Entries this day:

17:39 Tuesday 14 September 1999

STATE OF MY LIFE

1. I love my new job! I'm network administrator for a small company called FSD Data Services. We have about 15 computers networked, about ten Windows NT 4.0, two Windows 95, and one unix (Free BSD). Unix box is the email server, one of the windows NT is our web server. I'm slowly crawling up the learning curve hill and loving getting paid to learn this stuff!

   I'm working about 30 hours per week, have Tuesdays off to do KTRU (9-11am CST (listen on realaudio!)) and whatever else I want to do. Making $17 per hour which is less than at Telecheck, but I get to wear shorts and T-shirt and run around the office barefoot!

2. All that happy money is going toward paying of my $9000 debt which I accumulated on credit cards during my 13 months of not working. Once I'm out of debt this time (I got out of $26000 debt after college) I'll more carefully invest some dollars and continue to work for as long as I am happy doing that.
3. I keep on thinking "Road Trip!" in my brain.. driving into west Texas somewheres and just playing. I keep on squawking about this but never do it, and there's tons of references to "digital camera" in my entries.. The desire is still here; I'm not sure why I don't just do it.
4. I recently finished my scrapbook (not online) of Costa Rica! Nice feeling to finally get those damn pictures off my kitchen table and archived nicely in a book on one of my shelves.

   I have also archived pictures from my two week adventure in Iowa. Did that just today. It didn't take as long because I didn't write notes throughout the book naming people or describing the events. We'll see if I ever do that.

   The goal of all this picture archiving is to clear off my kitchen table. It's a beautiful round wooden table, given to me by Christine's parents some years ago. I think the table (and I) will be happier with less crap on it.

5. Over the weekend, Spot, my cat, developed a big lump on his left jaw. When Fred came in at 8am Saturday, he noticed it. The lump was bigger on Sunday, and Spot was obviously experiencing pain trying to eat, so we took him to an ER vet clinic. The girl at the desk said, "it's an abcess." The doctor, after poking and proding and listening to Spot's heart and lungs said, "it's probably an abcess."

   (watch out, it gets gross)
   I paid $190. They knocked Spot out, shaved his left beard, lanced the lump and apparently squirted out 3 ounces of puss-y (pun intended) cottage cheese looking puss. Mmmmm.. cottage cheese...

   By 2pm, Fred had left (after we went to see Ma preach at First UU Church on Fannin (Ma = our mom)) and I went to get Spot, who was only bleeding a bit, and certainly seemed happier. Soon as I got home, he hopped out of the open car window and I had to grab him before he hopped the fence. He's an indoor cat for a week or so until he heals.

6. I have stopped being super active selling FlashNet accounts. That's kind of a misstatement; I was never super active in the first place. But the reason I quit even thinking about being super active is that I just harshed myself for not being active, not making tons of cash, not doing the steps required to make some dollars with FlashNet. I feel a million times happier now that I have released myself from the need to be successful in that arena. It feels great!
7. Today during my day off, I did KTRU (did not violate any FCC rules this week!), went grocery shopping (bought the wrong type of razors), worked on my photo archiving (put New Orleans Rally, Youth Council, and Con Con pics in a book), reviewed a CD for KTRU (number 37 since I've started as a DJ there in January(?)), and read a bit of a Newsweek magazine that came to my mailbox unexpectedly. Oh look- it's for the wrong address. I really just now looked and saw that.

   But actually, that (it came to my address in error) is interesting. Magazine arrived, I read the articles on the internet, found a URL for a webcam site jennicam.org. I visited the site, and found she has some sparse journal entries and was inspired to write this entry. And now you're reading it! All because the postal service misdelivered a magazine to my mailbox.

8. Now I'm going to drop off the CD at KTRU and attend a monthly reunion of the Project Heart graduates. Fun stuff! I'll write more when I get back.
9. Wow. Project Heart (I'm not sure if this is the correct URL; the site is not responding) is always great for me! I'm reinspired to continue work on my roller coaster book; I'm going to call Astroworld business office and begin a process of interviewing long time employees to uncover the history of Astroworld, especially its coasters! As "just a customer" I know a lot about the rides and the park, more than some employees. I'd like to learn more!
10. That reminds me; I haven't seen Dawn in since whenever that was that Dude and I lunched with her. But I called her last night just to say HI (HI Dawn!). We will probably go munch lunch or something sometime soon. Depends on when her next job starts.
11. I haven't shaved in several days, nor done laundry. These will happen soon.
12. I just finished a website for a friend of mine who sells baby blankets from her home. Check out Blankets To You!
13. It's now 7:34am Wednesday 15 September 1999, only 108 days until 2000!!! Do you have plans? I pretty much don't. I feel like I'll go skating downtown and/or in Montrose and watch people.