Converse Kids

I am in San Francisco now with my family. It is my sister Lisa's birthday. I bought a pair of kids Converse size 2 1/2 while shopping. Rachael is trying to convince me to write about how cool so is. I guess she is a pretty cool kid. :-)

Acts of God

First my house gets hit with a hurricane, now my house gets hit by lightning. Argh. I came home last night, and the power was out and there was a burning electrical smell. Come to find out that the air conditioning, two televisions, DVD player, receiver, microwave, cable modem, wireless router, blender, stereo, and some other random stuff got fried by the thunderstorm. I don't have very good luck.

So I leave for San Francisco in the morning. I had an unpleasant doctors appointment this morning. Mike came and picked me up afterwards, and now I am just moping around.

Flickr

5:05 AM and I am awake. I have a Scuro attached to my right elbow. My Yahoo Photos have successfully been transferred over to Flicker. Can you see the Flickr slideshow on the sidebar of my blog? Some people have said they have had trouble. I am guessing it has to do with outdated browsers, but I am not sure. Going to breakfast with Muhammed in 4 hours. We are going to IHop, one of my favorite places now that they have stuffed French toast.

Pam and the Ru

p5070115
Originally uploaded by pamela_j_karr

Here is a goofy picture of Ru and I a few weeks ago. This silly puppy always has his tongue lolling out of his mouth. Ru has yet to meet Scuro and Ra. That will be an adventure.

GSMNP Pictures

Here are the GSMNP Pictures.

Great Smoky Mountains

We had a great time this weekend. We left Friday afternoon and stayed in a hotel in Asheville that night. We went to Tupelo Honey's for dinner. We woke up the next morning and drove to the Cherokee entrance to the national park. We stopped at Mingo falls first. I have never been to the mountains on-season so there were a lot more people than I am used to. Then we drove through the park to Gatlinburg and did the Roaring Fork Motor trail. We went to see one of my favorite waterfalls - Grotto falls. We had lunch on a rock near a stream which was really cool. Then we drove to Cades Cove where we were camping. We set up the tent then went around the scenic loop. We saw tons of wild turkeys, deer, and black bears. I usually saw more deer and less of the other two. It was definitely black bear season - we saw 7 black bears at least!!


We had hotdogs and baked beans for dinner. Mike made me a smore for dessert while I incinerated some marshmellows on a stick. We read for a while then went to bed (or tent should I say?). There was this owl that was hanging around our campsite so I had this really vivid dream that he was peaking in our tent while we were sleeping. It was so neat!

We woke up in the morning (no showers in the national park) and had orange juice, eggs, and bacon for breakfast. We packed up all the stuff and headed out. We saw the Sinks and Laurel falls then went to Gatlinburg. We went to the Ripley's Aquarium which had some pretty neat aquatic life. Then we went through Pigeon Forge to Sevierville (stopping at Krispy Kreme for lunch) to check out the Forbidden Caverns which is a huge cave. However, the cave was closed on Sundays (who closes a cave on Sundays?). Just as well because it was getting late and stormy. We (as in Mike) drove back to my house and dropped me off. It was around 6 PM in the evening. I took a long awaited shower and went to bed. I woke up around midnight to check my email then went back to sleep.

Now here I am awake. I am a little achy from all the hiking - maybe 6 miles total but uphill (both ways!). I have a headache (probably from the changes in elevation). So I have had my ibuprofen and diet Pepsi this morning and am waking up. I don't have much food in the house so I think I will drive and get some breakfast. I work from home this week then leave for San Francisco on Thursday.

Ahh, I am thankful for a really great trip with a really great guy.

Welcome to Summer

Did today feel like the longest day of the year? It was also Mike's 6 year anniversary with IBM. I bet that made it feel like a long day for him. :-) Muhammed's birthday is coming up on Tuesday. I cancelled lunch on him a week or so ago due to a doctor's appointment, but I definitely need to make that up to him. Muhammed, do you already have lunch plans for your birthday?

