Anything but that

That being homework. That being papers. That being anything school-related. I wish I could have a second spring break. I could really use some time off. Unfortunately, there's no end in sight until June 8, really.

I do have some good news, and everything associated with it gives me happy things to think about, which keeps me going during the daily grind that is my life. The good news is that I saved a bunch of money on my car insurance. No, that's not my good news. Brittany and I are officially heading to New York in June! Yay! I'm so excited. :)

In other news, my computer crashed earlier this week. What a nightmare. I didn't have a backup for extremely important files. And the weird thing is my professor had warned us to have a backup. You can bet that I have one (wait, actually, two) now. Many thanks to Janice and Nestor (and their friends, Peter and Trang) for helping me revive my computer.

Ooh, I should also thank Tita Beata for getting papers for me at my parents' house. They came in really handy. Thanks again. It was really nice of you to do that. :)

OK, I've procrastinated long enough. And pretty soon, I'll get sucked into primetime TV. I better try to finish up *something* before then. Sigh.

Jeez... fake guestbook entries???

For the past few weeks, I've been receiving a steady flow of new guestbook entries. Most of them I delete. They say that I've done a good job with my site, but they refer to me as a "group" or "team." Maybe they think that ACab & Co. is just that. But still, I have my doubts that they actually looked at my site.

A few days ago I received a guestbook entry that suggested I could post more pictures. Well, sure, but I don't have the time. So I kept that entry hidden. Then today I received another entry that not only complained that they couldn't view it correctly in an 800 x 600 setting (hello, it's geared for 800 x 600) but also CITED the name of the person who submitted the last hidden entry! That tipped me off that these entries are fake. They always have a URL, too. I don't always check them out, but the ones I have sell really weird things. Yeaaaah...

Sorry guestbook spammers, but I'm not THAT desperate for entries. Please take yer business elsewhere.

Can you sympathize/empathize with this nosebleeder?

Warning: Don't read this if you get queasy reading about blood. Don't say I didn't warn you...


I get nosebleeds. Don't be so surprised. Unless, you who read this are a stranger. In that case, welcome to my overshare for the day! Btw, when I was younger, I used to call them bloody noses. :) Well, sometimes I'll still call them bloody noses, but anyway!

I've had more than my fair share of nosebleeds/bloody noses, I have to say. It did not help that I got one this morning out of the blue while I was getting ready for class. I didn't see it coming. Usually, I *knooow*. Luckily, I was standing in front of a mirror and noticed something was wrong, and I was able to reach for some tissue in time. But, for whatever reason, I had a difficult time controlling it. Not sure why. And the rarest part was that I got blood on a perfectly good shirt. Yeah, I'm usually a clean nosebleeder, if you can believe it. (Only once in third grade did I get blood on my sweatshirt before school started; I clenched the spot with my fist all day long.) However, there was enough blood--or, too much, depending on how you look at it--that I just ended up throwing it away.

Seeing that I am running out of clean clothes (heh), I ended up wearing my Josh Groban CLOSER t-shirt and had a conversation about Josh and music with someone at work. Good-bye, perfectly good shirt.

Coke with Lime: the verdict is in

I do NOT like Vanilla Coke. One sip and that was that. I haven't tried Coke with Lemon. But Coke with Lime? I had to try. Hearing the ad jingle "You put the lime in the Coke, you nut" was way too catchy, I have to admit. What's the final judgment? It's all right. I definitely taste the (artificial) lime, but it makes me miss the Coke. Go figure.

The ongoing case of mistaken identity

I got breakfast at about noon today. When I went to the cashier at McMahon 8, she said, "Good morning!" and added, "How are you?!" in a friendly voice. Not the usual, monotone "How are you?" that you usually get from stores, cafeterias, coffee shops, and other places where they really don't care how you are but ask because it's part of a script. So I said, "I'm fine, how are you?" And she said, "Fine, thanks."

Then she rang up my food, and here's the dialogue that occurred:

Cashier: "Let's see. Chocolate milk. That's the biggest risk you've taken all week."

