The Monday Post: Time Dilation on the 10

So it's been roughly a month since I had to take an 8 hour drive to go see my mother. It wasn't one I was planning on making and I was in a rush to boot. I had a long time to think on this drive, and during this particular run I noticed something odd.

The Sword of Damocles (Mother Update)

It's not been a good month. I realize I've missed my own goal, several times, with The Monday Post. It's been nearly a month since my last post and I'd apologize if I had the energy. Quite frankly, I haven't had the energy. So, here's a summation of what's happened since my last post:

Statically Stressed

You might have noticed that I haven't posted in 2 weeks. I'm not here to apologize for this. I'm just posting so people know why.

The Universe and I

I wrote this a few days ago, and I have no idea where it was going or even why I wrote it. I figured I'd post it so it gets out of my system.

The Monday Post - May 14 2012

Yeah so I was going to try to have a post made about what is on my mind the past week, as promised before. The problem being that the only thing on my mind today was:

I don't always get headaches, but when I do, they are fucking head splitters. Today's was bad enough I stayed in from class. It was also bad enough to cause me mild nausea, thought that could have been other things, I'm not sure. I've spent most of the day sleeping. I don't like this, makes me feel like I've wasted a day.

Sick and Insomnia

Yeah, remember my last post where I was hoping to go out more? Kinda got bronchitis as of last night. Which means 1-2 weeks of coughing. And being hopped up on cough meds.

Soooooooo, rather than waste this opportunity brought on by insomnia I thought I'd just post some things that are on my mind, 2 days into this semester's classes.

The highs and lows right now.

This is gong to be a long update, get a cup of tea or something.

Sadness in Passing

So late last evening Granny was taken off her life support and was woken up. Against certain odds for a while she was doing well. There was talk even of moving her from her nursing home back to the hospital to be cared for better.

That hope, sadly, passed. Though some miscommunication we'd received the word hours before the event actually happened. However, as of an hour ago, she passed on. I will miss my Granny, Susie Lorene Pannell dearly, and for the rest of my own life.

Feeling Sad

For as long as I can remember I've only had one grandparent, Granny Lorene. On my mother's side my grandfather died 6 or so years before I was born. My paternal grandmother as well passed before I was born. I have a single memory of Granpa Sandefur (again on my father's side). I had to have been 2 or 3 and remembered looking up at this tall man that had the whitest hair I'd seen to date. I mean STARK white. And all I could think of was, at this young age, "Who is this guy with white hair and why does he talk to me so much?" No, really, I remember that feeling. Again, however, this was a fleeting image in my mind, as he died before I really was able to bond and form memories with him.

So this leaves but the mother of my mother: Granny Lorene. Don't you dare call her Grandmother, it was Granny. I don't know what I can say about her without having to take a year to fill pages upon pages. Sadly that's time I don't have. I got the call at 11:30am today, a sunny Sunday morning in Arizona. The past 3 years or so Granny has been in a nursing home due to her pulmonary problems. This past weekend an email went out that she was being put on a respirator due to a bout of pneumonia. And now.... she's being taken off the machine and most likely will not make it through the night.

I'm sitting here in my dorm room right now. I closed the blinds and put on some jazz (thank you Spotify) and have been trying to pick up my brain to write this in between fits of sobbing. When a mainstay in your life, the fact that you have a grandparent at least. When something like this comes down the line the stress it causes... I will be fine, if only because I still have other family and friends to see me through.

Merry Holidamaswanzaule (and an update)

So this is my obligatory "Holidays" post and update on me. I'm sorry as I didn't mean to wait so long after I got out of the hospital (Thanksgiving day, in case you're curious).

Banged Up

Ladies and Gentlemen: I write this from a hospital bed at Banner Desert Medical Center. Well, let me rewind to the start.

Monday before last (14th), as I was walking up stairs to go to my biology class. I don't make it past the first landing on these stairs before I made one of my own. One step NAILED me in the right knee. Oh you bet it fucking hurt. Oh and you bet it left a mark.

So over the next week I dealt with the swelling... and bruising... yeah you might see where this is going. To keep this short: Monday the 21st I went to Urgent Care since the bruising had spread, there was still swelling. Well, there was also reddening of my shin. The doctor on staff and I both realized that while I hadn't broken my leg (X-Rays taken... I even have a copy on a CD) but I had developed cellulitis. Just click the link, then come back. Yeah, it's very serious thing to have.

My ass was in ER, at Banner Desert, shortly thereafter. I've been here since. I had surgery this past afternoon to drain a pocket of blood drained that was right below the injury, probably causing a lack of circulation that caused the cellulitis.

 I'll keep my blog updated as right now having moved back in August/Early September I'm all alone in my room. My laptop, and guest wifi, are keeping my sanity.

I'm not dead I swear!!!

You ever get busy with work/homework/a project and leave another little project you have to the back burner? One that's always in the background anyways?

Yeah, this blog became that after I moved and went to school. Sorry about that. To note I've also really not been feeling well. I'd explain but it's more of a mental thing that I just realized was happening and I've had to wrangle my brain back into place this past week. All said and done I'm looking to pick up writing here and there from now on.

A week into school....

