St. Pattys day and stupid group project

So yesterday was St. Pattys day. I guess as days go it was a decent one. Not a whole lot to report. A couple of friends stopped over last night to hangout and I got absolutely no work done at all.

I only have one class on Mondays so it was going to be a work day to get something...anything...done, but it was the holiday so that ruined that plan.

During my one class of the day however, I was supposed to have a meeting with the other member of my randomly assigned debate group. It is only the two of us mind you, and of course she didn't show up to class. I asked the teacher about it because it is not uncommon for this girl not to show up. The teacher said if I have problems the rest of the week to let her know. I think today I will have to email the girl and see if she got anything done on the project ...sigh, this is for the class that I really just do not want to do it anymore. It is the same one I have that Literature re-write due again on Friday.

Anyway, today is my busy day, so we'll see how it goes. I tried sleeping in till 9 today and I just kept waking up so I got up and started my daily routine.

So thats about it, a good St. Ps day and a crappy group. That was about it for yesterday.

Blurry vision!

So not too much to report, but you'll have to forgive any terrible mistakes with my typing. My vision right now is really blurry because I went swimming this evening!

The drive up from Pittsburgh was uneventful. Spent the rest of the afternoon catching up and looking at my roommates slide show of NYC. He got some amazing pictures.

So my other roommate says we're going swimming, do you want to go? And I decided since I was so lazy over break I'd go and splash around. It was a lot of fun because we had the whole pool to ourselves. Only thing is I spent a lot of time underwater and now I'm paying for it. But it was fun. I sort of miss swimming, I used to go everyday in the summer when I was a kid and also a good bit in high school for gym.

Anyway, back to classes tomorrow.

It'd be happy if I wrote this 3 hours ago.

So I forgot to update on Friday. The trend is already starting.

Anyway, I got back on Friday alright. I thought I got the Literature Review done but I got an email today saying she felt like I only scratched surface. I think I misinterpreted what I Literature Review is for last semester when I wrote my first official paper. But, anyway she sent me a bunch more citations to read and is having my revise it for this coming Friday. So...whatever. I really do not have a huge interest in the topic and I am writing it more because I have to than anything.

So Friday evening I spent with my family. Friday night I went and got coffee with a friend.

Saturday morning (today) I went out with Em and we went and got breakfast. It was really good to catch up. I haven't seen her in a month so I was glad we found a time that worked because I really didn't want to try to fit something in when I made my quick stop back for Easter next weekend. Also, we talked about figuring out a time that worked for her to come visit again since its been awhile since she has done that too. Nothing is planned yet, but we're working on it. So I picked her up around 10, and we didn't finish breakfast till about 1 =) good times. We're also looking into the weekend in April when Erie has the German festival and she could come up and chill that weekend and we could go think German thoughts.

So anyway, I had a wonderful morning and I get home and there is the email about the Lit Review on top of a whole bunch of stuff I get handed to me walking in the door. Not to mention 1/2 the Littles canceling on the meeting for Sunday which is aggravating but understandable.

I'm just not in a good mood, I think a lot of it is the lack of sunshine we've had. Also, for all the stuff I want to do with my obligations, there are two things I don't want to do. I don't want to be home but I'm also not looking forward to getting back to Erie as much as I thought. I think what I really need is a break from everything. No computer, no phone, no family, maybe a couple of good friends, and no responsibility or obligations. I do not want to think about all this crap for a bit. I would expect at the end of this semester to see me disappear for a few days before diving into my summer research.

**Em had me over her house last night to hang out. We watched a comedy troop that does all of Shakespeare's plays in one sitting. It was pretty funny to watch. It was a great ending to break and I put me back into a good mood for the ride back up.

**Also I'm playing around with that Rosetta Stone program. I think I am going to try to pick up basic Italian for the trip this summer.

A break in the days action

So I've finally got a little break in the action today to update.

I woke up at a little past 8 so that I could get ready and by 9 my sister and I were both ready so we got on the road. Dropped her off in Edinboro and came up to Erie. The Snow is crazy here! I had to dig out thigh deep drifts in front of our door. It took me a good ten minutes to clear a twenty foot path to get to the door! At home there is very little snow and whats left is quickly melting.

Anyway, by noon or so I was in the apartment. At one o'clock I walked over to the REDC to get started on the Literature Review. Its going pretty well I guess. I found two really good sources off of my first search on JSTOR and wrote them into my Lit. Review. Also, I have found some very good variables to use when I do my data search. My topic is, Is the deficit spending we are currently seeing in the United States actually making people worse off? Or is it just political hype? There is an economic theory called 'Crowd-Out' where the deep government spending causes inflation and interest rates to rise as the government borrows more and more money. The increases interest rates prevent private businesses from borrowing money and effectively 'harms' the private sector. With this tax rebate coming, I wanted to see if this effect is already happening because of the deficit spending. So far the research I've read has mixed opinions.

