small talk

Adina recently had an entry in her livejournal about small talk. This reminded me of my ride back from Great America with Simon yesterday. As we drove along in the car, having spent all day together, he says, "See the signs on the side of the road? They're green. In Europe, they're blue." I have no idea if he was planning to expound on this topic. But he didn't. And I had no reply. I turned up the radio instead.

Great Weekend

I should have been making entries as the days passed. Instead I will give an outline and hopefully fill in the details of my great weekend later. But honestly, I probably won't.

My weekend began at about 9:40 Thursday morning. This was when I completed my Actuarial Exam but still had another 50 minutes to check it. Either the exam was easy or I missed something big. I redid all of my questions. I think I rocked the exam. Because it's graded on a curve I may not have passed if everyone did well, but either way I did my best and I am happy with my effort.

I picked up Ray from the airport directly after the exam. Man, I miss having him around. He constantly reminds me of what's important in life. He reminds me not to take life so seriously and to just relax. Have fun. And one's priorities should be God, family, friends, and then the rest. I should save a Ray entry for another day (or year) because I could go on about him for quite a while. As Tyler said the other day - I'm the leading authority on Raymond, having spent the most time living with him, and yet I still haven't figured him out.

Thursday night we saw the Riverwest Accordion Club at Art Bar for its Polka in the Street Party. What a blast! The music ranged from traditional polkas (the Pennsylvania Polka) to TV themes (Laverne & Shirley) to Johnny Cash to an ABBA medley. Some of my Milwaukee friends came out with Ray and me. They included Mike, who just bought a big screen HDTV, Simon, the Belgian, Ann & Andy, sister & brother, April, who makes skirts out of T-shirts, Sarah, who works with plants, Laura -banker/constant-party. It was a great group of people to be out together; we all had a lot to talk about. We danced a lot too. I didn't know it but I think Art Bar is somewhat of a gay bar. This wasn't too awkward, unless you are bothered by old men dancing the polka together. I thought it was sort of funny. And the band had a bubble blower - and a bowling pin motif. It was sweet. But my favorite part of the evening was when the band played Do, a deer... from Sound of Music. Of course, Ray sang along but then Simon joined in as well. Pretty funny seeing the two of them belting out Julie Andrews songs. We fit in just fine at the gay bar.

On Friday, Ray and I went on the Harley-Davidson tour. It sort of sucked. We then tried to find a Cabela's (so that Ray could look for cheap ammunition) to no avail. But we did go to two Targets and I stocked up on some cheap Life Cereal. This would be a great peace slogan: "Cereal, not guns." That evening, Ray, Simon, and I went to the Lakefront Brewery for its tour and fish fry. Again, plenty of beer and more polka. We stopped to visit April, but even the allure of three handsome guys couldn't convince her to come out. One more bar and we headed home. I don't want to talk about the annoying woman who wouldn't leave us alone at the bar. At one point she accused me of voting for W. Apparently she hadn't noticed that we were drinking Belgian beer and taking tequila shots.

Saturday was a lazy day. We slept in, walked to the downtown Borders, and had lunch at a pub. As soon as we made it to the park to read our books, it began to rain. Back to my apartment for a Simpsons marathon. Ray and I then went to Miller Park to see the Astros beat the Brewers. But we only paid $6 for our tickets. And we did have a good time. Later that evening, Simon caught up with us and we went bowling. Almost everyone broke a hundred. I was only 1 point away.

On Sunday I took Ray to the airport. I did not do much else that day. But I did have a nice run in the afternoon. I have to prepare for my big Alaskan trip. I want to be in my best shape. And preferably that shape will not be a circle. Simon stopped by in the evening and we planned our Memorial Day. He wanted to go to Six Flags. I warned him that I'm a wimp when it comes to big rides. I stay away from anything that dangles. Wooden coasters are cool and I'll even do the water flumes, but no way am I doing Batman or Superman or even the ferris wheel. I have no problem with waiting and watching, but I don't want him to be upset if he has to go on some rides alone. He agreed. And we bought the tickets.

