(no subject)

[trinityvixen]

Do you ever wonder if it's the little things that are going to bring about the apocalypse?

Yesterday, I applied to Columbia's School of Continuing Education instead of just saying "Oh, but I missed pre-registration for the class I want..." which I managed to do for the past two years I've worked here. I may even--gasp!--keep up with the enrollment and take more classes for the next session this summer. Maybe the one after that!

Then, in a fit of responsibility, I mailed thank you cards that were terribly late. But I mailed them! Instead of just assuming the recipients would have given up hoping for them by now. I also straightened up materials for my dental and health insurance and I'm this close to like actually going to see a dentist and a doctor, respectively.

But perhaps the most worrying thing of all: I started playing Animal Crossing. That makes it the first--really? yes! really!--Game Cube game I'll have ever played (I discount Smash Bros. because I hardly ever played the Game Cube version, maybe once, twice?). Not only that, but it's Animal Crossing. The game that's been around me for two years as my roommates built up a town, then built its cockroach-infested, treeless doppleganger on a second memory card as an excuse to live out their fantasies of being fruit mafiosios and letting Liz M occasionally stop by to play ihateyou. But but but! There was a really cute character design. I had to have it!!

Plus, I dunno if anyone noticed my recent postings about video games, but I have minor video game OCD. xannoside and feiran probably remember this too well from all those Dynasty Warriors 3 hours logged just to get everyone's weapons (ACK! I NEVER FINISHED THAT!). They were all like "Let's get items to help the characters we want to play!" and I'm all like "MUST GET THE BIG FAT BOY'S FOURTH CLUB-THINGY!!! ZOMG!" Hence, the determination to be worth of Jiminy's not worth-it secret ending in Kingdom Hearts II. Hence the finally cracking down and taking matters into my own hands because the roommates won't get all the bugs, fish, trees, et al that are needed for their town to be perfect and thus worthy of the ultimate collectable item: the golden axe.

It's amazing what you can pick up by just watching. What I can't pick up is a golden shovel and a net and a fishing rod, but give me time...

Comments

[jethrien.livejournal.com]

What kind of classes are you thinking of taking?

[trinityvixen.livejournal.com]

A writing class, actually. I need some deadlines to help me produce. Plus, darkling1 has gone on about the benefits of multiple groups looking at pieces, and I have to think this must be a good thing.

Funnily enough, if I can't get into the one I want for the first half of summer, I will be able to take the same class with a different teacher in the second half, and that teacher is one I had as an undergrad. So, fun!

[jethrien.livejournal.com]

That sounds really cool.

[trinityvixen.livejournal.com]

Yep! I look forward to the class because it promises to work on different aspects of stories--character, setting, plot--seperately, then put them together again. I need that.

[jethrien.livejournal.com]

I wish I'd taken a writing class in college. Couldn't get in, though. It was a really rather sucky situation - Princeton's got a bunch of big name authors teaching the classes, but they don't have that many classes offered, and the class size is small. So you have to submit samples, and they pick who gets to take the class. But they let people take the class multiple times, so people could get in, improve their writing, and increase their chances of getting in again. There was one very self-satisfied article in the Princeton once written by someone who'd taken the class two or three times and gushing about it, and telling us all that we should take advantage of this resource. I wanted to go smack the smile off her face because part of the reason I couldn't take advantage of it was because people like her were taking it repeatedly.

[trinityvixen.livejournal.com]

What a bastard system! I wish I could smack that person retroactively on your behalf.

Our system was better, but you had to know when to show up for pre-registration. You couldn't just add yourself to the class without permission, even the Structure and Style first-year of the program courses (it wasn't a major, just a special program that actually was supposed to start at year two).

I, of course, did not know this was the case and showed up for an advanced workshop where I had to submit a story. I was--luckily--accepted. It was a wonderful experience. That's where I got to make goo-goo eyes at the cute boy who was an AMAZING writer (his ideas were nutty as fuck and awesome at the same time--all really generation-specific, though, so our old teacher was constantly at a loss).

I also got into my first critique-fight. In that class, submissions were "anonymous," which was a laugh as the author wasn't allowed to comment so the only one not talking was the author (not to mention the fact that the professor told three people each week to bring something). One time, an author broke that rule because I basically--with the impunity of 'anonymity' as an excuse--excoriated him for writing the most unbelievable pile of crap (I think the story involved some sketchily drawn mobster doing a 180 on his morals in the space of six pages and saving a baby while holding his guts in with a jacket wrappedd around his waist--the guts thing is the only specific I remember). That taught me to be careful how certain people take critique.

I took another class with that same professor because it was hilarious free-form fun. I loved that guy. He's the one teaching the second session, too. I might just have to sign up for it again if I like the style, just to be in his class one more time :)

[hslayer.livejournal.com]

I built a chemical weapons lab in my basement in Animal Crossing.... A few rockets, a couple of lab tables, a computer, and 10 biohazardous material barrels. Sweet.

The other half of the basement is all lockers. When you open one, it says, "30,000 bells, 30,000 bells, and 30,000 bells are inside." See, if they found out I was making WMDs they might freeze my bank accounts, so I need cash....

I haven't played it in months. Farpoint must look like shit by now.

[trinityvixen.livejournal.com]

I have no idea what my house will look like, only that I will try to collect every clothing item, every wallpaper, and every carpet as best I can. feiran is aiding and abetting already by telling me not to sell the work outfit Nook gave me because I can't order it again.

Another Bullshit Night in SuckCity

[(Anonymous)]

Why the F are you playing that game again? Especially when there's no ending, just day after day of pointlessness, punctuated by the occasional digging holes around animals and smacking them with nets? Is it really just to collect everything you possibly can? Great...

Re: Another Bullshit Night in SuckCity

[trinityvixen.livejournal.com]

You know you want to play when you're here Saturday :)

Speaking of, what the F are we doing with you Saturday?

[negativeq.livejournal.com]

What classes have you been taking? And is any class you take free, or does it have to be related to your job?

Rockefeller is job-related only courses for reimbursement, and only up to something like $8K.

Come play WoW!

[trinityvixen.livejournal.com]

Never on WoW. Not a way. Not going to hold my interest. Just isn't.

Columbia has reimbursement for classes that aren't related to your job, but if they are for your job or are graduate level, they're not tax-free. I talked about this with the HR people. We get 7 points a semester to take.