Arizona

An update about the items listed in my last entry will be up soon. Right now, I'm currently working on a MacBook Pro from a couple years ago. My friend let me use his computer while I am here. I like how the zoom is built in and although the words are not as sharp as those for Zoomtext, they are still readable. I have yet to figure out how to turn VoiceOver on. I might be getting a Macbook from a student at MCC. I'm kind of skeptical about buying a computer from someone I don't know. The other concern is that there is a CD stuck in the CD drive. I guess I can buy an external CD drive because I don't like the slots that are provided in the Macbooks. Ah well, I'll have Susan mess around with it for me before I purchase it. If I don't like it, I'll get a loan and buy a new one from Apple. 
Anyway, Arizona weather is fairly nice compared to Florida weather. The AC is on in this apartment and I am fairly content. Waking up to it being 2 hours earlier is very rewarding. 
I've contacted the nylon harness maker and we've exchanged a couple emails back and forth. I'm considering just getting the harness and seeing if that makes a difference in Jim's work. I feel like I'm running out of options. The harness itself is $60 and if I can work it out with Jim, I'd rather not spend the extra $30 for the handle. 
I'm rather hungry right now... Hmm... what to eat while Bradford is gone... Not a clue... I have fed Jim and I'll take him out after my shower. He's peacefully sleeping. My worry is that he'll get sunburn while he's here. 
Today I will be exploring ASU's campus and attending a comedy show. I wish I was involved in comedy. MCC doesn't really give me many opportunities though. Off to take a shower I go!
Ah well, off to be productive. 

Feelin' HOT HOT HOT!!!

Bradford was amazing in his show today. I really enjoyed the chance to see a show and I feel lucky to have such a friend. They played a variety of improv games. Half of them I knew, the other half reminded me of when I used to participate in theater. I miss acting. I want to start stand up comedy soon. I just feel like it'll help me get through my life when times are rough. Stand up would be a giant stress reliever. I was almost in a open mic night at MCC, but I was scheduled to come to AZ on the day that I would've had to perform. Tonight is the show at MCC. They are going to record it. Matt will have a copy donated to the library. I'm going to check it out as soon as I get home. 
Did I mention how much I love October? It has ben a busy month filled with adventures and a variety of annoyances. Visiting Bradford is one of my adventures. Did I mention how nice his place is? The dining hall for his dorm is super classy. 
Jim dog doesn't really appreciate the weather. He thinks it's too hot. We walked 5 blocks to Bradford's class. Jim was panting hard when we finally reached the library. Kudos to AZ for killing my one and only friend... Bahaha.. Jim's snoozing right now. His breathing finally slowed to his regular breathing. I'm finally cooled off too. Apparently it's around 95 degrees outside. Uck.. I'll be glad to be back in Chicago just for the cool weather. I never said I wasn't enjoying myself here. *grin* 
I'm not sure what tonight will bring me. Bradford is in class until 7:30 PM and we drove here. I'm hoping to meet more of his people. If not, we'll figure something out. 
Let me tell you a little bit about what my life at school is like. 

• Psychology: I don't know where I stand grade-wise, but it's getting harder and harder to follow along. She finally has paper guidelines out to us. I have to start on that soon. I failed the first major exam. The majority of the class did. In the end, I am hoping for a B. 
• U.S. Government: My grade is probably ruined thanks to the first exam. Talk about mui embarrassing. If you want to know how bad, it's bad enough to rattle anyone's bones. 38%... Ouch... However, I did well for the round table discussion. Fortunately for me, the instructor for the class offers a lot of extra credit. I hope again for a B in the course. 
• Oceanography: A pleasant surprise came in the form of 87% on my rock practical. I thought I was going to fail it. Goes to show what I know and it also goes to show that tutors are good. Class is cancelled for the upcoming week. So this Tuesday, I just have to worry about my voice lesson. In other awesome news, I don't have to do a topographic map practical, I get a paper assigned instead. Fine with me.. Oh! But I do have a midterm exam on that exact same day. Ew 
• Choir: I've missed 4 rehearsals thus far this semester. I'm not exactly proud of it, but at the same time, I do not feel any loss. Mr. S really likes me so I don't have to worry about getting anything lower than an A. He gives all of his students A's unless they are absent for more than half of the semester or misses a concert. We are rehearsing bits and pieces of The Messiah by G.F. Handel. I love singing it. Speaking of singing, I can finally sing after two weeks of not being able to utter one note on pitch. That alone makes me a happier person. 
• Voice lessons: NS did not turn me away this week. I was able to sing to the best of my ability. We worked on my piece. I felt invincible... Singing does grea things for the soul. 

Unfortunately, I had to drop jazz ensemble. I don't remember if I have written this dreadful news or not. I was overwhelmed with my classes. 7 classes is a lot of anyone to handle. I am down to 13 credit hours instead of 14. Rehearsals were not the same and I was filled in a room full of men. I just felt kind of vulnerable. MB understood what I was going through and he was nice enough to tell me that i could still play at the festival as well as come to rehearsals when I was able to. I'm just kind of devastated that I couldn't keep it up. I feel like I failed. 

My sister and her boyfriend are driving me up the wall. I want to leave my house in January even if it's the last thing i do. I don't want to know what they are doing. I don't want to be a part of their annoyingness. They seem to know how to piss me off at exactly the wrong time. Perhaps I am just annoyed with their behavior. Although I guess I'm upset because she ignores the rest of the family and runs off with Matt. 

My father ran the Chicago marathon on Sunday. It took him 4 hours and 24 minutes to run the full 26.3 miles. I'm proud of him for continuing his passion. He's quite an athlete. So is my sister. I didn't get any of that from him. It's rather disappointing. I am, however, rather competitive. Usually that gets me into trouble. 

Using this Mac has mad me realize that I can live with a computer that is this capable. I'm curious about a lot of programs like iMovie and GarageBand. Anyway, I'll probably write again tomorrow because I can actually use this computer because it's accessible. 

OH! Annddd... Happy Birthday to KW!! She turns 21 today! (Lucky...) 

My iMac Experience

 I"m just having so much fun messing around on this iMac. I'm in Bradford's class and they are all building sites and social networking online. 
My main goal is to see what I like about Apple computers and contemplate getting one in the near future. Apple should make netbooks. This is what I've decided. Why? Because I'd like to have a laptop/netbook and have an iMac. Damn it to hell, I shouldn't be messing around on these computers. It makes me realize what I don't have at home. MCC doesn't provide us with Macs, PCs are used instead. Although I now know how to use the zoom feature on the mac, Zoomtext has proven to be slightly better in quality. 

Another thing I've noticed is that they keyboard on Macs are different. They don't really have a solid feel. I don't mind this, but at he same time,It's difficult to distinguish keys. I'm using a thin keyboard right now. There are some keys that don't seem to administer the correct letter even if it's pressed. I notice a lot of spelling errors in my past entries.

What do I like about the Mac? I enjoy its simple design, built in accessibility, and variety of programs that don't have to be purchased, but still produce cool videos, pictures, and songs. I have yet to figure out how to turn VoiceOver on. But so far, as a nube, I would hit a Mac in a second. The only thing that's holding me back is the cost. The price of fancy living is SO grotesque. I don't have $2000 to spend on electronics. 

Sad day... I should probably explore more stuff, but I wanted to give an update.