Resolute This!

It’s that time of year again when people make false promises to themselves.  WOOT!  I would say I am one of those people, but I’m not.  I refuse to make a resolution when I KNOW it wouldn’t last a day.  Hell, I couldn’t even last through the forty days of lent when I was a “good” catholic, I definitely wouldn’t last a full year, or worse, the rest of my life. 

I can see the appeal though.  People want to make changes in their lives and while they can do this any day of the year, it makes sense to want to put the proverbial foot down and make that change the beginning of the year.  Out with the old, in with the new, yadda yadda.  But as I see it, if you truly wanted to make a change, you would do so at the moment you decide it needs to be done, not wait until the end of the year.  If you do wait, were you really serious?  Think about it… go ahead…  I’ll wait for you…

So, have you decided that you’re really serious?  Okay.  Good for you!  I’m really proud of you.   

Now…  Just for giggles, let’s go through some of the more popular resolutions.

1)  Lose weight/Exercise more – I think this is the MOST popular of all resolutions, not to mention it’s the one that makes the gyms out there the most money.  When my husband was working at the gym as a sales rep, he made his most money between the months of December (when people were giving memberships as gifts - kinda rude, don't you think?) and February.  I personally loved those months – well, my pockets did anyway.  I asked my husband how often those people showed up after those first couple of months… hardly ever, yet they were still paying their monthly membership fees.  As I said, it’s the Cash Cow resolution (no pun intended).

2)  Stop taking drugs – I include cigarettes and alcohol in this since they are drugs as well.  This is probably one of the hardest to give up.  It’s noble, yes, but most people don’t have a plan to do this.  Quit cold turkey? Gradually stop?  For the milder drugs (cigarettes, alcohol), it’s extremely hard to do this, especially in our current economy.  If anything, with all the added stress, people tend to smoke and drink more!  I say good luck and I hope you can last longer than a week before you pick up another drink or smoke.  For the hardcore drugs… Well, that’s more than I can really handle in one blog post and I won’t even try, but I wish you all the support and love that you will need to overcome your vices.

3)  Save Money/Manage Debt – Perhaps the most doable of resolutions, but this goes to hell as soon as Valentine’s comes around.  This requires discipline and time, two things many people do not have these days, unless they’re unemployed in which case, the resolution of saving money and managing debt becomes moot.

4)  Get a better _________ - Fill in the blank here.  Car, job, education, home, etc.  I think this goes with #3 personally.  You can get a better anything if you're not saving money or managing your money better.

5)  The ever vague, become a better person – While this is all fine and dandy, I want to know what people actually mean by this.  How does one become a better person?  Do they get a personality transplant?  Or do they mean financially better (see #3 and 4)?  Does the person want to be more loving and caring?  Around more (again very vague)?  Someone please explain this one to me.  Perhaps I’m just goal-oriented and I feel that there is no real goal here since someone can always “better” themselves someway, somehow, ya know?  And aren’t resolutions supposed to be about goals?  Maybe I’m wrong.  Someone tell me I’m wrong.  I want to be a better person and admit my mistakes…

Well, happy resolution making my friends and may 2011 be as wonderful or better as 2010!

P.S.  My new year's resolution?  Come up with a more original end of year blog post and don't lie about not making resolutions.  *wink*

You Copycat!!!

The secret to creativity is knowing how to hide your sources. – Albert Einstein

I know, I know.   I haven’t posted in a while and when I finally do I’m writing about a serious topic.  Well, it’s not the first time and it won’t be the last.  Of this, I’m sure.

They say, imitation is the highest form of flattery.  Sure.  To a point.  So… plagiarism seems to be around me a lot lately.  I don’t quite get it (not the plagiarism, but why it’s so prevalent in my little circle lately).    Well let’s face it, it’s not plagiarism until you get caught, right?  Well, everyone’s getting caught.  Perhaps it’s people being more diligent in their reading, or people are reading more and can spot similarities quicker.  Or, people just care more.

