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10/23/2008

Plunging back into the workforce after my weekend family reunion has reminded me of why I dislike my job.

For those of you who don't know, I work in the kitchen at McDonald's in one of the busier towns in Arkansas. I've worked there for almost 18 months (before you ask, no, I'm not a manager), and it has reinforced my career decision (engineering) more than almost anything else. I DO NOT want to work in the fast food industry any longer than I have to! I really don't have the patience to sit there day in and day out making other people's food, and dealing with indecisive people.

My biggest pet peeve at work is when the order changes. I frequently have an order half-way done (or more), only to discover that the customer changed their mind, they don't want any ketchup on those 10 double cheeseburgers I've already made.When they say "Order when you're ready," PLEASE, don't order until you're ready. Make sure you know what you (and everyone with you) want, then start ordering. If you go inside, don't even step up to the counter until you have everything straightened out. If you're in drive-thru, don't feel compelled to rush things. They will sit there and wait for you to order (if they're doing their job right). This will save everyone time, money, and headaches.

Anyways, enough ranting about work. So far, this semester has been pretty crazy. I'm taking Physics I & II, Calculus III, and Linear Algebra. I just took the final exam for Physics I this morning (I know, it's the middle of the semester, but the only physics professor is going on sabbatical next semester). Unfortunately, there won't be a drop in my workload; instead of Physics I , it'll be Physics II. Calculus hasn't proven too difficult so far, but it's mostly just been 3D Geometry and Calculus I topics adjusted for multiple dimensions. Linear Algebra started off as my easiest class, but has become mostly proofs. I dislike proofs because they actually force me to explain how I got the answer, when I usually do half the work in my head.

10/21/2008

I have no idea how I should proceed here. I have always preferred a clearly defined structure or order, with all of the rules followed constantly (such as in math: 2+2 does not equal 5 no matter how much you want it to). Writing, being significantly less structured, has always been difficult for me, so bear with me. I may bounce from one topic to another seemingly unrelated topic. I may not post for weeks at a time, or I might post several times in one day. I may ramble on about topics that make sense to no one but me. But whatever happens, you get to be my audience as I practice writing.

Welcome to the Lab of the Absent-minded Professor.