Nicole and I traveled to Indianapolis to have dinner at one of her co-workers houses and it was very enjoyable. The food was great and the conversation was better. It's fun to meet new people and have enjoyable discussions. I just hope I didn't bore anyone with my occasional engineering or computer talk. I knew everyone's name, but I was nervous about screwing them up if I were to say them. I've made an effort to be better with remembering names. Accomplished. Now I need to feel more confident about using the names I've remembered.

After several hours of work over a period of several days, my personal home page has now almost been completely revised and generally updated. I'm very pleased with the results. Next, I need to focus on my new pet projects, Tivohelp.com. It's designed to help others, so I feel a sense of duty to keep it updated.

I believe I have discovered a new equation that explains the relationship between caffeine, free time, and the lack of sleep:

daily performance = hours awake * amount of caffeine consumed / hours alseep

I've never been a proponent of coffee or any stimulant for that matter. I just prefer to be a bit grumpy in the morning. I'll drink and enjoy coffee and caffeinated soft drinks on rare occasions, but it has never been a daily habit for me. I've always believe that if you don't have enough will to get enough sleep and then get up in the morning and do what you have to do, you are not disciplined enough.

After having started going back to school part-time, the amount of work I've had to do has increased and my free time has decreased. I've gotten less sleep because of this. I awoke (barely) in a very unmotivated mood earlier this week, due in large part to sleep deprivation. I decided to have a cup of coffee that morning. What lack of sleep? I don't notice any? I had another cup that afternoon. I went to sleep just fine and was out of bed before the alarm sounded. This is great!

Or is it? I shouldn't have to depend on a warm cup of brown liquid to make me feel like I had a great nights sleep. But it does increase efficiency, based on the equation above. More waking hours and more caffeine allow the most to be accomplished in a day. I'm starting to wonder if the worker efficiency increases in the US in the 1990's were do to the computer software advances emerging from the Seattle area or the increased output in flavorful coffee found in the same region. Perhaps if it weren't for Starbucks, the gains in technology would not have been realized so quickly. Regardless, I understand the attraction. People making frequent trips to the coffee machine are making up for a lack of sleep and a lack of free time. Two quarters in the slot and you're ready to go.

Am I going to continue to increase my coffee intake? I hope not, but I have yet to decide. I am much busier, both at and away from work. However, there's not much worse than coffee breath. I'll continue to evaluate my situation.

I'm getting too tired to finish this entry - another cup please!

I've completed the second week of the class that is officially marks the start of my pursuit of a part-time MBA degree. For the past 2 weeks, I've been wondering why I'm doing this. I've been out of school for 5 years now. I enjoy working during the day and having my nights and weekends play with whatever projects I please. It has been extremely difficult for me to give up 2 nights per week for class and another 2 for studying. I've complained about losing my free time so often that my wife has asked me several time if I wanted to quit.

To some extent, that doesn't seem like a bad idea. I don't have specific plans for my career once I complete my degree. I already have a Masters degree; an MBA may not improve my chances of obtaining an enjoyable career. I'm the type of person who thinks that people who climb Mt. Everest are idiots. The chance of failure / death is great and the motivation of "climbing it because it was there" seems difficult at best.

Last night, I started studying for my first test - later than later than I had intended. I decided to get out my old backpack to find the calculator I would need for the test. Just like me, it needed to have the batteries replaced to function properly in an academic environment. I also found my pencils and eraser stick device. I decided to give them and try. The Pentel P207 mechanical pencil had a very familiar feel to it. The diameter is much smaller and the tip is much longer than any writing instrument I currently use. Because of the smaller diameter, the tip of my thumb nail contacted my index finger when I grasped the barrel. This was a familiar sensation. I looked at my Pentel eraser stick. I noticed the "chew" marks around the top. I couldn't believe that I ever put that thing in my mouth - I despise people chewing in pens.

I start studying, taking notes, and working sample problems. I became somewhat enjoyable to be working, concentrating, and preparing. While working on a problem, I noticed the eraser stick in my mouth. I also realized that my upper canine tooth was lodged in the broken area of the easer. This also was a familiar sensation; one that I had forgotten several years ago.

As I'm leaving for work this morning, I noticed that my wife had parked by 1990 Acura Integra in the drive way, preventing me from driving my other vehicle. I purchased the Integra just before my senior year of college and it has been a trusted companion through grad school and the 5 years since. I traded for the Integra keys and headed to work. I studied briefly towards the end of the day, packed up my notes, and headed to class.

I arrived at class early, waited for the previous class to finish, took my seat, and started the test. This is the most awake I've felt all day - and there has been no caffeine assistance. I look at the test, think I know how to do the problem, and start working. I'm extremely meticulous. I'm checking every number, noting every cross-reference, including every unit, etc. I really take my time to make sure every step is correct before moving to the next. Two hours, I'm the last one to turn in my exam. Some people have been finished for 45 minutes. I was just being really careful - I never questioned my ability to do the problem. I believe my paper was 100% correct.

Now that the test is complete, I'm enjoying the sense of relief and accomplishment. I feel like I'm getting back into the groove. I remember during grad school, when I was working a total of 3 part-time jobs, taking classes, working on my thesis, and working on projects, the days were very long. There were so many different segments to each day that I seemed to last forever. I'm starting to feel the exact same way now. I can't believe it's only Wednesday. Usually the week is over after accomplishing this amount of "work". As I was driving home, I lowered the windows and opened the sunroof. I felt collegiate reminiscent. I wished my CD changer were working so I could listen to DMB UTTAD, but I had to settle for the radio.

I'm at the base of the mountain, starting my climb toward base camp. Only 3 years to go until the summit is reached.

I've created my blog page, a sort of public online diary. I've just started back to school. I'm doing pre-reqs for my MBA program that starts in the fall at the Kelley School of Business at IU/PUI in Indianapolis. So far, I hate giving up 2 nights per week for class plus lots of study time, and this class is in Columbus, I can't imagine the drive to Indy will make things better. But, if I don't do it now, I never will. I should be workig on homework now but I'm not.

I've created a new website, Tivohelp.com, to help others upgrade their tivos. I shouldn't devote the time to work on the site but I am anyway. I like this sort of thing.

I'm officially starting my new position at work tomorrow. It's part-time for 2 weeks (split with my old job) and then will become full time after that. Lots of changes with starting school and all.

I traded a few e-mails with Steve Jenkins today. I'd seen his name on the Windows95.com site several years ago. It turns out we have some common interests (home theather, tivo, sports cars). He'd visited my (out-of-date) web site several weeks before. The net is a smaller place than you would think.

I talked to my dad and left a message for my step-dad today (fathers day!). We had dinner with Nicole and her family (parents, brother+wife+daughter, sister) and then went out for frozen yogart at Kaites. The weather was beautiful and the top was down on the convertible.