7/19/2015
Well Friends,
Here we are at the end of this assignment, and it's time to reflect about my experience and what I've learned.
First off, this was not as bad or difficult as I thought it might be. I would have found it more enjoyable if I hadn't been so busy and therefore able to spend more time focusing on each individual journal entry. I found that I don't hate it. I could even see myself doing something like this on a regular basis if there were even a small number of people that enjoyed reading the random things I would talk about.
The biggest discovery I made is just how much I can get written if I give myself a timer. It doesn't have to be a complete freewriting exercise, which I find very liberating as a writing practice, but the act of giving myself a set amount of time provides a good deal of focus. If I find my mind drifting away from the task at hand it's easy to refocus since I only have 'X' amount of time left that I have to pay attention anyway.
If I were to critique myself it would be I don't think I gained any significant new writing tools. It's not poor quality certainly, but I don't think my writing ability grew significantly. I chalk that one up to a combination of lack of time, procrastination and a little bit of laziness if I'm being honest.
Would I do this all over again? Maybe. Having gone thru it I can say I would be far more consistent with trying to get an entry done per day instead of waiting to do several at a time and finding I had far more left to do than I intended at the beginning. I would also use a timer for all of my entries to provide focus for getting the writing done. I would also explore other writing/journal prompts and ideas from other sources far sooner than I did with this assignment.
Thank you to the small number of people that have probably read a few of these crazy posts, and the few comments that you've left. They are appreciated. Enjoy the rest of your summer.
David J Lee
Sunday, July 19, 2015
Jackpots...
7/19/2015
One more to go Friends,
Do you ever play the big lotteries? Not the scratch off tickets or the drawings with only three or four numbers, but the BIG lotteries. The ones that have life altering money involved. It's so much money if the jackpot gets big enough it's hard to fathom what that could possibly be like. I think that, more than the minuscule chance of winning, even a few dollars let alone the big prize, is why I play a few tickets every once in a while.
For the cost of a dollar I get to instantly start visualizing what the first things are I would do with Scrooge McDuck level money. Here are just a few things.
1. I'd start with giving some of it away. At least ten percent. Divided among my church, some of my favorite charities, and probably some random strangers that I found out were in some desperate need.
2. Next would be my family. I'd figure out what it would take to make sure my parents could begin their retirement ASAP. Then work my way down the list of siblings, aunts, uncles, and cousins. My big thing would be paying off any debts they had. Not owing money to anyone is an amazing feeling. It's probably the best possible gift I could give them.
3. A new house, in cash, somewhere else. With a pool. And an archery range. And a secret room or two.
4. I'd make sure I establish a solid plan for what to do with all this money. The best places to invest it, and protect it. The last thing I'd want to be is one of those unfortunate jackpot winners that have their lives ruined by suddenly coming into a massive amount of money.
5. Then the toys. New cars, boats, jet skis, full size arcade games, maybe a small bowling alley in the basement of my house.
6. But then what. It would be time to find something meaningful to do with my life since I would be free from the daily grind of your average job. How could I help people? How could I help my community? Could I possibly figure out a way to impact the world? That would be the big thing, figuring that out. I think it's what most of us would want to do if we could break out of the necessary routines of our lives. If we had more than enough to cover all our needs plus a few toys. At least, that's what I aspire to.
Thanks,
D
One more to go Friends,
Do you ever play the big lotteries? Not the scratch off tickets or the drawings with only three or four numbers, but the BIG lotteries. The ones that have life altering money involved. It's so much money if the jackpot gets big enough it's hard to fathom what that could possibly be like. I think that, more than the minuscule chance of winning, even a few dollars let alone the big prize, is why I play a few tickets every once in a while.
For the cost of a dollar I get to instantly start visualizing what the first things are I would do with Scrooge McDuck level money. Here are just a few things.
1. I'd start with giving some of it away. At least ten percent. Divided among my church, some of my favorite charities, and probably some random strangers that I found out were in some desperate need.
2. Next would be my family. I'd figure out what it would take to make sure my parents could begin their retirement ASAP. Then work my way down the list of siblings, aunts, uncles, and cousins. My big thing would be paying off any debts they had. Not owing money to anyone is an amazing feeling. It's probably the best possible gift I could give them.
3. A new house, in cash, somewhere else. With a pool. And an archery range. And a secret room or two.
4. I'd make sure I establish a solid plan for what to do with all this money. The best places to invest it, and protect it. The last thing I'd want to be is one of those unfortunate jackpot winners that have their lives ruined by suddenly coming into a massive amount of money.
5. Then the toys. New cars, boats, jet skis, full size arcade games, maybe a small bowling alley in the basement of my house.
6. But then what. It would be time to find something meaningful to do with my life since I would be free from the daily grind of your average job. How could I help people? How could I help my community? Could I possibly figure out a way to impact the world? That would be the big thing, figuring that out. I think it's what most of us would want to do if we could break out of the necessary routines of our lives. If we had more than enough to cover all our needs plus a few toys. At least, that's what I aspire to.
Thanks,
D
At the Fair...
7/19/2015
Almost there Friends,
I feel a twinge of regret for you, if you have never been able to experience a State Fair. They are a site to behold. I think an accurate description would be if a theme park like a Six Flags was a travelling salesman, or a gypsy.
The people watching is a thing of wonder. So many bad clothing and hair choices. So little time to see them all. The rides seem fun, and they sound fun, but with the added mystery of questionable safety. When was the last time this thing was inspected for possible damage? Now, to be fair, I have lived in my city all my life and there has always been a fair at the end of July, and to my knowledge there's never been a significant safety issue with a ride. But the air of danger is there.
Then there is the food. Oh the glorious deep fried concoctions to behold. Deep fried Snickers, Oreos, Twinkies, and dough. They just deep fry dough. And it's amazing. I have eaten all of these at one time or another without shame.
I remember being taken to the fair the day after my brother was born. It was great, just me and my dad. I got to ride either an elephant or a camel that day. I'm pretty sure it was a camel.
But Friends, if you are lucky enough. You too, may witness the spectacle that is a demolition derby. I didn't see my first one until I was in my thirties. I had been missing out. The seven year old in me was witnessing live what it was like to actually get to crash cars together; and not just ram the same two Hotwheels together over and over again. There was mud and fire and shirtless drivers with mullets hoping out of their now disabled vehicle in spite of the danger to their well being because they were pissed off about being eliminated. I will never be the same. If you get the chance. Go see one. It's worth your time.
Thanks,
D
Almost there Friends,
I feel a twinge of regret for you, if you have never been able to experience a State Fair. They are a site to behold. I think an accurate description would be if a theme park like a Six Flags was a travelling salesman, or a gypsy.
The people watching is a thing of wonder. So many bad clothing and hair choices. So little time to see them all. The rides seem fun, and they sound fun, but with the added mystery of questionable safety. When was the last time this thing was inspected for possible damage? Now, to be fair, I have lived in my city all my life and there has always been a fair at the end of July, and to my knowledge there's never been a significant safety issue with a ride. But the air of danger is there.
Then there is the food. Oh the glorious deep fried concoctions to behold. Deep fried Snickers, Oreos, Twinkies, and dough. They just deep fry dough. And it's amazing. I have eaten all of these at one time or another without shame.
I remember being taken to the fair the day after my brother was born. It was great, just me and my dad. I got to ride either an elephant or a camel that day. I'm pretty sure it was a camel.
But Friends, if you are lucky enough. You too, may witness the spectacle that is a demolition derby. I didn't see my first one until I was in my thirties. I had been missing out. The seven year old in me was witnessing live what it was like to actually get to crash cars together; and not just ram the same two Hotwheels together over and over again. There was mud and fire and shirtless drivers with mullets hoping out of their now disabled vehicle in spite of the danger to their well being because they were pissed off about being eliminated. I will never be the same. If you get the chance. Go see one. It's worth your time.
Thanks,
D
Captain's Log...
7/19/2015
Welcome Aboard Friends,
Let me tell you a little bit about the time I got to be Captain James T. Kirk.
I'm a moderate fan of Star Trek. I've probably seen most of the all time best original series episodes but I have come nowhere close to seeing every episode, of any of the Star Trek series. So of course several years ago when I heard that some theatre friends of mine were putting on a live parody of the series I had to go. It was a blast. The jokes were great. Capt. Kirk got all the ladies. Tribbles and dead Red Shirts were everywhere.
Then I got asked to play a 'guest star' role in an upcoming episode. It was wonderful. It would turn out to be one of the best decisions I could make, agreeing to be in that one episode.
