Watch your ass, Twin Cities (and I don’t mean Neenah/Menasha): these four people are coming to visit October 3-5. Mark your calendars and stay in touch…
Tag Archives: Knitts
Just Like That, It's the Weekend Again
This was a zippy week. Work is a complete F-show at this point. We’ve gotten to the point in the year where processing is SOOO backed up, and people are SOOO far behind, and students are SOOOOOOO pissed about the whole thing, we have little meetings to talk about how far behind we all are and how no one should bug anybody else with anything or we’re going to have to start putting in OT. Which would be bullshit.
Other than that, I’m just putting some finishing tweaks on my new apartment. By popular demand, I will shoot up some photos of that sorta stuff in the ensuing week. I ordered a wall-mount for my LCD monitor to help save space. I’m trying to get creative with storage and using all the space as best I can. I think I could have guests over night, but probably not more than 2. Anyway, you’ll see what I’m talking about…
Here’s another interesting thing– Joe Knitt started himself a blog. So if you’re interested on the latest from Brookings, SD (and I mean seriously, who isn’t???), check it out.
End of day. That is all. See you at the ballpark.
All Over (Again)
Well the first part of the move is completed.
I had assistance from the Mundschaus, and also a little from Lorch and Knitt, and I left Oshkosh once again at around 2pm on Saturday. I made it to the Public Storage joint on the same day, so we unloaded immediately (rather than taking Sunday to get that done).
There was a little drama at the P.S. In the evening, the gate is supposed to remain accessible between the hours of 6am and 9pm, but when we were ready to leave shortly after 6pm, the gate wouldn’t open. The area is controlled by a code-accessed gate, much like you might see in a parking garage or what have you. There was a small mob of people who wanted to get out, and a slightly larger mob trying to get in. This is in West Allis. It was a recipe for disaster.
There’s no 24-hr contact for the office, and when I tried to call the corporate toll-free number, I got cut off as soon as I finished explaining what was going on. By that time, a few of the other people had taken it upon themselves to dismantle the chain-and-motor mechanism that operates the gate. So, it was open, and we got out, but I’m not the one who left that chain in a jumbled mess on the asphalt. I definitely wouldn’t have wanted to be one of the people working at the Public Storage on Sunday.
Jen and Joe and I went to the Tischer’s house in Menominee Falls after that, and we watched a silly movie that sort of deconstructed the slasher genre. It was OK. I laughed a bit. We also ate food from Saz’s.
On Sunday, I spent the majority of the day trying to figure out where to live. I focused on places that I thought I might like that are vacant right now, or available in the very near future. I’m going to look at a place after work today that is really close to campus and seems to be reasonably priced. It includes parking, which seems like it would be a real bitch in this neighborhood, and when I drove by this morning, the street seemed to have well-kept houses on it for the most part. I’m not sure about living among a lot of college kids, but that is sort of the bed I’ve made, isn’t it?
Couple last words on Oshkosh:
I sat up for a while on Friday night contemplating the last 3-and-a-half years, and how much has changed, once again. I thought about how, even though Oshkosh is nothing like it was when I lived there the first time, and even though there may not be a lot going on over there on a day-to-day sort of basis, it’s not that bad a town. Once you get yourself a decent job, the rest of “where you live” is kind of what you make of it. I’ll miss living close to the Knitt’s, Lorch’s, and Schrubbe’s, but I’m looking forward to having Michelle and all sorts of family close by. I’ll miss my nice and (now I realize) obscenely cheap apartment, but I’m sure I’ll find something else I like in time.
I was just sitting on my couch in the dark on Friday night, staring at the walls and the ceiling, hoping that the future will be worth the sacrifice of the present. I think the toughest hurdle for my mind to get over right now, today, is that so much about what will happen next is still unknown; so much remains unsettled. Then there is a nagging doubt about making the best decisions; is this where I should be? How long should I stay, and when should I think about trying something else again? These thoughts, too, can probably be traced to the uncertainty hovering over my head right now. I’ve got a lot that I’d like to have settled sooner than later.
Thanks to everyone that helped me along the way during my 2nd round in Osh Vegas, and some advance-appreciation to the folks I hope can help me adjust to Milwaukee. It’s another leg of the journey, just getting started.
Closing Up
You’ll probably notice the server going offline for a bit later on today. I start my new job at UWM on Monday, and I’m going to relocate this box to the Mundschaus’ house for a few weeks until I have someplace to live.
Brief recap of my last weekend “living” in Oshkosh:
Met up w/ Knitt and Michelle on Friday. Joe and I had a cigar and a game of darts after he got done with work. The three of us went to Peabody’s, but no one else showed up. *shrugs* We still had a good time.
Yesterday, Michelle and I tried to shop for a Brewers jersey in Appleton, but the only sizes on the rack were for the excessively heavy gentleman. I might have to try ordering something online.
