Ok, so we all agree I'm fired for not updating my blog in 3 months. If you care enough about me to forgive me, please re-read my disclaimer that I'm bad at communication. :) Ok, enough of the salving of my guilty conscience and on to the meaty stuff!
Since I last wrote, I graduated from CSU, taken two trips, and started a new job. Where do I start?
Graduation was trippy. It is still trippy. Walking around campus at CSU is familiar and yet NOT, because its not where I GO to school. It's where I WENT to school. I'm still getting over it. It might be semantics for some, but for those like me, worlds of difference hang in those semantics. Now I'm an alumnus. Weird.
The ceremony itself was fine. Nobody died. One guy through up in the back. One guy came in very late. I got my picture taken with a woman I'd never met(and whose name I still don't know), who handed me my diploma, and another picture taken after I walked off the platform. The proofs came back: BAD. My mother in law took better pictures, so if I have anything to do with it, those are the pictures my posterity will see.
Before the ceremony was just as interesting for me. I got to the Intramural gym at 7am to get ready for the ceremony. There were jokes about how we deserved to graduate because we had learned to be awake and alert at 7 in the morning. I had to fill out a survey about my experience at the college of Business before they would give me my name card. It seemed like extortion to me. How can they expect an honest survey if its under duress? Honestly, it seems a little unintelligent for a college rated 63rd in the country. :) So, I got my name card and used it like a passport to get my gown and cap. Then, donning said gown and cap, I of course set the card down. Those who know me know that when I set something down, it can be lost for all time. Not because it magically grows legs or happens to get sucked into a localized vortex, but because I can't remember where I put it. And then there is a possibility someone might try to be helpful and MOVE it for me! ARRRRGGGGHHH. Just shoot me, if you are going to move something on me. It will put me out of my misery faster. Unless you are actually going to stick it in my hands. In which case, be prepared for profuse gratitude.
It was only when we were about to leave the gym to go into the ceremony did I simulaneously realize that I didn't have the name card on me AND it was the card I needed to hand to the announcer when I walked across the stage! That's a little important! Fortunately, none of the above calamaties occured and I found it, strangely enough, where I set it. And only after 2 or 3 minutes of panic and footstep-tracing. That's practically a record! Ironically, at the same time I am feeling a little discombulated, it is pointed out that sometime in the last few minutes, each of the different concentrations in the college had formed themselves into lines to enter the ceremony. All except my concentration. That's right, the management majors couldn't organize themselves. We were milling about aimlessly, everyone asking everyone else what to do. Some of us started a very short-lived conspiracy to blame the honor students. After all, aren't they supposed to be in the know more than everyone else? Where's the leadership? Well, with the call to leave the gym, the conspiracy died, and we milled less aimlessly into rough lines. People think these ceremonies are so precise and you sit with the people that made the greatest difference in your academic career and its all very climatic. FALSE! I walked in between two classmates that I consider friends and had certainly had several classes with, and were amiable companions during the ceremony. But that's it. And most of the ceremony, since my concentration was first up, I spent texting my wife in the stands. (Thanks Becca! You rock!).
Since I last wrote, I graduated from CSU, taken two trips, and started a new job. Where do I start?
Graduation was trippy. It is still trippy. Walking around campus at CSU is familiar and yet NOT, because its not where I GO to school. It's where I WENT to school. I'm still getting over it. It might be semantics for some, but for those like me, worlds of difference hang in those semantics. Now I'm an alumnus. Weird.
The ceremony itself was fine. Nobody died. One guy through up in the back. One guy came in very late. I got my picture taken with a woman I'd never met(and whose name I still don't know), who handed me my diploma, and another picture taken after I walked off the platform. The proofs came back: BAD. My mother in law took better pictures, so if I have anything to do with it, those are the pictures my posterity will see.
Before the ceremony was just as interesting for me. I got to the Intramural gym at 7am to get ready for the ceremony. There were jokes about how we deserved to graduate because we had learned to be awake and alert at 7 in the morning. I had to fill out a survey about my experience at the college of Business before they would give me my name card. It seemed like extortion to me. How can they expect an honest survey if its under duress? Honestly, it seems a little unintelligent for a college rated 63rd in the country. :) So, I got my name card and used it like a passport to get my gown and cap. Then, donning said gown and cap, I of course set the card down. Those who know me know that when I set something down, it can be lost for all time. Not because it magically grows legs or happens to get sucked into a localized vortex, but because I can't remember where I put it. And then there is a possibility someone might try to be helpful and MOVE it for me! ARRRRGGGGHHH. Just shoot me, if you are going to move something on me. It will put me out of my misery faster. Unless you are actually going to stick it in my hands. In which case, be prepared for profuse gratitude.
It was only when we were about to leave the gym to go into the ceremony did I simulaneously realize that I didn't have the name card on me AND it was the card I needed to hand to the announcer when I walked across the stage! That's a little important! Fortunately, none of the above calamaties occured and I found it, strangely enough, where I set it. And only after 2 or 3 minutes of panic and footstep-tracing. That's practically a record! Ironically, at the same time I am feeling a little discombulated, it is pointed out that sometime in the last few minutes, each of the different concentrations in the college had formed themselves into lines to enter the ceremony. All except my concentration. That's right, the management majors couldn't organize themselves. We were milling about aimlessly, everyone asking everyone else what to do. Some of us started a very short-lived conspiracy to blame the honor students. After all, aren't they supposed to be in the know more than everyone else? Where's the leadership? Well, with the call to leave the gym, the conspiracy died, and we milled less aimlessly into rough lines. People think these ceremonies are so precise and you sit with the people that made the greatest difference in your academic career and its all very climatic. FALSE! I walked in between two classmates that I consider friends and had certainly had several classes with, and were amiable companions during the ceremony. But that's it. And most of the ceremony, since my concentration was first up, I spent texting my wife in the stands. (Thanks Becca! You rock!).