What I thought would be a one time thing quickly turned into regular 'guest star' roles. I made lots of new friends. It was a great way to be able to perform on a regular basis that didn't require all the work that normally goes into a live theatre production. We did a new show every month, and because we didn't memorize our lines, we only needed to rehearse once a week.
This is where I would meet my wife. She stabbed me on stage before we even went out on our first date.
Then came the time that our current Capt. Kirk was leaving. I volunteered/hinted that I would or could be Capt. Kirk and I got the job. So to speak. It was a unique and wonderful experience to be able to step into the shoes of a favorite character of mine as a kid, and still as an adult. Turns out, I do a fairly entertaining Shatner-esque Kirk. I even moved a few people to tears once or twice. I'm really proud of that one.
Like all things, the time came to move on to other things, and to my surprise, was hard to do. It wasn't easy leaving something I had loved doing for the last two plus years. But it will always be one of the best times I ever had.
Thanks,
D
Welcome Aboard Friends,
Let me tell you a little bit about the time I got to be Captain James T. Kirk.
I'm a moderate fan of Star Trek. I've probably seen most of the all time best original series episodes but I have come nowhere close to seeing every episode, of any of the Star Trek series. So of course several years ago when I heard that some theatre friends of mine were putting on a live parody of the series I had to go. It was a blast. The jokes were great. Capt. Kirk got all the ladies. Tribbles and dead Red Shirts were everywhere.
Then I got asked to play a 'guest star' role in an upcoming episode. It was wonderful. It would turn out to be one of the best decisions I could make, agreeing to be in that one episode.
What I thought would be a one time thing quickly turned into regular 'guest star' roles. I made lots of new friends. It was a great way to be able to perform on a regular basis that didn't require all the work that normally goes into a live theatre production. We did a new show every month, and because we didn't memorize our lines, we only needed to rehearse once a week.
This is where I would meet my wife. She stabbed me on stage before we even went out on our first date.
Then came the time that our current Capt. Kirk was leaving. I volunteered/hinted that I would or could be Capt. Kirk and I got the job. So to speak. It was a unique and wonderful experience to be able to step into the shoes of a favorite character of mine as a kid, and still as an adult. Turns out, I do a fairly entertaining Shatner-esque Kirk. I even moved a few people to tears once or twice. I'm really proud of that one.
Like all things, the time came to move on to other things, and to my surprise, was hard to do. It wasn't easy leaving something I had loved doing for the last two plus years. But it will always be one of the best times I ever had.
Thanks,
D
The Stage...
7/19/2015
Only a few more left to go Friends,
I love acting. It's one of the biggest passions in my life. It's also perhaps, the biggest thing that makes it hard to go back to school. Even more so once I start going to school full time this coming fall semester. Oddly enough there was a time in my life when I didn't realize this. In large part because I was dumb with my money as a young adult, and there isn't a whole lot of time for artistic pursuits when you're working multiple jobs to get out of the stupid hole you've dug for yourself.
There is something special and wonderful and amazing about being on a stage. Regardless of how large the role is. I've had every size role too. I've been the hero, the villain, the friend. I've been an abusive jerk of a boyfriend with no lines. I wouldn't trade those moments for anything.
The thing I find the most interesting is how many people don't know they could act. Acting probably falls into some sort of sub category with public speaking; being that most people find the idea terrifying. I find it one of the easiest places to be. If you're on stage, you know what you're supposed to say, where you're supposed to move to, and when you have to leave. And you've done it over and over and over again. In some ways it can be easier than having a real conversation. What most people don't realize is acting is about ninety percent just having a regular conversation, which we all do almost everyday. All the big hilarious, dramatic, emotional moments are a small portion of what go into acting, and most anyone could be coached or directed well enough to be able to do it. The big thing it comes down to is confidence. Do you have the belief in yourself that you could get in front of those people or in front of a camera and recite a handful of lines, like you are having a conversation? Once you have that belief in yourself, the rest is pretty easy.
Thanks,
D
Only a few more left to go Friends,
I love acting. It's one of the biggest passions in my life. It's also perhaps, the biggest thing that makes it hard to go back to school. Even more so once I start going to school full time this coming fall semester. Oddly enough there was a time in my life when I didn't realize this. In large part because I was dumb with my money as a young adult, and there isn't a whole lot of time for artistic pursuits when you're working multiple jobs to get out of the stupid hole you've dug for yourself.
There is something special and wonderful and amazing about being on a stage. Regardless of how large the role is. I've had every size role too. I've been the hero, the villain, the friend. I've been an abusive jerk of a boyfriend with no lines. I wouldn't trade those moments for anything.
The thing I find the most interesting is how many people don't know they could act. Acting probably falls into some sort of sub category with public speaking; being that most people find the idea terrifying. I find it one of the easiest places to be. If you're on stage, you know what you're supposed to say, where you're supposed to move to, and when you have to leave. And you've done it over and over and over again. In some ways it can be easier than having a real conversation. What most people don't realize is acting is about ninety percent just having a regular conversation, which we all do almost everyday. All the big hilarious, dramatic, emotional moments are a small portion of what go into acting, and most anyone could be coached or directed well enough to be able to do it. The big thing it comes down to is confidence. Do you have the belief in yourself that you could get in front of those people or in front of a camera and recite a handful of lines, like you are having a conversation? Once you have that belief in yourself, the rest is pretty easy.
Thanks,
D
Breakfast Champions...
7/19/2015
Good Morning Friends,
I hope four and a half hours of sleep has served you as well as it has me; because I'm exhausted right now.
Of all the meals of the day, I love breakfast. Specifically pancakes. Everything that goes along with pancakes too; eggs, bacon, hashbrowns, biscuits and gravy. It's all good. Anytime of the day. I think it's even better when it's outside normal breakfast times. There is something special about being with a handful of friends and grabbing breakfast at one in the morning and then losing track of time because the moment everyone is having is so special.
Pancakes, I love pancakes. I've actually been so busy lately it's been too long since the last time I whipped up a batch. I don't make them from scratch, I prefer finding a good, premixed batter. This makes it easier to have spontaneous pancake parties. Who needs to get a bunch of friends together to go out to a bar or a club, when you can just have everyone over for pancakes? Yes, this is what I used to do. Regularly.
One of my favorite pancake parties, we assembled what I like to call 'pancake lasagna'. There aren't any noodles or spaghetti sauce involved, it's better than that. I started by making extra large pancakes. These would replace the noodles in a traditional lasagna. Then for the layers between the pancakes, a glorious combination of sausage and marscapone with brown sugar mixed in. The next layer, bacon and pepper jack. The final layer was back to the sausage and marscapone. Then, once the last pancakes had been laid on top of our creation, hashbrowns and copious amounts of syrup poured over the whole thing.
It was an undeniable success. Now that I'm thinking about this. I think I need to do something with waffles soon.
Thanks,
D
P.S. Evidence...
Good Morning Friends,
I hope four and a half hours of sleep has served you as well as it has me; because I'm exhausted right now.
Of all the meals of the day, I love breakfast. Specifically pancakes. Everything that goes along with pancakes too; eggs, bacon, hashbrowns, biscuits and gravy. It's all good. Anytime of the day. I think it's even better when it's outside normal breakfast times. There is something special about being with a handful of friends and grabbing breakfast at one in the morning and then losing track of time because the moment everyone is having is so special.
Pancakes, I love pancakes. I've actually been so busy lately it's been too long since the last time I whipped up a batch. I don't make them from scratch, I prefer finding a good, premixed batter. This makes it easier to have spontaneous pancake parties. Who needs to get a bunch of friends together to go out to a bar or a club, when you can just have everyone over for pancakes? Yes, this is what I used to do. Regularly.
One of my favorite pancake parties, we assembled what I like to call 'pancake lasagna'. There aren't any noodles or spaghetti sauce involved, it's better than that. I started by making extra large pancakes. These would replace the noodles in a traditional lasagna. Then for the layers between the pancakes, a glorious combination of sausage and marscapone with brown sugar mixed in. The next layer, bacon and pepper jack. The final layer was back to the sausage and marscapone. Then, once the last pancakes had been laid on top of our creation, hashbrowns and copious amounts of syrup poured over the whole thing.
It was an undeniable success. Now that I'm thinking about this. I think I need to do something with waffles soon.
Thanks,
D
P.S. Evidence...
My cat is a dork...
7/19/2015
Last one before I catch some sleep Friends,
Here we go.
