One of the classes eating up my time this semester is Creative Writing. It's actually pretty cake, it's just intro and is kind of a fun nothing class. For this class I have to keep a "writing journal" - different from my regular journal, or an online journal (which is also known as a blog) - and write in it at least 10 minutes a day. This is probably the most helpful thing the class is doing for me because it's forcing me to get into the habit of writing regularly again. However, because I haven't really been writing, I sometime have a hard time coming up with something to write about. To cure this malady, I went through my old writing journals (they seem pretty standard in Creative writing classes) for inspiration in the form of old prompts/exercises/formulas etc. Among a lot of drivel and some useful bits I found an poem, pasted in, that Sam Clarke wrote about me.
Sam was a kid I met at Writers@Work- a week long writing workshop thing held in the summer. They had a program for regular adult writers and also one for high school students. I went to it at least two summers, as did Sam. The poem he wrote about me was nothing like you would expect (certainly not a love poem) - it was about my hand. We had done a workshop earlier that day in which we were supposed to write about someone's hands in this certain formulaic way. He hadn't written his poem. We were hanging out later that day and I was giving him crap for not writing when that was the point of all of us being there. He said that he couldn't think of a hand to write about. I offered him mine, left it on his ankle and moved on to another conversation.
The poem he wrote (I don't have it with me as I'm writing this) was fairly decent. I was super flattered and amused by it. I asked him for a copy the next year and it still makes me smile when I read it.
Every now and then I wonder what happened to Sam. I don't honestly remember much about him. He was kind of a skinny, pale kid with dark hair. He wore chuck taylor high tops that were bright green. Not kelly green, or grass green, but bright, neon, highlighter green. They looked like they should glow in the dark (they didn't, I asked him). He played the clarinet, I think.
Of all the people I met at W@W, Sam is pretty much the only person I really remember. Maybe it's just because he wrote a poem about me. I recall we got along well though, and I like to think that he was a brief friend from that little sliver of my life. I wonder if I were to track him down if he would remember me at all.
It's kind of funny how some people stick with you. Even if you just knew them for a week or so.
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Think Happy Thoughts
This week is a very special week. That's right, kids, it's Vasculitis Awareness Week. As most of my long time readers (what are there, 2 of you?) know, I have vasculitis in the form of Wegener's Granulomatosis.
I already told my story here last year, so I wont go into it again. I gave y'all links if you don't know about it. I do have awesome news though! Last week I went to the doctor for my bi-annual visit, just to make sure nothing scary is coming back. Everything checked out, no surprise there. The good part is that Doc told me that he only needs to see me once a year now.
Ok, that doesn't sound like such a big deal, does it? But that's really just about as close to a clean bill of health that I can get. I'm pretty damn happy to be seeing my doctor 50% less frequently. Not that he isn't nice, but, you know.
Other good news is that I am only about 6 months away from being in full remission for 5 years! Super excited about this! Thus the exclamation points! I mentioned this to my doctor and he said, hesitantly, that it is possible that I won't ever have a relapse. He didn't have any statistics to quote me, but there are some cases with WG that people go into remission and stay there for the rest of their life. It's a slim chance, but it's a chance just the same. Let's hope that I'm one such case.
I already told my story here last year, so I wont go into it again. I gave y'all links if you don't know about it. I do have awesome news though! Last week I went to the doctor for my bi-annual visit, just to make sure nothing scary is coming back. Everything checked out, no surprise there. The good part is that Doc told me that he only needs to see me once a year now.
Ok, that doesn't sound like such a big deal, does it? But that's really just about as close to a clean bill of health that I can get. I'm pretty damn happy to be seeing my doctor 50% less frequently. Not that he isn't nice, but, you know.
Other good news is that I am only about 6 months away from being in full remission for 5 years! Super excited about this! Thus the exclamation points! I mentioned this to my doctor and he said, hesitantly, that it is possible that I won't ever have a relapse. He didn't have any statistics to quote me, but there are some cases with WG that people go into remission and stay there for the rest of their life. It's a slim chance, but it's a chance just the same. Let's hope that I'm one such case.
Friday, September 19, 2008
Buckle your Swash
It be international talk like a pirate day, maties. Hoist the Jolly Roger and bring forth the rum! Arrrr!
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Mmmmm Pi
On my way home from school today I was thinking about π and the arbitrary nature of things. Π is a pretty important number. It pops up over an over in mathematics concerning the relationship of things in nature. It’s also an irrational number. Strange that something so important would be irrational.
But why is it irrational, really? Yeah, it can't be reduced to a simple fraction and has all those non-repeating decimals, but really, what it all boils down to that π is 3.14 blah blah blah because we have arbitrarily assigned our number system to be based on 1.
What if π was our basic unit? How would that change things? If our number system were set up so that π=1, or rather that 1= the Circumference of a circle divided by its diameter. For one thing, circles would be a lot easier. It could be done. Or rather, it could have been done. Once upon a time when whoever was inventing numbers and math, what if they saw that π was an important number and decided to base the entire number system on that?
One only means one to us because that's what we believe. It's what we've been taught, that's the significance that has been assigned to that particular unit by society, by people. It could have just as easily been assigned to π. If π had been assigned as our basic unit, as 1, it wouldn't actually change the world we live in much at all. Ok, it was totally fuck math, but we'd be used to it by now, and we'd have a totally rational number to explain the relationships of circles.
I wonder though, if that's how we saw the world - where π was the basis of our number system, if we would See things differently? I think this is something to think about while staring at the ceiling and just letting my mind wander. It's kind of a mind-fuck. Sadly, I don't have time. I have to do stuff for school.
But why is it irrational, really? Yeah, it can't be reduced to a simple fraction and has all those non-repeating decimals, but really, what it all boils down to that π is 3.14 blah blah blah because we have arbitrarily assigned our number system to be based on 1.
