Tuesday, March 29, 2005
Systemic Anomaly
In keeping with tradition, this entry really should be titled "Spring Quarter Commences," but I'm having much more fun with the above reference to an amusing flash animation, so that's what we're going to go with.
So I'm back at school, and classes have started. Here's a look at my weekly schedule:
Monday
9:10-10:00 Calculus IV
10:10-11:00 Basic Circuits Analysis II Lecture
11:10-12:00 Digital Design Lecture
12:10-1:00 Linear Analysis
5:10-6:30 Wind Orchestra
Tuesday
9:10-10:00 Calculus IV
12:10-1:00 Linear Analysis
3:10-6:00 Basic Circuits Analysis II Lab
Wednesday
10:10-11:00 Basic Circuits Analysis II Lecture
11:10-12:00 Digital Design Lecture
12:10-1:00 Linear Analysis
5:10-6:30 Wind Orchestra
Thursday
9:10-10:00 Calculus IV
12:10-3:00 Digital Design Lab
Friday
9:10-10:00 Calculus IV
10:10-11:00 Basic Circuits Analysis II Lecture
11:10-12:00 Digital Design Lecture
12:10-1:00 Linear Analysis
I like the looks of this schedule very much more than last quarter's. I'm done with class by 1:00 three days out of the week, and by 3:00 another day. Tuesdays run a little late, but I don't have rehearsal and the morning is light. I have four lectures in a row on Monday and Friday, but this is not nearly as bad as I thought it would be. Because they don't start until 9:00, I'm not tired when I go to class and therefore I'm not counting the seconds until I can go home and take a nap. All in all, this quarter should feel a little less busy.
On the other hand, I am taking four classes that will most likely be assigning nightly homework, all of which will deal mostly with mathematical calculations. In addition, I'm not overly impressed with either of my math teachers (for calc or linear analysis). I'll probably have to throw in some reading out of the books to reinforce what I was supposed to learn in lecture. Now, I do enjoy math...but this much of it might just kill me. We'll see...I'm all caught up right now...
In other news, I've found housing for next year. Hooray! I had placed my name on the Cerro Vista (the on-campus apartments) waiting list, and over spring break they offered me a spot. After overcoming some technical difficulties in accessing my online application, I have printed and signed the housing agreement and am prepared to hand it in tomorrow along with the first payment. I'm so excited! The best part is that I still get to keep the same roommates with whom I originally applied. I figured that because I was on the waiting list that it was every man for himself, but it turns out they still keep groups together. So I'll probably end up living with one or two people I know, and one or two that I don't (three in total). I think it will be a good balance of meeting new people and not worrying all summer about whether my roommates will hate me. Whatever...the point is...I HAVE HOUSING!
And I think that's where I'm going to wrap up this entry. I could get into the details of my hours spent organizing all of the paperwork that had accumulated on my desk and of my trumpet practicing and of my conversations with Rosalie and of my dinner with Courtney and her friends from San Diego who are up here visiting, but I don't think that I'm going to. I'm pretty tired, and my bed is looking pretty darned comfy right about now. So good night...I'll talk to you all soon.
I created the matrix,
Josh
mood: exceptionally relieved that I now know where I'm living next year
music: some classical goodness emanating from Kevin's side of the room
location: my side of the room
Quoted Randomness
The following quotes are all old. I forgot to include them in my last entry, but they still deserve mention.
[referring to Courtney's mother]
"She's a perfectly decent woman...it's just that...you know...she's the antichrist."
--Michael Couper
[from a discussion concerning the reasons my car is under repair]
"Some rogue nation somewhere is using your plastic rearview mirror parts to build nuclear bombs."
--Jenna Santy
[standing in line for the Peter Pan ride at Disneyland]
"I want to hawk a loogie on Parliament. Maybe I'll hit Tony Blair."
--Joanna Bossi
So I'm back at school, and classes have started. Here's a look at my weekly schedule:
Monday
9:10-10:00 Calculus IV
10:10-11:00 Basic Circuits Analysis II Lecture
11:10-12:00 Digital Design Lecture
12:10-1:00 Linear Analysis
5:10-6:30 Wind Orchestra
Tuesday
9:10-10:00 Calculus IV
12:10-1:00 Linear Analysis
3:10-6:00 Basic Circuits Analysis II Lab
Wednesday
10:10-11:00 Basic Circuits Analysis II Lecture
11:10-12:00 Digital Design Lecture
12:10-1:00 Linear Analysis
5:10-6:30 Wind Orchestra
Thursday
9:10-10:00 Calculus IV
12:10-3:00 Digital Design Lab
Friday
9:10-10:00 Calculus IV
10:10-11:00 Basic Circuits Analysis II Lecture
11:10-12:00 Digital Design Lecture
12:10-1:00 Linear Analysis
I like the looks of this schedule very much more than last quarter's. I'm done with class by 1:00 three days out of the week, and by 3:00 another day. Tuesdays run a little late, but I don't have rehearsal and the morning is light. I have four lectures in a row on Monday and Friday, but this is not nearly as bad as I thought it would be. Because they don't start until 9:00, I'm not tired when I go to class and therefore I'm not counting the seconds until I can go home and take a nap. All in all, this quarter should feel a little less busy.
On the other hand, I am taking four classes that will most likely be assigning nightly homework, all of which will deal mostly with mathematical calculations. In addition, I'm not overly impressed with either of my math teachers (for calc or linear analysis). I'll probably have to throw in some reading out of the books to reinforce what I was supposed to learn in lecture. Now, I do enjoy math...but this much of it might just kill me. We'll see...I'm all caught up right now...
In other news, I've found housing for next year. Hooray! I had placed my name on the Cerro Vista (the on-campus apartments) waiting list, and over spring break they offered me a spot. After overcoming some technical difficulties in accessing my online application, I have printed and signed the housing agreement and am prepared to hand it in tomorrow along with the first payment. I'm so excited! The best part is that I still get to keep the same roommates with whom I originally applied. I figured that because I was on the waiting list that it was every man for himself, but it turns out they still keep groups together. So I'll probably end up living with one or two people I know, and one or two that I don't (three in total). I think it will be a good balance of meeting new people and not worrying all summer about whether my roommates will hate me. Whatever...the point is...I HAVE HOUSING!
And I think that's where I'm going to wrap up this entry. I could get into the details of my hours spent organizing all of the paperwork that had accumulated on my desk and of my trumpet practicing and of my conversations with Rosalie and of my dinner with Courtney and her friends from San Diego who are up here visiting, but I don't think that I'm going to. I'm pretty tired, and my bed is looking pretty darned comfy right about now. So good night...I'll talk to you all soon.
I created the matrix,
Josh
mood: exceptionally relieved that I now know where I'm living next year
music: some classical goodness emanating from Kevin's side of the room
location: my side of the room
Quoted Randomness
The following quotes are all old. I forgot to include them in my last entry, but they still deserve mention.