Around three o'clock I came back to my apartment for a break.

Now before I left for Erie a whole bunch of decorations got taken down off the walls in the apartment. So I spent a bit putting those back up and redecorating the place.

Since I've finished that I decided I'd order dinner and chill. Well I couldn't find our Papa John's sheet so I went online looking for a menu and address but their online site wouldn't take me to a menu or phone number until I put in my address. Again, this took forever because it wouldn't recognize the address here at school. I finally remember the road named and number changed first semester and put in what I could remember of the old address and that was enough. I've never ordered Pizza online before and it was kind of neat if not a pain in the butt. Anyway, now I'm waiting to see if my order actually gets here. The email confirmation says 30-40 minutes so we'll see.

Anyway, tonight after I eat I'm going back over to REDC for another hour or so I figure to finish up that Lit. Review. After that, just chilling out here I guess. I have some cleaning I can get done around the apartment and I have some updates to put up for the Fraternity pledge class I will take care of tonight.

**Wow that was actually quick. As I was typing that last paragraph the people from Papa Johns called saying they were leaving with my delivery! Looks like its Pizza tonight!**

Mmm, thats all that comes to mind. I didn't finish Dan In Real Life and it is on my laptop at home so I won't be watching that tonight. I brought my movies with me so maybe I'll just pick something from my binder, sit back, chill, and enjoy my little supplement of freedom before I drive back again tomorrow morning/afternoon.

**The paper is done, dinner was good, just gonna sit and chill tonight. I emailed it tonight so I don't have to be up early for anything tomorrow. I can take my sweet old time getting up and getting ready before heading back down the highway.

Need more days like this

So one of my friends from UP came to hang out today. I think if I had more days like this I'd actually enjoy coming home. =)

Started off the day with a good lunch at a local Italian place for lunch. Good food and good conversation makes the time fly by.

We decided to spend the rest of the afternoon ice skating so we went to the outdoor skating rink in North Park and did the laps. It was a gorgeous day! The right temperature to be outside but a little warm for the ice. The blades on everyone's skates cut right through the ice and 10 minutes after the Zamboni went by the ice was pretty rough. But I had a great time anyway. No blisters!

After skating we came back to my house and chilled and watched a movie, Big Fish, it was a great end to the day.

Its nice because we just spent the whole day catching up and shooting the breeze. I remember sitting up before Maraden's English 15 the night before till way early in the morning just chatting about the state of the world in one Almy lounge or another, getting one or two hours of sleep then walking down to class, and I missed that.

I'm in Erie tomorrow to get that Literature Review done. I'll be back Friday afternoon or dinner time at the latest. Wish me luck and hit the cell if you aren't busy Thursday night around dinner, or you're back in Pgh and want to say hello on Friday.

Nothing else constructive to add really. In the process of watching Dan In Real Life. So far it is alright, but nothing to write home about. Rambo never worked so I never got my mindless action flick.

Absinthe

So Absinthe is legal again in the States. Oddly enough, the kind they reference in the article is the stuff I tried in Germany.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/03/10/AR2008031002846.html

Day 4 and going....well not as motivated.

So today was actually a productive day. I got both cars washed, dishes washed, laundry done, and I cooked dinner. What a day....all except that whole Lit. Review that did not get worked on.

So I guess I don't have much to report. I'm hanging out with a good friend tomorrow. No real idea on what were doing but I'm excited anyway. Been awhile since I've seen her. After that I'm going back up to Erie on Thursday morning. I need to get this Lit. Review done and it just wont happen here. As it happens my sister wants to go up 79 too so the timing worked out well. I will be back Friday evening.

Past that not much to report. I'm in the process of getting the new Rambo movie and I'm looking forward to a mindless action movie. When I'm done watching it I'll give my impression of it. Some how I do not think it will be an in depth review.

I'll prolly have more in the next couple of days...

As another note, I want to go see this movie Hancock It doesn't come out till July though.

Dragon Wars

So I downloaded Dragon Wars last night...

Now I'd like to preface this with I am not a severe critic when it comes to movies. I generally like most movies and will watch ones other people didn't like.

That being said, Dragon Wars sucked. It honestly was a chore to get through it. Now it didn't help that a good portion of the beginning was in Korean and the download I got had no subtitles. But on top of that, it was poor acting, a generally poor story, and even the graphics were cheesy. It honestly reminded me of some of the movies that are on Sci-Fi and are the specially made for TV movies. The acting is bad and the monster always looks bad.

