The Myth & The Majesty

The question for the day is ... what do you do when you can't sleep? I almost always end up on the computer. I can't really say why ... I suppose it's because a computer matches my attention span, especially late at night. There are a million different things to do here (unlike watching TV), and nothing requires too much concentration (unlike reading). On nights like tonight, when I can't seem to quiet my brain down and my apartment is just a little too warm anyway, staring blankly at a screen seems to help. Maybe I'm a nerd. Maybe I'm a child of the computer age. Maybe I'm just another standard, normal American. (Technically I'm all of those.) Let's see ... The psychotic week is over ... I spent some quality time in the pilot plant, threw off my normal sleep schedule (probably why I'm still up now), and got a new car. Yesterday I went for a nice long drive up by Rhinelander (60ish miles north-northeast of here) and had some bonding time with Sop...

The psychosis continues! I actually AM doing a little shift work this week ... Yesterday was a fairly normal day at the office. Today, I didn't come in till a little after noon, kicked off with a process department meeting, then went to the pilot plant to be their Bucket Man (er, Bucket Woman) for the afternoon/evening shift. I got home about half an hour ago. Tomorrow, I'll be in my cube most of the day, but Thursday it's another shift. And I have no idea what's going on Friday. Funny how that works. In other news -- drumroll please -- I bought a car! Yep, that's right. Lou the Flying Jeep has officially been replaced. Sad, I know, but he's had a good life with me and he gets to live out his retirement years in a quieter, gentler fashion. No more 5 hour road trips for him, and odds are he won't have to move a college student again. And my brother gets "his" car back, which probably makes him happy (because Isabella, the car I'm currently drivi...

Okay. Things are picking up at work -- really picking up. Rather suddenly. I've sort of got my "own" project; I only say sort of because it keeps getting paused. I'm going through hourly data (over 5000 points) from another project that's already up and running -- my boss' project, nonetheless. I'm also investigating a new instrument that we'll be testing in the pilot plant as soon as it gets here. And I'm doing shift work in the pilot plant (sporadically, since something got plugged up this morning and they shut down). The confusing part about all this is that each project is nothing like the others. I'll work on one thing for an hour or two and then have to completely change direction because someone needs information on something else. I know, I know, this is normal. Quite normal. And eventually it'll feel that way to me, too. Right now? Right now I'm coming from a couple of very quiet, slow months. It's throwing me off. Maybe i...

Dear Mass Media (particularly TV): We need to talk. I know it's been awhile since I've paid much attention to you, but you should know that it's not me -- it's you. I disagree with your priorities. While I'd like to pay more attention, I just can't bring myself to do so. If you could fulfill one simple request, I might be more willing to listen. Could you please, please, PLEASE stop talking about Paris Hilton? Please? I mean, she went to jail. I'm not even totally sure what happened, but there wasn't exactly a cry of shock ringing out across the country. Most of us went, "Oh. About time." And then our eyes glazed over as you insisted on talking about it, speculating about it, running the latest update across your news tickers (yes, I'm talking to you, CNN), showing us stock video of her at some red carpet event, and enumerating the events of her life in the last ten years. I don't understand it. She doesn't have a career. She's...

This past weekend held Road Trip #2 for the summer to the beautiful LaCrosse/LaCrescent area for Bridget and Evan's wedding. And let me tell you -- it was an awesome weekend. It started with a 3-hour drive (yeah, this was convenient for yours truly) and a happy reunion with Ashli (my "other half" for the weekend). After a couple of hours of catching up in Caledonia, MN, we were joined by the wedding party ... including two guys that we started school with but haven't seen for quite awhile. We were -- how did Ashli put it? -- boy band excited to see them. Quick story: The first week of school freshman year, there was a concert in the quad. Ashli and I, already hall buddies (partially due to our respective roommates) decided to check it out together. At some point fairly early on, we turned around and tada! there were these two guys behind us -- Josh from Vermont and Colt (most recently) from Texas. Long story shorter, we've been friends ever since. These guys were ...