What if π was our basic unit? How would that change things? If our number system were set up so that π=1, or rather that 1= the Circumference of a circle divided by its diameter. For one thing, circles would be a lot easier. It could be done. Or rather, it could have been done. Once upon a time when whoever was inventing numbers and math, what if they saw that π was an important number and decided to base the entire number system on that?
One only means one to us because that's what we believe. It's what we've been taught, that's the significance that has been assigned to that particular unit by society, by people. It could have just as easily been assigned to π. If π had been assigned as our basic unit, as 1, it wouldn't actually change the world we live in much at all. Ok, it was totally fuck math, but we'd be used to it by now, and we'd have a totally rational number to explain the relationships of circles.
I wonder though, if that's how we saw the world - where π was the basis of our number system, if we would See things differently? I think this is something to think about while staring at the ceiling and just letting my mind wander. It's kind of a mind-fuck. Sadly, I don't have time. I have to do stuff for school.
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Gardens
When I reach the stage of my life when I need a wheel barrow. It absolutely will not be red.
Furthermore, it will in no way be glazed with rain. And there will certainly not be any white chickens.
Take that William Carlos Williams!
Nothing would depend on a freeking red wheel barrow if he hadn't said that it did. Four bloody words at the beginning of that poem and all of a sudden it's so bloody brilliant that it has to show up in every single English/Writing class.
It's worse than Wallace Stevens and his blackbirds.
Maybe I'm just grumpy because I didn't get to sleep much last night.
Furthermore, it will in no way be glazed with rain. And there will certainly not be any white chickens.
Take that William Carlos Williams!
Nothing would depend on a freeking red wheel barrow if he hadn't said that it did. Four bloody words at the beginning of that poem and all of a sudden it's so bloody brilliant that it has to show up in every single English/Writing class.
It's worse than Wallace Stevens and his blackbirds.
Maybe I'm just grumpy because I didn't get to sleep much last night.
Tuesday, September 09, 2008
Teach a Man to Fish
I'm pretty sure that my eighth grade English teacher came into the library where I was working today. I didn't talk to him because I was busy helping someone else, but I would have liked to say something.
He wasn't even my actually English teacher. He was a student teacher, or something like that. He basically taught the second half of the class while our actual teacher sat in back of the room doing who knows what. We spent a lot of time reading/studying Watership Down and we also did poetry.
Jeff Baird (that was his name, and I'm totally ok with using it because a- I doubt he'll ever run across this little blog o' mine and b- he deserves some credit) was really the first teacher I had who really influenced the course of my life. Mr. Baird did so by encouraging me to write and making me think that the silly peoms I wrote were any good. It's pretty much soley because of him that I ever thought I could write.
Granted, I'm not some famous authoress or anything. It would be fun to say "I'm a famous poet and it all started with this one great teacher." Who knows, maybe some day I will be able to say that. But Mr. Baird's influence is none the less prevelant. I mean, I am majoring in English with a focus on Creative Writing and I am a published writer, even if it is just in silly little lit mags.
Anyway, seeing him made me think about the impact some teachers have. I'm incredibly grateful for the encouragement I recieved from him. I hate to use a worn out cliche, but I wouldn't be who I am today if it weren't for that class and this amazing teacher.
He wasn't even my actually English teacher. He was a student teacher, or something like that. He basically taught the second half of the class while our actual teacher sat in back of the room doing who knows what. We spent a lot of time reading/studying Watership Down and we also did poetry.
Jeff Baird (that was his name, and I'm totally ok with using it because a- I doubt he'll ever run across this little blog o' mine and b- he deserves some credit) was really the first teacher I had who really influenced the course of my life. Mr. Baird did so by encouraging me to write and making me think that the silly peoms I wrote were any good. It's pretty much soley because of him that I ever thought I could write.
Granted, I'm not some famous authoress or anything. It would be fun to say "I'm a famous poet and it all started with this one great teacher." Who knows, maybe some day I will be able to say that. But Mr. Baird's influence is none the less prevelant. I mean, I am majoring in English with a focus on Creative Writing and I am a published writer, even if it is just in silly little lit mags.
Anyway, seeing him made me think about the impact some teachers have. I'm incredibly grateful for the encouragement I recieved from him. I hate to use a worn out cliche, but I wouldn't be who I am today if it weren't for that class and this amazing teacher.
Wednesday, September 03, 2008
Running, Jumping, Climbing Trees
The problem with going on adventures is that I get busy doing that and can't find time to blog about it. This wouldn't really be a problem (because living life is better than writing about it any day) except my readers seems to get cranky if I don't post often enough. It's both flattering and annoying.
Anyway, this last weekend I was as far from my computer as I can get, sort of. I went camping at Dead Horse Point with a bunch of friends. It was a lot of fun. I learned something about myself: my idea of camping is not exactly compatible with other people.
When I go camping, I like to take as little as possible and spend as much time as I can hiking and exploring. Especially being where we were, with Dead Horse Point, Canyonlands and Arches right at our fingertips, my ideal weekend would have been getting up early, having a quick breakfast, packing a lunch and hiking until I couldn't walk and then doing it again the next day.
I understand that it's a little unreasonable to expect a group of 8 people to really be able to do that, but this weekend was almost the complete opposite of that. We did manage to get up early, but then it took 2 hours for us all to make and eat breakfast each day. Breakfast tended to consist of something elaborate and messy (albeit delicious) that used up every dish we brought. Then some of the people I was with couldn't handle hiking more than about 5 miles a day. I feel like I spent most of the first day hopping from foot to foot waiting to get out hiking and then being disappointed by the silly little walks we went on.
That's a little bit of an exageration, but it really was frustrating. At some point I decided to take a zen approach to it all and just go with what the group wanted to do. I was still a little understimulated, but I managed to have fun anyway. It was sort of neat to do the more touristy side of Arches- we usually don't bother with all that. It was also kind of nice to force myself to sit still for a while and just do nothing while everyone else was dinking around. Plus it's always rejuvenating to get down to southern Utah.
