Thought for the Day.

I think it's funny that people are still lining up around the block to get a Wii when we've had one for three months and hardly play it.

????

All I can say is:

FUCK. A. DUCK.

That's the only thing left in my head.

A hell of a week, and no let up in sight.

Enjoy the ride.

Now THIS is how to start the day...

THE VERVE ARE REUNITING!

/yelling.

And after spending 14 hours on my computer yesterday, almost five of which were spent in Second Life, it's nice to have some good news staring at me on the Yahoo! front page.

I love Richard Ashcroft's bony guts.

I Had a Weekend!

One that involved copious amounts of liquor. As many of my weekends do...so that's nothing new.

BUT! I saw the Police! And so did a lot of Asians. Evidently they are big with that demographic. Anyway, it was a great show and THREE encores! I have to say that I think the very last song was the best of the night - I'm guessing they save it for last on purpose. And only two beers because I didn't want to have to go pee in the middle of it, since I missed Dave Grohl's lap around the field while the Foo Fighters were playing due to my full bladder. As a bonus, it only took 20 minutes to get out of the parking lot at Dodgers Stadium. I highly recommend parking in Lot 8.

And yesterday we had a two-hour brunch. That's a lot of champagne, in case you're wondering. So much I didn't even want any when I got home, and it was Sunday afternoon, which in my house is known to involve more than one bottle.

Now it's a new week of trying to wrangle a virtual group and in real life, wrangling an office full of designers who like to hug. Closely.

FRIDAY!

Thanks for the votes of confidence - sometimes it's a little overwhelming in this corner of the world.

Booze always helps. So would an assistant. Maybe a boozy assistant? Oh wait - that's me.

Anyway, just thinking out loud.

School is sailing right along - A's all around so far, so perhaps I really can do it. Work is just very difficult when it's only me handling all the administrative and project stuff. And answering the phone.

I forget things now, and that's what really grates on me. Even if I write it down, sometimes it just goes right out of my head. That totally kills me, because I feel like I should be able to do everything all at once like the multi-tasking machine I am.

But I am not a machine. It's too bad, because being a robot would be fun. Or having a robot would be fun. Or something.

Regardless, it's Friday! And tomorrow night I'm going to see the Police! At Dodgers Stadium! Hotdogs and beer!

I Just Don't Know.

I'm not sure I can do it. I don't think there are enough hours in the day.

And that's all I have to say.

I'd Rather be Sleeping.

Really.

But in a half hour I'll be having my first class in Second Life. We're going to learn how to build things tonight. So yeah, that's cool. But I'm pretty broken by this point in the day and to have to go until 9:30 (or later if I stay for the Cisco tour) is really a strain on my few remaining brain cells.

Not to mention my burning eyes. I spend nine hours in front of a computer screen at work, and coming home to spend another four staring at my laptop is killing me. Hopefully the worst will be over after this week...but somehow I'm not sure that's going to be the case.

Taking two classes this particular summer was maybe not the wisest decision ever. But I have no choice, because it was either that or take three in the fall. HAHAHAAAAA. I'm just counting the weeks...only eight left.

The entire summer. No time off until August.

But! I get three weeks of vacation this year. Actually, I think I've had three for the last two years...but I'm not really sure, and I don't take vacations like that anyway.

I do have stories! About things that are more fun than school! And pictures!

But that'll have to wait until later.

In The News!

My Second Life class is in this month's Library Journal.

They didn't say anything about giant weeners, though. I'm disappointed.

Can't. Go. On.

I've really come to dread Fridays. Okay, just the last two, but still. Friday should be the best day of the work week...and lately it just makes me want to cry. By Friday morning I am absolutely exhausted and it seems like that's when the most work has to be done in the office.

Just eight more weeks of school. Then it will all be okay again. Well, not so bad.

Famous last words.

An interesting thing happens when you read an ad for your own job. The first reaction is that hey! great! Maybe now you can go pee without worrying if the phone is going to ring in those two minutes. Then you start to think about it...if they're hiring another you, what are you going to do?

And considering the fact that someone got the shoe the other week, maybe you're worried for a minute.

But then you stop and think - they probably wouldn't have shared the ad with you if you were getting fired. And they'd kinda be shooting themselves in the foot by not gleaning all the information from you before shuffling you out the door. Besides - you've been there for five years. You should've been fired long before now, if you deserved to be.

The point? One of these days I will no longer be responsible for adminstrative assistant duties. What am I going to do? You're guess is as good as mine, but most likely only involves becoming the office manager. And maybe I wish it was something different, higher level or librarian-related, but for now? As long as someone else is answering the phone I am so not complaining. And maybe I'll get a chance to do some other fun things that keep getting thrown about, but I have no time to work at.

