i'll paint the stars

Whew, it's been a crazy day so far and it's only (already?) 10.

The guys are here to do the countertops, yay! I WILL HAVE FLAT SURFACES IN THE KITCHEN AGAIN~ Sink and dishwasher will definitely be completed tomorrow. I also spent quite a while on the phone with my aunt this morning, who was very helpful and supportive about job searching and suggested looking into things like freelance writing, looking for job postings for technical writing, communications, and PR, because companies always need people to write up things for them and that might be much more enjoyable than doing straight scientific research. I agree with this assessment, because I would much rather spend my life writing than just about anything else. So at least that's a good place to start! I will still be looking into (and probably applying for) some of those planetarium jobs, but at least this is somewhere else to start looking, which is very helpful and much better than sitting around and bemoaning the fact that I don't know what I want to do, right? XD

Haha, it's like a roller coaster ride, geez. Life, what are you.

And hey, I even found a prompt or two over at capkink I might feel like filling. Yay?

All right, now I have to go keep an eye out for the landscaping guy and waylay him until Mom gets here to tell him what she wants done. Gee, it's almost like I actually own a house... except I don't. XD

Okay, but FTW, the guy installing the countertops totally recognized that the vanity plate on my car is from DS9. That is awesome. 8D

So, the final decision has been reached (and is really not all that surprising, I imagine): I went with the i7 processor. I got up at a very reasonable hour this morning (8!) to drop off the other computer with FedEx, which conveniently happened to be right next to Starbucks, where I managed to squeak in under the expiration date (today) for my free oatmeal, which I had for breakfast. I even sat there and did some coding, go me!

Of course, the world also seemed to forget about me today: I was supposed to meet with Vicki, but I think she left early. And I was going to give the Apple representative who's been working with me a call, so I could cancel the AppleCare I had on the laptop I'm returning, but he seemed to be out of the office. Which is okay, because I've got records showing I dropped the package off at FedEx today so I should be safe as far as that's concerned, so the plan is to give him a call tomorrow.

Aaaand I think I have heard back from just about every postdoc I applied to, including the one that was looking hopeful - note the key use of the word was, because as of right now it looks like whatever I'm doing after I graduate, it will not be a postdoc. :x So I'm going to start seriously looking at other things this week; NASA has a general job website, and conveniently apparently there's a national listing for museum-related jobs, so hey, that's useful? Of course, I have no idea what a resume should look like, because all I have is a CV, but I suppose that's something I can find online or something... I'm sure UF has some kind of employment office that could also help, but not this week - this week is Spring Break. Which means campus is gloriously deserted - I even drove in today, and managed to park on the ground floor of the parking garage! I don't usually drive in, even during breaks, but I'm sick of waiting for the reduced-schedule bus and the walk from the parking garage is about the same length as the walk from the bus stop, so I really do get there faster.

And totally unrelated, but man, do I ever love this song~ Funny thing is, I was looking for it on Youtube the other day (just to listen to it) and that's how I found out there was a movie about Bobby Darin... which piqued my curiosity and so I ended up watching Beyond the Sea this evening. Very good, actually - I liked it quite a bit. Kind of a musical feel without being cheesy or overdone, and also some very interesting storytelling with the younger version of himself... yeah. Good stuff~

I HAVE JUST FINISHED APPLYING FOR JOBS, YAY. (Look at me being so good, some of the applications weren't even due until the end of January!)

Of course, now I need to actually finish this thesis thing. >> I believe I will be doing some of that tomorrow. Today was some much-needed Christmas shopping and some also much-needed cleaning, and I absolutely have to do at least a load or two of laundry tonight.

Also, I am randomly entertained that a lot of the Christmas music I have has apparently found its way onto the Starbucks rotation. I mean, stuff like Christmas with the Rat Pack and the Loreena McKennitt Christmas/winter albums. Well, that's pretty cool~ And hey, now there's some Tori Amos. Awesome. XD

So last night I was roped into a last-minute game of Arkham Horror, which is fantastic. Part of me wonders if my absolute lack of excitement over games in general for most of my life is simply the product of me never knowing there were cool games like the ones Nathan and Scott have introduced me to. I mean, okay. This game? Has a 25-page instruction manual and the turns are divided into five or six separate rounds just so you can keep everything straight. And then each game is different, as you fight a chosen-at-random Cthulhu-mythos elder god, desperately running around Arkham trying to close gates as monsters pour out and getting yourself sucked into alternate dimensions so you can come out the other side and seal up the gate before the Big Bad Elder God awakens. It took us about five and a half hours, but we did it! I even killed a couple of monsters, despite my character being kind of lame? Well, okay, she was a psychologist, so she had plenty of sanity and lore. Just no speed. :x

And I think that's really it for this week. I am done generating/proctoring/grading exams, as grades are due Monday, yay! Now I'd just like to know if I get paid next semester... I will be asking Anthony that shortly. Sokka has a vet appointment for Monday so he cam (maybe?) get a cortisone shot or something, so I can take him off the meds while I'm away. And then I'm meeting with Vicki, as she conveniently moved our meeting from Thursday (last week) to Monday (next week) so I can get some greater semblance of work done. Scott's leaving tomorrow, though I believe Nathan is still around a few more days, as we're still having our regularly scheduled Angel/SAAB night next week - maybe I should dig up the Christmas episode, even if we'd be watching it out of order. XD And then I really do just plan on getting lots of work and running done next week in preparation for our trip on Christmas!

