Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Sunday, November 15, 2009
insomnia = $@$#%&#!!!!
for the past week, i haven't been able to get a good night's sleep. i think, early on, it had to do with my cold/coughing. i figured out that lying down put pressure on my chest which made me cough like crazy. i had to resort to sleeping in my (semi) comfy chair, with my legs propped up on my desk chair and a blanket over me. it worked decently, but i'd wake up in the morning feeling sore and cold. but last night, i wasn't even coughing (much), and i tossed and turned until i ended up drifting away to sleep past 5 am (!). i think my body ended up adjusting to my new sleeping habits and refused to fall asleep.
that's why im up this late, writing this blog entry. kind of scared to go to bed. but i also realize i have to get my body back on a remotely "normal" schedule somehow, so i guess i have to try again tonight.
somebody read me a bed time story and sing me a lullaby.
that's why im up this late, writing this blog entry. kind of scared to go to bed. but i also realize i have to get my body back on a remotely "normal" schedule somehow, so i guess i have to try again tonight.
somebody read me a bed time story and sing me a lullaby.
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Friday, November 6, 2009
bleh
i had the worst fever i've ever had in my life last night. woke up at 4ish and couldn't fall back asleep cuz my feet and hands were ice cold but the rest of me was burning up. felt like i had to throw up but didn't want to so i was nauseous all night too. woke up this morning shivering and soaked with sweat. skipped two of my classes, went to student health, bought a thermometer and some lozenges, took four separate, hour long naps throughout the day, went to a 3 hour long orchestra rehearsal, came back and watched the office.
it was a rough day. i'm feeling better now though. thank god for tylenol ultra strength.
it was a rough day. i'm feeling better now though. thank god for tylenol ultra strength.
Monday, November 2, 2009
halloween weekend
1. friday, i went to kings dominion again. we were successful this time. we took a pretty big group too; thirteen people in all. they were open from 7 pm to 12 am for their annual "Halloween Haunt" festivities. basically, they transform certain areas of the park into "scare zones" by placing fog machines, scary decor, and creepy actors dressed up as zombies, ghouls, etc. to scare park guests. they also transform various attractions (bumper cars, arcade, certain rides' queue lines) into themed haunted houses/mazes. the one we visited was meant to look like a back hills' slaughter house with deranged zombie butchers wielding butchers' knives and chainsaws. it was mildly amusing. i even got startled at one point, when at the very end, right before the exit, a guy jumped out with a fake chainsaw. i almost took a swing at him. and, of course, most of the rides were open as well.
on the way there, i realized i hadn't been in over 2 years. i guess absence makes the heart grow fonder, because i started to get really excited (like a little kid). i should mention that that park has a special place in my heart. when i was thirteen, i had a really bad fear of roller coasters. i decline to use the word phobia because that has a pathological connotation. i can't blame it on being some kind of medical issue. i was just a wimp. i was always the kid who waited outside the ride exit and watched everyone else's stuff while they enjoyed themselves.
sometime during 8th grade, i decided i had enough. girls started to make fun of me (btw, for any 8th grade girls out there who may be reading this, not cool). around this time, i was also really into the game "roller coaster tycoon" for those of you who don't know, its kind of like sim city, but with amusement parks. yes, i realize that its kind of like being really into mario brothers despite having an irrational fear of italian plumbers, but i was a weird kid. anyway, i guess my interest in the game piqued my interest for the real thing, so i decided one day that i would conquer my fear once and for all.