[referring to Courtney's mother]
"She's a perfectly decent woman...it's just that...you know...she's the antichrist."
--Michael Couper
[from a discussion concerning the reasons my car is under repair]
"Some rogue nation somewhere is using your plastic rearview mirror parts to build nuclear bombs."
--Jenna Santy
[standing in line for the Peter Pan ride at Disneyland]
"I want to hawk a loogie on Parliament. Maybe I'll hit Tony Blair."
--Joanna Bossi
Saturday, March 26, 2005
December, 1963
What a week this has been! Where to start...?
The end of Tuesday was mostly uneventful. VW decided my windshield needed replacing so they had to keep my car until the next day. Courtney and I, carless, managed to get Mom to take us with her to her house under construction in north Poway. We explored the site for a while and then returned to Mom's house. That night we stayed up watching a few episodes of Friends.
Wednesday was also relatively mellow. Courtney and I spent the morning together before Mike came to whisk her away on a trip of laughtracking and rollercoastering. For lunch, I met Stacie, Jenna, and Mike at Mexicantina in Poway (where I had lunch with Mom and Dave on Friday). Sadly, I was not hungry enough to tackle the fajitas, so I settled for a shredded beef taco. The four of us sat around there for at least an hour or two chatting and catching up. I was taken back home by Mike (as I still had not received my fixed car from VW), and I spent the afternoon doing errands and stuff, such as giving my trumpet a bath. That evening was spent at Stacie's, again chatting and catching up.
Thursday morning was an early one, because we had to get up to go to DISNEYLAND! It was the middle of the week and it was rainy, but there were still a bazillion people in the happiest place on Earth. Many of them had left by about 3:00, so line lengths dropped. The five of us (me, Joanna, Stacie, Mike, and Justin...Irene was sick) hit every ride there was to hit. We also found five hidden mickeys:
1. in the happy haunts' ballroom table plates
2. in the Captain's bedside chair
3. in the walls of the attacked Spanish fort
4. in the lips and nostrils of Mara
5. in the rusty gears along the tracks of Big Thunder
Other highlights included Stacie being serenaded by a barbershop quartet on Main Street ("Bicycle Built for Two"), paying up the wazoo for a piece of chicken and a couple of ribs for lunch, and an in-depth comparison of which side of the Matterhorn was more worth the wait. The five of us partied hearty until the park's closure at midnight, at which point we drove to the San Clemente Denny's (because Carrows was closed) for some dinner (because we'll be darned before paying another $15 each for another meal!). I was dropped off at home by Joanna at around 2:30.
Friday was another day full of errands and relaxation. I enjoy the days where I can take care of all the little things that never get taken care of...Anyway, I met Dad for an early dinner at P.F. Chang's. On my way back up to Ramona, I thought I'd call some of my friends to see if they wanted to donate blood with me the next day, and in doing so I discovered a surprise birthday party for Mitchell under way at Brig's house. I drove all the way back down the mountain for another evening of chatting and catching up with a bunch of my friends I otherwise would not have seen this break.
I got up earlier this morning so Dad and I could have breakfast at the OPH. From there I went over to the Vons in PQ to give blood. I managed to save three lives without any problems at all; it was wonderful! I had eaten well and taken in a lot of fluids, so I didn't feel faint at all. And I'm evidently in good health...so hooray! I spent the afternoon shopping with Mom, and the evening with Alena (which included a very good dinner cooked by Mom and a movie).
And that covers everything up to this point. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm quite exhausted and I hafta get up early for Easter service. So good night.
Oh what a night,
Josh
PS - allow me to draw your attention to a new feature of Living the SLO Life: a list of movies that I need to see at the bottom of the sidebar at right. These movies are all must-sees (or so I've heard) but I have yet to see them. If I do finally get around to watching one of these, I'll put an X next to it. I'm pretty sure there are more movies that are supposed to be listed there, but I can't remember them at the moment. Feel free to make suggestions.
mood: thoughtful...I've a lot of my mind due to some recent conversations I've had
music: "Sue Me" from Guys and Dolls
location: Mom's house, San Diego, CA
The end of Tuesday was mostly uneventful. VW decided my windshield needed replacing so they had to keep my car until the next day. Courtney and I, carless, managed to get Mom to take us with her to her house under construction in north Poway. We explored the site for a while and then returned to Mom's house. That night we stayed up watching a few episodes of Friends.
Wednesday was also relatively mellow. Courtney and I spent the morning together before Mike came to whisk her away on a trip of laughtracking and rollercoastering. For lunch, I met Stacie, Jenna, and Mike at Mexicantina in Poway (where I had lunch with Mom and Dave on Friday). Sadly, I was not hungry enough to tackle the fajitas, so I settled for a shredded beef taco. The four of us sat around there for at least an hour or two chatting and catching up. I was taken back home by Mike (as I still had not received my fixed car from VW), and I spent the afternoon doing errands and stuff, such as giving my trumpet a bath. That evening was spent at Stacie's, again chatting and catching up.
Thursday morning was an early one, because we had to get up to go to DISNEYLAND! It was the middle of the week and it was rainy, but there were still a bazillion people in the happiest place on Earth. Many of them had left by about 3:00, so line lengths dropped. The five of us (me, Joanna, Stacie, Mike, and Justin...Irene was sick) hit every ride there was to hit. We also found five hidden mickeys:
1. in the happy haunts' ballroom table plates
2. in the Captain's bedside chair
3. in the walls of the attacked Spanish fort
4. in the lips and nostrils of Mara
5. in the rusty gears along the tracks of Big Thunder
Other highlights included Stacie being serenaded by a barbershop quartet on Main Street ("Bicycle Built for Two"), paying up the wazoo for a piece of chicken and a couple of ribs for lunch, and an in-depth comparison of which side of the Matterhorn was more worth the wait. The five of us partied hearty until the park's closure at midnight, at which point we drove to the San Clemente Denny's (because Carrows was closed) for some dinner (because we'll be darned before paying another $15 each for another meal!). I was dropped off at home by Joanna at around 2:30.
Friday was another day full of errands and relaxation. I enjoy the days where I can take care of all the little things that never get taken care of...Anyway, I met Dad for an early dinner at P.F. Chang's. On my way back up to Ramona, I thought I'd call some of my friends to see if they wanted to donate blood with me the next day, and in doing so I discovered a surprise birthday party for Mitchell under way at Brig's house. I drove all the way back down the mountain for another evening of chatting and catching up with a bunch of my friends I otherwise would not have seen this break.
