Time ain't on my side

in

When I woke up this morning, I looked across at my bookshelf and saw a book title that reflects my current circumstance: Killing Yourself to Live (by Chuck Klosterman).

Sometime between the hours of 5 a.m. and 1 a.m. I've been absorbed with some combination of work, school and real estate.

For example, on Tuesday:

  • Woke up at 5 a.m. and worked on a research paper.
  • Got to the office at 9 a.m. and spent time before lunch faxing papers for the mortgage lender and talking to my agent.
  • Worked until 5 p.m.
  • Was in class from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.
  • Worked from 11 p.m. to 1 a.m.

WTF. The schedule doesn't bother me so much as what I've been missing out on. This includes:

  • Spending time with Amanda.
  • Skiing.
  • Sleeping.
  • Exercising.
  • Photography.
  • Band practice.
  • Connecting to the outside world.
  • Sleeping.

The real estate process has been long, but I hope to have the house soon. We had inspections yesterday morning and found some issues that we need to resolve with the seller, so we're back to the negotiating table. This UW quarter from hell will be over mid-March. I know relief is on the way, but I feel like a New Orlean relying on FEMA right now -- relief ain't coming soon enough and time ain't on my side.

I'd try to help myself, but I have zero time to pick up Klosterman's book to learn how this story is supposed to end.

Feeling the paper weight

in

I'm surrounded by paper right now. Literally.

I've been digging through files, trying to sort out what's worth keeping and what I need to toss. This is formally the beginning of my packing up and getting ready for my next move. With the house inspection on Wednesday, I'm feeling the pressure to get organized. It's been a challenge considering work and school these past couple weeks.

I should do this more often. I can't believe how much has happened these last few years. I found my 2004 W-2s. I made $5,500 that year. That's hilarious.

I found letters of recommendation from my high school teachers, my Letterman certificates for soccer, the title and sale certificate for The Green Hornet, car insurance cards that apparently never made it into The Green Hornet.

I found brochures from the National Italian American Conference I attended in New York, pages upon pages of student loan updates, voter registration cards for Pierce, King AND Whatcom counties.

I found copies of WWU newspapers and magazines that I wrote articles for, my letter of acceptance into the WWU journalism program, my GRE scores, my SAT scores and my letter of acceptance into the UW. Some documents aren't so old.

I found my undergraduate, senior thesis research paper, all 28 pages of it with 131 citations. It seemed monstrous at the time and took all quarter to complete. I have a 30-page paper to complete in two weeks and wrote half of it over the weekend. Perspective is everything.

The thesis was called "Reporting Guantanamo: How The New York Times Informed the Public About the Injustices at America's Terrorist Jail, Sept. 11, 2001 - March 1, 2005." Bold title, huh? I scored a perfect 200, and my professor Lyle Harris commented, "Well argued and thoughtfully supported. You show insight into a major issue of a democracy."

It's amazing that just 3.5 years later Guantanamo is closing and my thesis is looking antiquated. I suppose it is.

WSU opts for wine hangovers

in

canon sept07 866

Since becoming a Husky, I've found it increasingly difficult to like anything related to WSU. I can't even drink Busch anymore.

However, I've found a diamond in the rough. WSU now offers a viticulture and enology program: wine making.

According to the Tri-City Herald, German-native Thomas Henick-Kling will be director of the program, which has locations in Richland, Prosser and Pullman. Henick-Kling spent 20 years at Cornell University in New York, where he helped develop the enology and viticulture program.

Fortunately, WSU's program isn't just limited to a undergraduate and graduate degrees. The 2-year certificate programs in Viticulture and Enology are continuing education programs offered through WSU Extension. Online courses are available as well.

Almost finished with my first 15-page paper on the history of copyright law for my communications master's program, I've never been so tempted to transfer...

Antisocial weekend

in

Should that be the new band name? Probably. It's catchy, eh?

No, "antisocial weekend" is actually this weekend's theme. Here's why:

  • I'm trying to close the house(!).
  • I have two separate 15-page research papers due in two weeks and I'm going to try and hack out all 30 pages this weekend so that I have a more social Valentine's weekend.
  • I really want to go skiing but don't have time and should basically write-off all that money I gave Crystal Mountain for that season's pass.
  • To the last two bullets, this quarter of school is torture and grad school is socially the exact opposite of undergrad.
  • I've had some long work days this week in preparation for GSMA Mobile World Congress in Barcelona in two weeks (No, I'm not traveling for that one. Boo.)

So, I have some exciting things (the house!) and some unexciting things (research papers) happening, but they're all equating to an antisocial weekend.