Long again, how about that.

I didn't realize again how long it has been, but there haven't been a whole lot of things that have been interesting in my life.

School had gotten out mid July, I passed all my classes. That is a big hurra for me since I would have been put on academic suspension if I didn't. So the past little bit has been focused on just working. There was a month in which there was no school, so things were really quite around here. (Small college town + no school = boring, and no people.)

Though at the beginning of August Mum, Dad, Kaytie, Jared and I all too a trip up to Canada to drive down memory lane. I got to get to know my Cousin Rob a little bit better, that was enjoyable. Also visited a place called Writing on Stone. Way fun, its a bunch of weathered rock formations that you can climb all over and play in. I loved it.

We headed over to Kindersley where I spent a large chunk of my life growing up, visited Grandpa twice, once on the way to Saskatoon and once on the way. Also on the way back we went and visited our old Branch. It was tiny but we got quite the reception.

Over all the trip was only about 5 days, quick but worth it. I would like to make another trip and just relaxe on my way through.

Since the trip its just been working and hanging out with Doug. Things are going to be changing at the airport so I was affraid that I wouldn't have a job coming October, but I was reasured by my boss this week that I would have a position. Big relief for me let me tell you. I was going to request transfering back to Seattle just so I wouldn't have to find another job here (impossible feat, Rexburg has no jobs, and the ones it does have pay nothing.) So it should be interesting how things turn out these coming monthes.

Your pretty much caught up on my life now. Oh, my new roommates just moved in the last 2 days. Interesting bunch. All several years younger than I am, so should be an interesting semester.

Its been too long...

Its been a while since I have posted on here. Its been some of the most stressful months I've had yet. There was a lot riding on this semester for me. Barely stayed in school due to some bad grades I had, so if I didn't pick it up for this semester I was getting put on suspension.

Well guess what...I made it! In fact I not only made it, I also came through with a 3 point GPA for the semester. It helped pick up my accumulative GPA as well. I learned at lot in my classes and I learned a lot about my capabilities as well.

I found out I can actually write research papers. In fact I got my first A on a research paper ever. I wrote it on advertising, my major. I retook a class that I didn't do well in previously. It was a web design class in which I passed quite easily.

I also took a web development class, as I mentioned before. I created pbenmay.com which used both the stuff I learned in my web design class, CSS and XHTML, and new stuff, PHP and mySQL. In other words, it contains a website the has a database backing. I posted many of the projects and assignments I have worked on through out the semester. I am also currently developing my own blog on the site. I'm still doing some research and figuring out how to create an RSS feed with it.

With that and work at the Idaho Falls Airport it pretty much covers the last couple months. Now that finals are over I'm having trouble filling my time. Theres just so much of it when your not scrambling to meet deadlines.

The Past Month

So I haven't posted anything for a while. Ever since I got back from my training class I have been very busy with work and school stuff.

I finished my training class in Seattle and passed all the tests with high grades. But I had some fun while I was there. The first Monday I was there one of my buddies that I used to work with picked me up and we went to our traditional eating joint, Red Robin (mmm, Whiskey river chicken burger.) Then after a week of training I was able to meet up with several of my old work buddies at IHOP. Thus a continuing of the tradition of midnight dinner. Then that next week I finished my training and flew home.

For the past couple weeks I've been playing catchup in my classes. I have pretty much caught up now, but I'm still trying to make my website look good. I'm going to try several different designs and get peoples inputs on them.

One Week Down

The weeks of reckoning are here. I flew to Seattle on Monday and after checking into my hotel room I walked over to the next building and started training. Needless to say, training is overly exciting with sitting in a class room setting for 8 hours a day. I'm learning the computer system for my job at Horizon Air. I learned most of it before I came here just by watching other people which has added to my boredom.

I survived the first week. Though my unfinished homework has been lingering in my mind though. Its still not due for a couple days, but its hard working on websites with a laptop. The screen is just too small. I'm doing the best that I can though. Thats one reason I was wanting to get it done before I left. Oh well.

I have been able to explore some of the restaurants around the Seatac Airport. The ones my hotel shuttle would take me to that is. Last night I went to a place called Roasters, and man was it good. It was a little on the spendie side, but I think it was well worth it. I never though I was a lamb fan till last night.