I got up earlier this morning so Dad and I could have breakfast at the OPH. From there I went over to the Vons in PQ to give blood. I managed to save three lives without any problems at all; it was wonderful! I had eaten well and taken in a lot of fluids, so I didn't feel faint at all. And I'm evidently in good health...so hooray! I spent the afternoon shopping with Mom, and the evening with Alena (which included a very good dinner cooked by Mom and a movie).
And that covers everything up to this point. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm quite exhausted and I hafta get up early for Easter service. So good night.
Oh what a night,
Josh
PS - allow me to draw your attention to a new feature of Living the SLO Life: a list of movies that I need to see at the bottom of the sidebar at right. These movies are all must-sees (or so I've heard) but I have yet to see them. If I do finally get around to watching one of these, I'll put an X next to it. I'm pretty sure there are more movies that are supposed to be listed there, but I can't remember them at the moment. Feel free to make suggestions.
mood: thoughtful...I've a lot of my mind due to some recent conversations I've had
music: "Sue Me" from Guys and Dolls
location: Mom's house, San Diego, CA
Tuesday, March 22, 2005
www.HaHaNotSoMuch.com
Hi de ho, neighbors. I'm here in beautiful San Diego, writing in my blog as I wait for my car to be repaired. (They're replacing the windshield because the mirror took a few chips of glass with it when it came off, and now there's apparently a risk of the windshield shattering. But don't worry...they're not making me pay for it.) So hooray.
Friday was another oh-so-exciting day off. I ran a couple of errands, the specifics of which I can't remember. I'm pretty sure Courtney and I hung out for a large part of the day...but again, I don't remember exactly what we did. I do know that we borrowed The Incredibles from one of the RAs in her dorm...er...residence hall. If you haven't seen it, I highly recommend that you go and rent it. It's a great movie.
My West Side Story rehearsal on Saturday went well. The lead trumpet didn't show so I was the only trumpeter, but I wasn't really nervous at all. Hooray! I felt quite competent (which was aided by the fact that I noticed that none of the other musicians were all that fantastic). Yay for musicals. After that, I came back to campus and had lunch before departing for home with Jenn, Sandra, and Courtney. Jenn and Sandra just needed a ride; Courtney was coming home with me. Long story short, she had been planning to stay in SLO over the break and her friend from home was coming to visit her. Unfortunately, her friend had some scheduling issues and had to cancel, leaving Courtney with nothing to do for half of the week. So we decided it would be fun for her to come and stay in San Diego. Ironically enough, it was Jamie who talked both of us into the idea (she happened to be passing by as we were discussing it). So woot.
The drive home was long as usual. I dropped Jenn and Sandra off in Newbury Park, and then drove the rest of the way home without a stop. We hit some traffic on THE 405; I think it was due to being within fifty miles of LAX. Sigh. Upon arrival at Mom's house we decided it was best to continue up to Ramona because Dad has an extra bedroom (and I was happy to be sleeping in a bedroom rather than a office/gym/litter box room).
Sunday was touristalicious. Courtney and I met Scott and Rosalie, Heather, and Steven (who had come down from LA for a day) in La Jolla for a grand sampler of San Diego. Our first stop was Belmont Park to ride the Giant Dipper, which was closed for at least an hour but was definitely worth the wait. We then made our way over to Point Loma to see the traditional postcard view of San Diego in person. I'm sad to say that though I have lived in America's Finest City for eighteen years, I had never before been to do this. But hey, I can't say that anymore! Woot. From there we went over to Coronado to visit the Hotel Del (another San Diego landmark I'd never been inside of) and to frolic around the beach for a few minutes. We ended the day at Scott's house with the best meal I've had in months, which was followed by the best dessert I'd had in years. Man, I have to learn how to cook.
On Monday, I drove Courtney to SDSU so we could have lunch with her friends from home who are students there. After spending a couple hours there, we returned to RB to walk Tessie with Mom around Lake Hodges (which, I'm happy to say, is now an actual lake). Back at Dad's, we watched I, Robot, another movie I hadn't seen before.
Today, we had breakfast with Dad and dropped my car off in Escondido to be repaired. And that's about where I am now.
On a side note, I should mention that Courtney and I have decided to give a relationship a try. I'm sure this comes to a great shock to a grand total of none of you, but I figured I ought to write about it anyway. That said, I'm not sure I want to get into all of the details in a forum as open as the Internet. I'll have to fill you all in some other time. For now, I'm enjoying the sunshine.
Cheers,
Josh
mood: relaxed, but tired of sitting in this chair
music: "You're a Big Girl" by Bob Dylan, playing on Courtney's computer
location: Mom's house, San Diego, CA
Quoted Randomness
"My mom sold her church shoes to the porn industry on Ebay."
--Jenn Tan
[sitting in one of the dining areas on campus]
"Burrito guy is checking me out."
--Nicole Touchette (Courtney's friend at SDSU)
[in reference to Nicole's promotion at Starbucks]
"Yeah, she's Starbucks' bitch now."
--Michel Couper (Courtney's other friend at SDSU)
[not really funny, but very telling of my dad]
"I would be perfectly happy being basically homeless, living under a bridge and watching the river go by."
--Jim Parker
Friday was another oh-so-exciting day off. I ran a couple of errands, the specifics of which I can't remember. I'm pretty sure Courtney and I hung out for a large part of the day...but again, I don't remember exactly what we did. I do know that we borrowed The Incredibles from one of the RAs in her dorm...er...residence hall. If you haven't seen it, I highly recommend that you go and rent it. It's a great movie.
My West Side Story rehearsal on Saturday went well. The lead trumpet didn't show so I was the only trumpeter, but I wasn't really nervous at all. Hooray! I felt quite competent (which was aided by the fact that I noticed that none of the other musicians were all that fantastic). Yay for musicals. After that, I came back to campus and had lunch before departing for home with Jenn, Sandra, and Courtney. Jenn and Sandra just needed a ride; Courtney was coming home with me. Long story short, she had been planning to stay in SLO over the break and her friend from home was coming to visit her. Unfortunately, her friend had some scheduling issues and had to cancel, leaving Courtney with nothing to do for half of the week. So we decided it would be fun for her to come and stay in San Diego. Ironically enough, it was Jamie who talked both of us into the idea (she happened to be passing by as we were discussing it). So woot.
The drive home was long as usual. I dropped Jenn and Sandra off in Newbury Park, and then drove the rest of the way home without a stop. We hit some traffic on THE 405; I think it was due to being within fifty miles of LAX. Sigh. Upon arrival at Mom's house we decided it was best to continue up to Ramona because Dad has an extra bedroom (and I was happy to be sleeping in a bedroom rather than a office/gym/litter box room).
