Bobby Earl Life

Well, not Scott but Bobby. Scott might be on fire to but I don’t know Scott so I don’t want to speak for him. I’m amazed I can type this right now without my ginormous head falling over. I went and saw the Orientation skits last night. That was good. I almost backed out from going at the last minute. I knew that if I went I was going to miss it a little, lo and behold, I did. Luckily it turned into more of an ego booster for me than anything, which explains why my head was so big.

I was introduced to someone who’s response was, “the infamous Bobby Earl?” Talk about a rush. I also found out a freshman of mine was an OA which is cool. I then went on to converse with the assistant dean to some other folks. In normal my-mother fashion she was so boastful of me. I did not complain as you might imagine. I just soaked all the compliments in. It was awesome.

Work has been going great to. I do miss being in student affairs, a lot, but being able to complete some of these projects is so rewarding to me. I need to find a job where I can be around people and still have my fun computer time. That would be nice. I’m still trying to find somewhere to live. Geoff and I have both been pretty busy so it’s hard to find time to go and look for places. He did get a job at Fort Mill middle so we might be moving closer to Fort Mill than originally expected. I don’t mind… gets me a little further from Rock Hill.

I can only hope the rest of my summer will be as good as the past couple of days. If that be the case there’s no doubt it’ll be a great one. Only a few more goals I want to start working on for the summer. I ain’t no holla back girl. Search that google!

“Work Work Work Work, Hello Boys, miss me?” Five dollars to anyone who can name that movie. Anyway, I’ve devoted so much of my time to my work lately. It’s not bad because I thoroughly enjoy what I’m doing. I’m currently preparing a template for our new student email message server which will blend into the university’s overall theme for websites. I’m gaining even more valuable experience through it all. I have no question that my hard work will pay off.

It’s become my belief that college students end up doing one or a combination of three things during the summer.

1. Take classes
2. Be incredibly lazy
3. Work insane amounts usually due to the fact that you’re the low man on the totem pole

As said I have been doing lots of work, the low man fortunately isn’t applicable to me. Sitting down writing this entry have I remembered all the work I’ve done so far. Started off by creating a website displaying time and date, current weather conditions based on an xml feed from weather.com, and a snapshot of a campus webcam. I then began tweaking our shared network drives to be accessible from off-campus. That one’s not quite finished. Turns out setting up new accounts wasn’t so much of a problem but changing our 8,000 some accounts is difficult. I created a few FireFox “Search Engines” to search the Winthrop web, faculty/staff, and students.

I shall tell you. Tillman. In the basement for hours and hours. I have no one to blame. The assignments I’ve been working on, I’ve known for sometime they were due but I procrastinated. Shocking. The only reason I’ve kept my little bit of sanity is that they are computer science related assignments, two of which were even webpages. A little about the projects:

The first being my software engineering II semester long project. On my behalf, this is the second working version which I’ve done. My first was done in an older language which was slapped together. I then decided that I wanted to write a new version. So, on Saturday night I started. I really didn’t dig down deep until Sunday. I was in here (I say here because I’m writing this in Tillman) for almost 14 hours with only 20 and 30 minute lunch and supper breaks respectively. I then worked for a few more hours on Monday morning and had my completed version by afternoon, just in enough time to get dressed for our presentation of the site. During our final run through a mere thirty minutes before class the main function of the site stops working. I manage to miraculously slap together some crappy code that worked. Just goes to show why you don’t develop a semester long project in one night.

I want to write about my desk. It’s so friggity diggity awesome. A little used but definitely an improve with my last desk. It is still a nice desk because Tony’s taking it which is an improvement from his current desk. Look at that nice picture of my new desk. I just don’t think I can write an entire entry about my new desk. It would be boring and no one would like it. So…

I’ll write about other stuff too. Right now, this very second, I’m exhausted. It was the final week for our pledges which means every single night is a late one. Then on Friday I pretty much got wasted. Ole Waffles had a good time too which I haven’t seen in a while since he’s a big bad teacher now. That was a nice change. I think all of my roomates had a good time that night. Then Saturday night was Buffett Bash which I had fun at. It was evident that everyone was as tired as I was. It felt really good to see people this weekend that I haven’t gotten the chance to see or hang out with in a long time because I’ve been so busy. Then today I went and saw a couple of my brother’s baseball games which merited about 2 hours of driving there, then to HG (to get my new BIG desk), then back to the thrill.

