Category: School

Stress and coping

January 4th, 2009 · · Family, Jaycees, School, Technology No comments - Tags: , , , , , ,

As you all know (or should by now) I have 2.5 jobs, attend school full time, play a major part in the local Jaycees chapter, and still maintain some semblance of a family. I have to say that everything together was just becoming too much. While I am still very busy, I have cut way down on my level of involvement in the Jaycees.

Over the past 3 years I have loved and hated my time with the Jaycees and everyone involved. Unfortunately at this time in my life something had to go, and as much as they have helped me grow and make community contacts, they are a volunteer organization. I enjoy giving of myself, but sometimes you have to realize your limits and step back as I have done.

Working at Ecodigital is still awesome and teaches me how to better support IS every day, not to mention it pays. 🙂 The gas station isn’t bad. My co-workers are all great, and the customers are usually regulars and quite nice themselves. Fixing PCs helps me learn more, and gain some extra cash too (albeit very little). School is soooooo very close to being done for now, I can taste the parchment.

I think that with the slight stress reduction I can continue working 2 jobs, finish school, and still enjoy time with my great family. Those of you who have been emailing support, thank you very much. It means more than you know to hear that people other than family and super close friends care about me and how things are going.

And so it begins

January 1st, 2009 · · Family, Mount Vernon, School One comment - Tags: , , , , , , , ,

Another new year has begun.  The kids had a wild night of pizza and soda and watching the ball drop in New York. Simone was here, and all 3 of them had a blast partying it up and acting completely foolish. Between the three of them, they used every plate and glass we had in the house for some reason. It still amazes me how they can need a new glass every time they have a drink, but somehow they do.

Emily was in charge of the circus until I got home from work at 10:30. From there I managed the menagerie up until the ball dropped and the kids got to break out their ‘sparkling apple cider’. They even did a ‘toast’ to the new year. It was pretty cute to watch, I have to say.

Emily slept in until 1 this afternoon. She has to work tonight, as do I, and I’m not sure how much sleep she’ll get tomorrow since I will be working at Ecodigital. Better to get some extra today than do without. When mom’s tired and poopy, everyone suffers. 🙂

Personally, I’m looking forward to finishing my final semester and finally having a degree as an IT Dork. The degree is technically IT Specialist, but it covers so much area that I wish it was more descriptive. Hopefully I will finish my degree with a pay increase and/or a change in employment status. Part-time isn’t paying the bills, hence 2.5 jobs on top of home and school. Yeah, that’s me whining a bit.

For those of you reading my junk, I hope the new year has found you well and leaves you better. For friends and family, I wish nothing but the best for you as well. (Oh, and if you win the lottery, don’t forget me. I won’t forget you.)

No Walgreens’ Computer Room for me

December 8th, 2008 · · Illinois, Mount Vernon, School, Technology 4 comments - Tags: , , , , , ,

Most of you know that I recently interviewed for a position within the Walgreens’ DC Computer Room. I have been waiting for about 3 weeks to hear if I was selected or passed. Normally, Walgreens will send out the infamous ‘Thanks, but no thanks’ postcard, and I hadn’t received one so I was hopeful.

This afternoon I received a call from the lady who was part of my interview team. At that point my heart lept. In my experience, calls were reserved for offers and the postcard of doom was sent to those not chosen.

I was wrong. In this case they were nice enough to call me and let me know that I was not selected for the position.

As much as I hoped for the position, I can say I am still happy that I will be able to finish my degree this spring and find another position. If I had been hired by Walgreens, I probably would have been locked into that employment for some time given the current economic climate and incompatability of their schedule with the classes offered at RLC.

Needless to say, it has been a tough day with finals throughout, and then not getting the position. I feel that we will carry on and survive through it all though.

In case anyone misread what I have written here, I really am thankful for a phonecall instead of the postcard-of-doom. It’s nice that they were able to give me a courtesy call rather than a cold postcard. For that, I say thank you.

Time to bunker down for my hardest semester yet…

SQL is annoying

September 8th, 2008 · · Illinois, School, Technology No comments - Tags: , , , , ,

Walk into class today with Windows Server 2003 setup and ready to go. Now I just install SQL Server 2005 right? (buzzer)

No, now I have to update my server before SQL will work. Unfortunately, the school throttles down their connection speed so badly that SP2 is not even showing progress at the time I write this entry.

How on earth are we supposed to install/learn on our VMs when M$ doesn’t even ship products that are ready to use in class? It would make sense in my opinion for them to ship prepared products.

But what do I know? I’m just a student.

Wednesday Show 2008-07-14

July 14th, 2008 · · Legislation, Podcast, School, Technology No comments - Tags: , , , , , , , , ,

A slow Wednesday show where Kevin and I cover a wiiiiiiiiide range of topics.

Surprisingly, our shirts got delivered whilst recording.