This weekend was full of events, people, beer, and heavy lifting. This weekend marked the MCLLM here at NIU. Matt's really glad that it's over as he was one of the chairpeoples for it. Friday was the first day for the conference and there was a poetry reading at The House, a coffee house up here. Matt dedicated one of his poems to me and it was a really great thing. I had never seen one of his readings before so it was really special to get to see this one. After everyone had read we convened at The Annex and drank a little. I had to get up at 8am Saturday to help someone move. Didn't realize that we had to go into downtown Chicago and carry boxes down 4 flights of stairs. I sure got my workout. But I also made $75 for helping. So all and all not to shabby of a deal. Then last night was a reception for the keynote speakers for the conference. There I met Meg Hourihan, one of the co-founders of this little company called Pyra, was co-creator and Director of Development of a little blogging tool we all love and use, Blogger, until February 2001. We all had a great time talking until 5 in the morning. Then today I slept until 2 in the afternoon and had a headache all day and just about every one of my joints/muscles/bones hurt, and it's back to the "salt mines" tomorrow too. Sigh, oh well, such is life and that's how I see it.
seen this way @ 10:51 PM EST by Sean
Monday, March 24, 2003
Sorry for the ADD-like pacing for the post below. But you have to agree, it flows, no?
seen this way @ 10:40 PM EST by Sean
Well it's been a week since I've posted, and for that, TOO BAD!!! Cry me a river. But I'm Back, From Outer Space, and I see ya baby, shakin' that ass. Sorry for that digression into looniness with song lyrics. So lets see, a week, a lot can happen in a week, but noooo, not in my world. So, let's see. Maybe I'll use this post as a vent/'go off on a tirade' session. First things first. Great Oscars last night, some interesting winners. I had a list of all the nominees compiled and it looked real nice, but the HTML was too long to post or something, anyway it wouldn't work right. So, if you want to remind yourself of the list, Print -or- HTML. And here goes, tirade session.
Here we are, at war. We've lost men; we've undoubtedly killed opposing soldiers. Fine, War, whatever I say. If you oppose the war, fine, it's your First amendment right to speak out about your feelings and we live in a great nation, hmm... 'great nation', that allows us to have opinions and voice them. For that, Great. We are allowed to not agree with our governing body, or president that we didn't elect, but someone did, and he's here. Oppose the war, I don't completely agree with it, but I like some of the ideals that are behind this war, i.e. getting Saddam outta there. Are there more important situations we should be involving ourselves with? Maybe, No, Yes. Whatever the answer is, Remember our troops, support their safe return home. Oh, and to all of the major networks... Don't interrupt my shows anymore, in Vietnam it took days for us to hear about some of what happened, and now that was a war that people didn't agree with. Now don't get me wrong, I agree with important updates about the war, just don't stay on the same Ret. Army/Marine/Whatever Gen. going on about how we think they're moving towards their objective. And about what we can 'gather' from the 'intel' we've received.
Freedom... WHAT THE FUCK? Hmm, time for another 'Leary' to take over. Here's the 'Dennis' in me coming out. Freedom Fries? Freedom Toast? Freedom Kissing? Freedom Bread Pizza? HUH??? So I guess that on Capitol Hill, those fat back, big wig, Richey Richerson, dumb shit, stupid ass, intelligence challenged, dumb fuck politicians have changed the menu in the cafeteria from French Fries, to read... Freedom Fries? What the flying FUCK! You have got to be kidding me. And to make matters worse... people are jumping on the bandwagon. At least nobody around this town is changing the name. Replace the word 'french' with freedom? That makes no sense whatsoever. It's almost a travesty, no... wait... IT IS A FUCKING TRAVESTY!!! What the hell are WE as a country thinking. This is so fucking stupid I really don't know what to do about it. I mean, come on, really, Freedom Toast? Where the hell did we come up with Freedom for French? Aren't the French people 'Free'? Plus, they didn't even come up with what we call French Fries and French Toast isn't even the same over there. This is just so re-goddamn-diculous. Waaaa, waaa, go fucking pout because some country won't support you going against the U.N., breaking a U.N. law mind you, and going to war. Booo Fucking Hooo, looks like somebody pissed in their Wheatees, doesn't it. So you know what I'm going to go do? Go eat a fucking salad with fucking 'French' Dressing, sing Yankee Fucking Doodle Dandy, and piss in some goddamn Wheatees. How do you like Dem Apples?
And I think that's the tirade, there's so much more I'm sure, but that's all I'll barrage you with this evening. So I think I'm going to order some food from Pita Pete's or maybe Tom & Jerry's (damn decisions), and have a nice evening watching WWE on TNN. G'night Ev'rybody!!