Here's the whole gang:
Anyway, this last weekend I was as far from my computer as I can get, sort of. I went camping at Dead Horse Point with a bunch of friends. It was a lot of fun. I learned something about myself: my idea of camping is not exactly compatible with other people.
When I go camping, I like to take as little as possible and spend as much time as I can hiking and exploring. Especially being where we were, with Dead Horse Point, Canyonlands and Arches right at our fingertips, my ideal weekend would have been getting up early, having a quick breakfast, packing a lunch and hiking until I couldn't walk and then doing it again the next day.
I understand that it's a little unreasonable to expect a group of 8 people to really be able to do that, but this weekend was almost the complete opposite of that. We did manage to get up early, but then it took 2 hours for us all to make and eat breakfast each day. Breakfast tended to consist of something elaborate and messy (albeit delicious) that used up every dish we brought. Then some of the people I was with couldn't handle hiking more than about 5 miles a day. I feel like I spent most of the first day hopping from foot to foot waiting to get out hiking and then being disappointed by the silly little walks we went on.
That's a little bit of an exageration, but it really was frustrating. At some point I decided to take a zen approach to it all and just go with what the group wanted to do. I was still a little understimulated, but I managed to have fun anyway. It was sort of neat to do the more touristy side of Arches- we usually don't bother with all that. It was also kind of nice to force myself to sit still for a while and just do nothing while everyone else was dinking around. Plus it's always rejuvenating to get down to southern Utah.
Here's the whole gang:
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Flush it Down!
Remember when the internet was still kind of novel? You know, before facebook and myspace made it that much easier to spam your friends. Back when it was really cool (or at least it passed the time) to spend hours taking personality quizzes online, and maybe even e-mail them to your friends. No? Oh. Well. Fine. But back in Jr High (or maybe it was early high school) I wasted a lot of time online taking stupid quizzes.
Most of them I don't really remember. They would ask a series of questions and then show a generic profile that omigod was, like, so totally accurate and, like, exactly what I was like. Or some of them would offer you 5 colors or something and tell you what amazing profound thing the color you picked meant. Really dumb stuff like that.
There is one quiz from all those many years ago that has actually stuck with me. You are going to laugh at me when I tell you about it. Basically, showed a diagram of a public restroom with three stalls and asked which one you would usually chose to use, assuming that they are all available and not-gross. Whichever you chose supposedly revealed something rather profound about your personality. I don't remember which I picked or what it said about me, but the idea that bathroom stall preference says something about a person's personality intrigues me.
I'm actually sort of serious about this. Every other time I use a public restroom, I wonder what my choice of stall says about me. Then I briefly ponder if you could use that choice to make behavioral changes.
Say choosing the first stall means you live life in the fast lane, always rushing from activity to activity, doing as much as you can and packing every minute with fast paced excitement, and if choosing the second stall means you think of yourself as pretty average and middling, you don't mind some attention, but your more than happy to step aside and let someone else take the spotlight, and the third stall means you are super easygoing and don't really care what other people think, you roll with the punches and just sort of float through life taking whatever comes with a zen-like sense of calm. What if you are a pretty regular first-staller, but you want to calm down a little. Could conciously making an effort to use the third stall help calm you?
If I had time I could totally make this into some weird metaphor for some philosophical principal or something. Unfortunately, it's kind of late and I still have to read for class. Yep, school has started again, and this fall I'm playing the role of Full-Time-Student again. More on that later. In the mean time, take a moment to ponder what your bathroom habits really say about you, really.
Most of them I don't really remember. They would ask a series of questions and then show a generic profile that omigod was, like, so totally accurate and, like, exactly what I was like. Or some of them would offer you 5 colors or something and tell you what amazing profound thing the color you picked meant. Really dumb stuff like that.
There is one quiz from all those many years ago that has actually stuck with me. You are going to laugh at me when I tell you about it. Basically, showed a diagram of a public restroom with three stalls and asked which one you would usually chose to use, assuming that they are all available and not-gross. Whichever you chose supposedly revealed something rather profound about your personality. I don't remember which I picked or what it said about me, but the idea that bathroom stall preference says something about a person's personality intrigues me.
I'm actually sort of serious about this. Every other time I use a public restroom, I wonder what my choice of stall says about me. Then I briefly ponder if you could use that choice to make behavioral changes.
Say choosing the first stall means you live life in the fast lane, always rushing from activity to activity, doing as much as you can and packing every minute with fast paced excitement, and if choosing the second stall means you think of yourself as pretty average and middling, you don't mind some attention, but your more than happy to step aside and let someone else take the spotlight, and the third stall means you are super easygoing and don't really care what other people think, you roll with the punches and just sort of float through life taking whatever comes with a zen-like sense of calm. What if you are a pretty regular first-staller, but you want to calm down a little. Could conciously making an effort to use the third stall help calm you?
If I had time I could totally make this into some weird metaphor for some philosophical principal or something. Unfortunately, it's kind of late and I still have to read for class. Yep, school has started again, and this fall I'm playing the role of Full-Time-Student again. More on that later. In the mean time, take a moment to ponder what your bathroom habits really say about you, really.
Saturday, August 23, 2008
What Goes Up Must Come Down
Remember how fantastically happy I was last week? It shouldn't be hard to remember, just scroll down. This week has kind of burst my bubble. Not that I'm super bummed now or anything, but the euphoria has definitely worn off. Basically a series of unfortunate events have seriously damaged my happy.
First of all, my car decided to break. It needed a new pump somewhere which set me back $300. That means I am low on teh cashy-monies so I can't go to the San Francisco Lindy Exchange in a couple weeks. This makes me sad, cuz I likes me some lindy.
