Things that I would never think of in a million years I would never, ever, be walking along on day and suddenly realize that it might be possible to use a human head as a bong. Who thinks of this stuff? Regardless of who thinks it up in the first place, exactly what kind of person would think that it was such a good idea that they would then go to a cemetery and dig up a casket to procure the aforementioned head? I mean, really.
This is officially the oddest thing I've read in a while. And I read some pretty weird stuff.
Actually, having been told horror stories about Texas by my mother for most of my life (which really isn't fair, as I don't think she's ever been to Texas?), I was prepared to move right into the depths of hell when I moved here.
I hate to break it to you, Mom, but it's not nearly as horrible as you think. Granted, I've only seen this little corner of it, but still.
Although, I think we're giving hell a run for it's money, temperature wise. I'm just sayin'.
Alarm clocks screaming / monsters calling my name Umm.... so this sounds like the worst idea ever. Who would sign up for this? If someone ever said to me, hey, let me take the worst most terrifying moments of your life and recreate them in virtual reality so you can relive them... I would run, far far away. I have no idea of the therapeutic value of such things... but yeah, it seems like a really bad idea.
We're going to pretend that last week didn't happen, because I totally sucked at life and got nothing accomplished habit-wise. I might have even slipped back a bit, on the journaling. So no new habits this week... just work on keeping up with what I have.
Habits I have already started working on:
Try to journal (in a paper journal) for at least five minutes every night. If nothing else, record how well I followed my habits that day.
Planning meals for the week, every Friday/Saturday.
Getting the dishes done every night, not leaving anything until morning.
Keep up with the laundry.
Taking time to take care of me... This includes:
Actually using the Clinique face wash system I've been claiming to use for like, 3 years, but haven't actually used as I was worried about having to buy more when I ran out.
Flossing my teeth.
Taking time to read/do something else just for me.
New Habits for the week:
Take my vitamins. Every day. At least twice a day.
Pancakes piled up til they reach the sky... IHOP bought Applebee's?... I'm not sure if this means good things for IHOP, bad for Applebee's, or both. Although, I would like to see Applebee's start serving pancakes. (I say this, but I actually can't remember when the last time I was at an Applebee's was...)
Related to Saturday's SMS post... Another (somewhat overlapping) online group devoted to meal planning every week, hosted by Org Junkie.
Monday: Chicken Alfredo with French bread. Tuesday: Cheddar Macaroni Beef Casserole Wednesday: Sweet & Sour Pork Chops with Mashed Potatoes and Peas. Thursday: Spaghetti with French Bread Friday: Crock Pot Chicken Noodle Soup
So I'm attempting to start good habits, right? It turns out, there's a whole little community of bloggers, doing more or less the same thing. The Smart Habit Saturday idea is hosted by The Lazy Organizer, so I figure I'll give it a try.
So. Habits I have already started working on:
Planning meals for the week, every Friday/Saturday. This one is actually going pretty well, as I was in this habit before school and everything got the better of me. It's been pretty easy to pick back up
Getting the dishes done every night, not leaving anything until morning. 6/7, with the off day being Friday night. Weekends = hard to keep routines.
Keep up with the laundry. I only have like, one load of clothes in the hamper. I think this is a first since living in Texas.
Taking time to take care of me... which I've been truly really bad at. This includes:
Actually using the Clinique face wash system I've been claiming to use for like, 3 years, but haven't actually used as I was worried about having to buy more when I ran out. I think I'm on about three weeks with this one, and it's going ok. It definitely helps to have an evening routine... gets me ready to go to sleep.
Flossing my teeth. I suck at this one. Probably 4/7 this week.
Taking time to read/do something else just for me. Not too bad... I certainly have enough on my reading list. ;-)
New Habit for the week:
Try to journal (in a paper journal) for at least five minutes every night. If nothing else, record how well I followed my habits that day.
del.icio.us In case you're interested, I've started using del.icio.us for bookmarking things I might want to access later... storing everything as e-mails to myself or starred items in my reader wasn't working out to be the best. Mostly, you'll find usability info I want to refer back to, etc, but there's a few games and other funny things posted there.
Quote of the Day: From this article: The whole thing is the visual equivalent of a moronic clip-art jumble sale poster designed in the dark by a myopic divorcee experiencing a freak biorhythmic high. ~ Charlie Brooker on poor interface design
You're usually feeling the love for the world around you - you want to hug everyone. And while you're usually content to sit back and view the world with wonder... Sometimes you're world becomes very overwhelming and a little scary.
