I dropped 2 classes today ’cause they were annoying me, and managed to find 2 others to take their place. Dropped CAD ’cause it was at 8 am, I didn’t feel like learning a whole new software program I’d never use again, and it reminded me of animation a couple years ago, which also didn’t go too well. Then I decided to ax lithography. Nothing against the professor (who’s cool and also my advisor), but I don’t need another expensive studio to graduate … and I’m not the most hands-on artsy person either.

So after much griping and battling with my computer and e-campus to find suitable replacement classes, I came away with a we’ll-see-if-this-is-better situation (and if it isn’t, I’m stuck): I now have only 1 class on Mondays and Wednesdays and then 4 on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 8 am - 6:45 pm *cries* Luckily I have breaks of 1 - 2 hours between classes, and the last class probably won’t take the full 2 1/2 hours. Here’s the new deal (or no deal):

PHYS 121: Stars, Galaxies & Cosmology (MW 5:45 - 7 pm)
WRIT 330: Technology and Writing (TTh 8 - 9:15 am)
ANTH 360: Medical Anthropology (TTh 11 am - 12:15 pm)
MATH 103: Nature of Mathematics (TTh 2 - 3:15 pm)
GRPH 339: Web Design (TTh 4:15 - 6:45 pm)

I hate that I can never get away from 8 ams … but at least with writing I don’t have to be completely alert trying to focus on a blurry computer screen projection (and I’m done by 9:15 instead of 10:30). With how much I struggled to find interesting classes that weren’t full and not on Tuesdays and Thursdays this time, I can only dream about how filling my last semester with practically whatever I want will go.

Lots of people seem to be doing this (making a list of the first sentence of the first blog post of each month in 2006), and since I’m bored figured why not:

January: I know I haven’t updated in forever, sue me — I’ve spent the last few days working on my brand spankin’ new Coppermine gallery!

February: I’m 2 frickin’ credits away from being exempt from Assessment Day, which conveniently happens to be on Valentine’s Day (at least classes are canceled).

March: Microsoft iPod packaging parody: hilarious, and so true.

April: I was at Food Lion earlier tonight and noticed a new flavor of Dr. Pepper, Berries & Cream, that was only available in a fridge pack (no 2-liter bottles, 6-packs, etc.).

May: Another Firefox security update is available for download.

June: What my site looks like graphically.

July: I’m working on a Saturday.

August: Hehe.

September: Aww, Steve Irwin (The Crocodile Hunter) was killed by a stingray today.

October: Like everyone else, I’ve been busy with school and nothing exciting going on (haven’t even had time to play The Sims!).

November: I got this from one of the message boards I frequent, and just about died lol.

December: Like my cable/internet bill needs to be any higher — Comcast is taking over Adelphia here, and in the process are raising the cable price by $3.

As you can see, nothing really spectacular … but oh well. Happy new year anyway.

I saw the coolest car on my way to the mall today — a bright red Thunderbird with stuffed reindeer antlers sticking up from the front windows and a white “tail” stuck to the trunk! Dunno if there was anything on the front, but it was kinda like this … and now I want one lol.

This is mainly for my benefit, but here’s what I got from everybody — guess I was good this year lol:

Brian’s mom:
- Phantom of the Opera DVD
- Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest DVD
- iflops pig
- sword letter opener
- blue L.L.Bean fleece jacket
- stocking: cow and sled ornaments, Burt’s Bees lotion and lip balm, rubber duckie soap, glow stick, CD/DVD openers, and various food/candy items

Grandpa and Mary:
- black JanSport “Air Cure” backpack
- Spirited Away DVD
- Gap gift card
- stocking: 12/25/06 issue of Time, impressionism and MoMA mini calendars, sketchbook, “The U.S. Constitution and Fascinating Facts About It” book, “God Bless Our Pad” magnet, blue snowflake mug, fair trade organic coffee, and various food/candy items

Grandma and Bob:
- Phantom of the Opera DVD
- pink L.L.Bean fleece jacket

Aunt Ann and Ed:
- Animatrix DVD
- tall black Naturalizer boots
- iPod click wheel protector

Uncle Chris and Mary:
- car tissue box holder (with bonus tissue boxes!)
- Sims 2 Pets Expansion Pack