Sunday was touristalicious. Courtney and I met Scott and Rosalie, Heather, and Steven (who had come down from LA for a day) in La Jolla for a grand sampler of San Diego. Our first stop was Belmont Park to ride the Giant Dipper, which was closed for at least an hour but was definitely worth the wait. We then made our way over to Point Loma to see the traditional postcard view of San Diego in person. I'm sad to say that though I have lived in America's Finest City for eighteen years, I had never before been to do this. But hey, I can't say that anymore! Woot. From there we went over to Coronado to visit the Hotel Del (another San Diego landmark I'd never been inside of) and to frolic around the beach for a few minutes. We ended the day at Scott's house with the best meal I've had in months, which was followed by the best dessert I'd had in years. Man, I have to learn how to cook.
On Monday, I drove Courtney to SDSU so we could have lunch with her friends from home who are students there. After spending a couple hours there, we returned to RB to walk Tessie with Mom around Lake Hodges (which, I'm happy to say, is now an actual lake). Back at Dad's, we watched I, Robot, another movie I hadn't seen before.
Today, we had breakfast with Dad and dropped my car off in Escondido to be repaired. And that's about where I am now.
On a side note, I should mention that Courtney and I have decided to give a relationship a try. I'm sure this comes to a great shock to a grand total of none of you, but I figured I ought to write about it anyway. That said, I'm not sure I want to get into all of the details in a forum as open as the Internet. I'll have to fill you all in some other time. For now, I'm enjoying the sunshine.
Cheers,
Josh
mood: relaxed, but tired of sitting in this chair
music: "You're a Big Girl" by Bob Dylan, playing on Courtney's computer
location: Mom's house, San Diego, CA
Quoted Randomness
"My mom sold her church shoes to the porn industry on Ebay."
--Jenn Tan
[sitting in one of the dining areas on campus]
"Burrito guy is checking me out."
--Nicole Touchette (Courtney's friend at SDSU)
[in reference to Nicole's promotion at Starbucks]
"Yeah, she's Starbucks' bitch now."
--Michel Couper (Courtney's other friend at SDSU)
[not really funny, but very telling of my dad]
"I would be perfectly happy being basically homeless, living under a bridge and watching the river go by."
--Jim Parker
Thursday, March 17, 2005
Mambo!
I awoke this morning at 5:30 to the sound of Kevin coming into the room. I had only been asleep for three or four hours, and as such I was quite groggy. I could not for the life of me figure out what was going on. Kevin had told me he planned to get back at 11:00 the night before, but I didn't remember him coming home. Now he was in the room. Is he coming? Is he going? Why is it so early!? I was so confused. He left after about twenty minutes, and with the absence of opening and closing drawers and closet doors I was able to fall back to sleep. I love waking up in the early morning - when it's just starting to become light outside - and then going back to sleep. So hooray.
I went to the gym again this morning, and I met my goal of biking three miles in ten minutes on level 10 on one of the stationary bikes. It was a modest goal, but I still succeeded. And hey, I had just ran a mile on the treadmill, so give me a break! I had a smoothie for breakfast, as I generally do when I go to the gym. Our campus smoothie shop is just as good as Jamba, so I'm quite thrilled about that.
After showering I drove my car over to Kimball Motors, the local GM dealer. Do you recall the story of my rear-view mirror falling off the same day I bought the new VW? Well, last night when Courtney and I found my car to drive to Firestone, it had happened again. What was that about a 170-point, dealer-certified inspection? Sigh. I had expected to have it fixed here, but Kimball said they would have to charge me for the repair. I told them I was under warranty, and that a mirror falling off while the car sat unused in a parking lot was certainly not "normal wear and tear," but to no avail. They did manage to detach the mirror from the wires, so at least it's no longer dangling in my face when I drive. But I am going to have to drive from SLO to SD without the mirror. Oh well, at least it won't be night time, and I do still have my side mirrors. Still, wish me luck...
I spent another hour or two practicing West Side Story music, and also random songs on piano. I'm pretty sure I was the only person in the whole music building for that time, and it was delightful. It's fun being in public places like that on the rare occasions that they're deserted.
For dinner, I went with Ben, Nate, Dave, and Sandra to Firestone (again). I wasn't entirely hungry, so I just a cheeseburger and skipped the fries. Oh the excitement!
Upon return to Yosemite, I participated in an Easter egg hunt on the floor (which was a completely spontaneous production) and played Text Twist on Yahoo! with Danielle and Danny, a couple of the people who live in my tower. We almost broke the 30,000-point threshold, but not quite. Some other time, maybe...
I spent maybe a half an hour playing Zelda on N64, with Kevin watching me. (He says Zelda is the only game he enjoys watching other people play.) And that concluded the day.
I'm in a much better mood than I was in yesterday, although all of the stuff I talked about still holds true and is still on my mind. Joanna and Stacie are right, though: I'll find my way. Thanks for the advice, guys.
Top 'o the mornin' to yah,
Josh
mood: pretty good...nothing specific
music: Kevin is listening to a recording of Dave, Shelly, and Chainsaw quietly as he falls asleep, but I'm playing West Side Story music in my head
location: dorm
Quoted Randomness:
"Kelly, your Red Vines are so girthy!"
--Danny, from the floor below mine
I went to the gym again this morning, and I met my goal of biking three miles in ten minutes on level 10 on one of the stationary bikes. It was a modest goal, but I still succeeded. And hey, I had just ran a mile on the treadmill, so give me a break! I had a smoothie for breakfast, as I generally do when I go to the gym. Our campus smoothie shop is just as good as Jamba, so I'm quite thrilled about that.
After showering I drove my car over to Kimball Motors, the local GM dealer. Do you recall the story of my rear-view mirror falling off the same day I bought the new VW? Well, last night when Courtney and I found my car to drive to Firestone, it had happened again. What was that about a 170-point, dealer-certified inspection? Sigh. I had expected to have it fixed here, but Kimball said they would have to charge me for the repair. I told them I was under warranty, and that a mirror falling off while the car sat unused in a parking lot was certainly not "normal wear and tear," but to no avail. They did manage to detach the mirror from the wires, so at least it's no longer dangling in my face when I drive. But I am going to have to drive from SLO to SD without the mirror. Oh well, at least it won't be night time, and I do still have my side mirrors. Still, wish me luck...
I spent another hour or two practicing West Side Story music, and also random songs on piano. I'm pretty sure I was the only person in the whole music building for that time, and it was delightful. It's fun being in public places like that on the rare occasions that they're deserted.
For dinner, I went with Ben, Nate, Dave, and Sandra to Firestone (again). I wasn't entirely hungry, so I just a cheeseburger and skipped the fries. Oh the excitement!
Upon return to Yosemite, I participated in an Easter egg hunt on the floor (which was a completely spontaneous production) and played Text Twist on Yahoo! with Danielle and Danny, a couple of the people who live in my tower. We almost broke the 30,000-point threshold, but not quite. Some other time, maybe...