Lisa's birthday and Kim and Tony's anniversary is coming up next Thursday. Kim and Tony are having their 10 year anniversary, I believe. They are going on an Alaskan cruise which sounds pretty fun. I am going to San Francisco on the 28th to spend some time with my relatives. Lisa and family will also be in town. Steve's birthday is on the 5th, and Lisa and Steve's anniversary is on the 7th. Then Joel's birthday is on the 9th. Busy few weeks!

I think I have convinced Mike to take me to Chicago for my birthday to see Kim and Tony. He has a friend named Courtney who lives up there that he wants to catch up with too. So that should be fun. Mike is going to France with his sister for Thanksgiving. I will either go to Gainesville or Chicago for the Thanksgiving holiday. Maybe I can convince mom and Watson to go to Chicago with me. I want to spend time with my mom but going to Gainesville is generally boring except I get to see my friends (Dave, Francis, Andrew, Tom, etc.) I would have included Joel on that list, but he should be shipped out by then anyway.

So that is all I am up to right now. I go into work (not work work, but my other work) tomorrow then we are off to the mountains. Woo hoo!!!

Kayaks

And here is an awesome picture one of my friends took of the kayaks and the lake.

Lake James

Here is a silly picture of me at Lake James a couple of weeks ago.

Ready!

I wish Friday evening was here already!! I am excited about going on my first camping trip with my boyfriend to revisit the mountains and waterfalls that I love. I want to get out of Charlotte for a while and to be able to relax. Come on Friday!!

We are pretty well prepared for this trip. I bought Mike a two person sleeping bag. He bought a huge tent for when he went camping last month with his dad and his sister. We bought a Coleman gas stove, lanterns, queen size blow up mattress, table cloths, food, ponchos, a compass, cooking pots . . . you name it. He teased me about getting a "lugaloo" which is basically a toilet seat for a bucket since I have to pee every 15 minutes. Ha ha, very funny. :-|

Hmmm. The arrow keys on my new keyboard are not working. And now, when I try to type an apostrophe, the text search on Firefox is popping up instead. Very strange. All these technical difficulties. Sheesh.

I am going to be up working for a while tonight because I napped for a few hours today. Tomorrow, I am working from home. Monday night I have to do more statistical analysis from campus. I wonder how much it costs if I just bought the full version of LISREL. Googling. Yikes! $495. Forget that.

I am in the mood for a cafe mocha with extra mocha. However, I know it will immediately put me to sleep after drinking it. It would make sense then for sleeping pills to make me awake, but no - they just make me really sleepy. I am destined to sleep, I guess.

Ick

I had a chick-fil-a sandwich and a cookies and cream milkshake for lunch today. Maybe I am lactose intolerant or just drank too much cookies and cream, but I ended up tossing my cookies (literally, figuratively) later this afternoon. I am still not feeling 100%, but I am feeling a little better after laying down for an hour or two. Getting old is overrated. Ugh.

I wish I were famous enough to get quoted. I bet I could come up with some great quotes . . .

"True love is nothing unless followed by consistent action."
"Lonliness kills more people than famine, plague, and war. We have just yet to bury the bodies."
"Never trust a promise from a person who does not know himself."
"No one ever died wishing that they had spent more time working and less time loving."
"We all believe we are good people. Our actions define if we really are."
"You must love yourself before you can learn to love someone else."
"We all want to be loved by another as we are loved by our pets - without abandon and without risk of getting hurt."
"We are born knowing how to be selfish. It is how to give we must be taught."
"There is no such thing as equality between men and women, only a understanding of the differences between them.
"Admitting fault is a sign of character."
"When one thinks they know everything, they have lost the ability to learn."

Okay, I am done being pedantic or the night. I have to brush my teeth and get ready for dinner.

From My Sis . . .

The A to Z of Pam (Written in 2004)

A Ability, which covers a lot of things. Ability to love, ability to do, etc.

