Brain on Vacation
My brain is presently on vacation.
Today, I visited the local CompUSA, which is about a 30 minute drive away, to pick up some networking equipment for the Great Big Office Move™ at Church. In the process of moving, I'm installing a new wi-fi access point (an Airport Extreme), an extra switch (Linksys 5-Port), a WDS range extender (Airport Express) and, after all of this, I am suppose to get all eight computers back on the network. Did I mention all of this is suppose to happen on Saturday?
Anyway… back to my story. Two days ago I set a copy of the church tax ID certificate on my desk so that I'd remember to bring it to the store. Did I remember to do this? Yes, I did remember it… once I was in the CompUSA parking lot.
The story worked out well enough, they still had a copy on file in the commercial sales department from the last time I was there, but it could have been a major hassle otherwise.
My brain has also been MIA the last two nights while trying to write papers. Last night, I tried to write up a 2.5-3 page paper on the problems inherent in Theravada Buddhism (i.e. most people aren't satisfied with a religion without a Supreme Being). This was an easy topic that I've written on a lot before, but it took me an hour to get two and a half measly pages written.
Tonight, I tried to wrap up a paper comparing some key points about Sigmund Freud and C.S. Lewis. Another topic of interest to me, and one I've spent a lot of time on lately. It has been a really big struggle. I've spent the better part of ten hours on it just to get together a rough draft nine pages in length (3000 words). That's terrible for me.
I'm not sure if its daylight savings time (likely) or something else, but whatever the case, I do hope my brain comes home soon. Or at least sends a post card. If you see a brain sneaking through your neck of the woods, let me know, it might be mine.
How's your week going?
First Job
I found this via Christopher and Michael.
1) What was your very first job where you received a paycheck?
That's a tough question for me. I've never worked as an employee for anyone. I have received payment as an independent contractor, but that's technically more of a customer relationship wherein the payer was paying my business for services rendered. The closest I've come to technically working for someone else would be some work for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch awhile back, but that was a freelance contractor arrangement too.
2) How old were you?
With the above caveats out of the way, I received my first check from a business at 13 or 14. I don't recall for sure.
3) Did the job require you to wear a uniform? - take a moment and describe?
No.
4) How long did you keep your first job?
This question doesn't really apply.
5) When you left your first job was it because you quit or were you fired?
Ditto.
6) What was your second job?
See above.
7) Were you ever “counseled” about your performance on a job? What for?
I've had some irate customers, does that count?
Leave your answers below or feel free to trackback from your blog.
Hallelujahs
The pulse of life within my wristConsidering all that God does for me, and especially what He did for me this week almost 2,000 years ago, that song ought to be my song every night.
A fallen snow, a rising mist
There is no higher praise than this
And my soul wells up
O my soul wells up
Yes my soul wells up with hallelujahs
Oh praise Him all His mighty works
There is no language where you can't be heard
Your song goes out to all the Earth
Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah!
Speaking Out
I'm a written word kind of guy. Now, I can give a decent presentation (although I'll never be an orator), but I'm much better writing stuff down and pouring over it and then publishing it in some form than spontaneous speaking. I seem to just put my foot in my mouth all the time when I'm speaking to people. While I enjoy trying to be witty, too often I'm not quick witted enough to ask the right questions when I should. Despite all this, I talk too much and must check myself in that regard (something I fail at too often).
It is true that I do not always edit blog posts very carefully; however one can choose present a carefully crafted statement when writing should one decided to. I rather wish I could figure out how to edit what I was verbalizing as well.
You know, I see a trend brewing in my posts lately. I don't seem to have any conclusions. I have been staring at this post for a bit now, wondering exactly where I was going to go with it, but I don't think I can think of anything all that good. Perhaps I'll return to our friend Jacques whom I quoted last night:O worthy fool! One that hath been a courtier,Yes, indeed. To be as one of Shakespeare's fools; to perceive things and state them without irritating people… that would be good.
And says, if ladies be but young and fair,
They have the gift to know it: and in his brain,
Which is as dry as the remainder biscuit
After a voyage, he hath strange places cramm'd
With observation, the which he vents
In mangled forms. O that I were a fool!
