It's been almost a week so I suppose an update is in order.

I'm still enjoying the New Job a lot; I get paid to spend all night shouting, swearing and throwing heavy shit around, so what's not to like? I'm overly concerned about the fact that I'm still making mistakes and still have things to learn, but a few talks with my boss helped me realize that, yes, it's okay not to be perfect right off the bat, and, no, they don't think I'm lazy or stupid and they're not going to tear up my time card and boot me out the door. Since I started the job I've gained a surprising amount of muscle on my arms and legs and I think my health is already better now than it's been in ages. After just a week I'm sleeping and eating better and feel happier. (And because I sweat so much, I finally caved and bought a razor in order to buzz my head again. I missed it!) I'm also still quite proud of the fact that I'm doing a job I honestly didn't think I could do. Despite the harsh hours, I'd love to continue it when the new semester starts. Ironically, after the year I've spent working towards a promotion at the Old Job, I won't need it if this works out. Or maybe I'll just do both. It sounds a tad overzealous to take 16 hours of classes, work 16 hours at one job and 25 at another, but there's no harm in trying, right? Sleep is overrated anyway.

Yesterday and on Thursday I was lucky enough to hang out at the Biscuit Factory for a while with Jon and the gang, but I spent almost the whole weekend with Matt. We kicked back and caught up on movies. A lot of movies. Igby Goes Down tries to be both funny and heartwarming and doesn't really succeed at either, but it's still well done and worth watching. The unfortunately edited version of Y Tu Mam? También wasn't bad but it felt much longer than it really was. The second time around, Spider-Man seems incredibly hokey and the CG is trully awful-- but then, I'm probably being extra harsh because of X2. There was another one, too, what was-- oh, Topsy Turvy, about the writing and production of the opera "The Mikado" by Gilbert and Sullivan, which Matt and I actually saw performed a while back (though poorly). The movie is great, and worth the rental just for the costume and set designs. I really could talk about movies for hours... I think I was a film student in a past life.

To avoid sounding like a complete airhead, I'll end with some amazing numbers from the latest issue of Time:
$455 billion: Record budget deficit forecast for this year according to current White House estimates
$242 billion: Amount of surplus originally projected for this year in a White House estimate in 2001
$290 billion: Previous record for the deficit, set in 1992 under the first President Bush
$1 billion: Weekly cost to maintain the 148,000 troops stationed in Iraq for several years
And the deficit is not including that $1 billion/wk cost. Hurry and hop in the handbasket if you want a good seat!