Of yet more classes, the damn bus, and some miscellanious

Comp basics is, so far, damn boring. We're starting at the beginning (which has, I grant you, brought to light a couple of interesting details I hadn't known) and working up from there. But ... gah. I've /done/ most of this, from scratch and picked up via experience. I mean, I know more about the interior of my computer than the /teacher/ does!! This bugs me a little.

Writing class, which I was actually more than an hour early for, was kind of interesting - I am surrounded by nursing students - and the teacher seems to be the sort of person who is teaching what I want to learn. In short, how to better express myself via the written word.
This ought to improve my command of grammar and punctuation - not to mention bring to light other places I could use some improvement in - so I'm feeling pretty good about it.

Basic Design ... oi. We're starting with a collage, which required magazines or something we could get images from. Do I have anything like that? No. Can I fake it? Yup. Thankfully, I /do/ have a lot of things I cut out from catalogues, so I just took those, my papers from card-cutting and my sticker collection. It worked out.
The result is too big to scan in one piece, however. I'm now working on tracing it.
I did discover that it's possible to get me, my backpack and my carrying case all on the bus at once with no major incedents... this is no small matter, given that my carrying case is big enough to fit an 18x24" sketchpad into.

Tomorrow, I've got the studio art class - and I can only hope I don't get lost trying to find it. ^^

I'm learning to ignore the schedules where the buses are concerned. They get there when they get there and a prospective rider needs to learn to leave plenty of travel time. Ah well. At least they /do/ get there, eventually! *wry grin*
For my next trick, I shall teach myself to do short-distance teleportation, however. :/

Housewarming. House (Apartment) is too warm already - it's cold and wet, I have the windows open and my back immediately to one and I am /still/ not cold enough to want sleeves. However, the party is debated this coming Sunday but might actually land on the following one, thanks to Short Notice. *shrug*

You Are A: Duck!

Found in many lakes and ponds, ducks are a common site the world over. Known for their famous quack, ducks tend to congregate in flocks or go off on their own in pairs. As a duck, you may seem friendly at times but will not hesitate to bite if someone is bothering you. Your ability to swim and your your short temper are some reasons why you are a duck.

You were almost a: Frog or a Duckling
You are least like a: Monkey or a SquirrelCute Animals Quiz

... well, the /description/ fits. But, a /duck/?! */sigh/*

Beth? would you like your animal back? O.o

Of first classes and a bloody headache...

The bloody headache is probably from over-exertion.

I missed the flaming bus to get to PCC for the second class and wound up walking some umpteen blocks to the campus. Walking. On foot. Up hill.
I am not dead. I think this means I might be in better shape than I thought.... at least, I hope that's what it means, 'cause I tell you what, I /don't/ want to do that again.
On the other hand, at least I didn't have to walk back. ^^

First class of the day was interesting. I was nearly late (not because of the bus, but because I got lost trying to find room and building... direction sense? /What/ direction sense?) and came in only barely in time.
... Computer Basics. We covered what I have come to think of as 'basic skills' and I cringe to think that some of these people had to take /keyboarding/ before they came in. They do not teach you how to type in school? They give them these shiny comps and they don't teach them to type? (well, I'm a fine one to talk, I never /did/ like the typing tutor program and I learned to touch-type by spending time in chatrooms and refusing to use that thrice-damned net speak shorthand.) Anyway.
I'll need to get some floppies to tide me over until we can afford a USB key. ^^

Basic Design, as I said, was a bit of a hash. I missed the bus (probably not by much, but the damn thing only runs every 15 minutes or so...) and wound up /walking/ all the way up. It's more than a 15 minute walk. I know this because the effin' bus passed me while I was between stops. Typical.
Anyway. I /did/ at least manage to find the classroom without getting lost. They stashed us in a back corner... O.o However, I was about twenty minutes late by then... yup, good going, Thorne... >.<
Anyway. He hadn't called roll yet - in fact, he didn't do that until we were shaping up to leave, but I missed him explaining the materials he wanted us to use. Damnit..
I have a list, though. Why can't these people ask for pads of paper in a size that I /have/?! Not counting the 18x24, I think the biggest pad I've got is an 11x17... Damnit.
However, I only have to fill a couple of holes - so I'm really quite pleased with myself. Aside from being late. I'm thinking maybe this coming thursday I won't bother coming home inbetween - I'll just go in and stay there and maybe see what hoops require lept through to use the pool.
Aside from new goggles, that is... what? The chlorine bothers my eyes and I can't see underwater at /all/ without goggles. Bad shit, I'm tellin' ya... and I like to see where I'm swimming. ^^
... wonder if I can get away without .. nah. TMI. *evil laughter*

Anyway. Have writing tomorrow. Planning to leave /very/ early because I do not, under any circumstances, wish to be late for yet another class. :-/
Damn busses. Anyway...

