[tigerfan88]

God is good! I was getting ready to leave for class today when the phone rang and the answering machine came on. It was a woman asking to speak to me. So I picked up the phone and talked to her. It turns out, she some how got the job application that I had filled out for the Recreation Center back during the summer. Anyway, she wanted to know if I would be interested in a job for her office (located in the University Center right nextdoor). It has something to deal with information technology and keeping things running (I would know more, but I had my little niece in one arm while talking to her, so I couldn't understand/hear all she was saying). So, basically, tomorrow afternoon I need to go to the office, fill out an official application and interview for the job. It would be an awesome thing because I am near the end of my work study job as a web designer and need something to do next semester so that I can pay for the rest of my tuition. It also would help me diversify my computer skills, which is always nice in my field. She seemed to be genuinely interested in me working for them, so it sounds good. We'll see.

In other news, I turned in my English research paper today and did the two last programming assignments for my programming class, plus helped out a buddy of mine with his assignments. This weekend I will be going to breakfast with Santa with my nieces and nephew and family, helping my family get a Christmas tree, going to my bro-in-law's friend's Guitar shop to drop my baby off for a set-up, picking up my new amplifier from Guitar Center and, of course, studying. I have a Logic final next Wednesday, a few English assignments due next Wednesday and a take home programming final to complete.

[tigerfan88]

I had the job interview and the job itself is different than I expected. Basically, if I get hired, I would be working at the information desk, selling cookies/coffee/assorted snacks (heating things up in the microwave) and directing guests to places they need to get on campus. It's in the University Center. The pay is $7.30 an hour, which really isn't bad considering the work. I kinda was surprised by the interview, because I did not expect to be asked as many questions as I was, but I think she (the person who interviewed me) was impressed by my answers. The one thing I have working against me is the fact that I haven't held a customer service job before, but the things I have working for me are that I'm able to work independently, a very quick learner, always timely, respectful and (according to her) not shy. So we'll just see, I guess. If it doesn't work out, I still have one work study job that should continue through February, long enough to pay my tuition. But it would be nice to get this job because it would give me some experience in customer service which could make getting a job next summer a bit easier. I also think this job could help me socially. It's true, I wasn't shy at all with her, but there is still that "shell" and the more I am around people, the more that shell breaks. But, anyway, I think I made a really good impression on her and I expect to know within the next week or so whether or not I got the job.

Let's see, what else is new? Well, I bought my amp yesterday and did some goofing around with my guitar and my dad's strat copy. I have to say that I love the amp and have no regret in purchasing it so fast. It is the best amp I could own right now, something that I can practice and gig with. I am, however, now guitarless because I took my dad's strat and my Les Paul copy in to be set-up by my brother in law's friend who owns a little guitar shop. I don't get them back until Wednesday, and while I miss them a lot, I think it's for the best because it'll force me to actually study for my final on Wednesday.

I have a ton of Christmas shopping left to do. It'll probably mostly be done next weekend. I also need to pick up the last of my school books, finish up some English stuff, do a take-home Programming final and do some musical compositions for my Music class. All in addition to doing Logic stuff for the final in that class. But I'm hoping that, after December 17th, I'll have 3 weeks of just playing guitar, relaxing and enjoying the holidays.

[tigerfan88]

Well, as you probably know, I really enjoy planning ahead. I already have plans for the month after school is out for summer (basically late April-late May): renovating my room. I started, a year and a half ago, to work on my room with the help of my brother and father. We installed new drywall, and I put putty in the wall, sanded it, primed it and painted it. However, because I rushed it, I've started noticing paint peeling off and, to be honest, the room looks like crap--better than it looked before, but still not how *I* want it to look. So I am planning on learning as much as possible about renovation so I can make good use of that month off. I plan on installing crown moulding/some other type of framing around the window and two doors, caulking holes around the ceiling, putting in laminate flooring, putting together a new computer desk and dresser that I will be purchasing from the store. Basically, I want my room to look nicer and have more space.

Right now, things are cramped. I have a big, long dresser that takes up a ton of space (on top of it is my desktop PC that I use for recording) and a small student desk on the opposite side of the room. And, now, with the big amp, things are even more cramped and, well, messy. I'm wanting to get a tall dresser that takes up a lot less horizontal room and a small desk. The dresser would be at one side of the room, with my two desks at the other side, by the outlet. My music gear would be right next to the dresser, tucked away neatly in a corner. My bed would stay in the same place it is right now. The floor would be a lot easier to clean, the walls would be nice looking and the frames around the window/doors would look nice. I have it all planned out in my mind, haha. I did start calculating the cost of all this and it appears to be around $400. So my next big purchase will be all the supplies needed to finish this room the right way.

[tigerfan88]

Today was....interesting. I got up at 9:30AM, hoping to get a lot done before my only class of the day. Things started out well enough, but my mom ended up realizing that the splinter in my foot (which I unknowingly got on Friday) was not coming out and was, in fact, infected. So we rushed over to the doctor. I ended up getting a shot in the foot to numb the area while the doc cut open the foot and got out the splinter which was pretty deep in there. It was a big splinter, I guess. My foot is now pretty sore, but it should heal up. What annoyed me was how I wasted 2 hours at the doctors when I could have been using the time to work and get some homework done. Oh well.

