Monday, October 17th, 2005
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5:44 pm
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So, this chapter is at an end. It's hard to believe that I've done what I set out to do years ago; graduated magna cum laude from college and found a good job in a great city.
I'm not really patting myself on the back here as much as looking around in awe at how far I've come. I'm very different from the person who started this journal over four years ago.
It's time to bring fuuangel's journal to a close. I'm going to miss it, but it's time to move on. I was going to use "otoko_masari" as my new journal name and reserved it months ago, but I ended up choosing "pearlandopal" instead because it's easier to tell people and easier for most people to understand since it's jewelry-related. It's also my AIM name so it simplifies things.
The new journal will be locked to friends-only. I've seen what happens when people publicly post work-related information, no matter how irrelevant or innocuous.
I want to close with another copy of this poem, which has also been in my userinfo. I've loved this poem since I was very small, six or seven years old. Later, my eighth grade English teacher chose poems that she thought represented each of us for a class project. This was the one she chose for me.
We are the music-makers,
And we are the dreamers of dreams,
Wandering by lone sea-breakers,
And sitting by desolate streams;
World-losers and world-forsakers,
On whom the pale moon gleams:
Yet we are the movers and shakers
Of the world forever, it seems.
Arthur William Edgar O'Shaughnessy
This is Lindley, signing out. Please take a look at ![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif) pearlandopal to read the continuation of my story.
current mood:  accomplished
current music: Rob King & Paul Romero - Riwwi
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4:41 pm
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My first day went pretty well. You're going to have to wait to read about it, though. I'm finally getting around to doing what I've planned to do for months - start a new Livejournal. A chapter in my life has come to an end and a new one has begun, and I'd like to reflect that.
Please add pearlandopal to your friends list. After a final post or two here, that's where I'll be at.
current mood:  busy
current music: Spiritual Awakening - AudioTrack 14
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6:24 am
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Actually managed to get up with the alarm (despite being short on sleep; if I get too little sleep my body simply ignores alarms). Talked to Raymond for a few minutes when he called to make sure I was up, which was nice.
Tossed Safeway frozen waffles in the toaster oven, fixed them and sat down to eat. Cut into them and found something brown and squishy. ...I think I'll just have a Luna bar or something instead.
Edit: I still have a bit of a cough left from that cold nearly a month ago. It surfaces when my throat gets dry, so I've been nursing a drink or a bottle of water most days. I hope it doesn't interfere today. I think it's not going away like it should partly because this happens every time I get a cold and partly because my cheap pillows have flattened so much that I'm not breathing properly when I sleep. Oh well.
Oddly, I've had Teng's "Homecoming" stuck in my head all morning for no good reason; I don't care all that much for the song. The odd bit is that it just surfaced in a random playlist of 1142 songs. Hm.
I'm wearing black pants, a gray shirt with the necklace that Grandma insisted I keep for myself (which really is a very nice one), a black jacket and ankle-height black dress boots. My hair's not cooperating, of course, but other than that I feel pretty good.
I've got to go if I'm going to get there by 8:30.
current mood:  nervous
current music: Apocolyptica - Nothing Else Matters
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| Sunday, October 16th, 2005
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9:37 pm
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I'm really not as upset as I sound. Just nervous and a touch of PMS.
I left it too late and now don't have time to write about Saturday. I will though.
First day of work is tomorrow. Wish me luck.
Eeeeeeeeeeeee!
current mood: nervous
current music: Vienna Teng - Harbor
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6:55 pm
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PEOPLE, I AM FROM THE SOUTH. TO ME, YOU ALL HAVE ACCENTS. ON TOP OF THAT, YOU ALL FRICKING MUMBLE. IF YOU MUMBLE I AM GOING TO ASK YOU TO REPEAT YOURSELF.
WHEN I HAVE ASKED YOU TO REPEAT YOURSELF THREE TIMES, DON'T TREAT ME LIKE I'M AN IDIOT. IT'S NOT MY FAULT. WHAT, IS ENUNCIATION ILLEGAL UP HERE?