In the past, teachers tried to nip plagiarism in the bud early on.  After all, copying, cheating, etc. does start in schools.  It’s where we first learn about it.  I think now, though, with the advent of the interwebs (I must remember to thank our dear president bush – note the sarcasm – for that word) it has become that much easier to catch the culprits.  All that is needed is a few lines of the “original” work typed into Google and…voila!  You will know if the work you are looking at was copied or not.  It’s actually pretty neat.

Why am I writing about this?  I have not been plagiarized yet…well…at least not that I know about anyway, but friends have been both the plagiarizer and the plagiarized.    

I mentioned before, I think, that I write fan fiction – it’s my not-so-secret hobby.  Most of the works in the fan fiction world are derivatives of the original book/story/videogame.  You will find similarities, but it’s common knowledge, the authors know about it and there is nothing to be gained except some writing practice.  At least, that’s how I see it.  Yet, even in that world, people find it necessary to copy whole stories/ideas from each other.  In all honesty, if you cannot come up with an original idea to put these characters in, perhaps you shouldn’t be writing.  I am close with some authors who have had to pull their writings and completely stopped writing because they were being copied.  It’s not a pleasant feeling.

Then, of course, you have the case where a friendship was jeopardized.  For the sake of privacy, I will call them Tom and Jerry (credit to Hanna-Barbera).

Tom and Jerry were friends, had been for a while.  They had classes together, studied together, were even lab partners.  Things were going great in their lab class.  They were both on their way to getting an A (or close to it).  Tom, being the older of the two, definitely needed the A in the class; Jerry was younger and had time to pull up his GPA if for whatever reason he didn’t get the A he was looking for in lab.    Lab reports were due every three to four days and we’re not talking about one or two pages here.  These reports were 10-20 pages depending on the lab.  It was a lot of work and there were plenty of sleepless nights to get these reports done.

Something went wrong though on the second to last lab.  Tom finished his report and, being a good lab partner, sent it to Jerry so Jerry could use it as reference.  Jerry on the other hand decided that it was too late and he needed to sleep.  He took Tom’s report and copied a good portion of it, in some instances, not even bothering to change the wording around.  Unfortunately for both of them, the lab instructor noticed.  It turned ugly fast.  What should have been a celebration for finish the lab course, turned into a broken friendship and almost expulsion. 

Ironically, I had just lectured the two of them on taking the easy way out.  It never pays, it’s risky and you only end up working harder.  Jerry took the high road and ‘fessed up.  The instructor was lenient and didn’t take any disciplinary actions against him.  I think the guilt eating him up inside was enough punishment for him.  Tom was found innocent of any wrongdoing.  It worked out, sort of, in the end.  They don’t speak to each other anymore.

About the most originality that any writer can hope to achieve honestly is to steal with good judgement.  - Josh Billings

Lesson learned?  I hope so.  

A Bibliophile's Haven

You all know by now how much of an avid reader I am and if you didn't know, then you've just been informed.  I love reading.  I love books. Yes, I have a Kindle, but the Kindle will never replace the feel of a real book in my hand or the smell of the pages and the ink.  It's comforting.  That said, I don't only like reading, but I like collecting books as well - mainly classics and leather-bound books right now.  I don't have the means (time, space, money) at present to follow-through with my little obsession, but I will.

You would think that with my love of books, I would visit the library more often, but I don't.  Don't know why, really, I just don't go.  I have taken to either buying books or borrowing from friends and family (namely, my mother).  I also have my aforementioned Kindle to carry with me.  Yesterday, however, I went to the library for the first time in a long time.  As I sat waiting for my classmate (we were studying for our upcoming Chemistry exam), I took a picture of the entrance because...well...it's gorgeous.

This is the entire front view of the library:

Pretty, right?  I will say the inside looks like any ol' library.

All of this got me thinking about different libraries around the world.  I took a peek on the interwebs and saw that someone else took the time to put together a slideshow of the most beautiful libraries in the world.  You can check that here: A Compendium of Beautiful Libraries Around the World.  However, if you don't want to go cruising around, here are my favorite ones. (Yes, the New York Public Library is not on my list, perhaps because I see it all the time?)

The Seattle Library - Seattle, WA

Look at all that glass and there's a garden inside, too!

The Staircase Library - London, UK

You will never have a problem reaching the top shelf again.

