My iTunes account is finally organized the way I like it, but I managed to lose a play list based on this year's Dave Matthews Band concert at Starwood. I didn't go to the concert, nor have I ever been to anything above a "B" grade show -- unless you were a RiverStages fan. The title comes from perhaps my favorite song off his last album. The tune is sad, but they lyrics uplifting at the same time.
Music has provided a bit of escape from my own mind of late. I'm trying to maintain a bit of focus for the upcoming year, but sometimes I don't know in what direction I'm supposed to be looking. I set up a budget a few hours ago that, if adhered to, would have a surplus of a couple of hundred dollars a month. My schedule is blocked out for the entire semester (and most of next spring). Even so, I'm still having a hard time visualizing how a regular day is going to go. I was once better at that.
At least I'm not some freshman worried more about what he's going to wear on the first day of class than what he'll do when the semester's over. As for me, if you didn't like the T-shirt and jeans look the last three years, you won't like this semester either.
This afternoon (if I ever get to sleep), we're heading over to Greenfield to pick up the Mac's keyboard and mouse and a few CD's I've needed for a week or two now. I probably need to stop by the house to at least sweep up the floors a bit better than the last time I was over there. That entire project has been a logistical nightmare, and in hindsight I probably should have passed on it. I seem to have quit caring much about it, which only makes matters worse for getting it done. It's been a point of frustration all summer.
Speaking of computers, mine is slowly reaching the end of its useful lifespan. I picked it up in 2001 as part of a contract job I did to finance my first three years of college. However, I'm not the hardware enthusiast I once was (like the days when I worked in the office equipment superstore), so I'm not able to offer any advice to myself as far as how to proceed. For one, I'm broke. That limits my choices quite a bit. I won't be replacing this comptuer until at least mid-spring, but it is certainly on the agenda.
- Compaq Ev0 500
- Pentium 4 (1.6 GHz)
- 512 MB of RAM
- OEM Video Card (NVIDIA Vanta AGP/16 MB)
- On-board Intel Ethernet
- D-Link AirPlus PCI Wireless card
- OEM DVD-ROM Drive
- CD-RW Drive
- 17" Monitor
I know better than to think I can sell it, but I figured I'd post that rather than have to look all that information up later. Such a hassle to track down all the vitals on a Windows machine. In addition to that I've got a 486 Compaq Presario Laptop with 132 MB RAM sitting beside it. My mom says if I complain about it again, I'll end up with a 386 she dug out of a closet somewhere. So I'll just say I have no personal attachment to either of these machines at the moment.
Computer equipment is probably the last thing I need to be spending money on anyway. We've been doing the math and discovering that even our abbreviated time on student loans is still going to end up costing a pretty good chunk of change. I count my lucky stars it will only be a fraction of what the majority of UT Martin students leave college owing. Still, our attention has turned to job options and destinations. I suppose this marks the end of the carefree days of college. It was good while it lasted.
That said, we both need a vacation to somewhere that isn't here... soon.
This whole not being able to sleep thing is getting increasingly old. Last night I managed to pass out at 10 p.m., but woke right back up at 2:30 a.m. and couldn't get back to sleep. I desperately need a routine again. I'm feeling a bit out of touch with the schedule the rest of the world operates on. So many things are changing around me while I'm passed out from exhaustion.
I suppose it's just a pressing need to get back to the grind of academia. I keep having dreams about the newspaper (yes, that is disturbing), ranging from Watergate-esque news stories to having an entire front page print without the photos. I can say I have never screwed it up that royally, but that doesn't seem to stop my subconscious. Last time I was in there the filing cabinets were still pulled out in the middle of the floor, and the majority of the computers were strewn from one end of the office to the other. Ugh.
There's something horribly wrong with crawling into bed at 7 a.m.