Second! Last night I really wanted to go dance at the Golden Skillet (yes, it sounds like the name of a restaurant, but it's actually a good place to dance. Mostly because that's where the good dancers are). I haven't made it out there since I got back from Denver, so I feel like I'm losing all my super amazing dance mojo that I gained there. So I really wanted to go last night. But I was doing stuff with my parents until 10:30, which meant I wouldn't get out to the Skillet for another hour (I needed to get gas and visit the ATM before heading out there) and the dancing pretty much ends at 12:00. So I didn't go. Sad day.
Third (and last that I will mention) : I found out today that I didn't get the job I was hoping for. There was a 20 hour regular position open at one of the libraries I like best, and I was really hoping they would hire me. It would be nice with School to have a regular schedule and not have to drive all over the valley to sub at all the different libraries. The thing that really sucks about it all is the only reason they didn't hire me is that they just couldn't make my schedule work with the people they already have. They really tried, but there's only so much flexibility they have because there are a couple other people working there who have school or other jobs, so they work at the times I would be able to. What they need there is someone who can work when I'm in class. Super sad day.
I'm going to go out and have some serious fun tonight to blow off my disappointment with the universe. If you have any positive energy that you don't need, feel free to send it my way!
First of all, my car decided to break. It needed a new pump somewhere which set me back $300. That means I am low on teh cashy-monies so I can't go to the San Francisco Lindy Exchange in a couple weeks. This makes me sad, cuz I likes me some lindy.
Second! Last night I really wanted to go dance at the Golden Skillet (yes, it sounds like the name of a restaurant, but it's actually a good place to dance. Mostly because that's where the good dancers are). I haven't made it out there since I got back from Denver, so I feel like I'm losing all my super amazing dance mojo that I gained there. So I really wanted to go last night. But I was doing stuff with my parents until 10:30, which meant I wouldn't get out to the Skillet for another hour (I needed to get gas and visit the ATM before heading out there) and the dancing pretty much ends at 12:00. So I didn't go. Sad day.
Third (and last that I will mention) : I found out today that I didn't get the job I was hoping for. There was a 20 hour regular position open at one of the libraries I like best, and I was really hoping they would hire me. It would be nice with School to have a regular schedule and not have to drive all over the valley to sub at all the different libraries. The thing that really sucks about it all is the only reason they didn't hire me is that they just couldn't make my schedule work with the people they already have. They really tried, but there's only so much flexibility they have because there are a couple other people working there who have school or other jobs, so they work at the times I would be able to. What they need there is someone who can work when I'm in class. Super sad day.
I'm going to go out and have some serious fun tonight to blow off my disappointment with the universe. If you have any positive energy that you don't need, feel free to send it my way!
Sunday, August 17, 2008
Flyin' High
I don't know what it is, but all week I've been in an unshakably good mood.
The best explanation I can think of is that I'm still riding the high from last weekend in CO. Something about spending a couple days really good dancing boosted up my confidence or something. I don't know what it is, but I've felt really great all week.
It hasn't even been that good a week. I've had some car trouble, I haven't been sleeping that well. I've been crazy busy and barely had time to get everything done (in fact, I did have to give a few small things up for lack of time). But all week I've been extremely happy. It's like I can't help but embrace everything that gets thrown at me. If I'm handed lemons, I make the best damn lemonade you've ever tasted.
It's hard to describe my mood. Telling you everything I've been doing wouldn't cut it... But this week is fantastic! And I wanted to get that thought out in the world.
The best explanation I can think of is that I'm still riding the high from last weekend in CO. Something about spending a couple days really good dancing boosted up my confidence or something. I don't know what it is, but I've felt really great all week.
It hasn't even been that good a week. I've had some car trouble, I haven't been sleeping that well. I've been crazy busy and barely had time to get everything done (in fact, I did have to give a few small things up for lack of time). But all week I've been extremely happy. It's like I can't help but embrace everything that gets thrown at me. If I'm handed lemons, I make the best damn lemonade you've ever tasted.
It's hard to describe my mood. Telling you everything I've been doing wouldn't cut it... But this week is fantastic! And I wanted to get that thought out in the world.
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Jump, Jive and Wail
Here's the breakdown
Where I was this weekend: Denver CO
When I got there: 1:00 am on Thursday
What I was doing: Lindy on the Rocks
What the hell is that: A weekend of swing dancing. Including classes all day Sat and Sun, plus dances all night.
Hours of Sleep each night: no more than 5
Hours spent dancing Friday: 7 or 8
Hours dancing on Sat (including classes): around 14
Hours dancing on Sun (including classes): around 11
Time I left Denver: 12:00 am Monday (After the Sunday dance. And it was so hard to leave! I would have liked to stay all night and gone to some of the unofficial after parties/dances)
When I had to let someone else drive because I couldn't keep my eyes open: 3:30 am
Number of Perseid meteors spotted: 2 while driving, 6 when we stopped for maybe 5 minutes to change drivers
Time we got back to SLC: 7:45 Monday morning
Lindy Crushes: Too many to count! There was Eric, who was so much fun to dance with. Benjamin, who was just really cute. Peter Strom, who was one of the instructors (this is more of a celebrity lindy crush. He's a brilliant dancer... and a total dream boat)
What I did on Monday: Slept. All day.
Where I was this weekend: Denver CO
When I got there: 1:00 am on Thursday
What I was doing: Lindy on the Rocks
What the hell is that: A weekend of swing dancing. Including classes all day Sat and Sun, plus dances all night.
Hours of Sleep each night: no more than 5
Hours spent dancing Friday: 7 or 8
Hours dancing on Sat (including classes): around 14
Hours dancing on Sun (including classes): around 11
Time I left Denver: 12:00 am Monday (After the Sunday dance. And it was so hard to leave! I would have liked to stay all night and gone to some of the unofficial after parties/dances)
When I had to let someone else drive because I couldn't keep my eyes open: 3:30 am
Number of Perseid meteors spotted: 2 while driving, 6 when we stopped for maybe 5 minutes to change drivers
Time we got back to SLC: 7:45 Monday morning
Lindy Crushes: Too many to count! There was Eric, who was so much fun to dance with. Benjamin, who was just really cute. Peter Strom, who was one of the instructors (this is more of a celebrity lindy crush. He's a brilliant dancer... and a total dream boat)
What I did on Monday: Slept. All day.
