Purely an Update

Far too much time has passed since my last update, but I suppose that is what happens when your blog has no real direction..

I’ve been back home for around seven months now, and I must say, the time has gone by so quickly. I really don’t know where to begin, so I suppose I’ll start toward the end:

I finished my BSBA in December, without a minor in Biology or anything like that (true to a previous post, the minor would NOT have helped much). Shortly after graduating, I packed up my stuff and made the final trip home. It was sad leaving everyone in Louisiana behind, but my time came, and Omaha was calling.

Around the time I returned, I interviewed for and landed an internship in IT, and have been neck-deep in EDI for months – I’ll be moving to a new rotation at the end of this month, but I’ll elaborate more on this some other time. It’s a great internship, and a great opportunity, and I am extremely fortunate to be in this position!

Aside from work, I am pursuing my Masters at Creighton, and, well, that’s pretty much it (very time-consuming!). The degree is in Information Technology Management, so it’s (obviously) focused on technology and business. I am considering pursuing a joint degree, tackling an MBA on the tail-end of this program, but that is yet to be seen.

Well, that’s it for the update. Who knows when I’ll get back to writing here.. Take it easy!

Suggested viewing: Bill Gates on the Environment

Very important stuff.  Bill Gates discusses the importance of zero emissions by 2050.  If I had tons of money, I’d be donating to this cause:

Semester at hand

So, my lack of updating has a lot (everything) to do with the start of the semester.  Graduating in December is my goal – I decided to do away with my minor in Biology in lieu of time (and I don’t believe it will give me much of a “competitive advantage” in the job market).  Freeing up those courses, however, shaved away an extra semester, and on account of my anxiousness, that is a good thing.  Of course, my graduation depends entirely on course offerings; my school is relatively small, so there is the possibility the courses I need will not be offered when needed.  Trying not to think of that right now..

Work and interning are keeping me busy, as well.  Hopefully, as the semester drags on, I will find more time to do some introspection and post some “meaningful” things here.  But until then, you might just have to skip the next few routine updates.

Take care, all.

Road trips and goals

I think the key to making a lengthy road trip bearable is using checkpoints. Spots to look forward to, to take note of when reached, and to mark off when passed.

My concept of checkpoints stems from years of video games. Every save acting as a mini lesson in the overarching concept of meeting checkpoints; near perfect conditioning for short term goal setting and reinforcement for the desire of accomplishment. Should I thank Mario for teaching me study skills? Zelda for helping me make good grades? Jill and Chris for pushing me closer to graduation (at the same time instilling within me a love for zombies)?

I must not forget the way Mega Man X improved my ability to retain information, forcing me to remember lengthy level codes in order to “continue where I left off.”

Regardless of who you have to thank for this lesson, recognizing checkpoints as an important facet of existence can only help you achieve whatever it is you set out to achieve.

I went from road trips to promoting short term goal setting – sometimes I wonder about my thought process.

All right, back to Texas.

I do not believe time has any sort of aerodynamic capability.

Rather, I think it waits for the precise moment to sneak by, tiptoeing past its captive, inching closer to infinity.

Today, some 53 weeks have passed since I relocated.  What have I accomplished? is a question worth investigating.

Two full semesters and a summer session, four jobs, five songs, two moves, several books, three crawfish dinners, two movies, twelve months of Live, one bowl of gumbo, myriad fresh pecans, one hurricane season, five sushi restaurants.

Where will I be in another year?  Probably in this exact same position, composing another post to the tone of quantifiable accomplishments.  I would like to add a few more books, some foods (sushi), perhaps several individuals, and a few successful semesters.

Regardless of what I hope to accomplish, time will continue to demonstrate its ninja-like capabilities, leaving me stupefied and jealous.

Snowing in Louisiana

Yeah, you read that title correctly.  It has been snowing for about two and a half hours now, but none of it is sticking to the ground.  It’s a weird feeling – I thought when I moved from Omaha that I would not see snow again, or at least not until I went back home.

