200th Post!

So this is my 200th post... And... probably my last post on this blog.

I know I haven't posted much since the beginning of school but a lot in my life has changed and the adjustments are taking longer than expected. I don't have anything really positive to write about in here and that has stopped me from posting as I should be.

School finally started and its been okay. Its starting to get interesting now. My classes are picking up and I actually have a good amount of homework to procrastinate. I should start my part time job this week. I'm working at the university again, for ITS again, but not the same group. I've been asked to do some technical writing and a Usability study. The money will be nice but part of me doesn't really want the extra work anymore. I was just getting used to the spare time in the house by myself.

I spend more time alone than before. It gives me lots of time to do homework and get a head but its still lonely. Don't get me wrong, Michelle and Matt should be out on their own more and thats not the problem. I just spend more time alone now. The internet doesn't keep me entertained like it used to.

I've decided I'm going to try to get into Grad school and do my masters while I am in "School Mode". I don't know forsure that I can do it, but I'm going to try. I'm looking at 4 different school, all Human Computer Interaction (HCI) based research programs. So hopefully I can continue my whole Usability Thing.

Grad School won't start until Fall 08, so I have about 8 months to kill in between. I'm considering taking another semester of school or looking for internships that would last about 6 months. I'm sure I could go back as an intern to Google, but I need to work someplace else. It would be nice to experience, "User Experience Research" some place else as well.

As I said in the beginning I think this will be all for this blog. As the next chapter of my life unfolds I'll maybe start another blog but for me this feels like a good ending point. Thanks

Waiting for School to start

I need something to focus my time on. I'm ready to start school and have stuff to read and do at night. I SUPPOSE I could work on my 499 research, but I'm kinda lost on direction of the project. I Would like to talk to my advisor and figure out the best way to move forward.

My textbooks are mostly in the mail... I still should order 2 more but I'm waiting to see how necessary they are and where I can buy them for cheaper.

I didn't buy a parking pass this year... I'm sure I'll regret it some days... but I think the walking will be good for me. Its weird to think I'm graduating soon. Almost surreal sometimes.

The kittens are doing well... they co-exist with the sheik fine now... we are pretty sure that as long as no one gets within a foot of each other everyone will be fine. The food is still an issue that we are working on... but it will get better.

In Windsor

So I didn't get to update from the road... Mostly I was just too tired to blog about the boring drive. We did three long days of driving and put a lot of time in in the car. The kittens traveled pretty well... Carmicheal did not like his carrier and cried a lot.

It feels a lot different to be home here. I'm not sure just what to do with myself. I'm unpacked... I did laundry... the kittens are adjusting... I'm missing Sean... Michelle is here and we are hanging out... but I'm not very talkative. I'm pretty excited to see my family. Its been a while and I think they missed me too. Can't wait to see my niece. But I have a feeling I will likely be quiet around them as well.

I thought I had more to say... but I can't really think of anything.

Next

Finished my internship... now i just have to get home to everyone.
Once the car is packed i will feel much better.... but right now.... we have too much stuff!

Hopefully I'll be able to update from the road...

The Countdowns are on...

I only have 7 days of work left and 10 (?) days till we start the drive home. I doubt people are reading this blog anymore since I update so infrequently but I just felt like writing today. I'm currently in the middle of my last study at Google, I have a series of one on one interviews still to do and a report to write. But I'm fairly confident that I will be able to finish everything with sometime to spare. I finally started bringing my own tea to work, the coffee was killing my insides. I missed tea.

I've been trying to describe my feelings about the next few weeks to a number of people. I think anxious is close to the right word... I'm excited to go home to see my friends and family, All the new people in the world... I'm worried about the trip... about the kittens and endless amount of driving and getting lost. I'm sad to be leaving Google and California... I mean this place is really nice and I'm pretty comfortable here. I worry that I won't get my report done before I leave. I'm concerned and scared about my future... with Google or otherwise, Graduating and the possibility of Grad school.

All these and more a rushing me at the same time... I've been very quite recently and doing a lot of thinking. I've unfortunately been more anti social recently... which makes me sad as well... thats not who I am normally.

I dunno where this is going... Or how to end it now. I mean ... it all sounds really depressing over all. But I've really had an awesome summer all around.

Numbers

• 15 number of Days of Work Left
• 20 number of Days till The Road Trip Begins
• 1 number of Times it has rained since I got here
• 1.5 number of studies that I still have to complete
• 3 number of reports I have written
• 128 number of regularly scheduled meetings I have or will attend.
• 3 number of free books I have got so far
• .5 * 3 number of books I've read
• 2 number of interviews I still have to do
• 2 number of add/drop forms I had to submit to register
• 5.5 number of classes this semester (only one lab!)
  
• 2,782 number of miles I have to drive before I can see my friends and family at home
  

I like this... I may try something like this again...

Usability Recruitment

Hey Everyone,
Google is looking to build their usability participant database and they need volunteers who might be willing to participate in a study. They also pay their participants usually about $75 a hour to help us. What I need you to do is follow the URL:
https://survey.google.com/wix/p0822776.aspx?referral_code=MV4 and At the bottom of the first page there is a "Where did you hear about us?" box. Please enter jlweber so that they can track who the referral is.

You can forward this message to anyone you want. Where you live doesn't matter they do remote studies all the time.

Thanks for your help!
Janna

[Why am I doing this? What's in it for me? Officially, If I have the most referrals I win a t-shirt that I already have. But really I just want to help build the database for my team]