mrs-roboto's Diaryland Diary

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Reinventing the Wheel

Reinventing the wheel. It seems that's what I am doing day in and day out.

This weekend Pete and I decided to install new bamboo floors throughout the house. Yes, I know we just spent the last year ripping up carpets and stripping and refinishing the old fir slabs but who needs completion in their life right? Best to have ongoing projects and construction chaos that prevents us from having dinner parties and guests well into the next century. Besides, I love falling through gaping holes into the crawl space under the money pit on my way to the bathroom in the middle of the night. It's fucking awesome.

And speaking of things that make you want to bang your head against the wall, try explaining bamboo flooring to the father-in-law. He just couldn't understand how it was possible to have a flat surface what with all the rounded reeds. The conversation went something like this:

FIL: "Bamboo?!!! What are you, primitives? Next thing you know you'll be telling me that you want to live in a thatched hut and hunt for your food. You're going to trip on that stuff, you know. Don't say I didn't warn you."

Pete: "Actually bamboo flooring is just like any other type of flat wood flooring like Maple or Oak planks only bamboo."

FIL: " Whatever, if you want to live like some kind of a jungle monkey, that's your business."

Pete: "Okay. Ook okk!." Then he bangs his chest.

The other topic of conversation lately has been grad school. To go or not go, that is the question. And here once again, I feel as if I am running in place. For every reason I believe I should go, I can name a secondary reason I shouldn't go. I could list all the logical things on my pro and con list like the financial investment as it compares with future financial gain or ambition and continued professional experience versus formal education, but I think I'll give you the frivolous stuff instead.

Pros:
1. Gives me an excuse to buy cute "back to school" clothes. I'm thinking argyle knee socks and A lined skirts with cardigan sweaters.
2. My vintage Brady Bunch pencil case and Welcome Back Cotter Trapper Keeper will finally see the light of day.
3. My truck lacks a university bumper sticker and I fear the others drivers shun me because of this.
4. Possibly being part of MTV's Sorority Life if I keep my fingers crossed and get that lobotomy I've been talking about.
5. Spring Break in beautiful Daytona Beach! Body Shots Ahoy!
6. If I move into a dorm, I'll finally have a use for those twin extra long sheets again.

Cons:
1. Since I no longer smoke, I fear I may have lost my ability to write papers, study, and walk through the outdoor quad from one class to the next. What's a study break without a cigarette?
2. My threshold for bullshit is way lower than it was twelve years ago. The idea of group work makes me nervous. I have no desire to move my desk into a circle and "share" with my fellow classmates (all of whom will undoubtedly be asshats with serious issues or at least that's how I remember my undergrad experience).
3. I have forgotten how to build a gravity bong and I don't think they let you into college unless you know how to do that.
4. I can't stay up past 11:00 PM on weeknights to save my life and I'm not even sure if they sell Thinny Thins and No Doze over the counter anymore. I certainly can't participate in an all night cram session.
5. I don't have a good book bag to carry my texts in. I don't want a backpack but I'm also not into courier bags. What else is there?
6. MATH - I hate it and I bet I'll have to take some of it in one form or other. The liberal arts school I went to back in the day let you substitute music in place of math. I met a hippy boy who played acoustic guitar (how fucking original) and batted my eyes at him till he agreed to do all my homework and let me cheat off his paper. Oh yeah, math requirement fulfilled and to hell with being fussy or moral!

So there's a short list of why 2005 may or may not be the year for me to go back to school. To be honest, the program I am looking at is geared towards professionals and is highly competitive and there's a good chance I wouldn't even make it in but it's out there and I'm thinking about it. I'll keep you posted.

8:28 p.m. - 2004-10-12

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