3-9-00 (1:46 a.m.) I feel amazing at this very moment. Despite all sorts of things, I feel wonderful. My Assembler program finally works. It was due tuesday, but my program wouldn't compile. I learned (in class) that it was because "while" is a reserved word. I had named the top of my loop "while". It didn't tell me "while" was reserved. It just told me it wasn't expecting the end of the file when it found it. Yesterday (still feels like today) I fixed that (made it "wile") but my program still wouldn't compile. I was doing conditional jumps out of bounds. I cheated once, and made my code more efficient for the others. At about 1:17 a.m. I finally got it working, and ran the grading program. Our programs are graded for 3 things: does it get the right answer, is it efficient, is it well commented. I had tested mine thoroughly, so it output the right answer every time. Optimal efficiency for this assignment was 100-115 lines of executable code. I think you could have a little more than that without deduction, but I had 107...so I felt pretty good. I lost 5 points for commenting, so I fixed it and re-ran the program. Perfect score (eventually) and I submitted it electronically. There's a 15 point deduction for late programs, but we're allowed one screw up. So, I blew my screwup...but that's not necessarily a bad thing. I just need to start on time from now on ; ). So, right now I have that "Major assignment finished" euphoria thing going for me right now. Just thought I'd share, now on with the other elements of my life (the stuff I can remember). I'm not even going to try to cover the major issues in chronological order. Today, following Physics, Bryce and I attempted the homework in the AURICS room. He helped me a lot, I just kind of sat there trying to follow his steps. Bryce is a really smart, hard working individual, but he has some sort of inferiority complex. When I talk with him, there's usually this: "Well, I'm not quite as smart as you S&Mers, but I'm not too dumb" kind of attitude I think. Bryce could've gone to S&M...probably would've...no definitely would've done better than I did. He has basically every advantage I do, plus the most important: A work Ethic. I'm working on that one. So we finished up, and he asked if he could play quake. I said sure, but that I was going to go eat 'cause I hadn't eaten yet. He hadn't either, so we both went to Taco Bell. About the time we finished, I had to run to class, so Bryce asked if he could hang out in the room and play some games. Of course I said yes. I trust him more than Joe and Colin, just cause I know he won't make a mess ; ). I added as a joke, for him not to steal anything...and I wasn't sure if he took me seriously or not. I realized after I said it, he was probably not the person to joke about such things with. It was just interesting because Bryce and I had never really done anything together before. Sometimes he tagged along when the group did things, but he and I had never had much to do with each other. It was cool though, I hope we do more stuff together in the future, and he cycles out of this "I'm not as smart as you" phase. Other news: Joe and Angela (again) are no longer dating. This time neither of them will be seen in the presence of the other. I've spoken with each, had meals with them, hung out and everything, but they mostly refuse to share the same location. Archery is fun, there I am not hitting anything (though I hit 2 bullseyes in a row on tuesday) and Joe's my partner, and Angela's 3 or so targets down. After archery, Angela ignores us, and goes about her day. Joe hasn't pointedly ignored me yet, but I haven't run into him while hanging out with Angela yet. Who knows. Hopefully he'd talk to me, but those are a couple of weird peoples, let me tell you. It was hard enough to get everyone to dinner at the same time before...now we have to deal with all the issues of who will sit down if we sit down with these people, or if we invite those people. It's kind of like that Aug/KB/Seph mess senior year. If I sat down with KB or seph, it was pretty much assumed that August would sit elsewhere. I didn't feel that bad about it 'cause it's not like I was his only friend or anything. This is a little different. Neither Joe nor Angela have made that many friends outside of our little group. Especially not people that they eat meals with. There are other people, like Bryce, with whom they eat periodically, but mostly it's some combination of me, joe, colin, angela at most meals. Peng joins us a lot, and Peng and I go places together a lot 'cause we both have some common classes, and we're always in the AURICS lab. But it's almost like our options are let someone eat their meal alone, or Colin and I never eat another meal together again. I'm exaggerating slightly, but it is a sticky social situation. Cest la Vie I s'pose. Joe, Colin and I went to Waffle House at 5 a.m. yesterday. Actually, we headed back at about 5...I think we were there around 4. It was just something to do, and we were hungry. So, we wandered down there, and dug what we had out of our pockets. Joe and I each had 5 bucks, and colin had I think about a dollar in change. I got chili, Joe and Colin got waffles. The ticket was 6 something (our waiter miscalculated tax, but I didn't call him on it 6*6=42 works for me). We gave him a $2 tip...just slightly in excess of 15% ; ). He deserved it, he'd been working like a 10 hour shift or something. He was pretty cool. So, those are the random musings of my mind at this hour. More to come when I feel like it. I think I'll have time over Spring Break...when I'm not trying to find Kate's present...I'm open to suggestions ; ). JELLO and Cucumbers are out though ; )