Mark your calendars! The Texas RenFest website is up and running for the year... if any of y'all end up in Houston any of those weekends, let me know. I'll totally be looking for an excuse to go as often as possible. :-)
Tiny tiny kitties :-) So Chad and I spent some time looking at tiny tiny kitties online yesterday... I am thinking about aquiring another one. Chad's mom, interestingly enough, is thinking about sending me one (or 5) of hers... but none of them are tiny tiny.
However, I pointed Chad to this (nsfw!) comic, and he said now he won't buy me a kitty for my birthday. ;-) (interesting side note, that strip is actually one of my favorite interactions between those two characters... I miss Queen of Wands).
Today is going to rock. I have decreed it. Plus, I just finished my homework, so as soon as I'm done giving make-up tests and goign to class and stuff... I'm done for the day. Chad will be home early, to help me confront the exterminators that are failing at exterminating... and then we can like, go to dinner or something fun. Also, I got to look at my new pretty daisies that I planted in the front yard this morning, and they made me happy. I like daisies.
I decided the birthday crown thing wouldn't work so well here at rice... *sigh* So I'm wearing my Jessica Rabbit shirt instead. I'll probably dress up to go out tonight (just because I can, and because I fit into a bunch of cute dresses and stuff I couldn't wear last year)... we shall see.
anyway. I suppose I'm going to find something to so for the next however long I'm giving make-up exams (hour, maybe?)... meanwhile... place this quote: Daisies are the friendliest flowers.
You're a total perfectionist. So go ahead and congratulate yourself on a "perfect" score. The truth is, everyone is sick of living up to your standards. And you're probably even sick of them yourself.
Punch an' Pie New webcomic, from the same writer who brought you Queen of Wands... Different artist, though, whic kills me. Aerie should have kept up the drawing. Anyway, this is a spin-off about Angela, who in some strange way I think I liked better than Kestral anyway.
"I like hats... no wait, that wasn't it." I so need this hat. Seriously. With a hat like that, and a pinstripe suit... I would be a fox. (or a pimp, if I got some platform shoes and a cane and stuck a feather in the hat). Ha.
PostSecret PostSecret (nsfw!) is a constant (and sometimes very much needed) reminder that I'm not the only one, and that there are a great number of people in the world who are more screwed up than I am, and have bigger problems than I do.
Last post of the night, I promise. Classic Foamy always puts me in a better mood... "But it's ok, cause I have the pills, to cure the death." Ha.
Chad has grown to hate me watching Foamy... not because he doesn't like Foamy, but because I walk around the house for *weeks* saying crazy things like "medicated baby-heads!" at random intervals. However, I just think that my randomly intervaled Foamy quotes are revenge for his equally random multiplicity quotes ;-)
The sky pours out biblical rain / Then days so still the beauty gives you pain [whining] My back still hurts. [/whining] Nothing new there.
It's really freakin' cold here. Just in case you wondered. We're too far south to have gotten a lot of the ice and stuff, but cold cold rain... yeah, not much fun. They closed Rice this morning (when I didn't have class), but are open all afternoon (when I have class).
But this (nsfw!) made me laugh today... Because I am sick and wrong. But then, I suppose, that's why I read PennyArcade.
Also, for like, the first time ever, I'm totally ahead on homework. Not only am I ahead... I've been ahead for two days. Yeah, really. I finished everything yesterday that was due this week... got assigned a new homework yesterday afternoon, and finished it just a few minutes ago. So yeah. I might get to enjoy my weekend (well.... I know I'm going to get assigned a pile of journal articles to read over the weekend. But it was a nice thought).
Sinfest omg... Sinfest hit the nail on the head. Again. (Although "hangover" might not be the most appropriate title, as my grogginess is caused by muscle relaxants (we assume) these days).
While we pray to the god of the lesser things... I talked to my mom last night... which is always interesting. Apparently, Chad and I have caused a stir with the relatives (that is to say, my dad's relatives) by not planning to be in Huntsville on December 25th. So now, the whole world (which is to say, the Glasscocks, the Jacksons, and the Cambpells) is in an uproar, and Christmas is in the process of being moved. To some unknown time. I have an equation for this...
(5 Glasscocks + 5 Jacksons + 2 Campbells + 2 Hammons) = (10 fulltime jobs + 4 part time jobs + 3 full time students + 1 business owner + 5 sets of in-laws) = impossible to find a time when we can all be together.
