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Thursday, September 27, 2001
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I felt a bit at home today. On the way to work, I was listening to the radio (a rock station out of Danbury, CT) and they were talking about how stadiums now are all getting really stupid corporate names (such as renaming the New World Music Theatre to the Tweeter Center for Performing Arts - *sigh*). Well, one of the DJ's mentioned that they're going to be gutting Soldier Field, but keeping the outer structure and keeping the name - and how it's the best-named stadium in the nation. How cool is that? Then the same DJ criticized the other DJ for having never been to Wrigley Field. I know it's not much, but hell, I need something to keep me going. In other news, I'm going to Ithaca tomorrow and I'm very excited. I wonder if one day I'll be in a place where I can have everything I love about Chicago combined with everything I love about Ithaca. Do I think it will ever happen? Probably not, but one can always dream, hope, imagine....
- Lizzardie, at 8:36 AM
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Monday, September 24, 2001
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I'm currently at work, which means I should be working, and not writing this. Oh, wait, I don't have any work to do. *sigh* When did my life become so sad? Let's think about this. I go to bed around 10 because I have to get up around 5:30 and I pity the person who has to be around me when I haven't gotten enough sleep. I fight traffic for at least 2 1/2 hours each day. By the time I get back to my place, I don't want to do anything because I'm so damn tired. I don't know anyone in CT, so I don't go out or have any semblence of a social life. I feel old. At 20, I feel like I've hit a mid-life crisis or something.
But enough of that, because I'm making it my goal to smile as much as possible today. That means thinking about all of the things that I have to smile about. First, Amy came to visit me this weekend, and that was fun. We got to catch up on all that's been going on in the 3 weeks since I was last in Ithaca. That was good, because she's been pretty much impossible to get a hold of until now. Cornell got miserably defeated by Yale, though since I'm not much of a football fan I didn't pay much attention to the game (the whole stadium singing the National Anthem was nice, though). And then this weekend, I'm going to Ithaca!!! Yay for Ithaca!!! I'm so homesick/schoolsick it's ridiculous. Hopefully, though, I will get to see lots of my friends and I will come back to CT energized. Probably not. I'll probably cry again as I drive away but it's way too soon to think about that.
- Lizzardie, at 11:59 AM
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Friday, September 21, 2001
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Ugh, what a week it's been. I'm currently at work, bored of course. I've actually been doing statistical analysis all week, so the days haven't been bad, but I don't have any more to do so I'm just sitting here now. Only 4 hours and 15 minutes to go until the weekend. Woohoo!
So, let's start off by talking about my car. I got myself into a little accident on Wednesday - rear-ended someone (yeah, my fault, but he stopped awful fast and I didn't have enough time, despite the fact that I was pretty far from him). No injuries, thankfully, but my car got a little banged up. Yes, my brand new car that I've had for a month now. I busted my driver's side headlight and did some damage to my bumper, hood and fender. *Sigh* New cars are cursed, right? I've always known this - I don't know why I'm so shocked. So, the guy I rent from helped me out and recommended a friend of his who owns an autobody shop, which was nice. I took my poor car there this morning and got a loaner - a Jeep Cherokee Laredo. I don't like it (too big for me - I want my little car back), but as my mom said to me today, beggers can't be choosers. I suppose she's right. I can't wait until all of this is taken care of, I've got my car back, and I can just continue on as normal (driving a bit more carefully, though, of course).
Amy is coming to visit me today. She' riding up with the marching band, since they're going to be in town for the Yale-Cornell game tomorrow. So...Amy and I are going to hang out tonight and then I'll drive her back over to Yale so that she can be the bear and I can watch the game. It will be good to have some Cornell spirit for the weekend. AND, next weekend I'm going to Ithaca! YAY!!! I hope you're all excited and can't wait to see me!
- Lizzardie, at 1:27 PM
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Sunday, September 16, 2001
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I went to the Palisades Center Mall today in West Nyack, NY. As I was crossing the Tappan Zee Bridge over the Hudson River, I got my first view ever of the Manhattan skyline. My first reaction was excitement, because I've never been to NYC and I've been wanting to go. And then I remembered: had I crossed that bridge just a week ago, I probably would have seen a different sight - there would have been two more buildings there. My desire to go to NYC isn't so great anymore.
- Lizzardie, at 7:28 PM
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Saturday, September 15, 2001
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Too much bad stuff has happened this week, not only in the nation (which far overshadows anything else) but in my life as well (not as important, but still difficult to deal with). I really have nothing to say right now, but here's the only contribution I can make at this very minute:
- Lizzardie, at 4:10 PM
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Monday, September 10, 2001
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All right, I've been back in CT for a week now, so here's the scoop so far, broken into 4 categories (because I'm an engineer and analytical like that): house, work, social and school.
HOUSE: The house is really nice. It's huge, with really modern furnishings. It's at the end of a dead-end street, so it's safe, too. The guy I'm renting from is a police officer, with a young Brazilian wife (her English is broken but she's really nice) and a 9 month old son. They rent out rooms to 3 other people: David, who's never around and who's moving out next week, Danielle, who's nice enough but really needy, and Jamis, who's a nice guy but keeps trying to get me to go to gay clubs with him (not my thing). Everyone is trying really hard to make sure that I feel included and that I'm having fun. It's a bit hard for me, though, because I feel a bit out of place (Connecticut is a new experience for me) and typical of me, I'm having trouble letting my guard down. I do like living here, though, despite the long drive to work and the fact that my room has no windows.
