Actually I feel Pretty Good.

I feel good today.

• I only have a half week of work and school, always a bonus.
• I'll have a little son or daughter that will be entering our family in just a over a week.
• Only a couple more weeks of school till I get a couple of weeks off.
• We have a lot of the family coming by the house for Thanksgiving.
• I skipped class today and slept in. I'll pay for that one later, but it felt nice today.
• I think I've finally made peace with the school in general.
• I have so much to be thankful for!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Ticked Off

I dunno what my problem is lately, I'm in a foul mood.

Today I was walking to lunch and some idiot on a bullet bike was riding in between lanes of traffic. Trying to cut through the intersection when the light was red etc.. just being an idiot. And I was so angry about it. I was walking back from lunch just thinking how much I'd like to give that idiot biker a piece of my mind. Normally my walks are a decompression time, a time where I get rid of all the thoughts floating in my head like that. But today it was really hard to just let it go. UGH! And that's just one example, I'm feeling all ticked off no matter what lately. I need a vacation or something.

I think it has a lot to do with the school situation. Not that the school adviser's screw up changed much, it just changed my perception. And my perception has really fouled up my mood. I just need to accept what has come and take it like a man. Its not like her incompetence has changed what I need to do. I need to graduate, and the requirements to do so haven't changed. It just comes down to perception and I don't know why I'm being such a baby instead of just moving on with it.

Perception. When starting up school I thought I had 3 years of 3 semesters a year and 6 credits a semester. That was never true. I thought it was, but it wasn't. I had just less than 4 years at that rate. 66 credits not 56 credits has always been the requirement, I just didn't know it. I kept telling myself, "Buckle down for 3 years, you can do this for three years." Just recently I was telling myself, "you're doing great, your halfway through, you're pulling A's. Just keep it up for another year and a half and you'll be done." After this semester I'll have done 26 credits 26/56 or 26/66. Is there really that much of a difference? 46% done to 39% done? Well I never was the 46%. I just thought I was.

When I found out the truth, I felt like a year had been stolen from me. A whole year stolen! But who took it? No one, the school requirements were always the same. No one stole a thing from me. I may have been misled, but otherwise I haven't been wronged in any way. But I still feel pissed off.

I need to get over it.

Roundup

The Good News: I scored well on the exam I took Friday. I saw Quantum of Solace, the new Bond flick, on Saturday. It was fun. Got to go on a date with my wife. That was great. Edit: oh and in the stress of the moment I forgot the most exciting news of it all! Cookie Monster is READING. Read all about it on Superwomans blog.

The Bad News: The academic adviser I was working with is an idiot. At my current pace of around 6 credit hours a semester, I was supposedly on track to graduate in Summer 2010. 5 semesters (including summers) from now. Wrong-o I sat down and looked at what I needed to graduate, just to double check. What I came up with didn't match at all what my adviser had came up with. Huh? "This is very, very, bad!", I thought. I drew up a new graduation schedule, with my best guess at what I would need. It was significantly more than what the adviser had said. Having asked around, this is pretty much standard expectations with this lady, completely incompetent. How she keeps her job I'll never know, but I'll bet it has something to do with affirmative action. I won't be going to see her again, EVER!

I had the meeting with a different adviser today. Somehow the old adviser 'missed' 4 upper division electives which I have to have done to graduate. So instead of around 6 credits a semester I'll have to take around 9 credits a semester (and six my last summer) to graduate when I wanted to, or I can tack on another year to graduation. This really hurt. The truth hurts, and ignorance is bliss. I'm just glad I found out now, and not when I was applying to graduate.

So now I have a decision to make I can: a) Start doing more than I'm already doing and take the 9 credits a semester. or b) Keep taking 6 credits, what I'm already doing, for an extra year, graduating in 2011 instead of 2010. My gut feel is a is more appealing than b, I just want to be out of this stage of life! But then there is all the what ifs. What if it is too much and I ruin my GPA? What if ruin my health taking on more than I can do? What if those few extra credits will be the ones which will be too much? The straws that break the camel's back?

I have no idea what I'm going to do. I guess I have until January to make a decision, I've registered for the higher number of credits for the time being. I can always remove a class before the semester begins. Hopefully by then I'll have some inkling of which option will be better for me and my family. Wish me luck, I'm going to need it!

Northrend

Well I did indeed skip the midnight release of the World of Warcraft Expansion. I chose instead to get 3 hours of studying in and a square 8 hours of sleep.

Did anyone go get their expansion and hop on last night? How was the lag? I can't wait to get my copy (already paid for, just waiting at the store) tomorrow.

God Bless the Vets

Thank you Veterans.

Tagged By Big Sis, and the big weekend.

