It looks like I'll be staying at the U for a while longer. Where did
that statement come from, you ask? Well, I was being courted by a young
and successful company to start as a Junior Developer working with Java
application development. The position offered probably does match my
development experience well, but it doesn't match my current pay scale
as an Assistant IT Coordinator. It's too bad, really. I want to
develop, but I'm not willing to give up on the benefits I make at the U.
You know what they say, "Don't look a gift horse in the mouth."

Anyway, that changes my focus a bit. It's almost five o'clock, so that
means I'm stuck here for another hour if I want to catch my normal bus
routes. Tomorrow is a day to keep the ball rolling on registering for
classes. It turns out that graduate tuition rates are quite expensive
-- big surprise there -- but with the Regent Scholarship program, it
gets paid for by the U. Nice, huh? If I didn't take advantage of the
program, I would literally be an idiot.

So, with that in mind, its time to get out of my frequently sullen
attitude about work and start making some serious headway on some of
these projects. At the end of the day, I haven't been feeling like I've
put enough effort into my work. I need to manage my day better, and I'm
going to make a concerted effort to do so.

A friend of my mother-in-law's pointed out to me the obvious, something
I should have remembered a long time ago. When work isn't what you
expected or what you enjoy, proactively do something about it. Bring
your creativity and enthusiasm into everything you do so that it _is_
enjoyable. It's not up to your co-workers, managers, or your employers
to provide for your happiness. It's up to you. Granted, there are
always some things are out of your control, but for those things that
that you can influence, do so.

I don't know. This sounds terribly like some pathetic, "blow sunshine
up my ass" speech, but it does have it's merit. Maybe I should talk to
Stuart Smalley...

^chewie