If I sent in my “old” iMac, Apple will give me $310 trade-in value towards a new one.
The 27″ iMac I’d like to have, is about $1500 with the Apple Education discount, so I could get it for about $1200.
Hmm…
And a basic iPad is $500 using the Apple Education discount.
Do I need either? No.
But they are certainly PRETTY and COOL and FANCY.

—

Possible agenda for tomorrow and Wednesday:
+ Walk to video store in Sorels.
+ Mini-Movie Marathon: 4 Christmases and Easy A for sure…
+ Buy some Pepsi Max?
+ Read/finish I’m Down and start Jenny McCarthy’s book. Oh, and continue to read the Happiness book; I typically can read a funny book with a research book at the same time. True story.
+ Maybe consider looking ahead to next semester… maybe.

Thursday/Friday:
+ Purchase David Sedaris’ new book (okay, it came out in September, but I don’t have it yet).
+ Appointment 9am-ish Thursday.
+ Endless.com shipment in on Thursday.

First non-academic project: Sort through CDs and put music from CDs on iMac that isn’t already there. Then recycle CDs I don’t absolutely have to have forever and/or make a chandelier out of them?
First academic project: Place final grades into PeopleSoft this afternoon.

There should definitely be a Credit Cards Are Evil 101 class in colleges.
Definitely.
I’ve been digging my way out of a few for awhile now; oh sure, they have low percentage rates and all that bologna (because I’m “one of those responsible payers”), but seriously. I’ve probably paid for my first Mac laptop ten times over by now. And it’s eight years old, and I don’t really use it. No, now I have an iMac that I put on a credit card too. Good gawd. And all those “deals” I got at various stores. No longer was that pair of jeans really half off. That cute blazer I got for $10 once upon a time has really cost me $50. Ugh. Whatever. I can’t dwell on it too much; instead, I’ve devised a plan (sounds scary, doesn’t it?) and I’m paying these suckers off. Starting tomorrow, actually – I’ve already moved a big chunk of money from my savings (where my interest rate was less than my Target Visa’s interest, of course) to my checking. Once it transfers, BAM that dang Target bill will be cut down two-thirds’ worth. I’m eyeing them all now. Who’s ripping me off the most? You are next, Mr. First National.

Fortunately, I’ve gotten in the habit of using my debit card for 99% of all purchases. I don’t carry the cards that I’m heavily paying off, and when I use my Old Navy card (the only other credit card I’ve used in the last year besides the Target Visa), I pay it off immediately so it doesn’t pile up yet I still get the bonus points. So, I have finally learned my lesson(s) at age 31. Sheesh.

I think I’ve officially done to my body what I’ve done to my brain many times before. Exhausted it beyond belief. I feel like I used to feel after the first week of tennis practice back in the day. Sore, sore, sore. But I’d rather be sore than not sore/not exercising, so… plus, when one is sore, they know they did something to some muscle that hadn’t been done in awhile. If I have to have sore quads and hamstrings for the rest of my life, so be it. Let’s just say interval training is kicking my butt.

And so I go from high intensity out on the bike or on the running paths, to sitting atop my exercise ball on the internet/computer dinking around for too much of the day. I’m starting to feel like I need to take a break from sitting in front of that thing/this thing (even thought that iMac is so cute). I’m addicted to checking my email or getting on Facebook. Daily. I mean, yes, I should check in on my students, but I should be doing summer things too. I should be conducting more blog research. I should be out on my balcony taking in the lovely afternoon w/a book.

I finished the second Chelsea Handler book; I laughed out loud many times. It was the perfect bedtime book; I’d read a chapter or two, and then fall asleep with a smile on my face. Now I need to move on. I’ve been doing better than expected with my reading this summer (in comparison to last)… I’ve gotten through Klosterman’s book, two of Chelsea’s, got back into Ken Bain’s for a chapter, and dabbled in some philosophy books one day. If I could just get into that pile of Deb Tannen books during the day, I could read Rushdie at night. Yes, I have piles of both authors; they are an odd combination, aren’t they? For some reason, though, I feel like reading all sorts of different authors and books this summer. Those Tannen/Rushdie piles will be there forever. I still have a biography about Madonna that I haven’t gotten to or any of those odd books I “stole” from Errol. Huh.