And thus endeth thine weekend... umm.. eth. Here i am sitting in front of the TV watch good 'ole G. Dub'ya address the nation and I sit here worried about the brink of war. Our WORLD, yes I said world, is under some trying times. Last night we were watching FOX News and I saw some horrible news lines on the ticker. What's happening with Israel and Lebonan? India? And a number of other countries? What is happening? Is everyone gearing up for this, is this bigger than what we are being told? Christ Sakes!!! For maybe one of the first times in my 22 years of existance, I'm alittle frightened. The President just announced that Saddam has 48 hours to remove himself and his sons from Iraq. I must say that this President has some fucking balls on him and is handling this fairly well. He has some good points in this Address To The Nation. He's stated that he wants to help the Iraqi peoples and help rebuild and fix the problems that they have. And is willing to admit that this war isn't about the OIL, he wants them to have, own, and control it. It's their export, their way of life, their major source of income. Let's just say this also, the United States just went on fucking Lock-Down!! Ain't nobody gittin' in here! Well everybody, get ready for war. I may have different views on religion than I had when I was younger, but God bless all, and good luck to our troops who are so far away from home and have to fight a war that they shouldn't have to. Unfortunately I think it's too late to hope for Peace, unless Saddam leaves, but I doubt he will. Peace not War everyone. We'll see what happens. Good night all.
Oh, And, ::In a Thick Irish Accent:: HAPPY SAINT PATRICK'S DAY Today anyone and everyone who wants to be Irish, Is. But it is good to be Irish all year round. So get up, get out and Drink some FUCKING GUINNESS, or green beer, if you must. At least maybe some Harp. Or even Killians at least.
seen this way @ 9:03 PM EST by Sean
Friday, March 14, 2003
And the weekend is upon us. This week was a crazy one. I was completely in charge of textbooks Monday and Tuesday. Tuesday I left early, around 12:30, to take care of my 401k/IRA rollover and then drive to Wheaton to get on the train and ride it into Chicago to visit Mike with Matt and Melina, who were already there. So after driving around Wheaton and missing one train there, which I had planned on being there earlier, so that gave me the chance to locate everything I needed to know. Boarded the train @ 3:21pm. Arrived in Chicago @ 4:12. Took at Taxi to Field Museum and met Matt & Melina there. Then took at taxi to Mikes apartment off of Lakeshore. Dropped off stuff and walked to Belmont. A really neat place with a lot of shopping and interesting buildings. Met up with Mike after he got off work and drove to another part of town and ate a Spanish Topas restaurant and drank a lot of homemade Sangria with fruit and ate a ton of Topas! Topas is, well it's like ordering a bunch of appetizers and sharing with everyone around your table. We ordered so many pitchers of wine, so much food, 2 and 3 orders of things. One thing I think we ordered 5 of. And then we somehow found room to share 3 deserts between 5 people. After the Huge meal, which Mike picked up, we went around the corner to an Irish pub called Celtic Crossings. This was the best bar ever. The bartender was an Irish tenor, which I know because I was at the bar about to order the first round for everyone when he sang to a woman at the other end of the bar. It was amazing. While we were all sitting at a table, a guy drew our group picture. It was really good. He asked for a donation and Matt put a 20 on our table for Mike to give to him, I put $3 down and before we could give it to him he said if we gave him $20 he'd draw another one for us. So we gave him it and he drew another. Mike may have bought him a Guinness too. Then we left the bar to get back to Mikes and catch the train before 12:40, which we missed. But we stayed at Mike's Apt. and got up around 5:30-6 to catch the train at 6:50 to get back to Dekalb so I could go to work in the morning. Arrived in Wheaton @ 7:34, had to drive the almost 30-45min to DeKalb to try and make it back before work. Got stuck by a train crossing, a very slow train. But got home, called to let them know I was going to be a little late, took a shower and got dressed, and ended up only being an hour late to work. Not bad. Granted after all was said and done I had gotten 3-4 hours of sleep on a little futon, after drinking all night, and was now at work until 5:30. Whew, and I did it. Then the week pretty much slowed down for Thursday and today. And this weekend is going to be Apartment hunting. I think that pretty much sums up what's been going on this week, sorry for the gap in posts.
seen this way @ 10:53 PM EST by Sean
Thursday, March 06, 2003
72 Hours and counting. Today has been the worst of all, the craving is totally there, it's all about willpower right now. Funny thing about that quit.com place, the #5 key to quitting was;
5. Be prepared to relapse.
*Most relapses occur within the first 3 months.
But don't be discouraged.
Remember, most people try 7 times before they finally quit.
Wait, aren't they trying to be supportive? Trying to make me want to keep quitted. Quitted, hmmm, not sure about that word. Today was my day for relapse, I felt it earlier, but I fought it. But now, RIGHT now I feel the Jones working. It's making me feel odd, jittery, a little scattered, all kinds of disconnected. If I can get through this weekend and maybe a trip to the bar, I think I'll be able to do it.