Well the weekend went all right, as in I survived it.



Now on to a meme that BigSis wanted me to do a while ago, but I had forgotten all about till just now. So here goes.



The Bucket List---- place an X by all the things you've done and remove the X from the ones you have not. This is for your entire life.


(X) Skipped school
(X) Watched someone die
(X) Been to Canada
( ) Been to Mexico
( ) Been to Florida
(X) Been on a plane
(X) Been lost
(X) Been on the Opposite Side of the Country
( ) Gone to Washington, DC
(X) Swam in the ocean
(X) Cried yourself to sleep
(X) Played cops and robbers
(X) Recently colored with crayons
(X) Sang Karaoke
(X) Paid for a meal with coins only?
(X) Done something you told yourself you wouldn't?
(X) Made prank phone-calls
(X) Laughed until some kind of beverage came out of your nose
(X) Caught a snowflake on your tongue
(X) Danced in the rain
(X) Written a letter to Santa Claus
(X) Been kissed under the mistletoe
(X) Watched the sunrise with someone
(X) Blown bubbles
(X) Gone ice-skating
( ) Been skinny dipping outdoors
(X) Gone to the movies
( ) Went Bungie Jumping
( ) Went Sky Diving
(X) Ever been Heart Broken
(X) Went Skiing - cross country
(X) Climbed a Mountain
(X) Played a Sport - Soccer and Basketball in middle school.

A second meme? ah well, here goes.

1. Any nicknames? Dad and Honey, Those count right?

2. Mother's name? Mommy, Miss you Mom!

3. Favorite drink? Coca Cola

4. Body Piercings? None

5. Tattoos? Nope

6. How much do you love your job? I like it. I get to write in code to a computer all day.

7. Birthplace? Denver, CO

8. Favorite vacation spot? Anywhere that isn't school or work.

9. Favorite place you have ever been? Northern Wilderness.

10. What is the Craziest thing you have ever done or want to do? Trying Haggis comes to mind, haven't tried it yet but would like to.

11. Ever been on TV? I think I was on the news when I was a kid, sitting in the front row of some school program. My family has been in the Newspaper many times because of the work my mom did with the mentally and physically disabled.

12. Ever steal any traffic signs? Uh... when I was growing up in Oregon a teenage kid pulled out a stop sign and waited till it caused an accident. The accident injured a mom and killed at least one of her kids, I was eight at the time and my memory is kinda shaky on the specifics, but not the horror of it all. I've never had the desire to remove any traffic devices because of that..

13. Ever been in a car accident? Yes

14. Drive a 2-door or 4-door vehicle? Family vehicle is a minivan 3 door. Normally I'm on the bus.

15. Favorite number? 4 soon to be 5 as our family grows again.

16. Favorite movie? LOTR trilogy is pretty good.

17. Favorite food? Sushi.

18. Favorite day of the week? Saturday

19. Favorite Season? I don't have one.

20. Dream Car? Lincoln Town Car

21. Number of Places you have lived? HMmm.... 1, 2..... 18.

22. How do you relax? Playing Wow while walking on the treadmill, reading, hanging with the fam.

23. How do you see yourself in 10 years? Hopefully enjoying life to the fullest.

24. Favorite Smell? wow, I'll have to think about that. I dunno.

25. Favorite Sound? The Cacophony that erupts after I say, "Daddies Home"! Both kids go nuts and the bird does too. I love that. Superwoman is happy to see me 99% of the time, but she doesn't tend to make as much noise about it (as we grown ups tend to not yell as much), but sometimes after I shut the door, she'll tell the kids, "I think Daddy is home" and that leads to the same eruption.

26. Favorite Color? Purple

27. Who will respond to this the fastest? One of the two people who still read this blog after the scandal gate post. LOL.

28. Furthest place you will send this message? As far as the internet will take it.



(Edit moved down from above) I didn't get the 'A' I was hoping for on my test. Hopefully the professor will have a bit of mercy on us. I doubt it, but I'm hoping anyway since I studied about 20 hours for this test alone. (It was too many details to get down in any amount of time. From what I understand, the professor who made up the tests {and used to teach the course} would give a lot of hints at which details would actually show up on the test. The professor standing in for the class doesn't do this. But insists on sticking exactly to the old professors grading system. So we get all of the drawbacks and none of the benefits to the old professor's style, it sucks) (Edit, I got the high score for the class, and the test will most likely be curved instead of grading off of raw score. Hooray!)

I spoke, (gave a mini 15/20 minute sermon) in church on Sunday. I didn't have time to prepare as much as I would of liked, but all things considered I think I did OK. Or so I hope.