B Braininess. Or should I just say Brainiac?

C Caring. You care about other people.

D Determination and lots of it

E Ed. As in Mr. Anyone that loves Mr. Ed is awesome.

F Faith.

G Giving.

H Healing. You're working at it right now.

I Intensity. Whatever you do, you do with great intensity and skill.

J Jerks. As in learning that you don't have to deal with them and can cut them lose

K Keeping things to yourself. I can tell you stuff I can't tell Lisa.

L Loving.

M Mommy-ness. You're a good mom to your cats and someday, you'll be a good mom for your kids.

N No-nonsense. When you want something, you go after it.

O Overachiever! If I'd studied half as hard as you, there's no telling what I'd know

P Pam!

Q Quirky.

R Risky. At least, you're starting to take more chances, and that's good.

S Silliness (see E). And you can laugh at yourself. Or, Spam.

T Talent. You're so talented you're scary. (except at kickboxing and aerobics...)

U Unusual. You're you're own person and you don't try to be somebody else.

V Vivid. You stand out from the crowd.

W Wistful. You've got hopes and dreams.

X Xcellent, as Pedro says. And besides, you are, and X is the hardest letter.

Y Youthful. You've got your whole life ahead of you.

Z Zesty. Because you are and there aren't that many words that start with Z.

Stressed

I am finding myself stressed today. There are just too many things on my mind at once. Too many uncertainties compared to what is certain. I need to narrow down my scope to just deal with the tasks at hand for today, but I have never been great at compartmentalizing. I know I need to learn how to relax because I tend to drive people batty when I am stressed like this.

When I'm Forty

I'll be a writer, a drawer, and I'll be a painter. I'll have one child, two horses, a two-story mansion, two pets - a cat and a dog, and a husband. I want to be wealthy and I will live in New York. I want a convertible, a limousine, and a Ferarri, too. I'll play tennis every week.

--Pam Karr, October 17, 1988

If the Whole World was Under Water

I think we would know how to live if we were born that way. We wouldn't have things like houses and metal but we would have lots of cyclones, wind, storms, and not many plants, but there would be seaweed though. We would eat seaweed and fish and the fish like most sharks would eat us. We would make things like making a knife with coral or with shark's teeth. We would learn how to know whitch directions were whitch. We would build things like rafts so we can plant things.

Excited

Mike and I went shopping this weekend to get the rest of our camping gear. We are going to the Great Smoky Mountain National Park next weekend!! Yay! I get to see my waterfalls. He hasn't been feeling well this past month, but hopefully he will be okay for a weekend trip. We are going to go out to dinner on Tuesday because we met 4 months ago that day on his 30th birthday. I am sentimental like that.

This is going to be a busy week. I need to get research, work work, and internship work done before we leave on Friday. I am anxious to get out of Charlotte and relax for a bit. I think I am stretching myself a bit thin this summer, like I always tend to do. It is okay though because I usually end up doing all right in the end. It is just stressful sometimes getting there. Eventually I will learn how to take on less. Of course, that will have to be once I get my PhD. PhDing is a challenge and working on top of that is even more of a challenge, but I don't see myself quitting work to solely pursue my PhD. I stress when I don't have income coming in. When you grow up poor as dirt, you never want to go back there!

I just looked at my blog, and it is badly in need of some more pictures. Hopefully I can remedy that this weekend. Hugs! Pam

Core Dump

(Wikipedia) A core dump is the recorded state of the working memory of a computer program at a specific time, generally when the program has terminated abnormally (crashed).^[1] On many operating systems, a fatal error in a program automatically triggers a core dump, and by extension the phrase "to dump core" has come to mean, in many cases, any fatal error, regardless of whether a record of the program memory is created. The term is used in jargon to indicate any circumstance where large amounts of unedited data are deposited for further examination.

Welcome to my blog.

