Sometimes it Doesn’t Pay to Plan Ahead

Maybe it was all those times in elementary school when my mom made me walk back to get a forgotten book, but organizing and planning ahead has always been important to me.  I even plan out my work schedule.  Which is probably why my calendar for this month looks like this.

(I thought I should white out some parts with random numbers, because who knows what they are, but I kept the EEO part, because, it’s for everyone.)

My planning-ahead also extends to other aspects of my life, like my relationship.  Back in December, I found out that a band that both Matt and I like were coming to town, so I bought tickets (because I didn’t want them to run out – that has happened to me before, not due to lack of planning, but lack of being in the state – I was finishing my thesis) as a combined Christmas and birthday gift.  Well, several weeks later I found out that I would not be in town during aforesaid concert because of work.  I really did not want to pay that much for Matt to bring someone else so I had to buy the dang insurance and return them.

Fast forward a little bit to his birthday… I still hadn’t gotten him anything, since my original plan backfired, so I decided to order a model airplane that he wanted online.  I wasn’t sure how long it would take to get here so I ordered it like a month ahead of time.  In the meantime, Matt ordered the same thing on Ebay and got it right away.  I got pretty disappointed when I saw it and Matt could tell and thought I was mad at him, but I didn’t want to tell him what was wrong.  I figured I’d just get it in the mail and return it, again, for a refund.  But it had to be returned within 30 days of being shipped.  Well, I waited and waited but it wasn’t showing up.  Then one day I got a package from my mom and the dude in the office came back and said, “oh hey, it looks like you have two packages.”  And one was the plane.  Matt was with me at the time, so I told him about it, and he got really upset, saying that he was dumb and cost me money when I was just trying to do something nice.  But he told me it was probably better to hold onto it and try to sell it later rather than paying a bunch of shipping just to get like half my money back in the end.  So now I have a model airplane, in a box, just sitting around my apartment doing nothing.

From now on, I think that if I’m going to get Matt a gift, I’ll just give him money, or make something, like this card I made him for Valentine’s Day.

Or this little gift box I made for his birthday.

(I got the idea for this here, with my own little modifications, like attaching wrapping paper to greeting card stock to make it stronger and writing words that I thought described him in gold pen)

Yay planning ahead!

The Sugary Smell of Springtime

I don’t know about everywhere else in the world, but spring has sprung in Albuquerque, New Mexico.  Spring is my absolute favorite-est season.  Summer is fun and winter can be pretty, and F. Scott Fitzgerald said there’s something magical about the fall, but I looooove spring. 

For me, it started on Sunday evening.  I was ridiculously happy, giddy even.  Matt was in the kitchen calmly making dinner and I was bouncing around like a silly schoolgirl talking excitedly about how I was doing really well on the Albertson’s Monopoly game.  (I probably won’t win, but it’s fun to dream anyway) 

I think it was something in the air (or possibly something to do with the vodka I was drinking, but we’ll disregard that for now) because the birds were all excited too.  Matt and I went outside on the balcony to look at the mountains and just talk.  And I just felt really good, and really excited about the future, of my career (which I haven’t really been feeling much excitement about lately) and my life with Matt.

The only thing that made me sad was that Matt was not completely sharing in my happiness.  Our relationship is really good, and he constantly tells me how amazing and beautiful I am, and how I’m so different from his last girlfriend (who was apparently not a very nice person).  But I know he wishes things were better in other aspects of his life.  I won’t go into details because it’s not my business to talk about it, but everyone knows that the economy is not so great right now.  It’s been hard for him, and hard for me because I don’t really know how to help him other than to be there supporting him in whatever he decides to do. 

He tells me that’s all I really can do.  He says, “just be a good girlfriend, like you have been all along.”  So I guess that’s what I’ll do.  In any case, I received a text from him last night indicating things might be looking up, so I’m keeping my fingers crossed.

A Series of Fortunate Events

Something that I have come to love in recent times is having lots of quarters.  They are very useful when doing laundry and buying things from the vending machines at work.  Sadly, not too long ago, my once large quarter supply was depleted by an extreme amount of laundry that needed to be done.