Girls want guys with great skills. Like bo hunting skills, computer hacking skills. So I got a job at Carowinds. Excuse me, Paramount’s Carowinds. I’m sure some would consider that stooping to a new low, and dependant upon the job as would I. However, I’m working the Information Services (“IT”) department. It’s really not a bad job. I get good hours which is gonna be a little tough right now but during the summer the hours will be great. The only deterant from the job was the fact that you have to be clean shaven. I just don’t like that. I look like a “husky” sixteen year old going through puberty without any facial hair.

I got advised on Wednesday. I officially have EIGHTEEN hours left until I graduate. I wish I wasn’t such a broke college student that I could afford to take a summer class in order to relieve my Fall semester, but oh well. I’m taking eighteen hours now and am doing well so I should be fine. My proposed 2005 schedule is still changing at this point. Not sure whether I’m going to take the intro to Geology class or Oceanography. I can tell you which one I’d like to take, neither.

For some reason that reminds me of a joke… There once was a man from Nantucket. Just kidding about that one. It does remind me of the joke when you’re riding by a cemetary and say “People are just dying to get into a place like that,” or “Do you know how many dead people are in that place? All of them!” Good stuff. Larry Earl originals I believe.

This past weekend I went to Myrtle Beach with my family. My dad was at a SCAPPA conference. They gave me a scholarship my freshman year so I feel a little partial to them. I really had nothing to do with the conference. Instead I enjoyed a few days of baseball with Dillon, the pool, and the best: THE JACUZZI (or hot tube).

I will own a hot tub before I die. I will drive, hell walk every where. Whatever it takes but I will own one! Despite a little wind, the weather was nearly perfect. I even got to work on my pasty white legs. Now they’re move of a dirty t-shirt white as opposed to an Elmer’s glue white. Ashley also let me borrow her camera so I took some photos of my trip. Including the one above which is my favorite. It looks like a postcard.

I only *cheated* on my diet once this weekend when I had some white bread. Oh well, I felt a reward was in order. I was on vacation after all. So far, I’ve lost 9 pounds. I’m still 20 pounds from my end of semester goal. This week is going to be a little hectic. I have three tests, am trying to get the Orientation Registration system live, and trying to find something cheap and fun to do for Spring Break.

Before I left for the beach I cleaned and organized my entire room and car. It was like I couldn’t stop straightening up. Kind of weird. But now at least everything is in it’s place. It’s so much more comforting coming home to a clean room. I’m sure by the end of this week everything will be messy again though.

High Blood Pressure. I’ve had it for some time now. It’s always teetering on the brink of requiring attention and just being a little too high. A few weeks ago I started getting bad headaches. Sure, just headaches. Take some Tylenol and you’ll be fine. My case is a little unique. I NEVER get headaches. I could probably count the number of headaches I’ve ever gotten on my two hands (that means no more than ten). After about the fourth day of my headaches I decided I needed to do something. I went to one of those crazy little machines that takes your blood pressure at Eckerds (I’m sure that’s now how you spell it but that’s how I say it). 159 over 97. Poopie. Way to high.

One EKG, one blood sample, one urine sample, and two x-rays later she says I have the string things around my heart. I have to change my diet. No more than 3 grams of salt per day and no alcohol. Plus, gotta take this tiny pill every day. One small problem there, I can’t swallow pills. “Well if you want to get better then you’ll learn” Amazingly I learned how to swallow pills.