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Blues on Parade
This week has started out rather harshly. Moment to moment it has not been too bad, but there seems to be a slew of bad news that has popped up.
The thing that has upset me most is my cat. She's old (15) and has hyper-thyroid and on Saturday she was out all night and then she wasn't eating at all Sunday or Monday. She was such a sad sight we were sure we'd have to put her to sleep. For various reasons, we weren't able to get an appointment to euthanize her right away. Then yesterday she ate a little so we decided to wait and see if she kept improving. Today she's eating a little more and is more like her vocal annoying self. So things are kind of up in the air about her. Hopefully she's rallying, but she is a very old cat so who knows what will happen. I really hope we don't have to kill my kitty. Worrying about her and about what would be the best thing to do has cast a sad note on the week for me.
That's the most personal bit of news. It seems like bad things are happening all over the place though. I feel like all I hear about is people getting sick or dying or losing their jobs. It's all very depressing. Most of it doesn't really affect me directly, which is why I'm more upset about my cat than death and disease and unemployment. Still it's worrisome and it doesn't do anything to cheer a person up.
The thing that has upset me most is my cat. She's old (15) and has hyper-thyroid and on Saturday she was out all night and then she wasn't eating at all Sunday or Monday. She was such a sad sight we were sure we'd have to put her to sleep. For various reasons, we weren't able to get an appointment to euthanize her right away. Then yesterday she ate a little so we decided to wait and see if she kept improving. Today she's eating a little more and is more like her vocal annoying self. So things are kind of up in the air about her. Hopefully she's rallying, but she is a very old cat so who knows what will happen. I really hope we don't have to kill my kitty. Worrying about her and about what would be the best thing to do has cast a sad note on the week for me.
That's the most personal bit of news. It seems like bad things are happening all over the place though. I feel like all I hear about is people getting sick or dying or losing their jobs. It's all very depressing. Most of it doesn't really affect me directly, which is why I'm more upset about my cat than death and disease and unemployment. Still it's worrisome and it doesn't do anything to cheer a person up.
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Batman!
If you haven't seen The Dark Knight yet, you're probably the only one in the country. It opened at $155 million (Mama Mia, the second biggest movie this weekend, only made $27 million) this weekend, breaking all sorts of records including biggest single day and biggest opening weekend ever. I was one of the 22 million people who saw it over the weekend. Thursday night, specifically, at midnight (which is technically Friday I guess).
It is a really brilliant movie. Especially if you remember (how can you forget) that it's based on a comic book. I guess I don't really have to gush about it. If you have any interest in the movie, you've probably read all the reviews already that laud it as a fucking awesome flick. Critics everywhere loved it, except a bunch of New York rags, including the New Yorker. I actually read that review and it made me very sad. David Denby completely missed the point and basically whined that TDK wasn't campy enough to measure up to Batman ala Michael Keaton. And yeah, I guess if what you want out of your movie is a bunch of two dimentional fluff and a few laughs, TDK is not nearly as good as Batman. But if you want some real pathos, believable characters, plot depth and a villian who is actually villanous, TDK wins out by a long shot.
Let me clarify what I mean by believable characters. I will readily admit that it's a little far fetched that Bruce Wayne would deal with his rage over his parent's death by dressing up in a batsuit and fighting crime. The Joker is another character that makes you go "yeah, that's cool, but there's no way that would really happen." My point is that the characters are portrayed in such a way that they become believeable. And once the premise of the character is set, the way they react and interract with each other is consistant and makes sense.
I'm sure it doesn't need to be said, but holy cats was Heath Ledger brilliant!
I'm still excited about Batman five days later. It really was mind blowing amazing. I need to see TDK about 6 more times, I think. Anyone want to go to a movie this weekend?
It is a really brilliant movie. Especially if you remember (how can you forget) that it's based on a comic book. I guess I don't really have to gush about it. If you have any interest in the movie, you've probably read all the reviews already that laud it as a fucking awesome flick. Critics everywhere loved it, except a bunch of New York rags, including the New Yorker. I actually read that review and it made me very sad. David Denby completely missed the point and basically whined that TDK wasn't campy enough to measure up to Batman ala Michael Keaton. And yeah, I guess if what you want out of your movie is a bunch of two dimentional fluff and a few laughs, TDK is not nearly as good as Batman. But if you want some real pathos, believable characters, plot depth and a villian who is actually villanous, TDK wins out by a long shot.
Let me clarify what I mean by believable characters. I will readily admit that it's a little far fetched that Bruce Wayne would deal with his rage over his parent's death by dressing up in a batsuit and fighting crime. The Joker is another character that makes you go "yeah, that's cool, but there's no way that would really happen." My point is that the characters are portrayed in such a way that they become believeable. And once the premise of the character is set, the way they react and interract with each other is consistant and makes sense.
I'm sure it doesn't need to be said, but holy cats was Heath Ledger brilliant!
I'm still excited about Batman five days later. It really was mind blowing amazing. I need to see TDK about 6 more times, I think. Anyone want to go to a movie this weekend?
Thursday, July 17, 2008
Come Up With Your Own Clever Title
Since Aaron gets all Whiney McWhiney-Pants when I don't update, and who am I to ignore my adoring public, I decided to jot down a few random thoughts today at work. I didn't blog in real time because... well technically I'm not allowed to while I'm getting paid. And that kind of makes sense, really, if you think about it. I also have to make it clear that the thoughts herein expressed are in no way representative of my employer etc. But you all know that.