The Sansovino Library - Rome, Italy

It's just...breathtaking

The Trinity College - Dublin, Ireland

The rows of books! This is a bibliophile's dream come true.  I know I could spend an eternity in here and still feel like it's not enough time.

Okay, so I know you're thinking, "But, Ms. Random, what about your own personal library?  Don't you want one?"  The answer to that is: YES!  Right now, I do have a mini-library.  It consists of five big bins full of books, a three-row bookshelf with books spilling everywhere, and some books on the floor next to said bookshelf.  Yeah, I need a real library and fast!  When the time comes, I plan on building one in my home.  Here are some samples of what I would like (courtesy of Architectural Digest).

The open design here allows me easy access to my books, not to mention that no matter where I am, I'd be surrounded by them.  What a glorious thing!

This one is light and airy.  It is its own separate room and I absolutely love the stairs.  I could spend a whole day, week, month in here!

A condo or apartment library, right?  Something to consider, but it does look mighty cozy.

My personal sanctuary?  Looks like it could be, I certainly wouldn't mind being here all day either.

It is my goal in life to have a library in my house.  If I can manage it, I'd be one happy, reading camper. 

So, my readers, which is your favorite library (if you visited the link or from the ones I posted)?  I would love to hear what your opinion! 

Things that make me HAPPY!

Apparently there are blog awards that go around and I was privileged enough to receive one from a special friend today.  

Greenie, author of Scribbles, Scruples & Stories, sent the Sweet Friends Blog award.  I am extremely honored.  Of course, there are rules with this, since this is an award that gets passed along.

Rules: Here are the rules: Recipient must post their award on their blog mentioning the person that gave it to them. Then they must pass it on to 10 others & leave a comment on each of their blogs to let them know that they have won. You must also post 10 things that make you happy.

So, I don't follow ten blogs (well, I follow more through my fan fiction blog), but I'll list the ones that I do and hopefully you'll follow them as well.

• A Duchess Cooks in Brooklyn  - a great source for recipes and all things food related.  Really you can't go wrong.
• Scribbles, Scruples & Stories - musings of a Danish woman (who I will get to meet in a couple of months)
• Olgy's Blog  - my Cuban comadre.  We are both passionate about all things Cuba and education.
• The Unread Reader - perhaps, the sweetest woman on earth and the loudest cheerleader/supporter.

Now for the ten things that make me happy.  I hate that can only list ten, but hey it's a start.

1) My husband - Even when we argue (which is rare), we can still laugh at ourselves and realize that we are arguing for the dumbest reasons.
2) My family - I wouldn't be here without them.
3) My nephew - He gets his own, because he's just adorable and funny and generally a wonderful child.  I hope my little ones turn out like him.
4) My friends - They know how to cheer me up when I'm down, or make me laugh harder when I'm already happy.
5) School - Way back in the day, I was the one that used to LOVE going to school.  Now that I am back in school, I realize that I still do.  Getting a 44/50 on my first Chemistry exam and a 90 on my Calculus exam helps also.
6) Sleep - Yes, sleep makes me happy.  It energizes me everyday, why could anyone be sad about it?
7) My writing - I never knew how therapeutic my writing could be until I started doing it.  Oh... and how addictive!
8) Music - It moves my soul, period, paragraph, the end.
9) The Sun - Well, this is fairly obvious.  The Sun is warm and inviting, not to mention it gives me a great tan.

10) Rain - Hear me out on this one... Rain is dreary, yes, but you can't deny the fact that on a rainy day you can stay in, curled into your favorite spot, with a good book or a good movie.  Sometimes it helps you catch up with things around the house or just makes you spend quality time with your family/friends/significant others.  Not to mention that rain means flowers!

So what makes you happy?

Super Bowl Recap

How 'bout dem Saints!?!?!?  I was, and still am, super excited that the Saints won the Super Bowl.  The team deserved it, but more importantly, the city of New Orleans deserved it and NEEDED it.  Talk about a morale boost for the city!  If I had money, I would fly down and celebrate with them.  The win couldn't have come at a better time, too.  Mardi Gras is right around the corner.  The city will be buzzing.  Oh, how I wish I could be there!

