.:: Yolospat ::.

I had to take incomplete’s for my two classes this quarter (IT362 & IT254) due to my temporary medical issues. I’m not exactly sure how long I have to get all my assignments done and turned in (something I need to look up and/or ask my instructors) but new classes start for me on January 6th, 2008 and I’m hoping to have all my IT362 & IT254 assignments done by then so I’m not completely overwhelmed. My instructors have been very kind and understanding about it, so I’m certainly thankful for that.

I’m very excited for this next quarter. I’ll be taking:

IT170 - Introduction to Object-Oriented Programming
IT382 - Systems Administration

The Systems Administration class is going to be more of a refresher course for me I think, but I’m hoping to learn new things. I’m nearly giddy about my Introduction to Object-Oriented Programming class however, because it’s the first core class that follows my degree concentration (Software Engineering). I don’t know what programming language it will be in, but I’m fairly certain it will be Java. Time to break out those java beans!

That’s right … Apple is the third most valuable according to Apple shares.

Of course, Microsoft and Google take the #1 and #2 spots (yay Google!).

This makes me smile for more reasons than one

I love technology. What I love more then technology is the creative outlet the tools of technology allow me to have. When I take on a project, like my school wiki for instance, I can tweak and custom fit that piece of technology to suit whatever goal or solution I might be seeking at that time. The best aspect of these projects, is actually learning how things work. Once learned, the sky’s the limit and the creative juices keep flowing to the next project or learning experience I have the privilege of working on.

It’s just exciting stuff, and to do it for a job almost feels like cheating in a way. I mean, who’s supposed to love going to work everyday?

When I ponder my dream of working at Google, this is how I see myself there.

I want my Christmas back. As the previous post displayed, I was sick. I was having some pretty intense abdominal pain that went all the way around to my back, but it was only on the right side. It felt like when I had my gall bladder attach back in 2003, when I got my gall bladder removed.

All sorts of thoughts were running in my head. Could it be my appendices? Did they, by some freak accident botch my previous gall bladder surgery? I called Mom and she told Brendan to take me to the ER, stat!

I ended up going into the hospital Christmas day and being released the morning of the 26th. Turns out, I have a pretty bad kidney infection. I was given fluids and anti-biotics via IV and some pain medication. They sent me home the next morning with 15 days of anti-biotics and some Oxycodone for the pain. The first few days I would only wake up every 6 hours, the pain telling me it was time for another pill. Sitting up for more then an hour or two is still pretty uncomfortable but I am feeling better. The pain went from an 8 to a 6 now, so I think the anti-biotics are finally starting to work.

So that was/is my Christmas break, I feel jipped! I want a re-do!

Along with lazy co-workers (or is it not to bright co-workers?) I’ve had to deal with some passive/aggressive behaviors from some friends. You know, the I-miss-you-don’t-speak-to-me passive/aggressive behavior. To be honest, I don’t bite or react to that type of behavior anymore, especially when it’s become so common place lately. It’s not that I don’t care, or that I’m being cold or cruel, it’s just that I don’t reward bad behavior. I don’t even allow that type of behavior with my husband, let alone my friends.

I love my friends, and I adore my friends. Not all my friends have it all together, and most days even I don’t have it all together, but it doesn’t mean I don’t adore them any less. Even when they are acting out with such behavior, I adore them all the same, I just don’t participate or enable this type of behavior. Honestly, I just don’t have the energy for the roller-coaster.

So to all my friends, passive/aggressive or not, I wish you a very happy holiday, and a happy new year.

You know what’s extremely frustrating? People who don’t even try to read directions, or do things for themselves. They just ask other people without putting any work into finding the answer.

