (www.dorkcast.com), a blog started by my buddy Dom about movies and such. I contribute to it every so often and the guys there know their movies, even if they're always disagreeing. There's also a podcast (which I host for them) that you can subscribe to via iTunes.
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[2005-10-04]
|
Felling better about life |
Work's getting a lot better now. Things are going well. Penn State is now 5-0. Ohio State's going to be the big test this weekend. Good luck Lions!
On another note, the kitchen hasn't gone much further than before. We've been busy, so not much time for cabinetry. Hopefully the weekend after OSU will be productive.
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[2005-09-16]
|
working... |
It's been a while since I posted. Basically, I sat around all summer and spent time with marisa. Now, I'm in the working world. Life is good. We're remodelling our rental house (yeah, i know, but it needs it). I put a new floor in my bedroom and we're in the process of custom building our own kitchen cabients. They're coming out surprisingly well.
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[2005-06-07]
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bored |
Still looking for a summer job. Anyone know of anything in the state college area?
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[2005-05-21]
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relaxed (finally) |
It's been a while, so I'll post something for the obsessive compulsives who click links in people's profiles every day...you know who you are ;)
Celebrated my 22 birthday last week up here at school. I missed the IST graduation, much to my dismay, but wish all of my friends the best of luck in life. I'll be joining your alumni status in August. WE ARE (and forever will be) PENN STATE!
I'm taking an online course now and applied to a few places to work as a cook for the summer. I'd like to take it somewhat easy before I really enter the real world. Hopefully, it'll be fun.
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[2005-05-05]
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Thought I was done... |
This was one of the toughest weeks ever. Aside from being my last real semester here, there's been a lot due in the last few days. I've completed a 15 page research paper on 5 hours sleep in 3 days, finished a website project 5 minutes before it was due only to have to spend another 6 hours fixing it again, finished a final project in 2 hours because we thought we had an extra day, and managed to piss off a bunch of people in the process of all this. Now, it seems I'll be up here for the summer. So, I need to find a job. I also need to finish another project that will probably require me to be in a debrief conference call on my birthday. Sounds like fun, huh?
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[2005-04-25]
|
senioritis |
1 more week
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[2005-04-05]
|
groggy |
being sick sucks. In other news, check out the poducation, a site I created for my INSYS 400 course.
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[2005-03-14]
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Not ready for school again |
And back to the grind... At least I got to sleep in a little over Spring Break.
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[2005-03-08]
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Maybe its a bad dream? |
It's official. I threw a rod. Or, to be more precise, my engine did. For those of you who are lucky enough to not know what this means, my car shoved a piece of steel that connects the pistons to the drive shaft? through the engine wall. This is a wholly remarkable feat because, from what I unserstood, engines are pretty tough. So, if you know anyone who might have a spare engine for a ford explorer laying around, please send them my way. Also, a random, interesting article about why PA is going downhill and I why I should be happy to be leaving for slightly warmer weather.
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[2005-03-05]
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Mobility challenged |
It's Spring Break! No better way to start it off than to have your car make funny noises all the way home and die completely with a dramatic billowing of smoke and a final release of all the oil in the engine only 5 minutes from the final destination. At least the tow truck driver was nice and didn't mind driving me and my mobility challenged vehicle back into PA for an hour.
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[2005-02-22]
|
Senioritized |
Trudging through school. Senioritis has hit. On the plus side, Marisa's 21st birthday was this past weekend, so we had a good time. THON was also this weekend. They raised over $4.1 million dollars, so that was cool. My roommate Matt danced and stuck out the full 48 hrs despite a 103 fever, so hes tough.
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[2005-02-10]
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excited |
CGI-AMS here I come! It's official
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[2005-01-28]
|
decisive |
Time to make the deicision that will impact the rest of my life. No pressure...no pressure
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[2005-01-26]
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Relieved |
WHOOHOO! Job offers finally coming in. Waiting to hear back from 1 more place, but if all goes as planned, I'll know not only which state I'll be in after May, but which company I'd be working for as well. Now, if May would just hurry up and get here.
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[2005-01-16]
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perplexed |
Interviewed with both Viecore and CGI-AMS over the past two weeks. I'v been impressed by the two of them and it's going to be a tough decision. Hopefully I'll make the right choice. And here I was worried I wasn't going to find any company I'd like to work for.
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[2005-01-10]
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bookish |
Back to school again. Here's to my last spring semester at PSU. Good thinig I've got a good schedule with wed and fri off. The only downside is that I have my FIRST 8am class in my last semester here.
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[2004-12-29]
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jolly |
Merry belated xmas! Hope you got what you wanted
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[2004-12-13]
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final |
Ahh. Finals week.