Thunder Cats

Scuro is scared of thunderstorms. She follows me around more closely than usual, sitting on my feet in the office and the bathroom. So of course Ra follows Scuro around. Unlike Scuro, he just meows, expecting me to make the storm go away. We all end up in the same few square feet in this 2000 square foot house.

I had to take another drug test for work today. I don't even drink!

I ordered a pizza for lunch/dinner since it is pouring down rain outside. I hope it gets here soon; I am starving!

Out of Sorts

So what would it be like to be in sorts? We have so many sayings that don't really make any sense when you actually think about them. Anyway.

Hopefully I will be back on track soon. I have lots of work that needs to get done, but I have to be in the mindset to do it. My toe itches. No, not a figure of speech; it really itched.

Just watched the Incredibles. I liked it.

Inconceivable

There is nothing like a movie classic like The Princess Bride to cheer you up after a bad day. It is a chick flick that has gained such popularity that it is even in the movie library of most guys. That is a feat that very few chick flicks have been able to accomplish. I need to get to bed soon. I have a doctors appointment at 8:30 AM in the morning.

Armpit and All

I am thankful for a very awesome weekend. Some events included rented movies, camping, boating, kayaking, swimming, roasting marshmellows, catching up with friends, walking the Ru, buying new silverware, going to see Ocean's 13, forehead kisses, and sleeping in a safe arm pit. Can't get much better than that even though I was pretty stinky.

Uninspired

Originally, I had something to say here, but I don't know if I do anymore. I am preparing for work tomorrow. Kinda bored.

I love so many people. It is probably why I get hurt so often. I have such a big heart, and I get unhappy when there aren't people around for me to love. Obviously there are different types of love and some types are more fulfilling then others. I love my friends and my family. I have a love for strangers and animals. I love experiences and places. I don't know; maybe I am just weird.

Along with love, I also have a lot of gas lately. My tummy is full of air. I have been drinking one of the DanActive drinks every day, and I think that is the culprit. They are yummy though. I like the blueberry one the best so far.

Okay, you can see what happens when I don't have much to say - I say random and strange things. Ahhh.

Testing 1 2 3

I am testing my new Microsoft Comfort Curve Keyboard for the first time. I like that the keys are shallower so you don't have to press too hard. I am not used to the curviness, but it will probably grow on me with time. It is interesting because the keys are not all equal in size. I can't complain. In the end, I received two keyboards for free. The first keyboard I bought was free after a $10 rebate from Roswell. However, the control key stopped working on it pretty quickly. So I complained and they sent me this keyboard for free. Works for me. The Belkin keyboard Joel got me still works well, but the keys aren't soft touch keys like these keyboards. I know, I am picky.

Chris

Okay, change in plans. I have decided that I am just going to marry Chris. Last night he drove to Highpoint to surprise Amber at work with flowers. (After buying her an iPod as a present last weekend.) He got back early this morning to go to work. Sigh, I haven't had that kind of romance in my life in years. Amber is coming over tonight, and he washed his sheets, made his bed, and cleaned his room before she came over. I was worried that he put all of my clothese that were in the washer in the dryer because there are some I hang to dry. I walked into the laundry room and there were all my dresses and unmentionables laying on the drying rack. So good. So a man who is romantic, does my laundry, helps with the bills, takes out the trash, loves my cats, and already lives in my house. It's just a no brainer. ;-)

Sound and the Furry

It has been a while since I felt calm and peaceful inside; I have been antsy for months now. I am thankful that last semester went really well. In the beginning of the semester, I thought it was going to pretty much be a disaster. Yet, I haven't been so productive this summer. I have been getting a lot of work related work done, but I really need to do more research. Research is harder to get done when I am not quite in the right mindset to do it. The goals are more ambiguous and the the deliverables are a lot less structured. It makes it easier to get overwhelmed and to procrastinate.