I created a wiki here at work, for easy access to FAQ’s, procedures, bug fixes, and contacts. I have one co-worker that not only refuses to bookmark the site, but will ask me, Jen, what is the number for so and so. Jen, this site is getting timeout errors. Each and every time, with the upmost patience I direct him to the wiki site, and step by step I show him how he can find this huge database of information right at his finger tips. It never fails, 10 minutes later, the wiki is closed and he’s asking another question that seeks an answer, and ironically that answer is found on page one of the wiki. The same page that comes up each and every time he clicks on that wiki link.

Sigh.

I think she looks hot. She’s been pretty mean fighting boars, and ghosts, and Orcs in Outland.

She’s been skinning everything she can, making 20 slot leatherworker’s Satchel’s.

I never thought I would like Rogue, but she’s been a fun side experiment. Sure, I’m going to take her to 70, and plop her inline with my other 70’s, because I can never just play one at a time. I like them all!

You could imagine my utter surprise and pure excitement when I got this last night. In fact, I was way too excited to even post about it. But here it is. I got contacted by a Google recruiter. I’ll keep you up to date on the happenings. It’s only the beginning.

Upon reflection of some past times and present times in the World of Warcraft.

When my mage hit 70.

When my rogue eventually hits 70 (she’s 56 now).

Gosh I miss raiding. A lot. But School just has to be on my most important list right now.

Everyone that knows me knows that I think Apple makes great products, and being an avid Microsoft user for over a decade, and buying apple products for nearly as long, I think I’m pretty educated on making and basing my opinions on factual circumstance and use. Think different. Apple definitely does that, however they are the minority. I wish everyone had the guts and balls to do the same. Everyone that also knows me knows it’s a dream of mine to work at Google someday, due to the fact that they care about their employees, they make the environment excellent for work, and they are always encouraging new idea’s and projects. Me, I love projects, and I love working on them, but I work on many at the same time to feed my ADD mind. The Google creed is “do no evil” … however, that can be argued by anyone due to opinion and perception of the phrase. 

Everyone is also entitled to their own opinion on anything they believe in, but don’t call me to tell me how much you hate these particular companies and go on for 20 + minutes about how bad and insignificant they are, claiming they are the worst companies ever. Especially in knowing how much I believe in these two companies. Not only is that inappropriate and rude, but it’s a direct reflection on how you feel about myself.

kthxbye.

Lots of changes happening. First of all, if you have a VW vehicle and it has a turbo in it, baby that sucker like it was your child.

Signs if your turbo is going out in your VW:

1. Acts like it’s not catching.
2. Idle is either to high, or too low, and goes back and forth.
3. Acts like it’s out of gas, but unusually starts up after it dies.
4. Blows big puffs of black smoke out of the exhaust.
5. Car makes a tink tink tink noise when your driving it.

I’m not a car person, I don’t understand how turbo’s really work. When I first bought my car (I bought it used) I was told a few things. VW Passats are great cars, with great gas mileage, but you sure don’t want the turbo to go out. I should have asked why, but after having my VW for a few years, I wouldn’t trade it for any other car.

What is so important about about the turbo? Why is it such a big deal? Well, it’s the most expensive thing to break. A brand new turbo would cost something like $1600. That’s just for the part alone, not the parts attached to the turbo that might break because the turbo is broken.

I’ve always taken my VW to a specialist mechanic that only deals with VW’s, so I’ve taken extremely good care of my car. In Florida I took my car to VW Depot in Hollywood, which was only about 3-4 miles from my apartment. I found a speciality place here in Georgia at VW City. I love VW folks (that work at these places) and after talking with the guy at VW City my husband and I found out, he’s our neighbor who lives a few blocks away. He found us a used turbo, which is slightly less then a brand new one that he’s going to put into my Passat. In the meantime, it’s car rental city. Blah!

So, for you VW owners. TAKE CARE OF YOUR TURBO!!!

Adobe AIR seems to be one of the biggest things I’ve seen hit the web since Web 2.0. I’m a software nerd by heart, and wanted to see what all Adobe AIR had to offer. I found a wiki repository full of useful Adobe AIR applications!