Halloween has all but come and gone and I managed to evade snot-nosed trick or treaters again this year. Not a one came to my door, which is just as well since I had nothing to hand out other than those lil fast food restaurant ketchup packets.
Guess I will just save them for Christmas.
And people complain that I'm not much of a gift giver. HA!
Sunday, October 31, 2004
Monday, October 25, 2004
hmmmm......
How odd. My post on Friday last evidently posted (kinda) but without any text. So maybe it didn't actually "post;" perhaps "semipost" or even "F***** Up Post" is a better term in this case. A pity, really, given the time it took to expound upon the solution to world peace (Step #1: Vote the Chimp-in-Chief out of office next week), devise never-fail prison escape plans for Martha Stewart (and it was SUCH a good thing too), and and reveal my Christmas wish list (All presents MUST be in my hands by December 17th to avoid any international shipping charges). Alas, thanks to my tempermental computer, the world will continue to suffer.
Ah well...at least I won't have to worry about papercuts from unwrapping presents.
Ah well...at least I won't have to worry about papercuts from unwrapping presents.
Friday, October 22, 2004
Sunday, October 17, 2004
Coffee Break
A fairly busy day thus far with the obligatory Sunday morning run to Harris Teeter for groceries and a few other assorted errands. I successfully fought the temptation of going to Barnes and Noble, which was advantageous in the sense that had I given in, 1.) I would still be there, and 2.) I would be much poorer when I left. I do need to go to B & N at some point in the very near future as I've pretty much read everything on the shelves here at home.
So as for today, I'm going to take a few minutes to relax with the obligatory (word of the day) cup of coffee before launching into an afternoon of homework. I'm leading a seminar tomorrow for one of my classes, so a little extra preparation is probably needed. It's hard to believe that the semester is about half over. *doing happy dance*
Anyway...off to be productive.
So as for today, I'm going to take a few minutes to relax with the obligatory (word of the day) cup of coffee before launching into an afternoon of homework. I'm leading a seminar tomorrow for one of my classes, so a little extra preparation is probably needed. It's hard to believe that the semester is about half over. *doing happy dance*
Anyway...off to be productive.
Friday, October 08, 2004
Friday Evening
Another workweek comes to a close. Well...almost. I'll more than likely head in to the office for a couple of hours in the morning to take care of some things that I didn't quite finish today. I've long discovered that I can get much more accomplished in a few hours on the weekends than during the typical workday as I don't have to bother with the distraction of my ever-so-gabby secretary, the comings and goings of my other employees, and ringing telephones.
It's been a refreshingly quiet evening and I've accomplished little other than hammering out a few emails, chatting with assorted people on the phone, and the like. I do feel a bit guilty about the "wasted" time this evening, but such downtime is nonetheless important so as not to burn myself out. I have a busy weekend ahead, so I shouldn't feel too bad about slacking a bit tonight.
The most interesting news to report is the finalization of flight arrangements trip for the trip to Thailand in December and January. No backing out now. Due to the scaricty of available flights, the trip will be a bit longer than originially conceived: three weeks instead of two, which is not necessarily a bad thing given the singularly long trip. My longest flight leg to date has been around four hours, so I'm not exactly sure how I'm going to cope with the 13.5 hours from Chicago to Tokyo. I'll be sure to bring a REALLY good book or two and hope the in-flight movies are worthwhile.
Over the course of the next two months I'll begin planning the in-country itinerary. Given my predisposition for outdoorsy, adventurous things, I don't foresee spending too much time in Bangkok. At least a week will be spent touring the provinces to the north with an equal, or greater amount of time on the southern peninsula. If all goes as planned, I'll have an Internet connection for at least part of the time over there, so I'll be able to update the blog, which will probably go something like this:
Day 1: After 384 days in air, arrived in Bangkok. Saw big Buddha statue.
Day 2: Saw another Buddha statue.
Day 3: Chased by elephant. Saw another Buddha statue.
Day 4: Saw another statue. Chased by a cobra.
Day 5: On southern beaches. Saw statue. Chased by jellyfish.
Day 6: Drank toooo much. Saw tiger. Chazed by Booda statatuaue.
It's been a refreshingly quiet evening and I've accomplished little other than hammering out a few emails, chatting with assorted people on the phone, and the like. I do feel a bit guilty about the "wasted" time this evening, but such downtime is nonetheless important so as not to burn myself out. I have a busy weekend ahead, so I shouldn't feel too bad about slacking a bit tonight.
