Monday nights can go to Hell
If I believed in Hell, that is where I would send Monday nights.
After waking up BEFORE 6 am and spending over 3 hours in the car in transit to and from work, having to sit through a statistics course is hard enough. Add to that a class full of people who ask stupid questions - AND ASK THE SAME STUPID QUESTIONS MULTIPLE TIMES DURING THE SAME *&(*&@#$& CLASS!!!! - and it just gets absurd.
Right now, I should be in that very class, sitting through the discussion of the homework that was due for today, learning what I did wrong so that I can REDO it (leading to DOUBLE homework for the week - as if one assignment isn't bad enough). Instead, I decided that I understood the homework this week and turned it in as is - sort of. Actually, I just finished my "redo", which involved adding a bit more description of my results. Still, it is done and I feel no need to sit through all the stupid questions of the stupid people who just didn't do their assignments or read their texts or pay attention in class....
Ah, I see people leaving the room now. Perhaps class is over and I only missed half an hour or so of the bullshit. Still, I finished my assignment in that half an hour, so it was time better spent.
On the plus side, I got to watch one of my favorite episodes of "Family Guy" today in Johnstown, as part of our "class". It was good fun. :)
Where does the time go?
I think that this is officially the longest blogging hiatus I have ever taken. I went from sitting at a desk for at least half the day, five days per week (up until Thanksgiving) to sitting at a desk ONE day a week and having more to do than I could possible accomplish in 8 hours. My other job keeps me away from the computer most of the time, and the dogs keep me busy when I'm home. I've debated putting the blog on a more permanent hold, but it helps me keep in touch with several people simultaneously - instead of letting unanswered emails sit in my inbox for weeks at a time.
So, here's the brief update:
New job is going great. The commute is pretty brutal, but worth it. I need to learn to be more assertive and confrontational (in a good way).
I have discovered the joys and pains of Red Bull. Getting up at 5:30 in the morning just doesn't work well with me.
Old job is still good - sort of. Days like today make me want to throw my computer out the window. Mostly it's difficult because I'm only here once a week, so keeping track of what is going on from week to week is difficult. I counted, and I am stuck in the middle of no less than 7 different analyses/papers/studies. That doesn't even count the others that are more peripheral to what I'm doing, that I still have to be somewhat aware of. Still, I think I want to continue working here indefinitely (as opposed to just until they hire someone to replace me).
Dogs are great. Sadie is probably in the 55 pound range now and starting to act like a real dog. She learns fast and, for the most part, is very good. This week, she discovered that she can easily get on the bed, which she does at every given opportunity. We're trying to keep her off the furniture, and she won't ever be able to sleep on the bed (with Pancho and the two of us, there is just no room!), but we let her lay up there from time to time. In about a month, she'll be at the age where we'll begin the real training (beyond "sit" and "stay" basically). She's already learning now to walk better on a leash, though she has a ways to go yet. I will post update pictures soon. Pancho is still on his diet and has been getting MANY comments about how good he looks. We're very proud.
School is school. While there are aspects of my classes that I really like, I continue to be irritated by several of my classmates. And don't get me started about the Stats class I'm taking....NO GOOD! Still, this semester has involved a lot more hands-on work, and in general is going well. I have begun to talk to more of my classmates (who DON'T irritate me!), which has really been good for keeping things fun and not as stressful.
LHPJ and I never see each other. Most nights we have our hour of "wind down" time, which usually involves making food, sitting on the couch, and doing nothing. We both are transitioning into being more morning people, with great difficulty. Over the summer, I will essentially be working 4 different jobs (two part-time jobs and two 100-hour (each) practica), but won't have class, so hopefully we'll have some time then.
I am in one wedding and playing in two others between now and September. I will also (hopefully) be playing in a wind quintet, starting soon. Fortunately, this is going to be a very laid back and fun group - nothing stressful. We're going to try to perform once near the end of the semester.
Hmm...I feel like I'm leaving out something, but can't imagine what else I could be doing. I intend to make a more concerted effort to post at least a couple of time per week.
