Early Christmas Present

So after all the stress that October brought (testing, apps, exams, school, work, life, ect.) I decided a while back that I would save up and treat myself to something nice after everything blew over.

A few weeks ago, my iPod decided that it didn't want to function anymore, though for the past year it has been randomly deleting all of its contents, faking deaths, and being problematic in general.  So for these last few weeks, all of my bus rides and walks have been silent (except for environmental noise, of course) and a bit peaceful at times. This was nice for a while, until I started to miss my music.

I had been eyeing the iPod Touch for a while now. It was cool when it came out, but it seemed like overkill since I thought I only needed my music and had no plans to play videos or use apps. In September when the new iPod lineup was released, the Nano caught my attention, and I was almost set on buying it had I had the money at the time. In the back of my mind I was also considering the Classic too, as the gb/price ratio was the greatest and the screen size was nice. By the end of September I had enough for whatever iPod I wanted, but I was completely undecided. Also, if I had purchased an iPod at that time, I would've almost completely depleted my account, which is no fun...I like having money.

In these last few weeks I fell in love with the iPod Touch. Not only the thin, sleek, multitouch, speaker-having, wifi capable, big, shiny screen goodness, but the apps! I don't know why I completely overlooked them when it first came out, but now I have a laundry list of apps I'd like to download or purchase as soon as I get my Touch. Speaking of getting my Touch, I'm getting an iPod Touch! I realized that the only reason I hadn't purchased it two weeks ago when I officially decided I was going with the Touch was that I was a cheapo. I wanted to hold on to my money for as long as possible. Why? I don't know. I think I was just a bit skeptical about making my first large purchase and parting with the money that I had labored (pfft!) for.

So tonight, I did it. I ordered my 16GB iPod Touch 2G. It went pretty smoothly until payment. "Authorization cannot be completed. Action Required!" WHAT?! I was more than sure that I had enough money and that I had certainly not surpassed my limit. Try again, same answer.  I call my bank and apparently they had put a block on my account for making too many Internet purchases, which flags my card for suspicious activitiy. I think the security measures are great (I went through a dozen questions to get to the point) but it might've been embarrasing had I been in a store or needed to do something quickly. I spoke to 3 robots and 2 different operators, but they were all pleasant and it was all cleared up within 15 minutes. I simply reprocessed my order and my iPod should be shipping soon, arriving between Nov. 7-12! I'm excited!

I still need a few accessories for it though **hint hint** stocking stuffers?

My Ears are Happy

People have been raving about Pandora for a while now. I brushed it off when I first heard about it a while back, as I was satisfied with my current internet radio solution, Deezer, until content started getting blocked to the point where I could only listen to very few songs. So yesterday, I decided to give this Pandora thing a shot. Within minutes I had set up stations featuring my favorite artists and similar artists. Also, within an hour of listening, I discovered a lot of new music that I actually enjoyed in addition to some old favorites that I hadn't heard in a while.

So today, when I logged back on, I wondered what made this music service so much more awesome than all the rest. A few clicks away and I come across info on the Music Genome Project, which basically has focused on extensively categorizing music since 2000. That's what makes Pandora awesomer. I've mixed a few of my favorites together, so now I have this set of awesome music that I can listen to without skipping so often. It's actually better than randomizing my own music on iTunes.

Yeah, I'm sure I sound like they're paying me to advertise, but they're not, and it truly is a great service. I was able to make my ears happy, so quickly, so effortlessly.

Now back to Physics...I'm trying to be a good FLVS student and get back on pace (I've never really been on pace lol, I'm ahead in AP Calc though!).

Back to the Ol' Grind

School starts back up again tomorrow for the 2nd semester. With a 5.5-day weekend after exams, it felt like an actual break, like Spring Break (essentially, this is only 3 days shorter). With the beginning of the new semester comes new classes. It'll probably feel like the first day of school all over again, which is cool -- until all of the work sets in. I found myself looking for my keys, finding the charger for my iPod and cell phone, packing my backpack, resetting my alarm, and suddenly realizing woah, school starts tomorrow! It's amazing how we can do things without noticing why we're doing them, like thinking about The Game without realizing that you have just lost the game. Back to school stuff, I'm ready for a change. Hopefully the robotics competitions sprinkled throughout the Spring will break up some of the monotony of my school year. Here's what I have to face for tomorrow (and the rest of the year):

1. Multimedia Tech (really taking Physics online instead)
2. AP English Language & Composition
3. Research V/VI (Robotics V/VI)
4. AP US History

I did the welcome call and was activated in my Physics class with FLVS today. Though I'm still a little bummed about not being able to take AP Physics, this class will be a breeze.

