Sláinte, mabuhay, gom bui! (You too can toast in many different languages!) Go have some Guinness, and don’t forget to wear something green…else I’d have to pinch you for not wearing my favorite color.
Author: etoiline
time for pi
StandardToday being 3/14, it’s National Pi Day. You know, everyone’s favorite irrational number π. If you can actually recite any other numerals in said irrational number other than the classic 3.14, kudos to you. Now if I could only remember how to solve a cube root. And don’t tell me it’s whatever goes into the number 3 times. I know that. But when you have 5.2^-7 and you need to cube root that, I am FUBAR’d.
It’s also Einstein’s birthday. Here’s to everyone’s favorite wild-haired professor. Thank you for making advanced science much more complicated, but I suppose that’s relative…
Getting evaluations is nerve-wracking, even if you know that you’re doing ok. And yay for getting a day off, though isn’t the purpose of taking a vacation day when you have oodles of them to not have to make them up? oh well. I will, and that’s all.
So I have two weeks to figure out if I’m staying or going with this apartment. I love how I have to give nearly three months notice. Why oh why do they have to raise the rent? Things were going so well…what are your thoughts?
unsettling
StandardAs I was driving home tonight, I came across an accident under the highway near the trainyard. There was at least one wreck, smashed front bumper facing our direction of traffic, never good. It must have just happened, because there were no police, no ambulances yet, but there were people on the side of the road, surrounding someone lying on the ground.
I followed the car in front of me around the wreck, making sure there were no other cars coming the opposite direction, and felt horrible for not stopping. There were quite a few cars that didn’t look as if they were involved in the accident, so perhaps they stopped. There was nothing I could have done; I don’t have a cell phone to call for help, and I’m not a doctor, not yet and not by any stretch of the definition, however much I would like to be. But I still felt awful.
I stopped at the gas station just down the street, as that had been my goal all along, and saw an ambulance drive past (rattling, natch) from my hometown, without its sirens going. It’s never good when the ambi goes in the direction of an accident without the sirens; means there’s no rush to get where they’re going. I hope everyone is alright. Maybe it wasn’t going to that accident, because I heard nearby sirens after that.
Sigh. Really, what could I have done?
On the upside, I got my new printer today. Snazzy. On the downside, I missed meeting someone, but God works in mysterious ways, so perhaps we can find that connection again.
tech support
StandardSometime last month my printer stopped printing, as in it was apparently using ink as normal, but nothing showed up on the paper. Unfortunately, that was almost exactly a year to the day that I purchased the darn thing (along with my lovely little iBook), so my warranty had expired. I went through email tech support, and followed all the instructions (yes, I did use genuine Epson inks) and nothing helped. It was quite odd to see and hear the printer doing its thing, then have nothing but a blank piece of paper to show for it. So I was refered to the telephone helpline, with the added bonus of not having to pay the $10 per call fee since I’d already troubleshooted (-shot?) by email.
After putting it off a few weeks (I claim an A&P test or two to study for), I finally called last night, and after going through the same bit (and not getting charged for calling, yay!) they determined that it might indeed be hardware failure, and since it was only a few days (weeks, whatever, it’s only been a year) they will send me a brand new printer! And I don’t even have to send back the old one, which, aside from not printing, still works. I had gotten the all-in-one printer/scanner/copier/memory card reader, so I was loathe to just buy a new one (assuming I had the money to do so, anyway).
It won’t be the same model, but from what I hear, the newer model is better. I just have to wait a week, and I should have a new one…
Busy busy busy at work. Hope you all are having a good week. I’m so glad tomorrow is payday.
(Listening to Y98, reading Jim Butcher’s Dead Beat)
cows come home yet?
Standard(get it? party until the cows come home?)
picture courtesy of xoashleigh at stock xchng.
Hope you get to party. Me, I’ve got to get up early and then stay up for the writer’s meetup later in the evening. Joy to all!
feeling the strain
StandardIt’s tough working and taking a class, however easy this one might sound. Got a lab practical in just about an hour, and I’m not quite ready for it…and we’ve been quite busy at work, which is crazy. I get home and I just want to sleep.
