BlueWolf's Howl

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September 01, 2003

Labor Day

Hope everyone here (in the U.S.) enjoyed Labor Day... I took the extra day off as an invitation to marathon study. My brain hurts and my eyeballs are sore, but I'm on target!

I finished the IP Routing Protocols book and the Building Scalable Cisco Networks book. The BSCN book is the old course for the 640-901 exam. I bought the "official" 640-901 Study Guide (944 pages), but found that the book mentioned the BSCN/BSCI course a few times...so I figured it would be a good idea to read the 700 pages of the BSCN book before diving into the Study Guide. And if the material is repeated in the Study Guide, I'll at least be that much more prepared.

The deadline is approaching... I have until 7 Sep to register for the exam - and can schedule it up to 45 days from the date of registration. That will buy some time, but I'm going to have to set a date and then stick to my intended study schedule to be prepared just in time... Study too early and some details may slip through the cracks of time. Study too late and you don't get through all the material. I guess this is a test of my planning ability as well as my routing knowledge...

In between the chapters...I watched a few movies. I watched Infinity which stars Matthew Broderick (in his directorial debut) and Patricia Arquette. It's based on the life of legendary A-bomb physicist Richard Feynman and his special, tragic relationship with his first love, Arline Greenbaum. It was the saddest love story I've seen in a looooong time. (If you watch it, bring a box of tissues...) The story and the movie are good...only problem I had with it was that Broderick doesn't resemble Feynman at all...and the picture of Feynman from the bookcover kept overshadowing the movie in my mind. But, that was just me...

I also stumbled upon a 2-DVD set of "An Evening with Kevin Smith." OMG. Silent Bob TALKS!!! It was a very funny DVD and was well worth the chapters I had to read to get to it.

Yes, that's how I keep myself motivated. I make deals with myself. "Okay...read chapters 6-9 and then you can watch Kevin Smith." I pushed myself through the Switching exam material with the 6-pack of Babylon 5 - The First Season. And now I have a HUGE book to get through to get ready for the exam... and the Tomb Raider tape is sitting on top of the television. Just three chapters and I can watch Lara Croft.......

Hey, it's motivation - not torture. There has to be something worthwhile at the end to keep the engine running....

I think I'll rent the First Season of Dark Angel to get me through the rest of the 12 Chapters...

Posted by BlueWolf on September 1, 2003 09:13 PM