I've been behind on new music for quite some time. Daft Punk released Alive 2007 a few months ago, and I had no idea until about a week ago. It's awesome, and I'm using the rest of my iTunes gift cards to buy it. Sucks that I have to upgrade to 7.6 to download anything now, there's always buggy stuff with the latest versions. Gorillaz also recently released D-Sides on iTunes, which I discovered the same day I saw the new Daft Punk stuff. There's some amazing stuff on there that I've been listening to on Deezer. Lenny Kravitz also has a new album coming out in a few weeks. If Prince releases something soon too, I'll die of an amazing musical overload. Too bad I only have $0.78 left in my iTunes account now...

I was hoping to get to bed by 11 tonight so that I'd get six hours of sleep, but it doesn't look like that's happening. I'll shoot for 12...

EDIT: iTunes doesn't want me to have this album. First it tells me I must update to the latest version, then I had to restart my computer. I try to purchase the album again, it tells me I need to reread the license agreement, fine. "Please re-try your purchase". Okay, whatever, retrying... Download starts... "iTunes cannot connect, please check your network connection"...My connection is fine... Downloads resume... So much for 1-click downloading.

Coast.........

♫And the way he rolled, just a rebel in the world with no place to go...♪

So at some point in 2006, I missed out on the whole Lupe Fiasco thing. He's got some pretty amazing stuff. I don't know what exactly has attracted me to his music, but I like it. It seems a little different from everything else. Kick, Push is probably a new favorite of mine now. I could take these lyrics and somehow metaphorically apply it to whatever may be on my mind now, but I think for once I'll pass on the over-thinking. At least not at 1:45 am.

I've been thinking for the past few days that I would start writing again, perhaps carry around a notebook to jot down all of my thoughts during the day. I think it will help me spice up my MITES essays and unleash a little creativity in my responses. I've tried to write stories for fun in the past few months, but they've all sucked. If I just write down every idea that comes to mind, I should be able to come up with something interesting eventually. I'll probably create another blog under this account for some of the material that I choose to share. Maybe I'll dig up some old stuff to sprinkle in with the new. Maybe I'll start writing a story in mini-installments. Maybe I'll actually do something that I say I'll do. Starting with the journal -- going into my bookbag right now.

OMFG!

MY IPOD JUST COMPLETELY ERASED EVERYTHING OFF OF ITSELF. IT FROZE, AND WHEN I GOT IT BACK ON EVERYTHING WAS GONE! WHAT THE FUCK, APPLE!?

No music tomorrow. How will I ever survive on the bus?

edit: I tried all of my skillz to resurrect it, but there is no hope. The first time it looked like it would start reloading songs again, but then it froze and did the same thing that it did a few minutes ago. The second time it started to sync, then refused to sync anything, and when I turned it on, it was completely empty again. For some reason, when I unplugged it, the case was really hot and I couldn't turn it off immediately. It's gone. No music.

Sugar High

Looking at the back of this Wild Cherry Lifesavers Hard Candy package, the Nutrition Facts state that the suggested serving size is four pieces. I might have surpassed that value by a few. There is still more than 3/4 of the bag left though. Regardless of how many are left, I think it's time to stop, I'm getting antsy and jittery.

...shouldn't have drank so much Sweet Tea. (but it's sooooo good)

It's that time of year again...the last weekend of summer and two days before school starts. Normally, I would be really excited, as I have been for the past 10 years around this time of year. Unfortunately, I have been plagued with a dose of reality. These days preceding the first day aren't so anxious anymore. It's time to get it over with. 2 years left. I just hope my schedule isn't terribly fucked up again. Hmmpf, two years at Dillard have surely made me quiet jaded.

Let's see how excited I am for the first day:
Will I go to sleep early on Sunday night? No.
Will I put more than a single folder, eight sheets of paper, and a pen in my backpack? No.
Will Monday be a worthwhile and eventful day? Probably not, who knows what Dillard will bring.
Do I think that I will learn much/anything on Monday? Nope.
Is Monday still going to be hectic? Yup!

Contrary to the general pessimistic overtone in this post, I am indeed excited for AP English Language and Composition...maybe not for the workload. 4 AP classes. WOAH what was I thinking. Luckily, unlike the rest of my Dillard peers, I'm on a journey to becoming a Master Student; I can handle this...cuz Dr. Tinsley said so! I do actually plan on using a planner/organizer this year though. It has proven to be a successful tool this summer. Maybe I'll take time to use it and it'll actually help? Who knows.

