I passed! I passed!
Mood:  celebratory
Now Playing: "The Lover After Me" by Savage Garden on "Affirmation"
Topic: School
I got this e-mail from my English professor I had last quarter:

Amanda:

I graded the WPEs this weekend. Yours was one of the essays I read, and,
like the other reader (all tests are read twice), I gave your essay a
passing score. Knowing something of what your struggles have been and
what this passing grade means to you, I wanted to offer you my
congratulations, and wishes that the rest of your time at Poly be happier.

--Dr. Cushing

Oh, I am so happy I passed!

Mini Golf
Now Playing: "What's Your Flava" by Various Artists on "Dance Hits"
Topic: Math Club
Tonight was Math Club mini golf at Boomers. There were eight of us: Ian, Kevin, Randy, Rena, Dave, Nick, Joe and myself. We ended up splitting into two groups: Ian, Kevin, Randy and Rena on course 1, Dave, Nick, Joe and me on course 2. We had a good time. Course 2 has a lot more of those decorative ones with the pipes than course 1 I noticed. We had some interesting hits. Like my hole-in-one. It was on a hole in which you had an uphill, then a flat area with the hole, and then a downhill. I was actually trying to aim my ball to the side so it would bounce in the square flat area. Well, it did bounce but it bounced into the hole. I was the only hole-in-one in our group. The other interesting hit was Joe's into the lake. We were on a hole involving a pipe but for whatever, when Joe's went through the pipe, the ball did roll down but rather stayed in this little crevice right in front of the pipe. So in order to hit it out, Joe tilted the club so it would hit the ball up a bit. Unfortunately, Joe hit a bit harder than she meant too and she sent the ball flying over the fence into the bumper boat lake. Fortunately, I had picked up two extra balls at an earlier hole in which balls got stuck in the pipe the ball went down if you hit it up the middle ramp. So I gave her one of the balls and we continued to play. In the end, Dave kicked our butts with a score of 51 but Nick wasn't that far behind with 56, then me with 61 and Joe with 67. Randy won in the other group with a score of 54.

After golfing, we went to In 'N Out for food. I just had fries and a coke since I had a burger as a late lunch. So we ate and we talked and then we left. I managed to make it back to SLO without being pulled over this time. I did find it kind of funny that there was a sign on the freeway just before hitting SLO saying "Mardi Gras cancelled/DUI check pts in SLO." I did have to go through said check point to get home though. The two or three cars in front of me got waved through and I got stopped. The officer just asked if we had any alcohol or if we had any in the car. He was satisfied with my answers of no and we continued on our way. I went into Nick and Joe's and let them finish listening to the Wicked soundtrack. I also explained the whole play to them.

On my way back home (all of two blocks), I did see quite a few people roaming about. I was going to stop at the market and get cereal but after seeing how many people hanging around outside I decided tomorrow during the day would be a much better time to go.

Cameras
Now Playing: "Tiesto-one long track" by Tiesto on "Tiesto"
Topic: Random Rant
You know what I find odd? People are always surprised that I don't have a digital camera or whenever I tell people I have film they go "Oh" like I'm so far behind the times or can't believe that someone would use a non-digital camera. I thought one of the benefits of having a digital camera was so you could share the pictures more easily through e-mail or uploading. Yet of all my family and friends who have digital cameras, I'm the only one who actually shares pictures. The only one who uploads all her picutres to a site. I bring this up because people were asking the people with digital cameras to send them copies or upload it to a site or something. And then I told someone that I needed to change the film and she went "Oh." Or here's another instance: Steve, took pictures on the camping trip in September and at Halloween and I have yet to see those pictures. And yet people always groan when I insist that the picture be taken with my camera too. I would like to have the memory too, thankyouverymuch, because I know that despite promises to send a copy, you never will. But anyway, I find it odd that the person without the digital camera is the person you can rely on to share the pictures digitally.

What an interesting night!
Mood:  a-ok
Now Playing: "BY_MYSLF" by Linkin Park on "Reanimation"
It started off with me trying to make dinner before going out. I put my dinner in the microwave, it went on for about 5 seconds and then *PHEP* microwave dies. So I attempted to make my dinner in the toaster oven. Yeah, not doing that again.

Then I went to pick up Gianna's friend Joanna and Leigh to take to the Christrmas Tree Burning in Grover Beach. Somone had abandoned their fire so we got lucky with that. I had brought the beach ball I got over winter break with me and after spending a good 20 minutes attempting to blow it up, I discover that it has a hole in it. So Joanna, Bridget, Leigh and I had one good romp with it before it died. Then more people and the second Christmas tree arrived. We made a couple s'mores and then burned the trees. At the same time. Yeah, that flame was HUGE! But it only last like 45 seconds. Then we refed the fire and hung around and talked and ate s'mores (okay, mainly just me) while waiting for the fire to die.