Dad:
- black Land’s End vest

Ross:
- Stuff on My Cat 2007 daily calendar

the Lees:
- cow ornament

Brian’s dad:
- Macy’s gift card
- dark blue long-sleeved Gap shirt

Brian:
- Dali 2007 calendar
- Jones Soda 2006 Holiday Pack
- Tulsa, Tokyo & The Middle of Nowhere DVD (Hanson)
- mono/kissing disease plush microbe
- desktop carnivorous plant set
- HTTPanties (200 OK)
- Trader Joe’s French truffles

Olga:
- manicure set

1. Egg nog or hot chocolate?
Since I’ve never had egg nog (which needs to change before I die), I guess I’ll say hot chocolate.

2. Does Santa wrap presents or just set them under the tree?
Most of our presents are from actual people — my grandma’s the only one who occasionally does “from Santa.”

3. Colored lights on tree/house or white?
Colored! White lights are boring.

4. Do you hang mistletoe?
No, can’t really see my family doing the whole mistletoe thing. But I’d like to start once I have my own house.

5. When do you put your decorations up?
Anywhere from a few weeks to the night before Christmas … depends on when I’m home and how early my dad gets them out.

6. What is your favorite holiday dish (excluding dessert)?
Umm … basically anything you can’t get other times of the year. Don’t have anything specific since our holiday destinations and hosts change almost every time.

7. Favorite holiday memory as a child?
Getting a big box of My Little Ponies one year … a scooter another year … Julia Roberts’ autograph at my grandpa’s apartment … the year of both an iPod and a digital camera … etc.

8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa?
Don’t remember lol. Is that good or bad?

9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve?
Nope, never have, and probably never will unless something so monumental happens on Christmas day that prevents the few hours of present-exchanging from taking place.

10. How do you decorate your Christmas tree?
With colored lights and the random, non-matching ornaments we’ve collected over the years.

11. Snow! Love it or dread it?
Love everything about it except for driving in it and when it makes me cold for prolonged periods of time.

12. Can you ice skate?
Yes, but don’t expect anything fancy.

13. Do you remember your favorite gift?
*thinks* Not really … but if I do I’ll update

14. What’s the most important thing about the holidays for you?
Seeing everyone, the short break from school/work, the lights and decorations and general “happiness” and, of course, getting and giving presents.

15. What is your favorite holiday dessert?
See #6.

16. What is your favorite holiday tradition?
Putting up the outdoor lights, listening to Christmas music while trimming the tree, and having my uncle play Santa on Christmas Day.

17. What tops your tree?
This weird red and green, triangle-shaped, padded pseudo-star.

18. Which do you prefer, giving or receiving?
Giving since you get that warm fuzzy feeling inside.

19. What is your favorite Christmas song?
Carol of the Bells.

20. Candy canes?
Yes please.

21. Favorite Christmas movie?
Home Alone.

*sigh* Hate grades. I was doing fine until aesthetics … hate tests even more, since that was all the professor seemed to care about (no attendance policy, papers assigned, etc.). Yeah they were take-home and open-book except for the final, but even with those “perks” I never did well. I still can’t believe I got a D The only other classes that’s happened in were math and US history, which I’ve sucked at since the beginning of time — this is my first barely passing in an “art” course. It was more philosophy than art, which I’m also not good at, but still. Along with my other C (again, stupid tests … got As on every paper), B-, B, and A- grades, my dad’s gonna love knowing I went from needing a 0.1 to 0.4 GPA increase to reach the car-insurance-discount-acceptable 3.0.

I’ve never understood why Matt (the WordPress guy) didn’t include documentation with his Blogtimes plugin. I’ve tried more than once to get it working on this site, but failed since I had no idea what I was doing and, you know, that’s a pretty common thing when you’re expected to “just know” how something you’ve never seen before works (especially when it’s not a simple drop-in-plugins-folder-and-forget type thing). Isn’t writing documentation something all coders should do no matter what? Anyway, thanks to the instructions of the Blogtimes (with Icons Mod) plugin, I was finally frickin’ successful — see it in action here.

Hope this little post can help someone else … I know I could’ve used it before.