I'm at Kate and J's (Aunt and uncle) place now for the weekend. Hopefully I can finish up my homework.

Family Advertures

This last week was a nice change. Wednesday evening Seth, Lauren, and Dad came to Rexburg and I showed them around campas and town. You know as much as you can with a 6 month old.

The weather decided to not cooperate with us and it dropped the temperature to right around freezing. In other wards they bundled up in heavy jackets and I wore my light jacket. You know what Oregonians typically ware in the late fall.

Thursday, Rexburg decided to give them a view of what its really like. The temperature dropped, the wind picked up and it dumped close to 2 inches of snow on us. We eneded jonting from building to building to keep warm. Then Dad went and bought a sweater at the book store that was way to small for him (good thing they let him trade it out.)

After the tour we headed out to Big Judds. Mmmm 1 lbs burgers. I think I still have left overs in the fridge. Most of the grith of the burger comes from the bun. It makes it slightly intimidating.

Saying farwell to them as they headed down to Provo, I locked myself in my room and hit the books (and scrubs. I think I'm addicted to that show) I'm about 25% of the way of getting everything done before my trip to Seattle.

After classes the next day, Friday, I hopped in my car and drove down to meet up with the rest of the family. Then it was just a weekend of partying with my parents, siblings, and nieces & nephews. I wasn't able to make it to Lincolns graduation (the whole purpose of the family gathering) but I enjoyed the spoils of it.

After staying through Sunday morning I headed back up to Idaho just in time to start work at the airport. It was a long night. I'm just glad the planes were on time.

Now I'm back plugging away at my homework once more. I can't wait to get out of Idaho again. Six days and counting.

School and stuff...

Quick note before class. I'm back in classes and quite enjoying it. Though I am still stressed a little (story of my life.) I have to go to Seattle for 2 weeks in May for training and I'm trying to get all my school work for that time done before I head out. That means trying to take an exam a week early. If I can do well on that test, that will be a major achievement for me, seeing as I am not a huge reader. I will have to prepare for the test by reading everything for it. I'll keep you updated as to how I do on it.

I just purchased my own domain name for one of my classes. Its a web development class. My brother Seth is going to show me some cool things he's been working on and I'm going to see if I can't use some of it to impress my classmates. Anyway the url for my site is www.pbenmay.com, pretty neat huh. There isn't anything there yet but will be soon. Oh gotta go, my class is starting now.

Breathing a Sigh of Relief

Over the past week my stress level has both peaked and bottomed out. Not something I enjoy and something I hope to advoid in the future.

Like I said before I got through my finals and got over that stress. I ended up failing one class (did not spend the time I needed to do well in it.) Also my final in another class ended up not getting graded. In other words I also failed that class. It was my CIT 203 class, the one I wrote the algorithms for. That ticked me off pretty bad, it also didn't help that I couldn't get a hold of my professor. He decided to go on vacation for the week. I'll be sharing some kind words with him when he gets back.

So because of these two classes my academic standing had been put on the line. I was on the verge of being supended. I ended up canceling my own two day vacation to try and take care of this. I spent the week running around campus talking to the registration office and various secretaries to get a hold of my professor. Most of it to no avail. I ended up writing two letters to the school to explain my situation (they were holding a hearing to decide if I should stay in school.)

On Wednesday I figured I was doomed. I rented a couple zombie movies to get my mind off of the situation. I woke up Thursday morning to check my email, and it was the most wonderful news. They decided to accept my petition and let me continue my education. I leaped for joy and shouted the biggest Woot of my life.

So today I just purchased more books then I have ever bought in my life. I never thought I would be quite so happy to buy books. Now I can relax and work till school starts on Monday. It should be an interesting semester. I get to create my own website under my own domain.

Done, done and done

This semester is over finally. Its been kinda a rough one for me as well. I had some classes that were way harder then I though, then some classes that were supposed to be hard but were quite easy. Some of them I made the mistake of procrastinating, big mistake, so some things are still up in the air.

All 3 of my projects were great. The research project went through without a hitch and we all got A's. The advertising campaign for Audi went great in fact our group received the highest grade in the class earning some extra credit points.

