Hearst Castle
Mood:  happy
Now Playing: "Build Me Up Buttercup" by The Foundations on "NoAlbum"
My parents came up today and we went to Hearst Castle. We went on the night tour so we could see a bit of two of the tours and because there are people there who dress up from the 1930's.

We ended up getting there early and tried to get on an earlier tour while the weather was still good but they were sold out. So to kill time we walked through the little museum and saw the little film. We were going to have dinner after the film but the little cafe closed so my dad and I got pastries from the coffee shop and my mom had an Atkin's bar. Finally it was time for our tour.

We got dropped off by the Neptune pool. Actually, we got dropped off at the other side from the first group. Yes, the pool is big enough that you can drive to the other side. The pool looked almost a little mysterious with all the fog. It was pretty breath taking despite the fog. I'm sure it's absolutely stunning on a clear day and night. Then we moved inside to one of the guest houses of the mansion, Case del Mar. We got to see Hearst's room as well as that of umm, oh geez, the girlfriend's name is totally escaping me (the tour guide called her a girlfriend and not a mistriss since she paid her own bills. The tour guide reminded the girls that if we ever became someone's mistress, make sure the guys pay the bills). Anyway, it was something Davies I think. Oops. Well her room too. Apparently it was there that Hearst spent the last 2 years of his life.

Then we moved on to the main house, La Casa Grande. Which was a name true to its nature cause the house was absolutely huge. We saw the room where the cocktails were served, the dining room, the after dinner room, the kitchen, the billiard room, the library, Hearst's office, Hearst's room and the girlfriend's room. We also passed guest rooms where there were some actors. It was cute having the actors all over the place saying hello to us. And the architecture was just absolutely phenomenal. I can't describe it because it was just a mix of so many Eurpoean styles. And call me crazy, but I also liked walking on the stairs inside the house. They were just so windy and narrow, I felt like I was walking through a secret passage or something. But the house was just BIG. Granted he had a lot of guests for 1 to 3 weeks, but it was still just a huge house for one man and his girlfriend to live in. I mean, it really was just...wow.

The tour then proceeded into movie theater part of his house. Yes, movie theater. We got to sit on benches and watch a Metrotone newsreel just like his guests, and anyone who went to the movies at the time, did. It must have been nice to have watched movies there. I mean the rows were rows of armchairs. Soft, cushiony, attached armchairs. After the newsreel, the tour concluded at the indoor Roman pool. Which, thanks to the thin gold pressed into some of the tile, was also extremely beautiful.

The whole mansion was just...wow. That's really all I can say. I'll be posting my pictures when I get them. I hope my outdoor ones did the place justice since I think I forgot to turn the flash back on for a couple of them. I also hope to go back during the day and take one of the other tours. No wonder they have 5 different tours, it would take quite a while to go through the main house and the two guest houses in one tour. Not to mention the grounds. My mom said that there is also a garden tour.

Overall, a great day.

Reminders
Now Playing: "If I Open Up My Heart To You" by Amanda on "Everybody Doesn't"
How many reminders do I need to bring something home with me when my parents are coming here first? I think my mom has e-mailed me at least 3 times in the past two weeks to bring Norton's home, mentioned it on the phone and now my dad has e-mailed me about it. I mean I would understand if I was driving down today, but they're coming here. *shakes head* Silly parents.

Well, shit
Topic: Apartment
1. I somehow managed to misplace of one my picture CDs when moving apartments last month. Which sucks cause I didn't copy them onto my harddrive first. I just can't believe I lost it. I also just realized I lost the index print too. Makes me wonder if I still have the negatives. I won't know because I can't compare the numbers. Thankfully I put the pictures in an album.

2. I found out today that Kathryn got an extension on her lease to go through summer while she looked for a job. And I was so looking forward to having the place to myself over the summer. Where I wouldn't have to worry if there was a clean spoon or fork for me to use. Currently our sink is full with every knife, fork and spoon sans one spoon and one baby fork as those were the ones I used and therefore they got washed. Kathryn leaves tomorrow for Costa Rica and I doubt she'll wash her dishes before she goes. I'm not going to wash them again for her. I did the half she left before winter break. I did all of the ones she left in the sink at the old place. She has to do them herself all the way down to the bottom so she can see how disgusting it is to leave dirty dishes there for over a month. She's created her own vicious cycle: she doesn't like to dishes by hand and yet the longer they stay there, the harder it is to get the crud off. And I am still the only one to really take any cleaning product to the kitchen. If they have ever done it, it's not noticible. I'm the one who cleans most often and that is still a terrifying thought. So is the fact that only one of them?the better in terms of cleaness?is moving out for summer.

Computer update
Now Playing: "Everything For Everyone" by Everclear on "So Much For The Afterglow"
The good news is that there is still no ticking noises. The bad news is that it still doesn't sleep correctly and still takes a couple pushes of the power button to start up. Thanks to this article I think it might be the internal battery. Now I just need to get a replacement battery and put it in without breaking anything (more). I'll have to read through the articles I found a little more carefully and then decide the best course of action. But go me for fixing the ticking problem.

And now back to senior project stuff. And I thought the quarter was over...

Yay! No more school work!
Mood:  down
Now Playing: "Solitude" by Evanescence on "NoAlbum"
Topic: School
I wish. I still have my senior project to work on. *sigh* So completely and utterly not in the mood to do that. I did finish my paper for Anthropology and it ended up being exactly 4 pages. I didn't bother proof reading it. I really just didn't give a damn anymore. It's amazing how crappy weather can bring you down.

