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| Pepper. It's startin' to come together.Ten points for whoever knows what movie this blog entry title was quoted from.
Well, if you have not heard, I submitted my letter of resignation to SCTelcom last month. I have decided to resume my education as a full-time student at Wichita State University this fall in order to obtain a degree in Computer Science. Just as choosing to continue my employment with SCTelcom by moving to Medicine Lodge was the best decision I could have made during my life's rocky stage, this appears to be the next big step.
And everything seems to be falling into place...
- My uncle, currently living in Phoenix, placed a bid on a house located near Seneca and McCormick a couple of weeks ago. Not even a day had passed when his bid was accepted. So, I will be living with my uncle at that location while only having to split monthly utilities with him.
- Wichita State University received my FAFSA information late last week (after trouble with my initial FAFSA application) and has offered me $4,500 in subsidized loan money, as well as $4,000 in unsubsidized loan money.
- I have been searching for part-time job opportunities in the Information Technology industry around Wichita. I spent a couple evenings of last week submitting cover letters and my resume to businesses listed in the Wichita Business Directory. Although I have not had much luck, Koch Business Solutions called me today about an interview. Friday I will be interviewing for a CO-OP Workstation Technician position.
- Leaving SCTelcom in a bind was one of my biggest concerns, but even that seems to be working out just fine. Training my replacement, a currently employee, has been productive. Most of my skills at SCTelcom have been honed through on-the-job experiences, rather than the typical training techniques. Sometimes this makes it difficult for me to teach, but thankfully Glen has taken time on his own to figure out things for himself.
Anyways. I am now trying to figure out the next steps to take, but hopefully they will fall into place as the above items have. I maintain hope that they will.
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| Party over?Well, as you may have noticed, my life has come to somewhat of a standstill as of late. Everything has been going well, although I am beginning to feel that a change is in order. My roommate Scott moved out last week without much notice, although it really was not much of a surprise based on how much time he spent at the house. My other roommate Wes has been taking some online courses this summer, and was looking to continue his degree of elementary education through the distance learning program at Fort Hays State. After paying the campus a visit, he discovered that he could not be considered a full-time student by just taking online classes. In August, he will be leaving Medicine Lodge for Hays. He has been in need of a change for quite some time, with much dislike for the various jobs he has taken on over the past year. Although I wish him the best and hope he gets to where he wants to be, I am unfortunately left with some decisions to make.
I was granted a great opportunity here in Medicine Lodge to get away from some bad memories/experiences and gain some valuable work experience, while also developing many great friendships. All that considered, Medicine Lodge is not home. The daily ongoings at SCTelcom have taught me so many things, as I have risen the totem pole from a help desk support technician to a network administrator capable of handling just about any problem/trouble sent my way.
Now, this may sound like some sort of resignation letter, although it is not. I do still enjoy working at SCTelcom, but have noticed my frustration threshold has quickly been degrading lately and I am not sure what to make of it. I have found it harder and harder to keep my opinions to myself, which for lack of a better term makes me a "J to the K". I have often pondered making an employment change, but the comfortability of my position leaves me no reason to. However, my value to the company has seemingly decreased in the past few months and the chances for advancement are not visible to me.
Due to my predicament, I am considering...
- Option 1: I really enjoy the house I live in at the moment, but with rent and utilities going to be nearly $600/month once Wes moves out, I will need to find another roommate. One would think that this would be an easy task with the low cost of living, but Medicine Lodge does not really have many people my own age that I would trust as a roommate. I could begin the search for another house in Medicine Lodge, but not many decent quality houses are available for rent with the construction of the wind farm. Kiowa may have a few options for housing, although I question whether or not I can find anything for a better price than what I would be paying by staying where I'm at. Regardless, with any of these options I would look into taking some online courses this fall to complete my Computer Science degree.
- Option 2: Relocate to my comfort zone of Wichita, return to school, and find a job that would possibly assist me in continuing my education.
- Option 3: Move back to Wichita and find a comparable job to what I have now.
As you can see, I have some thinking to do. Maybe it is just a quarter-life crisis or something, but I feel that I could be making much more of myself than what I am currently. If you have some advice, I'm open to the input.
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| As I have been listening to the Wichita State/Oklahoma baseball game this evening, I thought I would try and mess with my XBMC a little bit more. I discovered some pretty neat scripts that allow me to listen to XM Radio, view radar information from Accuweather.com, watch YouTube videos, and check sports scores. Bad ass? I think so.
I also spent the evening researching HDTVs, as I am planning on using some of my economic stimulus check to purchase one...
- Plasma or LCD? Plasmas appear to be better when viewing movies and sports, as they contain a deeper black. LCDs are brighter and produce a more "computer-like" image. It has been said that plasma TVs are at risk for burn-in, although from what I understand, the technology has improved so that this rarely happens anymore. So, I think I will go with a plasma.
- 1080p or 720p? 1080p is obviously the better option, although it appears that the difference cannot be detected unless your TV is 50" or more. After much debate, I think I will be going with a 720p.
Now, on to some products I am looking at...
Suggestions please?
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