I finished my programming assignment and a bunch of other random un-notables, and helped Superwoman get the dog off to a better home, where she would actually get the attention she deserved.

All in all I didn't do anything up to the standard I like doing things, but considering I got everything I needed to done, I'll take it.

I hate weekends like this.

Right now I'd really like to blog. Politics, humor, food or anything! But I don't have the time.

I'm stuck studying for a test that is sure to be woefully nit picky. (Like; name the main difference between the 802.3 and the Ethernet II Frame Headers. I have 17 pages of other fun little distinctions like this to memorize by tomorrow, shoot me) Normally after a Friday test I can look forward to a relaxing weekend. Not so this weekend. After the test I have assignments and other obligations that will swallow my weekend. :P blech, I just keep hoping this school thing will be worth it.

As a side note - Wrath of the Lich King, a World of Warcraft expansion, comes out Tuesday(Edit: Thursday, boy I'm out of it). On Monday (Edit: Wednesday) night I was gonna stand in line with some of my buddies to get it at midnight, but the more I think about it the less appealing it sounds. I think I'm gonna stay home and get some sleep instead. ... I'm getting old. (Edit: I can't even keep the days of the week straight anymore, I think I'm definitely choosing sleep over Midnight releases)

Where the hell is that card & election day.

Edit: The card has gone international, Sans the Scot is next up for the card


Wow is it over yet? No we have a full day of politics ahead of us. I haven't even voted yet. Of course it 12:10 in the morning, so duh, of course we have a full day ahead of us, all but 10 minutes by my time :).

But who the hell cares about the election? Everyone wants to know Where the Hell is that Card? Well its here in Utah by way of Alabama by way of East Undershirt..., where will it go next? Check out the pictures below to see all the juicy goodness the previous recipients have packed in. As for what I add... ask for the card.


Outside of the original card of cutesy cats.





Slacky back to the original card. You know for being a slacker, Jen sure added a ton.


I'm pretty sure Nobody added this one.


More fun blogger glory.


A postcard from Phillay (get LA Philay, ha ha.. er nevermind)


Skyler and Skyler's Dad


Midleah's classic SNL addition.

Official rules & regulations:
• When You Get "The Card"post a photograph/scan of it's arrival & contents
AND post these official rules available here
• Ask readers to leave a comment if they want the card next
• Pick the blogger who is worthy
• THEN add your name / url plus a
nice message or creative addition to the card
• Include a copy of the official rules with the card
• Send it on it's way to the next worthy recipient
• Send it out fast..
- no putting it on the mantle an admiring it for 3 weeks...
• Can a blogger who has already received the card - be sent the card again? - Yes!
• What if there is no room left on the card? -
ADD A NEW PAGE - IT'S NOT ROCKET SCIENCE!

Who is the next blogger that wants this über cool collection of blogger goodness?

As an interesting side note the cool little card seems to have passed from a liberal to a conservative to a liberal to me (a conservative), since it's election day lets keep it going. Basically I think it would be fun to send this to any liberals out there, shouldn't be too hard to find.

Oh yeah, election day, check this out. After two years of campaigning at least there is something to show for it.

In case you want to see the chain in it's entirety I think I have it.
Amy- Mish Mash
Jen - Casual Slack
Teri - Family Tree Junkie
Skyler's Dad
Nobody
Midleah - Screaming Shrew
Sushiboy - youre here already.
Who will be next?

Scandalgate

Troopergate? Tomorrow it will be wardrobe-gate. Seems like the suffix -gate gets assigned to anything that the press perceives as scandal, but only if it has something to do with the Grand Ol' Party. Now the GOP is by no means perfect, but neither is the DNC. Its just their scandals never get the gate-treament, which is a shame, because there is a whole political party's worth of scandals just begging for the gate suffix.

Sushiboy's Scandalgate List
(scandals that shoulda been dubbed with the infamous gate)
(click on the Titlegates for the storygates)

Bootygate: This term could could apply to any number of philandering cases. But the shoe fits best for Detroit's own Kwame Kilpatrick. Who had an affair, lied about it, then beat up a deputy assisting in the investigation. This man could make a rap video just with his press footage alone. Its got booty, arrogance, ridiculous slang, and beating down a cop, all it needs is bling (I'm sure its in there somewhere but since he isn't a female republican candidate it probably won't catch the attention of the press) It's like 10 scandals in one. It's too bad they don't issue life sentences for in-your-face-arrogant-stupidity. Kwame Killpatrick, I herewith dub your mega scandal as Bootygate.

Chemogate: Nothing funny here. John Edwards is the lowest of the low. He was off doing another women when he should have been there for his wife as she was fighting for her life. Enough said, this guy is more toxic than chemo any day. His actions are indefensible. Maybe he was just warm up to re-enter the high priced defense lawyer trade again. Scum.