[RK_lover]

Sorry:
1.For forgetting your journal!
2.About your foot! Hopefully it'll be okay now....

So, what's your favorite feature or ability of your new amp?


(Hmm, I should get some new people to start posting here....)

[tigerfan88]

Well, duh. :P

And it's alright. I kinda like being alone. Haha, not really.

As for the amp, oh, man, it's a toss up between the flanger and the delay features. I love those. I also love the variety of modeling amps, the ability to write two sets of settings, being able to switch between presets and all the different controls. There's just a ton of flexibility there. I think I'll put up a recording soon to demonstrate all the stuff I like doing with that amp.

Well, it is now 4:05AM. This is the latest I've stayed up in quite some time. I stayed up this late to finish up a freelance project writing articles. Can you believe I wrote over 3000 words in 4 hours? Me neither. Especially on such a bland topic as scuba diving. Thank God I am done with that now. I plan on sleeping until 10ish this morning. Good night all.

[tigerfan88]

And this is what happens when you get a splinter in your foot and forget about it for three days, then get it taken out by a doctor.

[RK_lover]

Sounds like you love your amp!

YUCK! I'm sorry, but I must say, your foot is repulsive in that picture....

So, how are you doing?

[tigerfan88]

That's what they all say (about my foot). I've never had such a disgusting looking wound in my life, so I just had to take a picture and post it here.

Pretty good. A bit nervous about the final in logic tomorrow, but I'm trying not to get too stressed out about it. In other news...I got a phone call today and I have been offered the job at the University Center as an Information Desk attendee. The hours would be Tuesday 2:05-5:45, Wednesday 2-4PM and Thursday 2PM-7:15. My mom isn't too thrilled about the idea of me being down there late afternoon/evening when I had specifically set the schedule of my classes so that I'd be home, but as I've explained to her, I really need to have this job so that I am set as far as finances are concerned for the remainder of the winter semester. My current job is going to be done by the end of January, so it's important to have this other job lined up. So, we'll see. I'll be going in tomorrow to talk with the woman who has offered the job to me and I guess, by tomorrow afternoon, I'll know for sure whether or not I'm taking the job.

[RK_lover]

Yeah....I've had some nasty looking injuries, I just don't find it necessary to show them off!

That's cool...hopefully it'll all work out....

[tigerfan88]

You're obviously not as sick as I am!

Yeah, the pros of taking the job are:

Having enough money to pay for tuition, plus improvements to my room, plus insurance for when I start driving
Experience. I plan on working somewhere--anywhere--next summer to pay for the part of my tuition that isn't covered by financial aid. Taking a job like this gives me some experience.

I will be praying about it and talking to my mom, trying to see what is best for everyone involved.

On another note, I really miss my Agile right now.

[tigerfan88]

My mom has OK'd the job, though she has her concerns about it. I meet with the woman tomorrow afternoon to discuss further details of it. Please pray for me that it ends up working out well.

Also, we took in a cat tonight that had been hanging around our porch since the summertime. She is a sweet little black cat with white chest. I've grown attached to her and really want to adopt her. My parents, however, have put their foot down on it. We already have 5 cats (had 6, but one of them ran away several months ago and probably will never return), and, because I've taken in a stray before, they've reached the conclusion that I can't stop taking in strays and this won't be the last one like I've said. But, to be honest, I have no desire to adopt any other cats. I already have two, and this little kitty would be the last one. I am willing to pay for the vet bill and everything, so I'm hoping they change their mind. Otherwise, this cat will likely die this winter. She is spending tonight in a cage inside our house, but my mom has said she must go back out tomorrow. I am praying that my parents will allow me to care for this cat.

[tigerfan88]

I have the job and start training next Wednesday. It should be interesting.

I got my guitar(s) back today. I can't say enough about the job the guy did on my dad's strat (which I've kinda claimed as my own, lol). The tremolo now works and, let me tell you, I've been having a lot of fun with that trem bar. I've never had a guitar before that has that, so it's really cool to hear what sorts of sounds you can make with it. I'm about to plug in my Agile in a few minutes to test it out. From what I can tell (unplugged) it sounds a lot better. The string still buzzes on a few frets, but that's probably a mechanical issue with the guitar itself.

And I took my Logic final this morning/afternoon. It wasn't nearly as bad as I thought. I think I might have actually done well on it. The proofs I did seemed good, and the multiple choice was pretty easy. Even though that class has caused me a lot of stress, I will miss it--particularly the instructor. He's challenging, but the class itself is kinda.....fun.