I have been sleeping a lot lately, seems more than usual. Went to the doctor recently, and she prescribed Lipitor for my high cholesterol. I started taking that yesterday so I don't know what kind of side effects if any it will cause. I have been trying to exercise more - some pilates and elliptical machine work outs. Also trying to eat better. I bought some of the DanActive Immunity drink things (ironic because Mike bought them for the first time the same day that I did). I have been trying to take my Flintstones, flax seed, and fiber tablets more often. So I have been trying at least . . .

Chris went to surprise Amber at work tonight (she works at Uno's as her second job) so it is just me and the cats in the house tonight. I feel safer when he is here. Sometimes I think I am scared of the dark because I sleep so much better during the day time. I don't like sleeping alone at night; I like having someone there to protect me, even if it is just from my own nightmares. The cats help, but it isn't quite the same as having an armpit to cuddle in. I guess we are all afraid of something.

I wish the things I am naturally drawn to do paid more money to do them. I really like finding ways to directly help people, back good causes, plan events, find ways to make things better. I like taking on leadership roles and working with people and ideas. I tend to be a little too warm and fuzzy for the business world and a little too practical for the academic one.

Scuro is downstairs meowing distraughtly because Ra and I are upstairs. Soon, I will carry Ra downstairs and both cats will be happy. I like making them happy; it is part of my job in this world. The are good cats, and I love them.

Man!

They are finding ways to get all blind people to see except for my kind of blindness (amblyopia). Sigh.

Jazz Cafe

Mike said he liked Jazz and Cajun food, so I found a place called the Jazz Cafe. We went there tonight and heard a band out of Winston-Salem play. The place wasn't very busy on a Tuesday night, but it was neat to explore some place new. However, I now owe Ru my other sock to chew on because he probably had to do his business in the kitchen since Mike will be home later than Ru's usual nightly walk. Sorry buddy! (Look at me, I am apologizing to a dog on my blog - like he will ever read it. Mike didn't even show him the ecard I had sent Ru a few weeks ago!)

Ah, so anyway, I am off to bed soon. I have to catch up on some of my work for work tomorrow, opposed to all the work I have been helping other people with lately. It would be ironic if they fired me for lack of productivity then realized that the productivity of half of my team dropped when I was gone. After my work for work, I have to do some work for school and to prepare for my new work on Friday.

The department chair offered me a teaching position in the fall. I had previously not been assigned a class. I am contemplating if I want to do it or not. The experience and the extra money are good things, but time is already a scarce resource. We shall see.

Hmmm. JUst did some data analysis. It isn't a good thing when you aren't finding much significance between your construct and your dependent variables. Needs more work.

Happy Birthday Dave!!

Pamela Karr (4/2/2007 1:03:22 AM): love me?
Dave Price (4/2/2007 6:50:17 AM): exponentially
Dave Price (4/2/2007 6:51:08 AM): infinitely
Dave Price (4/2/2007 6:51:10 AM): without fail
Dave Price (4/2/2007 6:51:12 AM): without effort
Dave Price (4/2/2007 6:51:30 AM): i love you pam


Dave is one of my bestest friends, and he is turning 27 years old!

Dave and I met when I was 15 years old - we had PhysEd together. I would finish running the mile before everyone else (because I am kinda competitive), but then I would about pass out, and he would carry me to the bleachers. We lost touch the latter half of high school, but we caught back up when I moved back to Gainesville for college. He was always there to move heavy objects. He was one of the few people to come and visit me when I was interning in Atlanta. He drove me up to Charlotte for a weekend and helped me pick out my house. One time he drove to see me off at the airport when I came to visit my mom, and we didn't have a chance to meet up beforehand. Last time I saw him was in May when I went down for Joel's graduation. He is like family to me. Dave loves kids and will be starting as an elementary school teacher this coming year. He has always been there for me, and he always knows how to make me feel loved. I only wish I got to see him more often.

Happy Birthday, Dave! I love you!

Declaration

I declare that today is going to be a good day.

