Alphabet’s blog

As my contract expired, I upgraded/extended for another 2 years and got a free LG Neon phone.  I'm not much of a texter, and I don't use the internet on my phone, but I didn't like the style of the other phones they were offering (I don't like the flip phones these days, and I don't really care for the sliders).

The Neon is a slider phone - but laterally, as it has a QWERTY keyboard.  For regular phone use, there is a touch-screen capability where you can  type in the phone number on screen, but that's it.  You can't even type in alpha characters in there.  Which reminds me - I'll have to memorize which numeric keys correspond with the letters of the alphabet, in case I need to dial 1-800-numbers or something.

My favorite phone in my 10+ yrs of owning a cell would have to be the Sony Walkman w810i, the phone I was using up until 1 day ago.  I don't care for the walkman feature - I have an iPod shuffle which does exactly what I need it to do - play music.  I also have an iPod touch but using it for music would be a waste of battery.

The Neon has mp3 capabilities, but just like with the Sony - I'm not going to be using it.  The camera is 2 MP, just like the Sony, but the quality is not as good.  I also don't like the zoom feature.  I'm not sure if it's the same with all LG phones (I think maybe), but there is not true zoom feature.  Instead of zooming in, you can change the resolution size, effectively zooming in or out.  However, when you are trying to take a pic on the fly, the last thing you want to do is have to push 5 buttons (or so) to zoom in.  By that time, the pic opp is gone.

As for the QWERTY keyboard, well, thinking it would be useful may have been silly on my part.  First, with a traditional phone keyboard, you can text with one hand.  With a QWERTY, you can't.  Compared to the QWERTY on the iPod touch, it's not quite as good.  I'm used to the iPod touch suggesting words and correcting spelling, not to mention you can push the space bar (button) twice to insert a period and a space.  To enter a period on the Neon, you have to hit the function key and then a button.  

The phone itself is lightweight.  It's slimmer than my Sony, but longer and wider.  It fits well into pockets, though.  On the side, there is a covered port for the headset/charger and for the microSD card.  The coverings look as though they can fall off easily - it's pretty standard on LG phones, though.  

Which brings me to the charger.  The guy at the cellphone store told me to charge the phone for 10 hours (initial charging usually requires longer - but at least it isn't the 14 hours they used to suggest).  I checked in the owner's manual but it didn't say anything. After 8 hours, I couldn't tell if the phone was done charging or not - there was no "charge complete" notification.  However, it didn't look like it was still charging.  And it was a booger trying to unplug the charger from the phone - it's wedged in quite deeply.

I'm not sure about battery life - it's reportedly supposed to be good.  However, after using the phone for less than 1 day, I'm down to 2 (out of 3) bars.  Is it because I didn't charge it long enough?  Also, I don't like the 3-segmented battery icon that LG uses - it's too difficult to tell how much battery is left.  Sony uses what iPod uses - an (unsegmented) battery icon.  Plus, with the Sony, you could push one of the volume buttons and get phone information (how much battery left, etc).

I do like how LG phones are fairly customizable - you can change the soft keys and the directional key shortcuts.  That was one thing I hated about the Samsung (SCH 300?) phone that my mom tried - soft keys were pre-set and unchangeable.  She isn't going to need a shortcut to AIM plus there was no bluetooth.

I don't like how LG AT&T phones have a media net button (in the center of the directional pad) - I never use the internet but you can't change this button.  It also serves as the "okay" button but you have to make sure you don't accidentally hit it and incur data charges (as my parents can attest to).  On my sis's new LG phone (slider - CF360), they don't have such a button.  Lucky!

I don't like the color scheme - the white color is fine.  But the lime green (neon) color, with orange lettering - not so good.  I think they used to have a blue/teal version which looks nice but it's not available anymore.

All in all, the Neon seems to be a nice phone.  Not comparable to the Sony (for my purposes) and from what I've read, if you are a heavy texter, you should try the LG Xenon.  Nonetheless, this phone is what I'll be using for the next 2 years - I think it'll be fine.

