Musing

Redirection or Delta Pace That pretty much says it all. They say that an obscene percentage of college students change their major/career plans at least once while taking undergrad courses. And now, it seems that I am quickly headed towards becoming one of those statistics. What else can I say? I love physics. It's applied math, used for research in some of the most cunning ways in the most cutting-edge fields of modern physics. It beats trying to beat stupid high school shits into believing that the quadratic equation really is important. I started my first field experience today in which I will actually take control of a certain period twice a week for a period of several weeks. Instead of looking forward to it with an expected amount of nervousness, I know I'm going to get up in front of those kids on Thursday with nothing but a feeling of defeat. These kids don't give a damn, plain and simple. Few of them ever will. I know it's not like me to...

A One-Fingered Compliment or How To Tell When You're Truly Appreciated One of the stockboys took out a stack of groceries to put up today, then came back into the back room a minute later and asked Joe (the boss) what he should do next. Joe blinked, then suggested that he do the stack that the boy just took out. Looking surprised at Joe's brilliance, the kid said "Oh, good idea!" then hurried out. I was at Joe's desk watching the whole thing and raised my eyebrow at him after the boy walked out, saying "I wish you the best of luck starting Thursday," since my last day is Wednesday. I went back to the order I was working on as he walked over and said "I've only got one thing to say to you about that." I waited a moment, and then looked up to find his middle finger raised in my direction. Then we both laughed: mine, grateful; his, rueful. I've never felt so needed.

Let's Get Something Straight or Clarification Let's talk about selfishness for a moment. This is what being selfish REALLY is: bettering your own quality of life by knowingly and willingly reducing the quality of life of others. Spending the money you earned on a new CD is not selfish - stealing $5 from every member of your household to buy a CD is. Putting aside a little money each week as a rainy day fund is not selfish - dipping into your childrens' college fund to go to Europe is. Making excuses for a job done poorly is a lame attempt at saving face - trying to take down an entire department with you is pure, unadulterated, downright hateful selfishness. I can hardly comprehend how anyone could be so dispicably selfish, yet I see a lot of it every day. How could anyone take more than their due without feeling guilty? How could anyone have so little regard for anyone else but him/herself? It's just like the constant lectures we heard in middle sch...

The Dog Days of Summer or Those Long Haired Blues   In the spirit of shamelessly ripping off someone else's website, I'm going to post some more random comments in place of something that could actually be considered a full-length, coherent post in hopes of keeping the post-hounds at bay.   For all of you who are sick of the long hair, I've decided that I'm getting it cut before vacation in mid August.  The weather down there in Perdido Key is typically Floridian:  90-95* F with a chance of thunderstorms every day.  This rug would be way too warm to keep around.   Yesterday, I finally went to 1st Source and opened a savings account there, since I closed my one at Sobieski's earlier this month.  It was odd to hold so much money in my hands at once.  The moment was way too fleeting.   There's also something else that's been on my mind for a few weeks now, but I'm not sure that I want to throw it out for everybody quite yet....

A Rare Salute or Looking Up To People Six Feet Under Gotta give 'em credit - the Founding Fathers had balls. Great idea, great execution. It's only everyone since them that's farked everything up.

Irritations A short note on where I've been #2: Working 40+ hour weeks is a really good way to force yourself into an early grave, especially when said hours don't really net you the funds you would expect/hope to earn. I worked 9AM - 8PM yesterday, then came home and fell asleep literally as soon as I laid down. The Bright Side NOT what you were expecting to follow the previous comment This is going to be a little paragraph on the pride I take in my job, so if you don't feel like hearing it, you've been warned. Okay, so you're still with me. Good. 11 hours nonstop is not only illegal, but it's also just plain damn hard work. Especially when there is no one else there to help you with your job. Joe, my boss, left as soon as I got there and only appeared during the afternoon for about an hour to pick up a few things off of his desk and check on the store. My quick math tells me that that's ten hours that I owned that store. When...

Irritations #1 (many more coming soon) #1: People who stand in front of the milk cooler and ask where they can find the milk in this damn store, because God knows they've looked everywhere.