The point is I now have two little pieces of paper with a collection of random things that came floating through my head. I am going to type them up now so that you can get a feel for what it's like being inside my head when I'm at work and it's really slow and I'm on desk all by myself. I present to you (in abulletted Warhol Soup Canned list) the random thoughts from work today:
A lady was in here with puzzle pieces tattooed all over her head. Her head is shaved and the whole effect is really neat. I wanted to say something complimentary, but what does one say to someone like that? "Dude, sweet tats" is so cliche... not to mention stupid. The best I came up with was, "I like your head" but it amused me so much that I just sat silently laughing at myself until she left and it was too late. Which is fine. I didn't really need to talk to her anyway.
Skirts are fun. They are nice and cool in the summer. Much nicer than pants. Pants suck. If I swivel in my chair I get a little bit of a Marilyn Monroe effect from the fan under the desk. It's sort of fun. And potentially embarrassing. Skirts are fun, but risky.
According to the stupid book I'm reading (How To Make Someone Love You Forever in 90 Minutes or Less) the best and quickest way to connect with other people is simply by making eye contact and smiling. That was in the chapter that doesn't really have anything to do with making someone fall in love with you; it was about meeting new people. Anyway, people don't make eye contact much these days let alone smile. It's so simple, and no one does it. Just think about all the people you miss out on when you're looking down all the time. All the interesting people you could meet, or at least see. It's the simplest of connections, but I think it could be really powerful. I resolve to make eye contact with and smile at as many people as possible today. And tomorrow too. All week. Hell, It'll just be my policy to look up and smile and look people in the eye. Who knows, maybe that will lead to me making someone love me in 90 minutes or less after all.
There's a girl here with a bandage on her nose. She can't be more than 15 or 16. Nose job? Sad, if it is. She's way too young to be getting a nose job. That said, if I ever get Wegener's again (knock on wood - to not get it) I totally get a new nose out of it! Seriously, the chances of my nose collapsing if I have a relapse are pretty high. So I can get a new one. But who's nose should I pick???? Yours! Mwa-ha-ha-ha-ha. Just kidding. Your nose would look kinda funny on my face. I would probably just take and old picture of me and say "I want my old nose back please." It would be a picture from before I got sick the first time though. My nose is a bit wonky since then. You wont notice it unless you spend a lot of time looking at my nose, which I do, apparently.
I love it when guys try to show off and then fail. I just got winked at. Then the kid ran into a wall. Classic! And you thought that only happened in the movies! Yes, boys, I take much pleasure in your pain!
na-na-nana-nana-nana na-na-nana-nana-nana Batman! I'm totally going to see that tomorrow night. At midnight. Then I waking up at 6 to take the parents to the airport the next morning. And I have a paper due Friday too. Crap. And I'm working all day tomorrow. Hmmm I have some time between 6 and 8... or nine. Good thing it's a short paper.
The Batman theme song... the oldschool one from the TV show... is a traditional blues chord progression. Aren't you glad you know that now? So if you ever are with me and a jazz concert and you notice I am singing batman under my breath, it's only because I'm trying to determine whether they are playing blues or not. That's pretty much the only thing I remember from the Survey of Jazz (or whatever it was) class I took a year or so back. That and Johnny Hodges is an amazing sax player.
The point is I now have two little pieces of paper with a collection of random things that came floating through my head. I am going to type them up now so that you can get a feel for what it's like being inside my head when I'm at work and it's really slow and I'm on desk all by myself. I present to you (in a
A lady was in here with puzzle pieces tattooed all over her head. Her head is shaved and the whole effect is really neat. I wanted to say something complimentary, but what does one say to someone like that? "Dude, sweet tats" is so cliche... not to mention stupid. The best I came up with was, "I like your head" but it amused me so much that I just sat silently laughing at myself until she left and it was too late. Which is fine. I didn't really need to talk to her anyway.Skirts are fun. They are nice and cool in the summer. Much nicer than pants. Pants suck. If I swivel in my chair I get a little bit of a Marilyn Monroe effect from the fan under the desk. It's sort of fun. And potentially embarrassing. Skirts are fun, but risky.
According to the stupid book I'm reading (How To Make Someone Love You Forever in 90 Minutes or Less) the best and quickest way to connect with other people is simply by making eye contact and smiling. That was in the chapter that doesn't really have anything to do with making someone fall in love with you; it was about meeting new people. Anyway, people don't make eye contact much these days let alone smile. It's so simple, and no one does it. Just think about all the people you miss out on when you're looking down all the time. All the interesting people you could meet, or at least see. It's the simplest of connections, but I think it could be really powerful. I resolve to make eye contact with and smile at as many people as possible today. And tomorrow too. All week. Hell, It'll just be my policy to look up and smile and look people in the eye. Who knows, maybe that will lead to me making someone love me in 90 minutes or less after all.
There's a girl here with a bandage on her nose. She can't be more than 15 or 16. Nose job? Sad, if it is. She's way too young to be getting a nose job. That said, if I ever get Wegener's again (knock on wood - to not get it) I totally get a new nose out of it! Seriously, the chances of my nose collapsing if I have a relapse are pretty high. So I can get a new one. But who's nose should I pick???? Yours! Mwa-ha-ha-ha-ha. Just kidding. Your nose would look kinda funny on my face. I would probably just take and old picture of me and say "I want my old nose back please." It would be a picture from before I got sick the first time though. My nose is a bit wonky since then. You wont notice it unless you spend a lot of time looking at my nose, which I do, apparently.
I love it when guys try to show off and then fail. I just got winked at. Then the kid ran into a wall. Classic! And you thought that only happened in the movies! Yes, boys, I take much pleasure in your pain!
na-na-nana-nana-nana na-na-nana-nana-nana Batman! I'm totally going to see that tomorrow night. At midnight. Then I waking up at 6 to take the parents to the airport the next morning. And I have a paper due Friday too. Crap. And I'm working all day tomorrow. Hmmm I have some time between 6 and 8... or nine. Good thing it's a short paper.