I spent maybe a half an hour playing Zelda on N64, with Kevin watching me. (He says Zelda is the only game he enjoys watching other people play.) And that concluded the day.
I'm in a much better mood than I was in yesterday, although all of the stuff I talked about still holds true and is still on my mind. Joanna and Stacie are right, though: I'll find my way. Thanks for the advice, guys.
Top 'o the mornin' to yah,
Josh
mood: pretty good...nothing specific
music: Kevin is listening to a recording of Dave, Shelly, and Chainsaw quietly as he falls asleep, but I'm playing West Side Story music in my head
location: dorm
Quoted Randomness:
"Kelly, your Red Vines are so girthy!"
--Danny, from the floor below mine
Music of the Night
Got up this morning, played racquetball with Rosalie, watched some Friends, went to the career center with Courtney (so she could look for a job next quarter and I could get help writing a resume), practiced trumpet, went to Firestone with Courtney for dinner, watched Fight Club (because I just had to see it). And that's today in a nutshell.
Now, here's what I would really like to write about tonight. I'm not in a very good mood right now, and I think it's going to be a little difficult to describe why. I have been plagued by a problem as of late, and it isn't something I can solve...it's more of something that I have to deal with. I guess the root of it all is that I've been going through a lot of changes this quarter, and I'm not entirely sure I like the person I'm becoming.
Let me digress for a moment here. I have come to the conclusion that there are basically two ways to be a good person in this world. The first way is to not do anything bad...so no swearing, no complaining, no screwing over your friends, no mean thoughts about others, etc. according to whatever moral standard one happens to try to follow. I have great respect for people who can do this; I always have, and I always will. But I have recently become aware of another way to be a good person, and that is to actually go out and perform good acts: searching for and finding people who need help, and actually putting one's own life on hold to help them. The differences between these two ways may be subtle, but I believe it is substantial. The people who practice the second way become thoroughly involved in things, and the world is better off because they went through it. I have the highest respect for these people.
Now, back to me. I think I used to practice the first way described above, or at least I tried to. Unfortunately, due to all of the new influences that are now upon me, I am changing. Over the last few months I feel like I've lost a lot of the qualities that I feel made me a good person. I wish I could say that I am becoming a person who practices the second way above, but I don't really think that that's true. Everyone I meet is involved in so many things...they're all part of something...something that they care about deeply. They all have passions for things. And I can't really come up with anything that I have a passion for.
Do you have any idea how much TV I watch? Well, it's quite a lot, especially considering that half the people I know don't even have a TV in their room. And why is that? Because I have nothing else to do. I finish my classwork and am left with nothing. I fall in love with the characters in my shows, because I know they're always there for me, always faithful. How could they not be? I hold the remote! But in the end, they're fictional. So what am I left with?
I feel like I don't really have a purpose. I'm stuck in a big fat existential vacuum, and I don't know what to do about it. I want to want to do things, but I don't really want to do anything. I don't just feel bored; I feel boring. And I hate that. Maybe it's because I'm too scared to go out and try things. Regardless, I feel like everyone else is out living life, but I'm sitting in my room watching TV, with an occasional glance out the window to watch the world go by.
Anyway, that's what's on my mind tonight. I'm not...you know...in tears or anything. I've just been mulling this over lately and tonight I was just overcome with the urge to write about it all. Thanks for reading...it does mean a lot to me for those of you from San Diego who still follow my daily *cough* musings.
I leave you with a quote that I stole from Courtney's facebook:
"I have known the stars too fondly to be fearful of the night."
Josh
mood: uh, did you read anything at all above?
music: none...I am enjoying the quiet
location: an empty dormroom
PS - Due to popular demand, I have revised the commenting system of Living the SLO Life by upgrading to a haloscan account. I feel that this is a change for the better. However, all of the comments made on all of my previous entries have been lost as a result of this transition. Sorry about that.
Now, here's what I would really like to write about tonight. I'm not in a very good mood right now, and I think it's going to be a little difficult to describe why. I have been plagued by a problem as of late, and it isn't something I can solve...it's more of something that I have to deal with. I guess the root of it all is that I've been going through a lot of changes this quarter, and I'm not entirely sure I like the person I'm becoming.
Let me digress for a moment here. I have come to the conclusion that there are basically two ways to be a good person in this world. The first way is to not do anything bad...so no swearing, no complaining, no screwing over your friends, no mean thoughts about others, etc. according to whatever moral standard one happens to try to follow. I have great respect for people who can do this; I always have, and I always will. But I have recently become aware of another way to be a good person, and that is to actually go out and perform good acts: searching for and finding people who need help, and actually putting one's own life on hold to help them. The differences between these two ways may be subtle, but I believe it is substantial. The people who practice the second way become thoroughly involved in things, and the world is better off because they went through it. I have the highest respect for these people.
Now, back to me. I think I used to practice the first way described above, or at least I tried to. Unfortunately, due to all of the new influences that are now upon me, I am changing. Over the last few months I feel like I've lost a lot of the qualities that I feel made me a good person. I wish I could say that I am becoming a person who practices the second way above, but I don't really think that that's true. Everyone I meet is involved in so many things...they're all part of something...something that they care about deeply. They all have passions for things. And I can't really come up with anything that I have a passion for.
Do you have any idea how much TV I watch? Well, it's quite a lot, especially considering that half the people I know don't even have a TV in their room. And why is that? Because I have nothing else to do. I finish my classwork and am left with nothing. I fall in love with the characters in my shows, because I know they're always there for me, always faithful. How could they not be? I hold the remote! But in the end, they're fictional. So what am I left with?
I feel like I don't really have a purpose. I'm stuck in a big fat existential vacuum, and I don't know what to do about it. I want to want to do things, but I don't really want to do anything. I don't just feel bored; I feel boring. And I hate that. Maybe it's because I'm too scared to go out and try things. Regardless, I feel like everyone else is out living life, but I'm sitting in my room watching TV, with an occasional glance out the window to watch the world go by.
Anyway, that's what's on my mind tonight. I'm not...you know...in tears or anything. I've just been mulling this over lately and tonight I was just overcome with the urge to write about it all. Thanks for reading...it does mean a lot to me for those of you from San Diego who still follow my daily *cough* musings.
I leave you with a quote that I stole from Courtney's facebook:
"I have known the stars too fondly to be fearful of the night."
Josh
mood: uh, did you read anything at all above?
music: none...I am enjoying the quiet
location: an empty dormroom
PS - Due to popular demand, I have revised the commenting system of Living the SLO Life by upgrading to a haloscan account. I feel that this is a change for the better. However, all of the comments made on all of my previous entries have been lost as a result of this transition. Sorry about that.
Wednesday, March 16, 2005
Spring Break '05
I have officially completed all coursework for winter quarter! Ha! Nothing more to do until March 28! Hooray...