Oh yeah, btw, I haven't had a cigarette since 5pm Monday, I didn't get smokes like I was going to. And odd thing... I don't really feel like I want one, but I do, it's odd, I told you it was odd, it's odd. I was sitting here, at the apartment, last night, and saw a commercial for that new Commit Lozenge(mind the pop-up based coupon, "buy/use our product"). Everything was fine with me not smoking until that commercial came on. CHRIST!!! I wanted a cig almost immediately, but I held onto willpower and didn't. It's been over 48 hours, but I haven't done any drinking yet, or really gone out. So I don't know if it'll be for good, I'm trying though. And now I'm at a site called Quit.Com and I took a quick quit quiz... lol the 3 Q's... oh boy, I'm a riot tonight. And it's telling me, "So now that you've quit..."
seen this way @ 11:34 PM EST by Sean
So I ordered pizza from Pizza Hut tonight and used their online ordering thing, it's so easy. And the first time you use it, you can use a coupon, one time only, for any pizza, any toppings for $7.99. I got the New Yorker. And you can use the coupons you get at home, they have a code that you type in, ie. tonight we used a coupon for 2 med pizzas with one topping. No online coupon was like it so we used the code from a printed one. Ahh the modern age of laziness, I mean technology.
*Note: Please check for availability in you area.
seen this way @ 10:50 PM EST by Sean
Monday, March 03, 2003
So I just took this Enneagram test, it's a personality test. I think i took one before, but it was a long time ago.
Here's the results:
That's the one I scored the highest on a 6, I scored a 5 on a few others and even a few 4's one 3 and one 2. Hmmm...
seen this way @ 9:22 PM EST by Sean
It's Snowing here, again. It's as if I'm cursed with snow and my car is unhappy with that. And the odd thing is that up here they don't do much to clear the snow, whereas back in Ohio, where we don't get anywhere near as much snow, they are always on top of the snow. I understand it's a smaller city but they get shitloads of snow. But I made it home tonight. Anyway, it was another day at the salt mine, and I do mean 'mine' because I was in the downstairs back room and it was cold as hell all day. I had to scan books to sell off to Follett. But, hey, I processed more than 510 titles. I at least got to get away from it for a bit during this afternoon while the server was deleting files. So I took my lunch at Subway, had their new Sweet Onion Chicken Teriyaki. Not too bad, and low in fat! When I got back the damn thing still hadn't finished, but that was ok, that just meant I could sit at the info desk for a little while without any flack. And now I'm going to do some old fashion work venting like you all are used to. Today one of the office ladies came out of the bathroom and stopped by the desk and said, "You know, all the mindless chatter that goes on over here during the afternoon, it's enough to drive me crazy." WTF I say, sorry that there isn't much to do right now and we get all of our work done, on time, if not early and no one has anything pressing to be done. When Ryan or Bob give me something to give the employees, they get it and they do it. If I have something that I have to get done, I do it and get it done! If she has stuff for us to do, then fine, give it to us. I'm a freaking supervisor, I supervise, if they want more, they need to pay more, I already do above and beyond since this store is in the stone age it seems. All the practices are outdated and they don't even use a Point-of-sale system. That means, each thing sold is sold without a record of it. Only a final $ amount. Inventory is never right, even when we take inventory, it's not right. The store stays open, textbooks stays open, and we count all the books in Alphabetical Author order, on paper, by hand. At least the course #'s are on the sheets we use. Then, to make matters, not worse, but more odd (if that could happen here), I had to make a 'map' of the shelf tags. I was given a printout which was made up of every book in Department/Course/Section order and I had to go around to all the shelves and make note of what 'Bin' (all the shelves, set up warehouse style, are divided into 4ft sections, each with a #), and what shelf ('A-?', depends on the on how many shelves there are) of each shelf tag in the entire store. At least we use one tag per class, but still. It would be so much easier if we used a multiple tag setup, went to POS, and lowered prices by maybe only a few dollars, but at least attempt to be the off-campus competition, rather than just another store to buy your books at! Well, that's all I'll rant about right now. Well, the snow still falls and I may have to get some smokes, but it's cold out there. So wherever you are out there, stay warm.
seen this way @ 8:55 PM EST by Sean
I'm back from my weekend trip to Ohio. A blur of unsoberness. It's nice to visit if all I do is party because it makes me feel better about coming back to DeKalb. It was good to see some of my friends and get to act like old times, as if nothing had changed. For my weekend, "I went to Ohio and I can't remember a thing", now that's something to be proud of. The scary thing really is the fact that i do remember all of it and it was great. Seeing that Sat and Sun both, I got in at 5am, I think I'm going to eat my Tom & Jerry's, Gyros & Cheese Sticks, and go to bed.
seen this way @ 1:19 AM EST by Sean
