Monday, March 28, 2011

another post born of procrastination

So I'm in the midst of putting off doing school-work again.  I've got a take home mid-term for Ethics that is due before class Thursday night.  In class the professor said it should take around 8 hours to complete.  I don't think it will take me that long, but it is going to require me to put some work into it.  I don't mind though, I'm enjoying the class.  My mid-term for GIS is going to be an in-class, open-book test.  I'm not very worried about it.

Lets see, last night Ali and I bought a new coffee table and end table from a classmate who wanted to get rid of them.  I am really happy with them.  They look nice and are sooooo much better than the TV cart that we were using as a coffee table before.  This morning I had to wake up early and take Ali's car to the mechanic for new shocks and struts.  It's needed them for a while and we've been putting off the repair for too long.  So I'm stuck in the house today until that's done.  Which should make me get SOME type of work done, hopefully school-work, but I bet I put that off and do house-work.  We'll see.

I had a very indulgent weekend.  A family friend was in-town for work and we met up Friday evening and enjoyed a few (too many) beers.  From what I remember, it was a fantastic evening, and well worth it though.  This of course led to a day of misery on Saturday.  A large brunch at a Mexican restaurant did help to ease the pain and by mid afternoon I was feeling up to a run so I took Comet on a 2.5 miler that took us just under 40 minutes.  Not bad for being super-hungover.   Weighing 201 this morning after that weekend, without a workout yet today, is not too disappointing, all things considered.

It also looks like my best-friend Jon will be coming to visit me for a while this week.  I wish I wasn't so busy with school and job-hunting, but it's going to be awesome to actually have someone to hang out with for a while.

'Sall for now folks.  Time to get some work done.

Wednesday, March 23, 2011

procrastinating

As I go about trying to avoid finishing my homework for class tonight, I figured what better way to burn some time than by writing a blog.

So Mom and Dad and Louise's visit was really nice.  I got to play two rounds of golf with Dad and Louise.  Given how long it had been since I last played, I played much better than I thought I would.  I shot 79, 83 for the two rounds.  I only had one birdie that came on the 14th hole of the second round.  But I think I hit something like 20 greens in regulation out of the 36 holes, so that's not too shabby.  Here's a picture of Louise and I at Oak Quarry in Fontana


I'm glad that they were able to come visit and I'm really excited to go back to Minnesota this summer and see everyone again.

At the time of my last post I don't think I had received both of my grades from last session, but I have now.  4.0 in Managing Quality and Operations and a 3.7 in Marketing.  I am very pleased with both of those grades, especially considering that I was hoping to get a 3.3 in marketing. My GPA for the business program is now at a 3.6(686).  Gotta keep up the hard work.

In job news, I have a secondary interview with Northwestern Mutual in Los Angeles scheduled for this Friday afternoon.  I'm really excited for it because they have a very good internship program and if I can get into it, I feel like I can really learn a lot about financial planning and advising, which is really what I would like to do.  The only drawback of the program is that it is in LA :/  sacrifices may have to be made I suppose.  I should really try not to get too far ahead of myself.  It is a very competitive program, and I need to take the process one step at a time.
I also have an informational interview scheduled for next week with Waddell and Reed in Riverside.  I think it is a similar position to the Northwestern Mutual one, but I guess I'll find out.

In any case, wish me luck!

So on to weight.  In the days before my family arrived, I was between 197.5 and 199.  Since their visit, I'm up to 203.  Most of which I attribute to the abundance of food and alcohol that was consumed while they were here.  Louise made her scones Sunday morning before they left and easily at 10 of them.  They're so damn delicious.  I should be back under 200 sometime next week.
I am kind of astonished with how my body has changed over the last few weeks.  I think the changes have come from the addition of lifting to my exercise routine.  I know how stupid this sounds, but I've noticed that I've been checking myself out in the mirror a lot recently.  Not in a "oh my god, look how awesome you are" way, but in a "holy crap, that looks so much different than it did a few months/weeks ago" kind of way.

alright, that was a good 25 minutes, time to crack the whip and get to work.

Thursday, March 10, 2011

update

Just a quick update since I haven't done so in a long time.

Since my last post, which I don't really remember, my weight is down to 198.6 (as of yesterday).  I'm extremely happy with this because its the first time since high-school that I've weighed under 200 pounds and been healthy.  The last time I weighed under 200 I was smoking heavily, sleeping and eating irregularly, not exercising, and generally unhappy. Today, I haven't smoked in probably 6 months, I sleep at least 7 hours a night, eat 2-3 regular meals a day with some snacks, go to the gym 3-5 days a week, and I'm generally happy with where I'm at in my life and where I'm heading.

Let's see, Ali and I got a very generous gift from my Grandpa Buzzy, with which we were able to pay off all of our consumer debt.  We were also gifted a 2003 Toyota Highlander from Ali's mom when she bought a new car.  Having the highlander meant I could finally get rid of the money pit that was my truck.

As far as school, I've gotten the grade for one of the two classes I took last session.  I earned a 4.0 in Managing Quality and Operations, bringing my GPA for the BUSB program to just over a 3.66.  I'm still waiting on the grade from my Marketing class, but I'm expecting to get a 3.3 in that class, which is somewhat disappointing.  This session I'm taking GIS for business on Wednesday nights.  The class material seems interesting and it will definitely be a useful skill to have as I move into the business world.  Plus the class is full of people that I've come to know and like, so that's nice.  On Thursday nights (tonight) I have Business Ethics, which can be a very thought provoking topic.

I kind of can't believe that it is already March.   I really only have 6 months left of my bachelors program.  It's kind of a scary thought.  But on the plus side, I have an interview for an internship with Northwestern Mutual scheduled for this Friday, and I'm also pursuing a possible internship opportunity with Wells Fargo.  I feel like if I can just get my foot in the door somewhere, I will be able to (finally) land a job.

Next week my parents and sister (Louise) are coming to visit for a few days.  I'm very excited to see them, especially considering how little of a social life I have.  It will be nice to have them here, if only for a few days.

Last thing for today...
Our couch has developed a taste for dog.  Both Comet and Pistachio have been swallowed by our couch cushions recently...