WSU started up Monday the 21st, and I’m taking four classes:
CptS 223: Advanced Data Structures
CptS 224: Programming Tools
CptS 402: Computers and Society
EE 234: Microprocessor Systems

Advanced Data Structures is about what it sounds like: Data Structures, only more so. Programming Tools actually appears to be some kind of a UNIX course, and EE 234 actually seems to be mostly addressing assembly language.

Probably the most challenging and interesting of these will be Computers and Society. We’re covering some rarified intellectual ground– ethics and the like. It’s more philosophy than computer science, and I *hate* philosophy.

Of course, all these courses are being held between the hours of 1615 in the afternoon and 1900 in the evening, leaving my mornings totally free, and entirely devastating my afternoon and evening schedules.

My initial though was that this had something to do with WSU TC being a branch-campus and therefore mostly focusing on educating people who already had workaday jobs. The one problem with that concept is the start time — 1615 is a good 45 minutes before most folks get off work.

Therefore, my current theory is that the schedule is simply set up to inconvenience former CBC students, as part of the unfortunate rivalry between the two institutions.

Financial Aid is still being processed, with all of the potential nightmares that implies. Classes are already starting but not paid for. I’m approved for funding, but they haven’t decided how much yet, so…that’s going to be interesting.

In other news, Karaoke has moved to Tuesday nights, gaming had moved to Thursday nights but looks to now be getting cancelled entirely. A few weeks back, I met up with my old grade-school chum Hank Oliver, and he introduced me to a game called Carcassonne, which none of the four of us present had ever played before, which I won. Probably sheer coincidence. Afterwards, he dragged me along to see Talladega Nights: The Ballad Of Ricky Bobby, graciously paying for the whole thing, ostensibly to avoid dropping me off in Richland before hitting the theatre in Kennewick.

We had agreed beforehand that Talladega Nights wasn’t really my kind of film, and it wasn’t, but it was absolutely hillarious. I had a blast, and it was good to reconnect with someone I hadn’t seen much since before High School.

Things seem to be coming to a head between me and Alison. At least I hope so. The sooner this is over, one way or another, the sooner I can move on. My trouble has been trying to break the stalemate and getting the game to end.

I’ve been doing a lot of musing on Full Thrust lately, and I’m thinking I need to find some folks to play it with. It really is an amusing game, even if it does seem to have some difficulties with balance and the like.

So, that brings you pretty well up to date on the me. More updates as I find the inclination to write them.