Well, I feel like a trip to the library is in order… and then it’s lunch and reading time for this camper.

dry eyes again.
mini tv – nothing new to me.
white static. in the red eyes of life.
the iMac monitor glows.
punk girl peeks at me
around the applications
the blog
my words. some sort of truth.
pieced together in my brain.
can i be replaced?

HERE is just ANOTHER reason YOU SHOULD BE BLOGGING, people! Last night, I went to my personal blog and dinked around… skimmed the early months of the year to see what I was doing at the beginning of 2007. Wow. I have come along way (baby?). In fact, I hadn’t remembered that I purchased my iMac this year (feels like I’ve had it for forever) or that I went to the GTAO conference at NDSU and had a blast. That was this year! See! It RECORDS my thoughts, my goings-on… what would I do without MY BLOGS? I have no idea. It’s like how most people feel about their cell phone; what did I ever do before having blogs? Those memories are far, far away now. Lost in the caves of my neurons.

Well, I’m wired off a delicious lunch with Cheryl, a large 1/2 diet 1/2 Dr. Pepper fountain pop, and two cups of coffee. Better continue using my hyperactivity to complete some stuff:

_x_ 2 – 120 eCollege shells
___ 120 eCompanion, print off 120 12wk syllabus too
_x_ 110 eCompanion shell, regular semester
___ 110 eCompanion shell, 12wk
___ Both 110s = print off syllabi
___ Creative Writing eCompanion shell, print off syllabus

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL; START BLOGGING AS A RESOLUTION!
You’ll thank me for it in a year!

As I should’ve known, this blog looks much different on my iMac at home. Oh well.
So… the rain has caused this town to release its “perfume.” Ah, that Wahpeton stench. Mm Mm.
It should be considered the smell of money since the beet plant is one of the town’s industries,
but it’s still an unfortunate smell… and one that makes my nostrils flare unattractively.

So, yes, I am rather addicted to The Office, and tonight is no exception.
People need to realize that Jim & Pam are the “new” Ross & Rachel.
Everyone loves a turbulent love story, right?

Before then, I have a meeting, an office hour, and one class…
and I am loving this program called “Pages” that came in the “iWork” package for my iMac.
It has a very sophisticated syllabus template!

Did anyone know that Lyle Lovett has a song titled “North Dakota”? Odd.

Rules were made to be broken, and my students seem to really “get” that rule. It’s too bad, yet it helps me with the grading aspect of the class. Student doesn’t hand in paper on time = I don’t have to grade it. And, once again, this “problem” only pertains to about 20% (or less) of my students, so I should just focus on those who hand in their work on time. I should applaud them.

And when it comes to rules about other things, like fashion & style, I am beginning to think that fads about anything are just something for magazines to write about. This is IN and that is OUT. Oh really? If something looks good on a person, he/she should just keep wearing it. Unless it’s hideous. Or ghastly (like a sweater with fuzzies on it or jeans that are so destroyed, they are see-through). And the fads really don’t change all that much. If I had a magazine, I would have a section devoted to “those things you thought were OUT are always IN.” Suckers.

I was starting to believe that my iBook was invisible. She’s 5+ years old, but she showed me a “sign” a few days ago. The screen goes black when it’s leaned back 90 degrees+, so, I guess the rule about getting a new computer every so many years will pertain to my life afterall. I am due for a beautiful iMac desktop anyhow.

A rule that I break? Celebrating Valentine’s Day with a lot of hoopla.

I think my computer is fixed now; however, I don’t think I linked to this site or this site or this site. Someone (the tech guy? a random student who snuck in my office?) had some fun on my computer!?! Hmph. I am perplexed to say the least.

*IF I receive as much compensation as I think I will for redeveloping English 120 Online, I think I’ll put most of it towards finally purchasing an iMac. And IF it looks like I may teach online this summer, I may have to look into getting internet at my apt.