This used to be one of my favorite phrases. Usually it was proceeded by a "You..", but the truth is that I waste my time better than anyone else. It is hard to believe that I have worked forty hours at the computer lab this week, yet this is the first journal entry that I have managed to post. It is definitely not because I was too busy with work. There have only been about eight people here at any given time. My main responsibility involves counting the number of people and entering it into an exciting web page, so that the University budget makers can determine that we don't need to open any more labs (at least not during winter vacation). All of the users have been pretty calm and nobody has really complained about the fact that all of the PCs decided to spontaneously switch their displays to 16 colors and 604X480 resolution. It is a crappy day for surfing the web.
So what have I been doing? Well, I have taken some time to play with one of my favorite technologies: QuicktimeVR. Ever since I first saw it, I thought it was pretty cool the way users could be transported to another world via a 360 degree view of a faraway land. I was even more surprised when I found out that even a dummy like me could create such content. Or so I thought.
It seems that some of the QTVRs that I created long ago are not viewable on the browser plug-ins of many PCs. They work on Macs if you have the right software, but I can't get them to work on PCs. It is really frustrating. I have spent a lot of time scanning tons of pictures and stringing them together so that I can put them through the QTVR Panorama creator. It is all a lot of work, especially to find out that it was in vain. Anyway, I shouldn't waste more time complaining about this.
That pretty much sums up my week though. I spent a little time with some Japanese friends creating a web page for the new Japan Intercultural Network. Another web page. I haven't really spent any time filling in the blanks on my own web pages though. Oh, I did add another interesting diary. There is also a new navigator bar at the bottom here. Check out some other journals if you have time.
I was surprised to get a call from Eugene on Tuesday. He and his girlfriend, Miranda, had broken up. I couldn't believe it. I had almost given up writing to him about my women troubles because I was sure that he had found the perfect woman (and wouldn't need an old friend like me). But now we can once again share in our fruitless search for soul mates. I think he is much stronger than I am, but it is nice to lean on someone else now and then-even if he is 2000 miles away.
Tuesday was telephone night. Next I called my host Mom in Japan. Wednesday was her birthday, so I wanted to wish her a happy day (and it was already Wed in Japan). She sounded happy. She said she enjoyed the video from my travels that I sent to them. A couple of my other friends enjoyed it as well (or so they say). Everyone seems a little busy in Japan right now, though. Most students are taking exams and everyone else is trying to deal with the strange weather (snow in Tokyo?).
But that's not all. Although I should have gone to sleep before midnight, next I decided to call Brica. I know that I vowed not to call any time soon, but I just had an urge. I have been meaning to send her some of her clothes (classic, eh?), so I guess I was thinking about her. Anyway, we didn't talk about much, but it was better than the last talk. She asked when I was coming out to visit, and I said I thought that was a bad idea. I think we are better apart, but sometimes I can't get over all that time that we spent together.
Not much else is new this week. Gene is out in New Mexico or somewhere, so the apartment is pretty quiet. I could have done so many things this week, but instead I have vegged a lot. Wasting time is something that bugs me more than anything else. I guess I need a break, but I will regret it in a couple weeks when I am once again too busy to do all of those things that I have been wanting to do.
So to sum up, no spiritual, mental or physical growth this week. It has been a cold week. No snow. My eyesight is getting worse. Bought a Zip disc and rearranged some of my files. Planning on writing a Rotary speech some time. The parents are out to Colorado today. I wish I could go, but I know that I need to quit running. Thinking a little about my next trip to Europe. Looks like it will be a loner. Thinking about taking a bike with me and riding from Spain to Italy. Michael said he could get a decent touring bike for me. Speaking of which, I should email him. Till next time...