Anyway, today I did very little. I drove over to the skating rink to look up the times just to get out of the house instead of looking them online.

More to come later tonight. I have to go cook dinner now.

*Continuation

So I went out with the guys from high school to see Jumper. Its about a kid who can teleport all over the place. It was a neat concept and an ability I'll be the first to admit I wished I had had as I was growing up and also when I have to walk from Erie Hall up to the apartments. Of course, once again they've taken a good concept and made it into a mediocre movie. The acting is just so-so even though Sam. L.J. is in it. He just doesn't add enough to make up for it.

Another movie related note, I am as we speak watching No Country For Old Men, and it is going really well so far. I enjoy it. It reminds me of Fight Club in the way that I thought it was going to be a lousy movie but I am pleasantly surprised as I am watching it.

Anyway, I guess that is it for the day. It wasn't particularly productive, I crushed some cans and fixed the family computer, but past that not a thing. Tomorrow I am hoping to get started on that Literary Review I've mentioned. I'm really just having trouble getting into it.

I guess we'll see.

GMAT Practice

So I got up early a couple Saturdays ago to take a GMAT practice test. Now going into the test I had never done any research or practice tests or anything but it was free so I thought, why not? Lets give it a try.

Well I got my results back this Saturday and when I opened it I was pretty disappointed. Now 10 seconds later my Dad put the results into perspective for me. I was comparing them to the Penn State grading scale so a 71% was a C- in my mind. He then reminded me it was a score about what percentile I ranked in and that I was being compared with graduating seniors and grad students so then I felt a little better. A 71% is "slightly above average" and it is lower then I eventually want on the test but for a first try I was satisfied I guess.

For anyone who doesn't know, the GMAT test is the test grad schools look at before granting admittance. It is like the SAT for business majors. It is a no calculator test that is half bubble test and half essay. The bubble portion is half math and half verbal. Thats the part I took. It was 75 minutes a section and each section took me most of the time. I finished the verbal part a little early. So all in all I suppose I was happy with it. There are some things in each section I will have to review because its been years since I used it and especially since it has been years since I have done it without a calculator (ie. exponents and geometry).

Another oddity with this test was they give you a question with two statements and you have to say if you have enough information to solve for the asked variable with one statement, both statements, or you do not have enough information at all. I think this is the first time I've had a problem like that so that through me for a loop a little bit.

Anyway, it was nice to get the practice and I think getting up for the test on Saturday will eventually pay off when I go into the test for real knowing what is in front of me.

What the hell...

So I have done this blogging stuff before and I never felt like I could be completely honest and that seemed to defeat the purpose for me, but I am bored and I need something to do.

Anyone who would be reading this already knows me so I am not going to do that whole typical first post bullshit describing myself and my interests.

Anyway, at the moment I'm on Spring Break. I have no travel plans, party plans, or plans in general. I'm in a city I don't want to be in, where almost every person I want to be around is in a different place. I'm back in my parents house which is not a bad place, just a place I've grown out of. I'm use to my own schedule and my own rules. Now that I'm back, I can't go by either of those. So, I end up spending as much of my time as I can sleeping or in my room which pisses off my parents, and the time that I am awake I'm pissed off because I don't want to be told how to spend my day.

I was trying to go back up to school early, but got a lecture about how its a waste of gas to make the trip twice. I have work I need to get done for school and no motivation to do it here. It is Spring Break, why the hell should I have work to do? Oh yeah, because I forgot to write it in my planner a month ago, it was due Friday, and I got an extension to this Friday. The work I have to do is a Literature Review for my Public Economics class. Its a class I found interesting the first week or so when I had to make my decision about honors classes, and I guess I still find the class interesting, just not my topic. Speaking of a topic, I'm not really 100% sure what mine is for this paper. It has been too long since I had time to focus on this particular project.

So I've got a lot on my plate coming up in the next couple of weeks I'll end up posting about. I'm waiting on news about a research grant, a study abroad experience, a bunch of stuff about the Professional Business Fraternity I am an officer in, news about an honors society I put an application in to join, and all kinds of other stuff. Who knows.

Oh, speaking of the fraternity, the pledge class is doing well. I'm the VPPE so I get to work closely with the group. I have two Littles this semester who are both doing amazingly. They are each head of one of the pledge committees so they are excelling in the whole process. I can not wait to finish up the pledge process with them and hand them their Brother pins. They are gonna make great Brothers!

Anyway, thats enough for the first post. Tomorrow will be an update on the GMAT practice I took. I just don't feel like typing it out tonight.