First off, I love my cat. He's adorable and cuddly and not a jerk like some cats can be. He does like to cuddle on his own terms though. Unlike some cats, he's not a big fan of being held. Average hold time is ten seconds. Now, an open and available lap, that's a different story. He will hop up in your lap and stay there for what seems like hours if you let him.
Now, I know all of that is fairly normal for a cat. Here is where he starts to turn into a dork.
He's terrified of your average plastic grocery bag. This is how it started. He was playing with one of these bags while I was putting some groceries away after coming back from the store. This was of course cute and adorable. Until he got his head caught in the handle of a bag. Now he has a plastic bag for a cloak, and it's stuck around his neck. It was about this time that he also set new records for speed and distance run inside the house. To this day, even the rustling of a plastic bag will make him stop for a moment in his tracks.
Item number two. He is terrified of a kitten half his size that we got about six months ago. We have some theories as to why our two cats don't get along but nothing concrete. What we do know is, they don't like each other, and my cat runs from the new kitten; like she's made out of plastic bags.
Number three. I become a world champion pet abuser when it's time to give him his flea medicine. It's the liquid kind that goes on his back in that shoulder blades area. I can get the medicine applied just fine, but once it's on he avoids me like I'm someone that's beat him all his life. Maybe he's just hoping to get role in a Sarah McLachlan video about rescue animals. Never mind that he's never had to live outdoors or even in a none climate controlled environment. Dork.
Thanks,
D
Last one before I catch some sleep Friends,
Here we go.
First off, I love my cat. He's adorable and cuddly and not a jerk like some cats can be. He does like to cuddle on his own terms though. Unlike some cats, he's not a big fan of being held. Average hold time is ten seconds. Now, an open and available lap, that's a different story. He will hop up in your lap and stay there for what seems like hours if you let him.
Now, I know all of that is fairly normal for a cat. Here is where he starts to turn into a dork.
He's terrified of your average plastic grocery bag. This is how it started. He was playing with one of these bags while I was putting some groceries away after coming back from the store. This was of course cute and adorable. Until he got his head caught in the handle of a bag. Now he has a plastic bag for a cloak, and it's stuck around his neck. It was about this time that he also set new records for speed and distance run inside the house. To this day, even the rustling of a plastic bag will make him stop for a moment in his tracks.
Item number two. He is terrified of a kitten half his size that we got about six months ago. We have some theories as to why our two cats don't get along but nothing concrete. What we do know is, they don't like each other, and my cat runs from the new kitten; like she's made out of plastic bags.
Number three. I become a world champion pet abuser when it's time to give him his flea medicine. It's the liquid kind that goes on his back in that shoulder blades area. I can get the medicine applied just fine, but once it's on he avoids me like I'm someone that's beat him all his life. Maybe he's just hoping to get role in a Sarah McLachlan video about rescue animals. Never mind that he's never had to live outdoors or even in a none climate controlled environment. Dork.
Thanks,
D
I have this rock...
7/19/2015
Hi Friends,
I have this rock on a shelf in my room. At the moment, it's not quite within reaching distance. I would have to change positions and move a little in that direction. There is nothing overtly special about this rock. It's a darker, steel grey kind of color. It's about the size of an average lime. If I ever had to, it has a good shape and weight to be thrown.
Now, why would I have what appears to be a plain rock on my shelf? Easy, I liked it when I saw it. Okay, there's a little more to it than that. The rock is from Oregon. Well, that's were I picked it up anyway. Who can say how long it had been in that particular stream, much less that spot in the stream where I found it. It was taken at the end of one of the best hikes I've ever taken.
I was in Oregon for my sisters wedding. If you haven't been, Oregon may be one of the most gorgeous places in the whole country. One of the days just after the wedding a group of us made a trek to a nearby waterfall. This was no simple get out of the car and walk upstream till you find where the waterfall is either. This particular path is littered with log jams. Logs as big around as telephone poles and larger. Jammed together like some sort of bizarre pile of natures pick up sticks. To sum up, it was a near perfect experience. We had to scramble and climb our way over the log jams. The day was pretty hot for Oregon which made the stream that was already cold to begin with refreshing instead of brutally freezing. And when we finally got to where the waterfall was, the view was breathtaking as the sunlight filtered down thru trees at the top of the narrow gorge we were at the bottom of.
After a brief swim at the waterfall we worked our way back the way we came. There is still a little kid in me that loves to climb and scramble over things. He thought this day was perfect. He thinks the rock is pretty cool too, for a rock.
Thanks,
D
Weird Kid...
7/19/2015
Up late Friends? Read on!
I thought I would share some of the weird things I did as a kid for this one. It should be interesting, but, no promises.
Let's start with food. I have to thank one of my favorite cartoons, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, for some of these, but not all. No, I'm certain some of these creations are one hundred percent all me.
The easy one to remember is my own attempt to mimic said favorite cartoon by coming up with my own weird toppings for pizza. In retrospect, they weren't that crazy. I started with your classic yellow hot dog mustard. I would add it straight from the bottle and just squirt some on each new bite. From there I graduated to Miracle Whip. Same approach as with the mustard. I'd spread a little bit on the slice for each new bite.
From there I discovered such culinary masterpieces as grilling hot dogs campfire style indoors, over one of the stove burners set on medium high to high. Our stove was electric, with the spiral heating element that would glow red hot on it's highest setting. On the plus side, with a quick press of the hot dog to the heating element you could give yourself some bona fide grill marks on your dogs. This is a practice that would continue thru high school.
My 'greatest' creation in the kitchen was a simple sandwich. Bologna, two slices. American cheese, but not every time, I don't think. (it's been awhile, bare with me) Raisins, a small handful. And finally, a fine blend of cinnamon and sugar. Also, there may have been mustard involved here as well. But seriously, I ate this. More than once. Honest to God, I thought this was good.
There is more to share on this topic, but let's put that in a part two.
Thanks,
D
Up late Friends? Read on!
I thought I would share some of the weird things I did as a kid for this one. It should be interesting, but, no promises.
Let's start with food. I have to thank one of my favorite cartoons, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, for some of these, but not all. No, I'm certain some of these creations are one hundred percent all me.
The easy one to remember is my own attempt to mimic said favorite cartoon by coming up with my own weird toppings for pizza. In retrospect, they weren't that crazy. I started with your classic yellow hot dog mustard. I would add it straight from the bottle and just squirt some on each new bite. From there I graduated to Miracle Whip. Same approach as with the mustard. I'd spread a little bit on the slice for each new bite.
From there I discovered such culinary masterpieces as grilling hot dogs campfire style indoors, over one of the stove burners set on medium high to high. Our stove was electric, with the spiral heating element that would glow red hot on it's highest setting. On the plus side, with a quick press of the hot dog to the heating element you could give yourself some bona fide grill marks on your dogs. This is a practice that would continue thru high school.
My 'greatest' creation in the kitchen was a simple sandwich. Bologna, two slices. American cheese, but not every time, I don't think. (it's been awhile, bare with me) Raisins, a small handful. And finally, a fine blend of cinnamon and sugar. Also, there may have been mustard involved here as well. But seriously, I ate this. More than once. Honest to God, I thought this was good.
There is more to share on this topic, but let's put that in a part two.
Thanks,
D
Saturday, July 18, 2015
Transitioning...
7/19/2015
Hello again Friends,
Prepare yourselves for a flood of posts, it's deadline day and I have some catching up to do.
This one will be a little more personal. For roughly the last year and a half I've been working towards a specific goal. Getting into the Dental Hygiene program at OTC. This meant, taking prerequisite classes and for my own personal goals, working an extra job so I could pay as I go and not have to take out loans.
Mission accomplished. Well, the pre-flight mission if you will. To date, I have not taken out any school loans, so everything has been paid for up to this point. And, I've been accepted into the Hygiene program. Hooray. With trepidation.
There are so many things I don't know at this point. How hard will this really be? How much am I going to be able to work? Are there new things to be accounted for that I didn't even know about?
As a non traditional college student, this will be the first time I've been in school 'full time' since high school. And only the first half of my senior year at that. It's exciting to say the least. Well, exciting for me. I feel a bit like a kid waiting to go to school for the first time. Hopefully it's not like my first day of first grade. I think I threw up and didn't feel well. Plus, this being in the dark times before cell phones, I had to wait around at school for them to reach one of my parents to come and get me.
It also marks the first big step away from the job I've had for the last ten plus years washing windows. It's been a sweet gig for the most part. Lots of flexibility and I'm good at it. It feels a little weird to finally be at a finish line of sorts for this chapter in my life. Perhaps more appropriately, the home stretch for this chapter.