So, let's talk about the Super Bowl.

1) I missed most of the National Anthem as I was en route to a friend's house to watch the game.  I caught the tail end though and my ears were ringing... that's not a good thing.  (For the record, I am a musician - even if I haven't touched my flute in years - and my ears are trained to hear when something/someone is out of tune.)  I wasn't impressed, but again, I didn't hear the whole thing.  Oh, and this means I also missed the opening acts.  I don't think I missed much there either.

2) The first half of the game was exciting, though I did feel that the Saints didn't have it in them.  It was almost as if they were intimidated by the big bad Colts.  But, I also knew that there was still a whole other half to be played and anything could happen...

3) The Who...  Ummm...  Yeah.  I was glad they opened with Pinball Wizard, but the whole performance in general was blah.  As someone said, "I miss the nipples!"  I did, too.

4) The second half...well...THE SAINTS WON!!!!  I told my husband that the game-changer was the two-point conversion.  The momentum shifted and it was over for the Colts.  Everything went for the Saints and I couldn't be happier.

Now let's talk about the commercials.  Admittedly, I didn't really pay much attention to them.  I actually watch the game and use the commercials to talk to the friends, get refills on the drinks, use the restroom, etc.  But, here are a few that I did see and like:

Why I liked this one? Because it's Harry!!! And I can't wait to get my butt down to Universal and go. Really... I mean it... I'm like a little kid when it comes to Harry.

For the sheer fact that vampires are mentioned in this commercial:

Umm.... Johnny Depp... Alice in Wonderland, need I say more? And if you don't understand my obsession, I refer you to my second post.

Finally, because it's cute (even if a bit stereotypical):

You can view the rest of the commercials here.

Of course, there's also the controversial ad starring Tim Tebow and his mother.  Honestly, I almost missed it, it was so bland and it didn't say much.  The point of the commercial was to send viewers to the Focus for Family site and, as someone pointed out, the controversy on the ad probably drew more people to the site than not.  Why?  Because, again, the commercial in itself was nothing to scream about and most people would have missed it, but due to the uproar over the spot, more people were looking for it and became more interested in the rest of the story.  Here is the ad...

See what I mean?  Nothing to it.  Also, CBS, if you're reading (which I doubt) - see how easy it was to show both commercials on my blog?  Not that hard.  Sure, I have my views and issues with the above ad because of what it is preaching (and even then, you would have to go to the site to really know what it is preaching - pro-life/anti-abortion agenda), but the group does have a right to air their views.  It's called Freedom of Speech.  CBS, however, by airing the commercial and not the gay dating service, showed their true colors and where they stood by taking sides and politicizing an event - the Super Bowl - that should not have been politicized.  Shame on you, CBS!

One other thing.  Some people felt I was too harsh on Tim and I made assumptions about him that I shouldn't have.  True, I cannot sit here and assume what he does with his private life.  It's great that his mother persevered and went through the high risk pregnancy.  Many people wouldn't.  That being said, he still does not have the right to tell other women what to do with their bodies.  By being in the commercial, funded by a pro-life group, he was doing just that and that is why I have a problem with him.

Shoot, I was trying to stay off my soapbox, but, oh well.  I can't help myself.  *smile*

There's my little (or big) recap.  Congrats to the Saints and New Orleans again!  Now, I'm going to book my trip to NOLA!!!

P.S.  What was your favorite commercial?

The Saintly Colts (or How the Super Bowl is No Longer About the Game)

OMG OMG OMG Did you hear!?!?!?!  Carrie Underwood is going to sing the National Anthem!!!

Really?  Well, The Who is performing during halftime.  The Who?  When did the average age of viewers go from 18-45ish to 45-70ish?  Eh, well... that's cool, I suppose.  I like The Who, even if the only song I have of theirs in my collection is Pinball Wizard... right....

Oh, I almost forgot, there's a ga...  What????  Daughtry is also performing???  The opening act?  Sweet, though I don't listen to his music either.  Okay.

So there's a game - I can't wait for all of the commercials this year.  That's the best part of the Super Bowl!

