Birthday present for myself

I splurged a bit and got a new Roomba.

I have an older one downstairs but it really doesn't have the power to do the rugs in my room. Therefore it's sitting in the corner charging and I'll give it a test run tomorrow afternoon. If nothing else this will make me keep my room picked up, though we'll see how hard it is to keep up with the stuff the dogs drag under the bed.

I didn't buy this from iRobot's website though, I payed 60 dollars less shipped. I'm so excited!

Database almost done!

Final, done and completed, got a B before the written extra question but I don't see that coming up much.

Homework done, not perfect but I can revise it so I may next week, we'll see.

Extra credit done and turned in

Project was presented by the class and I'm in charge of putting it in a paper. A potential candidate has been sent to the class for approval. I think there are some errors so it's not done yet, but it's very close and isn't actually due till tomorrow.

Physics, got some homework and a lab to finish writing up, but that isn't due till Tuesday so while it needs to be done there isn't the huge stress.

I really can get a lot done when I put my mind to it!

The House is Clean!

Now, I've never been known for being a neat freak, in fact I tend to give neat freaks panic attacks. However I have certain thresholds of clutter and other thresholds of actual dirt. The dirt and grime threshold would make any neat freak proud, I just don't care much about clutter.

I'm also lazy, so I tend to keep my room just above what pisses me off and then ignore it. Well that all falls apart when I suddenly can't walk or carry anything. Add that to the fact that the dogs sleep with me and you suddenly have a room that is driving me nutty.

So I finally got schedules synced with the place that cleans for me and I'm in heaven. I'm running the roomba all over my room right now. The floors are clean(er) (they need an actual scrubbing but that will be another day), the sheets are changed and my room no longer smells like my dogs. Now I can keep up with the day to day stuff, it was the fact I couldn't do much for a month that had me all creeped out.

On the top of my list of things I want to do when I have an income again, have professionals come in at least once a month (more if I can afford it) and do all the cleaning I don't like doing.

Now it's laundry time, my roommate will carry it all upstairs for me but I can do the 'inbetween' stuff. I study much better when it's not icky in here.

Find out if you're registered

http://my.barackobama.com/vfc

It asks for your email address and I did get an email from them because I didn't actually finish the process and they were making sure everything is alright. It also asks for your address because that is how it checks to see if you're registered. I have no received any mail from the campaign and I believe they don't store the address but I can't swear to it so I wanted to mention it. You can give them a bogus email but it would be a waste to give them a false address.

Here is the email they sent me

Dear Ester,

Make sure your voice will be heard You're receiving this message because you recently visited VoteForChange.com, our one-stop website that lets you check your registration status, register to vote, apply for an absentee ballot, or find your early vote location -- all in just a few minutes.

Our records indicate you didn't complete the process all the way through.

If you got all the information you needed, great. We hope it was helpful.

But if not, and you stopped for some other reason, take three minutes and finish the process today.

Visit VoteForChange.com and make sure your voice will be heard on Election Day, November 4th:

http://my.barackobama.com/vfc

Your friends and family may not know about this easy way to register -- please pass this message along to everyone you know and make sure they're registered!

Taking this step is one of the most important things a voter can do to bring about the change we need.

Thanks for visiting VoteForChange.com, and for all that you do,

Obama for America

And it had a donate button on the bottom, but wasn't actually asking for donations. Anyway it's important for everyone to be registered and they say later on they'll even have the address of where you're supposed to go to vote.

Parking and crankyness due to ankle pain

So I was running a bit late today and got down to campus about 10 mins before class started. Due to the lack of parking I emailed my prof telling her I would most likely be late.

I drove around for half an hour and didn't find a spot. I have a parking placard so I can park anywhere (including timed spaces) except red zones and there was nothing that was close enough. I did get a bit picky and decided to not park half a mile away because damn it, my foot hurts.

So I came home. I've got an ice pack on my foot and I'm about to email my prof and apologize but I'm really not going to hobble half a mile because of the lack of parking. If I was willing to do that I'd take the public transportation down, but the stop is too far away from my class and I'm not up for walking that far yet, even with the crutches.

So I'm going to study a bit from home and then work on Database stuff till class tonight. The parking placard was supposed to make things easier, but it doesn't when not only are all the handicap spaces full but the other ones are too.

Physics and eternal Database setup

Physics test wasn't great, I have to keep reminding myself that I only HAVE to get a C so it will tranfer, but it's a pride point to get a good grade! I also have to remember that this class isn't four weeks, there are other tests and places to earn credit.

I'm working through last week's homework and decided I needed to take the (literally) hours of set up to install the programs I need to do this correctly. Add that to the tutorials to learn more of Microsoft's programs and it looks like I haven't gotten much done today, but I really have!

The goal is to either finish last week's database homework or make huge inroads into it with all of the tools set up and understood. Then I need to (also today) put the framework of the second Physics lab into digital format and get the calculations done.

I need to eat somewhere in there too....