i invited a friend from school, asked my dad to drive us, and went down to kings dominion that saturday. when we got there, i immediately noticed the size of the coasters. looking at animated depictions of roller coasters on a 17 inch computer monitor cannot do them justice. the second thing i noticed were how loud they were. (a small aside, i also kind of don't like loud noises. another topic for another post. stay tuned) just as i started to doubt the whole thing and run back to the car however, i was pulled by my dad and friend into the line for "the grizzly." my friend was actually really cool about the whole thing. i had told him previously about my fear and my goal, and he totally understood that we would play it slow that day. he was very encouraging and didn't tease me at all. the same thing goes for my dad (who i took my first ride with.) yes, there is nothing like having your dad next to you to calm your nerves. anyway, the car pulled up to the station, we got in, buckled our seat belts and heard "all clear." i was shaking as the train rolled up out of the station, onto the first hill. i guess my dad noticed, because he grabbed on to me tightly and told me the best way to get rid of the anxiety was to scream on the way down. that helped. as we crested the hill, with my heart pounding out of my chest, i let out the most terrified, primal, relieving screams of my life. as soon as i got my wits about me, i realized i was enjoying myself. needless to say, it was one of the greatest moments of my young life. overcoming a fear and enjoying yourself while doing so. i still remember the look on my dad's face as i told him that it was fun. i enjoyed it so much that we rode every single other coaster in the park that day. since then, i've been a roller coaster fiend. i cannot get enough. ask my family. i consider a family vacation to be a waste if we havent been to at least one amusement park during the week.
so, on friday, as i rode some of my old favorites, all of those happy memories came back to me. fun times.
2. for halloween, i actually didn't have a costume planned until 6 pm that evening. our football team had just lost to duke (leaving us with a dismal 3-5 record), so i decided to dress up as al groh, the head coach, and wear a sign on my back saying "I NEED A JOB" (cuz he sure as hell isnt staying here one more season). here's a side by side comparison.
pretty good, no? i got a couple death threats from people that night, but as soon as i showed them my back, they got it and laughed. the only bad thing about the night was that it started raining pretty heavily later that evening.
other things i noticed.
1. where the wild things are was a very popular theme. i saw at least 2 max's and a couple 'wild things'
2. sometimes simple = best. 6 guys dressed up as tetris blocks during the football game and one by one descended the "hill" (an all grass student seating area) until they all stacked together at the bottom. i think they won a 100 dollar prize or something.
3. its best to stay in, at small gatherings during halloween. bars/clubs were packed. literally, i could not move because people were so close together.
4. dressing slutty and then calling it "cute" doesnt change the fact that you look like a ho. also, if your tube top says 3XL, try another costume. just because they make it doesnt mean you should wear it. you don't see oprah wearing spandex do you? i hope you all get swine flu.
all in all, an enjoyable weekend.
on the way there, i realized i hadn't been in over 2 years. i guess absence makes the heart grow fonder, because i started to get really excited (like a little kid). i should mention that that park has a special place in my heart. when i was thirteen, i had a really bad fear of roller coasters. i decline to use the word phobia because that has a pathological connotation. i can't blame it on being some kind of medical issue. i was just a wimp. i was always the kid who waited outside the ride exit and watched everyone else's stuff while they enjoyed themselves.
sometime during 8th grade, i decided i had enough. girls started to make fun of me (btw, for any 8th grade girls out there who may be reading this, not cool). around this time, i was also really into the game "roller coaster tycoon" for those of you who don't know, its kind of like sim city, but with amusement parks. yes, i realize that its kind of like being really into mario brothers despite having an irrational fear of italian plumbers, but i was a weird kid. anyway, i guess my interest in the game piqued my interest for the real thing, so i decided one day that i would conquer my fear once and for all.
i invited a friend from school, asked my dad to drive us, and went down to kings dominion that saturday. when we got there, i immediately noticed the size of the coasters. looking at animated depictions of roller coasters on a 17 inch computer monitor cannot do them justice. the second thing i noticed were how loud they were. (a small aside, i also kind of don't like loud noises. another topic for another post. stay tuned) just as i started to doubt the whole thing and run back to the car however, i was pulled by my dad and friend into the line for "the grizzly." my friend was actually really cool about the whole thing. i had told him previously about my fear and my goal, and he totally understood that we would play it slow that day. he was very encouraging and didn't tease me at all. the same thing goes for my dad (who i took my first ride with.) yes, there is nothing like having your dad next to you to calm your nerves. anyway, the car pulled up to the station, we got in, buckled our seat belts and heard "all clear." i was shaking as the train rolled up out of the station, onto the first hill. i guess my dad noticed, because he grabbed on to me tightly and told me the best way to get rid of the anxiety was to scream on the way down. that helped. as we crested the hill, with my heart pounding out of my chest, i let out the most terrified, primal, relieving screams of my life. as soon as i got my wits about me, i realized i was enjoying myself. needless to say, it was one of the greatest moments of my young life. overcoming a fear and enjoying yourself while doing so. i still remember the look on my dad's face as i told him that it was fun. i enjoyed it so much that we rode every single other coaster in the park that day. since then, i've been a roller coaster fiend. i cannot get enough. ask my family. i consider a family vacation to be a waste if we havent been to at least one amusement park during the week.