Of new places and settling in..

Well, that's done it - we're moved in. I'll have pics later, once the light gets a little better. ^^
It'll be a while before they're scanned and developed, unfortunately, but I will have them. O.o

Still unpacking and trying to figure out where to put things. I figured as much, but ... in a way, it's discouraging. *shrug* On the other hand, Rome wasn't build in a day. (Not Rome, and not, apparently, our home. Heh.)
Have had a chance to work out the bus schedules - catching the various lines here and there yesterday told me where most of the necessary stops are for the college and I'll probably wind up tracking down others in time. I'll probably also be tracking some down for the next City down - there are places there I would like to be able to get to, I think...
Didn't I see a Grocery Outlet down there? Probably - all I have to do is /find/ it again. Heh.
The nearest grocery does /not/ do bulk *gripe* and carries mostly 'low-fat' junk - at least, they do /not/ have whole buttermilk. *gripegrump* Asshats. Basically, they're a little limited. I'll have to go down there in a while with the coupon book and see if I can actually use any of 'em.
Ah. Sunday Paper. *makes a note*

Cats are settling in - KC has mostly stopped slinking around looking shocky and seems to be making himself at home. Omen ... Omen was bouncing around like a spring come unsprung practically the moment he got out of his crate. /He/ seems to be fine.

And my fish are still making do with a tank half the size of the one they were in - unheated, unfiltered - 'bout all it /does/ have is a bubbler so they have air. And all the plants.
... them little cories is tough. ^^

Anyway. Website.
Ain't got there yet. Probably though, it will be moved over when I /do/ get to it - that will probably have to wait a while since I'm still rearranging things and trying to get my home ... well, homey. ^^

Well begun is half done?

Almost, anyway.

Most of the furniture, with the glaring exceptions of our bed and some shelves and nearly /all/ our boxed belongings are over there.
Next run, I take a camera along and take some pics - I /love/ this apartment! It's got a /huge/ ceiling in the living area, 'window seat' benches, the kitchen is cramped, but looks effective for my purposes - (and has dishwasher, a nice electric stove and a mid-sized fridge/freezer combo. The bathroom actually has two sections - the 'bath' area with the toilet and shower/bath and the 'primping' area with the sink, counter and mirror. And not just a 'mirror' either, but a whole /wall/ of it.. Me likes. ^^

Most of the living room is lit from a recessed ledge on the wall, up near the ceiling. There's enough 'ledge' that I can put some of my dragons up there!!!
Neat. ^.~

*much later*
Got in another load - mostly bookshelves and the like and took the opportunity to take a small tank and my fish over. I set them up for now with the tank, water and an airpump - that should keep 'em happy for now.

Also, more bins - another bin of kitchen crap. Mixer, small caliber Salad Shooter (cheese grater! ^.~) blender-and-toys, and some more spices. Maybe I won't have to make that Penzey order until /next/ month... ^^

It looks .. well, it looks like a place we haven't quite moved into yet. I'm not placing furniture until the large pieces are in - the large pieces being couch and bed, specifically..

The bedroom is the only problem - it's /tiny/. The word of She Who Relays the Rules is that we'll probably be able to fit our bed in there, but we won't be doing much but sleep .. well, and that. ^^

I have a work-study orientation I have to be at tomorrow - naturally enough - and won't be able to help much. Andi's figuring haul bed/mattress-boxspring and a bunch of the 'miscellanious' stuff that I couldn't get shifted before in at least one of the loads that goes by tomorrow...
The couch /still/ needs to be fetched out of the storage, but at least it's cushions made it to the apartment. ^.~

Of backups and ... and... GRR!

Mostly, because some of these damned programs never put stuff where you expect, and you wind up needing to go all over the @#$%!!!! drives just to find things!
Yes, drives - I've got at least two physical drives and a couple of partitions. Yes, this complicates matters.

I'm running Swindles. Everything's #@$%&!!! complicated...

Backups. Mostly, back up mail, bookmarks, graphics, music (gotta have music..) um ... Literature... I know there's other stuff. ^^

Ah, bad words... I'm probably going to /have/ to shell out for a Corel license... *whinewhinemoneywhine* Can I hope that'll be a one off expense? O.o
At least I can play the Student card and maybe get it cheap... o.O

Oh. Changing physical addies. Gotta do /that/ too, since apparently it's too much trouble for the post office to provide a Change of Address card that you fill out and send (Although, in honesty, I can come up with a lot of good reasons for /that/ one - risk of fraud amongst 'em), so it'll be off to the rounds at the banks and various places later today... tomorrow? Something like that. GAHHH!