Even though this year has suffered from a mild and watered-down back-to-school rush, partially due to my lack of interest and me being away, I still get to go shopping! It wouldn't be the first day of school without new clothes, right? New York & Company coincidentally had a fabulous sale this weekend. 2 pairs of jeans and 2 shirts for me. I've already got the new Pumas from Pittsburgh - a few more shirts to complete the week and I'm happy. Well I'll still be happy in any event because I love the jeans that I got today.

I am really enjoying having my laptop back. More so my music collection. I just made the most amazing playlist of all of my favorite songs and I've played it nonstop so far. For the past 6 weeks I could only listen to my music through headphones, though now it feels great to hear the sound that fills the whole room. I still don't like blasting music super loud though. Never understood that.

Oh no, hiccups!

Sunday, July 15, 2007 - Relaxing Sunday

I feel just as the title says. This song by The Postal Service perfectly describes how I feel today. It's one of my favorites.

♫ Don't wake me I plan on sleeping. Don't wake me I plan on sleeping in. Don't wake me I plan on sleeping. Don't wake me I plan on sleeping in. Again last night I had that strange dream, where everything was exactly how it seemed... ♪

I went to sleep at like 4:30am and woke up around 1:30pm today. It was nice to sleep without being interrupted by construction trucks, vacuums from the cleaning service, and alarm clocks.

I think I will leave today to be a relaxing day. I might take a little ride to Lucci's pizza in Squirrel Hill later, but otherwise I think that I'll spend the day inside doing some Cog and getting an early start on Physics.

It seems to become more and more common that comedies aren't really funny anymore. Maybe I have just changed my perception, but doesn't it seem like the when you go to see a comedy film, the only funny parts are the ones shown in the commercial? License to Wed was like that. Every scene with Robin Williams was, of course, hilarious. Otherwise, I could have taken a nap in between. I actually did for about 5 minutes. And then I woke up and was like "Woah! How did they get to Jamaica?!"

The Waterfront is quite a mall/plaza/shopping center. I finally bought How To Read Literature Like A Professor from Barnes & Noble in preparation for AP English Lang next year. I love Barnes & Noble. It is such an amazing store. I can't say that about all bookstores though, it is just BN. Every time you go in, no matter what location, the smell of billions of pages of literature mixed with the aromas from the coffee shop just captures you. I wish I had time to just go in there and read all the books that I desire. I wish I had time to read all of the books that I buy from there, lol. B & N giftcards for Christmas, anyone?

On another note, I need to go out and buy some more cherry Lifesavers. They make me happy!

8:30pm:
Just got back from Squirrel Hill. It's a nice little district. I may go back later on this week.

Lucci's was great again. Turns out that they have a $4.99 Wednesday Spaghetti special which includes a pasta dish, salad, and bread. And it is not only eat-in. Carry-out, delivery, and campusfood.com too! That is a much better deal than anything that I can find around here. You can get something like that at the Underground at Morewood for like $7.50. And I bet it tastes GOOD! I know where I'll be eating Wednesday. One major thing that I noticed while out and about today is that Pittsburghers are rude. No one seems happy here. Everyone looks so mean when walking down the street, and if they don't, then they aren't from here. I suppose that is big city mentality.

I went to the Giant Eagle across the street afterwards and got a few snacks and a half-case of water. I realized a few days ago that I haven't been drinking any water at all for the past 2 weeks. Maybe only once. So I got some. They didn't have any cherry Lifesaver packages, so I had to settle for the 5-flavor package. I love the color orange, oranges, and orange juice, but hate orange lifesavers. The smell of the produce section reminded me of what produce sections used to smell like. Giant Eagle is a cool little supermarket.

One more thing to get accustomed to is the bus system. All that I know now is that the 59U and the 61C go to the Waterfront, passing Squirrel Hill on the way, and that the 64A picks up from the waterfront but DOES NOT go back to Carnegie Mellon. Some drivers want you to "pay" when you get off, others want you to "pay" when you get on. It is confusing! If I show my card early, they yell to "PAY WHEN YOU GET OFF" but other times, if I don't show it before boarding, they say "AND YOUR PASS IS WHERE?!" Sheesh, soooorrry! I know how to solve it. Just get all of the buses equipped with RFID, so if you aren't really "paying" then the bus will know, and if your are paying with cash, then you can just do so. Or a smaller step could be to make all of the passes swipe-able. But all the drivers do say "Have a nice day/afternoon/evening!" when each person gets off. Also, in order for the bus to stop, you have to be standing on the street when the bus comes, or else it will pass you by. I can't even count how many people buses have whizzed by this weekend. I like riding the bus here though, it feels different that doing so at home.