Okay, I think I've been here long enough, time to pack up and get home to clean, now that I've got the rest of those jobs applied for. Whew~

OH WAIT BUT ALSO. Did I mention Tron Legacy was AWESOME? Because it was~ I might have splurged and bought myself one of the discs from Target, thanks to noctaval's mention of where to buy one. It was on sale! :D;

Well, the tree is up... and the cats are completely ignoring it in favor of chasing each other around. I suppose I should take this as a good sign? They were somewhat excited about the garland, but have not chewed it to pieces. And I really don’t think they can hurt the ornaments I have, so all is well! Or hopefully will continue to be so.

Umm... so. I realize it has been a bazillion years (plus or minus a bazillion years) since I have updated last. Um. Let's see... lots has happened. I will try to not take forever to tell you what it is.

( Mushu's Vet Adventure )

( Alison & Valerie's Thanksgiving Adventure )

Let's see... Otherwise I've spent quite a bit of time applying for jobs; I still have to write a few research statements for some, as a few jobs want me to propose research, which is scary so I keep putting it off but I really should get it done this week. Thankfully, there's a fancy new galaxy survey out that a lot of postdoc positions are advertising for, and I'm going to take their science goals and kind of wrap that up in my own research for those statements. I plan to spend some time at Starbucks doing that tomorrow.

In other miscellany, I have seen Megamind (cute!) and Tangled (FANTASTIC) and cannot wait for Tron Legacy and Voyage of the Dawn Treader this month. I have also finished SG-1 season 2 and caught up on Big Bang Theory, thanks to Valerie. OH OH ALSO THANKS TO VALERIE. I have now purchased Leckie's autobiography, Lord, What A Family!, which is so very out of print. And is so very fabulous, by the way. And hey I finally know what happened to his brother. Oh, it was so awesome to crack it open, it's got that awesome old book smell. :D; (Yeeeah, this thing was published in 1958. Woo~)

adamatari stopped by for brunch today on his way to Atlanta for the JPLT. Then there was D&D, which was entertaining as usual. I drank magic lemonade and had my butt groped (not in the same turn). And finally, I have discovered that Tower Prep, the show that seems to have replaced Unnatural History on Cartoon Network, is not only actually good, but is also a product of Morgan & Wong, of the X-Files/Space: Above & Beyond/etc. fame. NICE. XDb

... Well, there. That wasn't so bad, right?

Woo, had a great weekend hanging out with noctaval & co after seeing Trans-Siberian Orchestra in Orlando! :D (I even met up with adamatari for breakfast Saturday first!) The concert was fantastic. And very strobe light-y. XD; And I didn't know they had a second album out! I shall have to procure this. It has some awesome stuff on it! Afterwards there was Bucca Di Beppo's (YUM) and then much Rock Band and Transformers extras and we also discovered we fail at Mario on the Wii. XD We just got back from Orlando around 5:15 and then I went running and watched some Disney Channel and ate delicious jalepeno cheddar Cheetos (those are good!) aaand now I am off to finish up my expanded research interests (thanks to valeriebean!) before Venture Bros! Yay, more job deadlines coming up and I swear that once I get this research interests thing written well I am going to stop and never change it until I have to do it again. :x

BUT before I go, I wanted to wish a very happy birthday to rkold! :D

So~ A quick update while I scarf down some lunch. :D;

The past few days have been insane. STARS went well, though it required getting up early Saturday and Sunday. Thankfully I didn't have to help out with everything, so I ran away in the middle of the day to work on my research interests (and valeriebean is amazing for being so awesome and helping me!). I still have to add a bit more and finish updating my CV, but then I think I'm ready to apply for the first job on my list!

... Which also means I've got to get the rest of this data analysis done so I can, you know, GRADUATE. I made myself a list of goals for this week, since I know I have to get a bunch of stuff done due to being out of town for two days next week (but it'll totally be worth it~).

Yesterday I also got up early, but since it was to go to Epcot it was somewhat better. XD They give you a special ticket and a button that says it's your birthday, and absolutely everyone who works there that spots it will wish you a happy birthday. That was pretty darn cool. <3 Also, violet_lane and adamatari were awesome enough to come hang out with me, and we had lots of fun. :D I even got an Aero bar from England and daifuku from Japan, yum~ Plus we got lucky and were in the first row for Soarin', which is totally the best row. Also, I got my Brock fix~ Now I can't wait to take Jennie there next week!

Plus, I even made it home in time for Venture Bros, which was... special. XD But in a rather entertaining way, let me tell you. THEN I discovered a slew of new VB products on the Adult Swim online store, and... well. There went most of the money they're supposedly going to pay me for doing STARS. Buuut it was totally worth it for this and this!

Ooookay. Just about done with my sandwich, so time to eat my FIERY CHEETOS (because they are delicious if not horrible for me) and run to the Union for an envelope. Seriously, I've decided there need to be 30 hours in the day. At least. I need time to go running, darnit! I have this half-marathon thing to train for and it gets dark before I even get home from work! Plus, who doesn't need more time to sleep? ;D Or write PJO fanfiction, which I WANT TO DO and have no time for... like, ever again. D:

And finally, HAPPY BIRTHDAY hikariblue~! :D :D :D