Because dude - five years is long enough to be chained to a phone.

Well...

Perhaps I am amending my last post.

I think there might only be two of us in my Interface Design class. For reals.

No one else has posted anything. Not a peep. The third person hasn't posted on the current forum.

It's almost like taking an independent study class. Not that I'm complaining.

But weird.

Bravery.

So, I don't know how many people are actually in my Interface Design class, but I'm guessing it's more than 3. But that's all I've seen posting online.

We have a task model due next week - it's supposed to be an asynchronous exercise, and I'm the only one who has posted anything so far. My instructor mentioned my bravery in doing it, but hi? I don't have time to sit around and wait to see what other people are doing to make sure I don't make a fool of myself.

And jeez - it's a Powerpoint presentation of a bunch of steps to do a task. It's not difficult.

And now everyone will totally start posting theirs, I'm sure.

Wimps.

OH HAI!

I BLOG!

Jeezum crow, things are crazy over on this side. Being alone in the office is not a fun time on Monday. It wouldn't be so bad if people actually told me what was going on before leaving. Suddenly I'm coordinating presentations that I had no idea were happening. What's even better? The client doesn't know when we're presenting.

Welcome to my world.

In other news, one week of school is over and so far I'm doing okay. I do have to write that paper this week, but I should be able to get my research done today, then it's just a matter of throwing it together in some way that makes sense.

Until I change my topic. We won't think about that yet. But I'm sure I will in about five minutes. I can't help it - porn is such a big draw, what can I say?

I also get to do a task model! About laundry! OMG MY LIFE RULES!

Okay, back to work.

Rocking My Socks Today...

Oh dear Ray Bradbury...

Farenheit 451 is one of my favorite books of all time. I think I was 16 when I read it, and I'm pretty sure I tore through it in about a day.

And flat screen televisions freak the hell out of me.

Oh Yeah!

School started the other day...and actually, Second Life started today. So the next 10 weeks will be jam-packed with MUVEs and BarVo.

BarVo?

We'll get to that another time. For now I just need to describe my user group.

Someone in the office asked me today if I was going to be okay with school and work, now that we're pretty busy. I was all - "Sure" - and I didn't say this, but I really have no choice. I have to work full-time, and this summer I have to go to school full-time, so this time next year I can just be doing one of those. Will it suck? Probably. But I'll muddle through like I always do, with a couple of meltdowns and more late nights than I would like, but I'll do it.

Because while it isn't the only option, it's the only one I'll accept. I WILL graduate in May of 2008.

And really - I'm taking Second Life, for God's sake. After I write the first paper (eight pages due in two weeks, cakewalk, right?) it's all downhill. Our first assignment is to introduce ourselves in the forum, IM the instructor, and post a blog entry.

I think I'll be just fine.

TUESDAY!

And holy Mary mother of Jesus did yesterday blow.

The good news is that I didn't incinerate or fall out of a basket. We did almost capsize, but when you're on the ground it's actually pretty funny. Maybe it was the lack of sleep.

I highly recommend hot-air ballooning...if I could travel everywhere like that I'd be happy.

I have pictures, of course - in my camera. I've never figured out if digital photography is worse than film for me...I never got my film developed, and I never print my digital photos. I guess I at least get them online at some point.

Anyway, yesterday was a Monday all the way around - it started with me leaving my keys at home and ended with the grill almost incinerating our chicken. At least it was just the skin that burned.

I'm not even going to bother with explaining the rest, but suffice it to say that it would be most helpful if I could either produce a clone or grow a couple more appendages. Or get a production assistant. Because I? Am doing the work of three people right now.

And I'm trying to decide what to create a prototype of for interface design. An espresso machine is high on the list right now, but honestly, I'd like to do something more creative. However, my creativity has dried up - perhaps I need to have a charette.

Okay, that's all - I have to make reservations now.

FRIDAY!

Already? Of course, this afternoon is dragging slowly by...and I'm waiting for stupid drawings to be emailed to me and I can't go anywhere until they show up. GAH. Anyway, this weekend's adventure takes me to...TEMECULA!

Wait, what? No really - think less Tori and Dean, more hot air balloons and wine.

I'm going to ride in a hot air balloon for the first time...which is both exciting and slightly unnerving, especially when you read the liability waiver. The whole "you could capsize, ignite, and/or fall out" clause isn't really reassuring.

But! Champagne at the end of it! And anything that involves champagne must be good.

So I'm sure I'll have more pictures that I won't upload for weeks when I get back.