The Batman theme song... the oldschool one from the TV show... is a traditional blues chord progression. Aren't you glad you know that now? So if you ever are with me and a jazz concert and you notice I am singing batman under my breath, it's only because I'm trying to determine whether they are playing blues or not. That's pretty much the only thing I remember from the Survey of Jazz (or whatever it was) class I took a year or so back. That and Johnny Hodges is an amazing sax player. Monday, July 14, 2008
Greenify Your Love
This is pretty amazing.
Carrotmob Makes It Rain from carrotmob on Vimeo.
It just goes to show that it's really not hard to make a difference. Check out the CarrotMob Website for more of their stuff.
Carrotmob Makes It Rain from carrotmob on Vimeo.
It just goes to show that it's really not hard to make a difference. Check out the CarrotMob Website for more of their stuff.
Friday, July 11, 2008
Slurpeeeeeeez
As many of you know, today is 7/11 and that means it is Free Slurpee Day!!!!!
Free Slurpee day is an event not to be taken lightly. It takes true dedication, endurance and awesomism to fully do this day justice. This year my friend, Nick, and I set off on a quest to hit as many 7-elevens and consume as many slurpees as possible in one afternoon. This is our story:
Slurpee #1- University of Utah Sev; My flavor: Coke; Nick's flavor: Coke
Slurpee #2 - Sev by East High; My flavor: Monster Death Grossness (it turned my tongue black) Nick's flavor: Mt Dew
Slurpee #3 - I told you the Monster slurpee turned my tongue black. Sev on 800S and 200E; My flavor: Mango Tea (so the mysteriously handwritten sign said) Nick had the same.
Slurpee #4 - Sev on 800S and W Temple. My flavor: Pina Colada Nick's: Monster Death (doesn't it look gross?)
Slurpee #5 - Sev by Liberty Park; I got Sour Apple Nick got Pina Colada.
Sev at 500E and 1700S failed. They were out of cups. Weak Sauce.
Slurpee #6- Sev 1100E and 1700ish S; Nick had Cherry, I had Banana.
Slurpee #7 - Sev on 3rd Ave; We both had Slurparita Pomegranite. It didn't taste like margarita or pomegranite. I think they mayhave lied to us.
Slurpee #8 - Sev on 300E and 100S; We both had Twizzler Strawberry. It was really sweet and since our teeth were falling out of our heads anyway at this point, really sweet was not so good.
Sev by the downtown library failed. They were out of cups. Sad day.
Slupree #9- 300W and 400N; Both had Green Hulk whatever flavor. Nine slurpees = too many.
Nine 7.11 oz slurpees each. That is a lot of slurpee. That means we each had 64oz. All in the span of about 2 1/2 hours. This is what happens:
Free Slurpee day is an event not to be taken lightly. It takes true dedication, endurance and awesomism to fully do this day justice. This year my friend, Nick, and I set off on a quest to hit as many 7-elevens and consume as many slurpees as possible in one afternoon. This is our story:
Slurpee #1- University of Utah Sev; My flavor: Coke; Nick's flavor: Coke
Slurpee #2 - Sev by East High; My flavor: Monster Death Grossness (it turned my tongue black) Nick's flavor: Mt Dew
Slurpee #3 - I told you the Monster slurpee turned my tongue black. Sev on 800S and 200E; My flavor: Mango Tea (so the mysteriously handwritten sign said) Nick had the same.
Slurpee #4 - Sev on 800S and W Temple. My flavor: Pina Colada Nick's: Monster Death (doesn't it look gross?)
Slurpee #5 - Sev by Liberty Park; I got Sour Apple Nick got Pina Colada.
Sev at 500E and 1700S failed. They were out of cups. Weak Sauce.
Slurpee #6- Sev 1100E and 1700ish S; Nick had Cherry, I had Banana.
Slurpee #7 - Sev on 3rd Ave; We both had Slurparita Pomegranite. It didn't taste like margarita or pomegranite. I think they mayhave lied to us.
Slurpee #8 - Sev on 300E and 100S; We both had Twizzler Strawberry. It was really sweet and since our teeth were falling out of our heads anyway at this point, really sweet was not so good.
Sev by the downtown library failed. They were out of cups. Sad day.
Slupree #9- 300W and 400N; Both had Green Hulk whatever flavor. Nine slurpees = too many.
Nine 7.11 oz slurpees each. That is a lot of slurpee. That means we each had 64oz. All in the span of about 2 1/2 hours. This is what happens:
Adventures are to the Adventurous
The summer right after high school was a really great summer. My friends and I spent a lot of time doing really stupid stuff and enjoying every minute of it. One of our default activities was to go to a park nearby with slupees and sit on the Knoll. If we tired of sitting, we would play on the playground or go "explore" the gully behind the park. I have many fond memories of that park, and the gully, including (but not limited to) the discovering of The Gully Monster by Jacob and Peter and the expedition I led Arrakis on which led to us scrambling up the hill and going through a random back yard.
Today, after Swing Club, I went back to this park with my new friend, Jake. I simply wanted to swing, but once we got there, I quickly started thinking about and recounting all my adventures there. I ended up going with Jake into the gully. I led him (though sometimes he led too, I guess) on a treck not entirely dissimilar to the one with Arrakis years ago. It's hard to really get lost in that place, but we didn't necisarrily know where we were at any given time, or where we could come out. We ended up having to jump a fence to get into a church parking lot, then walked back to the park via the road.
I've forgotten how much fun stuff like that can be. Maybe it's just part of growing up, but we don't go on random adventures like that anymore. I don't see why. It was exciting to go forth and not know exactly where we would end up. There was very little danger in it. Why don't we do stuff like that anymore? I guess as we get older it gets harder to lose ourselves to enterprises like that. We get too caught up in other things to really enjoy the moment and just go forth and take what comes.