Days like this should be spent in front of a fire place.  Personally, I would bring along a bowl of oatmeal and some homework to enjoy the warmth of a fire.  These kinds of days also make me miss Omaha (the snowy part, not the cold part), and I am looking forward to visiting this winter (still an if?).

Anyways – just thought I’d post about the phenomenon that is occurring outside my bedroom window.  Finals are next week, so I have to get back to studying.

Stay warm, people!

Nostalgia

This morning I decided to watch an old “Castoffs” tape that I had packed away.

Talk about a flashback!

I think the video was from our first concert at the Ranch Bowl (RIP), and it was my 16th birthday (ps my facts might be a little off..).  Anywho – it was hilarious to see us playing those old songs in front of our 4 fans (props to Derek, Betsy, Justin, and Alex for the mosh pitting – ha).

Seeing this, though, made me smile – I remember all of the times that were had, playing gigs on the weekends (or on the weekdays after begging our parents’ permission), recording in basements with whatever microphones we could find, and having “band meals.”  I also remember the friends we had that frequented our shows, giving support and cheering us on.  One thing I will always keep nestled in the back of my mind:  it is illegal to body surf at Rebels.  Don’t forget that.

Anyways – I appreciate those kinds of memories, and it’s nice to take a trip back every once in a while.  I’ll have to transfer that VHS to DVD (somehow) and somehow upload some of it to the net.

Interesting stuff!

Time for Comfort

Some people go outside to smoke. I go outside to eat an apple.

Cold weather makes me sleepy. But, it provides a great excuse to conjure up some homemade chicken noodle soup and indulge in the warmth of other comfort foods.

One thing I have discovered – and have been cooking nearly every morning for the past two years – is a “special” oatmeal recipe. I don’t exactly remember where I got the initial idea, but I fell in love with the taste of oatmeal mixed with natural peanut butter.

Needless to say, I have been eating this concoction for a while. Here is what goes into the mix:

- oatmeal
- blueberries
- peanut butter
- nutmeg
- ginger
- cinnamon
- vanilla

That’s the base – sometimes I like to add different flavors to it, such as whey protein, pumpkin, maple syrup, walnuts, raisins, or pretty much anything else that might enhance the greatness.

I’m always looking for new comfort recipes. Check out Delish.com (I think) and Epicurious.com – both offer some great, healthy recipes!

Cold showers

In Louisiana, this truly is the best time of the year. The temperature hovers between 65 and 75 degrees, and the sun is rarely overwhelming.

I’ve started something new. Well, new to me. Even though it is getting “colder” outside, I have found comfort in cold showers. Crazy, I know, but it’s actually refreshing.

Here’s my rationale:

After getting out of a hot shower, you feel cold because the temperature of the bathroom is lower than the hot water. However, I have found the opposite to be true when finishing up a cold shower.  Maybe that reflects some of my own views on life – get the shoddy stuff out of the way so I can experience the warm ending?  Not sure if it really works like that.

Anyways, I’ve put off publishing this draft long enough.. Here you go.

Welcome to November

Thought I woke at 7am this morning.  Nope.  Definitely 6am.  Thanks, daylight saving time. . .

Today I woke up and realized that in just 12 short days, I will be a quarter of the way to being 92 years old.  What does that even mean?  Meh.

Passing out candy last night made me miss trick-or-treating, although it is a lot different now.  I remember walking from house to house until 11 or 12 at night, then returning home and counting my candies until 1am.  It’s not like that any more – the creeps who introduced danger to the holiday have ruined what was once an excuse to stay out late and collect pillowcases full of candy.  And it was always supervised (at least in my case) – there was always an adult equipped with a flashlight watching my friends and me as we collected our rewards.

I guess the kids here can only trick-or-treat until 8pm or so.  Oh well, as long as they still have fun.

Anyways..

The point of this post is to welcome November, so…Right on.

PS.  Modern Family is surprisingly funny.  Anyone?