I keep thinking about buying lotto tickets, but then I remind myself of the odds, and how they're better if I want to get struck by lightening.

Speaking of spending money, I'm outta here early so I can run over to the DMV and get my registration for my plates taken care of (it expired in November--oops!). Then, I'm off to Best Buy for my very first MP3 player, a recordable DVD/VCR combo so I can finally get rid of all my old video tapes, and to see if they have any decent laptops left in stock (my big Xmas present from my parents--my 9 or 10-y.o. desktop has had it).

Gud, I think trade jobs are in demand. I know in my neighborhood - there are only 2 plumbers that get recommended and both are older guys - neither has young apprentices that I've ever seen and it can take weeks to get on their schedule sometimes. There are more people who do renovation/carpentry work, but not a lot who get recommended out. A/C repair seems to often be handled out of the big box electronics stores, but when I was in the southwest buildign houses, HVAC stuf whas what we seemed to wait a bit on because they were over scheduled/in demand.

I only ever buy lotto tix when my whole office is buying, on the principle that I really don't want to be the only person here who still needs a job the next day.

Electricians do have some serious job-related safety issues, though--my mom's high school BFF lost her brother when he touched a power cable while doing an install.

The receptionist in my office participated in a non-traditional jobs for women program, certified as a carpenter, got in the union, the whole bit, and then decided she couldn't deal with the day-to-day bullshit she had to deal with as a woman in a non-traditional job. So now she's underpaid and underappreciated in my office, and builds stuff for her own house.

See, Jesse's receptionist is who I need to be friends with, who could slowly do work in my place. Slowly is how I would need to pay for it. Lots of paint stripping.

I keep thinking about buying lotto tickets, but then I remind myself of the odds, and how they're better if I want to get struck by lightening.

I think of them as a cheap form of entertainment.

Ah, yes. I learned that one the hard way, when I was switching out the power cord on my clothes dryer. "Will this even work in the plug?" ZAP "Yes. Yes it will. Also, yikes!"

I was installing a kitchen ceiling fan and discovered that the ceiling light was not on the kitchen breaker. I didn't really get much of a shock, but it made me a bit more cautious.

I bought a tester thingy just for that reason. I did several light fixture switches in my place and have some wall outlets that needed to be closed off.

We had the half day trade school thing too, but when I was in school, only one or two people who weren't in special education went to trade school, so even if it looked interesting, no one wanted to go. Also, considering the cow that was had when I didn't want to take AP classes I can't imagine the guidance counselor letting me go learn to be a hair dresser.