The clunker died (So much for the dead battery - the /starter/ bit it. And I think I just figured out why the battery died /anyway/ - Andi forgot to turn the car off after attempting to start it and only getting 'whhh, hwhhhh, hwhhhh'. Oops), and Mom's gone riding today and she's got the truck... Well, /shit/. Erh. Can get to the local bank, anyway... the rest might wind up waiting until tomorrow morning. Erk.

Some we can do online - thank the gods.

Um. What else.. damn. Tomorrow! Time flies.. I ain't done packing yet!!!! Well, I'm not /far/ off - just have to pack up the closet the rest of the way and see if the prints'll fit in the suitcase with them, and .. um.. shove odd shoes/boots into the duffel in the closet.. and.. erm.. shit.

Got to pack up shelving and get the rest of this crap into a box.. and sort some of the contents of other boxes...
Books go with me. Other things... maybe not so much. Heh.

Many things in my closet are going away.

About the only things that /aren't/ are the sweater Nanny knitted for me while I was a Missionette (What can I say - it's about the only thing I have that /she/ made for me, and I got to help. I /can't/ get rid of it.. yup. I'm sentimental..) and I think, an unworn sweatshirt that I think I was going to decorate.

More boxes were unearthed from the attic - two big ones and three or so smaller ones - one of the big ones is already full. ^^

I also discovered that I am not set up right for 'diary' writing. Give me a journal any day... ^.^
(This doesn't count. This is random rambling, and I don't care /who/ reads it. ^.~)

Um. What was I doing ...?

Of days and boxes ...

Another day, another couple of boxes. My room looks like a bombsite...

However, I think I've /finally/ gotten all the books boxed (and ran out of space for boxes under my desk - almost /all/ of those have books in them...) and a large portion of my crafty-stuff and the 'office' stuff that needed packed up, plus some other oddments that fit into that particular box.
Including several prints.

Two of them I'm going to have to finagle something with cardboard (cadboard? *snicker*) and bubble-wrap, I think - unless I can find a large flat box of the proper dimension (about 20" x 18" to be safe, and 3" to 4" thick). Somehow, I don't see that happening, so I'm probably going to finagle - or stick it in a suitcase with clothing for padding! Heh.
Something like that.

Something that amuses me - most people have a little bag or small box they use for a first-aid kit. I have a medium-sized bin. ^^
Plenty of room for miscellanious things. Need to get some bag balm (Technically, farmers use it to keep the udders of their milking cows soft and pliable. It is also a great antiseptic and works on peoples as well as cows), aloe lotion and .. hmm. There's an ointment that's supposedly a natural remedy for bruises and the like, and naturally, I don't remember what it was. My brain thinks 'Aconite', but that isn't it and I /know/ that ain't it. Hrrrrf. Well, if I remember what it was I'll edit it in..

We hit the Wall, earlier - obstensively after padding for the dining-room chairs - and got that, and some mits, pads and towels for the kitchen, and another table-lamp. Can you believe, they sell lamps that require a harp to support the shade, but not the harps? Oh, you /can/ buy them - in a full lamp-innard replancement kit - but you can't buy the harp by itself seperately. And even the big shades that need harps don't come with them.
Does this make sense? Next time I'm in Bi-mart or Lowe's I'll see if I can find where they hide them - assuming, of course, that the guy who finally led us to the lamp-innard replacement kit was right.

Hm. Probably should have gone looking at the cast iron while I was there. Oh well. Next time, possibly. Or I'll con Mom into the mythical Goodwill in Beaverton that sells its crap by the pound..

In which there are a great many boxes ..

Well, there /are/ a great many boxes .. and I still need more boxes for my /other/ bookshelf... O.o

However, game books, DVDs, most of the headboard shelf (all of it but what I'm planning to leave, in other words) and some of my craft supplies - /and/ the rest of my dragons (including Gollum. Anyone know of a good Uruk-hai statue? I want one..) are packed up.
Still need a box big enough for my prints. One big one, one big framed original, and all the rest are reasonable sizes. (No special boxes necessary, in other words. Heh.)

My shelves look /really/ odd - some of them no longer have books on them. ^^

Oh. Joules? Would Kai like a beanie baby shaped like a spider? I've got one going begging... It's black, mostly - with a tiger-striped abdomen. No, they weren't really going for accuracy... O.o

Anyway.
What else was I doing? Actually, I haven't been doing much more than pack for several days now.. ^^

Now I need to figure out how many more boxes I'll need as opposed to how many boxes are in the basement. Oh, and I need another roll of tape. Ducktape is /very/ effective, but hard on knives later... O.o

They're all naked...

*waits for it*

Well, I don't know what you thought I was referring to ... ^.~
But my walls look so /naked/ now... I mean, but for a very few, all the pictures and posters are down from the walls, most of my dragon collection is put away, and the rest are waiting....