So I got up today at around 9:00 and went to the gym. I was already sore form going a couple days ago, so now I'm uber-sore. At least the affected area has moved from my back to my arms. And, I feel so manly walking around and flexing to try and make the soreness go away. I know what you're thinking...but trust me, if I could in some way communicate to you in words what it looks like, you'd change your mind! *cough*
I spent about four hours studying for computer science, and about four minutes studying for chem. I think I did well on both tests (chem from 4 to 6, comp sci from 7 to 10), although neither was all that much fun to take. If I had been worried about chem, I'd probably be pretty peeved right now. We've been given the equations on each of the three midterms, but they were nowhere to be found on the final. This is a pretty big deal, and I would have expected more notice to have been given. Oh well. It was multiple choice, so I guess it kind of evens out (except that there's no partial credit!). Comp sci was fine, too...but computer programs were not meant to be written without a computer!! Everything was simple enough to do with paper and pencil...until the last problem. I had to write a program that spanned over two pages. Gah! It's not that I can't handle writing that much...it's just that programming often requires lots of debugging and changing stuff which is much easier when you have access to a backspace key. I spent about 2.5 hours taking the final and the last half hour checking it; I'm pretty sure I did everything correctly (although I've yet to write a program that didn't have compilation errors the first time through, and that's with a computer). But, then again, who cares?! It's spring break, man!
After the finals had ended, I called Courtney because we had talked about doing something tonight. She was studying and needed to continue doing so, but she said she needed a break so we decided that I should come over for just a little while. We talked for a couple of hours (what? that's kind of like a little while...ish) and then I came home. How exciting.
And that was today. Today's blog time: eleven minutes. Piccadilly! I'm having fun now.
Oh, and I joined facebook today...so if any of yous all has got a profile, befriend me!
Party on,
Josh
mood: tired of sitting (but at least I went to the gym this morning)
music: the sweet sound of silence (and the occasional toilet flush from the bathroom)
location: dorm
So I got up today at around 9:00 and went to the gym. I was already sore form going a couple days ago, so now I'm uber-sore. At least the affected area has moved from my back to my arms. And, I feel so manly walking around and flexing to try and make the soreness go away. I know what you're thinking...but trust me, if I could in some way communicate to you in words what it looks like, you'd change your mind! *cough*
I spent about four hours studying for computer science, and about four minutes studying for chem. I think I did well on both tests (chem from 4 to 6, comp sci from 7 to 10), although neither was all that much fun to take. If I had been worried about chem, I'd probably be pretty peeved right now. We've been given the equations on each of the three midterms, but they were nowhere to be found on the final. This is a pretty big deal, and I would have expected more notice to have been given. Oh well. It was multiple choice, so I guess it kind of evens out (except that there's no partial credit!). Comp sci was fine, too...but computer programs were not meant to be written without a computer!! Everything was simple enough to do with paper and pencil...until the last problem. I had to write a program that spanned over two pages. Gah! It's not that I can't handle writing that much...it's just that programming often requires lots of debugging and changing stuff which is much easier when you have access to a backspace key. I spent about 2.5 hours taking the final and the last half hour checking it; I'm pretty sure I did everything correctly (although I've yet to write a program that didn't have compilation errors the first time through, and that's with a computer). But, then again, who cares?! It's spring break, man!
After the finals had ended, I called Courtney because we had talked about doing something tonight. She was studying and needed to continue doing so, but she said she needed a break so we decided that I should come over for just a little while. We talked for a couple of hours (what? that's kind of like a little while...ish) and then I came home. How exciting.
And that was today. Today's blog time: eleven minutes. Piccadilly! I'm having fun now.
Oh, and I joined facebook today...so if any of yous all has got a profile, befriend me!
Party on,
Josh
mood: tired of sitting (but at least I went to the gym this morning)
music: the sweet sound of silence (and the occasional toilet flush from the bathroom)
location: dorm
Monday, March 14, 2005
Mentos Fresh and Full of Life
Do do do doooo do do......do waaaaahhhhh
Have you heard the song from the Mentos commercials? It's the MOST catchy song ever. Seriously...it's going to be stuck in your head for the next couple of hours.
So today saw the kickoff of winter finals '05. Oh the excitement! I got up at 8:00 to get some studying in for the basic circuits final at 10:00. I had not studied prior to this, and in retrospect I should have left more time to do so. But I was able to cover my bases pretty well in the ninety minutes I had to review, so the final went dandily. My only concern is that I'm going to forget what I crammed. Considering that this class is a foundation in my major, I should probably shoot to remember most of it. Oh well...I get to keep the book.
After the final I killed some time by walking down to the UU to sell back the textbooks I no longer want/need (there was only one...the electronics manufacturing textbook that I loathe). I further killed time by practicing piano for an hour or so, and by beating the fire temple in The Legend of Zelda. (I spent fifty bucks a couple of weeks ago on a Nintendo 64 and five games. I have sorely missed these games, and I'm quite satisfied with my investment. Such a nice way to use up time!)
At 3:00 I walked down to the business building to turn in the final assignments for speech. I ended up staying for an hour chatting with my teacher, who I'm actually going to miss. I highly recommend Erma Stauffer for any speech class.
I had planned to have dinner with Courtney, but our schedules wouldn't allow it. She was helping Casey and Jenn study chemistry, and I needed to help Rosalie study physics. So it goes. I do actually enjoy helping Rosalie study (she's taking the physics class that I took last quarter). It's a very good review, and they say that the highest level of understanding of a topic comes from teaching it to someone. So really, it's a win-win situation.
And that was today. See? Nice and short. This has taken me twelve minutes to type. I think I can afford that...
Staying fresh, staying cool,
Josh
mood: Quite good - I feel at peace. I am, however, quite sore from going to the gym a couple of days ago.
music: guitar playing from next door...24-hour quiet hours my foot...
location: dorm
Have you heard the song from the Mentos commercials? It's the MOST catchy song ever. Seriously...it's going to be stuck in your head for the next couple of hours.
So today saw the kickoff of winter finals '05. Oh the excitement! I got up at 8:00 to get some studying in for the basic circuits final at 10:00. I had not studied prior to this, and in retrospect I should have left more time to do so. But I was able to cover my bases pretty well in the ninety minutes I had to review, so the final went dandily. My only concern is that I'm going to forget what I crammed. Considering that this class is a foundation in my major, I should probably shoot to remember most of it. Oh well...I get to keep the book.
After the final I killed some time by walking down to the UU to sell back the textbooks I no longer want/need (there was only one...the electronics manufacturing textbook that I loathe). I further killed time by practicing piano for an hour or so, and by beating the fire temple in The Legend of Zelda. (I spent fifty bucks a couple of weeks ago on a Nintendo 64 and five games. I have sorely missed these games, and I'm quite satisfied with my investment. Such a nice way to use up time!)