After it finally died, me, Stephanie, Myca and Gianna were going to go dancing at The Grad for 80's night but were stopping at Myca's to change first. On the way there, I was explaining to Gianna how my CD changer broke and how I had Wicked in the car and was turning it on for her but it wasn't cooperating with me. During this process, I accidentally drifted onto the shoulder and then had to jerk back thanks to Gianna paying attention. Unfortunately, one of the 400 cops on patorl this weekend saw me and pulled me over. I was so scared when I saw the lights come on. At first I thought it was for speeding except I then realized that it was one of the few times I was actually going the speed limit on the freeway. I was coming up on an off ramp and I wasn't really sure what to do so I started to pull over on the off ramp but he instructed me to get off and turn into this dirt patch. He asked if there was a reason why I was swerving and I told him I was changing the CD. He didn't believe me by saying "Oh, the old 'chaning the CD' huh?" but Gianna immediately jumped to my defense saying "Yeah, except she really was changing the CD!" He took my license and registration and asked me how old I was. I told him 21, he asked if I had anything to drink, I said no and then he had me follow his finger side to side. Then he asked to see my insurance card and told me to have my passenger change the CD the next time and gave me instructions to get back on the freeway. Thankfully, no ticket. Phew! So then Gianna and I continued onto Myca's and they got ready to go to The Grad.

It was 80's night at The Grad and this apparently attracted an older crowd. I was saying that it was the people who truly remembered the 80's. We met up with two guys who were at the bonfire, Basil and Matt (not my friend Matt but a different one. My friend Matt was lame and didn't even go to the bonfire ;-P). And then we just danced our little hearts out. Or at least I was. It's not often you actually get away with doing old school moves. And when I got stuck for moves, I just did some small kickboxing (hey, I missed my class today, give me a break). We certainly did see some interesting people. There was this one couple that was being...uh...graphic? I really can't find a single word to describe it. First I saw the woman on the stage and at one point bent over to the point where the skirt was just barely covering her and then the guy rubbed his hands along her thighs up as she came up. Then a bit later, I saw her on her knees with her head in the guy's groin. I've seen freaking and have come to accept it. But practically giving head? Not something I needed to see. Right after that they moved into a doggie style. Anyway, lots more dancing ensued. Notable moments were during "Ice Ice Baby" by Vanilla Ice when the DJ said "for some reason this song just won't die." The other moment was during "Baby Got Back" when I was shaking my ass (currently looking ultra huge due to my sweater tied around it) and I was trying to get the others to do it too saying that "you have to shake your ass during this song!" Well, there was a guy sitting on the stage behind me who said "that's right! You go girl!" Or something like that. It cracked me up. We left around 1:30am.

I had a lot of fun tonight. And I would totally do 80's night at The Grad again. Gianna said that it's only the first Friday of every month. Hmm, maybe in March, yes? >=)

Mood:  surprised
Now Playing: Math Lounge background noise
Topic: Work
I think I almost died of shock this morning. Not only did someone beat me to work this morning (second time this quarter, Michelle was first on a Wednesday a few weeks ago), but it was Annie who did so. Annie, who normally walks in around 8:18, was there at work, working at 8am. I was very tempted to ask her "what are you doing in so early?" but I decided to go with the less insulting version of "what time did you get here?" Apparently she's going south this weekend and had to be dropped off on campus by someone who had an early class so she had been on campus since 7:30 but had only been at work for like 10 minutes.

I'm so glad work has finally settled down. We are finally at the point where there are no voicemails, no e-mails in our inbox and only 6 items in the queue all pending, mainly for user action. We were finally able to get around to creating a new FAQ for the Oracle Calendar system (it's been in effect for 2 weeks now), and Terri has been able to catch up on her account stuff. And I got to leave on time again! Well, I did stay for a few minutes to print out my project proposal and to talk to Matt and Leigh for a bit.

Mood:  celebratory
Now Playing: "Enjoy The Silence" by Tori Amos on "Strange Little Girl"
Topic: Work
I walked into the Math Lounge at 10:05am this morning.

Do you have any idea what that means?

It means that I acutally left work on-time for the first time this quarter under normal circumstances! (Last week I left at 10:05 (relatively on-time) because I was desperately in need of studying for test in 3 hours). Not only did I leave on time, but I was actually putting my headset away a whole minute early!

Do you know what that means?

It means there was nothing for me to work on! It took 4 weeks but work has finally calmed down! And thanks to Bridget, our queue is fantastically small at the moment. I actually had moments today where I just got to relax and immediately reach for the phone when it rang. Because I even checked voicemail and e-mail (both accounts) and there was nothing new. It was so wonderful!

Hopefully tomorrow will be just as quiet. Working 4 less hours should help in that for me.

