Tuesday, July 15, 2008

So tonight ends another chapter in my life I suppose. This was the first summer I've lived away from home and I suppose it marks the official point where I've moved out of my parents house.

I'm stopping in for a couple of days just to get organized and get packed for my trip to England. I leave Saturday.

I keep telling myself a month isn't a long time, but saying my goodbyes tonight, made me realize, these are the people I see every single day. Absolutely every single day I'm alive, I see one or more of these folks. They are my family outside of Pittsburgh. Now I'm leaving these folks for a month. I feel like I'm going to miss a great deal by not spending the time with them.

On the other hand I cannot wait to get out of here. I feel like I could use the fresh start. I just need to drop everything Erie, Penn State, Pittsburgh, and emotionally related. Drop it all and start fresh. I'm flying thousands of miles away from any problem or confusion I have here and I can't spend time worrying about it until August. That in itself is a great feeling. Its not one of a permanent fix, but one where I know I'll come back with a better perspective and ability to size up who and what is actually important to me in life. The last two weeks have shaken that whole issue up for me.

I am 100% sure it is going to be a fast month. I have some amazing trips planned and I'm going to be meeting a lot of new people. Soon it will be time to start back to school, start back to research, and start back to those "cares in the world."

So we'll see. I'm nervous, excited, sad, and happy to be leaving all for different reasons I don't really care to share with anyone but myself at this point. So here is cheers to me, to a safe, fun, and exciting trip.

-Much growing and learning to be done in the next 5 weeks. To everyone still here, please bear with me, I'm hoping to have lots of pictures, stories, and experiences to share, but I'm sure I'm going to be one of those annoying folks that starts everything with, "Well, in England..." So just tell me to shut my trap when I do.

Last Note: There were somethings I wanted to tell some people (mostly one person) that I wish I could have. I guess I didn't b/c it was a mix of too scared and partly a 'why bother?' kind of thing. It wouldn't have helped anything to say something I guess, who knows, maybe I'll regret it later and can worry about it then.

Saturday, July 5, 2008

All this blogging activity from my friends has motivated me

So I guess the reason I stopped writing two times ago now was because I couldn't be honest and put on here what I wanted to say. I couldn't put it on here because...someone might read it. Thats really the reason every time I stop blogging I guess. But low and behold, I move past whatever it is and I start it up again when I'm bored.

Since May 9th...yeah...a lot has happened. I guess the short of it being, I'm living in Erie this summer. I have a job at the ERIE office as a researcher. I have a grant to further my own research on a topic of my choosing (Leading Business Cycle Metropolitan Statistical Areas). I got a job with UPS as a box handler but decided that the commute along with taxes was not gonna make the job worth it so I quit before I even started the job. I felt bad about wasting their time but they were not going to give me enough hours a day to make the job worth it.

Oh, in now 14 days I leave for England for a month. Yeah. Thats pretty big. I'm really really excited. I saw some pictures of the campus and it looks beautiful! There are initial plans in the works for Paris, Rome, Dublin, Stonehenge, London of course, and Scotland. I'm going to come back so broke!

I've been spending a lot of time with friends doing a lot of fun things. Erie is a great town to be in in the summer. There are concerts, block parties, festivals, etc. If I really wanted to go out every night to something I could most likely find something. Not to forget just State Street in general. I haven't spent a whole lot of time bar hopping because I'm trying to save money for the trip, but I've had a few great nights there.

In general my work and research is going well. I built an MSA (Metropolitan Statistical Area) database that tracks the changes from 1950 through 1999 (2003+ forthcoming). I was very proud of that because it was a lot of data gathering and formatting but also because it involved a bit of coding. I don't really know how to computer program but I had a little bit of it in high school so I just started playing with it and got it to do what I needed it to do. I wont really waste my time or yours explaining it b/c I know no one likes to read/talk economics outside of economics majors and I don't think any of them are reading this.

Back to the 'burgh on the 11th for Dentist, Em's 21rst birthday!, Science Center Lunch!!, and meeting with a long lost friend for a bit before back up the highway. I'll be back in Pittsburgh on Wednesday to pack and get ready for my trip.