I want to go home. Half of DC thinks I'm stupid because I don't know how things work here, and the other half thinks I'm stupid because they refuse to speak above a low mumble.
current mood:  pissed off
current music: Vienna Teng - Lullabye For A Stormy Night
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12:32 pm
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My jewelry pliers have all disappeared. Argh. It's like trying to write something down and discovering you have no fingers.
I know they're in the apartment somewhere, but I haven't seen them since we moved and I have no idea where I packed them. I've hunted every reasonable place and no luck.
Edit: Found them. Someday I'll learn to put things where I'll find them again.
current mood:  frustrated
current music: FFIX - Mystery Sword
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1:13 am
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Capclave was great. Bought stuff. More later.
current mood:  tired
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| Saturday, October 15th, 2005
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8:17 am
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I did it! Go me!
No, I didn't win the lottery. I visited the fitness center on the corner (it's free and part of the complex) and I didn't freak out.
Last week I went and chickened out because there was already someone there. This time someone walked in at the same time I did so I wanted to leave, but I forced myself to stay.
Considering the last time I went to anything resembling a gym I had a panic attack, I am quite proud of myself.
I desperately needed a minute to look around the place and actually figure out what things do - if you don't do the gym thing, how are you supposed to know? - but since the other girl walked in I didn't want to stand there like an idiot and just headed for the treadmill because at least I generally know what you do with those.
I walked for half an hour and it was really nice - I haven't done a darn thing exercise-wise since I got here. Of course, I felt like an idiot the whole time because I don't know if normal people have to hang on to the silly thing. I certainly had to just to keep my balance, so I felt like an idiot with a bunch of other people coming in and working out. Oh well. At least I got something accomplished. That'll be a much nicer way to exercise in the winter than trying to walk outside.
And once Raymond joins me I may actually be able to figure out some of those other torture devi--um, machines.
And people using stair steppers look uncommonly goofy.
current mood:  productive
current music: Gregorian - For No One
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7:29 am
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Hee!
The the impotence of proofreading
Thank God someone finally replaced that "I have a spelling checker" poem.
current mood:  amused
current music: Koda Kumi - 100 Words (Japanese)
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| Friday, October 14th, 2005
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7:40 pm
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Best question on a webquiz ever:
Do you keep a to-do list? (tasks, not people)
current mood: amused
current music: Lacuna Coil - This Is My Dream
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2:01 pm
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It burnses us. Yes, it does.
Okay, according to your friendly local LJ Alton Brown fan community, apparently Alton Brown is good. Rachael Ray is bad. Why? Because Rachael is an "amateur" while Alton has "paid his dues."
Wait a minute. Alton started out as a producer and went through exactly two years of cooking school before doing Good Eats. Rachael managed food stores, was a chef, and got her show on Food Network because her local cooking shows were so popular. Oh no, wait a minute - that means she has MORE experience with food!
The stupidity burns, it really does.
Honestly, I like them both. I love Alton's science and Rachael's quick meals. I don't see why you have to love one and hate the other, and saying that Alton's a "real" chef and Rachael isn't is just ridiculous. *rolls eyes* I'm no logic expert, but even I can spot idiocy when I see it.
current mood:  annoyed
current music: Lacuna Coil - Circle
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12:23 am - Beginner's Guide to the Metro
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I've been meaning to write up a description of the Metro for those like me who haven't been exposed to it. Feel free to skip if you're already familiar with it. Entries like this also give me a chance to record some of my first impressions about DC.
The WMATA website is a good starting point. There are maps, schedules, trip planners and so on there, as well as a neat printable brochure that has the main Metro map as well as a listing of stops by interest (shopping, sightseeing, etc.). If you have a specific destination, look at the map in advance and figure out what color line you'll need to ride. Also, remember what stations are at each end of that line. It'll come in handy later.
When you come into a station, there are banks of farecard machines against the wall. Some of them take debit and credit; all of them take cash. All you have to do is follow the instructions and a little paper card will pop out. Your starting balance will be marked on it.
Stations with parking lots will also have SmarTrip card machines. You have to use one of these cards to get out of the parking lot if you parked there. They also work for fares on the Metro and the Metrobuses. They're a lot more durable than the regular farecards so if you plan to use the Metro regularly it's a good investment (or if you plan to park at a station).
