I came back to work on Wednesday. I don't feel too bad anymore. I guess I'm sick type 1 technically. Now I only have one sick day left for the whole year. I probably won't need it, but since I rarely get sick, that's less sick time I get to use for vacation, ha ha. Coughing is really annoying. It seems like you need to cough most when you are in a meeting where you don't want to make your presence known or when you're trying to sleep (which can sometimes occur in a meeting, ha ha, j/k). I can understand the reason for coughing in the morning, but why the sudden fits of coughing at night even before I go to sleep?

Anyways, I added another blog link for my old roommate, Ray. I noticed how easy it is for a blogspotter to add a Xanga link, but how impossible it is for a Xanga user to add anyone who isn't Xanga. Now that just isn't fair. I can see the lure for Xanga because it allows you to do alot without understanding any web coding at all. Blogspot isn't that difficult though and I was able to do something with pretty much no knowledge. Xanga sites pretty much all look the same just different colors and although I can link my friends with ease, they seem to have trouble linking me since I'm not a Xanga user. Well, I solved that problem. I created my own Xanga site. Thus I have found a use for Xanga after all. Feel free to check it out. I'm sure you will agree that my Xanga site is truly wonderful. Side thought: I wish there was a universal way to highlight text that would tell people you were being sarcastic. Is it fair that Bold and Italics have to be used for emphasis purposes? One should be for universal use of sarcasm. Or they should make a new one, although I have no idea what that would look like and what that would be called. I guess it would have an "S" symbol for sarcasm. I'll send a note to Bill Gates.

I had my performance review. It seems my "big" catch-up raise that I negotiated a few months back wasn't so big. I can't argue with it though. It was still above average and I did get recommended for promotion, although I haven't got any details on it yet. I'm not really that disappointed. It only reaffirms what I thought before that I won't be able to afford a home here unless I marry someone who makes as much money as I do. People tell me that based on my income, I should be able to afford a home. While this is true, it means I will not be able to afford anything else. Paying $2000/mo. on a mortgage does not appeal to me especially when I own so little. I'd rather rent for another year or two than do that. Not only that, that rate won't get me a nice house or even a fair house. It will get me an ugly and old house in a friendly neighborhood. No thanks, I'm not interested. I don't need a house yet anyways, it would just be more convenient. Anyways, as far as the raise issue goes, I just need to prove myself still and that seems fair to me given I haven't been in the new position for very long.

People keep asking me about work so I guess I should write about that here even though not everyone who asks reads this, but I might as well since I started this blog talking about work so much. It's alot better. I have lulls though. I'm in one now, but it's alot better than where I was before. I work with smart people and that's always a good sign. Plus I'm in a place where there is room to grow in experience. I'm satisfied for now.