Here’s the scoop…

Alright, so there’s no scoop. I lied, but I had your best interests at heart when I began writing this post, honest. It’s just that so little happens to me that it’s hard to come up with meaningful things to write about. I know some have expressed potential interest in the mundane, but I feel bad subjecting people to excitement for a new post with a quick follow-up of disappointment when it turns out I only wrote about the thick layer of dust that currently covers a large portion of my desk (ew, I should wipe that up).

Well, I am still half-heartedly saving money for school. I have $3000 officially saved as cash in a savings account. I have another $3000 or so in 2 different market-based accounts. My goal is to have $8000 or greater saved before I leave which should be possible at my current income level. My biggest problem is going out to eat when I am working. I spend around $8 a day on that alone (x5 days a week, x4 weeks a month = ~$160, yikes!).

Speaking of saving money, I now have 1.5TB of external HDD storage, thank you very much. I filled the first 750GB drive up a few weeks ago. I wanted the same kind of HDD, but they are no longer being manufactured. Ebay to the rescue! I was able to find an exact specimen in BNIB condition, which I much preferred over the other offerings. After a shipping mixup I was a bit wary, but the seller came through with excellent communication and it was resolved within a few days.

What dysphoric details these are…

Let me bore you no further. For want of a decent blog post, I make my valediction.

Farewell.

I wanted to get the categories and tags on a separate side-bar and leave the regular links and miscellaneous items grouped together. I feel this makes navigation a bit easier and more intuitive if you want to use the categories or tags to find related or relevant archived material.

Sean, I added your site to my blog roll. Congratulations, you are the third to be initiated to the list! There are no trophies.

By the way, in case anyone is wondering about their placement on the Links list, I want to make sure that you know it is not organized in order of importance or by some other convoluted acquaintance valuation system. It is merely sorted alphabetically with numbers listed first.

G’night!

If you haven’t noticed, I have been trying to post a bit more often here. I am working to relax the standards that I feel must be met in order for something to be post-worthy. If it’s boring to you, oh well. It gives me something to do for a few minutes. It looks like I just end up posting even more worthless stuff than I normally do…

Interestingly enough, I have been accepted to George Fox University against all my prior expectations. I am awaiting some correspondence from the university that should get the ball rolling. Currently, the ball is moving at a glacial pace. I was beginning to become concerned about my application status, but a quick email to my admissions adviser resulted in a phone call from the same informing of my acceptance status. Good news, to be sure. (I wonder if my email resulted in a review of my application or if it was just some happy coincidence that the two happened nearly simultaneously?) I would be daft if I said I was not excited. Knowing that my time here is now on “limited” status is appealing to say the least.

Working for Comcast has been a financial boon for me, but I hate the job. No really, I do. I am hesitant to state this due to the possibility that someone might come across this and my career would be ended shortly. I feel like I need to get this off my chest though and my family has heard enough from me, I am sure. I don’t want to sound like a whiner as I know most people hate their jobs as well, but the endless promises of change with resulting total inaction from superiors is depressing at the least and maddening at the most. We are constantly reminded not to get overtime if at all possible, and yet are expected to complete 8 or more hours of work (as estimated by Comcast itself!) in 6 hours or less. If we get off of work on time, chances are that we haven’t done 8 hours worth of work. If we complete 8 hours of work, chances are that we got overtime. It’s a frustrating circle to be a part of. Both situations can result in a comment or two from supervisors or a full-blown “coaching” in an office with the door closed.

A quick note, I am currently working on a few small projects. I have purchased and built a small computer to act as a media center. I have it working right now, but not with all the features I eventually want. I still have to install the TV tuner card and tweak a few things in order for it to become the DVR/Media PC of my imagination. I also just ordered a slew of things to construct an electronics workshop of sorts. I am getting a new soldering iron, flux, solder, and various cleaning materials to begin experimentation and dabbling in electronics. I will probably start with some pre-made kits to get the ball rolling and move on from there. If anyone has any ideas, feel free to suggest in the comments.

First thing’s first, required repairs were completed, tests performed and passed, and registrations completed. My baby is completely street legal now.

In order to pass a smog test, I needed to get 2 things done. The timing was off, it was detonating too late (also explaining the occasional backfire, haha) . I took it to a smog repair shop and they informed me that the electric fans that were installed at some point were no bueno. I needed to get a fan clutch and a new fan. Once that was completed, it was determined that my catalytic converter was not functioning correctly and needed to be replaced as well. Once all was said and done, it cost me about $775 in repairs and parts to get my car to pass a smog test.

The car drives completely differently now. It sounds pretty much the same, but it feels more reliable. I have decided to keep her for a while to see what transpires.

I also installed a CD player and new speakers today. My car is now finally fun to drive in all aspects! It was fun before, but it’s a whole lot different when you can drive it and listen to Darude at the same time.

Next thing on the agenda is new brake rotors and new brake pads. Also, at some point I would like to get new tires and have a full set of rims on the car rather than 2 wheels of one style and the other 2 of a completely different style.

In other news, I have decided that Blogger was too boring for me and not flexible enough so I moved my blog to my own server running WordPress. I picked a theme that I liked and customized it for me and my liking. If you don’t like how it looks, well then tough. It’s my blog, I make it how I want.

My new computer is still down, waiting for a memory RMA. I have the new motherboard, but haven’t installed it yet. I need to though, before the memory comes so that I can just pop it in and be ready to go.

That about wraps it up for me. You probably won’t get to see this post for a day or two as I am still moving my blog files around a bit. Comment if you wish about the new design. I welcome both positive and negative criticism.

Hello, I am your new friend and counselor! Now, let us play a fun little game to help us learn each ah-thers names!

But seriously, it’s been a while, I know. These days though, I have little to blog about. I do nothing, I see no one, and I have yet to get a job. I’ve found plenty, and applied at over 40 of them. I don’t know what else to do. I’ve gone and applied at places like burger King (I worked there in the past) without so much as a titter from them. It’s a little depressing.

Okay, it’s ALOT depressing.

Apart from that, I have begun moving forward where my education is concerned. I have applied to CSU Fresno and George Fox University. I have not heard whether or not I am accepted yet, but I only applied about a week ago. If the GFU thing works out, I will probably go there and live with Brad. CSUF is sorta like a backup at this point. I am really sick of Visalia now, so moving away from here is appealing at the moment.

I think often these days, about stuff. The other day, I realized that this is how it’s going to be for the rest of my life. Isn’t it? This feeling that never goes away, a mixture of inadequacy, despair, and mediocrity. It’s an understanding that has settled over me during the past few years, that I am not destined for something great. How can I be? Those who are destined to be great do not take 6 years to obtain a 2 year degree from a community college while earning lackluster grades, for example. That childhood dream we are all indoctrinated with about us being special is a farce, and I think that is what I have come to realize. I no longer have dreams of the future. I no longer aspire to be anything. Daydreams about having a decent house and a running car and a steady job have gone out the window.

I have no idea what the future holds, why set myself up for failure?