Then there was my programming project. I racked my brain for days trying to figure out the problem, well 4 problems. The whole project entailed combining two lists in various ways. The first one I had to just combine the lists. The trick is both lists have some of the same names in each one. So eliminating the duplicate name it part of the problem. The second problem entailed just listing all the names that are in both the list. Those two I figured out quickly. The last two I banged my head on my desk several times. The third one entailed listing only the names in one list not including the names in both lists. I stayed up all night trying to figure this out. It wasn't until I really took a good look at my brothers help that I figured it out. After I got that one the fourth was cake. Combining both lists without listing the names in both lists.

That last paragraph probably doesn't make sense. It does to me in my somewhat odd brain.

Then there were my finals. One I got a C but that doesn't do much for my grade. The other I just took this morning, and I think I fairly well on it too. Surprising since I hated that class with a passion.

Now its all just a waiting game. I'll keep things updated as they come.

Eye bowls filled with candy!

After some thought I finally did it. I went to the eye doctor today and got me some of those tiny little eye bowls. They feel kinda weird and I'm not quite sure how I feel about them yet. But we'll see after this little trial period. I'm just hoping I don't end up late for my test tomorrow, you know the first day with them spending hours in front of the mirror just trying to get them in.

Projects, WOOT!

Pretty much this has been a very different semester for me at school. Usually during this time I'm stressing out over the 5 finals I have to take and wondering how I'm going to fit in work to pay off the rest of my rent. Not this year. This year I have 2 finals out of my 5 classes. What do I have to say about that? WOOT! Instead I have 3 projects to finish up, with 2 of them being group projects.

One finishes tomorrow, it's a research project about what men have done and plan to do for their weddings. It pretty much was a piece of cake since all of our findings pretty much told us what we already knew...they don't care. They want to get the ring and plan the honeymoon thats it. It makes it so easy to write of the results.

Another finishes next Tuesday, which isn't quite as easy but not in the least hard either. It's an advertising campaign for Audi. We had to figure out who Audi is marketing towards, find a position and create 4 types of ads to convey that position. We have everything done we just have to put it all together and print it out.

The third projects I don't really know what it is yet. I know its a programming project for my CIT class. I'm pretty sure we will be given a problem and have to apply and code it in javascript, but I'm not certain. The teacher hasn't posted it yet and well there is only a week left in the semester. It gets kinda stressful.

Other then those projects its just two finals, one for my CIT class (stupid Excel,) the other for my Media Law and Ethics (have yet to apply anything to the media.) Those are spread out so it shouldn't be a problem (one Friday, the other next Thursday.)

The only other problem I have is trying to figure out what I'm going to do over the break. I couldn't get any days off cause they still haven't even figured out what the schedule is going to be. I'm pretty sure I should have at least 3 days off in a row though. I was thinking about going home or going to Utah or Alaska or even Washington D.C., but I don't know. I'm sure I'll figure it out.

Blah

Everyone has those days when they just feel blah. You know one day you feel great then the next it levels off. That pretty much sums up me for the time being. But thats just temporary, and I should be right as rain any time now. It just takes some planning of the future to figure out what I'm gonna do. There are a couple classes that I'm worried about. If I don't get a decent grade in them I won't be able to go to school in the summer. But I won't take that as an option and I'm gonna do great in those classes.

Work Blogging

So to go along with the theme of blogging in different places I am now at work blogging away. I work in the airline industry so at times its very stressful, other times it gets slow and boring. So here I am at my work station (thankgoodness they don't lock blogger out like they do everything else.)


So my life is pretty simple right now. Just work, school, Megan and relaxing (with as simple as those things can be.) So after some adventures last night in Idaho Falls Megan really wanted to make homemade sushi, but since we don't have anything to actually make it we compromised with rice balls. I would have to say they are none to bad with the rice and crab filling goodness. I'm trying to look for some other things to fancy them up, but SE Idaho isn't exactly a hub for ethnic food.

Class Blogging

Ah the joys of being in class. Or should I say being bored out of your mind in class. Currently I am in class watching my teacher search through his computer trying to find a file to show us. So far its been close to 5 min. that he has been searching. I really don't think he prepares anything before he comes to class. Don't get me wrong he knows his stuff, but doesn't do very well at teaching it.