My mother seesm to think I really have my life in order, too, which is funny... I guess she just sees her little girl, grown-up, married, owning a house and going to school somewhere that no normal person can afford (hell, I can barely afford it, and I'm not paying tution). And I see... I don't know. Someone who's still wondering how she got a license to be a "grown-up" in the first place... I mean, who really thought that was a good idea? Someday, someone will figure out that I'm really a little kid running around pretending to be a grown-up... and they will revoke my grown-up card. And then where will I be?
I guess talking to my mother makes me introspective or something... who knows.
So I finished my final paper for I/O at like, 11:30 or so last night. Yay for meeting deadlines (by the skin of my teeth, but still). And now I have to go turn it in... this is the last week of class. Yay! (or something).
Um.... yeah. interesting image from PostSecret, sums up my thought on lots of things.
And the lyrics (or portions of them) from the song I took my title from.... one my mind since the wind has been blowing like crazy (cold wind, too.... brrrr).
It looks a lot like givin' up Peace we bring is a bitter cup Set our bodies down like offerings While we pray to the god of lesser things
If the wind should shake this house apart The cradle hits the ground with a broken heart Will we say we never knew a thing? While we pray to the god of the lesser things
Ash to ash and dust to dust Steel on steel or rain to rust What mortal breath blood money brings Forth from the altar of the lesser things ~ Jars of Clay
[I]t unfolded about the way I expected: two teams roughly evenly matched in their incompetence; one winning in the end only because at some point the game had to end and one of them had to win.
To be honest, I had planned on tracking the game through the intarweb (since watching wasn't going to be possible)... but long story short, I didn't. Between Christmas shopping, Chad coming home from roleplaying, and my knowledge that both teams were going to suck... yeah. It didn't happen. Which means, sadly enough, I didn't watch a single State game all year. Which is actually kinda depressing, but not as depressing as the fact that we haven't won more than 3 games in a season in the last 6 years.
Don't get me wrong, I still bleed maroon and white. And given the chance to go to a live game, I'll go no matter how bad I know we'll suck. :-) But it would be nice, at some point, to have a tiny bit of the crazyness (and winningness!) that we had my freshman year... Maybe next year?
ps... yeah, I know the pic is broken, I have no idea why. I'll fix it, as soon as I figure it out.
AI continues to amaze me... ...in fact, even though I have studied AI and know (more or less) the concepts behind it, it's really still kind of magic. Take for instance, this article, stolen from David. Amazing.
Another type of (less human) AI, Pandora, a customizable radio station program based on the music genome project, is also amazing. Probably the best ever "learning" radio station I have ever used. Way better than Launchcast. Check out my girly music station.
Interfaces, Internships, and... Houses? If HCI had an equivalent to X-Games, this project would be part of it. Ultimate HCI... move the computer into the brain!
So my intership is going amazingly well, considering the fact that I don't think I've really accomplished much. Everyone else thinks I have accomplished a lot, and I suppose that's what counts. I'm giving a presentation to upper level management the first week in August on my work with Common Components, and I have the potential to keep this job in some form or another during the school year. Which would be cool, but might actually require me to, I don't know, move to a planet with 30 hour days.
And we're thinking of buying a house. Torn, actually, between buying something sensible and, you know, cheap... and buying the house we really want. We're looking at about a $50k difference between the two, which is, interestingly enough, the price of a 2007 Shelby Mustang GT500. (not that we could get both... I'm just saying is all). We should figure something out, pretty shortly, I hope. The possibility of continueing my internship has changed the situation some... So yeah. Decisions are more complicated when you are a grown-up, I guess.
Good news and bad news... Bad news... DDO is broken. The system is down, yo. Stupid Java coders out there, relased a new module and broke the whole damn thing. and tech support is no help, since the whole thing is broken and not just you know, one or two people. (see Foamy on Tech Support (nsfw)).
Good news... I got a job! And i didn't have to turn it down! I was offered an internship at Landmark Graphics (part of Halliburton). I'll be doing icons and documentation and stuff, and I should start on Monday.
Willer... Don't fret. You'll weather through it. My archives were "broken" for like, 6 months on time after my mom found my blog. So I know what you're going through. I saw a shirt at Hot Topic today that said "I blogged your mom" and almost got it as a belated birthday present, but wasn;t sure if it would be appropriate. :-)
TomTom I so wanted a TomTom system before I read this. Now I really want one. With John Cleese's voice. Because that is funny. And would make me feel like James Bond or something (assuming I drove somehting more hip than a Ford Tempo, I guess).