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[2004-12-09]
|
Senioritis |
Winding down to the last few days of class and the work is slowly getting finished. I'm looking forward to having some time off to catch my breath again. I'll have a few days off then 2 finals. I'd really like to meet the person responsible for scheduling a final exam for 8am!!! What were they thinking? With my sleep patterns the way they are now, I'll probably end up staying up all night just to make sure I'm up in time for the test.
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[2004-11-29]
|
stuffed |
Thanksgiving went pretty well this year. Got to have dinner with all the family(ies) and had a great time with some new friends. School is beginning to wind down and it's all hitting the fan again. Eh, guess it's that time of the year. What sucks is that it always seems to be 'that time of the year'
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[2004-11-05]
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not stressed? |
Job hunting is stressful. Too much schoolwork is stressful. Lack of money is stressful. Life is stressful. Need I say more?
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[2004-10-11]
|
Case of the mondays |
Got my acceptance into PMI today. Curious to see if this comes in handy. Recently, I've been leaning more towards strategic planning of technogoly, rather than project management. But hey, PM will always be important, so this will help me develop my skills (I hope).
In other news, the DG hayride was this weekend, along with an exciting football game. Both were a lot of fun, but it would have been nice to see the team win. At least we put up a hell of a fight.
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[2004-09-30]
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booked solid |
Projects are moving, although rather slowly. I feel like it's the end of the semester, but the projects are just getting off the ground. Trying to find time to squeeze the work for my regular classes in is becoming difficult. My calendar has never looked so full. On the plus side, we should have some office space pretty soon, so maybe that will become my retreat to get stuff done. Hope we have 24/7 access.
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[2004-09-27]
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non-Irish |
So much to do, so little time. Got back from Irish Weekend. Made a football weekend up here look like a family BBQ. In business news, 3Ape Development is finally getting off the ground (startup company im helping to create) and the other projects just need to get their asses in gear. Time will tell how well they work out. My goal is to just make sure they succeed.
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[2004-09-16]
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anguished? |
Yep, feeling again like I'm doing too much. Working on 2 outside projects, 2 semester long class projects, 3 gen-ed classes that I can't stand and actually have to do work for, and the rest of my life to contend with. Eh, story of my life. My immediate goal is to now try and get organized and start attacking the projects as early as possible. Yes, I do learn from my mistakes.
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[2004-09-13]
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Arrrrr!!! |
You are The Cap'n!
Some men are born great, some achieve greatness and some slit the throats of any man that stands between them and the mantle of power. You never met a man you couldn't eviscerate. Not that mindless violence is the only avenue open to you - but why take an avenue when you have complete freeway access? You are the definitive Man of Action. You are James Bond in a blousy shirt and drawstring-fly pants. Your swash was buckled long ago and you have never been so sure of anything in your life as in your ability to bend everyone to your will. You will call anyone out and cut off their head if they show any sign of taking you on or backing down. You cannot be saddled with tedious underlings, but if one of your lieutenants shows an overly developed sense of ambition he may find more suitable accommodations in Davy Jones' locker. That is, of course, IF you notice him. You tend to be self absorbed - a weakness that may keep you from seeing enemies where they are and imagining them where they are not.
What's Yer Inner Pirate?
brought to you by The Official Talk Like A Pirate Web Site. Arrrrr!
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[2004-09-12]
|
Weekend-ish |
Fajitas and 'ritas was a success last night. Big thanks to my roomate, George, who really made it all work. We had a lot of people over and served some awesome food/drinks. Next time, I think George wants to track down a Mexican flag in addition to the chili pepper lights and sombrero garland. We want to go for an all-out tacky party.
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[2004-08-30]
|
Happy |
Changed the navigation of my site and added a feature that publishes the songs I listen to live. I'm not sure how useful it is, but I think it's fun. I also got to play with XML parsing, so I guess I got something out of it, too. School starts tomorrow. I'm not ready to go back yet :-(
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[2004-08-26]
|
Ready for school |
Lot's happened since my last post. My internship at Mellon is over. I had a great time there and learned more than I expected. My manager gave me a great review and everyone really seemed disappointed that I was leaving. After leaving the burgh, I headed down the shore for a little. It was the first ‘vacation’ I’ve had all summer and it was VERY short. However, it was still nice to be able to relax for a little while. I’m now back at school and have lots to do. AT the top of the list is finding a job. My cash flow stopped when I left Mellon, but the bills didn’t. Such is life. I’m looking forward to my senior year. I definitely want to make the most out of it.