Speaking of commercials, when did the Super Bowl become a platform for political agendas?  CBS banned a commercial for a gay dating site, but will be glorifying the religious right with their pro-life/anti-abortion commercials.  These commercials aren't cheap.  ManCrunch, the gay dating service, paid an arm and a leg to get their spot aired, only for it to be pulled. There is nothing wrong with the commercial.  It's actually quite funny:

Unfortunately, I cannot find the anti-abortion commercial.  I wanted to post it as well, so CBS could see how easy it is to be fair to everyone. (I'm sure it's out there, but really, we can all wait to see it.)

Essentially, the commercial is of Tim Tebow, star quarterback of University of Florida, going on about how his mother was very ill and was told to have an abortion.  Lucky for him, she didn't and he went on to win the Heisman Trophy and, more than likely, will make millions for his mother now.  Tim, apparently, is a devout Christian.  As my husband would say, "I'm proud of ya."  (Note the sarcastic tone.)  What I find ironic about all of this is that Tim is THE STAR QUARTERBACK for Florida.  This means he must get women falling over him all the time and, unless he's a eunuch, I'm sure he's having plenty of sex (I would never for a minute buy that he's waiting for marriage).  So I pose a question to him.  How many of those women did you accidentally impregnate who later had abortions?  He may not even know the answer to that one, but it's a possibility.  Would he have told those women to not have abortions?  I wonder...

But I digress...In lieu of not having the Tim Tebow commercial, here's a response ad from Planned Parenthood.

I'll get off my soapbox now...

So, who's ready to watch those Super Bowl commercials???  I know I am!  Remember the Bud Bowl???  Do they even still have it?  I miss it! A bunch of beer bottles playing football, too cute.  As a 10 year old, I wanted a beer... to play football with, of course.

Oh... wait... there's an actual game?  Yes, there is...

Well now, if you read one of my earlier posts you would know that I had originally predicted a Giants v. Jets Super Bowl (wishful thinking on my part).  I was oh-so-close with the Jets.  They played their hearts out though and you have to give them credit!

Instead, we have the New Orleans Saints playing against the Indianapolis Colts.

   V. 

I can dig it.  I like Peyton Manning and I like the Saints.  I won't give a prediction on who will win because both teams are really good.  I would like the Saints to win since they've never won a Super Bowl, but really it doesn't work that way, does it?  I'll keep my fingers crossed though, after all, they do have God on their side, right? 

I hope you all enjoy the game, eat lots of food and drink lots of beer, but be safe!!!

WHO DAT? WHO DAT? WHO DAT?  GEAUX SAINTS!!!

On a Sugar High

So... I'm digging this whole throwback thing the soda companies are doing.  It's a great marketing ploy to get all of the "naturalists" to buy their soft drinks again.  I know I definitely prefer real sugar to any form of artificial crap (in the diet drinks) or corn syrup.  Of course, my inquiring mind wanted to know for sure if they were bs'ing us or if they were for real.

I took a peek at the Pepsi website and this is what I found:

There, highlighted in yellow, SUGAR!!!  Not high fructose corn syrup, or as I lovingly refer to it... gunk.  They were also very clear to point out that it does not contain Aspartame which is another unnatural sweetener that is used often in diet drinks.  As I've always said, I would rather drink regular soda with the gunk (which will just make me fat) than diet soda with aspartame (which could slowly kill me).  Now, however, with all the throwbacks, I can be happier with the regular soda.

Of course, I prefer Dr. Pepper over Pepsi and Coke anyway, and Dr. Pepper has been on the pure sugar bandwagon for a while now.

Dublin, Texas has been producing pure sugar Dr. P, since the beginning of time.  Sure they make gunk Dr. P, but they are known for their good ol' sugar.  I personally spend the money to get my Dr. P shipped to me from Dublin.  It comes in 8oz classic bottles (which is normal serving size) and is absolutely, 100% delicious.  Yes, because I say so!  They are much lighter in taste than gunk Dr. P and hit the soda spot just right.  I suggest you go and visit the site and order some today.  You won't be sorry.

But, really, if we want to talk about natural sodas, there are a whole bunch other than Pepsi and Coke that are available and probably healthier even than the big corps.