I am trying to figure out how to get my GPS software set up for my phone. I just found out that it comes with a mini card reader. Bonus! I am starting to become high tech. Hello world!

Wasted Weekend

I am feeling a bit better; sometimes I just get overwhelmed by life. I get angry and frustrated when it seems like everything always has to be so hard. I needed to get a lot of work done this weekend that didn't get done. Hopefully tomorrow will be a better day for me and I can make some progress.

Amber and Chris seemed to have a good weekend, so I am really happy for them. I think they are a good couple - they will both just have to decide if they are ready for a commitment sometime in the future. I think their personalities mesh well, and they look good together too. They are both good people individually. I wish them the best.

Mike and I get along really well and have a lot in common. I think he is used to being alone most of the time and internalizes most of his feelings while I am used to being in a close relationship and sharing everything. Other than that, there aren't any big struggles. We have both been hurt in the past and are both scared, so we are taking things slowly. He knows I am still dealing with feelings I have for Mark. I know he isn't going to be able to open up to me all at once. We have time; there is hope.

Some excerpts from our romantic horoscopes:

Libra and Pisces make great friends as well as lovers. These two Signs are very compatible, making for a truly smooth-sailing love affair. They understand one another: Both can be indecisive and tend to work in multiple directions at once. Libra abhors conflict and will do almost anything to avoid it, and Pisces possesses great empathy and can forgive out of understanding for their partner's position. Libra is ruled by Venus (Love) and Pisces is ruled by Jupiter (Luck) and Neptune (Illusions). Under Jupiter and Neptune's rule, Pisces is intensely meditative, philosophical and internal. Under Venus's influence, Libra is in love with love. Libra is the Sign of Partnership and always is more comfortable when in an intimate love affair. These two Signs together combine their heads and their hearts to solve all problems -- a winning combination. The best decisions are made with both the emotions and the intellect; this relationship tends to be extremely flexible and progressive. Their only real trouble may result from their tendency to slow down to the point of stopping when they get together.

Not that I believe in horoscopes, but it is interesting to read. I compared with my horoscope compatibility with Mark, and both were pretty dead on:

Aries and Libra are directly opposite one another in the Zodiac -- 180 degrees apart. Each Sign possesses qualities that the other lacks; combined with Libra's natural yen for harmony, this can be a relationship that enjoys great balance. Aries is the Sign of Self while Libra is the Sign of Partnership, and the differences continue: Aries is impulsive, excitable and ready to jump right into something new and exciting, while Libra is indecisive, peace-loving and prefers a calm, smooth approach. These two Signs share the great sexual attraction common to all Signs opposite in polarity. At the same time, though this pair's connection is amazing when it's good, it can be extremely challenging when it's bad. Aries is ruled by the Planet Mars and Libra is ruled by the Planet Venus. This is a great match, as these are the Planets of Passion and Love, respectively. Venus and Mars go well together as they're the two sides of the love relationship coin. Venus is about the beauty of romance while Mars is about the passion of romance. Both Signs want to be in charge, but Aries uses force and sometimes intimidation to get what they want while Libra uses charm and sometimes manipulation. Compromise is essential to this relationship's health. Diplomatic Libra has a much easier time with compromise than does Aries, who strongly dislikes yielding to another person, viewing it as submission. Libra may have to give in more often to Aries's wishes in order to keep the peace that they so cherish.

Love Quote of the Day

A coward is incapable of exhibiting love; it is the prerogative of the brave. Mohandas Gandhi

Solitude

Laugh and the world laughs with you; weep and you weep alone.

If we want to be loved, we aren't allowed to be sad. It pushes people away. They don't want to hear why you hurt. People tend to want to fix things, and they become drained when they feel like they can't fix you. So depression comes not only with sadness but also a deep sense of lonliness. Any time you have someone hold you and they let you cry, for some reason, they lose respect for you. They distance themselves from you. That is one reason so many people learn how to compartmentalize and just hold it all in. Because if you don't, you push people away, when all you need is that connection with others, a respect and understanding. A presence of someone who cares, who doesn't abandon, who doesn't leave, who is there. They don't have to do anything or solve anything, they just have to be. But that's too hard. You can't tell people what you need. You have to trick them into giving it to you by acting like you don't need it. And if you can't play the game, you won't win.