This morning we drove to Six Flags - about an hour's drive away. Beautiful weather. We went on the water rides and managed to dry off. Not too crowded. Towards closing time we were walking directly onto some coasters. We did American Eagle five times. I'm really surprised that I enjoyed the one on which you stand up. I thought that one would freak me out. I did learn a little about Simon's evilness. He convinced me to go on the Raging Bull. This is a metal coaster with minimal car. You sit in a seat and with a plastic "holder" (for lack of a better word) on your lap to keep you in place. Your feet don't reach the ground and you don't have a bar to hold onto or walls to a car. I was nervous as we waited in line. As soon as I was strapped in though he turned to me and said, "Gee, there's really not much keeping us from falling out." and then he laughed. If I had been brave enough to release my death grip from the "holder" I would have hit him. Anyway I thought this ride was great and I would have done it again if the line weren't so long. The day was great. I'm glad he made me go

Favorite Supreme Court Quotation

A couple of weeks ago, NPR had a recording of some Supreme Court "discussions" (for lack of a better word). Lawyers were presenting their cases regarding the display of the 10 Commandments in County Courthouses. Both arguments sounded ridiculous, and you could hear the contempt and disbelief in the justices' voices whenever they asked a question of the lawyers. My favorite quotation from this recording came after a lawyer's statement in favor of displaying the 10 Commandments. He argued along the lines that the Commandments are practically secular in nature with little mention of "God." Mostly they deal with honoring parents and refraining from lying.

Then Justice O'Connor pipes in: "Have you read the 10 Commandments?" I almost peed my pants. Of course, the statement isn't so funny, but more how she said it and the timing of it. Based on what some of the other Justices said you could tell that most of them agreed with her sarcastic question. I am not sure why I was moved to write about this tonight, except for the fact that I was thinking about it, and I laughed to myself again. Actually I laughed out loud. I live alone so I can get away with that.

Exam prep

Tomorrow is my next exam. It is on interest theory and I am sick of thinking about investments and bonds. That is why today I did very little studying. I worked until 1 and then went to the library. After some duration problems (all 20 examples that I have) I decided to go home. A few more problems was all I could handle. Dinner at Chipotle and then stained glass class.

When I got home I stopped at Mike's for his vacuum. He showed me his new big screen TV with high definition cable. Wow. That was incredible. But I would certainly trade the TV for a two-week trip to Alaska. Mike's a nice guy and all but I do not understand his values.

I'm extremely excited for Ray's visit. I keep thinking about how much I enjoyed Jenn's trip to Milwaukee, and now Ray'g going to be here. Perhaps, deep down, I'm just anxious to see the Riverwest Accordion Club.

what a week

Last night I went to a candle party that was surprisingly fun.

Today I worked for 8 out of the 12 hours that I will work this week.

Tomorrow I will spend studying. Wednesday I will spend 4 more hours at work and not return until the following Tuesday.

Thursday morning I will take my exam. Simultaneously the city will brace itself for the arrival of Raymond Choi. I will pick him up at the airport after my exam.

Our plans include: The Harley factory tour. The Riverwest Accordion Club. The Lakefront Brewery Tour. A Brewers Game. Various bars and drinking.

Milwaukee will never be the same.

candle party

Last night I went to a Candle Party at Ann's house. She and her mom were hosting. They were guilted into hosting by the other Ann, who used to work with Andy, Ann's brother. "The other Ann" has some social problems; she's very awkward and was not very good at hosting the party. However, Ann and her family were great. None of the guests that came took the party very seriously. The guests included Ann's friends who felt guilty and some nice neighbors. We had some great punch and apple cake. I was scolded twice by "the other Ann" for talking during the party. Luckily this woman was so out of it that she didn't actually realize that we were making fun of her and the candle party. I actually think some candles were bought during the party, but none of them were bought by me.

The Force

I was most impressed by Obi-wan's ability to ride a giant lizard, fight a four-armed droid, fall down a mountain and into a pool of water, steal a starship, battle a Sith, ride on a river of magma, and maintain his hair-do - that strange wave-thing he has going on. "The Force" would be a great name for brand of hair products.

Father-Son Bonding

My dad and I are going to Alaska. I have a few weeks to get ready. I have to find airfare and make travel arrangements. The town that I need to get to doesn't exactly have an international airport; I think I will need to take a ferry, maybe a train - I don't know. Dad has already asked me to help him make his reservations. He's not exactly computer savvy. Today he told me, "I'm not really an e-mail kind-of guy." Yeah, I know, Dad. But you're going to have to be. This outfitter is in Utah, our destination is Alaska, and your traveling companion is in Wisconsin.

He also mentioned tent-purchasing today. This was a topic I wanted to avoid, but I suppose it would have to be brought up eventually. I don't want to share a tent with my dad. He snores. He's messy. And because he's the dad, he wins all arguements. We are an "odd couple" and I am the Felix. And Felix usually loses, because entropy has an advantage. The advantage is the Second Law of Thermodynamics. (I bet you had no idea this is where this posting would lead.)