My personal favorites are (in order):

GuS

Izze

Fizzy Lizzy

If you notice, most of these are juices with carbonated water.  Like, I said, healthier.  

What I'm looking forward to, though, since everyone is on this throwback high...  is when Coca-Cola starts selling their cokes with cocaine again.  Now THAT I'll buy!  

(P.S. This was not intentionally meant to be a big ol' advertisement for the sodas, just some recommendations.)

"Now that's what I call Marine Biology!"

As you all know, I'm going back to school.  Well, I officially started yesterday and I am very close to feeling like Rodney Dangerfield.  If you don't know what I'm talking about, I refer you to this:

Back To School (Extra-Curricular Edition)

Okay, well, I'm not a bug-eyed, rich, sexagenarian, but I am old...older than most of my classmates.  Oh and I also won't wreck havoc on campus.  That would be difficult to accomplish anyway since my school is a city college and, therefore, does not have a "real" campus.  My undergrad campus?  Sure, but not Hunter.

So, how did my first week of class go?  

Monday, I ordered my books online.  Apparently they have a process whereby you can order online and get first dibs on used books, if available.  Of course, it was a big scam and I should've known better, but whatever.  Buying online means there was no way for me to see for myself if all the used books were indeed taken.  I ended up spending $400 in books, for just two classes.  Crazy?  Yes, but in the end I can only hope it was all worth it.

Tuesday, I waited for my confirmation so I could pick up my books.

Wednesday, I picked up my books.  Can someone please tell me why textbooks are so damn heavy?  Heavy and half of what's in those books is completely useless.  What a waste of paper!

Thursday was my first day of class.  Chemistry.  If the first class is indicative of what the rest of the semester will be like then I should pass this class with big ol' fat A.  The professor is nice - when I can understand what he is saying.  If i fail, I will chalk it up to the fact that I couldn't comprehend the words coming out of his mouth.  I will say, though, that it call came back in a flood when he started talking about mass and weight and moles and the periodic tables.  I relished in it.  I realized how much I missed Chemistry.

Today, Friday, Calculus...We went right into the work, going over old concepts - tangents, slopes, factors.  I can't say I miss them, but it wasn't too bad.  What was bad?  He gave us an exam!!  Granted, it was a diagnostic test to see where our strengths and weaknesses were as well as a way for him know how far back he has to go to get everybody caught up.  Honestly, I'm a little scared, but I think I'll do okay?  We'll see soon.

There you have it.  What are your predictions on what my grades will be?

ID or Bust

I went to get my new school ID today.  I was pleasantly surprised that I, for once, didn't look half bad.  I would post my previous pictures, but that would mean showing you what I looked like and I'm just not in the mood for that right now. Take my word for it though, they were pretty bad.  I looked horribly fat in one (and I'm not fat), I looked like a school teacher in another, then of course, there are the "OMG, you look like you've seen a ghost" pictures.  Yeah... so when I say I look good this time, I do. I actually smiled for a change, too.

So while I looking at my picture, I began to wonder about all the silly pictures that others have taken.  Here's one:

Yes...  Batman... really...  the picture is okay, but the name.  Wow.  I wish I would have come up with this sooner, but I didn't.  I took this from "12 Most Bizarre ID Cards" and really, I couldn't stop laughing.

So tell me, who here has a perfect ID photo.  Anybody?  If you do, I would LOVE to see it!

Coffee Talk with Random McRandom

My friend, E, and I were discussing things that we missed from the good ol' days (as if we're that old) and one thing that came up was how good Saturday Night Live used to be and some of their skits and characters.  The Church Lady, The Land Shark, and, our personal favorite, Linda Richman.

Who can forget Michael Myers as Linda Richman???  It was classic and funny.  Amazingly, there aren't many videos out on the interwebs of the old skits.  It's a shame because that was truly good sketch comedy.  So here's a video that is up.  Enjoy for old time's sake.

Watching it again is making me a bit... verklempt.  I will give you a topic to discuss.  A chickpea is neither a chick or a pea.  Discuss. 

(P.S. Thanks E for that little topic).

Guitar Hero, Rock Band, & Addictions...

