How to Increase Your Spending Money at TAC

(Bote: This was originally going to be "How to Survive College on a Shoestring Budget, but I'm not exactly doing that, because I've worked a fair amount, and also because of the generous donations of many relatives and friends. Thank you very much.)

The main characteristic of a frugal student at That Anonymous College is the adoption of a scavenging mentality. This is because one can avoid superflous spending by using the waste of others.

1. Always, always be the first to get to the Lost and Found to get books. Every month or so, there will be a sign which says "The Lost and Found has been moved to the Ping Pong room, where the items will be up for grabs in X days." If the day is a Saturday or Sunday, one can start absconding with books at midnight, when it is technically Saturday or Sunday. If it is a weekday, one can usually get very good picking right before Mass. If you do this, you should be able to get a fair amount of books, and even if you don't need them, you can always sell them at a discount rate to people who do, making a tidy little profit.
Porism: Always be up-to-date on the length of time useful items have spent in the dorm's lost-and-found, the two week rule is well-known and respected on campus.

2. The grab bag is your friend. The grab bag is a location in each dorm where people put their clothes they don't want anymore. This means they're free, which is a frugal college student's favorite word. (besides "Liber" in Latin. ;) ) I personally have gotten several nice button-up shirts, a few t-shirts, and some slacks for nothing from these repositories of free clothing.
Porism: The Thrift Store is also your friend. Although it does require a driver, car, and some small amount of money, one can get great buys at the thrift store; I've gotten a good coat and a nice blazer for only a few dollars. (Note: this may also be a good source of inexpensive sofas, if you are not able to get one for free.)

3. The cafeteria food is free. If you want a snack, don't go to the overpriced dorm store (although it is highly reccommended that you make money off of other people's ignorance by starting your own if you have a car). Go to the commons and get a glass of milk, or a bowl of cereal, or a peice of toast. Also, it's a good practice to make friends with workers in the kitchen, because then they bring food back to your dorm to eat after curfew. (John Cunningham is awesome, yesterday he brought back 75 racks of ribs to St. Peter and Paul's. John, we love you.)

4. The procuring of furniture. There are three ways one can procur furniture:
A. Find it in the lost and found. My rooommate and I have had our collection enhanced by a small bookshelf and a folding chair which we found in the "up-for-grabs" lost and found.
B. Take a look in the garbage. My roommate and I found a reclining chair that was about to be carted away merely because the leather was cracked. All we had to do was drag it in and throw a sheet over it and we had a perfectly good relaxing chair.
C. When it is not possible to use one of the above methods, one can get furniture for a reduced price from thrift stores or upperclassmen.
i. Thrift stores are more difficult, as one must arrange transportation, and usually their prices are higher than upperclassman will charge.
ii. However, if you become friends with Seniors, you can usually get sofas, refrigerators, or such stuff when they move out, either for a small price, or (if you're really good friends) for free. That's how me and my roommate got our minifridge.

5. Roommate. In case you didn't notice, I mentioned my roomate frequently. It's basic math, if you share stuff with your roomate, it only costs half. That's why we split things like the fridge and furniture. Also, sharing technology works well too; I borrow his iPod, and he borrows my laptop. It works out very well, and saves alot of money. So get a good roommate, and make your motto, "Mi casa es su casa, y su casa es mi casa."

Note: This was inspired by Tommy's Caddy Tactics

It wasn't that bad though, just a bloody gash, purely superficial. 

I slide/fell down into the canyon, which was about 30-40 feet deep and 25-30 feet wide, and banged up my arm a bit. 

We find a canyon blocking our path to the Punchbowls. 

The peaceful calm little stream back in September, wending it's way gently through pretty trees and vegetation. 

The raging torrent which hath laid waste to all its surroundings. 

