When It Rains, It Pours

I might have mentioned in a far earlier post that I am a tiny bit superstitious. So it is with my belief that things come in threes. Good or bad, if it's notable, it's going to occur 3 times. Lately, it seems that that has applied to the not-quite-so-fantastic for me.

You see, I had to register for classes at the university here in little city, USA, but they couldn't seem to figure out what to do with me. I submitted a transcript from a prior college, and then called them back a few days later. I was told to call again in another couple of days. This happened the next time I called, and then the third or fourth time I called (this was over a period of two weeks, by the way, what with the holiday), they said they were missing my high school transcript. . . . Say what? I've gone to the university before; they had no problem with my transcript then. No one would actually come out and say it, but I had the distinct feeling it had been lost. So, since I no longer live in the city that I graduated high school, I had to wait until the weekend to obtain the transcript. I submitted it finally, and the lady I physically handed it to asked me, after looking up my account, "Who told you we needed this?" Yes, they did not need it at all. The hold was taken off, but I was terribly late with registering. That's 1.

Of course, with late registration comes "good luck getting THAT class". I signed up for all of my classes, but then I had to speak with my boss, because the classes I was able to sign up for didn't exactly jibe with the schedule I was supposed to be working. (No worries, they're usually pretty flexible about working around school schedules. So, that's 1 in the blessings department, too). Come class time, I discover to my dismay, that I am enrolled in a class that requires a different class before it, a class I have not yet taken. I practically ran across campus to drop it and sign up for another class, since the day after was the last day to register, which means it's the day with no available classes. Of course, that meant another talk with my boss about how I need to change my hours. . . again. That's 2. (On the plus side, my new class seems great, so 2 for the blessings.)

Today, after class, I got into my car, ready to haul butt to work, when I realized the front end felt wrong. I found a new parking space, got out and discovered that my front tire was flatter than flat. After calling a myriad of friends, I finally got a hold of my mechanic friend, who agreed to help me change it. Now, I know how to change a tire, thankyouverymuch. The problem is I weigh 90 pounds soaking wet, and at 5' 2", well - you can guess it'd be a bit difficult on my own. My friend made it over, and we discovered the tire was unsalvagable, having been worn down over a long period of time because my car needs re-aligning. That's 3. (Again, 3 on the other side of the spectrum because thank goodness it didn't blow while I was driving the country roads to my hometown this past weekend, or even on the highway on the way to classes!)

Moral of the story: Murphy's Law is real, and so is the Law of 3s. Let's hope it just doesn't decide to spontaneously change to the Law of 4s or 6s.

The Weather Outside is Frightful

Born and raised in South Texas, I'm very much a wimp when it comes to being cold. I'm also always cold. I wear jackets anywhere I go, because Texan's love their AC. But winter is upon us, and while that usually means the weather doesn't get bad until early in the new year, it does mean that January and February are absolutely miserable. At the moment, there is a "freeze advisory" in effect until (I've heard) Sunday, and while those Northern freaks are probably laughing at the way I'm reacting while they walk through the snow to work, uphill both ways, in temperatures that make Antarctica feel like Hawaii, I just have to say this makes me NOT HAPPY. For one thing, I don't actually own warm clothes. Maybe a long sleeved shirt here and there, but they are all about as thin as tissue paper, as are most of my jackets. Right now, I'm wearing a great brown cardigan that makes me feel like a hip and sexy librarian, and I am sitting in my office, freezing my tail off. Why can't they at least shut off the air conditioning when the weather turns frigid outside? Why must it stay at a constant, shiver-inducing temperature?

On another note, I finished a new book entitled Death's Daughter, by Amber Benson. For total dorks like me, Amber Benson is most well-known for her role as Tara, Willow's girlfriend in Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I have to say that I was not overly impressed with the book. The main character, Calliope, is whiny and selfish and generally annoying, and remains mostly one-dimensional throughout the book. Another of my pet peeves was the portrayal of the Indian goddess, Kali, who was not believable as an actual goddess - instead she seemed more like a New York, latte-sipping, trash talking socialite. There were several men that snubbed her in her past, if I read the hints right (and I did, because there was no way you could miss the unsubtle there), and knowing what little I do of the goddess Kali, they would probably have been disemboweled and their heads hung about her neck as trophies for such betrayal. Instead, she just huffed a lot and made snide comments like a crazy, jealous ex. Although her idea of Death and Hell were most interesting, her writing style was not to my liking. Overall, I give it a meh.

Oversimplifimacation

I've noticed a couple of things being marketed as "simpler" than their predecessors, and I'm beginning to wonder if it is a foreshadowing of things to be in 2010. I speak mainly of two things: the new Google Chrome browser and Windows 7.
Don't get me wrong, I am all for an easier interface, something that will make technology available for all, but for me personally, in the case of tech, simplified is BORING. Take Google Chrome. I have several friends that enjoy it, because it's "like Firefox, only simpler." I like Firefox; the features are great, the add-ons are fun, and it gets the job done. Sure, simpler might sound appealing, but when something is done away with because it makes something more complicated, it's harder to do what you need or want. Sometimes, I've even noticed, a specific feature is changed to make it "simpler," and yet I'm pounding the keyboard in frustration because it *isn't* simple. I'm not exactly a computer hacker genius, but I am not computer illiterate, either, so when I say it's not simple, I feel like other people might agree.
And what's the deal with Windows 7? I haven't heard much yet, except glowing reviews from people that haven't had it for long, or from the product promoters themselves. Any word on whether or not it really does put Vista to shame? I checked it out at a local Best Buy, and really, all the pluses they were promoting didn't seem to make it worth my while. I may just wait it out and see if there isn't something else coming along that doesn't just make things "simple" but usable as well.