Edit: normally I wouldn't do this but those rants were not something I want hanging around.


I think having an interview start with "I wanted to ask you a question about your blog" is a good way to make your interviewee really fucking nervous; even if it ends up being rather innocuous.

I was pretty impressed with Jim's designer jeans, shirt and blazer ensemble at the groom's dinner so I decided to pick up my first pair of jeans in ten years (they were verboten in high school, never got a pair after that). I managed to find a pair with a price tag that didn't make me choke that look good. This would definitely not be bloged except that when showing them to the family my mother remarked "I didn't know you could look that good." I can always count on her.

"this post dedicated to batshit"*

I had a date tonight! but she was grumpy.

I got a job offer tonight! but I don’t know if it’s really for me.

I found a dollar on the sidewalk tonight! but it was dirty.

I decided I didn’t want a Baltimore phone number any more, so here’s my new Chicago number (and hopefully my number for a while): seven seven three, six hundred, eighty-eight fourteen.

Woah - awesome alert...

Fri, Sep 16-Sat, Sep 17:
From: CHICAGO OHARE, IL (ORD) 11:10am
To: TOKYO NARITA, JAPAN (NRT) 2:00pm

Mon, Oct 3:
From: TOKYO NARITA, JAPAN (NRT) 11:00am
To: BANGKOK, THAILAND (BKK) 3:30pm

Thu, Oct 20:
From: BANGKOK, THAILAND (BKK) 7:30am
To: CHICAGO OHARE, IL (ORD) 4:00pm

Ka-pow

The timing unfortunatly means two things:

1. with time and money constraints I'm not going to Carolina
2. gonna be gone during RHIT Homecoming

burn baby burn

"Practice makes perfect." That's one of those sayings that is true, makes immediate sense and is applicable to nearly any situation (as opposed to bullshit like "fight fire with fire"). I mean, aside from activities like golf it applies to your life – if you get used to smoking, you're going to become a perfect (addicted) smoker. If you practice treating people well then it will come naturally, etc etc. It is those decisions every day that show your commitment to what you are constantly becoming.

I am a big believer in personal change. If you met me ten years ago and met me now I think you'd be pretty surprised. I think it is unacceptable when people tell me they'd rather be more sociable or adventurous or committed to something; but "that's just the way they are." I think that statement is bullshit. Sure it is the way you are but is it the way you are dooming yourself to be? (For the record: when I was fourteen I was the most unsociable indifferent obnoxious little snot imaginable, I'd like to think that has changed.) Whenever I hear anyone say "that's just the way I am" I either try to convince them otherwise or tactfully hold it in and reaffirm to myself what I think about that statement. When you cease to evolve who you are I think you un-evolve – you are always changing: if you are not conscious of who you are becoming then you run a high risk of becoming something you dislike.

I think one of the most weird things I've been thinking when deciding about careers is "when I am 30, I should be back in Chicago with a comfortable career path doing the family thing (at whatever level)." And sometimes when I think that I KNOW that it is making decision making difficult to the point of making it impossible/unproductive in general. Then I think "I don't know why I think that… maybe it's just the way I am." I'm not sure if it's something I want to change or should try to change. Is it the same category as "I want to be more social, but that is just the way I am"? Or is it fundamentally different? I am unsure. I gotta think about it. It feels good to get this written down.

I don't especially like much of Tony Pierce's blog but this article is really good because it allays my fears about being the shitty writer that I am.

"that watermelon is huge... it's bigger than your hair!"
- from my 10 year old cousin at today's barbeque

me: "yah, well you know Virginia 'is for lovers'"
girl: "what? Virginia is for mothers?"
me: "yes, it's their new slogan to get all the 'run away mother' tourism dollars"
(This conversation ended with this girl carving that into my t-shirt)

While we're doing pictures, on the way to MN last weekend Dave had a brilliant idea at a gas station:

This thing was frozen so solid but we were hungry, so we skipped the plates and the forks and knives and just went to it with the slightly sturdier spoons.

oh the carnage

General State of Affairs

In the three months I’ve been unemployed I’ve spent my time helping out my parents with the house and other things, traveling (Boston, Europe), going to weddings, researching law school, exercising, cooking, eating and generally being lazy. I do not feel closer to any sort of meaningful ideas about what I’d like to do with my career. Some software engineering opportunities have been presented to me that I think I am going to investigate (and hopefully interview). This is not to say that another SW position is my goal but I am going to check them out. You can find my spiffy updated resume on the front page. (If you have any good career ideas you should call me… You should call me anyways because it’s been a while since we talked.)

Regarding law school: I think there could be some very neat career opportunities for me if armed with a law degree. I am also attracted to it because I believe it would give me more flexibility in my career down the road. I am trying to figure out if I want to really do it for the right reasons so I am planning on NOT applying for the fall 2006 admission cycle.

weeeeeeeeeee

The Goodman wedding weekend will never be forgotten.
The pictures only tell half the story.

Congratulation to Jim and Laura Goodman.