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[2004-08-11]
|
Ending |
And yet again, I am reminded that the advantages of having a car can sometimes be overshadowed by the costs associated with them. Literally. Took my car in for an inspection and suddenly my bank account runs and hides.
In other news, looks like the PRICE presentation will not be including the mayor (or any city council members for that matter). I'm then left wondering, what is the point of such a presentation (other than to parade us off) if the people making the decisions we're talking about aren't even going to be in attendance.
And finally, I'm in my last few days in Pittsburgh. On one hand, I'm looking forward to taking a few days off and hitting the beach and doing that school thing for the last time. On the other, it was kind of nice going to a job and doing REAL work and getting (almost) REAL money...even if it WAS in pittsburgh.
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[2004-08-04]
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Angry at PGH |
Today was another one of those days where I'd rather be anywhere than this city. I was fine earlier, but around 3pm, it suddenly got pitch black out and really windy. Then the downpour started. Then it stopped. Then I tried to get home on a bus that took 45 min to get me here because of the WONDERFUL traffic. Although some days I don't mind it here, you couldnt pay me enough to come back here today. Who in their right mind would want to come to a city where EVERYONE has to live OUTSIDE of it!? Don't they realize that all these people have to travel around the same times and that the roads here couldn't possibly support all this? Maybe I'll have to bring this up to the mayor when I talk to him next week. Ahh, the lovely PRICE event... Another thorn in my side. Well, might as well make the most of it.
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[2004-07-27]
|
Drained |
It's one of those endless, boring days where it's gray and rainy outside and I just want to be home in bed. Last night was a lot of fun (TDD interns and residents got to hang out at the Pirates game in a Suite with catered food and the upper management from Mellon). I just didn't want to get out of bed this morning. I was at PSU this past weekend. Had a great time there catching up with some old friends. The hard part was coming back here...
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[2004-07-17]
|
Weekend-ish |
Ahh. The weekend. Work has been continuing to go pretty well. I had the chance to have lunch with my mentor and really enjoyed it. He's a good person and easy to talk to with lots of experience and advice that he shares in a very un-intimidating way. On a much lighter note, I went to Mad Mex in Oakland last night with Adam and Val. The place was about as large as my bedroom and some girl was passed out on a table. I guess Pitt students know how to party too. Other than that, it was a good time. We ended up at D&B where a few games of professional shuffleboard were played. Marisa asked me if I was 60 years old when she called during a game. Gotta love her.
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[2004-07-13]
|
poor |
Went down the shore for the 4th and got to go to PSU for Arts Fest this year. It was a nice change from the corporate world. Also made me remember how much I like being at the beach or at PSU instead of the 'Burgh. Eh, oh well. At least the job's going well.
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[2004-06-27]
|
Aching |
Played paintball yesterday with the intern people. Lots of fun, somewhat painful, and good exercise (legs still hurt). Also saw Michael Moore's new documentary. Everyone should see this. I was very surprised to learn some of the things Moore uncovered. Other things, not so surprised. Anyway, go see it for yourself.
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[2004-06-15]
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Frugal |
It rains in pittsburgh too much. Work lost my paycheck...total amount in bank accounts? $3.73. Getting a cash advance and out of some debt tomorrow until my 1st check is cancelled and I get a new one. Been living off a budget of $5-7/day for the last 2 weeks. Not sure how much longer I can take this. I need to go food shopping, get a haircut, pay back my loan sharks ;-), and go out to eat. Have a Pirates game tomorrow with fellow interns. Should be fun.
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[2004-06-08]
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Well Oriented |
Had my first orientation for working in PGH today. Wasn't a mellon one, but for interns from all over the area working for financial companies. We also got a project to work on. We have to work throughout the summer to come up with ways to get people our age to STAY in pittsburgh. We will then present our findings to some VIP's from local government. I'm not too crazy about this seeing as: 1) this seems like a way for the PRICE people to get us to make them look like they're doing good for the region,
2) this sounds like an IST project sans technology, emphasis on the BS, and
3) I'm not all that crazy about the idea of staying here myself. Maybe if they can sell it to me (which they have been trying to do desperately today), I'll have a better time with this. On the plus side, my group seems like it will be fun. Just hope the PRICE people can provide what they're promising in terms of jobs and contacts. If not, this isn't worth it.
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[2004-06-04]
|
Content |
2 weeks down and not fired yet. Also haven't blown up the neighborhood, so I guess things are going well. Went to the Pirates game last night with Adam and Val. They lost, but we cheered for Penn State with the other rowdy PSU fans, so it was a good time. There was also a bench clearing brawl sans brawl - everyone just stood around. The bullpens even emptied, but no one was swinging. Oh well. Maybe next time.
