Today is the one year anniversary of my starting this weblog. Taking a quick glance back at my very first entry evokes a serious case of deja vu.
It's funny to look back at that first entry and think about my hopes and dreams at the time, and what's become of my life since then...105 entries later.
Well, here's to another good year.
In Site News
Posted at 10:51 PM | Permanent link
Me, my Dad, and my Doggie:
In Matters that are otherwise worthwhile
Posted at 01:14 AM | Permanent link
I wanted to comment a bit on graduation this past weekend before moving on for good. Unfortunately I'm far too tired for perfect grammar or flowing prose...or even...let's face it - general coherency. But I really wanted to get something down while this is all still fresh in my mind.
I was really glad that I went back last weekend. It was so nice to see the familiar smiles and places. However, at the same time it was pretty sad - much more so than when I left in January. This time around things just had a much stronger feeling of finality - in large part because (most) everyone else is moving on this time as well, but also I think in part because I've already had a taste of what the real world is like and heading back for that brief moment brought back so many memories of the past four years and what I've already left behind. On Monday afternoon, I had a chance to take one last walk across campus, as I had done so many times before, and as I did the memories just came flooding back. It occurred to me that I might want to put down some notes. Right now this is mostly for me, but if you want to read it, it's here, and maybe someday I'll go back and flesh it out.
College in a nutshell:
Freshman Year
I remember Angelie stopping by our suite that first night in Michelson Freshman year. Bizarrely enough, I ran into her this past weekend out of the blue - she's in her second to last year of med school now...wow.
My very first class - M2 with Weiss.
Hanging out in suite 420 with Tim. Naveen, crazy Luke....
Rushing Phi Tau that year. Joining the fraternity, taking that volleyball trip to Wittenberg...and then announcing a little later at chapter in front of all the brothers that I decided not to join (thank god, too).
Taking the Michelson refrigerator from the basement that one crazy night...and then losing it (honestly, how does one misplace a full-sized refrigerator?).
Getting drunk for the first time - and not liking it.
Doc Oc, Joel Kraft... Winning our 131 advanced recitation with our Othello project and our crazy AI scheme for it.
Studying Chem 111 w/ Erise, Liz Steva, and the gang.
Climbing onto the roof of the Rainbow Babies' parking deck (awesome view).
Vincenzo "Vinny" Liberetore as instructor for EECS 233 in the spring...
Summer 2001
Erik Bosco for M4...asked me if I was high when I would answer questions in class... I literally was completely convinced that I was going to fail that class. It had me all freaked out to the point where I broke the bad news to my parents on my birthday... I ended up with a B.
Car got stolen from the lot across from Fribley.
Summer suitemates...Joel, Justin, and Greg...the gummy worm incident leading to the even more ominous spoiled milk cereal bowl incident. Getting lost in the ghetto on the way to the Alkaline Trio concert and having to ask for directions at that really *really* shitty convenience store.
The hard rock cafe and lacy underall.
Sophomore Year
Being an orientation leader.
Matt Ho, Ran, Jason...
Being in one of the "pioneer" coed suites.
Getting *really* drunk for the first time - and liking it.
Suite getting busted at the beginning of the year...without my being there.
Two keggers in our suite (man that was a crazy year).
Parties, parties, parties...
Climbing on top of Carlton Commons.
Going in the tunnels under campus. Going into skeleton that was the Peter B. Lewis construction site - getting on the roof (you have no idea how cool that was).
Michael Branicky - for EECS 343 - discovering that he's my hero.
George Ernst.
Sept 11..., the helicopter crash....
Interviewing for coops. Getting rejected by IBM (and nine others) the first time around.
Falling in love for the first time.
Telling her how I felt about her.
Taking a job with Sadia - and not telling the coop department :).
Summer 2002
Working in Hudson for Sadia. Eating at Kitty's restaurant with my boss on the first day.
Turning 21.
Meeting some of the "Howe" people.
Thinking seriously about law school.
Strongbad
Junior Year
Another year...another coed suite. Lisa totally cracked me up.
Realizing the dividends that an investment in Starbucks pays.
Todd Oakley the Linguistics prof.
Parties on top of parties on Belfield...and stumbling home a lot.
Homecoming and the car tag incident.
EECS 391 - having the only good project in the class and realizing just how stupid most CS students are.
Sipping gingerbread lattes, typing code/papers/reports on the laptop, and gazing out the Starbucks window at the snowflakes coming down - I'm really going to miss that.
Having my heart broken for the first time... It really sucks, bad.
Chuck's Diner.
Shouts out the Jeff Hunter, Kurt Hare, Evan Perry, and Christina G. Thanks for sticking by me when I needed it.
Nailing the IBM interview.
Being introduced to The Ladder Theory by Adam.
Rounding out the year at Cedar Point with Anders, Ashish, & Nicole.
Summer 2003
Arriving in NC - living far away from home for the first time.
Having a blast on the job - and blowing them away. Meeting tons of really cool coops - Jeff, Andy, Brian, Danny, Kevin, Adam, Christy, Xtine... and on and on. Hope you're all doing well, wherever you are!
Foosball and Kung Fu.
Hitting the bars... Chillin' and Grillin'.
The Outer Banks trip.
So much fun!
(1/2) Senior Year
Howe, and becoming close with far too many awesome people to count. So many great times and awesome experiences. So many great conversations. To mention any handful of experiences here would not do justice to all of the great ones I would be leaving out...so I'll just leave it for now. I love you all and will really miss you.
Saying goodbye...Europe...and now the real world.
I don't think I really appreciated just how much I would miss that place until now...no matter how depressing it was at times.
And now for the next chapter...
In Matters that are otherwise worthwhile
Posted at 01:54 AM | Permanent link
"Baby, do you need some Orientation? 'Cause I can coordinate like nobody's business."
--Karthik Raman former Orientation Coordinator
In General
Posted at 12:11 AM | Permanent link
Dammit...
Why is it that I fall in love with every pretty girl I see studying at bookstores and/or coffee shops?
In Matters that are otherwise worthwhile
Posted at 11:45 PM | Permanent link
Heading to the Cleve tomorrow after work (getting in at 7:30pm). Staying until Tuesday morning.
Give me a buzz if you want to do something.
In General
Posted at 11:25 PM | Permanent link
Last night I went to a party in Durham. Afterward, I experienced a number of important firsts:
Yes! I can now cross these off my life-long list of things I need to accomplish.
In General
Posted at 09:15 PM | Permanent link
So, I just got finished nearly burning down my apartment again all for the sake of two spoonfulls of food. Fresh artichokes are totally not the coolest food ever. Of course those two spoonfuls were bliss, but I think I'll take my chances with the jarred kind next time.
These past two weeks have been...what? I don't know what they've been. It seems like a lot of stuff has happened, but not a lot that I really want to write about.
Work is going really well. Some excellent opportunities have come along. I don' t think I've hit my first home run yet, but I've probably picked up a few doubles.
Reading people's away messages about the end of school is an eerie feeling.
Outside of work, I've been feeling a little on the angsty side lately.
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind: Awesome movie. If I could have this procedure done, I would.
In General
Posted at 09:42 PM | Permanent link