Prius Again

Salsa Red 2005 Toyota Prius

I must confess that my obsession with the Prius is such that I continue to point out the car every time I see it. I’m a particular fan of either the salsa red color (shown at right) or the black. I don’t have a particular color preference, per se, but there’s something about the red that really jumps out at me. The black does the same.

In the past, I’ve talked a lot about the Prius, perhaps to the point of slight insanity (I admit that building a car I can’t afford and then posting the specifications might be slightly overboard). However, this is because of my background; ever since my freshman year in college, I’ve been very interested in issues of sustainability and environmental awareness. This is almost a necessity if you want to attend Evergreen, but it’s very sensible in my eyes. I’d love to do my part, and I do really, really want a car, but a part of me wants to hold off until I can afford a hybrid. What better way to make a statement than to use alternative methods of transportation until you can drive a car that reflects your values?

Really, though, the nature of the hybrid market is such that it’s now beginning to approach mainstream status (though, I admit, some car makers still don’t get it). Honda’s jumped on teh bandwagon, and Subaru is rumored to be doing so. The hybrid is the thing of the future. The big debate seems to be just what kind of hybrid.

There’s some minor justification for this pet of mine (which, I admit, even my girlfriend probably groans over from time to time, though she obliges me by pointing out Priuses when we’re out and about). Hopefully, that clarifies some things.

Oh, and in case you were wondering, the New American Dream contest I wrote about long ago is now in its voting phase — I didn’t get into the final stage, though an entry very, very close to mine did. I submitted “Gasoline is so yesterday”; someone else submitted “Gasoline is so last century”. Ah, such is life.

What Year Do I Belong In?


You Belong in 1969


1969

If you scored…

1950 – 1959: You’re fun loving, romantic, and more than a little innocent. See you at the drive in!

1960 – 1969: You are a free spirit with a huge heart. Love, peace, and happiness rule – oh, and drugs too.

1970 – 1979: Bold and brash, you take life by the horns. Whether you’re partying or protesting, you give it your all!

1980 – 1989: Wild, over the top, and just a little bit cheesy. You’re colorful at night – and successful during the day.

1990 – 1999: With you anything goes! You’re grunge one day, ghetto fabulous the next. It’s all good!

Spring Quarter 2005 Class Planning

Looking at Spring Quarter classes, there’s not really all that much that’s interesting me at the moment. Currently, I’m looking at Illustrations of Character: Literary and Philosophical Studies for 16 credits, Advanced Web Design for 4 credits through the Evening/Weekend Studies Program, or Web Graphics and Flash for 4 credits, also through EWS. I may also take both EWS programs at once, since the schedule doesn’t conflict — the only thing that switching to part time studies might affect is my ability to work in the Writing Center as a full-time enrolled student. Not being sure of my eligibility for the last two programs, I’ve e-mailed the faculty member responsible for both of them.

We’ll see what he tells me. At the moment, it’s slim pickin’s.

A Hectic Grouping of Recent Events

So in the last week, I’ve been struggling to keep up with reading in class while meeting obligations for the Enrollment Growth DTF. Since Sunday (and after going home for the weekend), I’ve had to give a presentation on American artist John Singer Sargent, write a paper, post fliers for the upcoming student focus group for the DTF, read 42 proposals for the DTF meeting on Wednesday, and read through the first thirteen chapters of Portrait of a Lady by Henry James.

The paper hasn’t been written and I’m only two or three chapters into James. All the flyers are up after some running around, but I’ve only read the first 11 proposals or so. Thus, to put it succinctly, I’m behind in every major endeavor I’m embarking upon this quarter. Thankfully, the minor ones don’t really count. naturalaxis is basically at a standstill until further notice (or until I get an actual client request, whichever comes first), and I’m only working in the Writing Center three hours a week, but I’m still getting slammed. As I said in a previous post, I asked for it, but I seem to have misjudged (and continue to badly misjudge) the amount of time needed for each segment of my work. I don’t think this is an issue of taking on too much (at least, not intentionally) — I was on the DTF long before I knew I was taking this class, and long before I knew how hard this class would be.

I desperately need to refine my tactics for time management if I am to survive the rest of the quarter with sanity intact.

So what’s left for the rest of the week? Tomorrow I have class from 10-12:30, a meeting to plan the student focus group from 1-2 (location indeterminate), a Grammar Rodeo workshop to attend from 2-3 as part of my brush-up on grammar for my tutoring work, and a DTF meeting from 3-5. To top all that off, I then get to come home, write a paper which is woefully late, catch up on reading I’m woefullly behind on (or try to), then collapse in a useless, top-heavy, brainless stupor while attempting to get some sleep so I can get up Thursday and go to class.

Ironically, I’m writing all this because I can’t sleep after a very full and overwhelming day. Yet, despite all this, I love my life, and I can write that with complete certainty and honesty.

Let’s ignore for now the possibility that I will eat those last words later.

What Age Do I Act?


You Are 27 Years Old


27

Under 12: You are a kid at heart. You still have an optimistic life view – and you look at the world with awe.

13-19: You are a teenager at heart. You question authority and are still trying to find your place in this world.

20-29: You are a twentysomething at heart. You feel excited about what’s to come… love, work, and new experiences.

30-39: You are a thirtysomething at heart. You’ve had a taste of success and true love, but you want more!

40+: You are a mature adult. You’ve been through most of the ups and downs of life already. Now you get to sit back and relax.

Is it good when you act five years older than you are?