Either way, there is still plenty left to do.
Thanks,
D
Hello again Friends,
Prepare yourselves for a flood of posts, it's deadline day and I have some catching up to do.
This one will be a little more personal. For roughly the last year and a half I've been working towards a specific goal. Getting into the Dental Hygiene program at OTC. This meant, taking prerequisite classes and for my own personal goals, working an extra job so I could pay as I go and not have to take out loans.
Mission accomplished. Well, the pre-flight mission if you will. To date, I have not taken out any school loans, so everything has been paid for up to this point. And, I've been accepted into the Hygiene program. Hooray. With trepidation.
There are so many things I don't know at this point. How hard will this really be? How much am I going to be able to work? Are there new things to be accounted for that I didn't even know about?
As a non traditional college student, this will be the first time I've been in school 'full time' since high school. And only the first half of my senior year at that. It's exciting to say the least. Well, exciting for me. I feel a bit like a kid waiting to go to school for the first time. Hopefully it's not like my first day of first grade. I think I threw up and didn't feel well. Plus, this being in the dark times before cell phones, I had to wait around at school for them to reach one of my parents to come and get me.
It also marks the first big step away from the job I've had for the last ten plus years washing windows. It's been a sweet gig for the most part. Lots of flexibility and I'm good at it. It feels a little weird to finally be at a finish line of sorts for this chapter in my life. Perhaps more appropriately, the home stretch for this chapter.
Either way, there is still plenty left to do.
Thanks,
D
Thursday, July 16, 2015
Ah Peanut Butter...
7/16/2015
Friends let's be real for a moment,
Peanut butter may just be the most amazing single food on the planet. Okay, maybe not. But, I do love peanut butter, and I've been making journal entries most of the night and now I'm a little tired and loopy. My apologies, but this could get weird.
My favorite use of peanut butter is straight out of the jar. Big spoon. If I crack open that lid, you can be certain we aren't just having one spoonful. A close second, would be just a good old fashion PB&J. With strawberry thank you very much.
Since my schedule is tightly packed these days, getting to bed for a decent nights sleep can easily fall by the wayside. So usually, my morning breakfast consists of protein shake alongside two to three healthy spoonfuls of slightly sweet, creamy, peanuty goodness sent straight down by God Almighty.
I enjoy peanut butter so much, I think it's a little weird when people don't like it. My wife for instance. She's not a big fan. She's told me why. It's not a crazy reason, like, it's full of synthetic, mind controlling, GMO based, nano robots. But inside, part of me goes "Really?" anytime she turns down the offer of that thick not so nectar like, nut based mana from heaven. (I mentioned this could get weird right? It feels a little weird.)
Sometimes, if I really want to cut loose, I'll fix Nutella and peanut butter together in the same spoonful.
"Who is this madman?!" You all must be asking yourselves.
Well, I'll tell you. I'm just a hardworking, peanut butter loving, future dental hygienist; that has an assignment for his English class due and I'm running low on ideas at the moment. Ooh, maybe for one of the posts I have left to do I'll write an entry from the perspective of a jar of peanut butter, all about how it's sitting on the shelf just hoping to fulfill it's destiny to one day be the hero of snack time at a kindergarten, or maybe the crucial ingredient for a sweet seven year old's afternoon snack of ants on a log.
Yeah, that was weird. Good night folks. Thanks for sticking around.
D
Friends let's be real for a moment,
Peanut butter may just be the most amazing single food on the planet. Okay, maybe not. But, I do love peanut butter, and I've been making journal entries most of the night and now I'm a little tired and loopy. My apologies, but this could get weird.
My favorite use of peanut butter is straight out of the jar. Big spoon. If I crack open that lid, you can be certain we aren't just having one spoonful. A close second, would be just a good old fashion PB&J. With strawberry thank you very much.
Since my schedule is tightly packed these days, getting to bed for a decent nights sleep can easily fall by the wayside. So usually, my morning breakfast consists of protein shake alongside two to three healthy spoonfuls of slightly sweet, creamy, peanuty goodness sent straight down by God Almighty.
I enjoy peanut butter so much, I think it's a little weird when people don't like it. My wife for instance. She's not a big fan. She's told me why. It's not a crazy reason, like, it's full of synthetic, mind controlling, GMO based, nano robots. But inside, part of me goes "Really?" anytime she turns down the offer of that thick not so nectar like, nut based mana from heaven. (I mentioned this could get weird right? It feels a little weird.)
Sometimes, if I really want to cut loose, I'll fix Nutella and peanut butter together in the same spoonful.
"Who is this madman?!" You all must be asking yourselves.
Well, I'll tell you. I'm just a hardworking, peanut butter loving, future dental hygienist; that has an assignment for his English class due and I'm running low on ideas at the moment. Ooh, maybe for one of the posts I have left to do I'll write an entry from the perspective of a jar of peanut butter, all about how it's sitting on the shelf just hoping to fulfill it's destiny to one day be the hero of snack time at a kindergarten, or maybe the crucial ingredient for a sweet seven year old's afternoon snack of ants on a log.
Yeah, that was weird. Good night folks. Thanks for sticking around.
D
Time trial...
7/16/2015
I know, it's a lot to take in.
This one is easy Friends, I thought it was time for another foray into freewriting.
So here we go.
Pulling from my list of belief statements that were in an earlier blog post, I'll go with the statement that I believe I have very high standards from myself. And it applies everywhere in my life probably. These aren't really things that I share with anyone either. For example, by my standards, I'm overweight right now. Not too bad, about 15 pounds. But the thing is I know better. Even as I shove a doughnut or a fast food breakfast sandwich in my face. I've got other areas too. How I treat people. Most of the time I do a pretty good job of treating everyone the same. Mostly. But cut me off in traffic or drive like a complete moron. Well, let's just say I wouldn't say any or at least most of those things to your face. If I'm supposed to love people regardless of who they are, doesn't that apply to the idiot driving ten miles an hour under the speed limit? Yes it does. But I'm not alone. And neither are you. I think far too often when I, or we, beat ourselves up about the things we fail at when it comes to the standards we set, is that everyone does it to some extent. I can't cite a study or research. It's just something you'll have to examine for yourself. You probably know someone well enough to look at the things that bother them and figure out what they think they should be doing a better job of. I hope this isn't too incoherent. But I'm trying not to take too much time away from writing throughout this whole exercise. I can say for certain though, that a lot of the things that frustrate me are the goals I set for myself that I fail to meet.
For instance, I expect myself on a normal day to get a certain amount of work done. Sometimes even more than normal. I'll mentally go thru a checklist of what I"m going to do for the day, usually being very ambitious about just how much I'm going to accomplish.
And that's time, plus just a little bit extra so I didn't stop mid thought. Not too shabby. Might even be something in here worth expounding on.
Thanks,
D
I know, it's a lot to take in.
This one is easy Friends, I thought it was time for another foray into freewriting.
So here we go.
Pulling from my list of belief statements that were in an earlier blog post, I'll go with the statement that I believe I have very high standards from myself. And it applies everywhere in my life probably. These aren't really things that I share with anyone either. For example, by my standards, I'm overweight right now. Not too bad, about 15 pounds. But the thing is I know better. Even as I shove a doughnut or a fast food breakfast sandwich in my face. I've got other areas too. How I treat people. Most of the time I do a pretty good job of treating everyone the same. Mostly. But cut me off in traffic or drive like a complete moron. Well, let's just say I wouldn't say any or at least most of those things to your face. If I'm supposed to love people regardless of who they are, doesn't that apply to the idiot driving ten miles an hour under the speed limit? Yes it does. But I'm not alone. And neither are you. I think far too often when I, or we, beat ourselves up about the things we fail at when it comes to the standards we set, is that everyone does it to some extent. I can't cite a study or research. It's just something you'll have to examine for yourself. You probably know someone well enough to look at the things that bother them and figure out what they think they should be doing a better job of. I hope this isn't too incoherent. But I'm trying not to take too much time away from writing throughout this whole exercise. I can say for certain though, that a lot of the things that frustrate me are the goals I set for myself that I fail to meet.
For instance, I expect myself on a normal day to get a certain amount of work done. Sometimes even more than normal. I'll mentally go thru a checklist of what I"m going to do for the day, usually being very ambitious about just how much I'm going to accomplish.
And that's time, plus just a little bit extra so I didn't stop mid thought. Not too shabby. Might even be something in here worth expounding on.