The most interesting news to report is the finalization of flight arrangements trip for the trip to Thailand in December and January. No backing out now. Due to the scaricty of available flights, the trip will be a bit longer than originially conceived: three weeks instead of two, which is not necessarily a bad thing given the singularly long trip. My longest flight leg to date has been around four hours, so I'm not exactly sure how I'm going to cope with the 13.5 hours from Chicago to Tokyo. I'll be sure to bring a REALLY good book or two and hope the in-flight movies are worthwhile.
Over the course of the next two months I'll begin planning the in-country itinerary. Given my predisposition for outdoorsy, adventurous things, I don't foresee spending too much time in Bangkok. At least a week will be spent touring the provinces to the north with an equal, or greater amount of time on the southern peninsula. If all goes as planned, I'll have an Internet connection for at least part of the time over there, so I'll be able to update the blog, which will probably go something like this:
Day 1: After 384 days in air, arrived in Bangkok. Saw big Buddha statue.
Day 2: Saw another Buddha statue.
Day 3: Chased by elephant. Saw another Buddha statue.
Day 4: Saw another statue. Chased by a cobra.
Day 5: On southern beaches. Saw statue. Chased by jellyfish.
Day 6: Drank toooo much. Saw tiger. Chazed by Booda statatuaue.
Tuesday, October 05, 2004
Tuesday PM
Well I finally broke down today and put a Kerry-Edwards bumper sticker on my Jeep. Now let's just see how long it takes for the soft top to get slashed...or worse. But all things considered, I live in a fairly liberal enclave of Norfolk...so I'm not seriously anticipating any conservative mischief.
Typically, I'm not much of a political person beyond doing my civic duty of voting. Things are significantly different this time around, however. As this is certainly the most important election of our time, additional political activism is absolutely essential....even if it is just slapping a bumper sticker on the car and encouraging like-minded invididuals to vote come election day. Though originally a Howard Dean supporter (I saw him speak in Norfolk last December), I do like Kerry a lot and he certainly has the fortitude and vision to be President.
Typically, I'm not much of a political person beyond doing my civic duty of voting. Things are significantly different this time around, however. As this is certainly the most important election of our time, additional political activism is absolutely essential....even if it is just slapping a bumper sticker on the car and encouraging like-minded invididuals to vote come election day. Though originally a Howard Dean supporter (I saw him speak in Norfolk last December), I do like Kerry a lot and he certainly has the fortitude and vision to be President.
Saturday, October 02, 2004
Ack!
Ever so slightly groggy this morning thanks to partaking a little too freely of alcoholic refreshments whilst out with my sister and some friends last night. We all met at the Taphouse, one of my favourite casual hang-outs here in Ghent, which also has one of the best selections of Belgian ales in the Norfolk area. Over the years, I've developed a pronounced fondness for Belgian ales and the Taphouse's regularly changing beer selection keeps things interesting. My favourite Belgian at present is the Carlous Gran Cru 2004, a truly wonderful beer, though one with a higher-than-normal alcohol content. Not a bad thing, mind you.
But at any rate....after a glass or two of water and a couple Advil this morning (in addition to the requisite cups of coffee), I am able to face the day.
Today's agenda consists of some errands and grocery shopping this morning, followed by research, etc. later in the day. In other words, it's going to be a typical Saturday. This sort of routine is agreeable to me as I tend to be a creature of habit, moreso now than in times past when life was more carefree and pressing responsibilities were few. Given the myriad of projects I'm juggling, routine and pattern are critical to both their accomplishment and my overall sanity.
But at any rate....after a glass or two of water and a couple Advil this morning (in addition to the requisite cups of coffee), I am able to face the day.
Today's agenda consists of some errands and grocery shopping this morning, followed by research, etc. later in the day. In other words, it's going to be a typical Saturday. This sort of routine is agreeable to me as I tend to be a creature of habit, moreso now than in times past when life was more carefree and pressing responsibilities were few. Given the myriad of projects I'm juggling, routine and pattern are critical to both their accomplishment and my overall sanity.
Friday, October 01, 2004
These Boots Are Made for Walking....
....but they're in such terrible shape, I'll have to get a new pair of hiking boots prior to sallying forth to Thailand for a couple of weeks in December. I've made the decision to go and the flight arrangements are all but finalized, so barring any calamity I'll be nancing about in the jungles of Southeast Asia over the winter holiday.
I wonder if I can get Trampled by Elephant Insurance?
I wonder if I can get Trampled by Elephant Insurance?
Saturday, September 25, 2004
Saturday Morning
OK...so it's been quite a while since my last entry and hopefully I'll begin posting on a much more regular bais as to not disappoint any of my disciples who wander onto this site looking for mirth and inspiration.