so, on friday, as i rode some of my old favorites, all of those happy memories came back to me. fun times.
2. for halloween, i actually didn't have a costume planned until 6 pm that evening. our football team had just lost to duke (leaving us with a dismal 3-5 record), so i decided to dress up as al groh, the head coach, and wear a sign on my back saying "I NEED A JOB" (cuz he sure as hell isnt staying here one more season). here's a side by side comparison.
pretty good, no? i got a couple death threats from people that night, but as soon as i showed them my back, they got it and laughed. the only bad thing about the night was that it started raining pretty heavily later that evening.
other things i noticed.
1. where the wild things are was a very popular theme. i saw at least 2 max's and a couple 'wild things'
2. sometimes simple = best. 6 guys dressed up as tetris blocks during the football game and one by one descended the "hill" (an all grass student seating area) until they all stacked together at the bottom. i think they won a 100 dollar prize or something.
3. its best to stay in, at small gatherings during halloween. bars/clubs were packed. literally, i could not move because people were so close together.
4. dressing slutty and then calling it "cute" doesnt change the fact that you look like a ho. also, if your tube top says 3XL, try another costume. just because they make it doesnt mean you should wear it. you don't see oprah wearing spandex do you? i hope you all get swine flu.
all in all, an enjoyable weekend.
Thursday, October 29, 2009
the real thing
went to the job fair yesterday. got a buncha stuff: cupholders, cellphone holsters, pens, staplers, thumb drive, tons of brochures, and an interview. :)
i guess most companies don't give out interviews at job fairs. the fairly standard response i got was, "go to our website and fill out an application." which left me wondering , "why did i come here if i could have just stayed at home, on the computer, in comfortable clothing no less." what's the point of sending recruiters to college campuses all across the country if they just give out information i can easily find on your company's website ? (besides all the free goodies they give out)
but i guess the census bureau is really actively looking for people because about 5 mins into our conversation, the recruiter told me to sign up for a preliminary interview with him the next day (today). so, around 10 this morning, i trekked all the way across grounds to the stadium (they hold interviews in the private boxes) and talked with him for a good 45 mins. he told me some stuff about the bureau and asked me some general questions (what makes a good leader etc) and i feel like we hit it off pretty well. we even had an in depth conversation about the future of dc sports teams (prognosis? good things coming for everything except football.) he said i'd be a perfect fit for the bureau and that he'd actively shop my name around the office whenever employment issues come up. on top of that, jenny kim from church (who also works there and got me interested in the first place) is trying to get my name "out there" as well.
so i feel like my chances of getting contacted are pretty decent. its not a 100% guarantee, but because i'm graduating in december and (hopefully) firmly expressed my desire to work there, i think i have a shot.
in the mean time, i'm gonna be filling out more applications just in case i don't hear back.
the downside of today was 1. i had to walk around all day in a suit. 2. i was late to a class b/c of the interview 3. i had a test that may or may not have gone well.
but hopefully, if all works out in the end, it will have been worth it.