Thanks,
D
An Opening Line...
7/16/2015
Yep, still here Friends, I'm just getting warmed up.
Right now I couldn't tell you where I've heard or read about the importance of the very first line in a story. If I were to offer a suggestion, I would tell you to start with Stephen King's On Writing.
Speaking of Mr. King, it's one of his books that offers one of my favorite opening lines of all the books I've read.
"The man in black fled across the desert, and the gunslinger followed."
Just thinking about it still gives me a kind of cool shudder. All of this to say that I was thinking about this idea of a 'perfect opening line' and played around with it some today. I hope you like it.
It was the perfect place to be alone. The view from his campsite is breathtaking. The air is crisp and cold as fall has reached it's later days in the lower mountains. A dusting of snow seems to muffle everything around him. It is very, still.
He watches without moving, noticing the small signs of life around him; birds gliding from tree to tree, the quick, brief chatter of squirrels. The approach of something silent and lethal does not go unnoticed.
This creature makes no sound to give itself away. It has not survived this long being unwary. It approaches slowly, soon it will be exposed, in the open, unprotected by the camouflage of brush and trees. It tenses, prepared to bound across the open space and take down it's quarry that it has tracked for miles. It stops everything as the man turns, their eyes locking.
He sees what he expects, a wolf, at the edge of the clearing of his campsite, standing perfectly still at being discovered. The animals body is tensed; to attack, to run, either could happen. There are no words, there are no growls, no sound made to frighten or challenge. But, there is an exchange, a message if you will. An understanding is reached.
You will go your way and I will go mine, neither of us needs bleed today.
And just as silently, the wolf is gone, back among the trees and brush.
Hope there was something in there you liked.
Thanks,
D
Yep, still here Friends, I'm just getting warmed up.
Right now I couldn't tell you where I've heard or read about the importance of the very first line in a story. If I were to offer a suggestion, I would tell you to start with Stephen King's On Writing.
Speaking of Mr. King, it's one of his books that offers one of my favorite opening lines of all the books I've read.
"The man in black fled across the desert, and the gunslinger followed."
Just thinking about it still gives me a kind of cool shudder. All of this to say that I was thinking about this idea of a 'perfect opening line' and played around with it some today. I hope you like it.
It was the perfect place to be alone. The view from his campsite is breathtaking. The air is crisp and cold as fall has reached it's later days in the lower mountains. A dusting of snow seems to muffle everything around him. It is very, still.
He watches without moving, noticing the small signs of life around him; birds gliding from tree to tree, the quick, brief chatter of squirrels. The approach of something silent and lethal does not go unnoticed.
This creature makes no sound to give itself away. It has not survived this long being unwary. It approaches slowly, soon it will be exposed, in the open, unprotected by the camouflage of brush and trees. It tenses, prepared to bound across the open space and take down it's quarry that it has tracked for miles. It stops everything as the man turns, their eyes locking.
He sees what he expects, a wolf, at the edge of the clearing of his campsite, standing perfectly still at being discovered. The animals body is tensed; to attack, to run, either could happen. There are no words, there are no growls, no sound made to frighten or challenge. But, there is an exchange, a message if you will. An understanding is reached.
You will go your way and I will go mine, neither of us needs bleed today.
And just as silently, the wolf is gone, back among the trees and brush.
Hope there was something in there you liked.
Thanks,
D
More errands...
7/16/2015
What!? Another post?
Yes Friends, it's deadline time, and being the consummate procrastinator that I am, it's high time I play catch up on these journal posts.
So, more about my first day back from vacation.
I overslept. Big surprise. I attempted to get some of my normal work done, but thanks to previously discussed flat tires. I arrived too late and had to go back the next day. Bummer, sort of. Then it was time for shots and lab work. I'm about to begin the Dental Hygiene program at OTC this fall. Part of what's required is being current on certain vaccinations, or proving that you have immunity to those diseases.
First up, some lab work to prove that what my mother said was true, and I had in fact had the chicken pox when I was younger. Good news, mom was right. Still have the immunity. Next up was finding a place that could administer all the shots I needed. My first choice as it turns out, could only offer one of the three I needed. On to my second choice. As I'm headed there, I'm trying to reach my doctor, since one of the vaccines requires a prescription for that location to give me the shot. The second location checks my insurance to see if any portion of the shots are covered, no luck. Hooray for paying out of pocket. Since insurance isn't a factor, I quit waiting to hear from my doctor and just schedule with the local health department, since as it turns out, they don't require a prescription. I just have to wait til next week for my appointment time. Mild grrrr. I really wanted to get this all done at one location, all at once.
The opportunity all this afforded me though is ample chances to get over my aversion to needles. I wouldn't call it a fear or phobia, but I have definitely been uncomfortable watching myself get shots in the past. As I'm preparing to enter a healthcare fear, it's probably a good time to begin to confront this and get control over this 'fear'. It wouldn't be to helpful if I'm uncomfortable getting shots and I have to play pincushion for a lab partner now would it.
That's all for now,
D
What!? Another post?
Yes Friends, it's deadline time, and being the consummate procrastinator that I am, it's high time I play catch up on these journal posts.
So, more about my first day back from vacation.
I overslept. Big surprise. I attempted to get some of my normal work done, but thanks to previously discussed flat tires. I arrived too late and had to go back the next day. Bummer, sort of. Then it was time for shots and lab work. I'm about to begin the Dental Hygiene program at OTC this fall. Part of what's required is being current on certain vaccinations, or proving that you have immunity to those diseases.
First up, some lab work to prove that what my mother said was true, and I had in fact had the chicken pox when I was younger. Good news, mom was right. Still have the immunity. Next up was finding a place that could administer all the shots I needed. My first choice as it turns out, could only offer one of the three I needed. On to my second choice. As I'm headed there, I'm trying to reach my doctor, since one of the vaccines requires a prescription for that location to give me the shot. The second location checks my insurance to see if any portion of the shots are covered, no luck. Hooray for paying out of pocket. Since insurance isn't a factor, I quit waiting to hear from my doctor and just schedule with the local health department, since as it turns out, they don't require a prescription. I just have to wait til next week for my appointment time. Mild grrrr. I really wanted to get this all done at one location, all at once.
The opportunity all this afforded me though is ample chances to get over my aversion to needles. I wouldn't call it a fear or phobia, but I have definitely been uncomfortable watching myself get shots in the past. As I'm preparing to enter a healthcare fear, it's probably a good time to begin to confront this and get control over this 'fear'. It wouldn't be to helpful if I'm uncomfortable getting shots and I have to play pincushion for a lab partner now would it.
That's all for now,
D
I believe...
7/16/2015
Hey Friends,
A couple posts ago, I told you I would share a final draft of an essay I had to write for class. Almost forgot about that, but here you go. I hope you can finish it before you fall asleep. ;)
Hey Friends,
A couple posts ago, I told you I would share a final draft of an essay I had to write for class. Almost forgot about that, but here you go. I hope you can finish it before you fall asleep. ;)
A Core Belief
What do I believe? On the surface that would seem to be a simple question. I’ve even spent time working on a list of ‘I believe’ statements this semester. These statements of belief range from simple, to serious, to downright silly. Perhaps the hardest part in identifying beliefs is that most of my beliefs became a part of who I am a long time ago, and for me, this isn’t one of the deeper questions of life I find myself sitting around and pondering. So it was a little out of the ordinary for me to be considering this question earlier today when I suddenly remembered a belief that has become so much a part of who I am that it was obvious I had to write about it.
“Your work will never be done.” It’s a simple quote, but I have always found it both powerful and motivating. I first came across this quote in a book called The Way of the Superior Man. It would be an understatement to say it was an interesting time in my life when I read this book and discovered this particular quote. I was going thru a divorce, trying to make sense of everything that was happening, and working to put together the pieces of how we’d gotten to this point. I would call it my own personal “Remember the Alamo!”.
This particular statement, more than any other idea I read about or considered in that book, really highlighted the mistakes I had made in my life leading up that moment. I had been content living day to day, with nothing more than a general idea of where life was headed. In a moment, that lack of direction, was no longer ok. I had a mission, and a lifelong mission at that.
As I have pondered this idea, this concept, thru the years it’s easy to see how relevant and practical it is. We witness this in sports more easily than other areas perhaps. An athlete finally achieves some notable accomplishment, or is awarded that extremely lucrative contract they’ve been after for years and then they relax. The foot comes off the gas. Coaches, colleagues, fans all wonder where the star of just a few months ago has disappeared to. It’s an even more useful creed for someone approaching retirement or the so called, ‘golden years’. Your work, regardless of whether it’s for a paycheck or to volunteer or your own sense of accomplishment and satisfaction, gives you a practical meaning to your life. I certainly don’t think we are defined by our work. I do think though, that thru our work, we define a portion of ourselves, and we can affect those around us for better or worse.
