Summer blog schedule

Well, I have a lot more time in the summer, so I've decided to make, and stick to, a schedule for this blog. I'm going to blog every Thursday, whether I have something to say or not, and I'm going to post on Mondays as often as I can. Those are the best days for my schedule at two jobs and with my family.

Speaking of two jobs, both are going quite well right now. I'm really enjoying Kaiser, and learning how to work in a pharmacy. It's pretty early to be thinking that far in the future, but I could definitely see myself at Kaiser for a long, long time. I think they do health care the right way, and I would feel much better about working there than, say, at Walgreen's.

Don't really have much else to say at the moment, just updating y'all on the schedule. Check back on Mondays and definitely on Thursdays. Thanks for stopping by.

A different kind of post

My old creative writing professor is dying. She was diagnosed with Stage IV pancreatic cancer, which is usually terminal. This was a few months ago. I assume, because I haven't heard anything, that she has neither improved nor passed away. Over my four years as an undergrad (actually, in three years as an English major), I had her for nine courses and TA'd for her twice. Ultimately, it was probably under her direction that writing turned from a hobby into work, and she probably saved me years of toiling away on a novel I never would have finished. I'm grateful for that, as miserable as ended up being, because it pushed me into pharmacy, and I know I'll be happy there. I might write a novel some day, but I can't do it for a living.

The Kaiser that I work at is literally a block from the college that I went to. Last week on one of my breaks I walked over to the campus. A lot has changed - new buildings, improved buildings, landscaping. Two disgusting ponds were turned into one really nice one. Many professors that I had are gone. The last place I went was to this professor's office. It hasn't changed a bit. It looks like she just stepped out to give a lecture or meet with an aspiring writer. Seeing that saddened me, and I wanted to share the emotion.

Thanks for stopping by.

Summer update

Oh, hi there. I took a month off from this blog after finals. I took a month off from a lot of things. I've just been working and spending time with my family. We went to Vegas right after the end of the semester. That was relaxing, but Vegas isn't really my scene. I'm not big on partying or clubbing. The shows are pretty cool. I don't gamble too much, either. We were there for three nights, and that felt like plenty. A big thank you goes out to my sister-in-law for joining us there and providing some babysitting so we could go out like adults a couple of times.

My final grades were respectable. For the semester I have a 2.9 GPA; for the year it's 3.1. That's not going to win me any scholarships, but it's respectable. All things considered, I think that's pretty good. And more importantly, I feel like I was studying smarter at the end of the semester. I think I can get on top of it earlier and do better in the future.

I went through orientation at Kaiser Permanente last week. It's not enough hours, and doesn't pay enough, to be my only source of income, so I'm still working at the casino, but it's good for me to get into a pharmacy and maybe some day it can become my main/only job.

MLB.com has a contest where you pick a team to win each day and try to build the longest streak. Each year I play and each year I put together a decent, double-digit win streak, but as of this morning I am actually tied for the lead with 20 wins in a row. If I win, I get a trip to next year's All-Star Game, and if my streak is 37 or more, I get $10,000 with it. Today I picked the home town team, the Colorado Rockies, if you want to cheer along at home. Right now I'm less worried about winning and more about the guy that I'm tied with losing. Of course, if both were to happen, that'd be ideal.

Saturday was my six-year anniversary. I'm more in love with my wife today than ever before. Sorry to bombard you with that sap-fest, but really, I'm not sorry. I think a lot of people get married for the wrong reasons today, or from the wrong state of mind, or to the wrong person, and I'm not ashamed to brag about my own marriage. It's not been easy, but it's been a success, and I like to brag.

I'm on twitter now @buffalopharmer, if you want to follow me. I don't know how often I'll be posting blogs this summer, so for tiny updates, Twitter is probably the way to go. For now, thanks for stopping by.