biodork

No, on my desktop at work... MattPie used to be the close-up with a red motorcycle helmet and changed to sitting on a motorcycle with a grey Sabres shirt, and Braedon's changed from the bearded lady mug shot to some black background with a star and a figure in front of it. Confusing!

Ah, but the bonus is that you've set yourself up for the most important relationship test this girl needs to pass if she's a keeper: will she get upset when you're checking on the game during dinner, or will she ask you for updates? ;) Side note: what's up with all the changing avatars all of a sudden? lol Between you and Braedon I'm getting confused. Edit: I seem to have an uncanny knack for making the last post on a page. Seems like the second or third time this week it's worked out that way.

Finally, I get to watch the boys on the big screen tonight. It is my express mission to leave work slightly early and be on the couch with the Sabres neon illuminated and an adult beverage in hand by puck drop. And, for the first time in a while, I get to sleep in tomorrow. :thumbsup:

:lol: It's early in the season, so we'll give him a pass... if the date is still conflicting with game night in March and April, then he'll have a problem.

That sucks... I hope it all works out for you, Scott. Ouch!! Good luck getting some stronger meds! :clapping: Great movie.

So excited for the start of the Sabres season! I had resigned myself to listening on the radio this year for financial reasons, and when I called DirecTV to cancel, they gave me a $120 bill credit and free Showtime for 3 months (on top of all the discounts they gave me in July). So now I'm essentially getting Center Ice for $52 instead of $172, and my bill (without CI) will be about $20/month. :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: Unfortunately I won't be able to watch today or tomorrow, but can't wait for next Friday!!

Sorry for your loss, chz. :cry: But just think, now he gets to hang out with Rico! :)

You're welcome! And no offense intended by any comments... I just get a little frustrated when people make it sound like a University job and/or being in school is so much easier than doing something else, because there are positives and negatives about every job, and school is not automatically the easier path. As with everything in life, there are many, many, shades of grey. /off rant :)

You both have valid points, but to Taro I will say (speaking as an academia underling) it's really not cushy at all if you aren't faculty, and sometimes even if you are. I love that I have flexible hours and a casual work environment, but the tradeoff is much lower pay than a job in the so-called "real world", and also the lack of job security that goes with having your job tied to research funding (which is currently abysmal). The established full professors are definitely sitting pretty, but any new faculty struggling to get started right now are most definitely not enjoying a stress-free job.

One of my favorites. Could she play all three movements? I learned the first one and had no idea there were more until I saw them on a classical cd set. The first is beautiful; the second is short and light-hearted; but oh my, the third is amazing (and so is the pianist in the video). http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zucBfXpCA6s

My dad canceled on me for this weekend since the outdoor apple festival we were planning on attending was also canceled due to rain. I know this sounds like it should be in the complaint thread, but as much as I love my dad, it's been a long and exhausting week at work and I really didn't feel like entertaining company. So, now I've got the weekend to relax and a beef pot roast waiting for me when I get home, which is F'N Fantastic.

Definitely tired of work this week. After an 11 hour day on Tuesday, I got to go home and spend an hour scraping dog sh!t off the kitchen floor, give my dog a bath to get the crap off his feet, and mop the floor (twice). And I probably get to do it again today and tomorrow.

Don't know why everyone thinks students have it made... that email account comes with a half-lifetime of debt. Or you could just work at a school. ;)

:lol: :clapping: :nana:

Yeah I think you're right... my guess is the companies that have been using it for a long time will continue to do so for now, but any newer business is going to start on a more advanced system. Horrible timing on the economy with all the people caught at the age where it's kind of too late to go back to school and learn a new language.

Man, our moms are cut from the same cloth. My mom hasn't been officially diagnosed as bipolar but I'm pretty sure she is, and she has the same hoarder / overspending habits as yours. I wish she could see how destructive her habits are and understand that material possessions will never make her truly happy, but thus far, no luck. It's tough always being the responsible one in the family.

:lol: I wasn't going to give away the full extent of my nerdiness, but when I see RPG I automatically think Role Playing Games. :blush:

My goodness, man, your mom AND your (soon-to-be) ex-wife are both bipolar?? That's rough. Yeah my mom does IBM based RPG programming... I have no idea what that is, but I guess she said it's an older programming language that isn't widely used anymore so it's difficult to find jobs based on that experience alone. She was making a hefty salary for a number of years but managed to squander it such that she has zero savings or retirement, which is very frustrating from my standpoint because that probably means my brother and I will be left taking care of her once she's unable to work (or she'll be working well beyond standard retirement age). But, I'm still happy for her that she will be able to avoid losing her apartment and I can only hope she takes this as a wake-up call to become more financially responsible in the future. I hope everything works out with your mom so she's able to have her own place, for both your sakes!

I gotcha covered; they come in rolls of 500 or so and we'll never use them all! (c;

I'm happy to report that my mom's interview last week went well and she actually just started working again this past Tuesday in her field of expertise, which is a huge relief. (What a difference a week makes!) The lack of programming jobs is crazy... the guy who hired her said that they'd received 1000 applications from all over the country with people willing to relocate if hired because those jobs are so scarce. Thank goodness things are looking up for her, and I wish the same for your mom, CSB. At least if she does move in with you, maybe she can help care for your son?

:clapping: Happy (early) anniversary!

Sorry to hear about your friend, Eleven. :( My complaint: my mom has been unemployed for 6 months now, and because of having moved to a state with much less generous unemployment benefits, she just found out her extended benefits will be about 1/4 of what she was previously receiving (which was already just enough to get by). If she doesn't find another job soon things are going to get really bad. Hopefully something comes through because I'm supposed to go out there for a visit in a few weeks and I don't want to contribute to her already stressed financial situation. She had a positive phone interview today, so fingers crossed that the in-person interview next week goes well.

It may be a mess down here, but thankfully my house is nowhere near the water and the creek did not come up high enough to flood my boyfriend's house (although it was a lot closer than anyone expected). And it's nice to finally see the sun again after a weeklong hiatus!

LOL - Central PA at its finest. Thankfully Devon Seafood is further away. ;) That intersection is still closed, and even where the water has receded the road is pretty beat up.

This video was shot around the corner from where I work... I've never seen anything like it. http://www.abc27.com/video?clipId=6230301&autostart=true Hopefully the parts of NY and VT that took it on the chin last week will be spared this time around.