I am ambitious for a motley coat.
Sticking to a Project
I'm pretty good about getting stuff that needs to be done completed. Projects for clients, church stuff, school assignments, and so on. But, I've always had a hard time getting stuff I do on the side complete. Take SAFARI — I've been developing this CMS for six years now. But I've taken several multi-year breaks along the way.
Then there is what I'm writing for amusement. I've started writing a play, a novel and, most recently, an epic poem. Oh, and a sonnet sequence. The novel was started earliest, and is the one I'll probably finish first, but I find myself always starting new projects instead of working on it. If I focused all of my energy on one of these things, I might actually finish it. Instead, I keep working on them all.
It's not so much that I get bored with a project. It's that there are so many things I'd like to do, and I find I can't resist working on all of those things (well, not all). Since the aforementioned stuff has primarily existed in the realm of hobby, I guess it isn't a bit deal, but I still feel like I should focus myself a bit better.
Right now, I'm thinking I should shift the epic and play to the background and keep fiddling with the novel and sonnet sequence. The former because it might actually become a body of work I can do something with (e.g. publish), the latter because it is a good mental exercise and is an enjoyable way to capture present experiences.
Not one of "those" days
Update: I switched to HTML entities for the following Greek characters, per Ed's suggestion.
Well, if yesterday was a bad day, today was its inverse. Despite feeling slightly under the weather, the day just seemed to go right from the beginning until now. I had a Koine Greek midterm and was able to pull off a 97% on it (kudos to an instructor kind enough to grade it as soon as I turned it in), which as a major relief. I'd been worrying about this exam for some time, but in the end it turned out good. My big mistake was making the vocative case second declension noun ending ε into ει and the imperfect middle/passive verb ending ομηι instead of ομην. As a whole though, it turned out well.
Since Tuesdays/Thursdays contain several classes, I usually grab lunch on campus, since I only have 45 minutes to do so. Today, I walked into the cafeteria a bit early after finishing the aforementioned test, and found, for the first time in memorable history, cream of potato soup (my favorite) available. It was quite good too.
The next class, Religion in America, turned into a debate forum on the topic of the First Amendment and the meaning of the phrase “Congress shall make no law respecting the establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.” I'm sure you can guess which interpretation I have on that issue.
Later in the afternoon while walking to my car, I happened to run into a good friend that I hadn't had a chance to talk to more than in passing for some weeks. Given that I was not in any rush, nor was the friend, it was a nice opportunity to chat (as in talk, not type
) for a bit. The said friend has a mind for wit, and the exercise of quick thinking is always refreshing and a good way to wrap up a good afternoon.
This evening has not presented anything terribly exciting, but it did not need to, given the day. So, how was your day?
Christopher Questions...
…but I took too long writing up my answers to get them posted tonight. Expect 'em up sometime tomorrow.
Blank
My mind is blank right now. I sat down with some ideas to post and they vanished. Oh well.
I did realize something tonight. I can now say that I am now just two months away from completing my first pass through my One Year Bible. Assuming I stay on track, that will mean I'm just about four months behind (or eight months ahead). I really like the One Year Bible. While I've tried other reading plans, the fact that I can just flip it open and have that day's reading organized right there in front of me, rather than having to look at a schedule and then flip to the passages. Despite being behind, all I need to do is use a bookmark and I can easily keep track of what the next reading should be.
Now, just to stay on track for the next two months.
Shedding the Last Shred of Anonymity?
My face has never appeared on the Internet. Or, actually, it did once when I wrote for an online trade publication, but only in the members area. For an article I wrote awhile back in a print publication, I had to submit a head shot to the editor. I sent it via e-mail and I have the file now sitting on my desktop.
Tonight it dawned on me that maybe it is time I add a face to this text. Or maybe it is more amusing to stay behind the cloak of the asisaid and OfB logos. Decisions, decisions. Maybe I should make something in the photo a Challenge question and “appear” on the Internet for the first time if someone can answer the question. Ah, the possibilities!
