Back to School

So I began my final leg of my grad school work towards getting my PreK-3 teaching license today. Yes, that's right folks, student teaching. I'm a bit old to be a student teacher, in my opinion, but that's ok. Yes, thirteen weeks seems excessive for someone who has already logged a year and a half in the classroom as a substitute. But it's not like I have a choice. Luckily, I am in my favorite school that I sub for, with a fantastic teacher. I am in a third grade classroom, and from what I've seen so far, the kids are wonderful. I tried all morning to memorize their names, and by lunch I had them, which is amazing, because I am terrible with names. However, I will be spending sixty days with these kids, so it's good that I know them. I am really looking forward to it.

By the way, did anyone know there was a television show called "Ferris Bueller" in 1990 that ran for half a season? That's right. Jennifer Aniston played Bueller's sister, Jennifer Grey's character from the film. The other actors were also NOT the ones from the movie.


Also, Otterbein Alumni Book Club meets this Wednesday in the back room of Graeter's to talk about Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Be there!

Qop!
Ferris: Look, it's real simple. Whatever mileage we put on, we'll take off.
Cameron: How?
Ferris: We'll drive home backwards.

On Notice / Dead to Me #2

For loyal readers of this blog, you may remember that last September I announced my own Dead to Me and On Notice boards, modeled after my idol, Stephen Colbert. They have not been updated in nearly eight months, so now I present for your pleasure my new lists! Many of the names have been left, but the descriptions changes. As always, there can only be dead per board, so I will give a brief account at the bottom of who got off the list. Lucky bastards. You had better hope that you never make this list. New additions are *ed

ON NOTICE
*Jonathan Stewart (my friend) - I'm sorry, but it's getting confusing to know two people with that name, and The Daily Show's host isn't going to change his. You've got until I do my next update to resolve the situation.
President George W. Bush - You have been moved from "DtM" to "ON" because it's way past time to stop ignoring you. Stand up and impeach the bastard!
J. K. Rowling - You stay here because I haven't read your new book yet, which is only the second longest of the series. Why in the hell isn't it the longest?
Movie Critis - I used to complain about your bad reviews, but lately it seems all the reviews have been good. Find a middle ground!
*Girls - For continuing to not be interested in me. One day I am going to give up on you, and then you'll know what you're missing hos! :)
Bones - There was an episode pulled off the air because of the Virginia Tech coverage stuff, but that episode has apprently disappeared into thin air. What gives?
Fox - You cancelled Drive, but I hadn't watched it yet, so you're not "DtM"...for now.
*Alcohol - I need to lose some wait and you are getting in my way, delicious devil!
Clogs - They look so cool, and yet make my feet stink. Eh, why mess with a truism?
Geese - They are EVIL!!!! I won't make you dead to me, though, because you'll attack anyway and then I'll be dead. Like Bush, we can't afford to ignore them.

DEAD TO ME
Katie Couric - Hahaha. You switch lists because you're getting fired.
*Anna Nicole - Replacing Steven Irwin for the 'No, seriously. She's dead.'
Walmart - You axis of evil. You're an axis all by yourself. You're here forever.
Macs - I don't care how user friendly you are. I will NEVER own one of you! Maybe. Yep, no need to change this entry either.
*ABC & NBC - for not airing new episodes of Grey's Anatomy, My Name is Earl and The Office because of a little rain. I'll consider not watching any of your shows any more, but seriously, that was a prick thing to do and I hate you for it. I had to pay $1.99 an episode on iTunes!
Ashland Financial Aid Office - You continue to perplex me!
Grizzly Bears - Stephen hates you. Enough said.
The International Astonomers - Why hasn't Pluto been reinstated as a planet yet? Did you not hear the outcry of a mourning public?
The Food Service Industry - Still working there... Part time, but still...
Anyone Who Hasn't Bought My Book - WHY NOT???????

Repreives - Democrats. Yes, you won in November. But be careful or I'll put you right back! Iran, Condaleeza Rice, Steven Irwin and Mike DeWine were removed from the list because they are now under the Who Cares? category.