I have a new addiction.  It seems along with my writing, I can't stop playing Guitar Hero or Rock Band.  Now, I only have the guitar for both games and, perhaps if I had more space in my apartment, I would have the drums and mic as well, but I don't.

Honestly, I can't decide which I like better.  For the record the versions of each that I have are:

RockBand: The Beatles

Guitar Hero: Aerosmith

Guitar Hero: World Tour

My all-time favorite would have to be RockBand: The Beatles, if, for nothing else, the sheer fact that it's The Beatles.  I mean, really.  Come on.  The background images are great - you really do feel like you're getting high with the John, Paul, Ringo and George.

Guitar Hero (both versions) are harder than RB... at least the Beatles version. I've only dabbled in RockBand 2, so I can't say for sure which is more difficult.  I will say that I have pretty much mastered RB on medium, I'm lucky if I can play a few songs of GH on medium without getting booed off the stage.  *sigh*

My husband has asked me why I have such an addiction (on top of making fun of me for even having the addiction considering that I am always yelling at him about his obsession with NCAA Football '07).  My response to him, "I need a healthy addiction, plus it gets my brain working on different things.  You know the whole hand-eye coordination stuff.  Oh and I used to play the flute and this reminds of me those good ol' days."  He looked at me as though I had three heads and walked away.  *shrug*

P.S.  if anyone is listening, I would LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOVE a GH or RB version for U2.  Imagine rockin' out to With or Without You or even New Year's Day?  Yep, I'll be that in a heartbeat....

On that note... it's time for some GH... or RB... or GH.............

Calling Dr. McRandom

I don't believe I mentioned this before, but yours truly will be going back to school! Yes, this is the big news I mentioned in the New Year's post. For as long as I could remember (meaning when I started speaking), I wanted to be a doctor. A pediatric surgeon at that.

All through grade school, junior high and high school, it seemed as though my dream of becoming a doctor would come to fruition. I mean I was, after all, a straight A student. I missed being valedictorian by six points (93 vs 99), though everyone told me that had the averages been weighed to include extra-curricular activities, I would have been the valedictorian. Eh, whatever. I still went to an Ivy League school, whereas the valedictorian did not. (Either she wasn't accepted or she never applied).

Anyway, things were going well, then I started Uni and well... things weren't going so well. You see, I never once had to study in high school. I thought I could get away with it in college. Yeah, not quite. I nearly flunked out my first year. I was taking biology and calculus. If it hadn't been for my English class and whatever other course I was taking, I would have definitely crashed and burned. Needless to say, my hopes of becoming a doctor were smashed. So I changed my major and graduated with a degree in Psychology.

Now everyone comes to me for advice.

I, however, was not satisfied with the path I was taking and when I was laid of last year I knew that was my cue to get off my behind and finish what I started.

So, I applied to schools - rather a school - for their Post Baccalaureate Pre-med programs. Essentially I am getting a second degree in Pre-Med studies without all the hassle of going through four years of schooling.

I was accepted and now I start school at the end of January. WOOT!

Call me in about 6-8 years and I'll be ready to take care of your children! I mean it. Really! Hey... where y'all going?? I'll be a great a doctor. Come back!!!

Happy New Year

So, I was horrible at posting last year. My new year's resolution, well, one of them, will be to post more frequently, hopefully once a week or once every other week. I will start this week with something my friend sent me. It seems appropriate considering the title was Random Thoughts...

1. I think part of a best friend's job should be to immediately clear your computer history when you die.

2. Nothing sucks more than that moment during an argument when you realize you're wrong.

3. Bad decisions make good stories.

4. You never know when it will strike, but there comes a moment at work when you know that you just aren't going to do anything productive for the rest of the day.

5. I hate when I just miss a call by the last ring (Hello? Hello? Damn it!), but when I immediately call back, it rings nine times and goes to voicemail. What'd you do after I didn't answer? Drop the phone and run away?

6. I hate leaving my house confident and looking good and then not seeing anyone of importance the entire day. What a waste.

7. I keep some people's phone numbers in my phone just so I know not to answer when they call.

8. I think the freezer deserves a light as well.

Have a wonderful 2010 and I'll see you all next week... or sooner.... definitely sooner, I have some things to say.