Out of the frying pan and into the grease fire...

So, apparently, the Chinese Place that my roomies routinely ordered food from in the last three years was closed this summer by the Department of health. "Food left in the open, vegetables left on counter with raw meat, and generally unsanitary."

Tournament at La Plata last night; it was OK, nothing real notable except that Sean is a complete bastard. Then Zach and I hung out with Anastasiya, who was hanging out with Jean, Her Man, and Mike. Jean's still pretty, and kinda cool, and I really feel kinda bad about making fun of her like we did. Most of them were potshots, but they we're just sitting there, begging to be hit. Herman was a cool kinda guy, and he went off laughing almost as bad as I dad -- my sides haven't split like that in forever. Mike is SMALL. I mean, really tiny -- short and slim, he made me feel big. Tangent to that, though I don't look overweight and I certainly wouldn't consider myself fat, the scale here says I clock in at 200lbs these days... It wouldn't be much of a step up from the 180lbs I was before the Summer, but... I really should start working out more.

Went out to Christendom today, for their Oktoberfest celebration. It was fun enough -- saw Gene, and Ren, and Suzannah. Taught RandomGirl how to waltz, which was good. Danced with Suzannah a few times, which was nice. Also got a beer mug with the Christendom crest on it. w00+ Though the beginning kinda sucked -- I felt more than a little out of place and ignored, everything was fine after the dancing started. English Country and Countra daces, with some waltzes and polkas thrown in, for good measure. I've decided I don't like parties very much, but i do like dances, once I get dancing.

Talked with Claire on the way home, which was really nice. We haven't talking in forever. She's changed her Major to Anthropology, which it seems is going to make her a lot happier, which is good. She's also going to be getting a Minor in Music, a Minor in Japanese Studies, and a Minor in Military Sciences (from ROTC). Her transcript is going to be like a Freshman Bar: full of Minors!

Later I talked with Genie, who seems has hurt her back lifting boxes. But we were completely geeking out on Magic: The Gathering and Role Playing Games. She was drooling at the mention of my thousands of cards, and told me she'd been DMing DnD for years. -laughs- If the opportunity presents itself, I hope to teach her more on the intricacies of M:tG, and make her a better player. It could be fun. Unfortunately, it seems she dyed her blonde hair red, but nobody's perfect.

Of Scholarships and Military Service

So, a little background. I'm a Navy Brat -- my dad graduated from the Naval Academy in Annapolis and has spent the last twenty-three years or so working in Submarines. My entire childhood was spent moving around every couple of years, and for a long while I was seriously interested in joining the Navy myself. In the end I decided I wasn't too hot on the idea of moving around my entire life, though sometimes I've rethought that choice. If nothing else, I'd be in better shape. (I'd argue that I'd hardly be the man I am today if I'd gone there rather than here -- if anything were different, everything would be different. But that's a whole 'nother consideration.)

When I came to school, I was considering an English Major. Unfortunately, my interest was in etymology and semantics, and all it seems English Majors did was analyze literature, which still leaves something of a bad taste in my mouth. So, I decided to go with a recently developed interest in Computers. I've never been one with great career-oriented ambitions, and really have only been interested in getting a Nice Job so that I might support the family I hope to have. As long as I worked with computers, I'd be happy, and I had little inclination one way or the other WHAT I did. Since this last summer, though, I've found I'm really interested in Computer Security. I did a little work with it at Davis over the summer, and I'm taking a course in it now.

This set us up for what I meant to mention earlier: I have just been pointed toward a potential scholarship for graduate school, focusing on Computer Security. If my application gets through and I make the cut, it would be two years of free tuition, plus $30,000 a year salary, an almost-guaranteed Security Clearance, and a guaranteed (read 'mandatory') job for two years after the program. It would be at the Naval Postgraduate School, in Monterey California, but it's EXACTLY what I'd be looking for -- free graduate study, a security clearance, and concentration in something I'm really interested in.

-laughs- The military may have me yet, ne?