[tigerfan88]

Well, now that I have the amp and the guitar(s) I need, I figure it's time to start making good use of them. I have a lot of time free during the holiday break, and I hope to capitalize on it by getting better at guitar. To this end, I have devised a little plan called "21 Days of Rock" where I will be learning something new everyday. Here's what I have so far:

21 Days of Rock
A Plan for an Aspiring Rockstar

Week 1: Back to Basics

Day 1:
10 minutes of warm-up (e phrygian, a pentatonic scale)
10 minutes of chord power (A, E, G maj)
20 minutes of exercises from Troy Stetina's book (exercises for finger independence, trills)
10 minutes of the theory book
40 minutes to practice “My Hero” by the Foo Fighters

Day 2:

10 minutes of warm-up (e phrygian, a pentatonic scale)
10 minutes of chord power (C, D, F maj)
20 minutes of exercises from Troy Stetina's book (first four exercises)
15 minutes of the theory book
40 minutes to practice “Satisfaction” by the Rolling Stones

Day 3:

10 minutes of warm-up (e phrygian, a pentatonic scale)
10 minutes of chord power (A, E, G maj)
20 minutes of exercises from Troy Stetina's book (first four exercises)
15 minutes of the theory book
40 minutes to practice “Inspiration” by Sanctus Real

Day 4:

10 minutes of warm-up (e phrygian, a pentatonic scale)
10 minutes of chord power (C, D, F maj)
20 minutes of exercises from Troy Stetina's book (first six exercises)
15 minutes of the theory book
40 minutes to practice “Be Yourself” - Audioslave (main riff)

Day 5:

10 minutes of warm-up (e phrygian, a pentatonic scale)
10 minutes of chord power (A, E, G maj)
20 minutes of exercises from Troy Stetina's book (first six exercises)
15 minutes of the theory book
40 minutes to practice “Running Down a Dream” - Tom Petty (main riff)

Day 6:

10 minutes of warm-up (e phrygian, a pentatonic scale)
10 minutes of chord power (C, D, F, B maj)
20 minutes of exercises from Troy Stetina's book (first six exercises)
15 minutes of the theory book
40 minutes “Another One Bites the Dust” - Queen

Day 7:

10 minutes of warm-up (e phrygian, a pentatonic scale)
10 minutes of chord power (C, D, F, B maj)
20 minutes of exercises from Troy Stetina's book (first six exercises)
15 minutes of the theory book
40 minutes “What If?” - Creed

The scales and chords are still tentative, and I may add in some other scales. The point of week 1 is to get me back to the basics. I'm learning 7 different songs--or at least parts of them. I'm thinking week 2 will be strictly about rhythm, so the songs will be songs that require precise rhythm. Week 3 will be lead guitar, so it'll involve quite a few solos. It's all still quite tentative, but I'm liking the sound of it so far.

[tigerfan88]

The past couple days have certainly been interesting. Let's start with yesterday.

Yesterday I took the aforementioned cat to the vet hospital. The vet did a quick examination and determined she had been spayed, was 7-8 years old and had signs of feline AIDS. They ran a test on her and, sure enough, she had feline AIDS and possibly leukemia. Either would be an automatic death sentence at her age, let alone both. So she had to be put down. I was bummed about this, as I really wanted to adopt her, but to keep her alive for however longer she could have survived would have been selfish on my part. She had a rough night the night before with coughing, sneezing and wheezing. It was the right decision to humanely put her down via an injection, far more humane than the way animal control kills animals. I ended up spending $95 for everything, which seems crazy to my family members, as the cat was not mine. It was simply a stray that showed up during the summer time. But I have no regrets in spending $95 on her because she was MY cat. I took care of her for the past several months and grew to love her. I did something for her that her previous owner (we are positive that she had been dropped off at the local park and wandered down to our house) didn't have the heart to do: take care of her and show her compassion. $95 is money that can be replaced. But you cannot replace life of any kind, be it human or animal.

So, I cried a lot yesterday. Which, again, seems crazy to some, but she was my cat and I have a huge heart for animals, so I felt a lot of sadness in her dying. I'm going to miss her, but I guess I should be thankful for the 5 other healthy cats that reside in my house. But R.I.P. Sanctus Blackie Real Tremonti--you were a sweet, affectionate cat that deserved far better than the treatment your previous owner gave you. Yes, my niece and I came up with that name, but she was mainly known as Blackie for her beautiful black coat with white chest.

OK, moving on then. Today was pretty good. I woke up at 11AM, showered and then went to Frankenmuth with my family. For those who don't know, Frankenmuth is a small Michigan town, actually, more like a village. There are lots of nice shops down town, as well as two awesome restaurants: Zehnders and Bavarian Inn. Both serve awesome, awesome chicken. We went to Zehnders and had lots of food. It was nice spending time with my whole immediate family. We celebrated my dad's 60th birthday. Afterwards, we went back to my sister and her husband's house for cake, as well as a little Guitar Hero 3 playage. My dad received an Xbox 360 for his birthday and was very, very happy with it. So was I. Now I get to game regularly on the 360. Rock Band, here I come.

Tomorrow (or later on today, I guess), I need to do a lot of studying for my Music final on Monday afternoon. I also need to begin 21 days of Rock (see above post). And also play Xbox 360, not to mention attend Church. And finish some freelance projects. Busy, busy.

And, gee, it sure is lonely in here.