(Lucky) Quarter #7?

Not that I'm superstitious or anything, but I hope I get lucky somehow with classes this quarter. Just looking over the classes I'm anticipating to struggle in worries me. After seeing how more classes I need to take in order to graduate is a bit overwhelming. At least most of the classes I need to take are psychology or Asian American Studies related. Only 2 more math classes to go and I'm home free with breadth courses. I finished with science requirements so thank goodness for that.

I'm already a ball of stress, but I really hope there isn't a repeat of last year. Results of it sure, but not the whole thing I guess. Classes for this quarter, I think I'll enjoy my psych classes. My 120A psych professor made fun of "Sex and the City" and that just made my day. My 120P professor seems like a bit of a hippie, but seems super chill. I have mixed feelings with ICS, but hope to get the hang of it and get a decent grade.

Stats on the other hand is like a reoccurring nightmare for me. Taking it in high school was the worst for me and it never left me. I dreaded math in general. Only two quarters of it and I'll be done. Watch, I'll be waking up screaming and managing to bump my head on the ceiling over and over.

I think taking the longer shifts at work tend to depress me a bit because I have time to think about what I've accomplished and then go through the stacks of master and doctorate papers people have written here. I should consider doing relaxation exercises this year if not visit the psychologist at least once on campus.

IHS Fire

"Investigators were called to Irvington High School on Sunday, after firefighters extinguished an early morning blaze that destroyed two classrooms." (SF Gate)

What the hell man? What is going on with Fremont? Last year were the lock downs from a gun threat and stabbings at JFK and now IHS? That is unacceptable. Horrrifying because people have gotten hurt in those situations last year. Luckily no one was hurt this time.

I always find a way to hear about bad news back home when I'm at school. Our city used to be so safe, I don't know what happened. When I was there for high school, it was secure. Once our class left things reaked havoc and hell broke loose. I know a number of families that are already considering to move out of the area because of the random break outs of violence. It's just too scary and risky to raise a family or live alone in Fremont. It was definitely a lot safer 5 years back.

It's bad that I'm already jumping to conclusions that it has to do with a number of students that tried to rebel against the staff at Irvington High about the new dress code. My sister called me a few days ago and started ranting about how the administration is worried about the increased gang violence in the area and wanted to prevent it. Hoping their decision would be effective, they decided on banning the students from wearing any articles of clothing that had a dominant red background. Whether or not it's a form of self-expression, I don't see why the school didn't ban other gang colors to be fair. Seems like a minor thing to start a fire over, but you never know. Kids these days.

Busy Work

Not really busy at work, just working on busy work. At least I don't have to go find something to do and start sharpening all the pencils in the department or hide in the back and pretend I'm re-shelving books and dusting them off. Or my favorite (not really), emptying the humidifiers.

I'm moving mountains though! Taking down the piles and piles of dissertations today and the fact that I'm helping with the tidying up in the department is turning my OCD levels up even more. I like a clean workplace. Who doesn't? I must be nuts to be stuck in an office job and half-enjoying it. Better than dreading to go in the first place.

...AH! The cataloging cart is being filled up.
Pencils in a row on the desk near the department printer.
Looks like they need be sharpened.
Boxes to put back in the basement and other dissertations waiting to be filed away.

Mmm, someone else can do that Friday. I'm not working tomorrow :).

Beeeeeeeep!

That annoying door alarm from Special Collections and Archives is buzzing again. If the pitch were any higher, I think dogs from the OC would be a runnin'. We're actually busy today, lots of students coming in about their research papers and Michelle has been pressing the assistance bell every 10 minutes. Feels like I have a minor purpose in my regular day now that I'm back at work. Good ol' Langson Library, where I'm on the floor that doesn't have stairs in case of a fire. Minor setback. We do have AC and humidifiers to keep the books from molding and dusting.

Working on a better system for dissertations, thank goodness for common sense and organization skills! Will post about new apartment and roommates soon :). All I have to say is so far so good.

Taco Neck Syndrome

Ever heard of it? I didn't until Lewis brought it up after my dad bought my loft bed for my new apartment. It's quite literal, think about eating a taco, instead of tilting the taco itself, your head does. That's my basic position to get out of bed every morning from now on. As of today I haven't bumped my head yet and I'm giddy that my thin mattress from IKEA is super comfortable. Me ceiling is about 7.5 feet by the way and the bed probably gives me about a foot of room to crawl.

(Edit 9/22/08) Okay that was for that day, me avoiding an accident with the ceiling...last week however, I did bump my head. The whole scene was like out of a comic strip. Sarah's alarm went off first, she turned hers off. My phone alarm went off on my desk below. I woke up in such a panic and managed to scrape the back of my skull. It hurt a lot. I just remember springing back to my original position and cursing in pain. Sarah thought I was bleeding and all I could hear was "Do you need ice?? Are you okay?!" I was fine. The shock of everything within the 2 seconds was horrifying. It seemed hilarious afterwards though.

Worry Wart

I worry about worrying. I even worry when I don't worry because I think there should be something to worry about. I'm anticipating for the stress to come this school year because I've been mostly carefree this whole summer. Something tells me stress is going to ride me for as long as it can. It's doing its magic right now. I'm acting somewhat like Chicken Little except I don't believe the sky is going to fall, I just think everything going on for me that's stress related is going to hit me like an apocalypse. Kaboom!

Worrying is normal, but the way I worry is not. And she says she needed anti-anxiety pills, hah!