Josh Evnin

In my last post, I wrote from the airport and complained that I was tired and hungry. I tell you now that before I went to bed last night at 10:30, I had only had one real meal and 3 hours of sleep. No sleep and no food makes Josh really tired and delirious. Then I went to sleep and didn’t stop until 11:30 this morning. That felt gooooood. It’s been a really long time since I have slept like that. 13 freaking hours, that’s more than half a day. Lordy lordy.

Now I’m back at school. It’s going well, I’m really excited about the first two classes I’ve been in, and the third (which is tomorrow evening) should be cool as well. I’ll explain them more in-depth soon. I’m also an AI (Associate Instructor, AKA TA) again, for the same class that I did last semester: Intro to Human-Computer Interaction. I’m gonna know that book as if I wrote it. That’s probably a good thing.

Ok, that’s all for now. I’m off to work out (need to shed my holiday/vegas pounds) then am going to Borders with T and E to check out the books. Ponder this: why is it cool to go to Borders and hang out/pay for books, but uncool to go to the library to hang out/not pay for books?

Entry originally written on paper at McCarran International Airport, Las Vegas, NV

I’m tired. And hungry. Why is it that airports have expensive, yet shitty, foods?

So I am headed back to school tonight. I’ll be riding a redeye that’ll land in Chicago at 5am or so, then on to Indianapolis by 8 or 9. If all goes well, I should be at school an hour before my first class.

Winter break was interesting. Every time I leave home I forecast that it will be the last time that I’ll have had an extended, relaxing vacation at home. I’ve been wrong thus far. This trip home held plenty of good times, from two separate trips to Vegas to afternoon workouts with the Sis at LA Fitness to meals with old friends. I definitely got a lot done.

Overarching aspirations questions did go unanswered, however, but I guess one can’t have it all. Speaking of questions, I still owe answers to the ones I posed at the beginning of the break. Hopefully I’ll hit those up sometime this week.

While I’m apprehensive about doing real work again, I am rather excited to go back to school. True, it will be (effing) cold, but hangin’ with the Informists tends to be fun. We had some good times last semester & now that we all know each other a little better, this semester should hold many good times.

Writing here has been a good diversion. Perhaps I’ll add more later. For now, I’ll leave you with some lyrics that have struck especially close to home lately…

So this is the new year…
and I don’t feel any different.

So this is the new year…
So this is the new year…
So this is the new year…

-Death Cab for Cutie, “The New Year”, Transatlanticism

Gotta write fast…I think. My computer has been freezing up lately, I’m not sure exactly why, but I’ve had it serviced twice and it’s still going on…I’ll have to do some real deep analysis when I get back to Indiana.

Speaking of which, I’m headed to Vegas this afternoon with P, S, and others. We’ll be at CES, the big, huge annual celebration of Consumer Electronics. To tell the truth, I’m not all that excited about CES in this, my third year as an attendee. What I am looking forward to is hanging out with some friends from SD in Las Vegas.

The actual electronics are never really spectacular. Maybe it’s just because I’m kinda thinking about future technologies all the time, but the stuff that’s due to come out in 6 months just isn’t all that exciting when compared to the stuff that’s due out in 10 years or so. It’s generally all for show…nobody is pushing ‘new’ technologies, rather they’re showing off the ‘dumbed-down’ versions, generally with weak user interfaces that the geeks at the show thoroughly enjoy. I’ll report on what I see over the weekend next time.

On Sunday evening I’ll be waiting at McCarran Int’l Airport for my redeye flight back to Indianapolis, and I should get back to Bloomington on Monday an hour before my first class. I wonder if I remembered to leave a change of clothes in my office…

To all you Hoosiers, see you soon. All you Tritons, see you sooner. Everybody else, be well.

I did a quick Google search this evening and what was the third site listed? Why, it was Notta Blog, the site you’re on right now! That was pretty sweet. Seems I’m moving on up in the world, if the Goog recognizes me… 😀

The big project I’ve been working on now for 2 months or so (6-8 weeks with one group, and then 2-3 more with the team I’m on now) is so close to being done I can taste it. I almost want to make plans for earlier in the day than when it’s due…but know that I probably shouldn’t. It’s due tomorrow at 5 PST, but hopefully we’ll have it in long before that.

I’ve been cold pretty much all day today. It’s my legs, you see. Basically what I need to do is put on some pants of some sort, but I’m too darn stubborn to walk upstairs and put them on. I’ll do it before I go to sleep though, then I’ll likely wake up in a sweat because I’ll be too hot…ugh…

Crazy thoughts going through my head lately. Don’t really want to talk about it, but kinda do all at the same time. I’ll sleep on it, and perhaps I’ll divulge some details tomorrow.

I know, some must be waiting for me to answer the 20 questions that I laid out for myself at the end of the semester…be patient. I’ll get around to it soon, I think.

Also, I owe everyone some stories from trip #1 to Vegas for this vacation. Trip #2 is slated for next weekend. Woohoo…but I’m still so tired from the first trip…I owe owe owe, one of these days i’m really gonna catch up on the blogging thing. Perhaps that day is tomorrow.

This all leads to a very important question:
Q: What do you call an idiot in suspense?
A: I’ll tell you tomorrow.

😉

Hang Overs.
Waking up late.
The Rose Parade (complete w/beautiful California weather, always).
Football.
Naps.
Resolutions.
Fresh starts.
Bitter ends.
Reflections.
Happy (end of) Old Year.
Happy New Year.

My sis and her friends from camp are in the next room. I’ve been listening to them gossip and chat and sing and play all evening. They’re so cool. I remember when I would have friends over and would play all night long, but I think I remember it ending before senior year. The sis and her friends are able to catch up at the drop of a hat. That’s how it is with camp people.

There’s just something different about people you meet at summer camp. It’s so easy to reacquaint yourself, even after you haven’t seen them in a while. My oldest friends are from camp. It doesn’t really matter how long we go without talking, when we sit down to coffee or a drink, it’s like we’re back at the chapel, or in the dining hall, or in the cabin, just like old times. I miss my camp friends, I’ll make a better effort to contact them. That is my New Year’s resolution.

Got in to CA late last night after a crazy evening in the Indianapolis airport. I’m pretty lucky to have made it back, the process of getting on a flight out here was no fun…

Went to breakfast with my dad this morning, and I rolled the windows down. “It’s pretty cold out,” he said. “HAH!” I laughed. I just sat in the car and felt the sun on my face…it had been a while. I was so happy when I was outside today…it was HOT. I’ve never said that I couldn’t live in a cold weather climate…I’m doing fine in Indiana, but I sure do prefer the California climate I’ve grown up with. For me, it’s just not Christmas* unless the sun is shining and there’s no snow in sight. That’s unfathomable for some, I’m sure.

It feels so good to be home. 😀
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