One more thing: I am currently reading Oliver Sacks' "An Anthropologist on Mars" and it is FANTASTIC! This is the second book of his that I have read (and I did see the film "Awakenings", based on another of his books), and I really can't speak highly enough of him. He is unique amongst his colleagues in the way that he writes about brain damage and conceptualizes the nature or state of being (and change/loss)- to put it VERY simply. His other book that I have read, and that I love, is "The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat".
Okay, time to get back to work. *sigh*
HERE WE GO!!!
For anyone who has not had the IMMENSE PLEASURE of hearing the "Here we go!" song, I pity you. :)
Yesterday, LHPJ and I went and saw "The Importance of being Ernest" at the Pittsburgh Public Theater. FANTASTIC! I love the play. I had read it and seen the movie adaptation, but this is the first time that I was able to see it live. We went to the Sunday matinee, so I dressed far more casual than I normally would for the theater. I was concerned initially that I was too casual. Then, we got to the theater.
About 1/4 of the audience were wearing Black and Gold - some Steelers jerseys and sweatshirts.
After the play ended, the houselights came up and they started blasting "Here we go!". Suddenly, Terrible Towels were whipped out and began slinging above people's heads. For those who watched the game last night, you should not be familiar with the Terrible Towels.
So, we went home and played with the dogs, then headed over to Silky's (a local bar) to meet up with some friends and watch the game. It was awesome. There are no words for what it was like.
Afterwards, people were running out in the streets, stopping traffic. Some of the more crowded parts of the city had cops in riot gear. People were burning couches and generally being crazy. Well into the night, I could still hear honking horns and shouting people. Terrible Towels were twirling out of car windows. People were crazy.
Pittsburgh is a town that used to be important. Now, the only thing keeping it afloat financially is UPMC and CMU's defense contracts. No one cares about that though. Football is, to use a terrible cliche, the backbone of the city. It is seriously what some people here live for - it is the one thing that makes Pittsburgh a city worth recognizing still (to the general populace, that is).
I'm very excited about the Steelers' win and had a FANTASTIC time last night amidst the craziness.
Superbowl Sunday
I have yet to say anything about the Steelers (read: Stillers) being in the Superbowl. Yes, I have been converted and am officially a Steelers fan - I even own a Terrible Towel (I will post pictures soon, for those who have no idea what I'm talking about).
Being in Pittsburgh for the past two weeks has been...interested. There is NO TOWN that goes as crazy for football as Pittsburgh (except MAYBE Green Bay, but that's because that's all they have in Green Bay). There are countless examples of the insanity of the fans.
EVERYONE has been wearing Steelers garb, sporting terrible towels in their car windows, etc etc. This is normal.
However, the fans are anything but normal. We saw a car yesterday (some jeep-like vehicle) that had the whole back window taken out and replaced with a terrible towel cover. The hood had a Steeler's helmet painted on it, and then sides were covered in Steeler's logo's and pictures of Big Ben and others. I'm not talking about peel and press decals here - this was THOUSANDS of dollars worth of body work!!
The news for the past several weeks has spent five minutes on regular local coverage, and the rest of the time on people who are doing things like not changing their socks (since they haven't since the Steelers started to win), getting tatooes (on was about a preacher who lost a bet and had to get a Steelers tatoo), postulating on why the Steelers are winning (always involve some superstitious craziness). I saw a woman on Friday wearing a Terrible Towel skirt. People have been driving around, hanging out of their windows and waving Terrible Towels, honking at each other, shouting for WEEKS! LHPJ even saw a coach bus decked out as the "Terrible Bus". People are wearing Polamalu hats (with the crazy hair and everything), hats with giant buses on them (for The Bus, of course)...it would take me pages to describe everything, and even that wouldn't begin to cover it.
Yes, I know that Cubs fans were like this too when they made it to the playoffs, and I would fear being near Chicago if they ever made it to the World Series. Still, it's not quite the same. I am more afraid of Steelers fans. I can't quite explain it, but no matter what the outcome today, there is going to be craziness, drunkiness, and mass destruction.
Go Steelers!
