1. Mom in France/Italy/Other parts of Europe
2. Sarah in Pennsylvania/East Coast
3. Tim in mutha-frickin' JAPAN
4. Messier Marathon/Oregon Star Party/Camp Hancock Star Party in Eastern Oregon
5. Vancouver, BC, again, cuz, why not?

Not sure how I'm gonna meet these travel goals with limited amounts of PTO but I have enough money dammit and I want it to happen this year!!!

Ok so I went to Nordstrom Rack on my lunch break this week and bought some accessories or whatever. I went to pay and the total came to $83 and some change and I was like, ok that's a little high and then someone called my cell phone so I just paid and left. Then the next day I was looking at what I bought and I saw this headband I picked out that was $42.97. $42.97???? That's a lot for a stupid head band that didn't even really fit right. I took it back yesterday and they were like, it's designer, and I was like, it's a refund, now, thanks.
Who would pay $42 for a head band?????

Yikes, Intel is cutting 1,000 from Hillsboro! Not only that, but out of all the campuses here in the Hills, all those jobs are coming from my own campus, Ronler Acres. Intel decided to shut down operation at the Fab 20 building-- the consequences of which are comparable to narrowly dodging a bullet in my world! My guys sometimes work in Fab 20 but they spend most of their time in D1D and D1C, which is still apparently fine. I guess they have been talking about shutting down Fab 20 for a couple years now... but still who would think that little building housed 1,000 jobs? They already gutted the Santa Clara D2 project, which I was also adminning for. Too close for comfort! 

Why is it that it seems like life keeps getting better and better?? I know that kind of statement sounds like a short-term feeling, but really, just when I think I've reached a plateau of contentment and understanding with this crazy lil thing called life, I go on to reach a new level of enlightenment. And that's not to say that I keep feeling so happy to be alive because I keep getting promoted, or buying new things or even going new places... cuz I'm not really at all. It's just like, the more time I have to think about it when I'm alone, the more super neato it seems that I'm alive and here to experience everything that comes with living, even the crappy stuff. I love all the wisdom I get to collect. I love really getting to know things from every angle but at the same time trying a bunch of new stuff. I love the freedom that comes from not being material!

Uhhh I should stop myself before I start to sound like some religious freak on a manic episode. Anyway, let's just say I'm feelin fine in '09, despite this crappy winter weather.

Better late than never!

Best things that happened in 2008:

1. Graduated college!
2. Got a real f-ing job!
3. Summer of Mom
4. Camp Hancock/Maupin/Oregon Star Party/Trout Lake Astronomy Trips
5. Year of self-sufficiency and frugality

Worst of 2008:

1. Consequences of a checkered past .
2. Lost my old wedding ring
3. Favorite vintage bicycle stolen
4. Moving away from an XBox 360 waaaaaahhhghhhh!!!

Neutral: The break-up, moving to Hillsboro, the snow storm.

That's right, I did it. I decided which is better and wrote an article about it. That means it's official

The XBox 360 is BETTER than the PS3!!!!

And while I'm at it:

Rock Bank 2 is better than Guitar Hero: World Tour!

Mwa hahhahahahhahahhahahahahhahahahhahha!!!

Now since I am all high and mighty right now I do have to admit I was wrong at first about Watchmen. At first I thought it wasn't that great but after finishing it, ok I get it, Watchmen is SUPER good. Too bad the movie will never be released .

Ok yeah, that's it for now. I'm a geek and that's that.

MerryChristmas everyone! What a great year it has been  

I have 4 days off (mostly-- I work from home for a few hours tomorrow but we won't count that) and then I return to work work at Intel after almost 2 weeks of working from home thanks to this InSaNe blizzard we had-- *sings in the conga line tune* we all have cabin fev-ER da da da da da da DA! I was trapped at Sean's house for almost a full week which could have been a nightmare but luckily it wasn't all bad  I finally managed to drive my own car home for good today, on Christmas of all days  and a WHITE christmas of all things!

Next week it's back to work. But then again next week is only a really a 3-day week for me due to New Year's.... so really I don't have to face the dregs again until 2009. Woohoo! And then it's a lonnnggg gray winter that repeats like the background of a looney tunes cartoon until the 2009 astronomy observing season begins in March----- soooooo Imma gonna enjoy the good times while they're here.  Cookies! Star Trek! Halo! PSP! Internets! X-Men!

Tomorrow my BFF turns 25  Good lord we are getting old aren't we???

Lastly, I loved the presents Mom, Jesse, Katie, Molly, and Eileen! Merry Christmas XOXOXOXO!!!!

Ok, I've  been working here on the Intel site for 3 months now and I have to say I've never heard so many stories about dramatic workplace deaths.

As I was telling by bosses some of the nausea-inducing workplace accidents they show you in the safety orientation (men being silently killed by odorless gasses, falling off ladders, etc) they felt obligated to share with me some of the stress-induced suicides they've heard about in the company....One guy blew his head off with a shot gun! Another project manager lit himself on FIRE!  And some other technician took a bunch of drugs and came to the work and then got really paranoid and hid in a portapotty for 24 hours....  Apparently some aspects of this line of work are very stressful....

As of today my Suite101 earnings are $200.13! I feel like a real professional writer, hee hee!