We had dinner at Texas Roadhouse, and then later we went to Dick’s Halfway Inn for Dave Schrubbe’s graduation party. We met his GF, which was neat, and had a good time in general.
OK, well– gotta finish getting ready and then head down to MKE. Next time I write, I will be in a different zip code.
A Man Walked into a Bar Quick-Moving 4×4 Peppered With Giant Spikes
This is probably my busiest “processing” week of the year at work. We got started on the upcoming aid year, and trying to juggle two at once always presents a lot of time-consuming issues. On top of that, I have to get a whole mess of nursing students set to go in the next couple weeks…
I understand that for most of you, what I do at work is not really interesting or relevant, but I thought I would just mention “what I’ve been up to.” Yesterday, as I communicated to a few different people, my brain was mushy enough at the end of the day that I just wanted to be beaten over the head repeatedly with a heavy, blunt object. Like a 2×4. Or something. Next week will probably be better. Opening day on Monday, anyway…
In other news:
Joe & April had a good time in Germany, judging from the reports I’ve received. April’s folks are coming into town this weekend, now that the Knitts actually have enough room to house guests at their domicile. I was surprised that I didn’t get any feedback about the wallpaper that was on the computer when they got home, but I decided that there is probably some revenge scheme afoot that I’ll be surprised by later.
Jim Droste asked me to read at his wedding in June. I graciously accepted ((I also just realized that saying I’ve known someone for 10 years really isn’t that mind-blowing anymore. This fall, I will have known people I’ve known only since college for 10 years. That really doesn’t mean much, I guess, other than 10 years used to seem like a significant segment of time.)). Unfortunately, Michelle won’t be able to join me, since that’s also WILS seminar weekend. I’ll be looking forward to it either way…
I caught myself up on some things about the house last night that have been nagging at me, so I’ll feel OK doing some “recreational tinkering” this evening. I think I might get a HDTV tuner card for the PC. I’m curious about the sort of reception I’d be able to pull through the air. I guess I should go the Internet to find the facts about how well that would work.
I’ve had to type the word “verification” in a number of emails this week. Makes it seem strange that I have consistently been misspelling it– most often, it’s “verfication” instead. Spell check is good. I think you should consider spell-checking all your email before you send it. Even the casual/personal messages. Just push F7. That’s it. Every time. Make it a habit. F7 to check, then F9 to send. Unless you do the mail through the interwebs, then I don’t know what the hell you got going on.
I’m really just rambling here, time to tune in for Brewers baseball ((Yesterday, I sent the guys an email with the subject line “Could someone please pot Kent up?” but if my experience in broadcasting is any indication, the message was met with a middle finger, and the delete button. Doesn’t hurt to ask, I guess)).
And Then It Was Thursday
Last evening, I missed LOST, but I doubt there was much to write home about.
Instead, Michelle drove up because she really wanted to go skiing on what very well might be the last cold week of the winter. We took a ride over to Mt. Morris and Nordic Mountain. It was pretty nice, without a lot of people, several runs open, and some fresh snow from the day before.
This was my second ski trip ever, but I impressed myself by actually advancing a little in a relatively short period of time. I think properly-fitting boots and thinking through how skiing should work were a big help (and that’s not to mention my very sexy ski instructor).
We had gone down a number runs by 8:30, and for some reason I patted myself down at that moment, because I had my phone, my ID, and my car key all in pockets inside my jacket.
As it turns out, it was right about then that I realized the car key was no longer present. I didn’t freak out too much– felt really stupid, more than anything. I don’t know why keeping something important in a pocket that doesn’t zip or button closed seemed like a good idea when we first got there, but…
I also felt sort of bad about ruining that last hour that was had on the hill for Michelle– I know this was probably the only chance she was going to get to ski this year, and she had been spending the majority of the night babysitting me on the way down each run.
So between about 8:40 and 9:25, I was fumbling around in the snow in the one spot that I really took a digger earlier in the night, to no avail. Michelle gave the heads-up to the staff people, and one of the patrol dudes came out and ran his poles around in the snow with us a little. One of them tried to be optimistic, saying maybe the groomer would pick it up the next day, but I’m not going to hold my breath.
How did we get home, you ask? I’m lucky that I have a network of reliable friends who know that I’m a douschebag here in Oshkosh. Dave Schrubbe ran over to my house to open the door and retrieve my extra car key, and then Joe and April drove out to meet us there so we could get back home. This, and Joe had a paper to write for today, too. I didn’t realize that when I asked if they could help us out…
When all was said and done, we were asleep by about midnight, which probably wasn’t that much later than we usually would’ve gone to bed. My shoulders and ankles are a little more sore than usual, but, all things considered, we coasted into Thursday no worse for wear.