not falling down

I’m finally initiating the domain transfer to the PHPWebhosting name servers tonight; it should refresh around the world in less than 48 hours, so this thing may disappear for a while. I haven’t managed to get NewsBruiser to show anything on the temporary (subdomained) site over there, but then it may be a domain name problem in the first place. We’ll see.

Anyway, hang tough, and don’t plan on xorph@xorph being too reliable for a couple of days. If I go anywhere I’ll be back soon.

Maria’s been making fun of me for this, which makes me want to discount it just on principle, but the fact is I’ve been a cookie fiend lately. I’ve produced, what, four batches? In a little over two weeks? (Where one batch is approximately thirty-two cookies?) We keep having to make trips to the store for more butter and morsels.

No, I haven’t eaten them all myself–it’s been Everybody From Centre Visits Me One Last Time Week, so I’ve been practically forcing them into a lot of mouths. I am a mother, after all; one of my primal instincts is to feed.

I’ve still eaten a lot, and it’s starting to show, but man they just keep turning out really good! It’s only the recipe from the back of the Toll House bag, but then it’s the chocolate chip cookie. Besides metadesserting, how much can you improve on the basic design?

I haven’t written nearly enough lately, but today I was overtaken by the urge: blog! Blog away! Unfortunately, the university computer lab system is tenaciously stupid, so I had no outlet but my pocket Moleskine. Let’s see what we gots in there!

1528 hrs: These two guys are sitting in front of me, one seat apart, using the room’s wireless network and AIM to talk to each other with their laptops. Welcome to technology! Also, no fair, I want one!

It occurs to me that this is an auditorium, and there is no earthly good reason to have a wireless network in it. Except so that all the geeks who live and work in this building could talk to each other with their laptops. Oh.

1557 hrs and every day before my Object-Oriented class, at least five guys and a girl sitting directly behind me spend their between-class break talking about Magic, the card game. They’re all in this same room for the class right before this one, so it’s a solid fifteen minutes of rapid conversation. It approaches argument, as only geeks can argue: insistently, with weak attempts at sarcasm and hyperbole, over incredibly trivial things.

I mean, I played the game. Still do, maybe twice a year, with my very old decks. But LORD, we’re in grad school now! Shut up about your stupid Magic cards!

1620 hrs: The funny thing about watching your professor work in a Windows folder he’s got up on the projector is that you know exactly when he or she created the file he or she is demonstrating. Like, say, 0030 hrs last night.

1742 hrs: There’s a man on the bus a few seats away, wearing large suspenders with a tape measure print. Little does he suspect one of the crucial factors of suspenders: they’re elastic, and of practically no use as a measuring tool! Now, a tape measure belt, that I could understand.

One year ago tonight she told me she wanted what I wanted: to be together. Or, actually, “together together.” I don’t think she remembers that, because I don’t think she reads this anymore. That’s probably just as well.

It wasn’t true. I understand why it wasn’t and I forgave her a long time ago, but I’ve still spent far too much time wishing I’d had more than a week with her to myself.

She’s going back to school on Friday or Saturday; I won’t see her again before then. She’s got a lot of packing to do. I wanted to see her every day this summer. I saw her about five times.

Most of the stories about girls in my life involve the word “unrequited,” and it has always been to my surprise that this one didn’t. She liked me for a long time–likes me still, I guess. But this one was all about “not enough.”

I’m always surprised by how small she is, when I actually get to touch her. Her waist fits in the crook of one arm. She makes me feel larger than I am, and more clumsy.

For the first time in a year, I won’t see her for over a month. We’ll talk on instant messenger; it’s always been easier that way. That was how she taught me to fall for her, over the course of junior year. That was how she broke up with me, and sent me into a tailspin that only Maria and Audrey were capable of stopping.

A year and four days ago tonight, I kissed her for the first time. An hour ago she kissed me for the last.

RGA        Do you have what it takes to be wealthy

This reminds me of the old Steve Martin SNL bit: “Wanna know how to get a million dollars and never pay any taxes? First, get a million dollars.”

Fun With Iteration

Jon once proposed that Will Smith produce a franchise of songs in the same vein as “Miami,” ranking each city in order of preference:

“Miami, my second home!”

“Los Angeles, my third home!”

“Dublin, my… 467th home.”

More Fun With Iteration

This morning, TARCing in ten minutes late to my advisor appointment, I managed to correctly get his office extension by picking a known number down the hall and trying each subsequent number.