Still the 1st Week

"We judge ourselves by what we feel capable of doing, while others judge us by what we have already done." - Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

So I'm on this quest to figure out all the secrets of life. At least as far as I'll every be able to understand things. It of course just adds to my main goal of happiness, which I'm starting to see isn't as easy as just achieving, but something you need to maintain. So here is one of my secrets, those dorky nose strips. I bought them because I was getting over this cold and I noticed that I slept so much better. So now I have been using them each night and it is awesome. Now I just need to work on going to bed early, but no matter how tired I am, the hours of 12-2am are just too great for me to waste sleeping. I wish they would let loose the hold they have on me. Maybe it has to do with the fact that I really don't get going until midnight, I wish I could get going at 10pm or so and accept that the hours of 9pm and after are not mine and are for work.

So I'm standing in the hallway looking at all the book awards (best grade) trying to see if I recognize any of the names when Ralph and Jane come up behind me and start asking me if I am looking for my name and start making fun of me. I knew my name wouldn't be there, but I guess their comments of me imagining what it would be like to have my name there weren't too off base. I also found out that the girl that got the book award in the class I got an A in, is not only really smart she is also like 20, married and I guess finished college early. So, I won't worry too much about it. An interesting thing I noticed about the people who did very well is that at least 2 are athlethes. One girl used to run track for Miami and I know she still works out a lot even though I don't know if she competes still, but I'm sure she does. This other guy I would see at the gym all the time. This means that not only are they working hard, but they are also spending a lot of time working out, so I can't use that as an excuse as a tradeoff from grades...I probably should use it as a motivational thing. Who knows?

Wednesday morning I woke up early to go out for a run. I showered, drove over to the park and ran a big lap (looked like half a mile to me). Well I was hoping to run about 4 of those laps, but just one killed me. I was very tired. I then just ran sprints in order to not have a short workout. I am most proud that I was able to get up that early (8am). There was a miscommunication with Frank, so we both ended up at different parks. I don't yet know how motivating the buddy system will be, but I'm sure it should be helpful. The main problems now are keeping this up, adding the workout component and finally the need to fight taking a nap when I get home so that I can try to make normal sleep patterns. (This did not happen and I took a nap).

Wednesday after class, I took my truck to get washed. It very much needed one and I hate to drive around in a dirty car. I read something today about how guys are neat, but girls are clean. So even if a girl is messy, she is usually still clean and guys can be neat, but are usually still dirty (ie dust all over), though I guess as a guy you can be both messy and dirty.

Well I had an hour to kill so I dropped by a cafe in the vicinity, which was more like a diner. I had eaten lunch already so I wasn't hungry, but I ordered a coke and sat outside. There were like 2 or 3 old men inside at the bar and no one in the eating area, but it was during slow hours, so I hope they didn't mind me sitting outside (many tables and I was the only one out there). I sat there listening to my personal power, writing this entry and thinking about maybe studying. I got some of my briefs done, but I didn't get much reading done. I had many people comment on my doing work outside, but I never took the opportunity to foster conversation, mainly because I was distracted with the cds I was listening to. I need to become more friendly and bullshit more with people rather than just being quiet or short and plain. If you know me you know I can talk a lot (maybe too much at times), but to strangers, I'm not as talkative.

One guy who mentioned my working on law school stuff, I acknowledged, but did not really talk to. Little did I know I'd run into this guy again. He and his friends where also getting their truck washed. As I walked up to get my truck, I saw them talking to the man who worked there. Now let me give you some background, this is a small carwash that is pretty much just a car port with 3 guys that handwash your car. When I have gone in the past, it always costs 20 bucks and the man who runs it is about 50 years old and this day, he had two early 30 year old men working for him today. All 3 worked on each car. So I hear this one fucker ask how much it costs (after his truck was washed) and the man told him that it was 20 bucks. He said that he paid 10 bucks last time and would only pay 10 bucks. The man told him that 20 bucks was the price and that is what it cost. The law student then decides to be a legal dick and say that there is no sign that says 20 bucks and he won't pay 20 bucks unless there is a sign. I guess he is trying to use technical legal crap, but the car wash man tells him that he doesn't have to pay, but that he will take down his license plate number and call the police. Now I get pretty pissed off because these guys look like dicks, I mean these 3 guys worked hard on his car for at least an hour and a half. Now if you do the math for 90 mins of labor and have 20 bucks divided by 3 and you have about 5 bucks a piece, which doesn't include costs of the soap and overhead. Now you only want to pay them 10 bucks, you might as well fucking ask for them to wash it for free I think. I mean the cheapest you can get an automatic 5 min car wash is 6 bucks. I wanted to tell the guys they were being dicks, but I thought about it and it has his money and his deal, so I was going to stay out of it, but now I know their faces and they will forever be dicks in my book. I went up to the car wash man and paid my 20 bucks and gave him a 10 dollar tip. This was a guesture of good will considering the bullshit he was having to deal with with these other guys and for him to know that not everyone is a ass. I don't have a duty to be our brother's keeper, but I think its a good thing to keep in mind. Hopefully too he will remember me and put in that extra effort when I get my truck washed next time. I also noticed my front tire was low and got that fixed. I worry sometimes that I trust that my car is in good shape and don't do things like check my tire pressure or other things that could go wrong. I change my oil when I need to, keep it clean and gased, but that is all I tend to worry about. I am not one of those car guys, which I don't mind because I don't plan on working on my cars in the future.

So I mentioned that I have my writing TA class at 8am on Thursdays. Well I did my best to be up for it, but just like I feared, I overslept. I rushed to school, not taking my morning shower and arrived at 8:20am. First of all, that is awesome that I was able to do that. Well my class ended early (at 8:19 and it should have ended at 9am) and I showed up and it was only the TA in the room. I apologized and she let me sign in, the only reason I rushed over for. Let's hope next week I do better. I'd have to say that staying up until 2am last night probably did not help
things. They might change the class to another day or 8:30am. That would be nice I have to say.

Today I dropped by and picked up an application to attend summer school in Spain. I have to put $150 down, but I know I will get accepted and that feels great. I know there are a lot of great ways I can spend my summer, but I feel that I have to take advantage of this. The program ends on June 24th, so I will still have all of July to enjoy my summer and who knows maybe even work. I just need to get the paperwork done so that I can't put it off.
My internet has been down for the past few days. Yesterday my modem came in and I waited for it in the living room, but before the UPS guy showed up, I fell asleep. Hence, I didn't answer the door and he left it in the office. I picked it up today after class and now my internet if up and running again. Feels real good.

Let Lynn out, she will thank you.