In case you missed the news a few days ago – Microsoft is offering full, legitimate copies of Office 2007 Ultimate to students for $60 from now until April 2008 through a promotion called “The Ultimate Steal.”

A number of universities offer free MSDNAA subscriptions to students, which include licensed copies of several Microsoft apps, but Office is not part of the package, so this is a good way to get the missing piece on a student budget.

A retail copy of the full suite costs over $600 on Amazon, and even the discounted “Home and Student” edition (which only includes Word, Excel, Powerpoint and OneNote, but surprisingly not Outlook!) would set you back ~$120. This is a fantastic deal if you’re eligible.

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One of my favorite things about NYC is the fact that although it’s a fast-paced, crowded, concrete jungle, there’s a whole different world outside the city just waiting to be explored. Having been a big-city dweller for most of my early life, I really feel at home in the high-energy environment here, especially around Times Square, where I work; but when weekends come along, it’s nice to be able to go to a quieter, more relaxed place to enjoy some of nature’s beauty.

During the last couple of weeks, we went on two hiking trips up north. The first was at Sam’s Point Preserve atop the Shawangunk Ridge, where we hiked up through the “ice caves” to the Verkeerderkill Falls. The second one, with a big group of 22 people, was at the Delaware Water Gap near the NJ/Penn state border. Both trips were lots of fun, and I’ve posted two new picture albums.

While the weather’s still conducive to outdoor activities, we’re also planning to go on either a white-water rafting or overnight camping trip sometime in the coming weeks. Isn’t it nice not having to worry about homework, projects and exams on weekends anymore? =)

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