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[2004-05-26]
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Happy! |
Work is going really well. It's been only 3 days, but I feel really comfortable there. Hoping I get paid soon, since money's getting tight. Adam and Val will be up here soon, so I'll have more friends up here to hang out with. Also, Marisa's coming up this weekend, so I'm very excited about that!
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[2004-05-21]
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desperate |
Had a birthday last week. I'm now able to legally buy a drink. Went out to eat with the family and had a great time. I eveb got back to my carnival to get a caramel apple.
Arrived in pittsburgh yesterday. My friends from high school couldnt be nicer. They're still talking to me even after almost blowing up the neighborhood...
To add to my streak of bad luck since i've been here, there was a huge storm last night and the basement got flooded a little. Im hoping this weekend goes better. As someone told me though, it can't get any worse....we'll have to see about that.
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[2004-04-29]
|
happy |
Been a nice end of the semester. I found out yesterday that I got the job with Mellon Financial Corporation. Now I need to find some housing in Pittsburgh for the summer. Also, my 2 final projects are going to be done after today. That means I'm completely done with classes until next year after today (no finals!).
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[2004-04-25]
|
cold, wet |
BBQ here last night was great. Lots of food, lots of people. Weather cleared up nicely, too. Going to have to do this more often. Anyway, I'm not off to build a yurt for my STS class in the rain and mud. Sounds like fun, huh?
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[2004-04-22]
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anxious |
Getting ready for the IST Future Forum. Going to crash tomorrow night. Better wake up for our BBQ sat. Look for a pic or two from the future forum display soon.
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[2004-04-19]
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Happy |
BEAUTIFUL weather now. Only 2 weeks of school left. Hoping to hear back from Mellon, but keeping an eye out for alternatives.
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[2004-04-15]
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exhausted, frustrated, tired, |
Week from hell. I haven't been getting much sleep, have too many meetings to keep track of, projects and work due every day, and it doesn't help that my mind decided to shit down. Two more weeks....two more weeks....two more weeks....
On a side note, I'm attempting to do my IST assignment for a class I thought would be different than it is. I find it interesting that every piece of reading material we get has been written by the prof and 80% of the citations in the back are from his other works. Something about this just seems wrong. I think its better to write a book based on what BOTH what you have found and what other people have found (at least for a text book/science book). This way, you support your ideas better. In the case of my prof (who wrote our text book, naturally), if his founding concepts turn out to be wrong, so will all of the books/articles he's written since then. And then everything I know will be wrong.
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[2004-04-05]
|
creative |
Thinking I should have been a graphic arts major...
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[2004-04-03]
|
curious |
I rode a Segway yesterday at the GDC. Very interesting sensation. Natural and unnatural at the same time. Im not sure if the Segway is all that useful, but the application of that sort of technology is interesting.
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[2004-04-01]
|
care free |
Clean Energy Expo and Green Design Conference this weekend at the Bryce Jordan Center. Come check out what my STS class has been doing for the last 2 days...
Also, fresh milk is great - support your local dairy farmers
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[2004-03-25]
|
Relaxed |
Work seems to have lessened up a bit lately. Taking some time to relax and enjoy things while I can....Its only going to pick back up again soon...
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[2004-03-20]
|
relaxed |
Only 6 weeks left in the semester. Where did the time go? So much to do, so little time. Wonder what i'll end up doing this summer...
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[2004-03-15]
|
Refreshed |
Back from Spring Break in Florida. Had a great time. Now have 3 projects due this week that need to be completed. Wish I were back in Florida, especially since they are calling for 4-8 inches of snow tomorrow. This must be winter's one final kick in the ass before it gets warmer (or at least I hope so). Anyway, here's to the family of the day...;-)
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[2004-03-05]
|
Relieved |
And done.
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[2004-03-05]
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excited |
1 more day to get through before Spring Break! Going to be a busy weekend before and after I'm in Florida - lot's of family stuff goin on. Congrats to my cousins Staci and David and their new son Alex. Can't wait to meet him.
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[2004-03-02]
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irritable |
4 days until spring break. Still have a project, test, and CAI document to overcome before Friday.
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[2004-03-01]
|
??? |
Came to an interesting observation a few days ago. Realized IST is just Integrative Arts for people who want jobs.
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[2004-02-29]
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tired....so very tired |
Working on lots of last minute stuff. Wondering if I'm going to sleep tonight. Probably not. Only a 1 more week to get through before Spring Break '04. Shame it's gonna be a tough one.
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[2004-02-29]
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excited |
Testing out the rant system. If you can read this, I succeeded.
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[2004-02-17]
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frustrated |
working on my site....getting frustrated easily
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