One day I found myself in desperate need of a soda, only, to my dismay, to find these in my change purse:

CANADIAN QUARTERS!  As lovely as they are, and as much as I love Canada (some days I even wish I were Canadian), these quarters will just not do in U.S. vending and laundry machines.  Needless to say, I went without my soda that day.  And then this weekend I went without doing laundry due to a severe lack of quarters with George Washington’s face on them.

Yesterday I attempted to go to the bank to get myself a roll of quarters.  But when I got there, the bank was closed.  Apparently banks like to close right around the time most people get out of work.  Convenient.

BUT TODAY… something incredible happened.  Just before lunch I was sitting in my cubicle as usual when I overheard Jack (who is in the cubicle next to me) talking to someone on the phone about losing a dollar in the Pepsi machine.  I didn’t think too much of it and soon after I went downstairs to the break room to eat lunch.  I like to clean off my spoon before I use it, so I was doing that when I noticed quarters coming out of the vending machine…. all by themselves!

I thought the quarters might belong to Jack so I brought them upstairs and told him about what happened.  He said he didn’t feel right saying they were his so he let me keep them, saying, “I guess that’s a free soda, then.”  More like free laundry, I thought, and went on my merry way.

At this point I was just one quarter short of a load of laundry but I also had to refill my prescription at the pharmacy, so I went over there after work, bought my prescription and a few other things, and among my change was ONE QUARTER.  It was fate.

And that is why I am up right now writing this ridiculous, insignificant story.  Because I am waiting for my laundry.  I think it’s just about done.

An Observation

I just finished watching the first hour of American Idol.  I haven’t really been watching it at all this season, because I’ve been doing other stuff or haven’t really felt like it.  But I watched it tonight because I went to work out and couldn’t think of anything else that would be on and also keep my interest (The new 90210, which is on at the same time, kinda makes me annoyed, not that I really liked– or watched– the old version, but whatever).  So I watched it and it’s gotten REALLY LAME this year.  Everyone talks waaaaayyy too much.  They really don’t need to talk so much.  It’s not a talk show.  That’s why I didn’t like Brooke last year, because she would not shut up.  Ever.  And what’s up with Ryan talking to everyone’s parents?  There’s still about a bazillion contestants left, and I don’t particularly care what all their parents have to say.  (Personally, I don’t think Ryan does either.  Poor Ryan.)  And what else?  Oh yeah, and the singing kinda sucks.  Not that I could do any better, but I also don’t try out for singing competitions.

So that’s what I think about that, if anyone cares to know.  Maybe I’ll write about V-Day or some such nonsense tomorrow but now I am tired because I just lifted weights and it was hard.  So I think I’ll watch Nova.

Bye.

Joys and Perils in the 21st Century

When I’m at work, to pass the time while entering data all day, I enjoy listening to music.  Upon arriving I listen to my favorite morning show until 10 am.  Then this guy Ralphie comes on, who I don’t like because he’s boring and has an annoying voice.  (And if he plays that ridiculous new Offspring song one more time, I swear….)

Anyway, so after 10 am, I switch over to my ipod.  I find that I rarely listen to my own music outside of work hours because I either play with my internets and/or watch tv when I get home, and also because Matt and I sometimes have a difference of opinion of what music is good and what is not.  In general we like the same genres but occasionally I like to listen to some Ani Difranco, Dave Matthews, Kelly Clarkson, etc. Music that Matt would consider, well, not so great.  Whenever he doesn’t like something he makes a crazy noise with his mouth.  (He also likes to do it to annoy teenage girls at the grocery store).  It’s hard to describe in writing, so I’ll just show you.

It can be kind of funny when he does this unless it is in reference to me or something that I like.  So in order to avoid that happening and, subsequently, me getting mad at him, I just listen to my ipod at work.

