Geeky High School Photo Meme

OK, since dakoopst opened Pandora's box and I already have my memento file opened, here's my [painfully geeky] contribution. The photo was taken for a student newspaper story about my unprecedented run of perfect math test scores; 3/4 of the way through the year, I had never missed a point in the Algebra II (UICSM - advanced) class. Embarrassing interview with my teacher, Merlin Baker (whose name seems to have given him a head start in geekness), citations of how rare my intellect is, glowing praise from this and that quarter. They did not mention that I had yet to get laid. :-)

This story was a real jinx. Only a few weeks later, I bobbled a matrix multiplication. How ignominious.

Re the photo itself, I took the photographer to the lab box [tiny office between classrooms where the chemicals and apparatus were stored; my little clique were lab assistants for credit] and put together a few pieces of equipment which did nothing, then pretended to adjust something [nothing to adjust, you'll note] while he took the picture. Note my pride and joy, the HP 45 calculator ($400 pre-inflation) -- my crush object and friend Tim had gotten an HP 35 for his birthday, so I one-upped him. My program buffer was bigger!

I want a new life

...or at least a vacation from house chores, breakdowns, disrupted routines, and the general lack of fun.

The "temporary" red dye in my hair is not washing out as the label said it would. Meanwhile, my car is back with a new battery and new starter/solenoid. The bloom is off the rose of this relationship, though, so I'm ready to turn it in for something newer. The Prius looks good, but I can also have a zippy little Scion xA at a bit over half the cost of the Prius. Still thinking it over.

The painters thought they would be done by noon. Alas, I had to point out two sides of the house needed another coat (the first coat did not fill in the fine cracks in the old paint) and certain things remaining to be done would take more time than they thought. Painting the Eichler house numbers, for example, which are carved wood numerals with the faces painted the body color while the background piece and sides of the numerals are painted the trim color.

The house color is not quite what I wanted it to be (it's too light), but the trim is exactly right (perfect match for inside). There was no way to precisely duplicate in paint the color of the eave overhangs, which has a streaky redwood underlying a blue-gray semitransparent stain, but the color we picked comes close.

I am stressed out.

( Newly-painted house pictures )