After all these years someone still needs to sit on my lap whilst I work on the computer.
Job Ready.
So today I had a job interview. It was actually an interview to be a student assistant/engineering intern for the summer with the Department of Transportation. I had given up hope that the opportunity would come along, but apparently I was a little premature in that line of thought.
I feel like the interview went well. I was surprisingly relaxed during the discussion which lasted much longer than I had originally anticipated. I think that’s a good sign. I’m more excited than ever about the new career path that lies ahead. I am ready for the next big challenge. I’ll find out at the end of this or beginning of next week if I made the grade.
And yes, my tie was straight when I went into the interview.
Decompression.
Here it is Monday afternoon already. Many people have a hard time getting going on Mondays and I am among those people.
This past weekend was about relaxing. Earl and I had many different activities to choose from: we were suppose to go to New York for GB:NYC5, we were suppose to go to Albany for Bear Night, there were other places we could have gone. Instead we stayed close to home, worked on the house a little bit and played with our new Wii. Earl had wanted a Wii for a long time and this past week was the first time they were available in this area. So now we have another gadget in the entertainment center in the Great Room. I already like it more than our old Xbox 360. I think the spirit of the games are more lighthearted and that’s what I’m looking for when I’m relaxing. Once we figure out our Wii number we’ll share it.
We also saw “Iron Man”. I wasn’t familiar with this particular superhero but I thoroughly enjoyed the movie. I followed what I had read on the internet and we stayed through the credits until the very end of the movie. I think we’ll do that from now on because this is another in a growing handful of movies that had some interesting tidbits at the end. Robert Downey Jr makes a delightful superhero and I even enjoyed Gwyneth Paltrow as Pepper Potts. That Stan Lee has the whole superhero thing down pat.
This morning I worked myself out of a temp job by completing a two day project in four hours. All the numbers balanced at the end of my data entry so I know I was accurate. I’d rather get the job done at my own pace rather than stall and work slowly just so I can get a bigger paycheck. At least I’ll get a glowing recommendation for my new job interview.
Earl has business meetings tonight so I’ll be on my own for supper and amusing myself for the next couple of hours. I’ve been working in the basement on various projects; perhaps I’ll head out somewhere for supper and write a blog entry in public.
Happiness Is.
… coming home from a Friday night DJ gig (with a lackluster crowd attendance) and finding a take away box full of a cheeseburger and fries from Denny’s sitting on the kitchen counter awaiting your arrival.
On The Air.
I went on a rather lengthy road trip today. As I explored various towns scattered far and wide, I opted to listen to podcasts on from my iPod. Most of these podcasts are technology driven however there are some that are not. All are enjoyable.
I don’t know if I’m getting older or if the times, they are a changin’, but I find listening to music and podcasts that I have selected to be considerably more enjoyable to anything that commercial radio has to offer these days. I tried listening to a Top 40 radio station and found it to be very repetitive and loaded with badly produced advertisements. I switched to a country station and it made my head hurt and it was loaded with poorly produced advertisements.
I hate ads. I hate bad commercials even more. With today’s technology you’d think that the ads would sound better than ever, but no, they sound bad: the voice is bad, the message is mediocre and the grammar is worse than mine.
Maybe I’m a little more critical than most because I used to write and produce commercials for a living.
Nevertheless, I believe that everyone should go out and buy something that resembles and iPod. Yes, the iPod is the cream of the crop as far as MP3 players go, but if you want a Zune, buy a Zune. If you want something else, buy something else. Just make sure you can load it with the the music that you have selected and crank up the tunes on your next road trip.
It’s wicked fun.
Long Time.
I desperately need a haircut. It’s been a long time since I’ve uttered those words and it’s been longer since it’s been true. Nevertheless, it’s a fact.
I need a haircut.
All News Is Good News.
Well today has been an interesting day in the life of this old college student. I just received my grades for the semester. While it was my worst semester as far as my grades go, I can say that I passed all of my classes including that blasted math class that I didn’t think I would pass. I’m glad I stuck it out for now I don’t have to take it again. Ever.
My GPA still gets me onto one of those lists that they like to print in the newspaper, so I am pleased. Since I’m going to be an engineer, I am happy to say that I aced my engineering courses. I consider that to be the most important.
Not only have I received my grades today but I also received a call from that internship program I thought wasn’t going to happen. I have an interview on Tuesday morning!
There’s hope for me yet.
The next challenge begins on Tuesday night when I start my summer course in the second half of Physics. I found focusing on one course during the last summer semester worked out really well for me and I intend to repeat the experience.
One Ringy Dingy.
So with today being the last day of the spring semester (one more hour of finals remain) it was time to get down to some serious business and figure out what I was going to do for the summer. I had hoped for an internship with NYSDOT but after a great deal of prodding from me and my advisor it looks like that’s not going to happen.
I always analyse these things six ways from Sunday so I’m trying not to take that as a “sign” from the Universe.
Anyways, I’ve accepted a job back at my old gig, working in the Network Operations Center of the local telephone company. I’ve always enjoyed working with this group of people and with some recent changes in personnel there is some room for me in the scheme of things. I have to say that I am very (and somewhat surprisingly) excited about the opportunity that begins the day after Memorial Day. If I didn’t work this summer I’d be getting into wicked amounts of trouble so it’s best that I’ll be sitting at a desk earning a few bucks.
Plus, I like the gig and the people, so it all works out for the best.
Now, to learn Windows Vista so I can support it!
Brunch.
Earl and I took my Mom to brunch for Mother’s Day today. Per our annual tradition, we went to brunch at the local casino. They have a really good spread and a band playing and the whole works. It was a good time.
While Earl and I were eating at the table I noticed that it took her a little longer to get back from the buffet; she had struck up a conversation with the woman behind her (or vice versa). My mother has the gift of gab and could talk to the refrigerator if she had to and I seemed to have inherited that trait from her. I think that’s a good thing.
Earl snapped a photo with Mom’s camera; I thought it came out well.
I wrote this a couple of years ago, but it’s still true.
She’s a little whacky. She hears her own drumbeat. All the kids in school wanted her as a chaperone, because she was the cool mom. When we were kids, she could rattle dishes in a two-mile radius when she said “no”. She was and is always there to listen. She’s always has accepted me as I am, regardless of my age. Yeah, she’s pretty neat. Happy Mothers’ Day, Mom.