You might be a wookiee if...

Tonight I made Simon watch A New Hope. Seriously if he is going to see Revenge of the Sith with me tomorrow I want him to at least know who Darth Vader is.

Today I talked to Tyler and we talked about the new Star Wars movie. I mentioned that Simon had never seen any of them and he said, "What! That's un-American." And I said, "Actually, he's Belgian."

Alaska and(or) bust II

In a previous post I wondered about some choices that I have to make very soon: whether I should purchase a condo and whether I should take a rafting trip in Alaska this summer. I appreciate the advice I received through your comments; it was a big help.

However, I have some extra information that has greatly influenced my decisions.

First, on the condo: my next actuarial exam is next week. The topic is interest theory. I finally analyzed the condo issue from an in-depth financial perspective, and I could save much more money by continuing to rent. Buying a condo would mean some mondo-interest payments and very little equity growth for the first couple of years. Sure, interest rates are likely to climb, but during that time I'll be saving more money for a down payment that will ultimately bring down the interest costs. Also, if interest rates go up I anticipate real estate to drop a little to compensate for that.

As for Alaska: I've asked my dad if he wants to go with me. He hasn't responded yet. I sent him the website after talking on the phone. Perhaps he can't get the link to work. However, after talking to my "exam coach" at work today I've realized that some exams will be given during the week of the pending trip to Alaska. Putting off these exams aren't such a crisis as they are supplemental and I could take them later in the year. However, this does add another fold to the complicated decision to be made.

Computer problems

This past weekend I experienced some computer problems and I have no idea if they are related. First, my computer crashed a few times. Since then I have run all of the virus, spyware, adaware, etc. programs that I have. Today, nothing has gone wrong with the computer, so I hope the problem has been resolved. Second, I'm receiving foreign spam. I think the language is German but I'm not really sure. Normally, gmail is good at filtering out spam that I receive, but the foreign words are somehow getting through. I have begun to label things as "spam" so gmail is learning what to filter and I think the problem is under control. However, I don't like the idea of my name being on spam lists. Third, my email at work is sending messages to people. I have received a few warnings from Mailer Daemon that my messages are returning, but I never sent those messages out! My IT department (Joe) tells me that he's not going to do anything about it unless the problem becomes excessive - 10 emails or more each day.

So, the lesson is to not open anything from me that looks suspicious. And, anything written in German from me you should consider suspicious because I don't know any German.

A rose by any other name...

Today I calculated the pension benefits for Mr. Takishita.

LaToya Jackson might be a member of my gym, but I can't see past all of the hair.

The title says it all.

Alaska and(or) bust

A few years ago I went rafting through the Grand Canyon - fantastic trip. Now I see that the outfitters of that trip are organizing a trip to Alaska. This one is for 11 days and originally it was about $3000, but due to a recent cancellation they have reduced the cost to $1800. It's a steal. It would be worth it if it were still $3000.

However, there are a couple of other factors.

1. The trip would require me to take 2 weeks of vacation. Not a problem except it would limit my vacationing for the rest of the year. But who cares - I would have 11 days of great vacation.

2. This would be the same time that my family would be all together in PA at my aunt and uncle's cottage on the lake. That's always a lot of fun.

3. The cost would also increase due to flights and I would probably stay an extra day or two in the small Alaskan towns. This cost would eat some of my downpayment on a possible condo purchase. But maybe I'm too young to own property anyway. But interest rates are wicked low and there's a condo right next door available for purchase.

The ultimate question boils down to what should I put off - Buying a home, which is more of a financial thing than a homey thing - or Experiencing an amazing part of America?

If you have comment, please share. I don't have many close friends here in Milwaukee whom I trust with these life questions.

fake angry

Do you talk to yourself? I do. Not outloud, but in my head. (And is the proper term "aloud" or "outloud"? What's the difference?)

Sometimes my "conversations" are with people I know and I try to imagine their responses. Let me repeat that I do not talk to my self outloud. Sometimes I tell stories as if I were talking to someone, especially if it's a funny anecdote that I think a particular friend would enjoy.