When am I supposed to be able to write the great debut novel? sigh.
On the fun side, a book that wasn’t supposed to be out until next week is now in my hot little hands, and already read since last night. Alright, it was a really short book, but hey, it’s Anita Blake. I tear through those. Thanks to Barnes and Noble for having it early. No thanks to any of the bookstores in town for not having up-to-date MCAT study books. Not that I really need a new one, since I barely got through the ones that I had last year, but I would like an update, you know? sigh.
Wish me luck on the test. I’ll be glad when this is over. Joyeux Mardi Gras, if I don’t see you…anyone want to come party with me this weekend?
I must be insane
StandardI signed up for the MCAT again. In a little over two months, I’ll subject myself to eight hours of hell. Again. All for that nebulous goal of medical school.
Don’t get me wrong. I *think* I want to be a doctor. (Rousing endorsement for my self-esteem, I know.) But geez, the hoops to jump through to get there. That and the $210 it costs to take the damn test. Why oh why can’t I be independently wealthy?
If by some miracle I make it through this, I’ll have to finish a book before I go into debt up to my eyeballs (and beyond, really). That way I could have some sort of cushion to live on, you know, assuming that people would actually *like* what I write…
Must buckle down and study like the bookworm that I am. If you don’t see me online for the next two months, you’ll know why. But feel free to send me encouraging messages. I will treasure them always.
Happy Birthday to a real All-star
StandardMy dad turns 60 today. Happy Birthday, Daddy! I love you!
Here’s hoping for many, many more.
couldn’t leave it all at the livejournal
StandardToo many quizzes for one night, so there’s some overflow.
Here’s one for Leo:
| You Should Learn Japanese |
 You’re cutting edge, and you are ready to delve into wacky Japanese culture. From Engrish to eating contests, you’re born to be a crazy gaijin. Saiko! |
I like this one:
| You Are Rain |
 You can be warm and sexy. Or cold and unwelcoming. Either way, you slowly bring out the beauty around you. You are best known for: your touch Your dominant state: changing |
| Your Power Color Is Indigo |
 At Your Highest: You are on a fast track to success – and others believe in you. At Your Lowest: You require a lot of attention and praise. In Love: You see people as how you want them to be, not as how they are. How You’re Attractive: You’re dramatic flair makes others see you as mysterious and romantic. Your Eternal Question: “Does This Work Into My Future Plans?” |
| Who Should Paint You: Salvador Dali |
 You’re a complex, intense creature who displays many layers. There’s no way a traditional portrait could ever capture you! |
| You Have a Melancholic Temperament |
 Introspective and reflective, you think about everything and anything. You are a soft-hearted daydreamer. You long for your ideal life. You love silence and solitude. Everyday life is usually too chaotic for you. Given enough time alone, it’s easy for you to find inner peace. At your worst, you brood and sulk. Your negative thoughts can trap you. |
Hah.
| You Know a Lot About Blogging |
 You got 6/8 correct! Your not a total blogging geek yet… give it time. |
Well, it sort of says I should be a doctor…
| Your Scholastic Strength Is Evaluating |
 You are great at looking at many details and putting them all together. You are talented at detecting subtle trends, accuracy, and managing change. You should major in: Statistics |
| Your Perfume is Glow |
 Fresh, sexy, and clean. You’re real, intimate, and exciting. Your lush sensuality appeals to men… And you’re as sexy as Jennifer Lopez. Power scents: Orange flower, grapefruit, and citrus. |
Year of the Dog
StandardGung hai fat choi, my friends. Happy Chinese New Year! Thus begins the year of the Dog.
People born in the Year of the Dog possess the best traits of human nature. They have a deep sense of loyalty, are honest, and inspire other people’s confidence because they know how to keep secrets. But Dog People are somewhat selfish, terribly stubborn, and eccentric. They care little for wealth, yet somehow always seem to have money. They can be cold emotionally and sometimes distant at parties. They can find fault with many things and are noted for their sharp tongues. Dog people make good leaders. They are compatible with those born in the Years of the Horse, Tiger, and Rabbit. (from Chinese Culture Center of SF)
And for those of you who *must* know, read on for my new look…