Deida, David. The Way of the Superior Man. Austin: Plexus, 1997. Print.
Thanks for reading folks,
D
Tuesday, July 14, 2015
Post Vacation...
7/14/2015
Hello Friends,
Today has been one of the darker days a man can experience in this lifetime-the first day back from vacation. (Dun dun dun)
Okay, it's not really that bad, not for me anyway. I was able to plan an extra day off from work for just this instance. My wife was not so lucky. On top of having to go back to work, she's working extra long days this week to avoid using extra vacation time.
My "extra day off" wasn't quite the day of relaxing and Netflix one would hope for. Instead it was a day full of errand running and addressing problems I didn't even know that I had. Already on the agenda, getting immunizations done for the school program I start in a few weeks. The results, mostly successful, two out of three immunizations done, and one scheduled for next week. What wasn't on the agenda? Flat tires. Two of them. So, added to the days list of things to do, getting flats fixed. Thank God for road hazard protection. One tire fixed. One tire replaced. And less than the cost of a new tire, thankfully. Between you, and you, and you, and you, and me (I am assuming I have at least four readers), I'm done replacing tires for the foreseeable future.
As if flat tires were not a big enough challenge, the a/c in my truck decided it would no longer cool as effectively as pre-vacation. Thankfully, a simple fix of adding some more refrigerant back to the a/c system. Although now I'm fairly certain I have a slow leak somewhere, here's hoping I can get it thru the summer.
It's been a successful day though. I was fortunate for sure, to already have the time set aside for running errands and getting things settled down before it's back to work as usual. I'll have some more things to share from this day so stay tuned.
Thanks,
D
Hello Friends,
Today has been one of the darker days a man can experience in this lifetime-the first day back from vacation. (Dun dun dun)
Okay, it's not really that bad, not for me anyway. I was able to plan an extra day off from work for just this instance. My wife was not so lucky. On top of having to go back to work, she's working extra long days this week to avoid using extra vacation time.
My "extra day off" wasn't quite the day of relaxing and Netflix one would hope for. Instead it was a day full of errand running and addressing problems I didn't even know that I had. Already on the agenda, getting immunizations done for the school program I start in a few weeks. The results, mostly successful, two out of three immunizations done, and one scheduled for next week. What wasn't on the agenda? Flat tires. Two of them. So, added to the days list of things to do, getting flats fixed. Thank God for road hazard protection. One tire fixed. One tire replaced. And less than the cost of a new tire, thankfully. Between you, and you, and you, and you, and me (I am assuming I have at least four readers), I'm done replacing tires for the foreseeable future.
As if flat tires were not a big enough challenge, the a/c in my truck decided it would no longer cool as effectively as pre-vacation. Thankfully, a simple fix of adding some more refrigerant back to the a/c system. Although now I'm fairly certain I have a slow leak somewhere, here's hoping I can get it thru the summer.
It's been a successful day though. I was fortunate for sure, to already have the time set aside for running errands and getting things settled down before it's back to work as usual. I'll have some more things to share from this day so stay tuned.
Thanks,
D
Friday, July 10, 2015
So many reflections...
7/10/2015
Hey Friends,
Yep. I’m still on vacation. It’s been wonderful.
This one is going to be part of a specific assignment for class, so I hope I don’t bore you too much. (smiley face)
I’ve had to write an “I Believe” statement essay this semester, using some exercises such as freewriting to help generate a topic for the essay. And using a workshop group to help provide feedback for expanding and/or revising the final draft.
First off, I don’t think I had the traditional workshop experience. Only three of the people in my writing group, myself included, even participated in that portion of the assignment and out of that, my rough draft only received a positive comment. I don’t think that the person making the comment fully understood the level of feedback they were supposed to provide. The same goes for the revision process. Without receiving much feedback I will just have to evaluate my essay on my own before turning in the final draft. It’s perfect if you don’t get any notes back, right?
Overall, this has been a fairly enjoyable assignment, not too hard and not a pointless waste of time. If anything, the only thing about this assignment I didn’t enjoy is that I had to work on it during my vacation. Oh well, the sacrifices you make to be on a beach.
I have to say, I surprised myself with my essay. In that, it was a belief statement that didn’t occur to me as I worked on the first task of making a list of beliefs. Rather it was one that is both very important to me, and very personal. It made writing about it in essay form easy and free flowing.
Once I have a final draft, I’ll share it here as well. I’m pretty proud of the fact I remembered the topic I used. At the same time, it was so personal and profound that it did away with some of the ideas I’d already begun to formulate for how I wanted to write my essay. I had found a cute little essay entitled “Voices”, which used dialog between several different aspects of the subjects personality as though they were separate people. So if I were to write this particular essay again I would try and find a way to incorporate some of that approach.
If I have any concerns about this particular assignment, it’s the lack of feedback. Instead of getting other points of view about my writing, it will just be me and my own bias; and desire to get back to vacation type things. I mentioned the beach right?
That’s it for this entry folks. If you made it this far, congratulations, and thank you.
Good night,
D
Title: Voices
Author: Unknown
Location: "Free Narrative Essays - Voices." 123HelpMe.com. 21 Jun 2015
Thursday, July 9, 2015
Moving...
7/9/2015
Greetings from vacation!
I was helping some friends move recently and couldn't help but notice just how much stuff can accumulate in a short eleven years.
I find the thought of moving intriguing. Bring up the subject and just look at the reactions you get. I think some people would rather deal with getting the plague than be faced with cleaning, boxing up, and trucking all their belongings to a new destination.
The biggest thing I noticed is just how much 'stuff' can accumulate when you have your roots down for any length of time. The odds and ends that held some small fond memory for you at the time you brought it into your home, quickly become the things you sacrifice in a heartbeat just so you don't have to deal with one more piece of 'crap'.
What's even more subtle is how quickly the amount of stuff you have in your home can accumulate. That Blu-ray/DVD/VHS shelf that started out three quarters full when you assembled it, is now covered in a layer of dust thick enough to build a dust castle in and has stacks of movies balanced like a Jenga tower on top.
"Sure, I'd love to watch Last of the Mohicans, but it is providing key structural support for all ten seasons of Smallville at the moment. Let's see what's available at Redbox."
If I could leave you with any sage advice. It would be this, most of those things are just stuff. I think we know the possessions we have that carry true meaning and memories. The rest is just stuff and we'll be just fine if it goes away. Besides, you can always help another friend move and take some of the stuff they don't want anymore, if you run out.
D.
Greetings from vacation!
I was helping some friends move recently and couldn't help but notice just how much stuff can accumulate in a short eleven years.
I find the thought of moving intriguing. Bring up the subject and just look at the reactions you get. I think some people would rather deal with getting the plague than be faced with cleaning, boxing up, and trucking all their belongings to a new destination.
The biggest thing I noticed is just how much 'stuff' can accumulate when you have your roots down for any length of time. The odds and ends that held some small fond memory for you at the time you brought it into your home, quickly become the things you sacrifice in a heartbeat just so you don't have to deal with one more piece of 'crap'.
What's even more subtle is how quickly the amount of stuff you have in your home can accumulate. That Blu-ray/DVD/VHS shelf that started out three quarters full when you assembled it, is now covered in a layer of dust thick enough to build a dust castle in and has stacks of movies balanced like a Jenga tower on top.
"Sure, I'd love to watch Last of the Mohicans, but it is providing key structural support for all ten seasons of Smallville at the moment. Let's see what's available at Redbox."
If I could leave you with any sage advice. It would be this, most of those things are just stuff. I think we know the possessions we have that carry true meaning and memories. The rest is just stuff and we'll be just fine if it goes away. Besides, you can always help another friend move and take some of the stuff they don't want anymore, if you run out.
D.
Tuesday, July 7, 2015
On Driving...
7/6/2015
Hi Friends,
I hope you all had a great 4th of July, free from too many sunburns, bug-bites, and fireworks related incidents. If you've looked at social media at all over this past holiday weekend then you know fireworks manufacturers put those warnings on there for good reason. Sheesh!!
You know what's fun? A good road trip. You get to see little tiny bits of places that you may never even pass by again. You know what's not fun? A flat tire on said road trip. At 2:30 in the morning. An hour from your hotel. Changing said tire in a visible swarm of mosquitoes. Here's the story.