So far, as I've only gone through my first day of classes, I really don't have much to report. I swapped some classes last night so I could take C# programming (rather than C++ II) as I needed that for the beginning core of my classes. This means I now do a Mon-Thu for all my classes. Here's basically my schedule, and an explanation after:

• BIO: Biology
• CSC: Computer Science, here it's C# I
• PRO: Professional Studies, this one is the basic course EVERY MAJOR has to take
• COM: Communications, here it's Public Speaking
• GAM: Game related. This one is Intro into Game Design. My major takes it so we know what the designers what us programmers to do.

So, it's a light load this first semester. The juggling too place because C# too place at the same time as my original PRO102. So swapped that with one my roommate is taking, punched in C# and BAM!

I'm here, and it feels weird so far

I'm still a bit exhausted from all of this. Excited and tired, like a little kid on Christmas Eve as they fall asleep at 11:55 pm waiting for Santa. I have been running on Adrenaline and Caffeine for the past 2 days. Even now, after 12 hours of sleep I am still feeling exhausted.

I was up until 1 am cleaning my old apartment on Monday. I had used the previous Saturday with my classmate Tom and a UHAUL to move what large items I was keeping to my storage shed. The time since that night to early Monday morning was a blur.

I shall call it "My Great Purge", as I pretty sure the garbage men are pissed off with me. Assuming they came and picked it up yesterday. If they did the west side garbage bin was full. Also the garbage chute was backed up to the 2nd Floor! Sorry Mr. Garbage Man. Bring a shovel.

So even though I slept nearly 12 hours I may go back until lunch today. Which, of course, means I've become a college student overnight XD.

[Edit] oh and I had Hot Pockets for breakfast, so doubly so. Having those reminded me of this, enjoy.

Change Feels Weird

So, if you look at my countdown clock I'm nary 1 week away from my move in to Arizona. It feels... strange. Weird, exciting, scary, wonderful, awesome all rolled up into one emotion. Swirling in my head day and night now.

I'm sitting here, right now at work ( :O I'm surfing, I'M SURFING HAHAHAH), composing and email to users/coworkers/friends about my last day being next Friday with the company. It's bittersweet and I thought to immortalize it here, just for kicks ^_^ Take care all, I have a party tomorrow as a going-away thing and I'll be taking pictures.

Hello Everyone,

Throughout the past year I have re-examined my current standing in life. To pull a movie quote out here it was “measured, weighed, and found wanting”. Putting it more bluntly I was dissatisfied with where I was and decided that I had the power to change this. Thus I put into motion a plan to better myself via grand changes in my life.

That leads me to the purpose of this announcement: 8/26/11 will be my last day at <REDACTED>. Over the past 10 years I have had the pleasure of seeing this company grow robustly and astonishingly. However my future plans will not allow me to work in my current position, therefore I made the difficult decision to move on. For the curious I will be moving on in my life in leaps and bounds: I was accepted to The University of Advancing Technology, located in Tempe, Arizona, and will be pursuing my Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science with an emphasis on Video Game Programming. UAT is a fine institution and I hope to have many doors opened before me when I graduate.

It has been a pleasure to have worked with and for you in this past decade of my life. Wish me luck and longevity in this new adventure in my life.

The Countdown Has Begun!

Take a look to your right up. You'll notice something. I picked out a nice flash flip-clock to countdown my time until move-in at UAT. I got my housing info just last night. I'm so EXCITED!


And worried, and scared, and a mix of emotions I haven't felt... ever. It's weird for this old fox* to feel like this. I'm pulling myself up by my own bootstraps to move to another state, leaving behind all that I've known in my life. Though I didn't move here until I was 13, Costa Mesa IS my hometown. I'm going to miss the town I use to call "Coastal Misery" but now realize I was the one miserable.


*it would take too long to explain the choice of animals here

[Edit] Almost forgot to add in this weirdness. So a long time coworker of mine, Renee, pointed out for me that my handing of my resignation to work yesterday, August 1st, was exactly 10 years to the day I started working for my company. I didn't plan it that way, but find it fitting.

Orange County Fair 2011: Part III: Entertainment

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So as not to kill everyone's browser I'm splitting these up into parts. I'll link each part here as I go along.
Part I: The Entrance
Part II: FOOD
Part III: Entertainment (You are here)
Part IV: Rides

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Orange County Fair 2011, Part II: FOOD

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So as not to kill everyone's browser I'm splitting these up into parts. I'll link each part here as I go along.

Part I: The Entrance 

Part II: FOOD (You are here)

Part III: Entertainment

Part IV: Rides

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Orange County Fair 2011, Part I

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So as not to kill everyone's browser I'm splitting these up into parts. I'll link each part here as I go along.

Part I: The Entrance (You are here)

Part II: FOOD

Part III: Entertainment

Part IV: Rides

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This past Friday I had the pleasure of attending the Orange County Fair. All day. No I'm not kidding I took the day off just so I could stand in line before it opened. The first hour is free, but that honestly only saves you $12. It isn't the cost savings insomuch as I just like the fair. This is my yearly pilgrimage, one I've held for the past 6 years. This, due to my move at the end of August, will be my last. At least for a while. We'll see. What follows is a photo essay of my journey.

17 years, One Square Mile

So, today I finally managed to snag an invite to the New Super Awesome Invite Only Beta Doohicky Google+. It's their answer to Facebook. (Sidenote, email me if you want an invite ~_^).