For the most part you can leave it at I'm generally happy and healthy. Are there things I wish were different, sure. But its nothing too serious I suppose. I am excited for London but I'm also excited to start the next semester...senior year...its a big one.

Friday, May 9, 2008

I don't really know what to say. Its been an semi-interesting and fast year.

I wouldn't say I've grown in any particular way other then the experience with the day to day. I've met several new people I'm better off for knowing and I've lost track of several old people that at the time I was better for knowing and now we've gone our own way.

I've had my ups, downs, successes, crushes, disappointments, lonely moments, tired moments, happy moments, moments of triumph and failure like everyone has in the course of a year.

I'm tired now. I can say that without any reserve. I don't have the energy I did at the start of the semester and I have a few new aches and pains I'm sure are stress related. Overall it was a decent year. One left.

So...I got an A in public economics. Mathematically I didn't think that was possible. This could be a very good semester grade wise! Not a 4.0, but possibly close depending on how well Intermediate Econ goes. At the moment, the worst grade I'm looking at is an A- in Finance 301 which is freaking amazing b/c I hated that class with a passion.

Monday, April 21, 2008

So I guess its been...a month...yeah...

In that time a good bit has happened.

The search for a new place to live next year is continuing. Looked at a house the other day and did not like it as much as the first place we looked at. Turned in the credit check forms and I am hoping we hear back from the guy very soon because I want to have that set before I leave for summer. The place we are looking at now is nice because it is within walking distance if you don't mind a 20 min walk. Its separate rooms which will be nice because that is what I grew up with and what I am used to. I'm an annoying person generally and I'm sure my roommate would appreciate some space too.

Speaking of summer, the ball is now rolling on a place to live this summer. Just waiting to get the final OK to get started with that. Its gonna be tricky working this out with the lease and such but we'll see how that goes.

I'm booking my ticket for England on Wednesday evening. Over all it looks like with the scholarship it might only cost me 50 bucks for the ticket! I'm so excited to go.

The research paper continues. I hit a snag with some nasty correlation and having to lag my variables. Got instructions today about how to fix that up. The rough draft was due last Monday but even the teacher recommended I set up this meeting with another teacher to get this stuff explained. I guess tonight/Wed will be my day to get the first rough draft totally written and turned in.

Oh, since the last post I have turned 21. That was a great night. I remember it all and I did not get sick. My parents helped me out with a pickup truck so I'm driving new wheels since my last post too!

This past weekend was initiation for the fraternity. It went really well and we now have 10 new members for our chapter! I was the Vice President of Pledge Education so it was nice to see the pledges finish and become official brothers. It is sort of like a capstone to finish up the fraternity for this year for me.

Next weekend is the fraternity formal and I'm looking forward to that. Not sure what the plans are yet exactly but I have a friend coming up to go with me.

This coming Tuesday is going to be elections for the frat. I was nominated to be the president and also Vice Pres. Pledge Education again. I am not sure yet which I really want to run for. I have a basic speech outlined for president and I will probably just wing the VPPE speech.

Oh, also today I started putting up flyers advertising for this hauling business I'd like to start now that I have a truck. I don't have the exact prices worked out, but I'd really like to start putting some extra money in my pocket since the research position I have isn't really brimming with hours.

Speaking of research I was approved for my summer research and will be doing that. On Wednesday I am hoping to turn my summer research into my thesis paper to kill two birds with one stone.

Also this summer I signed up for an online class to do class 1 of 3 to get an SAP certificate.

So, yeah, been crazy busy lately but none of it is really new. They are just all ongoing projects that keep piling up. With any luck I'll have summer housing, next semester housing, study abroad, research paper, fraternity stuff, and job stuff worked out in the next week and it will be smooth sailing into finals week. But who am I kidding, nothing ever goes that smoothly.

Tuesday, March 18, 2008

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.

Sunday, March 16, 2008

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.

Saturday, March 15, 2008

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.

Thursday, March 13, 2008

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.

Wednesday, March 12, 2008

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.

Tuesday, March 11, 2008

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.

Monday, March 10, 2008

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.

Sunday, March 9, 2008

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.

Saturday, March 8, 2008

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.