Wide Awake

I used to take naps when I got home from work nearly every day, but I managed to break that habit, because it really screws up my sleeping schedule. I wouldn't be able to drop off to sleep at a time that would allow a full night's sleep.

After pulling my ten hours at Neiman Marcus and struggling with Kirk's bedroom, I couldn't avoid napping earlier and now I'm struggling to get to sleep.

I've been lying in bed, thinking about my finances. I've got a plan.

First, I need to square away my taxes for 2003. Hopefully, I'll realize a refund. Then I need to apply to the Maryland Drug Assistance Program for people with HIV/AIDS. I'm not exactly sure what the benefits are, but Lee tells me that it will cover my copay for my drugs and my COBRA premiums.

I've cancelled my NetFlix subscription and I'm going to inquire about suspending my cell phone plan for a month or two. I can't afford to outright cancel the plan, because they'll hit me with a $150 cancellation fee, but I think they will suspend service for a while. I'll also continue to carefully consider all my expenses and try to hold down my cost of living.

These actions will allow me to save more money. I'll use that to pay off my outstanding lab bills, then start putting money in savings again. As the incident with kenny73's check demonstrates, I have absolutely no margin for error -- no cushion that will help me handle unplanned expenses or emergencies.

Free Will

Here's my horoscope from Free Will Astrology for this week:

Let's say, hypothetically speaking; that a crocodile had you trapped in its clenched jaws. The situation would be hopeless, right? No, not at all. If you had the presence of mind to jam your fingers into the beast's eyeballs, it would release you immediately. Similarly, the predicament in which you actually find yourself these days is not as dire as you might imagine. Escape will be surprisingly easy if you simplify your perspective and let your instinct for survival guide you.

This seems to coincide with the plan I conceived while unable to sleep last night. I'll take it as a good omen.

On stage

My boss just called me to ask if I could present at tonight's PHP developer's meeting. We discussed possible topics for a bit and settled on a technique that exports data from a MySQL database to a known location then offers the browser a Microsoft Word document for download that links to that location and merges the data into form letters automatically.

So now I have to concoct an absolutely brilliant presentation for a room full of people, many of whom know much more than I do.

I'll have motivation to keep it short because I'm hoping to catch the train that leaves at 8:30 tonight. It's also easier to look smart if you don't have to wing it for more than twenty minutes. :-)

Gimme That Prime Time Religion

From an opinion piece in the Baltimore Sun titled Shaken by the notion of a faith-based nation:

For those feeling as blue as the votes they cast, the lesson is clear: Religion and values are as much a part of the political calculus as tax cuts, health care and national defense. Political strategists are nothing if not quick studies, and we can expect that future candidates will add attention to ethical ideals and spiritual aspirations to politicking on governance and policy issues. For their part, journalists and pundits will need to become savvier about the questions they ask and the answers they report on religion's role in society.

What a sobering thought. If true, we can expect the incumbent party to continue pushing their values as a reason to elect their candidate, trumping more secular concerns. What's more, we can expect the opposition party to try to appropriate some of the same language, inadvertently aiding the march towards a modern theocracy, one armed with the best surveillance technology our tax dollars can buy.

Success!

My presentation went very well. I was surprised that everyone found my technique intriguing, even the folks that have been coding in PHP for years. It's a very simple method, but I suppose that just adds to the impression of skill. My boss was very happy and pumped my arm as I was leaving, saying that I kicked ass. :-)

I dodged out a little before 8 pm, so that I could catch the 8:30 train back to Baltimore. I regretted the necessity, but if I stay until the meeting wraps up around 9, then I have to catch the 10:30 train and I don't get home until almost midnight.

I'm home now, preparing a late, light supper. Tim, the man who advertised on craigslist, replied to my email, and we'll be playing pool sometime soon I hope. Unfortunately, it won't be until after I get back from West Virginia. No offense to the DC crowd, but it'll be nice to pal around with someone around the corner!

Seen in a slashdot sig

"If Bush is against gay marriage, why does he keep talking about his mandate?"

Giving with one hand...

Checking my balance, I see that my bank has refunded the $32 they charged me for being overdrawn while they held my money hostage.

They also charged me $10 for processing a foreign check. :-\