End of July

Another month has come to an end, and amazingly I did make 10 posts this month! Yay for me! :) Plenty is going on in my life. My final class at Otterbein meets 3 more times and that's it. Then I get a degree! Despite my utter lack of feeling at graduation, I have mustered up a little excitement about being done with classes in 10 days! Granted, it fades when I realize I am not doing anything with that degree, but that's not the whole point. I think a year of just substituting, while I work like crazy to pay rent, get out of debt (should be out by Christmas!, not counting student loans which will take about 76.343424 years), and paying for Australia next summer. For the 2006-07 school year I will plan on heading back to finish my music education certification. Heading back where, I have no idea at this point. I just need a year off of taking classes. I am so sick of classes.
Vacation was fun, but as relaxing as I had hoped. To tell you the truth, I had more fun with my family last year than with my friends this year. Not that my friends weren't fun. They were, but my family (aunts, uncles, cousins) are more into doing the things I want to do so I spent a lot of vacation alone (by choice) or with my aunt and uncle who were also in the condo. Highlights of vacation with my friends: Watching the entire first seasons of Scrubs, working on my book quite a bit, seeing dolphins jump, putt putting, and the final dinner, with only Jess, across the street. We had fun and drank a lot.
Now on with my life. Although to what, I don't know. Teaching, surely, and working on my book. Moving back to Westerville this month and into a nice, large three bedroom apartment with Michael (with a washer and dryer!), and who knows what else. I am going to a Tuscan Themed 60th Birthday party for my uncle on Saturday, August 13, but the invitation was for "and guest" and I don't have a date to the party. I've been thinking about girls I know, and for the first time in my life, there really isn't someone I see all the time that I have the least bit of romantic feelings for. There are girls I know that I like, but not ones I see all the time that I do. Not really close friends. It's weird, and the condition has existed for at least a couple of months. Maybe that means my time for a girl is coming soon? I watched Hitch and it made me long for love, but I'm not in any desperate stage. We'll see. And I am getting sick of my singlness being part of all of my Life Updates on here, so I predict it will change soon. I hope. :) The good news is, it hasn't really depressed me for awhile.
Ok, enough posting. Time to go unpack and attempt to be productive. Take care all!

Qop!
"My dinner was looking at me!" ~ Me, having gone to a restaurant drunk on vacation and ordering their special, a $5.95 lobster that was whole and looked alive!

Graduation

I apologize for only doing 9 entries last month as opposed to my self-requried 10. I also haven't done any this month and it is already the twelth. I have a good excuse. I was supposed to be writing about college memories and graduation. I didn't want to, and every time I sat down to do a blog, that's what I was trying to do. I don't want to relive my college memories. Freshmen and most of sophomore year were great, as well as parts of this year. The end of sophomore year and junior year, and other parts of this year sucked ass. My life was still perfectly on track until the end of Sophomore year, and then it collapsed and never recovered. To illustrate this, here is how today's entry should have gone, had things continued going well after Sophomore Year:
I graduated today with a degree in Music Education! Yay! I have a job teaching a high school band and I am really looking forward to it. My book is published and the profits I'm starting to make are putting an excellent dent in my college loans. I can't wait for my wedding this fall. Things are going great!
Instead, this is how it is:
My graduation today was a joke because I haven't finished my final class yet and I'm getting a degree in something I couldn't care less about. I should have just blown off the ceremony because it meant nothing and all it did was depress me. I want to finish my book, but I haven't had time because I am still struggling to make ends meet with my dead-end pizza job, and my college degree won't help me attain any better work. Plus I have a zillion college loans. Oh, and I haven't been in a relationship for two years.
No you see why I may be a little bitter? It was hard to shake those professors hands, professors that I look up to (Chivington, Boehm, Tirey, Zilincik, Barkhymer) and accept their congratlations gracefully because I feel the last four years have accomplished nothing. They have been an utter waste of my time. I am sorry I skipped graduation parties today I should be attending. Congrads to those who have their lives on track. I am gonna zone out in front of the tv and sip daquiris.

Qop!
"And he got the rock to the top...and it fell back down again." ~Jason Carney, OC class of '05, today's commencement address

Freshmen Year

This week I am following the example of some of my friends and posting college memories. This is Week 7 of my final quarter here at the 'bein, and it is a bit emotional. Here are the memories from my freshman year.