Obama and Pop Culture Collide

One Day More by (well sort of by) the office management of an Obama office

Midterms

I have two midterms in the next few days. Tomorrow is Database Design, CSC 422. This is a senior level class and requires 'senior level' types of study and dedication. I expect the midterm to be hard and even declined a movie invite for this afternoon to study for it.

My other midterm is in Physics, PHYS 125. This is a freshman level class and yet I'm more nervous about this test than I am the Database one. It is the first not open book test I've taken in about a year and a half, so that contributes, but it's a 100 level class! That and it's being transferred over to NU so as long as it's a C I'm good, but I really want to do well. I don't know if I"m trying to impress my professor who is wonderful or if it's just a pride thing, I should do well in a freshman class.

Physics isn't easy, and it's actually a bit harder as it's based on trig instead of calc, amusingly enough. Once I get the equations figured out I'm good to go, hell my calculator does most of it for me, but I'm actually a touch nervous, and that makes me laugh.

Register to Vote!

I've made it clear who I'm voting for. I'm not comfortable telling people who they should vote for though I'll share information if someone asks. I think that the vote is something that is deeply personal and something that was fought for by differnt groups of people throughout this nation's history, and should be treated as such.

What I will tell everyone to do is register to vote and then get your ass to the polls (or sending a ballot or vote early depending on your state)

For California you can go here and here is a Google search for different states to see if you're already registered. Remember that you have to re-register if you move even if it's within the same town. Also it's a good idea for everyone to verify before election day as things get messed up (some say intentionally but that hasn't been proven, things do happen accidentally also) and some people aren't allowed to vote due to clerical errors. This happened to my brother in 06 and the first he knew about the problem was when he was trying to vote.

So I strongly encourage everyone to register, and if you think you're registered to double check. I don't care if you write in Mickey Mouse, go to the polls and vote. Too many people have worked too hard for this right for us to not take advantage of it.

More ankle stuff

I officially have a level 3 sprain and a handicap placard good for three months. The PA I saw said it's most likely worse than a level 2 but not as bad as a full blown level 3 but my application for the placard said level 3. I've got a prescription for an air boot which I'm guessing looks like the one in the link, I'll get it tomorrow. This will allow me to get rid of the crutches and that is a 'happy thing'.

So basically the four inch curb really wrecked my ankle and I'm one of those 'special' people who don't heal very quickly. Joy....

Ankles and Grades

Got a B- in OS and I'm just so annoyed at the professor that I just don't care anymore. If you round I'm back to a 3.3 gpa, won't graduate with a 3.5 but I'll live.

Dr appt tomorrow to recheck my ankle. I want a parking plackard so I can go back to school and actually have a bit of mobility. I'm fine with taking it easy as long as it takes (though my garden misses me) but it's getting really frustrating to not feel comfortable to go anywhere because I need to use the crutches but damn they hurt.

Hopefully I can get a temporary placard and then school and even possibly getting out of the house occasionally might happen. I hobble around the house but I'm really not comfortable going out without the crutches, and that means someone has to drop me off at the door or I walk, and crutches hurt! =)

The bruising is starting to look a bit better but it's still really tender, less swollen but while it doesn't hurt to actually walk it hurts about a min after I sit down. So it's elevation and ice while I try to do homework from my room.

Lazy Weekend

Lazy week actually. I did get out of the house last night, thanks to two dear friends who came and got me. I'm just not comfortable going out without the crutches yet and that limits my own personal mobility. It was nice to get out, and the wine was wonderful :)

Of course I had just started doing Physics homework and got completely distracted, it's a talent. That is actually my plan today, going to take the textbook outside and try to read through the next chapter. The plan is to get the whole next week of homework done as I have a Database midterm this weekend and I'd like to concentrate on that instead. We'll see if I make it to class or not.

Ankle is pissing me off. I can walk on it but then later it hurts. I almost wish it would just hurt to walk on it so I've got a constant reminder. Instead I think I'm alright and pay for it later. I know I'm just delaying healing by doing that so I'm over-compensating on the other side, but that means I'm not doing much and I"m bored.

Physics

I got a note from the doctor allowing me a whole other week, if I need it, before I have to go back to Physics. I just have less than no desire to try to navigate that campus on crutches, especially as I won't have a handicap placard. Hopefully I'll be more optomistic by Monday so I can make up my lab and then be good to go on Tuesday, but as of today, while I can walk, not for long.

So, foot is up, doing my Database homework and I'm just about caught up with Physics, just need to scan in today's homework. My goal is to stay at least a class period, if not a whole week, ahead in that class because my NU courses will get harder a week or two out of each month.

My ankle is still pretty much the same color but, as long as I do it in small doses and have it up most of the day, I can move around the house. I've kind of bunkered in on the couch with all of my school books simply so I don't have to go downstairs each time I want something to drink. I love having the bedrooms upstairs but I'm seeing the attraction of a single level home.

Ankle Pics

I was really good for the first two days and stayed off my foot, but the past two I got bored, and I think I'm paying for it.

Anyway here are beautiful pics of my black, blue and green ankle

From Foot

From Foot