In my mind: HUH??? This is the first time I've seen you since finals week.

Me (aloud): "I'm sorry?"

Cashier: "You mean you're a risk-taker all the time?"

In my mind: Well, no, but it's just chocolate milk. I'm so confused, and I *know* that I'm not the person you think I am.

Me: *smile* "I think you've got me mistaken for someone else."

Can't remember what she said, but she didn't address that she had mistaken me for someone else.

I thank her and leave.

Argh, the weird thing is I knew she mistook me that one time during finals week last month. I almost opted to pay at the line farther away, but just as an experiment, I went to her line. And now I know... this isn't the only incident of mistaken identity. It's something I just have to live with. I guess though, looking on the bright side, at least the girl who looks like me is nice, too. Things could be worse.

I have too much to do...

...but I'm not complaining. Yes, I have a super busy schedule this quarter, but I'm very happy. Things are falling into place. Somebody oughta pinch me. Or, I'm aware that things *could* fall apart, but whoever's watching over me, thank ya kindly. :)

I've got a PRSA mentor! YAY! I didn't think the program was going to happen this year, but it is and -- for the sake of Pete na Repeat (lol, that's for you, Janice) -- I'm excited to have a mentor! I haven't met her yet, but I contacted her, and the possibilities are endless. Portfolio review, resume review, information interviews, networking with contacts, attending events together, job shadowing, etc. SO exciting. :)

I attended a Microsoft Excel workshop today. The lady who taught us works at Waggener Edstrom. She was really cool, and I certainly learned a lot. I mean, I can use Excel all right, but now I *really* know my stuff. YAY for autofill! That feature is crazy cool. Forget my earlier resolution to stop using the word "cool." And call me a dork, but the workshop was so fun. Where's the MSN nerd smiley when you need it?

Editing with Seattle Opera is going well. A little too well. I will be paid for three hours worth, but honestly I spent more than three hours proofreading. Apparently I do my best editing at ungodly hours of the night. Something to keep in mind. Either that, or it's a testament to how much I enjoy editing.

Oh right! And I'm doing that thing called going to school. One class rocks my socks, and the other two are pretty good too. :)

Congratulations, Janice, for exceeding your AHA walk fundraising goal!

New York in June! New York in June! Yay us, Brittany! :))))))

Right on, Melinda!

Absolutely loved the performance of The Marriage of Figaro on Sunday. Here's a really good review. :)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/musicnightlife/2002230608_opera05.html

Silent rage...

...is really unhealthy to have, so I'm going to vent.

SPITTING IN PUBLIC SHOULD BE BANNED. I swear, if I ever get spit on--by accident or on purpose--there will be hell to pay. I *almost* got spit on today as I left Odegaard Library. Remind me to avoid that library if I can. Suzzallo and Allen are much better libraries anyway. Well, I was on my merry way to the bus stop when this guy decided to let his spit go flying everywhere. By sheer instinct, I was able to stop in time, but I saw it all happen too close for comfort. If I had been a second quicker in my stride, I would have been caught in the grossness of it all. I didn't look at him directly, but I made him know I was there--standing there thinking, "YOU ARE INSANE AND DISGUSTING," and then I walked past him. ARRRRRRRRRRGH. FOR CRYIN' OUT LOUD, PEOPLE, STOP SMOKING AND SPITTING. AND HAVE SOME CONSIDERATION FOR A PUBLIC SPACE. I'm furious.

No joke

It's almost too good to be true, but I can now say that I'm doing some freelance editing. Today I signed a contract and everything. :) I'm finding that I need to pinch myself, especially since it's April Fools' Day. A big shout out to the PR department at Seattle Opera. They are simply the best. I gladly would have done this for free, but who am I to decline an offer of payment? Hehehe. :)

It's been a week since I ended my internship. For whatever reason, it has felt a lot longer than seven days. I wasn't quite sure what I was going to do with myself, but yay! Now I don't have to think about that so much. I'm very happy that I get to return to the office, keep in touch, and sharpen my skills.

*jumping up and down with my red pen in hand*