9:38a

I’m back in class again, which means I’m back to waiting for the rest of class to get their shit together while I surf the web.

I’m learning some good stuff, details that I wasn’t aware of, which is a Good Thing. After going through a few more flash cards last night in preparation for the tests I’ve got to take, I found that I don’t know crap. That said, I still need to run through a full practice test because, while flash cards are good, I think I’ll know the answer if I get to see it in a multiple choice context (which is how the tests work). At least that’s what I’m hoping.

I was going to do a practice test last night, but when I clicked the “start” button, it came up with a surprise “Activate This Product Now!” screen, telling me that if I want to do the test I need to connect online to their web site and get a code. Of course, I don’t have Internet access from the hotel, so I was hosed. I tried to get my cell phone working as a modem via infrared, but that didn’t work so well.

I went to the web site this morning and entered one code, then got another code that I’ve written down that should, when I return to the room, successfully activate the test so I can make use of it.

Here’s something I’m wondering: How come coffee foams up like pee bubbles? That whole idea disturbs me.

9:56p

I’ve been trying, for the last 10 minutes, to reply to a message via webmail. But the stupid “compose message” screen will not come up and I’m pretty much ready to beat the crap out of it… in a, uh, virtual sort of way.

The rest of the class is still working on their labs, and I’m boooooored. I think I may play a little Game Boy, since I finished my book last night and I don’t have anything here to read.

10:06a

Hold on to your seats, folks, we’ve finally started class.

10:24a

I thought of a cool idea for a program (for the .NET developers out there). A full-featured configuration file editor. Windows/console applications have pretty extensive configuration files that allow you to govern how they link to different library versions, which paths they search, etc. Web apps have different security settings, handlers specified, etc. Microsoft provides the “mscorcfg.msc” tool that does some of the Windows/console app configuration for you, but it’s not all-inclusive and it doesn’t do web apps. I’ve seen a semi-functional web app config file editor, but it didn’t do Windows/console apps. A full config editor would be a Cool Thing, and I think it might give me some good experience developing applications for Windows in .NET.

Not to mention making it easier for everyone to work with configuration files.

I’m thinking if you wrote your classes write, wired them up with XmlSerializer attributes, you could just deserialize the configuration file directly, make changes to the classes, then just serialize it all back into your config file.

Hmmm…

11:32a

Check this out

• 128MB USB drive for $37, and it’s smaller than other USB drives. I may have to splurge on this.

11:56a

Lab time.

I have to say, I’m feeling a little oppressed in this overly geeky environment. I mean, sure, I work in a software development company, but the terrible, terrible geek humor isn’t remotely as prevalent as it seems to be here.

I sit in class here and people say things like, “I can’t tell you how many times I was burned by not having a copy constructor” and then snicker at the… humor? Riiiight. You’re so funny! You should be a comedian!

2:11p

Well, I’ve had lunch (sandwich) and finished the lab work, and now we’re moving on. I’m glad we’re sticking to the schedule; we might be able to move right along.

2:40p

Webmail is working again, so I was able to reply to a couple of messages. That’s cool.

3:45p

I think we’re on the last lab of the day. We get to write simple chat server applications. Should be interesting.

I noticed the bathroom here smells like the one at my dentist’s office. Sort of a mixture of urinal cakes and Scope mouthwash.

4:41p

That’s the end of lab. I’m outta here.