At 3:00 I walked down to the business building to turn in the final assignments for speech. I ended up staying for an hour chatting with my teacher, who I'm actually going to miss. I highly recommend Erma Stauffer for any speech class.
I had planned to have dinner with Courtney, but our schedules wouldn't allow it. She was helping Casey and Jenn study chemistry, and I needed to help Rosalie study physics. So it goes. I do actually enjoy helping Rosalie study (she's taking the physics class that I took last quarter). It's a very good review, and they say that the highest level of understanding of a topic comes from teaching it to someone. So really, it's a win-win situation.
And that was today. See? Nice and short. This has taken me twelve minutes to type. I think I can afford that...
Staying fresh, staying cool,
Josh
mood: Quite good - I feel at peace. I am, however, quite sore from going to the gym a couple of days ago.
music: guitar playing from next door...24-hour quiet hours my foot...
location: dorm
Sunday, March 13, 2005
Perfect Dark
Yay new blog entry! I wonder how long it will take for people to notice that I wrote in this thing again. Probably a pretty long time...that's what I get, I guess.
So tomorrow starts finals week. On Monday: Basic Circuits Analysis. On Tuesday: Chemistry and Fundamentals of Comp Sci. On Wednesday through Friday: diddly squat. Hooray. I find it amusing that the one weekend I pick to finally write to you all is the weekend I should be busiest. But hey, my strategy is to do well before the finals. I try to come into this week shooting to keep the grades I already have, rather than recovering from slacking off all quarter. And I've been doing pretty well. I've A's in all of my classes -- including comp sci (I've finally clawed my way back up to an A from that failed quiz taken during the first week of school). I'm especially proud of chemistry, which is the class that everyone said was the toughest class EVER, which I was taking with the teacher that everyone said was the worst teacher EVER. But I've managed to keep a solid 97% in the class, and that makes me feel pretty good. Woot. While we're on the subject of my accomplishments, I'll mention that my speech class voted me "speaker of the quarter." I got a nice little trophy that my teacher made by supergluing a miniature globe into a plastic trophy and sticking a couple of fake palm trees and Gumby with angel wings into the top of it. Hey, it's the thought that counts...
So that's school. On the band side of things, marching band has come to an end. Oh no! What am I going to do with myself?! I truly will miss MB...I can't wait until next fall. There will, however, be a few scattered performances during spring quarter, including open house weekend (which is apparently a big deal 'round these parts). So that makes me a little happier. WindO has been going fine. We had our concert last night without any major screw-ups. After my performance I was able to listen to the wind ensemble (whom I had never heard perform before) and I have since decided that they truly are a superb band, especially considering that Cal Poly is not known in the slightest for its music program. So, for as much as J gets on my nerves from time to time, I think I will probably have to stick with windO (schedule allowing, of course).
In other trumpet news...I'm now a paid trumpeter! Oh, that's right. Atascadero High School is doing a production of West Side Story, and their orchestra is short a trumpet player. The director contacted Cal Poly with a request for a decent player a month or two ago, and I ended up emailing him. Long story short, he found someone he thought was more suited for the part. Golly gee darn. But two days ago the director (whose name, by the way, is Johnny Johnson...who names their kid John Johnson?) sent me an email to tell me that the trumpeter he had found was now unable to play the show and to ask if I was still interested in doing it. And the best part? He was prepared to pay me $300. Naturally I couldn't resist. So he got the music to me that day and I looked over it for an hour or two. I was exceptionally nervous when I went to my first rehearsal on Saturday (which, unfortunately for me, was everyone else's fourth or fifth rehearsal) but it turned out okay. I have never seen West Side Story, but now that I've played the music once and listened to the CD recording Johnny made me, I can play through it all just fine. So there you go. On a side note, there's another rehearsal this Saturday that I need to go to, so now I'm staying here in SLO until then. A few of my friends will still be around here between Tuesday and Saturday so I'm pretty sure I won't get too bored...I think...
On the social side of my life...well...it gets a little complicated here. I'll try to summarize it here as best as I can. Courtney and I have been getting very...er..."close" over the past few weeks. We've been spending a night or two a week alone together, watching movies or killing time playing Yahoo! games or just sitting and talking. Now we all know that I've had a slight crush on her pretty much since I met her, and naturally now that we've gotten closer this has grown into something that I think could turn into a relationship. (Please note the use of the word "think.") And that's all well and good.
But here's where it gets hairy: there's this flautist in windO named Jamie. I don't really know her all that well but she seems exceptionally friendly and sweet. (And hey, we know how I feel about flautists...) (By the way, is it "flutist" or "flautist?" Dictionary.com says "flutist" but I thought "flautist." Googling either one give hundreds of websites about flutes. Sigh.) Anyway, I've recently come to the opinion that my perception of dating is somewhat immature. I've always thought of "dating" as referring to a lasting, committed relationship. I think, though, that a date is what you go on with someone you don't really know but would like to, and all that it means is that you think you might be interested in them. And if all goes well, then you can move into a lasting committed relationship. Does that make sense? It's hard to put into words...the point is, I'm trying to get over "asking someone out" being such a big deal. And hooray for me! I called Jamie today and asked if she wanted to go to dinner. She said she was too busy because she had to write an essay...*cough*...but that's not the point. I don't know her nearly well enough to fall madly in love with her, but I have seen enough to know that I might be interested. And that seems to not be such a big deal to me anymore. So I'm going to explore that possibility. (Oh, and I ought to mention that Jamie and I are planning on doing something later this week, after we have some of our finals behind us.) And that's all well and good.
So I've kind of been hovering between the two of them, and this doesn't seem like such a bad place to be. I'm not...you know...hitting on both of them or something. I'm just spending time with them to see where things go. (I'm pretty sure that doesn't make me a horrible person...but then my definition of "horrible" has changed considerably since I've been in SLO. Feel free to advise me against all this if that's what needs to be done.)
And that's it...kind of. (I know, I know. I suck at summarizing.) A few nights ago, Courtney and I had a conversation that got everything out in the open. Evidently we're both interested in a relationship, but we're not quite ready to start one yet. So that's where we left it. Sigh.
I'm in the position now of still wanting to get to know Jamie, but really not wanting to hurt Courtney. So hooray for struggling with that.
Gah...there's so much to say! Well, I'll save all the rest (you'd think I would have exhausted the issue from the above five paragraphs...but no) for another time. If you're that interested, you can call me.
Okay, well I'm going to go to sleep so I can get up around 7:30 and study a little for my first final. Good night.
Cheers,
Josh
PS - I hope to continue updating this blog on a regular basis. I plan on doing this by giving only a brief outline of what I've done over three- or four-day periods. This entry is a poor example of this due to the outrageous amount of women troubles that needed to be discussed. But hey, the first two paragraphs summarized the rest of my life for the last month and a half. See? I can abbreviate some things...