i guess most companies don't give out interviews at job fairs. the fairly standard response i got was, "go to our website and fill out an application." which left me wondering , "why did i come here if i could have just stayed at home, on the computer, in comfortable clothing no less." what's the point of sending recruiters to college campuses all across the country if they just give out information i can easily find on your company's website ? (besides all the free goodies they give out)
but i guess the census bureau is really actively looking for people because about 5 mins into our conversation, the recruiter told me to sign up for a preliminary interview with him the next day (today). so, around 10 this morning, i trekked all the way across grounds to the stadium (they hold interviews in the private boxes) and talked with him for a good 45 mins. he told me some stuff about the bureau and asked me some general questions (what makes a good leader etc) and i feel like we hit it off pretty well. we even had an in depth conversation about the future of dc sports teams (prognosis? good things coming for everything except football.) he said i'd be a perfect fit for the bureau and that he'd actively shop my name around the office whenever employment issues come up. on top of that, jenny kim from church (who also works there and got me interested in the first place) is trying to get my name "out there" as well.
so i feel like my chances of getting contacted are pretty decent. its not a 100% guarantee, but because i'm graduating in december and (hopefully) firmly expressed my desire to work there, i think i have a shot.
in the mean time, i'm gonna be filling out more applications just in case i don't hear back.
the downside of today was 1. i had to walk around all day in a suit. 2. i was late to a class b/c of the interview 3. i had a test that may or may not have gone well.
but hopefully, if all works out in the end, it will have been worth it.
Thursday, October 22, 2009
embarrassing
i know i already posted it on facebook, but i thought i'd elaborate...
this story starts yesterday, as i was sitting in my very dry econ lecture, pondering my future. the teacher was talking about how people forgo wages right after high school and pay to go to college, all to receive an expected higher wage in the future (labor economics 101). this got me thinking whether this idea will actually come true for me. my mind started thinking about how i haven't gotten any interviews yet, and how i will probably have to do some sort of menial labor for the next 30 years because the universe hates me and i hate my major. needless to say it was a depressing sort of day.
fast forward to later that afternoon. i returned home, not completely out of my existential funk, and was pleasantly surprised to find an email about a career fair sitting in my inbox. i opened it up, expecting to find that it only applied to engineers, or anthropology majors, or anything that would disqualify me from attending, but lo and behold, all majors were welcome, and tons of employers would be there. i then got an email from my econ professor about how the census bureau was actively hiring students with econ backgrounds. till this point, i had hoped to find a government job. not exactly great pay, but good benefits and good job security. furthermore, i checked the list of employers who would be at the fair, and the census bureau (as well as many other fine agencies and firms) was on the list. it had to be a sign. at this point i was ecstatic, pumping myself up, printing out resumes, practicing personal statements, researching firms, you name it. i was motivated.
fast forward to this morning. after a good nights rest (dreaming about my now secure future), i got out my new suit, put on a freshly starched shirt, and fussed over my tie (thanks flo).
my mind was racing at this point. actual train of thought:
"should i take a notebook? do i need my backpack? whats the point of wearing this nice suit if i just mess up the professional image by wearing a backpack? ok i wont wear it. but what if i get free stuff from the fair, where will i put it? i definitely need my resumes though, dont forget those. where are my keys? did i brush my teeth?" etc.
finally, after checking myself twice in the bathroom mirror, i got out the door (god forbid i walked in there with a tag still on my suit). i usually dont drive to grounds, but today was special so i parked in the parking garage and walked in, ready to face my destiny. as i was walking up the stairs to the ballroom however, i noticed something kind of odd. i didn't seem to hear any sort of commotion or crowd noise that one usually expects when walking into a crowded career fair. i shrugged it off, thinking the doors were probably closed or no one had shown up yet. yet when i reached the floor on which the fair was to be held, i noticed it was way too quiet. sure enough, i opened the door to the ballroom and peeked inside. NOBODY. i kept thinking to myself, "calm down, they probably just moved the location." completely unwilling to face the obvious, i looked frantically for some sort of sign saying "dont worry, we moved to _____," or, "we're starting an hour later today" or, "congratulations, daniel! this is all a test, you win a million dollars for taking initiative." no such luck.
finally i asked the receptionist (who was eying me this entire time) why there wasn't a career fair going on. she checked the schedule and said "i dont think we have anything scheduled for today." i tried to convince her that i knew for a fact that a very important, potentially life changing career fair was supposed to be going on and maybe she had the wrong copy of the schedule. she finally agreed to let me use her computer. so, i logged back into gmail, only to find, to my horror, that the date on top of the email, in bold letters no less, said "October 27-28."