-Didn't want to go to college, didn't want to do marching band.
~Within moments of arriving at OC, loved college, loved marching band.
~Missed my old friends had hung out with them all summer, hung out one saturday in october, and suddenyl had lots of new friends.
~Nate sleeping on my dorm room floor for a week
~being in a squad with jenn and amber and someone else...don't remember who.
~watching All in the Family until my roommate old me to flip to news on the second day of classes: Setember 11, 2001. Not concentrating in class, being scared, canceling afternoon classes.
~Hanging out with Heather Deem over in Davis
~Dinner with Jami Letizia and her band directors, and Roy and Amber and K
~Being pregnant with Liz's baby
~Dating K for exactly one month
~Julie encouraging me to date K, and me trying to help her with a boy she didn't get
~bowling and winding up asleep on the floor with Julie
~Dating Julie for 5 1/2 months
~Esther's 21st b-day party
~Going out to dinner and getting the 'contract' signed with Scott, Evan, Erin, and Timmy J
~Playing soccer with Absurdly Green (Julie, Kristen, etc.)
~Scott coming out of the closet to me
~Brian Grey was only 20% gay
~Hanging out with Brandon
~Falling asleep during concerts
~Pledging Kings. Enough said. :)
~Seeing OC win nationals in basketball with Liza, Nora, and Julie
~Trip to Colorado with Julie, Nora, and Steph
~Having sex on the grassy knoll with Kristen (not really)
~A roommate I never talked to
~Skiing with Julie, Steph, and Jeremie. Sleeping on Steph's parents' floor.
~King's formal with Andy
~Hanging out at the Kings house, being depressed sleeping there
~Roy and Boogie getting me to drink Smirnoff for the first time
~Boogie introducing me to Kevin Smith
~All of us in Boogie's room finding out how to be male porn stars
~"Losing my virginity" to a King's panel
~Evan composing the Jimmy Dailey song
~officially moving into the King's house with Evan, Boogie, Doug, Ivan, and the others.
~My black Santa Claus
~late nights on the Kings porch and walking t Dairy Queen drive through
~Dating K again come summer

That's all I can remeber at the moment. May do attional memories at the end of the week.

Also, it is Question Week in my away message. Today's question is (Feel free to answer it):
It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood, a beautiful day for a neighbor. Won't you be mine?

Qop!
"So we talked all night about the rest of our lives, where we're gonna be when we turn 25...keep on thinking things will never change, keep on thinking things will always stay the same. But we leave this year and we won't look back, no matter hanging on cause we're on a different track."
~ Vitamin C, Graduation Day

Vegas Or Buzzzzzzzt

So I am supposed to be packing right now to go catch a flight to Vegas and get married (sorry, Jess. We did two years ago. Time for an annollment) but somebody (cough)April(cough) went to bed instead because she can't even stay awake for her own wedding. :) Ok, joking aside, work sucks. My college loans finally came through but I'm still not enrolled in this quarter. My work tried to cut my bonus for last quarter but not anyone else's (they 'accidentally forgot'), and my car is broken and needs fixed. I have the worst luck with cars. And yet I'm in a pretty good mood anyway. Ah, well.

Qop!
"You just like the alien butt sex." ~ Jenn Meister

Bonus Qop!
"I did it for you David!" ~ Michael imitating Penny Johnson Jerald a.k.a. Sherry Palmer

Busy Busy Busy

I have bee so freakin' busy lately! I finally got through classes yesterday (oh, who am I kidding. Like all my classes were cancelled for once and I spent most the day hanging out with Tim and April, but the rest of the week I had classes, and did have hours of training last night!) and then I got home and Jonathan called me so I went and hung out and slept over at his place. We had lots of great conversations about geese and amusement parks (the two are NOT related - the implications if that were true chill me to the bone). Now I've got more training all weekend. School work to do. Then I'll be gone all next weekend to visit Kristen. Plus I am arranging a Cole Porter medley for clarinet ensemble and really want to get back to writing my book. Plus I just want a few hours in a practice room at Battelle with a piano and my sheet music because it's been so long since I've did that...Ah, well. Life marches on.

Qop!
"A common mistake people make when trying to design something completely foolproof is to underestimate the ingenuity of complete fools." ~ Douglas Adams

National Procrastination Week

So I have known for seven days now that this week is National Procrastination Week, and yet I have not posted during that time although I intended to. How is that for irony? And it is Week 10, which always encourages Procrastination. I have commited the ultimate procrastination this quarter - I've never been this bad before. I have still put off taking a math class, which I need to graduate. I need to register at Columbus State or something ASAP, or at least register to take it OC this summer so they will let me walk across at graduation. I also have a 8-10 page research paper due at 11am tomorrow, as well as a 1-2 page summary of it. I have done hours of research this week, but have yet to uncover a single fact. With only 10 hours left, I need to get started on it. I have help at the Westerville Library tomorrow at 9am, but I need to write most of it tonight because I won't have much time tomorrow. So I am working on it now. NOT! I am writing in my journal, listening to Modest Mouse, and IMing people, hoping someone will run to a bar with me before they close. And I spent all evening with Jonathan and Michael watching Deep Space 9 and That 70's Show. I know, I know. Ok, so I really need to get to work now. Seriously.

