Early December Ramblings
After a three week hiatus, I finally feel inspired to use Livejournal again. Although I still find LJ to be the optimal medium for communicating any significant amount of information, I find it somewhat unappealing during times of low inspiration. However, that's not to say there haven't been any recent noteworthy events, just not many that have stimulated a response to articulate or share. Interestingly, I have been feeling slightly more reclusive than usual, probably as a culmination of geographic realities, impacted schedules, and holiday obligations both recent and upcoming.
Fortunately, I had a spectacular opportunity to be social during Sarah's movie premiere, as virtually everyone involved with the movie was present. Unfortunately, given the brevity of the event, and the large number of people there, I didn't have as much of an opportunity to interact with everyone as I would had preferred, but overall, I was thoroughly satisfied. Besides, the number of people being a curse is negligible in relation to it being a blessing of mass support to Sarah.
Thanksgiving was pleasant and relaxing, but perhaps somewhat too relaxing, as the relaxation descended into under-stimulation and boredom at times. Nevertheless, having Thanksgiving only with my mother and stepfather was far more rewarding than having it with my entire stepfather's family, which is what has happened in previous years. Though civil and generally friendly, most of them are either devout social and political conservatives (status quo Republicans) or agricultural enthusiasts (rednecks/hicks). As such, I find myself hesitant to engage them in any sort of conversation or share what I'm doing for fear of having to justify opinions and action repeatedly throughout the evening. Articulating the justification for a belief or behavior is important, having to do so repeatedly becomes more of a chore than an exercise in reaffirming philosophies. Basically, Thanksgiving was quaint, but I was pleased to return back to Davis with the guinea pigs and all my other domestic familiarities.
With the end of the academic quarter, and more so the end of the calendar year, my workload will likely increase exponentially in an attempt to satisfy ambitious goals put forth at the beginning of the quarter. Unlike other academic quarters, I always find the Fall quarter the most chaotic because it falls in conjunction with all the other holiday obligations I have. The one advantage of it is that my coworkers also have more work, which means they're less likely to drain my energies with their parasitic attempts at charisma and interpersonal communication.
In a way, I suppose their attempts to socialize are admirable, but even if their intentions should be applauded, their execution leaves much to be desired. I had Pandora playing at my office recently, and one of them asked me what was playing, which with most people, could lead to a moderately intriguing conversation about music. However, after a few futile minutes of attempting an engaging dialogue, the most interesting thing said was mild rhythmic syncopation and extensive vamping; sort of clinical when you think about it.
I have an ominous feeling that one of them wants to try to set me up on a blind date, simply because she is under the impression that being single and uninvolved is the most tragic thing ever, and that people who don't actively pursue relationships are either insecure or delusional. More unsettling than the judgmental and non-analytical nature of this belief would be the kind of person she would select based not only on her limited knowledge of me, but the fact that anyone who would voluntarily associate with her must have some type of severe psychological disorder.
Despite enjoying Davis thoroughly as a well-designed college town, I've contemplated moving recently, mostly due to its relative cost in comparison to surrounding areas, and the fact that, except for a few individuals, most of my friends live at least 20 miles or more away. The thought of physically moving to a new residence is exceptionally unpleasant, so I doubt it will happen any time soon unless I find employment elsewhere. Interestingly, I have an open invitation for a job with UC San Diego, but that seems like more of a dramatic and socially isolating move than I would want at the moment.
Well, the guinea pigs are wheeting, so I should probably tend to their needs. Besides, I've certainly rambled more than I should for a single journal entry.
Fortunately, I had a spectacular opportunity to be social during Sarah's movie premiere, as virtually everyone involved with the movie was present. Unfortunately, given the brevity of the event, and the large number of people there, I didn't have as much of an opportunity to interact with everyone as I would had preferred, but overall, I was thoroughly satisfied. Besides, the number of people being a curse is negligible in relation to it being a blessing of mass support to Sarah.
Thanksgiving was pleasant and relaxing, but perhaps somewhat too relaxing, as the relaxation descended into under-stimulation and boredom at times. Nevertheless, having Thanksgiving only with my mother and stepfather was far more rewarding than having it with my entire stepfather's family, which is what has happened in previous years. Though civil and generally friendly, most of them are either devout social and political conservatives (status quo Republicans) or agricultural enthusiasts (rednecks/hicks). As such, I find myself hesitant to engage them in any sort of conversation or share what I'm doing for fear of having to justify opinions and action repeatedly throughout the evening. Articulating the justification for a belief or behavior is important, having to do so repeatedly becomes more of a chore than an exercise in reaffirming philosophies. Basically, Thanksgiving was quaint, but I was pleased to return back to Davis with the guinea pigs and all my other domestic familiarities.
With the end of the academic quarter, and more so the end of the calendar year, my workload will likely increase exponentially in an attempt to satisfy ambitious goals put forth at the beginning of the quarter. Unlike other academic quarters, I always find the Fall quarter the most chaotic because it falls in conjunction with all the other holiday obligations I have. The one advantage of it is that my coworkers also have more work, which means they're less likely to drain my energies with their parasitic attempts at charisma and interpersonal communication.
In a way, I suppose their attempts to socialize are admirable, but even if their intentions should be applauded, their execution leaves much to be desired. I had Pandora playing at my office recently, and one of them asked me what was playing, which with most people, could lead to a moderately intriguing conversation about music. However, after a few futile minutes of attempting an engaging dialogue, the most interesting thing said was mild rhythmic syncopation and extensive vamping; sort of clinical when you think about it.
I have an ominous feeling that one of them wants to try to set me up on a blind date, simply because she is under the impression that being single and uninvolved is the most tragic thing ever, and that people who don't actively pursue relationships are either insecure or delusional. More unsettling than the judgmental and non-analytical nature of this belief would be the kind of person she would select based not only on her limited knowledge of me, but the fact that anyone who would voluntarily associate with her must have some type of severe psychological disorder.
Despite enjoying Davis thoroughly as a well-designed college town, I've contemplated moving recently, mostly due to its relative cost in comparison to surrounding areas, and the fact that, except for a few individuals, most of my friends live at least 20 miles or more away. The thought of physically moving to a new residence is exceptionally unpleasant, so I doubt it will happen any time soon unless I find employment elsewhere. Interestingly, I have an open invitation for a job with UC San Diego, but that seems like more of a dramatic and socially isolating move than I would want at the moment.
Well, the guinea pigs are wheeting, so I should probably tend to their needs. Besides, I've certainly rambled more than I should for a single journal entry.