8:53a

The instructor made a Starbucks run before class and got me a Venti^TM Mocha Frappuccino®. I’m feeling pretty good and ready to learn. Amazing, the power of Starbucks.

9:20a

We’re on break.

Things are starting to come together. We’re doing a review of some of the database server stuff, and I actually do recognize the stuff we’re talking about, so I think that’s a good thing. It’s been a long time since I’ve taken a test of any nature, so the idea of taking these Microsoft certification tests sort of freaks me out, almost like I’ve forgotten how to study or learn.

I think the real problem I have with testing, especially when it comes to computer-related stuff, is that there really isn’t a time when I’ll be programming or doing something and I won’t have access to help documentation or books. You don’t have to memorize things. You use the facilities that are available. But in tests, you don’t get the books… so you have to do the memorization. It’s been a long time since I’ve had to do that. I hope I do well.

This is the last SQL Server class I’ve got scheduled, so I’m going to try to get the self-test software, study up a bit, and schedule the test. I only get reimbursed the $125 for the test if I pass… I’d best pass.

Thank God they’re multiple choice tests.

Okay, back to class.

12:29p

I did my standard Fred Meyer deli lunch, having a “jalapeño cheese stick” and two “pizza sticks” because they were out of burritos. I also looked around in the photo/electronics section (as is my wont) and didn’t see anything I needed.

During lunch I continued reading Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, the UK edition, which I started this weekend. Compared to the Tom Clancy book I finished, this is a walk in the park. I’m glad to finally get into a book that I can enjoy and read quickly - I have a better time with it and don’t feel like there’s a whole lot of work for very little payoff. I’m already like 200 pages into it, and I haven’t even really dedicated a lot of time to it.

2:17p

I’ve not written a lot about the class because, frankly, it’s not the most interesting material, and for those non-technical folks out there, it’s even worse. Basically, what I’m finding out here is that there’s a lot for me to learn, especially in light of the fact I need to take some tests on this stuff and actually pass without using the manuals that I am accustomed to using.

I was able to get my hands on the self test software that goes along with the courses, so I’m hoping that I can take some time and study that maybe next week while I’m in Bellevue sitting bored. I also need to do some of the labs from the class I took a couple of weeks ago (that I didn’t get the chance to do labs in).

I wish I had a CD burner on my laptop. I’ve been downloading this self test software and whatnot to my USB drive (thank goodness I’ve got that!) but they’re pretty large files and I need to offload some of that to CD - if anything, for archival purposes. I may have to go in to work sometime this week, maybe during lunch, and burn off this stuff to CD. Gotta do it at least by next week, since I’ll be in Bellevue.

I should hook myself up with wwwstat so I can see how many people are checking out my site. I’m starting to gather that I have a lot of you lurkers out there who read me but don’t leave comments (shame on you!).

3:06p

That’s it! I just finished the lab, so I’m outta here. If I get home in time, maybe I’ll work on some of the labs I missed out on…

… or maybe I’ll just read Harry Potter. :)

I went to Legally Blonde 2: Red, White, & Blonde yesterday.

Eh.

If you’ve seen the first one, then you’ll find that this is such a total re-hash of the original’s jokes that you wonder if they didn’t just take the first movie’s script and massage it a little. And the thing about that is the first one felt sort of fresh and fun; it’s not fresh anymore because it’s a sequel.

Not to mention in the first one I could suspend my disbelief enough to say, “Yeah, okay, maybe she’s a big dork, but she somehow was able to make her way through law school. I’ll buy it.” I’m sure it could never have happened in real life, but it was acceptable in the movie. In this latest adventure, they take the valley girl into Washington DC where she proceeds to throw out every bit of protocol that 200 years of government has worked to establish and somehow, magically, it all seems to work out for her. Representatives who would normally have considered the financial impacts of certain bills and voted the way that would make the economy (and their own pocketbooks) work somehow decide that it’s time to “do the right thing.” Sorry, folks. Welcome to the land of the pork-barrel project. Doing the “right thing” is a gray area, and rarely is it what you and I would consider “right.”