Quoted Randomness:
[The following quotes probably aren't entirely accurate considering I'm trying to remember them from a month ago. But they're close...ish.]
[In response to Nick's complaining about the petting-zoo animals]
"Nick, you're ugly...and you smell bad. But we still bring you places and take pictures of you."
--Stacie Townsend
[In response to the Wgasa tour guide's pitch for donating to the Wild Animal Park]
"The more you spend, the more you save...the animals."
--Nick Brown
So tomorrow starts finals week. On Monday: Basic Circuits Analysis. On Tuesday: Chemistry and Fundamentals of Comp Sci. On Wednesday through Friday: diddly squat. Hooray. I find it amusing that the one weekend I pick to finally write to you all is the weekend I should be busiest. But hey, my strategy is to do well before the finals. I try to come into this week shooting to keep the grades I already have, rather than recovering from slacking off all quarter. And I've been doing pretty well. I've A's in all of my classes -- including comp sci (I've finally clawed my way back up to an A from that failed quiz taken during the first week of school). I'm especially proud of chemistry, which is the class that everyone said was the toughest class EVER, which I was taking with the teacher that everyone said was the worst teacher EVER. But I've managed to keep a solid 97% in the class, and that makes me feel pretty good. Woot. While we're on the subject of my accomplishments, I'll mention that my speech class voted me "speaker of the quarter." I got a nice little trophy that my teacher made by supergluing a miniature globe into a plastic trophy and sticking a couple of fake palm trees and Gumby with angel wings into the top of it. Hey, it's the thought that counts...
So that's school. On the band side of things, marching band has come to an end. Oh no! What am I going to do with myself?! I truly will miss MB...I can't wait until next fall. There will, however, be a few scattered performances during spring quarter, including open house weekend (which is apparently a big deal 'round these parts). So that makes me a little happier. WindO has been going fine. We had our concert last night without any major screw-ups. After my performance I was able to listen to the wind ensemble (whom I had never heard perform before) and I have since decided that they truly are a superb band, especially considering that Cal Poly is not known in the slightest for its music program. So, for as much as J gets on my nerves from time to time, I think I will probably have to stick with windO (schedule allowing, of course).
In other trumpet news...I'm now a paid trumpeter! Oh, that's right. Atascadero High School is doing a production of West Side Story, and their orchestra is short a trumpet player. The director contacted Cal Poly with a request for a decent player a month or two ago, and I ended up emailing him. Long story short, he found someone he thought was more suited for the part. Golly gee darn. But two days ago the director (whose name, by the way, is Johnny Johnson...who names their kid John Johnson?) sent me an email to tell me that the trumpeter he had found was now unable to play the show and to ask if I was still interested in doing it. And the best part? He was prepared to pay me $300. Naturally I couldn't resist. So he got the music to me that day and I looked over it for an hour or two. I was exceptionally nervous when I went to my first rehearsal on Saturday (which, unfortunately for me, was everyone else's fourth or fifth rehearsal) but it turned out okay. I have never seen West Side Story, but now that I've played the music once and listened to the CD recording Johnny made me, I can play through it all just fine. So there you go. On a side note, there's another rehearsal this Saturday that I need to go to, so now I'm staying here in SLO until then. A few of my friends will still be around here between Tuesday and Saturday so I'm pretty sure I won't get too bored...I think...
On the social side of my life...well...it gets a little complicated here. I'll try to summarize it here as best as I can. Courtney and I have been getting very...er..."close" over the past few weeks. We've been spending a night or two a week alone together, watching movies or killing time playing Yahoo! games or just sitting and talking. Now we all know that I've had a slight crush on her pretty much since I met her, and naturally now that we've gotten closer this has grown into something that I think could turn into a relationship. (Please note the use of the word "think.") And that's all well and good.
But here's where it gets hairy: there's this flautist in windO named Jamie. I don't really know her all that well but she seems exceptionally friendly and sweet. (And hey, we know how I feel about flautists...) (By the way, is it "flutist" or "flautist?" Dictionary.com says "flutist" but I thought "flautist." Googling either one give hundreds of websites about flutes. Sigh.) Anyway, I've recently come to the opinion that my perception of dating is somewhat immature. I've always thought of "dating" as referring to a lasting, committed relationship. I think, though, that a date is what you go on with someone you don't really know but would like to, and all that it means is that you think you might be interested in them. And if all goes well, then you can move into a lasting committed relationship. Does that make sense? It's hard to put into words...the point is, I'm trying to get over "asking someone out" being such a big deal. And hooray for me! I called Jamie today and asked if she wanted to go to dinner. She said she was too busy because she had to write an essay...*cough*...but that's not the point. I don't know her nearly well enough to fall madly in love with her, but I have seen enough to know that I might be interested. And that seems to not be such a big deal to me anymore. So I'm going to explore that possibility. (Oh, and I ought to mention that Jamie and I are planning on doing something later this week, after we have some of our finals behind us.) And that's all well and good.
So I've kind of been hovering between the two of them, and this doesn't seem like such a bad place to be. I'm not...you know...hitting on both of them or something. I'm just spending time with them to see where things go. (I'm pretty sure that doesn't make me a horrible person...but then my definition of "horrible" has changed considerably since I've been in SLO. Feel free to advise me against all this if that's what needs to be done.)
And that's it...kind of. (I know, I know. I suck at summarizing.) A few nights ago, Courtney and I had a conversation that got everything out in the open. Evidently we're both interested in a relationship, but we're not quite ready to start one yet. So that's where we left it. Sigh.
I'm in the position now of still wanting to get to know Jamie, but really not wanting to hurt Courtney. So hooray for struggling with that.
Gah...there's so much to say! Well, I'll save all the rest (you'd think I would have exhausted the issue from the above five paragraphs...but no) for another time. If you're that interested, you can call me.
Okay, well I'm going to go to sleep so I can get up around 7:30 and study a little for my first final. Good night.
Cheers,
Josh
PS - I hope to continue updating this blog on a regular basis. I plan on doing this by giving only a brief outline of what I've done over three- or four-day periods. This entry is a poor example of this due to the outrageous amount of women troubles that needed to be discussed. But hey, the first two paragraphs summarized the rest of my life for the last month and a half. See? I can abbreviate some things...
Quoted Randomness:
[The following quotes probably aren't entirely accurate considering I'm trying to remember them from a month ago. But they're close...ish.]
[In response to Nick's complaining about the petting-zoo animals]
"Nick, you're ugly...and you smell bad. But we still bring you places and take pictures of you."
--Stacie Townsend
[In response to the Wgasa tour guide's pitch for donating to the Wild Animal Park]
"The more you spend, the more you save...the animals."
--Nick Brown