More Serenity Here's a take on Serenity by Tycho, of PennyArcade fame. Really it doesn't say much new, but reinforces the fact that, yes, I must watch the series. And that at some point during the watching of the series, I'll be like, "Oh... Suddenly it all makes so much sense." :-)
Make a Bong? This is a google cached page from a site on bongs... mostly how to make them. Come up when I was ego surfing on google. Thought it was funny...
Finally finished my take home test. Or at least, the part I've been given so far. Should get the rest tomorrow... will probably finish it about midnight Wednesday night, because it's spring and I am extremely unmotivated. I also found out that the paper that I thought was due like, the beginning of May is actually due like, two weeks from today. And I have to make a presentation on it. *rolls eyes and flops face first into pillow* Why am I staying in school? I don't know!
I now officially hate triangles. And eHarmony commercials are annoying. Just thought I'd let you know.
Anyway. I need to find something cold to drink. And figure out when Chad will be home. And go to bed.
Was sick yesterday... all day. Feeling kinda blah today, but no fever. Big Mike and Jenna came over last night, which was cool because I hadn't seen them in forever. When they left, I was extremely tired, and didn't really want to deal with people... so Chad ran to Wesley to talk to people, and I stayed home. Which apparently caused some sort of weird strife between people, and when Chad said he was coming home to cook dinner for me, someone called him fat :-/ I wasn't trying to be anti-social, people... I was just sick, and didn't want to see anyone. I was very social to people who were talking to me online.
Various April Fool's pranks in the works I hear... some more dangerous than others. If I can get ahold of a digital camera, I'll try to get a pic of my April Fool's exploit... only true geeks will appreciate. ;-)
Thunderstorming here... big time thunderstorm, too. The thunder is shaking the building... and I can't see any of it, because I'm inside... in class. Sinfest on rain...
In other news, yay for open source software that does exactly what you need it to do, and has an awesome graphical interface (specifically Cluster 3.0, which is currently doing my machine learning homework for me).
Hey... David and Lain are now publishing a new comic strip based on the Hippie and the Black Guy strips they did back in the day :-) The new strip is (coinsidentally enough) called "Hatbag". I updated my little button thingy for it over in the sidebar. You should check it out, because it's pretty funny. Yay for webcomics with real humor!
And another link blatently stolen from David... (which I was posting here for my sister's enjoyment, but upon reflection I realized that she doesn't read my blog... which is weird. She is online, like, 24 hours a day. And she has the url. Huh. Anyway, I IM'ed it to her. But left it here for you to enjoy).
I have several ranty type things to say, but I'll leave it at that for now (so as not to detract too much attention from the new comic) :)
Yay for Valentines day... Chad and exchanged gifts, cards and chocolate yesterday, but we're doing the whole dinner / possibly mushy movie / general romanticish type stuff tonight (so if I don't answer my phone, I'll call you tomorrow...). But yeah. Chad liked his gifts, and I really liked mine, so it was all fun and awesome. Yay for fun gifts.
In other news... there really isn't much other news. I'm mostly caught up on homework... mostly caught up on sleep... Chad and I only have like, 7 DVDs left before we finish CSI, which will be very sad, and we'll have to find a new show to watch obsessively. I'm still trying to figure out what I'm going to do in December when I finish my Masters... I managed to add several possibilities to the list of options, though, which I guess is something. Chad keeps reminding me that, if nothing else, I can take up watching soap operas and eating BonBons. *rolls eyes*.
I have, however, taken up watching the evening news. It turns out (according to CBS), people who watch CSI make better jurors. So... By watching CSI, I'm doing my civic duty and preparing myself for jury duty. I love America.
Michael Jackson has the flu. Or something. And went to the emergency room. On the way to court. I think that he's pushing things... delaying jury selections, delaying the trial. But maybe he's not that smart... He is calling Kobe Bryant as a character witness. Yeah.
And omg... civilian inspectors aren't allowed into Top Secret government areas... I mean, I bet they don't even let most people who have tope secret security clearance waltz through there... it's like that part of the laboratory is on a need-to-know, need-to-access basis. Amazing. What is the world coming to?
This is my brain..... in part, at least.