Anyway, all of that pretty much shot my suspended disbelief in the head. I sat there, checking my watch, wondering when they were going to get anywhere or maybe do something funny or original… and it never happened. So, if you’ve seen the first one, cherish it, and maybe consider renting this one on a night you feel like getting drunk.

If you haven’t seen the first one, rent that and call it a day.

Can I say anything positive about it?

Hmmm.

Well, I always like Reese Witherspoon, and her Elle Woods character is reasonably entertaining to watch. She’s fun and quirky, and watching the stuff she and her dog get into is funny.

I just think that next time (and, at this rate, let’s hope there is no next time) they need to start with only the idea of Elle Woods, from scratch, and write from there. Unless you’re Mike Myers, rehashing the same thing is probably not going to work for you.

A while ago I was talking about how I was going to order some Zaino car wax because I had heard some good things about it and it was reasonably affordable.

Well, I placed my order (I did snail-mail, since at the time that’s all they offered, but they just recently put up a web-based ordering system, so next time…). But I thought of a question that I wanted to find out the answer to - they mention on the site that they have applied the polish “in the Arizona sun,” so I started wondering if that was in direct sunlight or what - I mean, you can really mess up your finish if you do that with normal polish, right?

Thus, I emailed the company’s support contact and asked my question.

The president of the company wrote me back and answered. (You can apply it in direct sunlight, but you will use up more product than if you don’t. He recommends against, but it doesn’t mess you up like regular polish/wax will.)

That’s customer service.

I finished reading that damn Tom Clancy book last night. After fighting through 1067 odd pages and reaching the conclusion, I feel pretty cheated. I’m of a mind to write Mr. Clancy and tell him that if he wants me to work that hard to get through a book, he really needs to make the payoff worthwhile. As it is, I’m having a tough time justifying the $6.98 bargain table price on that one.

I was thinking a couple of days ago about friends moving in and out of your life… and no sooner did I say that, then all these people started sending me emails. My man Gerb, he and I are like best buds, I hadn’t heard from him for, like, ever. Got an email from him to say he’s moving into my neighborhood, which is cool because we can get together and hang out. Another friend of mine, Brent, fell off the face of the world about a year or so ago, leaving no contact information at all, and he just dropped me a line. Even Jenn is getting into the mix - she got in contact with her old roommate from a couple of years ago. Jenn hasn’t talked to her since they moved out, so that’s good.

The Fourth of July weekend approaches at an altogether too rapid pace. I’ve got two weeks of training coming up, and I’m not even close to finished with the stuff I need to get done here in the office. I suppose it’ll all be here when I get back.

Friday (the fourth) I’ll be setting up a professional fireworks shoot with my boss (a licensed pyro) and a couple of the guys from my department. That should be fun, and with any luck I’ll actually get to light one or two of them off between taking turns manning the fire extinguishers.

Beyond that, there’s nothing on the schedule, but there are still the standard household maintenance jobs to perform, so before I know it, the weekend’s going to be gone (again). Hopefully I’ll get in a little time to start the new Harry Potter book. I’ve had it sitting here for a while but needed to finish that Tom Clancy bomb before I started a new book. Now’s my chance.

I went to lunch with my friend Liz over at Red Robin and had a nice chat with her (it’d been a loooong time since I’d last seen her) over a Baja Chicken Burger (no tomato).

It was good to see Liz again and hear all the latest that had gone on with her. Plus, she keeps in contact with an old friend of mine, Kristin, who I haven’t seen or talked to in… I can’t even remember how long.

You ever have that feeling where you just miss your friends that you haven’t seen forever? Sometimes I miss Liz and Kristin. I used to see them both every day at work; now we all work in different places and I only see Liz every once in a great while, and Kristin I see never. I guess peoples’ lives and schedules change and you just can’t keep up with everything. It’s a shame.

I did get my movie back from the guy in my department who kept forgetting it. Maybe I was a little hard on him, but I think the general principle still stands. I talked to Liz about it and she seems to agree - Dogs and cats living together… Mass hysteria!

Oh, and I discovered another pet peeve I’ve got - people who shuffle their feet when they walk. Pick up your fucking feet, people!