However, something is amiss with my ipod.  Perhaps because (by today’s standards) it is old.  Or it may be that my computer, which is also (considered) old, has decided it no longer likes my ipod and won’t let it update from my itunes.  Every time I try to connect my ipod to the computer it says there is an error and won’t let me do anything with it.  Why is there an error?  I don’t understand.  I’m also not sure if it is a computer problem or an ipod problem, or both.  It’s annoying, but I probably won’t do anything about it, because I’m lazy.

It gets me thinking, though.  Why is it that things like the pyramids and hieroglyphics and other ancient artifacts have lasted so long but we can’t seem to keep a computer going for more than 5 years?

ancient artifacts, laptop computer and ipod, circa 2005 and 2007, respectively

If the ancient Egyptians were alive today, could they have come up with a computer with better longevity?  Even now, there are still things we can’t match in terms of their technology.  What did they know that we don’t?  Matt thinks it’s because they were aliens.  Maybe he’s right.

From Carol

The first Seven (7) people to respond to this post will get something made by me.
This offer does have some restrictions and limitations:

- I make no guarantees that you will like what I make.
- What I create will be just for you.
- It’ll be done this year (2009).
- You have no clue what it’s going to be. It may be a mix CD. It may be a poem. I may draw or paint something. I might bake you something and mail it to you. Who knows? Not you, that’s for sure!
- I reserve the right to do something extremely strange.

The catch? Oh, the catch is that you have to put this in your journal as well, if you expect me to do something for you!

Waldo Comes Back with a Vengeance

Ahh, Geographic Information Systems.  Ya gotta love it, and love to hate it.  It’s pretty much my entire life right now.  Every morning I go into work, and (after reading my email and the various blogs I’m addicted to) load up the GIS.  But mind you, this is not as simple as clicking a button.  Nooo waaaay.  In the government, things are always several times more complicated than necessary.

Recently, all of our GIS database information where we can add and edit data was moved to a central database in Kansas City.  Now, to access the data, we have to go to the Kansas website, enter our name and password, navigate to the GIS file (which is always where it opens first for me now that I’ve gone there so many times, making it somewhat easier), and open GIS (takes a while… during this time I generally twiddle my thumbs, send text messages, etc).

Then when GIS is open I have to add the data.  This requires going to another webpage and entering a different username and password (it’s amazing I can keep them all straight!). Generally I add the map of the Gila National Forest and the bazillions of sample points that go along with it.  What I end up with looks something like this:

The Gila's Burro Mountains, where I am currently editing data

Every single one of those little dots is connected to a site, transect or observation description, consisting of location, soil, and vegetation information, among other things.  How does the information get there, you may ask?  Well, I’ll tell you.  Maureen’s boss gives her a big binder full of papers from the 1970s and then she gets to copy all of the information on the papers into the computer!  I could explain how the information gets onto the paper in the first place but that is a summertime story (that I have partially gone into in previous field work posts).  It takes me about an hour to get through one of the site description sheets and then my boss comes back and tells me I did something wrong and have to go back through all of the descriptions I just did and make changes to them.  So it takes a while.

I’ve just gotten back to doing that work after last week when I spent quite a bit of time working on another GIS project, called learning how to use the TEUI toolkit.  The TEUI toolkit is basically an extension of the toolbox that is already in GIS (if you are familiar with that) but applies specifically to the work we are doing.  It is used as part of the beginning process of creating a field map, whereas the data entry stuff is more towards the end of the process.  Going through the toolkit reminded me a lot of the Where’s Waldo type lab activities I did in grad school.  I learned how to make pretty, colorful maps, like this:

In addition, I also did another fun computer activity: learning how to properly book a flight in our new travel authorization system, which is pretty much the most amazing thing ever invented (that is, according to the people who came up with it).  That took me ALL MORNING, with the help of two of my fellow officemates and then two other people in HR (because the first girl I talked to didn’t know what she was doing and got confused).  But my endeavors were successful and now I get to spend two weeks learning about dead things in nowhereville Arizona.  Hooray!  (Actually it’ll probably be fun and I will tell you about what I learned when I get back as one of my more science-y posts).

Well, now that you know what I do for my job, you could probably go in and do a better job at it than me.  But please don’t do that.  I spent quite a bit of time and money getting that silly dirt degree.