3/22/05, 7:05 p.m. --

"Wayne Morgan has a black belt in karate."

Well spring break has come and gone, and as always, it didn't feel near long enough. I spent the first part of the week in Mpls, since I had to help prepare a presentation to some of the groups funding my research project at a small conference at the lab on Tuesday. After that exciting start to the week, I went back home to thrill-a-minute Ames, to visit family and friends, and watch basketball for four days straight. Was more fun than it sounds, probably -- it felt really good to be back in Ames for awhile. Also enjoyed watching ISU play UMN in the first round (was a no-brainer to cheer for the Cyclones, by the way), although the second-round game against UNC was a disaster. It was also brought to my attention by my brother that I had not yet watched the extras dvds from the Return of the King -- the reason being that I had simply forgotten about it. Originally, after watching the extended edition when it came out, I knew the only LOTR left to watch was on those extra dvd's, so I was a bit bummed and wanted to put it off for awhile. At any rate, I've finally decided to take on those 12+ hours of extras, beginning tonight. Woot =P

3/2/05, 7:22 p.m. --

Initiation.

I guess I can say I have officially become a Minneapolis resident now -- two weeks ago I got a parking ticket for $100 for failing to have a current registration sticker on my license plate =| I thought about challenging the ticket, but the people I talked to said I would have to set up a hearing and go through a bunch of stuff, just to find out that I would not be likely to get it overturned or reduced. The registration was almost 11 months out of date, and although I have had the current one sitting in the glove box since last February, I had just managed to forget about it. What was even more shocking was how I managed to drive around Ames with an expired license for something like 6 or 7 months...where cops have little more to do than pull people over for expired tags. I have also reached the conclusion that I really don't like cars. Counting the $500 for brake repair in January, the $400 for my 'dysfunctional' transmission, and the $100 for the ticket, I have sunk a cool grand into my car in the last month and a half -- or roughly what its trade in value probably would be. I just hope it will keep running nicely for me so I can start saving a little money for once.