Currently, I'm not finding any pictures from graduation. I will get that corrected as soon as I can.
After Graduation, I started my job at U.S. Reports. It's a job, whose responsibilities I am currently dodging to update this. Fortunately I am caught up, so I won't be putting us in the poor house. Its paying the bills, but its not fulfilling, so I'm not going to talk more about it right now.
Becca and I went to Ragged Mountain for a partial family reunion with the Bill and Kris Potter clan. It was fun. I'm up for next year. And I will bring the Benedryl. Allergies kicked my butt! But it was fun anyway. Unfortunately I had to drive all the way back to Fort Collins by myself because Becca stayed for a week with Mom Potter, so she would eat something while Dad Potter was at Girl's Camp. Ok, the last part might be a little dramatic, but let's face it, you have to suspend seriousness when you read my blog anyway. :) So, I drove 6 hours by myself, alone, with nothing but Sirius satellite radio for company. Thank goodness for satellite radio! It kept me alive. Not kidding. I get sleepy behind the wheel after an hour or two, and it was only the sweet rock n roll sounds of the 80's that kept me alert. Oh and Goji Juice. If you don't know what it is, find out and get some. It rocks! It's good for you on a million levels, and its a natural stimulant so it doesn't have the crash like caffeine or sugar. Thanks Mom, for the Goji juice!
So then I had to spend a week by myself at home. It was awful. I made big claims how I survived as a bachelor, and I would be fine without my wife for a week. WRONG! It was terrible. I couldn't sleep because she wasn't in the bed. I wasn't eating because she wasn't there to eat with. And both of those seriously affected my productivity at work. It was awful! It's a wierd sort of compliment as to how much I love my wife and miss her when she is gone.
Fortunately, the next trip was better. I will update that next. I should probably get some work done. :)
After Graduation, I started my job at U.S. Reports. It's a job, whose responsibilities I am currently dodging to update this. Fortunately I am caught up, so I won't be putting us in the poor house. Its paying the bills, but its not fulfilling, so I'm not going to talk more about it right now.
Becca and I went to Ragged Mountain for a partial family reunion with the Bill and Kris Potter clan. It was fun. I'm up for next year. And I will bring the Benedryl. Allergies kicked my butt! But it was fun anyway. Unfortunately I had to drive all the way back to Fort Collins by myself because Becca stayed for a week with Mom Potter, so she would eat something while Dad Potter was at Girl's Camp. Ok, the last part might be a little dramatic, but let's face it, you have to suspend seriousness when you read my blog anyway. :) So, I drove 6 hours by myself, alone, with nothing but Sirius satellite radio for company. Thank goodness for satellite radio! It kept me alive. Not kidding. I get sleepy behind the wheel after an hour or two, and it was only the sweet rock n roll sounds of the 80's that kept me alert. Oh and Goji Juice. If you don't know what it is, find out and get some. It rocks! It's good for you on a million levels, and its a natural stimulant so it doesn't have the crash like caffeine or sugar. Thanks Mom, for the Goji juice!
So then I had to spend a week by myself at home. It was awful. I made big claims how I survived as a bachelor, and I would be fine without my wife for a week. WRONG! It was terrible. I couldn't sleep because she wasn't in the bed. I wasn't eating because she wasn't there to eat with. And both of those seriously affected my productivity at work. It was awful! It's a wierd sort of compliment as to how much I love my wife and miss her when she is gone.
Fortunately, the next trip was better. I will update that next. I should probably get some work done. :)
Ok, so the web site is down, so no work is getting done. Thus, let the blogging resume!
Becca got home from Grand Junction (where Mom and Dad live), on June 23rd. I wasn't sure I was ever going to stop kissing and hugging her. :) On June 29th, we flew out to the Oakland Airport (because of Southwest's new SWEET introductory rate for service from Denver to Oakland) to visit Becca's sister and brother-in-law, Kerry and Fred Ellsworth, and their two wonderful sons. I actually have pictures from that trip. 
So, at the Southwest Airlines gate, we are looking out the big bay windows, waiting for our flight, and I see: A basketball court. How cool is that? Southwest Airlines was a favorite case study in the college of business for its company morale and market performance. I don't know if this court is company sanctioned or not, but I thought it was an EXCELLENT use of resources. :) Believe me, I could see the stairs down to the court from the check-in, and I was sure I could get through there before anyone stopped me. And the basketball was sitting there. I could have shot a few hoops waiting for the plane. Its not like I would have missed it! For those who may not know, the plane parks its nose landing gear directly in front of that blue truck. I'm pretty sure I would have noticed the plane arriving!
However, people are skittish about others running through the airport these days, especially into restricted areas like the tarmac. I only didn't run down the stairs because I figured the odds were good that they wouldn't let me on the plane if I did, and then I'd cause a scene, and my family would get mad, etc. So, it was really a matter of opportunity costs. It would have been fun to play some BBall on the tarmac, but it just wasn't worth it to me for a one-way ticket to GITMO.
More to come..... :)
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