where's the integrity?

Tiring, exhausting day! I've already finished dinner and it's only 6pm. Today had its high and low points... especially low points.

I'd stayed up to 4am editing my photos and whatnot. Today was my printing slot and I was the very first one in the class to print, and surprisingly my pictures turned out pretty well. Even my "tough love" photo teacher told me my prints looked great. I'm pleased. I wasn't pleased at 4am though... I'd tried to move all 110+ photos (even the edited ones) to a CD because that was part of the assignment. Moving everything took about 15+ minutes. However... as soon as it finished, Windows announced that there was an error with the pictures. My heart sank. I looked at the folder on my computer, and it was completely empty because I'd just moved all the pictures in it to the CD. I clicked on the CD... it was completely empty because of the error. I freaking panicked for a minute, but luckily I'd made backups. THANK GOODNESS. I still lost a substantial amount of photos (about 30 or 40), but I have most of them still. I'd kept my five edited pictures open in Photoshop, so they weren't lost. THANK GOODNESS!!!! Those were the ones I was most worried about.

For 2D, we had to expand a square. I totally started this at 11pm and finished at 12:30am. :) My first one was pretty nasty, so I started over and did another one. Much better! It got a pretty positive reception during critique today, so I'm happy.

But... while we were painting squares for the value scale, I got a text from Francis. He said that he'd checked on my bike (I'd left it on campus, locked next to Dudley Moorhead) and the seat was gone... and did I have it? Dismay hit me... shootles. I'd had too much faith in the integrity of mankind and assumed that no one would touch my bike. I mean, if I hadn't had my bike locked, of course I would expect it to be stolen. However, I wouldn't expect someone to like, steal the seat of my bike... Too much faith.

While I'm on the topic of integrity, I'd like to talk about something that disturbed me this weekend. Someone I know picked up and kept two items that weren't his, because supposedly they had been "left behind." When his motives were questioned on two separate occasions, he answered 1) "Because someone took my birds, so I'm taking this tube in retribution" and 2) "Because I've always wanted a bag like this." Personally, I was more than a little disgusted. Why?

1) You don't know who took your tube, yet you chose to punish someone (who is most likely innocent) by taking his half-full tube. Furthermore, you stated that your tube only had one bird in it. Why is that grounds for taking someone else's tube? What if someone stole a half-tube of birds from you?

2) You picked up someone else's bag and kept it for yourself? I don't exactly know the situation behind this, so I don't know if you found the bag empty or not. I don't know where you found it--it could have been in the trashcan or on the floor next to someone's badminton bag. I'm thinking that most likely someone accidentally left it behind. Instead of trying to find the owner or giving it to the tournament director for lost and found purposes, you kept it to satiate your own desires.

3) I would just like to rant about one more thing. I'm really cranky from lack of sleep right now, so maybe that's why I'm so rant-y today. Anyway, I digress.

You need to CHILL. If I am giving you a freaking ride, speeding and driving dangerously in order to get YOU somewhere in time for YOUR benefit, I do not need to hear you cursing and complaining in the backseat while I: a) slow for red lights, b) accidentally take a wrong turn, c) want to pull over to check the gps, d) brake to avoid a collision. I am NOT your chauffeur, nor are you even paying me. I am doing you a freaking favor. If you don't like the ride (and you don't appreciate that I'm doing you a favor), then you can get out because I will NOT be driving you anymore. Furthermore, and probably most importantly. I will NOT listen to you when I am in the furthest left-turning lane and you're telling me to go straight. Are you crazy? If you want to drive recklessly, drive your own freaking self. Don't try to tell me to do something illegal, stupid, and dangerously reckless just to get your butt warmed up for a better chance of winning your games. That is just so incredibly selfish.

I really doubt you will read this and I am honestly not too sure if I want you to read this because you'll probably get all butt-hurt, but I want you to realize how idiotic you were.

Anyway, enough of that. But on a similar topic... badminton. Badminton warms my heart :) The tournament on Saturday was so incredibly fun. Trevor and I got to D mixed semifinals and C mixed quarters. Unfortunately he had sprained his ankle and I couldn't really cover him haha. I made him bring his sleeping bag because I wanted to use it, but I was actually very wide awake during the tourney :( sorrrry! Truman and I just used it to sit on to watch games. haha.

Jenny and I unexpectedly played C women's doubles, and got 2nd. Not much of a victory because a lot of girls dropped out of C's out of sheer exhaustion, but still! It was pretty awesome. I think when I get really warmed up, I can jump smash a bit. I've always wanted to jump smash :D I just don't think I'm getting the form right, haha. Oh well. As long as the smash is angled and fast, I'm happy.

On Friday, we're completing more challenges for the SJSU club. Leo and I have some more mixed matches to go because it's double elimination. Eva and I are #2 for doubles, and I hope Leo and I can get #2 or #3 for mixed! This Saturday is a dual-meet against Berkeley, and I know they're going to be tough... oh well. More experience!

Anyway... on a negative note. My mom told me that my dad got laid off today, and I was really shocked. I just hadn't been expecting it. We'll be okay for a while because of savings and whatnot, but I don't want to drag us down with unnecessary expenses. I'll manage my finances better and try to cut down on expenses, I guess. Oh, I must find a job!