(Hahaha! I just noticed the music title. How appropriate!)

Mood:  silly
Now Playing: "Mr. Mistoffolees" by Favorites- Musicals on "Cats"
Things that sucked about today:
1. Failing my Analysis midterm.
2. Getting 55 on my Analysis midterm.
3. Thinking I understood proving integration only to get midterm back.
4. Not having anything to show Dr. Morrison at our meeting because I was studying for said midterm.
5. Creative writing.

Things that rocked about today:
1. Clue arrived in the mail.
2. Home early enough to watch Clue.
3. Being cheered up by watching Clue.
4. "Life after death is as improbable as sex after marriage."
5. "Are you trying to make me look stupid in front of the other guests?" "You need no help from me, sir." "That's right!"
6. "Everything alright?" "Yep, two corpses. Everything's fine."
7. "Monkeys' brains, though popular in Cantonese cusine, aren't often to be found in Washington, D.C!" "Is that what we ate? *gag*"
8. "Husbands should be like Kleenex: soft, strong and disposable."/"Flies are where men are most vulnerable."
9. "Let us in! Let us in!" "Let us out! Let us out!"
10. "I am your singing telegram" *Bang*

How to not be productive
Mood:  lazy
Now Playing: "All The Young Dudes" by World Party on "Clueless"
Topic: School
So instead of working on senior project stuff all day, or writing my grandma or sending Meghan, as I had needed to do, I spent about, oh, 8-10 downstairs watching tv and crocheting. (The scarf ended up being about the same since I had to pull twice and got very stuck on undoing on stitch). And I also accepted an invitation to go over to Nick and Joe's for sushi tomorrow at 3. Why 3 I have no idea. Dr. Morrison is not going to be happy with me on Monday. Oy vey, not at all. *sigh* Why is it so impossible for me to get anything done on the weekend?

Mood:  happy
In about an hour and a half it will be mine. Assuming of course that no one else places a bid but if the two people who bid before me haven't bid again yet, I don't think they will.

I've loved this movie since I was 8 and that was before I got all of the jokes. I was watching it on TV the other day and realized that they cut out some funny stuff (Mrs. White kneeing Mr. Body in the groin and the drawing of lots for example). Then I decided that instead of just renting it (with a posibility of the store not carrying it), I would just buy it. Cause it's a great movie that I know I'll watch again. Or whenever I need a good laugh.

"Everything alright?"
"Yep. Two corpses. Everything's fine."

***UPDATE*** And of course after posting this, I refresh and then I was no longer the highes bidder =(. That has since been corrected. Hopefully no more correcting will be necessary.

In non-work related news...
Now Playing: "All The Things She Said" by Tatu on "Ripped by RaptorX30"
I find in amusing that I saw three of my friends in transit today. I first saw Bridget waiting for the light on her bike while I was on the bus turning right. Then as the bus was pulling up to the Cal Poly stop, I saw Leigh walking in after skating to school today. And then coming home in the Escort Van, we were behind Kathryn on Murray but we turned right (illegally) while she went straight. Since I was dropped off in the main lot, I decided to get the mail and then saw Kathryn pull in. I hustled slightly and we ended up getting to the door at the same time. It was kind of funny actually, she had gotten mail and once I saw her head on the stairs coming up from the carport, I reached her mail over and said "your mail madam'moisle" (or however it's spelt, I took Spanish not French). It kind of startled her.

The reason we arrived at the same time instead of me much later was because I came home early because I could just not get myself to study for my Anthropology midterm that I have tomorrow. I need to just make sure I leave work at 10 tomorrow and spend 10-12 reading over my notes again. Fortunately the test is multiple guess so I'm not too concerned.

I also need to try to get out of the house early to drop my sweater off at the dry cleaners again. I told them about the stain but they didn't get it out (yes, I looked for the first time nearly a week later). Usually when they can't get the stain out they tell you on pickup, right? I don't think the guy I turned it into made note of it when he said he would. I still have my receipt fortunately. Well at least I learned my lesson about taking stains into the cleaners: make sure they do something to note that there's a stain, and to check the garmet before exiting the store. I really hope this stain comes out. I only wore the top once for like 7 hours at absolute max. And I have no idea what got onto it. At least the stain's not too big and if I adjust the neck and my hair just right, my hair covers it but that's assuming my hair's down which it's usually not during school. I'll work it out.

Tomorrow is Gianna's birthday and Bridget is trying to organize going to Spike's for Taco Tuesday at 8 with a possible appearance at pint night after (pass!). The good news is that since I have to take my Anthro test early, I don't have my class til 7 so I could totally make it. The bad news is that I'm still a bit sick. I'd hate to give Gianna my cold for her birthday. I'll have to see how I feel tomorrow. Cause I want to go.