So, I’ve been thinking a lot about going back to school lately. I’m not particularly happy with my current job. Much of it stems from the hours–first of all, it’s nights, and I still haven’t really adjusted, even after 7 months. Then, because of that, the challenge level is lower, because the number of people to support and the applications used at night are a very small subset of what the whole company uses. Consequently, I end up doing repetitive tasks that I don’t really learn anything from, and get bored.

While I have been thinking about going back to school, what I would do is still way up in the air. I’ve had a few thoughts.

1. Music. Ever since I started singing with Masterworks, going to rehearsals and using my ears has been again giving me the feeling like I’m missing out by not being a choir director. However, because of my personal beliefs public and non-religious private schools are really my only options, and I still have my qualms about the state of public schooling. Still, I do feel like I’m missing out, and going back to school to finish a few random requirements and do my student teaching would be a short way into a new career path.
2. Computers. I’m not sure about this one. I do enjoy working on computers, but my knowledge is definitely full of holes and I’m not sure if I have the personal motivation to make programming full-time work, much less hobby work. I think I may let this idea sit, and try to get my weather app out the door for iPhone… if I have any sort of success with that, it may make me feel a bit more positive on this career path. This would probably involve going back for 2-3 years for a second bachelors’ degree.
3. Law. This one might surprise some of you, but I have been considering going to law school. I don’t think I’d make a good trial lawyer, as I’m not really quick on my feet or eloquent in my speech, but I think I might be good at administrative and constitutional law and working behind-the-scenes on cases. The idea of being a judge also appeals to me. This would involve a couple of years of law school, and unlike the other options would require me to go to Lincoln; I wouldn’t be able to do this here in Omaha unless I went to Creighton, which would cost me two and a half times as much, and would likely be much more highly selective. The biggest thing for me, though, is that in the world we live in, I feel like being a lawyer is the best way I can make a difference for the better, because only through the law can things be fundamentally changed.

The people that read this are the people that know me best, and I’d appreciate your opinions and insight, if you have any to give.

Dear Apple,

Your word-processing and page layout program, Pages, is a fine example of software that is powerful, yet easy to use. You market it to people that need to get things done–home users, semi-professionals, and professionals alike. However, there is one small flaw in your program that will continue to affect its adoption in the marketplace until it is rectified.

Namely, as long as the risk still remains of losing more than 5-10 minutes of work at a time in the event of a crash, it is essentially useless to anybody who actually needs to get things done. Until an autosave feature is implemented, I can no longer feel comfortable using your program to do anything of any importance.

Sincerely,
Nick Meyer.

(Typed in Microsoft Windows as I work on re-writing the last paper I need to finish to graduate in Microsoft Word).

I just took the last hard test of my undergraduate career. All I have left are a 4-page French paper and a multiple-choice test over the non-signing material in Sign Language.

10 more days.

Can you believe we’re at 8 weeks already?

• I have no motivation. None. Even the knowledge that I’ll be a college graduate in 8 weeks unless something horrible happens is giving me no motivation right now.
• For the first time in my life, I have no idea where I’ll be a year from now. Maggie is looking at jobs in the Des Moines area, around Minneapolis (we’re actually headed up there tonight for an interview tomorrow), in Wisconsin, and in Illinois. I’d like to stay around at least for a little while since I’ve got such a good thing going at work, but it all depends on how lucrative the offers are.
• I’m trying to wrap my head around Windows web development. It’s painful. However, it may be the only option for some things we’d like to implement at work, since the City IT department appears to be hostile to anything non-Windows. Hopefully I’ll be able to implement something using MS Visual Web Developer Express and SQL Server Express.
• Patiently sitting on my $100 Apple store credit, waiting for Leopard, hoping the Seagate 160GB notebook drives come back in stock at Newegg before then so I can snatch one up. I stupidly did not write the product key for my MSDN copy of Windows Vista on the disc, so I need to find some way to retrieve it from within Windows before I wipe/reinstall.

That’s… that’s about it.

Je veux me préparer pour la course de la litterature française en automne. Est-ce qu’il y a les lecteurs de français qui peut me donner les titres des bons romans français?

So here’s the update.

• Done with class for the summer. 6.5 credits to go! I can smell the end.
• I must have made a good impression at work. My raise was… shall we say, better than I expected.
• In case you hadn’t noticed yet, I bought the iPhone. So ends my gadget-buying for awhile.
• Maggie and I are celebrating our first anniversary in a couple of weeks. We’re going to see Spamalot in Des Moines. It will be fun.
• My shaman is 63. Fear the leet pwnage. Ok, not really. It is fun throwing around lightning though.
• I’m still not social enough. But I’ve spent time with friends two of the past three weekends, so it’s helping.
• Did I mention I’m almost done with school?

One down. I have 3 ISU classes to finish.

Yay!

An example given during a discussion about natural selection:

A boy is born with two livers. He grows up, comes to Iowa State, joins a fraternity. He has a distinct survival advantage!

So, it’s been an interesting couple of days.

• Had a reading quiz yesterday in Philosophy over an assignment where he really didn’t tell us how much of it to read… it was a two-day reading, and his exact instructions were “get a good start on it.” He quizzed us on stuff that was on the last five pages.
• I tried to kick down a doorjamb and rewarded myself with a (likely) broken toe. Best part is, Student Death is apparently closed today so I can’t go in to get it looked at! And since my insurance is through the university, I have to go through them to get covered, unless it’s an emergency (which, while painful, I think a broken toe doesn’t quite qualify). I’ll just tape it up and hobble on it for a couple of days, sounds like that’s what would happen anyway. Advil is my friend.
• We started moving into trailers at work yesterday. There’s actually more space in the trailers than in the old offices, it’s almost kind of nice. The layout isn’t great, but there’s definitely more space to work with. Trying to move stuff with a hobbled foot wasn’t fun, but it was nothing a little Advil and can-do attitude couldn’t fix.
• Much to my dismay, I got a letter from the University yesterday telling me that I’m not eligible for aid this SUMMER either; originally I had thought I was only on the hook for fall. I’m putting in a request for eligibility extension, but I’m not sure how it will fly.
• I think I made a friend’s day this morning. It felt really good. She’s been going through a rough time, so she deserved it.

Well, that’s the rundown… time to get ready so I can go have my advisor fill out his part of the extension form, head over to student health and see if they’re REALLY closed or if somebody forgot to turn of the phone message, and then get to work.

Philosophy 343: Philosophy of Technology
No papers.
Two tests.
Moderate reading.
Funny teacher.
Rock.