WORK: Pitney Bowes is the most boring place to work ever. I can classify previous jobs two ways: there was always something to do or there was only sometimes something to do but the job was designed that way. This does not fit into that category. I feel like I should be productive, but that's hard to do when I'm not being given any work. I have one project - to interview people about their suggestions for a database. I know it's a useful assignment - my supervisor reviewed my work today, and he's incorporating a lot of the things I have into a presentation he's giving. BUT, I only spend about 2 hours a day on it. The rest of the time is spent checking my email, surfing the web, wandering around the building, eating (yeah, yeah, I know), pretending to look busy, etc.... Why are they paying me so much money to do nothing? Sarah (the other co-op) feels the same way. She, by the way, is very nice. We had classes together over the summer, so I already knew her and it's kind of nice to have a friend around work. She's commuting from New Jersey, though, and since I'm in the other direction, it's not like we can hang out after work. When I visit Ithaca she may come with for the ride (since she doesn't have a car and wants to visit as well), so it will be nice to have the company and someone to share the gas money!
SOCIAL: Okay, this one is going to be short. I spend my spare time doing several things: reading (which is kinda nice - don't often have the time to do reading for fun anymore), watching TV (the novelty is wearing off, but maybe it will get better when the new seasons start), being online hoping one of my friends will be around and will have a few minutes to talk to me (ha! this doesn't happen - everyone is so busy with classes). It's pretty terrible, actually - I don't know anyone out here and I don't know my way around. I don't work close to work, and no one there is young enough for me to hang out with anyway. And I'm so bad at meeting people. It's one thing at school - you're supposed to meet people there. That's half the reason you go (maybe not half, but a large part). I may join the fitness center at work, but it's hard, because all I want to do after work is get back to the house, since the drive is so long and I'm so tired (getting up at 5:30 every morning really sucks). I guess I'll have to make myself, because otherwise I have nothing to do. I did go to the mall the other day and that was nice (good mall), but I only have so much money to spend on clothes and food.
SCHOOL: Wow, do I miss Ithaca. Not just because it's Ithaca and I love it there. I miss my friends. I would so much rather be taking classes right now. Sure, it's stressful and hard and I don't get any sleep. But you all have no idea how lucky you are. It's also social and fun - there are people there who know you and understand what you're going through. You can have lunch with dinner people every day. Go to parties, go to meetings, etc... I miss it so, so much. I'm not one to get homesick, but I'm definitely schoolsick. You should all call me, because 1) it's a local call and 2) I miss you all terribly!!! =( January cannot come soon enough!!! I was thinking of coming up this weekend, but decided it's way too soon. It isn't healthy (or economical) for me to come up every other weekend. Instead, I'll probably come up the last weekend in September - the 28th, 29th, 30th. I hope you're all excited about the prospect of seeing me!!!! In the meantime, I'm looking forward to the Cornell-Yale game on the 22nd, where I get to see Amy, even if she'll be in a bear suit. I miss you all so, so much!!!
- Lizzardie, at 9:45 PM
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Thursday, September 06, 2001
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Well, since I have finally have internet access here in Connecticut, I thought it might be time for an update. Work is so, so dull!!! I mean, I've been given a project, but there's not much work involved. I have to interview people in my department (Marketing, Planning and Analysis) and ask them for their suggestions on a new database. BUT, either no one's around or they ask me to come back at another time. Sarah, the other co-op, is bored out of her mind as well. We sit around and do nothing all day. Good times (not really). Sarah said her brother's friend said that he didn't do anything while he was co-oping at Pitney Bowes. I really hope that doesn't happen to me, because right now, I'd rather be in classes. At least I'd get to hang out with my friends.
Speaking of my friends....while my weekend in Ithaca was truly awesome, I realized how much I'm going to miss them and how much I already do. I got in Friday night (and picked up my cell phone - woohoo!) and just chatted with Amy for awhile. Then, Amy, Jaclyn, Betsy, Ruth, Allison, Nicole and I all went to the Chariot for some yummy pizza and then Jaclyn, Amy and I watched a movie at Amy's apartment. Saturday, I kind of bummed around for most of the day (but Amy and I found time for a nice 45 minute walk) then headed over to Herb, Mariam and Serena's for a fun PSP BBQ. Sunday, I finally got to see the apartment I'm living in next spring (gorgeous view from the 9th floor of Collegetown Plaza) and then went to the PSP meeting. After spending the rest of the evening feeling kinda ill, I fell asleep early. Monday, I had an early lunch with Amy and headed back to Connecticut. So, I got to see a lot of people, but it was still sad because everyone knew I was leaving. It's funny, because I know that I would have a kick-ass semester if I was there, but that might not have been the case had I decided not to do the co-op program and I hadn't been around Ithaca this summer. It's funny how that works out. BUT, I know everyone is going to keep in touch with me and then next spring, when I return, we're all going to have a blast!!! AND, only a few more weeks (3, I think) until I visit Ithaca again!!! YAY!!!
- Lizzardie, at 6:51 PM
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