Quotes from my Seminar Section on Antigone:

Cheeley's Kwazy Kwote of the Week: "Perhaps in Antigone the author trying to draw a parallel between the roles of male and female with the difference between power and conscience." - Zach Cheeley
(someone brings up a quote)
"Doesn't that quote show it's not some weird sexist confrontation?" John Pakaluk

"She wanted to die for burying her brother, but that didn't work out, so she wanted to see if suicide would have the same effect." - Therese Scanlon

"She wanted to be on good terms with her brother because she'd have to spend eternity with him." - Ana Goodman
"But if she didn't bury him she wouldn't have to deal with him anyway!" John Pakaluk

"Don't you think if Creon had gotten to the tomb she might have shouted at him, "Just go away and let me hang myself in peace!" - Mr Quackenbush

"See, the problem was she was buried without being dead, while her brother was dead without being buried." - Jen Sawyer

This weekend I went to the Walk for Life: West Coast, in San francisco. I'll be making a fairly long post later about the road trip, and the Walk, and the Turrentines, but for now, you can read about it here.
Foxnews.com Activists March on Roe v. Wade anniversary
Christian News, Photos from West Coast Life Rally


Also, the TACers (using some connections) carried the banner at the front of the parade, and you can see a picture of them here...


(Ok, there were a few Stanford students there too, but at least half of the peoplein the picture are from TAC.)


(almost all TACers)

Silm and JB digging a trench to protect St. Monica's. 


Clearing out a clogged water drain (my roomie is in the green army jacket), 


My roommate almost got buried. 


The dam crew. 

David Yano, after a hard day's work with mud. 


The sand bag crew hard at work. 


A deer in what used to be a road. 

Mary Rose, after crawling about in her dorm all day trying to clean up the mud by using herself as a sponge. :p 

Ripping up carpet in Blessed Serra. 


...while listening to the "Gladiator" Soundtrack at full volume. 

My Grades, (for anyone interested)



Thomas Aquinas Grade Report

Name: Nicholas Ruedig

Class of 2008

Freshman Year - First Semester

Mathematics Tutorial, Euclid's Elements, Tutor: Philip Wodzinski, A

Philosophy Tutorial, Logic; Plato's Dialogues, Tutor: Ronald Richard, A-

Language Tutorial, Latin, English Grammar, Tutor: Brian Dragoo, A-

Theology Tutorial, Sacred Scripture, Tutor: Michael Paietta, A-

Laboratory Tutorial, Natural History, Measurement, Tutor: John Neumayr, B+

Seminar, Greek Classics, Tutor: David Quackenbush, B

Well, according to Mr. Goyette, for the first time in who knows how many years (it might never have hapened before) absolutely no one in the freshman class has failed out, left, or been placed on academic probation.
Go Class of '08!

Well, classes finally start again tomorrow.
Having a week off of class has been really fun though, I've spent a fair amount of time working, ripping up carpets, moving furniture, making sandbags and such. I've also been playing some sports, pickup basketball games, and Ultimate Frisbee.

We've been assigned to read all of Psalms, instead of just the first 75.

"FLOOD NEWS as of 4:30 p.m. January 14, 2005
We continue to recover from the flash flooding on the campus last weekend. Students and staff are safe, and all utilities have been restored to the campus.
Preliminary estimates of damage are exceeding $100,000. Two residence halls had major water damage, while several other buildings on campus suffered less extensive damage.
Access to the campus is currently limited to one lane of Highway 150 between the College and Ojai; CalTrans has been working to clear remaining mud and debris. Drivers are advised to proceed with caution and with headlights on. Access between Ojai and Ventura has improved.
There is no access to the College from Santa Paula on Highway 150. The road has been seriously undermined and is closed for the indefinite future. Do not attempt to access the campus by foot or bicycle by this route as a portion of the road could collapse at any time.
Classes will resume on Monday, January 17 at 8:30 a.m., and College offices will be open and operating."

http://www.thomasaquinas.edu/floodnews.html

Time for random things I found online today:

New Data Shatters Video Game Player Stereotypes
Tuesday January 11, 9:28 am ET
Gamers Regularly Involved in Community, Church, and Athletics
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/050111/115500_1.html

US Army Fights Cheaters
http://www.ausgamers.com/?news=2232646

Yankee or Dixie Accent?
http://www.adamsonhigh.com/yankee_dixie_quiz.html

Star Wars in ASCII Animation
http://www.asciimation.co.nz/

Cool BMW Films
http://usa.bmwfilms.com

We even had to sacrifice the volleyball court to make sandbags. 