My wife and I are on vacation. We're driving rather than flying. And, our first destination is fifteen hours of driving from home. So I think, let's get a head start on that fifteen hours, and instead of one super long day of driving, we can get about four to five hours the night before our vacation 'officially starts'. Sounds like a great plan. Until you throw in a super busy week leading up to your vacation. There isn't time to pack until the evening you are trying to leave. And, then you get started close to two hours later than you had planed.
Add a dash of booking a hotel room in advance-a good five hours away-rather than seeing how far you can go, and finding something when you are too tired to drive anymore. Mix all of that together and you too, can turn a four and a half, five hour road trip into a grueling, eight hour ordeal that makes you question everything you've ever held to be true. Sorry, that may be a little over dramatic.
We did make it safely to the hotel. And manage to fit in a good three and half hours of sleep before it was time to be up and looking for a place to replace previously mentioned flat tire. Then, back on the road to finish the first leg of our vacation.
The good news in all this. I'm still on vacation, and right now, I can see the beach from my hotel room.
D
Hi Friends,
I hope you all had a great 4th of July, free from too many sunburns, bug-bites, and fireworks related incidents. If you've looked at social media at all over this past holiday weekend then you know fireworks manufacturers put those warnings on there for good reason. Sheesh!!
You know what's fun? A good road trip. You get to see little tiny bits of places that you may never even pass by again. You know what's not fun? A flat tire on said road trip. At 2:30 in the morning. An hour from your hotel. Changing said tire in a visible swarm of mosquitoes. Here's the story.
My wife and I are on vacation. We're driving rather than flying. And, our first destination is fifteen hours of driving from home. So I think, let's get a head start on that fifteen hours, and instead of one super long day of driving, we can get about four to five hours the night before our vacation 'officially starts'. Sounds like a great plan. Until you throw in a super busy week leading up to your vacation. There isn't time to pack until the evening you are trying to leave. And, then you get started close to two hours later than you had planed.
Add a dash of booking a hotel room in advance-a good five hours away-rather than seeing how far you can go, and finding something when you are too tired to drive anymore. Mix all of that together and you too, can turn a four and a half, five hour road trip into a grueling, eight hour ordeal that makes you question everything you've ever held to be true. Sorry, that may be a little over dramatic.
We did make it safely to the hotel. And manage to fit in a good three and half hours of sleep before it was time to be up and looking for a place to replace previously mentioned flat tire. Then, back on the road to finish the first leg of our vacation.
The good news in all this. I'm still on vacation, and right now, I can see the beach from my hotel room.
D
Thursday, July 2, 2015
Vacations...
7/2/2015
It seems to me like the one way to make sure you are busier than humanly possible is to try and go on vacation. Especially if you have anything else going on at the time. Take today for example. Went to work, came home, finished up a couple of assignments and once I hit post on this bad boy. I can finally begin packing. You know, it must just be the finite deadline that isn't there all that often in my daily/weekly routine. If something doesn't get done, no big deal, we can just do that tomorrow. Ah, the sweet, sweet sound of the procrastinators creed. Vacation time though, there is no tomorrow, well there is, but in this case tomorrow is filled with hitting the road, or making the airport on time. Did I remember to pack fill-in-the-blank item that I use and need daily? It's enough to make a person not want to go on vacation almost. Almost.
You know what is worth it about vacation? You break your routine. You can remember that not everything is about did X get done today? There is time to relax. You get to forget that you would be in the middle of another pointless meeting, or doing the same tasks over and over and over again. Instead you can sit by a pool, walk along a beach or trail, or any of a hundred other little things that you always seem too busy for at home. And maybe, just maybe, you'll remember to bring home souvenirs this time.
It seems to me like the one way to make sure you are busier than humanly possible is to try and go on vacation. Especially if you have anything else going on at the time. Take today for example. Went to work, came home, finished up a couple of assignments and once I hit post on this bad boy. I can finally begin packing. You know, it must just be the finite deadline that isn't there all that often in my daily/weekly routine. If something doesn't get done, no big deal, we can just do that tomorrow. Ah, the sweet, sweet sound of the procrastinators creed. Vacation time though, there is no tomorrow, well there is, but in this case tomorrow is filled with hitting the road, or making the airport on time. Did I remember to pack fill-in-the-blank item that I use and need daily? It's enough to make a person not want to go on vacation almost. Almost.
You know what is worth it about vacation? You break your routine. You can remember that not everything is about did X get done today? There is time to relax. You get to forget that you would be in the middle of another pointless meeting, or doing the same tasks over and over and over again. Instead you can sit by a pool, walk along a beach or trail, or any of a hundred other little things that you always seem too busy for at home. And maybe, just maybe, you'll remember to bring home souvenirs this time.
Monday, June 29, 2015
An Assessment of Sorts...
6/29/15
Hi Friends,
This post falls under assignment time. I'll see if I can't fit in some sarcasm to keep it funny, but no promises.
So, as part of English class this summer, one of the things we were assigned this past week was to post a 'Get to know you' kind of question. Read the responses, and then also respond to all the other questions that were posted. Then, peruse all the answers and analyze and get a feel for the type of audience you are writing to. Here goes.
My first observation is that everyone seems to be direct, but not oversharing. I suspect this is due to the fact this is an online course and there isn't the same level of connection with our fellow classmates since we don't share classroom time every week.
Just based on the responses I've read, I would guess that most all of my fellow online students come from varying degrees of a similar background. Most if not all are probably from this area of the country, or lived somewhere quite like it. Most probably grew up in a family somewhere in the spectrum of middle class. Sure, this is a bit of a generalization, but there didn't seem to be any answers that struck me as coming from someone with a radically different perspective on the world. It's also entirely possible I missed some of those answers. So, what are you gonna do?
I don't think I would say anything surprised me, at least, not in the jaw dropping, gone viral on YouTube kind of way. But, I have to say I think that when posed a deeper kind of question, like, "What's one thing you would change in the world" this group all provided rather insightful answers, and most also elaborated on those particular answers as well. Usually in a way that said a lot about the person answering the question.
I like having a good grasp, well, I hope it's a good grasp, on the audience I'm writing to. This kind of knowledge can free a writer from worrying too much about whether or not their readers will understand an analogy or get a certain kind of reference. It leaves you free to focus on just creating something worth reading.
Have a good one folks,
D
Sunday, June 28, 2015
Finally, a cat picture..
6/28/15
I said there might be the occasional cat picture, well today I deliver on that friends. How's your Sunday going? Well, I hope.
Since there will be a cat picture today, let's talk about cats. I love them. Not in a crazy lady breaking down on the Internet kind of love, but in a, part of me wants to pull over, get out of my car, and cuddle that cute cat that I just drove by in that yard kind of love.
I've had my cat for 11-12 years now, and as cats go, he's one of the best. He's calm, he's the right amount of affectionate, and he has a mustache. He does have a lot of fur though. A lot. He is terrified of plastic bags though. He had a very traumatizing experience with one as a much younger cat. Imagine if you will, a curious cat investigating this odd bag like thing after his people have just come home. Everything's fine, it makes a kinda nice sound when you step on it, and boom!! Suddenly, it's got you around the neck. You take off running but it's too strong and you can't get it to let go.
What that might have looked like from a human's perspective is a cat getting his head stuck in the handle portion of your average plastic grocery bag and then freaking out on an epic scale. Have you every tried to catch a cat running at near full speed thru your house? Let's just say it's a challenge. I finally managed to catch him and free him from his evil oppressor, but just the sound of plastic bags to this day makes him jumpy.
He doesn't like to be picked up and held, but if you sit down and have an inviting looking lap, he'll curl up and purr for hours if you let him.
All of this to say, that while not quite the same as a good friend, a good pet is a close second. And mine is one of the best.
D
I said there might be the occasional cat picture, well today I deliver on that friends. How's your Sunday going? Well, I hope.
Since there will be a cat picture today, let's talk about cats. I love them. Not in a crazy lady breaking down on the Internet kind of love, but in a, part of me wants to pull over, get out of my car, and cuddle that cute cat that I just drove by in that yard kind of love.
I've had my cat for 11-12 years now, and as cats go, he's one of the best. He's calm, he's the right amount of affectionate, and he has a mustache. He does have a lot of fur though. A lot. He is terrified of plastic bags though. He had a very traumatizing experience with one as a much younger cat. Imagine if you will, a curious cat investigating this odd bag like thing after his people have just come home. Everything's fine, it makes a kinda nice sound when you step on it, and boom!! Suddenly, it's got you around the neck. You take off running but it's too strong and you can't get it to let go.