Yipee! I think I fixed my computer!
After running Norton Systemworks for about 7 hours, I have yet to hear the little ticking noise, startup took a normal time and everything seems to be running smoothly.

I had deleted a number of old OS 9 applications and files a couple of days ago, ran a fix permissions thing and then today I ran Disk Doctor and Speed Disk. First I did Disk Doctor and had to fix a couple minor issues. Then I ran it again to make sure no issues. Then came Speed Disk which took an awfully long time (2.5+ hours). Then reran Disk Doctor and got a clean bill of health. I had a little bit of difficuly switching back to booting from harddrive from the CD because for whatever reason the CD won't let me choose the startup disk and then the mouse didn't work when I tried to pick manually. But quick hands when ejecting the CD fixed that.

Now the computer is purring instead of ticking and I am happy for that.

Not happy about writing my report due in 18 hours that I haven't started. Should work on that.

Oh now I remember
Now Playing: "Down Once More-Track Down This Murderer" by Original London Cast on "The Phantom of the Opera"
I wanted to give Valencia a copy of my phone bill so they can give me the $33.01 to transfer my phone and give back my old keys. Also drop off crap at Good Will. And pick up my pictures.

Hmm, and Jaime owes me money.

Analysis Final
Now Playing: "I Wanna Know What Love Is" by Foreigner on "NoAlbum"
Well, it most certainly kicked my ass. Having a near complete memory loss of the past two weeks of material?aka the bulk of the final?was not helpful at all. Mainly I just had problems with the convergence of series of functions. There was this other problem about one function based off the integral of another function being continious and it said to use the result from the previous problem. That originally threw me for a loop but in the last five minutes I figured it out (I think). I'm hoping for some partial credit on some of the convergence ones because I got part of them but not the meat of it. With any luck, I'll get 150/200, a nice solid C, and get a C in the class.

Still have about 185 pages of Gorillas in the Mist to read and still have to write the report. I'm really starting to kick myself for this one. Really should have started on this earlier. Haven't done anything senior project wise in favor of studying for Analysis (and all for naught). Also have a slew of personal things that need to be done during business hours the next couple of days. These include talking to Records and Evalutations, placing shirt and sweatshirt orders with Left Coast, talking to a Mac store about the price to look at my computer and...and...and I thought there was more but I guess not =\.

In other news, Bridget's family is coming to SLO for Easter so she will no longer be able to give me a ride back from break. So I'll either be driving down separately from my parents or taking the bus or train back. The plus side of this is that I can now come back earlier if I so choose. I might as well. Be bored out of mind at home or work part of a quiet week? I'd choose the later.

On to reading =P.

Have I mentioned that I hate Analysis?
Now Playing: "Overture" by Original London Cast on "The Phantom of the Opera"
Topic: School
I have? Well, I still hate it. Analysis final tomorrow at 10am. *GULP!*
I went through and looked at all the assigned problems. I could only do about a third of them. Can we say "Mandy is screwed"? I tried to go over all the ones I skipped this afternoon but after like 4 problems I had trouble concentrating because I was just so mathed out.

After the final I work from 3-7. It's been awhile since I've done an afternoon shift. Even longer since I've done graveyard. But it'll be good because I'll read Gorillas in the Mist more and hopefully get close to finishing. 193 pages in 4 hours? It's possible. Not probable since I'll actually have to work and stuff for at least two of those hours. At this point I just need to be done with the book so I can start the report. Cause to get C's in two classes would really suck. Oh, and my body has some of the worst timing in the world. But it does explain somethings. Anyway, off to bed now because one must always get a good night's rest prior to a final.

The Irony of Last Night
Mood:  a-ok
Now Playing: "Hit Me With Your Best Shot" by Pat Benatar on "NoAlbum"
Topic: Personal
Last night I took Matt and Leigh out to Woodstocks as a thank you for coming to the hospital for me a week and a half ago. Afterwards, we went back to their place and watched Spies Like Us with Chevy Chase and Dan Ackrod. It was actually a pretty funny movie.

However, right as it was ending, I started to feel the pain again. Idiot that I am, I didn't bring any Maalox with me but Leigh said that baking soda mixed with water can be used as an antacid. I was skeptical at first but there directions on the box. So I took some of that and went outside for a bit to get fresh air. After a bit when it still didn't go away, I went and had another glass. Still no effect. The guys searched their all their meds and I had some of a pepto bismo equivalent. Still nothing. The only good news was that I wasn't quite hyperventalating. I was focusing on my breathing to help avoid panic though. After a good half hour with the pain not leaving, I asked to be taken home so I could try the Maalox. I would have driven myself but God forbid it got worse during that seven minutes...I just preferred to not. So Matt dropped me off where upon I immediately took some Maalox. After a little bit, the pain lessened but was still present. I took one more gulp of Maalox and then said that I was not shoving any more antacid meds down my throat. I did take my normal meds and after burp started to feel a little better but it was still present. Since nothing else was working, I decided to lie down for a bit and then stand up since that's how the pain went away on its own before I went to the ER. I don't know why, but the lying down seemed to have worked because I started to feel a bit better. Totally contrary to what should have happened. I then stood up and there was still a slight lingering pain but finally bearable. I decided I was good enough to just sleep it off. This was a little after 11. The pain started a little before 10. Over an hour of pain but thank God the pain wasn't nearly as bad as it was that first time and that I wasn't hyperventalating.

So the night I take my friends out to thank them for being there for me on the night of my worst attack, I suffer my longest attack. At least I had my friends to help me again and I think just their presence calmed me enough to not hyperventalate again.

Lesson to be learned here: If there is even a remote chance of me eating something, bring antacid with me.