2000-09-18 - 21:25:26

I've been remise ... sorry.

This is going to be common as long as I'm at my folks place.

This is how it starts. I'm an engineer "in-training". I can take the Professional Engineers exam on Halloween (bad weekend for the exam of my life), so I'm taking prep classes.

Currently one of them is in Oakland, but I'll talk about that class later. The bottom line is I'm at work all day M-F. I'm now in class all day Saturday. And I spend weeknights studying. Blah.

Since the class on Sats is in Oakland, I crash at my folks place.

My folks are nice, but: (1) nosey, and (2) messy. I don't mind stuff. But I mind unorganized stuff. I feel very unclean at my folks place and often get headaches there. Probably due to the stress of their clutter.

My old bedroom is literally filled with junk. Mostly my mom's old clothes that won't fit any of my family. I'm the smallest by far, but the stuff in her old wardrobe is old and tiny. She needs to dump more stuff.

Now I won't be writting too many diary entries at their place, because my dad doesn't really sleep much (this is no doubt where my high energy personality comes from), and he thinks it is OK to read over my shoulder. Actually it is like this, "Hey you on ebay?" Me: "Ah, not right now dad, I'm sending emails to friends." Him: "Why not? They aren't there now." Me: "Dad, I'd like to send stuff now." Him: "They can wait." Me: "Not really."

It is the same converstation that we had for years when I lived there as a grad student.

OK ... I've had a big week / weekend.

First, Redwood asked if he could read my diary. I don't hide much from him. When I do, it is just me asking Spring for advice for him. I'm actually flattered, but it took me a few days to warm up to this.

I see Redwood nearly everyday. Oh, his name is certainly a household word. Though I still get annoyed that my dad can't pronounce his name ... I've written it out for him, and my sister gets it.

Dood! I'm listening to Spahn Ranches "The Coiled One", Spring recommended it for me after putting "Locuts" on my mix tape ... Modock I think. Nice album! :)

And she also pointed me to Joy Division's "Unknown Pleasures". She rocks! Well, I'll at least forget that she is part grunge and likes country music (she does, don't believe her if she claims she doesn't). She does know my musical tastes so damn well.

OK, she isn't the only one. Redwood is just now starting to find electro music before me! :) This is major cool. He always has been terrific about finding rivet clothing, too bad soldiers are all tiny like me.

Now I want to bend Cricket's ears about music more. I finished her mix tape today! Cool, huh. And she has opened me to lots of stuff that I never thought about before.

There are other folks in the Bay Area whom I always appreciate their advice. The DJs and their girl/boyfriends in the Bay Area are so friendly and kind to me. They often play my requests and we'll talk. Some people say DJs are unapprocable. They were for me until Feb. Then one of them just started talking to me and it all went from there.

OK, so last Thursday:

For work we all went in a state van to Sac. State. A USGS employee was giving his swan song presentation about everything he knew about the delta. It was a great presentation, though I've heard most of this before. Anyhow, I hate driving. My officemate Steelhead (not a rivethead, he is into hip-hop) was driving. But damint, in a van of about 11 engineers, we had around 5 backstreet drivers.

My most favorite thing in the world is to RELAX and let somebody I trust (I trust Steelhead driving, he is way too serious) worry about getting us from A to B. If he needed my help, I'd help looking for parking, but the other senior engineers were kinda snapping orders at him (how stressful) and the last thing I was going to do was talk.

So we got to Sac. State. I've never been there before. The campus is larger than I would have guessed. It felt more like a university. I hate small campuses, they seem like High School ... um I went to a H.S. with over 2600 students. I like to get lost in the crowds (even though I was typically dressed very differently).

What shocked me was how "young" I felt. Other students were looking at me as if I was another student. The rest of the engineers really looked older, but once mixed with some young 20 somethings, I felt all of 18 years old again.

I actually liked this.

Funny thing, the older engineers aren't used to walking in a university. They were lagging and kinda lost. I was just doing my standard zoom-zoom thing.

Awwww ... no freaky girls for eye candy. :( Not even a rivet or punk compadre.

But still, sometimes I really wish I stayed in grad school *and* that when I was a student at Davis that I would have been as active as I was in Texas.

At Texas A&M I was super active. I was in tons of clubs.

There is a downside, I didn't have time for relationships. Not that there were many, but the few girls I flirted with all eventually lost interest 'cause I couldn't spend time with them. *hitting self*

Then at Davis, I was so wrapped up in grad school and hanging with my family (I hadn't seen them in years) that I did no socializing at all. Besides, at Texas A&M and Davis, I was still "reserved". Meaning, I don't do well at parties. Believe it or not, I'm really shy when I'm around people I don't know. As I know people, I switch and become extroverted.

I don't think I'd like Sac. State. The campus seemed OK, but the location ... blah. It made me think too much of rural WY or CO. (Yes, I actually lived in WY.) Or maybe as a hot dry version of suburban Houston. Just as blah.

Eventually I hope to end up in the East Bay Hills.

Speaking of hills, I want to take Cricket hiking. Just like I want Redwood to take me. Actually my boss a few times invited me to go hiking with her.

I'll have to talk about my boss later. She is cool though, because she once told me to hit her! Again, a story for another day.

-=-

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