Preparing for more flooding. 

Hey everyone.
I barely got back to campus yesterday, because it's been raining like crazy here, and the road from Santa Paula to the college was completely washed out. the road to the college from Ojai was just barely passable, with four mudslides and a downed tree.
We were supposed to have classes today, but there was more rain last night, which washed out the road from Ojai, so none of the tutors should get here.
Today I woke up to torrential rains, and walked out the dorm into a river of water almost a foot deep. They did have Mass, and after that I joined the work crews that were formed to keep the hacienda (the president's house) from being flodded. We built a wall of sandbags, trenches, and dirts walls. then we learned that one of the girls' dorms had flodded, so since noon I've been rippingout their base boards so other guys could drill holes in their wall to prevent their wall from filling up with water, because we expect more rains tonight. We also put their furniture up on blocks of wood, and one of the wings is moving into another girls dorm temporarily. then we set to work digging trenches across campus, filling danbags, and preparing for another night of flooding. We aren't having classes today or tomorrow, and we don't know about he rest of the week.

I'm going to get back to work, and I might post some pictures tomorrow.
~Nicholai

A Reflection (not finished yet, but I’m posting anyway)

1. What did you do in 2004 that you'd never done before?

2. Did you keep your new years' resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
What New Years Resolutions?
3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Nope.
4. Did anyone close to you die?
Not really close.
5. What countries did you visit?
California. Yes, it is a foreign country.
6. What would you like to have in 2005 that you lacked in 2004?
Someone with me.
7. What date from 2004 will remain etched upon your memory and why?
January 29th : I decided to do something.
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Getting into TAC, surviving first semester, and most of all, winning someone’s heart.
9. What was your biggest failure?
Failing to win the hearts of her parents.
10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
No serious illnesses, lots of injuries, most of them non-fatal…I think
11. What was the best thing you bought?
My laptop.
12. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Emails. And phone calls.
13. What song will always remind you of 2004?

14. Compared to this time last year, are you: Thinner or fatter?
Thinner, but I think I might weigh a bit more. There’s a weight room at college.
15. Richer or poorer?
Richer. I have two jobs now.
16. What do you wish you'd done more of?
Play sports.
17. What do you wish you'd done less of?
Playing stupid computer games. I should’ve played good ones instead. Duh.
18. Did you fall in love in 2004?
Yes.
19. What was your favorite TV program?
Hannity and Colmes. I prolly watched it a dozen times, more than any other program.
20. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
Yeah.
21. What was the best book you read?

22. What was your greatest musical discovery?
U2
23. What did you want and get?
Love and my laptop.
24. What did you want and not get?
A hug and a kiss.
25. What did you not want and get?
A break-up. Sorta.
26. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I played golf with my friends and had a party, and I was 18.
27. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Meeting someone.
28. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2004?
Jason Bourne meets the Boondock Saints.
29. What kept you sane?
Jesus, Mary, and my guardian angel, who deserves a lot of overtime.
30. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
I didn’t really “fancy” any of them, whatever that means.
30. What political issue stirred you the most?
Stupidity.
31. Who did you miss?
Elizabeth.
32. Who was the best new person you met?
^ See above. Well, it wasn’t exactly 2004, and I didn’t exactly meet her. Whatever.
33. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2004:
My general philosophy of life still works: “Who Dares, Wins.”
34. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year: