Summer is dead

[elSicomoro]

And so, with an incredible whimper (at least in this part of the US), summer died today. Tomorrow morning, thousands of Philadelphians will modify their routines to take the kids to school. Kids will gather around bus stops to take the SEPTA 4XX buses to their schools. Yellow buses will be prevalent around town. Kids and their teachers will begin flocking en masse back to the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall.

This summer just went by so damned fast...the fastest I can recall. Three months ago, I was newly unemployed, planning a day at the beach at Belmar before all the tourists showed up. Now, I've been at the same assignment almost 3 months, Rho is working again, my mom will be here in 6 weeks, and we're planning a trip to Boston for my cousin's wedding.

So, if I were still in school, and asked what I did during my summer, you would get this:

--Got fired, spent two weeks jerking off.
--Watched ridiculous amounts of the Discovery Channel, MSNBC, and TLC.
--Drove the Garden State Parkway from Belmar to Cape May, NJ. Saw a big-ass forest fire. Played on the beaches.
--Drove to NYC...spent a day in Brooklyn.
--Started working at an assignment in Center City Philadelphia (actually, Old City). It sucked ass at first, but it's alright for the moment.
--Spent a weekend with my in-laws. My mother-in-law is just...different.
--Cleaned off the computer table. Threw all the crap in a box...still haven't touched it, but the table has been clean now for almost a month.
--Applied to about 30 jobs. Have received about 5 or 6 calls. Two interviews later this week...whoohoo!

So...what did you other folks do? It had to be better than mine.

[pjshimmer]

If I had my scanner running (which I don't, of course, you know the dorm-sized desk has no space for it), I'd post some pics from my 2-months vacation in Southern China

[elSicomoro]

Originally posted by pjshimmer
If I had my scanner running (which I don't, of course, you know the dorm-sized desk has no space for it), I'd post some pics from my 2-months vacation in Southern China

Explain this to me, PJ. Are you and your mom resident aliens, or is your mom on a student visa? Or, are you both US citizens now? Were you able to get in and out of China with relative ease? I'm curious.

[Undertoad]

Got fired, spent two weeks jerking off

I'm amazed you could still walk after that.

[elSicomoro]

Meth, baby...meth.

[jaguar]

Were you bleeding like that guy?

I was really tempted to do a parody of a traditional slasdot style "this is too US centric" rant. I couldn't be stuffed so instead i'm gonna list what ill be doing in my delecious 3-15month break (depending on many, many things) starting nov15, just as it starts to properly warm up here.

- schoolies for 1 weeks (post year 12 breakup party type thing)
- working
- moving out
- throughly planning trip
- craches at mates beach house over chrsitmas
- waving parentals off back to england along with a garanteed roof over my head

[elSicomoro]

Originally posted by jaguar
I was really tempted to do a parody of a traditional slasdot style "this is too US centric" rant.

How dare you speak that sir! I am NOT US centric...just Northern Hemisphere centric.

I have to go to the Southern Hemisphere one of these days...I have to see winter in July and summer in December. And I want to see the toilet water go the opposite way.

[MaggieL]

Originally posted by sycamore
And I want to see the toilet water go the opposite way.

Be careful what you wish for. Especially when you've been vague about what "the opposite way" might be. :-)

[Nic Name]

[Griff]

-drink
-bbq
-ride
-work
-build
-travel
-repeat

[warch]

There's a bit more to be found of summer, and then there's FALL which is pretty fine too—the brisk air, your favorite sweater, the faint smell of woodsmoke mingled with musty leaves as you bite into a crisp, juicy apple. Fall is good. (Northern US centric)

[elSicomoro]

Originally posted by warch
There's a bit more to be found of summer

Sorry Warch, I had to kill it yesterday. It was looking all pathetic and worn out...had to put it out of its misery.

It was all for the best.

[jaguar]

Stop saying that to make him feel better.
We stole it. Lovely weather today.

[Chewbaccus]

Originally posted by sycamore
So...what did you other folks do? It had to be better than mine.

You would think. Let's recap.

My ever-faithful 300 Mhz, 6 Gb companion of five years was besought by demons TWO DAYS after school let out. On my father's advice, I formatted the hard drive. Here's a lesson for the new members: if your father saw Oswald get shot live, don't listen to him for computer advice. He doesn't have the necessary background.

Continuing that theme, my father's burned copy of 98 2E was piss-poor and didn't have the necessary audio and video drivers on it. So, like a goon, I had to trot the Falcon (my comp's nickname. Geeks that aren't pagan Trekkies will understand) over to Best Buy and pay them to find and install the correct drivers.

In the course of this degrading act, I asked them to take a look at the modem. I had tried to reinstall Earthlink beforehand, but it wouldn't take. I prayed that it was a conflict with the display settings (Pop's disc's driver was the default, screen frozen at 640x480 w/ 16 colors), and that after curing said screen problems, could they make sure the modem was alright.

If you think the modem was fine, raise your hand. Okay, you haven't been paying attention.

The end result, my computer will run programs, but I have no internet access. I am talking to you through (sigh) the local library, as school just started, and naturally, the school's network is shot. (37% read errors, last my teacher checked)

It continues on from there into non-tech parts of life, but that would make the new members suicidal, and I don't need that.

Oh yeah, almost forgot. Hi Syc. Long time, no see.

~Mike

[Tobiasly]

Originally posted by Chewbaccus
Geeks that aren't pagan Trekkies will understand

Hmmm.. do you consider yourself to be a geek?