Autumn has officially arrived and one can certainly feel a change in the air. The days are getting noticeably shorter and it's nice finally being able to turn off the air condition and throw open the windows. Of course since this is Norfolk, we still have an occasional uncomfortably hot and humid day that seems to come out of nowhere. But at any rate, autumn has long been my favourite season of the year and I can foresee the traditional trip to the mountains in the not too distant future. The mountains of Virginia are beautiful at any season of the year, though the vistas in the fall are much more breathtaking with the mountains and valleys afire with shades of red and yellow foliage.
Speaking of trips, I've been giving serious thought as to where I want to go for my December and January holidays. Though a return trip to South America is tempting, I've eliminated that from the list, at least for now. London is always a possibility, but I'm not sure about visiting there during the winter. Besides, a trip to London can be a spur of the moment, extended weekend sort of thing. So my choices now are the American Southwest and, on a little more ambitious scale, Thailand, neither of which I've visited. Depending on how the logistics of it all work out, I may attempt both with two weeks in Thailand coming in December and a week in the Southwest in early January. So today I'll mostly likely sally forth to Barnes and Noble to peruse various travel guides for both destinations.
Off to get more coffee and formally start my day.
Autumn has officially arrived and one can certainly feel a change in the air. The days are getting noticeably shorter and it's nice finally being able to turn off the air condition and throw open the windows. Of course since this is Norfolk, we still have an occasional uncomfortably hot and humid day that seems to come out of nowhere. But at any rate, autumn has long been my favourite season of the year and I can foresee the traditional trip to the mountains in the not too distant future. The mountains of Virginia are beautiful at any season of the year, though the vistas in the fall are much more breathtaking with the mountains and valleys afire with shades of red and yellow foliage.
Speaking of trips, I've been giving serious thought as to where I want to go for my December and January holidays. Though a return trip to South America is tempting, I've eliminated that from the list, at least for now. London is always a possibility, but I'm not sure about visiting there during the winter. Besides, a trip to London can be a spur of the moment, extended weekend sort of thing. So my choices now are the American Southwest and, on a little more ambitious scale, Thailand, neither of which I've visited. Depending on how the logistics of it all work out, I may attempt both with two weeks in Thailand coming in December and a week in the Southwest in early January. So today I'll mostly likely sally forth to Barnes and Noble to peruse various travel guides for both destinations.
Off to get more coffee and formally start my day.
Saturday, August 28, 2004
So It Begins
Today marks the official start of the new semester at school and if things go as planned, this will be the last semester in which I'll have to take any structured classes as I'll be completing all the requisites in my program of study. *doing happy dance* All that remains is an additional few semesters of research, a seminar, and the masters degree will be finished. I suppose I could wrap up the thesis research sooner, but the additional work will certainly be of benefit as I hope to enter a PhD program somewhere in the near future. If there's one thing to guarantee entry into a doctoral program is demonstrated research ability. And publications. So the extended time on the thesis will achieve both of these goals. Of course, given my past history, I'll probably still take classes just for the fun of it.
Yeah. I know. I'm a sick puppy.
I've always quite enjoyed the college experience, which is surprising given just how much I absolutely detested high school. Very few fond memories from that period of my life. College turned out to be so different. You're not "spoon fed" the material and whether you sink or swim...well, that's largely up to you. I found this new approach to academics surprisingly appealing. After receiving my bacholors degree in the fall of 1997, I took a semester off to do the "enjoy life" thing. About two months into the break I was missing the challenges of acadmeia in the worst way. So I began taking classes for "fun" and formally started the masters degree program in January of 2003, in a field entirely different from my undergraduate studies. Going from liberal arts to the sciences required a bit of an adjustment, but so far so good. Unless I totally drop the ball this semester, I'll finish the masters with a GPA somewhere around a 3.96 or thereabouts.
Anyway, off to get a coffee refill and get started on the day.
Yeah. I know. I'm a sick puppy.
I've always quite enjoyed the college experience, which is surprising given just how much I absolutely detested high school. Very few fond memories from that period of my life. College turned out to be so different. You're not "spoon fed" the material and whether you sink or swim...well, that's largely up to you. I found this new approach to academics surprisingly appealing. After receiving my bacholors degree in the fall of 1997, I took a semester off to do the "enjoy life" thing. About two months into the break I was missing the challenges of acadmeia in the worst way. So I began taking classes for "fun" and formally started the masters degree program in January of 2003, in a field entirely different from my undergraduate studies. Going from liberal arts to the sciences required a bit of an adjustment, but so far so good. Unless I totally drop the ball this semester, I'll finish the masters with a GPA somewhere around a 3.96 or thereabouts.
Anyway, off to get a coffee refill and get started on the day.
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