Once you get your farecard, you'll see a row of turnstiles. Walk up the one of the ones with a green arrow on it. For these purposes I'm assuming that you have a farecard, not a SmarTrip card which works a little differently. The farecard goes into a little slot in the front of the turnstile and pops up at the top. Grab it and move on.
Go through the turnstile and head down the escalator (all the stops I've been at work this way, but they may not all have that). The Rosslyn escalator is several stories tall and is pretty wild to ride. Keep to the right; the left hand "lane" of the escalator is occupied by people who hurtle up and down at high speeds. Same for any escalators you encounter.
Once you get to the bottom look around for a set of tall black pillars. These will show you the routes. Remember what I said about knowing the end stations for the line you want? This is where it starts being important. The pillars will show the colors of the routes coming into that part of the station and will list all of the stops that train is going to.
Once you find the right pillar, you'll need to go to the platform and make sure you're heading in the right direction. Finding a platform is self-explanatory; it's the place where trains are coming in. To make sure you're going to be heading the right way, look at the electronic signs overhead that show which train is coming in when. For example, if you need to go north or east on the blue line, you'd want to head towards Largo, NOT Franconia, which is south and west. It sounds complicated but it's not bad once you get used to it.
Even if you get on the wrong train, it's no catastrophe. Just get off at the next station, find the same train going the other way, and return to your original station and try again. You won't be charged for screwups, so don't worry about it.
The indoor platforms are shaped more or less like a giant concrete tube. Most of the stations have two levels of platforms. The walls of the "tube" are of large concrete blocks with recessed areas in the center. The recesses above the third or fourth rank off the ground are filled with something that looks like sound-absorbing tiles. The stations are always a little dim.
The electronic signs overhead will tell you when to expect your train. I think the intervals are every two minutes during rush time and every ten otherwise, so you won't be waiting long. Even if you hesitate and miss it you can always catch the next one.
Train etiquette says that those waiting to get on come up to the doors when the train stops, but wait to either side of the door while others get off. Then you can go into the train. Snag a seat if you can. If it's full, grab onto one of the horizontal or vertical poles. Trust me; find something to hold on to.
Riding above ground is much like riding on a bus. Riding underground is quite different; it's very loud, more jerky than above ground and a different experience altogether. My first ride underground scared me half to death, but I'm sure that within a week it will be easy to ignore. If you're going to be on for more than a stop or two, bring something to read, since it's not much fun to watch concrete walls flashing by in the dark.
Oh, and each car has a Metro map near the door, so you can always check up on where you're going. The conductor announces each stop as you get to it (along with which side the doors will be opening on), but most of the time it's an incomprehensible mumble so don't depend on it.
Once you get to your stop, leave the train and go up the escalator and back to the row of turnstiles, following the green arrows. Put your farecard in again and it will take your fare off and print your new balance. No money is taken off the card until then, so if you don't actually leave any of the stations you can ride around as long as you like.
There. That's as closely as I can describe the process. :) I hope that helps give a general impresssion of the Metro. I'd love to hear descriptions sometime of some of the other city rail systems like the Elevated.
current mood:  contemplative
current music: Vienna Teng - The Tower
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| Thursday, October 13th, 2005
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10:59 am
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PSA the second: Spellcheck your Livejournal icons. Seriously. Not only do you look like an idiot when you misspell/confuse things, you continue to look like an idiot to everyone you meet in communities. Engrish is kind of funny. Stupidity isn't. Well, it is, but not in an endearing way.
Not directed towards the flist. :P
Off to see if I can find a parking space at the Van Dorn Metro station. Too bad it's too far to walk. The only problem with the Metro shuttle here is that it only runs a few very limited hours. Fine for a morning and evening commute, not so good for random trips.
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10:21 am
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PSA: "Skulk" and "sulk" are two different words. Confusing the two makes you look like an idiot.
Thank you.
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| Wednesday, October 12th, 2005
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9:18 pm
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There's a mob in this dungeon named "a Ree underguard" and I keep wondering what kind of colleges accept orcs as undergrads.
current mood:  silly
current music: Marc Anthony - I Need To Know
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