And the corner shelf looks really weird without all my old sketchbooks stacked up. They're now residing - along with my new ones - in an old milk-crate.
Still need boxes. Argh!

Slowly, but surely, things are making their way into boxes and bins.
I have a whole kitchen (almost) in bins downstairs - just have to get a few more pots/pans and or knives. (And remember to get my spring-pans down - and remind Mom to go through the pan-cupboard for loafpans and pyrex. She can /keep/ the silicon. Yegh.
I scored a nice pan at Goodwill for two bucks - pretty heavy, copper-bottomed and looks like it has a functional handle. No cast iron. I was rather put out.
But I scored a couple of books, so not /entirely/ a bad thing .. what? Yeh, yeh - okay. I didn't /need/ two more paper backs, but they were only a buck each.. ^^

My Whelan dragon is in with my winter cloths, and the long ceramic one is in with Andi's - it fits, thankfully. Maybe I'll stick Gollum in there too... O.o
It's either that or get /rid/ of Gollum - okay, he's a collector's ed, but... Ew.
I'm sorry. If it was almost /any/ other character (With the exception of Saruman or Wormtongue.. eugh..) ... actually, I would have liked to have one of the Uruk-hai... WHAT?! Geez. ^^
Okay, so Haldir, Legolas or Aragorn - hell, most of the Rohirrim - would make nice statuary too... but they don't give you enough of the neat evil guys... *evil grin*

Anyway. Still gotta come up with some inventive way to pack up the gaming books, comics, books, manga, DVDs... probably boxes, but I gotta find some in appropriate sizes...
Maybe another milk-crate, and I get Andi to shlep it... wait. I only /have/ one more milk-crate. Crap. Maybe if I consolidate the shoe-crates...... Hm.
Got to figure out how to shlep the closet, too. That'll be fun. Heh.

Whatelse.. ai, gotta remember to do a major backup Real Soon Now - probably going to strip and reload my system after the move, so if I want to keep it, I need to back it up.
And figure out what to do with some of these manuals.. gonna keep the HTML manuals, but gotta think about the A+ stuff...

Of packing and quilts..

The quilt-descrips I swore I'd posted in the comment-thingie - evidently I was mistaken. O.o

Anyway. The one that really stood out was mostly white, with a dark blue border and blue 'compass rose' in the middle. I saw patchwork, the stitched squares (of every variety and colour) and one or two that looked like barghello (I /think/ one of the barghello-like one was in all my favourite shades - dark reds, blues, greens, purples... /nice/ quilt). That last one was near the fiber pen (well, they put low curtain walls all the way around us with a large opening in one side - 'pen' seems to fit..) so it might have gotten into one of the photos. Maybe. Going to have to get 'em developed and see if I got anything. And get the rest of the digicam... Heh.

Been packing on and off for the past few days - mostly assembling the small crap that always seems to take days to get packed - and trying to figure out how the @!$% to pack all our books in a fashion that won't bust us to cart them. And that's not just the fiction and whatnot. I also refer to all the gaming books, comics, graphic novels and manga we own (Comics are mostly Crossgen - Meridian, Mystic and Scion. GN are Usagi Yojimbo, some Stinz, more Crossgen, Elfquest and some other misc... manga are DBZ (only the first one) and Hellsing. Anyone surprised? ^^) and my art supplies and old sketchbooks. Gah. Anyone got a Hobbies Anonymous group anywhere? >.<

However, all that having been said, most of my statuary has made it into a box - that's everything except what is in the case with my Whelan dragon and the HUGE ceramic dragon.. and, uh, Gollum and a couple of others... including my large chinese dragon, the black one that is a hunk of welsh coal (hee.), a pillar candle holder.. um.. I think my dragon collection is bigger than I thought. O.o
It is quite possible I will have a picture of /all/ of it all together once we get moved in - including the Whelan dragon - and I can .. well.. show them off. Heh.

Now all I have to do is get the bloody things packed somehow. A couple of those are going to be a bitch to pack... three immediately come to mind.

Going to have to ruthlessly winnow some stuff... oh. Wait - I'm /already/ doing that!!! O.o
Heh, heh, heh.

Okay, ruthlessly winnow /more/ stuff. Hah.
Like some of my prints and posters. Erh, well - /one/ of my prints and some of my posters. Heh. The rest I'll keep .... ^^
Waugh. Need to assemble (literally? Hee!) some boxes in the next week or so..

Ai! Nearly finished painting the end-table - the exterior is now a nice, shiny black and the inside shelf is cut. I'm going to attack /that/ with some sandpaper a little later on and then work out how to clean the brush so I can paint the inside and the shelf. ^^
I /think/ I got the slate cleaned off, too (Copious application of vinegar and water. We will see if that was enough, or if I will actually be forced to take /soap/ to it..). So soon I can reassemble it. S'pose I'll have to take pictures, eh?