....................................
i quickly thanked the lady for her troubles (she had the worst "im trying so hard not to laugh right now" look on her face) and walked as quickly as i could back to my car, drove back to my apt, changed out of my itchy clothing, and ran back to campus just in time to make it to my 11 o clock class.
anyway. that was my day. i consider it a practice run for the real thing. come next week, i'll be a pro at this.
this story starts yesterday, as i was sitting in my very dry econ lecture, pondering my future. the teacher was talking about how people forgo wages right after high school and pay to go to college, all to receive an expected higher wage in the future (labor economics 101). this got me thinking whether this idea will actually come true for me. my mind started thinking about how i haven't gotten any interviews yet, and how i will probably have to do some sort of menial labor for the next 30 years because the universe hates me and i hate my major. needless to say it was a depressing sort of day.
fast forward to later that afternoon. i returned home, not completely out of my existential funk, and was pleasantly surprised to find an email about a career fair sitting in my inbox. i opened it up, expecting to find that it only applied to engineers, or anthropology majors, or anything that would disqualify me from attending, but lo and behold, all majors were welcome, and tons of employers would be there. i then got an email from my econ professor about how the census bureau was actively hiring students with econ backgrounds. till this point, i had hoped to find a government job. not exactly great pay, but good benefits and good job security. furthermore, i checked the list of employers who would be at the fair, and the census bureau (as well as many other fine agencies and firms) was on the list. it had to be a sign. at this point i was ecstatic, pumping myself up, printing out resumes, practicing personal statements, researching firms, you name it. i was motivated.
fast forward to this morning. after a good nights rest (dreaming about my now secure future), i got out my new suit, put on a freshly starched shirt, and fussed over my tie (thanks flo).
my mind was racing at this point. actual train of thought:
"should i take a notebook? do i need my backpack? whats the point of wearing this nice suit if i just mess up the professional image by wearing a backpack? ok i wont wear it. but what if i get free stuff from the fair, where will i put it? i definitely need my resumes though, dont forget those. where are my keys? did i brush my teeth?" etc.
finally, after checking myself twice in the bathroom mirror, i got out the door (god forbid i walked in there with a tag still on my suit). i usually dont drive to grounds, but today was special so i parked in the parking garage and walked in, ready to face my destiny. as i was walking up the stairs to the ballroom however, i noticed something kind of odd. i didn't seem to hear any sort of commotion or crowd noise that one usually expects when walking into a crowded career fair. i shrugged it off, thinking the doors were probably closed or no one had shown up yet. yet when i reached the floor on which the fair was to be held, i noticed it was way too quiet. sure enough, i opened the door to the ballroom and peeked inside. NOBODY. i kept thinking to myself, "calm down, they probably just moved the location." completely unwilling to face the obvious, i looked frantically for some sort of sign saying "dont worry, we moved to _____," or, "we're starting an hour later today" or, "congratulations, daniel! this is all a test, you win a million dollars for taking initiative." no such luck.
finally i asked the receptionist (who was eying me this entire time) why there wasn't a career fair going on. she checked the schedule and said "i dont think we have anything scheduled for today." i tried to convince her that i knew for a fact that a very important, potentially life changing career fair was supposed to be going on and maybe she had the wrong copy of the schedule. she finally agreed to let me use her computer. so, i logged back into gmail, only to find, to my horror, that the date on top of the email, in bold letters no less, said "October 27-28."
....................................
i quickly thanked the lady for her troubles (she had the worst "im trying so hard not to laugh right now" look on her face) and walked as quickly as i could back to my car, drove back to my apt, changed out of my itchy clothing, and ran back to campus just in time to make it to my 11 o clock class.
anyway. that was my day. i consider it a practice run for the real thing. come next week, i'll be a pro at this.
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