Today, after Swing Club, I went back to this park with my new friend, Jake. I simply wanted to swing, but once we got there, I quickly started thinking about and recounting all my adventures there. I ended up going with Jake into the gully. I led him (though sometimes he led too, I guess) on a treck not entirely dissimilar to the one with Arrakis years ago. It's hard to really get lost in that place, but we didn't necisarrily know where we were at any given time, or where we could come out. We ended up having to jump a fence to get into a church parking lot, then walked back to the park via the road.
I've forgotten how much fun stuff like that can be. Maybe it's just part of growing up, but we don't go on random adventures like that anymore. I don't see why. It was exciting to go forth and not know exactly where we would end up. There was very little danger in it. Why don't we do stuff like that anymore? I guess as we get older it gets harder to lose ourselves to enterprises like that. We get too caught up in other things to really enjoy the moment and just go forth and take what comes.
Wednesday, July 02, 2008
Tuesday, July 01, 2008
Ironic T-Shirt in Book Form
I just got home from seeing Wanted with my friend, Nick. It's an amazing movie, and one you should all check out. It is actually directed by Timur Bekmambetov, the same guy who did Night Watch and Day Watch, which I have actually mentioned here before. All three are really brilliant movies, stylistically speaking. Wanted has kind of a weak plot (and it's a comic book movie to boot) but it's done in such an amazing way that you don't mind. Pajiba described it as being a mess of Office Space and Fight Club with the awesome visual effects of The Matrix. That just about covers it.
That's not what I really want to talk about now though. Nick lives just up the street from me and we're both conveniently close to trax, so we took the train down to the theater. On the way back, we had to get off at the Library stop because that's when the Free Fare zone ends and a UTA officer happened to get on there. Nick accidentally left his pass at home and didn't want to get slammed with a ticket. So we're waiting for the next train, and this kid sits down by us and starts talking to us. He was carrying a copy of The Omnivore's Dilemma and most of the conversation involved various points included in that book.
It was fairly interesting for a random conversation you have on public transportation. A "single serving friend" who had some interesting ideas to throw out into the world. Random Stranger got off one stop before us and as we exited the train, we started discussing how amusing it is when these random conversations with strangers happen.
I blamed the book. For causing the random conversation, I mean. Or at least for creating the opportunity- for sticking something to talk about in the vacume that exists between people who have never before met. Nick, more or less, agreed. We decided that, in order to spurn more spontaneous trax discussions, we would start carrying around books that would be great conversation starters. Something en mode that our peers would have heard of, even if they haven't read it. Something that screams intellectualism - that wouldn't be at all out of place in your local college coffee shop. Something that is also relatable, that speaks to our generation and is accessible to our peers.
Nick wanted The Ironic T-shirt in book form. I suggested Dryden. I joked that I was actually carrying around Virginia Woolf with me... I'm more pretentious; I'm reading stream-of-consciousness. Seriously though, what would be the perfect book to carry around to hopefully prompt conversation? What, dear readers, would you pick to open a door to conversation with strangers who might think like you do? Would it be Reading Lolita in Tehran or The Kite Runner to bring up conditions in the middle east? Would you go with more obvious choices like Fight Club or Clockwork Orange - two books that have been the "edgy" thing to read for ages. Do you pick something by Christopher Moore to show you have a sense of humor? Or do you pick Jude the Obscure to show how bleak and hopeless your view of life is? What book would you pick, and what does it say about you?
That's not what I really want to talk about now though. Nick lives just up the street from me and we're both conveniently close to trax, so we took the train down to the theater. On the way back, we had to get off at the Library stop because that's when the Free Fare zone ends and a UTA officer happened to get on there. Nick accidentally left his pass at home and didn't want to get slammed with a ticket. So we're waiting for the next train, and this kid sits down by us and starts talking to us. He was carrying a copy of The Omnivore's Dilemma and most of the conversation involved various points included in that book.
It was fairly interesting for a random conversation you have on public transportation. A "single serving friend" who had some interesting ideas to throw out into the world. Random Stranger got off one stop before us and as we exited the train, we started discussing how amusing it is when these random conversations with strangers happen.
I blamed the book. For causing the random conversation, I mean. Or at least for creating the opportunity- for sticking something to talk about in the vacume that exists between people who have never before met. Nick, more or less, agreed. We decided that, in order to spurn more spontaneous trax discussions, we would start carrying around books that would be great conversation starters. Something en mode that our peers would have heard of, even if they haven't read it. Something that screams intellectualism - that wouldn't be at all out of place in your local college coffee shop. Something that is also relatable, that speaks to our generation and is accessible to our peers.
Nick wanted The Ironic T-shirt in book form. I suggested Dryden. I joked that I was actually carrying around Virginia Woolf with me... I'm more pretentious; I'm reading stream-of-consciousness. Seriously though, what would be the perfect book to carry around to hopefully prompt conversation? What, dear readers, would you pick to open a door to conversation with strangers who might think like you do? Would it be Reading Lolita in Tehran or The Kite Runner to bring up conditions in the middle east? Would you go with more obvious choices like Fight Club or Clockwork Orange - two books that have been the "edgy" thing to read for ages. Do you pick something by Christopher Moore to show you have a sense of humor? Or do you pick Jude the Obscure to show how bleak and hopeless your view of life is? What book would you pick, and what does it say about you?
Friday, June 27, 2008
MS 150
Well, this is the weekend! I've had the thing in my sidebar forever trying to get you guys to give me money (Thanks to everyone who did) and this weekend I'm actually going to do the ride. Dad and I are leaving to go up to Logan in an hour or so then tomorrow and Sunday we're going to be on our bikes.
I'm twittering the whole thing (via cell) on our bike blog so you should totally go over there and check it out.
I'm twittering the whole thing (via cell) on our bike blog so you should totally go over there and check it out.
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