Today I had a fake conversation with my mom. The topic was ways to respond to her the next time she accuses me of "giving [my] sister a hard time." This is a common complaint of my mom, however, Kelly has not accused me of it - except for when Mom is in the room with her. Mom brought this up in my Mother's Day call home due to a previous call I had made when I had talked to my sister about visiting me sometime. My conversation with Kelly went something like this:

Me: When are you done with finals? Are you going to come and visit me this summer?
Kelly: I don't know. I don't have the money for it.
Me: I think Mom and Dad would help you with a plane ticket.
Kelly: Eh, I don't want to ask and I'm working this summer and I have other things going on too.
Me: Oh.

Of course, this is just paraphrasing and the conversation had stuff before it and after it, but I don't remember badgering her or making Kelly feel uncomfortable. However, Mom says she could tell by the look on Kelly's face that I was "giving her a hard time."

Anyway, back to the fake "conversation" I had with my mom in my head. I was walking down the street while I was thinking this "conversation" and somehow the discussion escaladed into a fight and I could feel myself getting angry. But it was all in my head! So, I changed the subject. And then I felt like a real loser.

What kind of person gets angry over a fake "conversation" in his mind and then changes the subject because it's making him uncomfortable? I think Wisconsin is getting to me. In addition to this realization of possible insanity, the other night I caught myself sprinkling cheese on a perfectly good dinner because I figured "Cheese can only help and bring this dish to the next level." There's something in the water.

mortgage

Today I had my first meeting with a loan officer from my bank. She was helpful and gave me appropriate answers to my questions. I also had the chance to see my credit report. The meeting was uneventful - no funny stories or epiphanies. However, this has the potential to be the beginning of a major change in my life. So, for that reason, I thought I should make an entry about it.

May Day update

Today another coworker of mine told us that he will be leaving the firm. This is four people since I began 10 months ago. I hope the exodus has not been caused by me. This resignation will actually affect me because the guy is in my department, sits next to me, and is at my level. So, the whole that he leaves in our work flow will potentially be filled by me.

I did not try to organize another trivia team tonight. This past weekend I tried again to mobilize my Milwaukee friends into going out together. And again, they did not come. I'm getting disillusioned by my "circle of friends" and I'm beginning to really miss my classmates from BU. I know they would never turn down an offer to play trivia, or go dancing, or go see the Riverwest Accordian Club. At least I have Simon, who is never afraid to turn away from his thesis paper to drink a beer. Or play cribbage. Or go to the casino and win big. This past Friday we went bar-hopping and I showed him a range of bars, from the trendy to the plain, nothing fancy, just-get-drunk kinds of establishments. We had a great time.

I will miss Simon when he goes back to Belgium in a month. However, with that pending deadline, we're motivated to see more things in Milwaukee. Tonight I suggested a day trip to Chicago and he asked about Madison. I didn't mention this but I think it would also be incredibly funny to go country line dancing. And of course, a brewery tour. I'm hoping that Raymond really does come to visit at the end of the month. A visit from Ray and a big send-off for Simon would make May the best month I've spent in Milwaukee yet.

Expect a Miracle

Today I was driving down the street and I saw a beat-up, two-door, red Mercury. The bumper was being held on by cables. The driver-side window was non-existant, just translucent plastic. The sideview mirror was duct-taped to the car. Scratches and dents covered the car. As I got closer I could read the bumper sticker - "Expect a Miracle." I bet that is that guy's thought every time he tries to start the car.

no ink

Today I learned how the laser copier works. There is no ink, just powder. And the laser charges the paper so that the powder sticks to it. And then the machine "fuses" the powder to the paper. I am now wary of spending much time in the copier room.

The Champagne of Trivia Teams

My "friends" backed out of trivia tonight. But Simon looked disappointed when I said I didn't want to go, so I changed my mind. We went, just the two of us.

No one thought that our name was funny and the DJ asked, "Are you really going to write 'The Champagne of Trivia Teams' on every answer sheet?" Yes, I think I'll manage in between swigs of beer.

Simon and I did not live up to our name. After 5 questions we still only had 0 points. And after our first point, the DJ made an announcement that we were finally on the board. Asshat. Our first correct answer was Amsterdam to the question - What European city was the first to legalize comdom dispensers in its taxis? Simon new this, but he is the European specialist on the team. By the end of the game, the DJ was giving us hints. It was sad. And me, the perpetual snob, was thinking, "I've played in Boston, I can handle this Milwaukee riff-raff." But really, how was I supposed to know how many pounds of lipstick the average American woman uses in her lifetime? (9) It was all luck. I even had an equation for that last question. And poor Simon - he gave his guess in kilos and then we had to convert it.

But we had a good time. Perhaps next time we'll get a larger team together. And then we can struggle in even greater numbers.