I am sitting here alone crying. I am sad and lonely. I am tired and hurting. No one quite understands. I am broken. We all are, but not in the same ways. I crave true understanding. I want people in my life who get me, love me, and let me be me. I just want to know I can be loved just as I am. I change every day. I have gotten better and better over the years. I want to be loved and not abandoned even in my failures. I don't want everything to be so hard all the time. I don't want it to be a constant struggle for things to be good. I am tired of always having to be strong. I want unconditional love and support, to know I am not alone. I want it to be okay to be me. I am tired of being abandoned, mistreated, taken for granted, ignored, and misunderstood. I am tired of never being quite important enough to come first. Where is my Father? God, where are you? I am supposed to have a relationship with you, but you never taught me how to feel something that is intangible. You can be there all you want, but I simply can't feel you. I try so hard.

Later

Didn't get a chance to shower. Bennett stopped by; he helped me touch up the paint on the front door. I made dinner, and we are watching a movie called Gregory's Girl. I am not sure the process I go through to put these random movies in my blockbuster queue. Sheesh.

Broken

We are all broken. I haven't found one whole person. Along the way, something - abuse, parents' divorce, physical ailments, cheating partners, broken hearts, war, death of loved ones, personal failures - whatever it is warps some part of how we react to this world and each other. And we all seem to want others to understand and love us anyway for our brokenness, but we don't want to give anymore of ourselves to accept and deal with the brokenness of another. So in many cases, relationships are ephemeral because we can only take so much of other people and can never run away from ourselves. You get what you need for a time, but when they start to disappoint, you move on. It is a lonely way to live. Confusing.

Anyway, I went to the mall today and got 3 pairs of capri pants and a pair of shorts, averaging about $18 per item. I didn't end up going to the Antique Show with Mike and his mom. I came home and made Pam-style fajitas - steak, portabella, sour cream, cheese, and tortilla. Then I took a nap. I am about to hop in the shower to try to get rid of this headache.

Things I have to get done this weekend:

-Come up with deliverable deadlines for summer internship work, DONE
-Reorganize notes, read documentation, DONE
-Research project charter/business case best practices, DONE
-Literature review on technology dependency, DEFERRED
-Literature review on occupational stress and other antecedents of technology crowding, TO DO

Next weekend, I am going camping with some friends at Lake James. Jim brought his jet ski, Dana brought 10 kayaks, and Matt brought his boat last year. I am not sure if anyone is going to bring any water-going vessels this time. I hope so.

I am in the mood to paint some more walls in my house now that Bennett has fixed the tub, and I have touched up the ceiling. The patio is looking good after preparation for the cook out. I would like to get hardwood floors throughout the livingroom, but I think that might be too expensive right now. Been trying to do some maintenance in the yard, but I don't get as much enjoyment out of that.

Oh, by the way, here is my schedule until the middle of August or so:

Monday: Work 9 AM - 5 PMish
Tuesday: Work 9 AM - 5 PMish
Wednesday: Meet with advisor, research day
Thursday: Work 9 AM - 5 PMish
Friday: Internship Work 8:30 AM - 5:30 PMish

Doughnut Day

Today is Doughnut Day evidently. There is a rumor that Krispy Kreme is giving away a free doughnut to customers. The only Krispy Kreme I know of is close to work but not to me. My alarm clock woke me up a bit early today.

I woke up early because my alarm clock was set for going to work yesterday.

I received the smallest check in the world a few days ago in the mail: A whopping 5 cents. Woo hoo! I am rich!

Muhammed is right; that drawing is kinda reminiscent of him. Weird.