My sleep schedule is seriously fucked up.  Yesterday  my family had an electrician come to the house to install cable outlets, even though there's no way in hell we're getting cable TV.  After spending the ENTIRE previous day cleaning the house (yeah, we don't have people over for fun because my parents are wound up about how people will think we're slobs, etc.), we were told everything would be installed a few weeks later.  On two hours of sleep, I went along with my parents to a store specializing in TV antennae and they spent close to an hour obsessing over whether it would be visible, over whether the "nice neighbors would see it" and lastly (but most importantly) whether it would even work.  After all that bullshit about whether "the microcommunity would be able to adjust" to a six foot metal pole sticking up from the chimney, I hope it doesn't work so they'll cave in and get cable.  After all, we got the outlets.

We went to lunch and then to Barnes & Noble so I could check my schedule.  I got no hours for the rest of the week, and only one day next week, a lousy six hour shift.  Stephanie got more hours this week and two days next week.  She saw me, smiled and said hi, and I swear if it were legal I would have knocked a bookshelf on top of her.  Good attitudes are no problem when you get plenty of hours and then get to study abroad at Barbados next semester.  My parents said it was because her mom works there.  I think it's because everyone just likes her a hell of a lot more, which pisses me off.

We then looked for calendars.  Apparently, my Far Side Scared Silly Edition calendar has been replaced by  calendars featuring outhouses, laughing nuns and extraordinary chickens.  I wish I could say that it was all a mistake and people don't BUY that crap, but having worked there I can only say the opposite.  Fuck you, consumer crap.  Fuck you.

After returning home I took a nap which turned into an actual night's sleep, woke up once to find out my mom was subsequently pissed off at me, then went back to sleep and woke up an hour ago.  Fucking hell.  I'll never get a decent night's sleep anywhere.

I tried out Sibelius 5.  In general, I really, REALLY like the playback improvements, and the software is easy to navigate and the layout is still optimal.  It was well worth the money.  My only concern is that the music composition class will detest my music because the playback for theremin is still way out of whack.  On Sibelius 3, the theremin sounded like a dial tone.  This time, it sounds like a heavily distorted electric guitar.  If you're unfamiliar with this instrument, it's the first ever created electronic instrument and is played by moving one's hands closer to or away from pitch and volume antennae.  The effect is a aural hybrid of an opera singer and a string instrument.  Youtube it, it'll definitely be worth it.

Or, I could just find out that I suck at music composition as well.  My last creative endeavor will be down the drain, and I'll probably become very depressed about it.

Got my grades back and I'm motherfucking pissed:

300-level statistical modeling: A (ok, that one is pleasing)

Structural geology - A- (fucking pathetic)

Hydrogeology - A- (also pathetic, and it would help if we had a decent professor too)

Comp sci - A- (also pathetic, the grading scheme sucked, and I probably should have caught more mistakes in the projects than I did)

Band - A (you're outstandingly pathetic if it's not an A)

Orchestra - A (ditto)

So my GPA for this semester was a 3.78, not high enough to bring my cumulative up to a 3.5.  I couldn't feel more like a loser right now. At least I did better than Katie.  Now, I'm in love with her and this sounds mean, but I need to appear to have some redeeming quality compared to her, and getting better grades is a good way to do it.  She got a C in chemistry, so even with everything else an A she'll get a 3.5 tops.  Eric bombed calc 3, and Steve consistently does subpar because he's a slacker.  He blames it on numerous light shows, but during his free time he's always putting off shit until the last minute.  Also, I TA'd, was in band and orchestra, did a radio show, and went on Students Helping Animals trips.  It's not like I had a lot of free time either.

The only person I'm not sure I beat the crap out of gradewise is Laura, Katie's most favored friend at school. That one worries me, but she probably doesn't deem me worthy of knowing, so unless I figure out how to hack into her account, her grades are unknown.  Frankly, I'd rather just shove her out the fourth floor window, but one can't have everything.

So...it's 2009.  My family does nothing to celebrate New Year's.  The only tradition we have is Justified Bitching, where we all wake up New Year's day after a crappy night's sleep and bitch about the neighbors who shot off fireworks and firecrackers all night.  Then, we go about our business in sour moods all day and make a point of doing NOTHING special.

These are the same neighbors whom my parents think will have a problem with the measly TV antenna. Ha!

- Baronin-Hysterisches