6:26am    It's 6:25am, I'm leaving for Disneyland in about 30 minutes, and I'm doing work?  Geez - it's been a busy last couple of wks in June.
7:30am    On the way 2 disneyland - forgot phone so had 2 go back. Luckily only 1 block from home.
7:44am    Finally up to ticket booth
8:06am    Indy not open yet.
8:08am    Splash not open either.
8:10am    Theres like less 10 people on haunted.
9:43am     I like the old small world boats better. [1]
9:56am    Est 45 wait on Space Mountain. And Sis wants 2 wait. Uh...
10:26am    Turned out only 21 mins,
10:37am    Hopefully the wait will b shorter. [Astro Blaster 2]
11:20am    Soarin - wait time 30 min. [3]
12:04pm    Grizzly Rapids River Run down.
12:18pm    Toy story wait - 40 min.
12:54pm    Getting close 2 the front of Toy Story [4]
1:07pm    CA Screamin - 30 min standby but we have fps.
1:12pm    Still a bit of a wait.
1:40pm    Waiting 4 Aladdin show.
1:46pm    Sitting in the balcony.
1:56pm    Still waiting.
2:48pm    Tower of Terror standby time 25 min.
3:08pm    Up to TOT hotel entrance now.
3:13pm    Waiting 4 the elevator.
3:24pm    Getting onto elevator at TOT.
3:46pm    Im confused - is there a parade or not?
4:02pm    Splash wait 70 min or return at 9:50. Right.
4:08pm    Indy 55 min or come back past 9. Luckily we have Fast Passes.
4:17pm    Almost boarding Indy.
4:55pm    Grizz river run was down and is back.
4:57pm    Back down again - was abt 2 board, literally - on loading dock.
4:59pm    Success! (Boarded Grizz river run)
6:08pm    Eating a burger - waiting for Fantasmic. For 3 hrs.
6:08pm    $7.59 cheeseburger [5]
10:10pm   Leaving Disneyland (through Downtown Disney). [6]

Smallworldboats

[2] Astro Blasters

Astroblasterswait

Soarinwaittime

Toystorymanialine

Burgerfries

Dtdsign

I love going back and reading emails from like 3 years ago.  It's funny to see what I thought was so uber-important back then and how trivial it all seems now.

My then-coworker asked me to help her peruse resumes for an assistant.  Here are some of my comments that I gave her:

- On resume, states that she has excellent writing and editing ability - but there are several grammar and punctuation errors in the email...

- May be used to doing things her way (she's a teacher, after all, and teachers usually are in command of the classroom).

- Low GPA (probably shouldn't have listed it on the resume).

- Her interests include browsing the internet and chatting on AIM? (I don't think I'd list that on my resume).**

- probably would be more interested in teaching Spanish.

- no college coursework, too liberal

- too liberal.  "IM" is not a skill.

- only average writing skills.

- tree-hugger type.  Would be more interested in research than in clerical work.

- A bit arrogant.

Obviously, you can't tell what a person is like from paper but I think you can tell a lot about what a person writes/includes.

** This candidate was the one that my coworker decided to hire... and eventually fire (after a couple of months).  See what I mean?

I half-volunteered to do some extra work at work.  I say "half-volunteered" because I never come right out and say "oh, I'll do that".  Some people already think I'm too helpful, so I just casually say "if you want me to help..."

There are a few reasons why I offered:

  1. Some of the stuff in this paperwork mountain has been sitting out there since 2005 - it's not that difficult to clear.  Time-consuming, yes (esp when you have to wait for people to fax you stuff), but not really difficult.  Doesn't it bother people to have stuff just sit out there?

2. I have a superiority complex - I think I can do basically anything I set my mind to.  Stuff that I "can't" do is more or less because I haven't yet tried.  I know - delusions of grandeur :)  But given #1, anyone could clear out the list if they would just do it.  (Nike, don't sue me for using your trademark!).

3. I have some free time - or I did, when some of my people were out of the office last week.  Some are back so things might get busy again, but for a while, I was just filing paperwork and waiting for something to do.

4. Given the current economic climate, wouldn't you want to do whatever you can to make yourself invaluable?  I certainly think so.

5. I'm a sucker for praise - if I can make real progress on this mountain of paperwork, maybe people will tell me how amazing I am :)

I've only started working on this mountain but already there are a couple that were easily matched up to other stuff - you just had to know where to look.  I guess people don't bother - they just look at the first page.  I know - people are busy, they don't have time to be a detective, but I am a curious person so I'll always follow the trail.

One of my fellow dancers had asked me if I thought the 6 to 10 classes per week requirement (for the advanced levels) was too high.  At first, I said yes but then I thought back to when I was 13:

I was taking (I think) 9 classes a week.  

Mon & Wed: Ballet
Tues & Thurs: Ballet, Jazz
Fri: Ballet (private lesson)
Sat: Ballet, Modern (and a pas de deux class, but I don't really count those because it's an easy class).