Weekend: Two lacrosse games later, I’m still intact. On Friday I drove down to Charleston and stayed with Ashley and her family. Saturday we played the Citadel. The first half was a great game. Went into halftime tied at 7. Do to other obligations and injuries our bench was very thin. The lack of subs caused us to get tired. They simply had the legs to beat us. Ended up losing 21 – 8 (I think). Had we had all of our players it would’ve been a much closer game and if the time keepers weren’t idiots. No need to make excuses though. Sunday’s game against Western Carolina ended up a win for us. They were also a small team. I had some great hits. Final score 11 – 2 (I think again).

Monday: Valentine’s Day. A day that will either make you or break you. Luckily this year it was a good one. After limping in soreness all day and having a horrible headache Chip and I both cooked for our respective dates. We also had Tony be our waiter, tux included. It was very nice and romantic. I had a good time with Ashley and my roomates.

Tuesday: The headache is still here. I know lots of people get headaches lots of times but for me their big deals simply because I never get them. When I do, it’s big. I mean I’m like a vegetable. I went and got my blood pressure taken by one of those machines, very high, so tomorrow I have a doctor’s appointment. I know he’s gonna say I need to exercise more and eat better. This can be my inspiration, to get rid of those damn headaches. Plus, you know I have to get back down to my bikini weight.

I know December is a long time away. More specifically December 16, which is nearly ten months and twenty-two days away. Despite the fact, I can’t help but already start and wonder what I’m gonna do after I walk across that stage. I really have no clue what I want to do. There are three major options I have.

• Graduate School

Originally never an option. There more I think about it though it seems possible. I’ve been in school this long, why stop now? If I am to try graduate school I have to get some things into gear very soon. I need to take the GRE and do well on it. I also need try with 100% of my effort in raising my GPA. That including dropping all thing extracurricular, possibly even taking some easy summer classes just to raise it.

• Military

I have thought about the military for some time now. Even since I was younger. I’m not sure of which branch I would even join. Just want to be able to say, I joined the armed forces, I served my country. This option would require an obvious change in my eating and exercise habits in order to get into shape. Lots of times they’ll pay for more education and pay off your old loans.

• Get a job

The most practical and easiest choice I have. I started looking around for jobs and found lots of well paying jobs that I was qualified for. Obviously it would deal with computers

To some this wouldn’t be such a hard choice. What makes this decision harder for me is I have no objection to moving. Matter-of-fact I think I’d like to get away for a while. I like this area, I like this state, but I want to live outside of SC for part of my life. My thoughts can be seen here. Whatever decision I make, I know it well be thought out and that I’ll have fun.

I know it’s been a while. Quite possibly the longest span without writing since this semester. I disappeared for a while. It was a dark time that took lots of love from family and friends to get through. Thanks to everyone for that.

Let me give you a little run down of what’s been going on. I’ve got lots of sleep. Lots of much needed rest and relaxation. I feel prepared to take on this 18 hour semester. I got a new cell phone. Pretty good deal actually. My mother got it for free on her plan and just go to give it to me. I got a new car: a ’98 Ford Explorer. It’s well used but it should last me for a while which is good. For the past two years I graciously volunteered to be the designated driver for my friends in Rock Hill on New Years. This being my first new years as 21, I decided I wanted to go out. Some friends booked a motel room nearly blocks from uptown Charlotte with the intention of going out to the local bars and watching the fireworks from there. Instead, while waiting outside on my friends to return some drunk guy started talking crap about another friend. I was very polite and asked him to stop. I thought everything was fine and then that SOB punched me in the side of the face. After what felt like an eternity of shock he started to hit me again. I decided one of his girly punches was enough and “bull-rushed” him against the hotel, grabbed him by the collar and threw him down, literally. I was on top of him about to unleash when his friends pulled me off. Luckily they got mad at him and made him leave. I ended up being so mad that night I couldn’t sleep. Stayed up all night, even had the continental breakfast at 6AM and talked to the manager for about an hour and a half.