So this, combined with the simpleness of the subject, causes me to be bored. Just think if I wasn't bored right now you wouldn't get to here me just ramble on and on about it. I thinking that this might be the only way I might be able to pay attention in class today. It brings to mind that time I was wondering through the woods, then I just get that feeling. You know that feeling where it feels like someone is following you but you're too scared to look over your shoulder. So you just keep walking hoping that it will go away. Then I realize that its the group I've been hiking with the whole time. I hate it when that happens.

Ooo, now were talking about binary. Fun stuff, all those ones and zeros. Anyway I should probably start paying attention. There might be some important information that I might miss if I haven't already.

If you can't drive right, GET OFF THE ROAD!

I know the world is full of people who can't drive. I would list some stereo types but I'm sure I would get in quite a bit of trouble. So I'll give some very vague examples: there are those that don't use their turn signals, those that stare at the light when it turns green, there are even those that slow down to a complete stop when turning into a parking lot or driveway. All these examples are quite mild and seem quite intelligent compared to the person in the story I'm about to relate.

So I am going to school at BYU-Idaho located in Rexburg Idaho, but I work about 30 min. south at the airport in Idaho Falls. I work nights so I usually get off around midnight. So this particular night I was driving home, its dark as usual and low amounts of traffic. I get about half way home when I see lights coming from the opposite direction (bare in mind this is a 4 lane highway with large grassy median.) I don't think anything of, people come from that direction all the time. Then I start to think my eyes are playing tricks on me, it started to look as if one of the oncoming cars was in my lane (the left or fast lane.) I shake it off, its late my eyes must be tired. But the closer he got the more it looked that way. So I change lanes to the slow lane and sure enough the car is in the fast lane coming head on towards me. So I lay on the horn as this guys passes me.

It took a second, but then it hit me. If I hadn't changed lanes later then I did, I would be dead right now. I would have hit that idiot head on!

So thus ends my rant about stupid drivers. I am very glad that I am still alive. I'm pretty sure there is someone watching over me or else I wouldn't have changed lanes when I did and I would either be dead or sucking food through a tube.

A Week for the Ages!

No really it is for the ages, or is it a week for the aged? Either way t'was my birthday week. It was quite an enjoyable week, besides having to work and stressing over my many homework assignments. Though it wasn't nearly as stressful as past weeks. I finally got caught up on my homework, which means I'm probably passing all of my classes now. Now there is a whole slue of homework I have to work on. Ah the joys of college.

With b-days come the really neat stuff that comes from people around you. You know like cards, gift card, and toys. My favorite was a framed picture from Megan. It makes me feel all warm inside. Then theres the cake and the yummy pizza and all the random conversations and all that sorts.

To top off all of that, I finally got Megan addicted to Heroes which gives me an excuse to watch it again. I even went out of bought the first season. The story just drags me in every time. At least I'm spreading it out this time. The first time I watched it, saw the first 3/4 of it online in about 2 day. I know pretty sick huh? What I can say, I like the show.

My brain is now empty, blog will continue once it's full again.

Memory just isn't what it used to be...

When you look back on your childhood, there are so many things that stand out so vividly. Many of those things are the shows you used to watch. Every Saturday morning you would sit in front of the TV watching hour after hour of cartoons that filled your mind of fantastic worlds and stories. Eventually though the shows would get canceled and replaced by other, newer shows. But in your mind still lay the memories of those great show.

Now over time those memories are forgotten by some and gloried by others. For those that have gloried these shows it eventually comes back to bit you in the butt. I remember the first time I was able to watch some of my favorite shows as a grown up. I was so very excited. Seconds after the showed started my jaw dropped and I couldn't believe what I was watching. It was slow, badly animated, and most of all very dumbed down. My memories were shattered. I then went through withdrawals thinking it was all a sham.

Then an epiphany came to me. It isn't what the cartoon actually is, its what it is in my imagination. And since a child imagination is one of the greatest why take away from that. So the best thing to do is remember of how you thought of those great shows. Embrace them for what you remember of them. Then they remain great and you are able to laugh when things like the following are brought before you.

Beginnings

The beginning of what I hope to be a random and insightful place for me to put some musings.