In high school, I was taking 6 ballet classes and a modern class a week.  I took class every day, without fail.  

So I have to change my answer to no, it is not too many classes.  However, I don't think this requirement at the studio produces the desired effect.  These dancers sometimes will take 2 or 3 classes a day (lower level classes) but then not come the next day.  It's more effective to take class every day, then multiple classes every other day.

Plus, how much are you working in class if you can take 3 classes in a row and not be tired?  One good class should wipe you out.  I'd rather work at 100% for one class and go home.

-----------------  
After about age 11, I've been in the top level at whatever studio I was at.  I wasn't a prodigy, there just wasn't dancers in a higher level (the one exception was when I was 13 - there were adult/semi-pro dancers that were obviously better dancers, but they don't count because they weren't in the school levels).  Anyway, so I never got the thrill of "moving up" and thus, kind of pooh-pooh how the studio handles promotions.  The director will pretend to make it a hush-hush thing, which of course makes more of a spectacle than if you just promote the student outright.

However, by that same token, I have also never danced roles where I was just standing in the background as scenery.  My first performance on pointe was a solo variation.  So though I never got to experience getting promoted, I also never had to endure mundane roles.  I guess it's a win-win situation :)

So tomorrow (Sunday) is my last day (ever) in ballet!  Just one more class (should be an easy class since it's a warm-up class) and one more performance, and that's it...

I'm not particularly sad about leaving this particular studio - though it hasn't been completely miserable over these 14 or so years, but it hasn't been super wonderful terrific either.  Especially lately.

It does feel weird that something that's been part of my life for so long is soon not going to be.  I'm going to box up all my leotards, tights, and shoes and put it away in my closet or garage.  Wow.  I'm not going to go absolutely crazy and throw everything away, but still.  No more checking rehearsal schedules, no more figuring out what day of the week it is by what class I have to take, no more taping my toes, no more sewing ribbons and elastic, no more pinning my hair up in a bun.

No more using ballet as an excuse why I can't go to parties, either.  Drat!

People have asked me why I'm quitting (retiring?) - I just don't really have that much of a passion for ballet.  I like it because I'm relatively good at it.  If I wasn't, I would have quit a heck of a long time ago.  And it made me unique, made me more than just average.  Ahhh, I'll miss that.

But whatever - nothing lasts forever.  If I don't retire this year, it'll be next year or the year after.  Why try to avoid the inevitable?

Shrek 3:10
I'm a Believer 3:13
Remember The Name 3:49
Before He Cheats 3:16
Paper Planes 3:25
Boys of Summer 4:05

20:57, so almost 21 minutes (probably that when you include the walking while flipping tracks).

My calves are still sore from jogging on Friday.  Saturday morning - my calves were killing me (I couldn't even go on half-pointe).  There was some pain (just a dull ache) while jogging today, but it wasn't too bad.  Except now my left calf kind of hurts.

It's actually not too bad of a pain - the muscles are just so sore that I can barely straighten my knees.

So the tv schedules for the fall have been released and honestly, I'm not sad to see some of the shows go.  I know that I could just stop watching, but once I start watching something, I feel obligated to continue.  Now I don't have to worry!

Privileged - Not sorry to see this one go.  Loved the first two (maybe) episodes - remember Megan's shoutout to Spiderman's Uncle Ben about great power and great responsibility?  And then she started to get whiny and pathetic.  

The Game - as a half-hour comedy, pretty funny.  As an hour-long drama?  Awful.  Not to mention the ongoing storylines - does anyone really care about Melanie (aka Med School) and Derwin's on-again-off-again relationship?  Or (as of late) Kelly and Jason?  

Without a Trace - if there was nothing else on, I might have tuned in.  Not in the past year, though - who hasn't Samantha (I call her Poppy - which is her real name, but I say it as an insult) slept with?  Jack. Martin. and then back to Jack.  Ew.  And Jack's personality is annoying.

The Unit - this is a little disappointing.  I wonder if the producers had a real storyline for Joss or if her wealthiness was the only reason why she seemed mysterious or if she really had a secret (aka foreign connections).  My sis mentioned that we'll never know if Jonas and Molly got back together, but honestly, I could care less.  Molly was annoying sometimes.

And the new shows for the fall, especially on ABC?  Ugh.

Flash Forward: Early Edition

Hank: who wants to watch a show about a recession?  Life is already depressing enough!

Modern Family: The Office, but family-style.  Boring.

Cougar Town: Lipstick Jungle?

The Forgotten: Without a Trace?

Yawn.