Qop!
"Every choice we make has a consequence..."
~ Command Benjamin Sisko, Star Trek: Deep Space 9 "Emissary"
BONUS Qop!
"I want to buy a mattress."
"But we don't even sell...oh!"
~Kitty and Red, That 70's Show (about to have sex!) :)

Randomness

First, let me start out by saying that while I did not hit my magic 15 posts this month, I did more than my minimum 10 from last month, so I'm proud of myself. Hopefully it'll stay up.

As I was walking back from class I saw a slip of paper on the ground that said 'Wear White On Monday to Support Academic Intergrity at Otterbein College'. What if I don't support Academic Integrity? What if I like cheating? Ok, so it's a strategy I don't run arond employing, but if the oppurtunity presented itself, I would memorize multiple choice answers. I am a busy man! If it saves me time and doesn't seem too big a deal, I may do it! I wouldn't put effort into cheating or try to sneak answers into a test or anything the least bit risky, but still... Cheating has been around since the beginning of time. I submit it isn't always bad.

My job and my bosses at this moment suck my ass. Does anyone have a job I can work at close to my present salary and will be flexible with me until school lets out and then let me have my week off in July for vacation? If you know a job, please let me know!

I was watching Yesterday's Enterprise last night and it occured to me that the ulta-military version of the Enterprise-D reminded me of the bridge of the Enterprise-E especially in color scheme and station positions (especially Riker's), which was built during the Dominion War. The first two shows and seven movies always threatened war, the last three shows and three movies carried on with it. What does that say about our culture today versus the sixties or even the eighties and early nineties?

I watched the first ever episode of SNL today (Jonathan - I put it on your tape). Some trivia: It was hosted by George Carlin. He did numerous monologues throughout, but acted in no skits. He sounds totally different today. It had two musical guests, both of whom performed twice. It had 'commercials', a Weekend Update with Chevy Chase, and a film by Albert Brooks. In the opening instead of saying "The Not Ready For Prime Time Players", the announced said "The Not For Ready Prime Time Players". The first skit was the famous John Belushi wolverine skit. It also featured some Bees. They liked those bee costumes in the early days.

My name is Jim and I am an alcoholic (not really).

I have not had a girlfriend since I got addicted to tv. As much as I love tv, and as much as I know I would never let tv interfere with a girlfriend, I'm beginning to think I can't wait until I'm with someone to ditch the tv addiction. I am contemplating doing it soon. If I go through with it, it will be painful.

I also watched a great episode of The Practice where Alan Shore hired Denny Crane to represent him against the firm. Yay!

Qop!
"God isn't perfect... Everything he has created so far has died!"
~George Carlin, SNL

Drunken Jesus Gaypants

Ok, so my title today my offend some people. I hope it doesn't as it is intended soley as a joke. Well, sort of. You see, my birthday this year, while on Saturday, and during spring break, falls the day before Easter Sunday. You see my dilema about a party? So I will be having it the following Friday, the Friday of Spring Quarter Week One for all your Otterbeiners, and April Fool's Day (April 1st) for everyone else. Obviously this occasion calls for something way more than normal festivities. So it is going to be a toga party. And a Last Supper-themed party. Weird enough for you yet? I am going to try to get goblets to drink our "wine" or whatever out of. Scott Henning will appear as Jesus and I will be John or Mary Magdalen. Which is it in that famous painting? We'll pose for the Last Supper, take pictures of us performing lewd acts, and get totally wasted! Sound like fun? Mark your calendars.

Also, I updated other parts of my web site! I know it's been months since I did that, but I'm up late anyway and it seemed like a good idea. Check it out.

Qop! (from my friend Michael during a recent viewing of 24, when Tony & Jack were talking:)
"Hey, remember that time we both fucked Nina?"

Oh, What A Beautiful...SHUT THE FUCK UP!!!