Eskimo(ney)-Pie-Gate: Most scandals involve a long a convoluted money trail. William Jefferson kept it simple, his trail went from the freezer to the couch at best. (who keeps 90 grand in the fridge?) How he got re-elected I'll never know. If you live in New Orleans hopefully you'll vote the corrupt ol' fart out this week. He should just resign and save the democrats some face. If he was a Republican he would have been savaged out of office by the press. (and rightfully so) But he's not so hopefully the voters will do their job. Oh and if by some awful miscarriage of Justice this idiot gets off the FBI says he was involved in at least seven other schemes. This guy will be in court long after his $90,000 Eskimo(ney) Pie has melted.

(Speaking of Eskimos, Ted Stevens Senator of Alaska should resign and bow out of the race to save the Republicans up there the pain of voting for a Democrat to get rid of him, if not I'm sure the press will be ready to take him down, they are there already up there for Palin after all, troopergate was just a quasi-scandal this is the real deal, but at least they'll be warmed up)


Stuffingate: Stuffing your bra is usually not scandal material, its more of an insecurity issue. But when Dianne Wilkerson stuffed her bra with bribe money, that is a scandal! LOL I guess even the freezer sounds like a good place to store your bribe money when compared to stuffing it in your bra. What is she, a Stripper? I wonder if she has $20 bills slid into her panties too? UH... on second thought, I don't want to know. But I don't envy the guy that had to take her bail payment.

Fanniegate when Obama's "family" relationship to the powers that led to our current housing crisis are finally common knowledge. Lending Money to Minorities and underpriviledged people is worth it, only so far as they can repay it. Otherwise it is a terrible hoax. If you can't pay it back you get your house repossessed and ruin your credit. How does foreclosure help our less privileged get ahead? How has it hurt the rest of us.

Sub-Prime lending treated a symptom not the cause. If people can't afford houses, their are two ways to fix that. Help them be trained to make more money, or help the prices of houses to level off. Sub Prim Lending did nothing, and due to speculators being able to get these risky loans to flip houses, the price of homes SPIKED dramatically, well beyond the inflation and salary rates they used to be tied so closely to. If you want housing for the poor, help the poor to afford housing through education and creating jobs, don't just force the banks to lower the standards for receiving a loan.

Senator Obama sued banks that wouldn't didn't initially give into the Sub-Prime lending calling them racists. They weren't racist, they were trying to keep their bank operating in a way to make some money instead of losing it. Even George's administration saw the writing on the wall on this one as early as 2001 and tried to change the way these loans were handled. Maxine Waters, Gregory Meeks and Barney Frank said over and over again NOTHING is WRONG with Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae. Well we know now that they were dead wrong. Obama was smart enough to keep his mouth shut, mostly (subprime lending isn't a good idea barack ol' buddy), but lined up for the hand outs that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac were doling to keep people off their backs. Affordable Housing was a crock. Now we get to pay the piper, regardless of whose fault it is.

Four years from now, I think the majority that seems to like Obama will be singing a different tune. I for one want to point out now. Its not my fault, I voted for John McCain.




Note: This isn't a dig so much the Democratic party so much as it was a opportunity for me to apply the "GATE" title to scandals that I think deserve it. The Republican ones have been taken. I do not think one side is always right and one is always wrong. The classic partisanship offered up by Rush Limbaugh and Micheal Moore is laughable and reminds me of the one dimensional characters offered up in old time melodramas. I do not like Obama, and I do not think he is a good choice to lead the country. But I don't see Senator Obama as all bad, nor do I see Mr. McCain as all good, I voted for another GOP candidate in the primary. But I think that Senator Obama's economic policies make George W. seem genius, they often sound nice, but they just don't work when in practice, throwing money at the symptoms instead of the causes. They don't make sense to me. But its your vote and your choice, my vote my choice, and tomorrow we'll have our chance to speak and in four years and in forty years, we'll know if we made a good decision.



Actions taken against the idiots mentioned above by the DNC or members of the DNC)
Jennifer Grayholm (Democrat and Governor of Michigan) seemed poised to remove Kwame from office if he didn't resign.

John Edwards will hopefully no longer be relevant in politics of any party.

The Democratic Party wants to be rid of ol' Eskimo William as bad as I do, William won despite actions of the democratic party (so vote him out already!) including endorsing a rival, and removing him from any and all house committees. But the people of New Orleans keep electing this bozo to represent them. No wonder all the FEMA aid is getting doled out to other areas. This guy is too busy padding his portfolio to get them what the need.