So why in the hell do they schedule an 8am class and then it only meet 15 minutes every day? Ok, I understand that it's at 8am to help people's schedules. I mean, I wouldn't have time to take it if it wasn't at 8am, but geez. And to make matters worse, I don't have another class until 11am. I mean, if it wasn't for that dumb class, I could sleep until 10:30! I am totally exhausted and burnt out (Yes, I know it's only week 2 of winter quarter and there are 20 more weeks to go before I'm free). If it was a cool class, I might not mind so much, but The Informed Spectator - it's how to watch sports. The first two weeks of class are get into groups and prepare a report on the assigned sport. The third week is presentations. Does the teacher want to teach? At all? This is a pointless class I care nothing about and if I didn't have so much work to do, I would instantly go back to sleep!

Oh, because you were so kind to read this, how about a brief preview of my book, that is just about finished with my editing process? This is a brief scene from the prologue:

3000 Year Ago, The Mountains of Tibet:

Then he saw a black figure moving towards him in a blur. Geisha didn’t run. There was no way to go except off the cliff and that had to be at least as painful as what was coming. He considered the positives of jumping and ending things on his own terms, but that didn’t strike him as right. He would die possessing the dignity he had tried to live every day of his life with.
As the pursuer stopped, Geisha was startled. The man was totally unlike anything he had ever seen or imagined. He was wearing all black and covered from head to toe. But the material was shiny and hard. Strange. The feet were very large and sprawled. The face had no features except for an extension ending in a point in the center. The black thing raised a strange object. He pulled some sort of level attached to it, and Geisha suddenly felt great pain. He had no clue why.
Geisha spun with the impact of the cause of the pain, still not knowing what had hit him, only that it hurt worse than he had ever imagined anything possibly could. The blow staggered him back towards the edge of the cliff. For a moment he teetered, but he had no control of his body while dealing with so much pain. He pitched over the side and began to fall. That didn’t last more than a few seconds before Geisha’s head hit the ground with a sickening crack as it impacted with a stone, the rest of his body tumbling behind it. The angle of the impact had instantly snapped his neck and the pain was gone. The world went blissfully dark.

Qop! (sounds Klingon, doesn't it?):
"I like money better than people. People can so rarely be exchanged for goods and/or services." ~ Willow imitating Anya, Buffy The Vampire Slayer, "Triangle"

(Sigh) Back to School

So Saturday was awesome. Awesome play, awesome dinner, awesome company. Haven't decided whether the first or third one was better. :) (I'm kidding, the play was, of course! :)) Then back home to host a wild party! It was so much fun! There were tons of people here, tons of alcohol consumed. Kristen filled up my gay chart under my name, but the stickers mysteriously fell off. Darn. Poor Hello Kitty! But there are still some on my computer... I had a ball seeing Scott again, and Nora. Don't hang out with either one of them enough. Of course, plenty of OC-ers and work people were there. Always great to see all of them. I was very pleased with the party, even if I couldn't get drunk, no matter how much liquor and shots I consumed. Damnit. Sunday was cleanup, a quick run to see Phantom of the Opera with Jenn, which was highly enjoyable, then more cleanup, then going to band intoxicated with Kayla (amazing that all that two smirnoffs did was all that liquor failed to do the night before).

But then today hit. I worked 7am-10am as I will every Monday from now on, and then did a bunch of work at home. It was a little stressful, but it's all good. I still have more to do tonight, which is what I should be doing right now instead of typing an entry, but screw it. I'm going to put in some work during pep band. That oughta be fun. I know Jenn and Colonel Morgan are gonna hound me over stuff, but it's cool because I am pretty fond of them both, so I guess I can take it. Besides, I was the one that denied everything and they were right and blah blah blah. They told me so. Whatever. :) Oh, but I have some cool classes. On Monday mornings I have Islam & The Muslim Faith, which is very interesting. We compared Muslims to Christianity and Jews today and it was very cool. Then in the afternoon I have a survey of modern Asia class. It's mostly Korea, China, and Japan, but should still be fascinating. Tomorrow are my two less exciting classes: Civil War & Reconstruction (haven't I learned enough about that on the last two decades!?!) and European History 1919-present. The latter will be decently interesting, but the first is gonna kill me. It's only saving grace is it's with Sarah Fatherly, a fabulous professor. I wish I got her teaching style more, but she's a Buffy fanatic and that counts for a lot. Oh, and I have The Informed Spectator at 8am tomorrow. Learn how to watch sports. I hate sports, but it should be easy.

Ok, I still have 20 minutes until pep band. Hmm, work, or reading The Quotable Slayer & What Would Buffy Do?, my two new books. Go Buffy, Go Buffy!