What that might have looked like from a human's perspective is a cat getting his head stuck in the handle portion of your average plastic grocery bag and then freaking out on an epic scale. Have you every tried to catch a cat running at near full speed thru your house? Let's just say it's a challenge. I finally managed to catch him and free him from his evil oppressor, but just the sound of plastic bags to this day makes him jumpy.
He doesn't like to be picked up and held, but if you sit down and have an inviting looking lap, he'll curl up and purr for hours if you let him.
All of this to say, that while not quite the same as a good friend, a good pet is a close second. And mine is one of the best.
D
Saturday, June 27, 2015
I don't have a title for this entry...
6/27/15
Hey Friends and fellow summer Students,
How are you? I hope you're good. Enjoying your Saturday afternoon I hope. Me I'm good, just typing away as I wait to go to work tonight. I don't really have any special thoughts for this entry, so just chalk this one up to, it's assigned and I have to do it.
You know what sounds like a ton of fun, slip 'n' slides. I don't mean the kind you would go and buy at Walmart or your closest toy store, but a full blown, this might be a bad idea, who put this kids toy on steroids, adult slip 'n' slide. If you peruse the internet you'll see what I mean. If you don't know, then imagine a several feet wide piece of heavy duty plastic, laid down over at least a thin layer of foam padding, or ground that's free of any rocks poking up into the plastic. This is laid down on an incline of some sort, the steeper the better, some might say, and culminating in a brief ramp at the very end with which to launch you into the air, and land in a large body of water or an adequately sized pool at the very least.
Doesn't that take you back to when you were a kid? I know it does for me. As I was describing this I was reminded of one of things I've always wanted to do in a pool. Have a playground quality swing set right at the edge of a large pool. It would be the Reese's peanut butter cup of summer fun. Just imagine working the swing up to point where you are cresting at about as high as you can get it. You know the point. That point when as a kid you begin to wonder if it would wrap all the way around if you could make the swing go higher and higher. It's at that point, that it would be perfect to swinging out over a pool, and just be able to bail out of the swing for an epic splash. As a kid, I could have spent all day doing something like that. Just doing it over and over until you get to point where you are so tired, but you don't know that you're tired until you sit down and stop for just a moment, and then wake up hours later because your body insisted it was time to stop.
I haven't had a chance to do either of these things yet in my life. God willing I'll make this happen one day. It certainly sounds better than going to work.
D
Hey Friends and fellow summer Students,
How are you? I hope you're good. Enjoying your Saturday afternoon I hope. Me I'm good, just typing away as I wait to go to work tonight. I don't really have any special thoughts for this entry, so just chalk this one up to, it's assigned and I have to do it.
You know what sounds like a ton of fun, slip 'n' slides. I don't mean the kind you would go and buy at Walmart or your closest toy store, but a full blown, this might be a bad idea, who put this kids toy on steroids, adult slip 'n' slide. If you peruse the internet you'll see what I mean. If you don't know, then imagine a several feet wide piece of heavy duty plastic, laid down over at least a thin layer of foam padding, or ground that's free of any rocks poking up into the plastic. This is laid down on an incline of some sort, the steeper the better, some might say, and culminating in a brief ramp at the very end with which to launch you into the air, and land in a large body of water or an adequately sized pool at the very least.
Doesn't that take you back to when you were a kid? I know it does for me. As I was describing this I was reminded of one of things I've always wanted to do in a pool. Have a playground quality swing set right at the edge of a large pool. It would be the Reese's peanut butter cup of summer fun. Just imagine working the swing up to point where you are cresting at about as high as you can get it. You know the point. That point when as a kid you begin to wonder if it would wrap all the way around if you could make the swing go higher and higher. It's at that point, that it would be perfect to swinging out over a pool, and just be able to bail out of the swing for an epic splash. As a kid, I could have spent all day doing something like that. Just doing it over and over until you get to point where you are so tired, but you don't know that you're tired until you sit down and stop for just a moment, and then wake up hours later because your body insisted it was time to stop.
I haven't had a chance to do either of these things yet in my life. God willing I'll make this happen one day. It certainly sounds better than going to work.
D
Thursday, June 25, 2015
My (Apollo) Creed!
6/25/15
Hey Friends, it's freewriting time again, here we go.
So, I've just spent maybe 30-40 minutes trying to articulate what my personal creed might be. If you are really curious just check my previous post. Now, while I've stated some things that are definitely true about myself, and the way I've always approached life, it was just plain ugh. By that, I mean I don't do well defining myself. Does anyone? I would have been much more comfortable just writing and making snide, sarcastic/funny comments in parenthesis as I go along. (like the title of this post, get it, Apollo, Creed. No I don't care if you don't think it's funny. What do you mean you haven't seen Rocky? Go find Rocky's 1-4, watch them, then come back and finish this. You'll thank me.)
Well, that was a nice side tangent. The joys of freewriting. Banana! Look at this power I wield!! But back to the matter at hand. I think I could have told you about the creed of 2-3 other people that I really know in the time I spent this evening trying to put down just a few concepts or ideas about what I could call my creed. I think I just scratched the surface. That's probably a good thing. Tonight was just the preamble, if you will. To entertain a construction metaphor, we've laid a foundation and we've gotten a wall or two framed. Ooohhh, metaphors, so shiny.
I realize that I've spoken of cat pictures, and as of yet, no cat pics. They will be there. Don't you fret.
In the meantime, that's all the time for this exercise friends. Have a great night, day, or whatever time in between this may find you.
And that's the ten minute mark. I do have to say, this whole freewriting thing is kind of fun. It's a bit freeing to not have to completely structure what you are saying since the goal is to keep writing for the whole ten minutes, or whatever you set your timer for.
Thanks for reading,
David
Hey Friends, it's freewriting time again, here we go.
So, I've just spent maybe 30-40 minutes trying to articulate what my personal creed might be. If you are really curious just check my previous post. Now, while I've stated some things that are definitely true about myself, and the way I've always approached life, it was just plain ugh. By that, I mean I don't do well defining myself. Does anyone? I would have been much more comfortable just writing and making snide, sarcastic/funny comments in parenthesis as I go along. (like the title of this post, get it, Apollo, Creed. No I don't care if you don't think it's funny. What do you mean you haven't seen Rocky? Go find Rocky's 1-4, watch them, then come back and finish this. You'll thank me.)
Well, that was a nice side tangent. The joys of freewriting. Banana! Look at this power I wield!! But back to the matter at hand. I think I could have told you about the creed of 2-3 other people that I really know in the time I spent this evening trying to put down just a few concepts or ideas about what I could call my creed. I think I just scratched the surface. That's probably a good thing. Tonight was just the preamble, if you will. To entertain a construction metaphor, we've laid a foundation and we've gotten a wall or two framed. Ooohhh, metaphors, so shiny.
I realize that I've spoken of cat pictures, and as of yet, no cat pics. They will be there. Don't you fret.
In the meantime, that's all the time for this exercise friends. Have a great night, day, or whatever time in between this may find you.
And that's the ten minute mark. I do have to say, this whole freewriting thing is kind of fun. It's a bit freeing to not have to completely structure what you are saying since the goal is to keep writing for the whole ten minutes, or whatever you set your timer for.
Thanks for reading,
David
What's in a Creed?
I've never considered what my creed might be before, but since I've been assigned to write a brief summation about it, here goes.
The first would be that I use my sense of humor to keep a sense of perspective about things, good, bad, indifferent, there is almost always something funny about whatever you're going through at the moment. It might just take some time and distance. I think if you can find a way to laugh during the difficult times in life it can keep it from being too overwhelming.
Kindness, reliability, trustworthiness are all things I have always valued, even when I've failed to live up to my own standards.
I don't like using the word 'promise', if I say I will do something or be somewhere. That's what I'll do.
I tend to believe the best in people even though that sometimes lends itself to misjudging their character or motives.
This seems like a good start, more on this later.
Sunday, June 21, 2015
Not so Random Thoughts (an exercise in freewriting).
Hi Friends and fellow students,
What you are about to witness is an exercise called freewriting. The goal is to write for time, don't edit, don't judge what you are typing or writing on the page, just write. So for this assignment I'm going to use one of the 'I Believe' statements from the post I just finished, and go for ten minutes, whether it ends up looking like a cohesive thought or not. Are you ready? I'm not. You should go get a snack and then come back. I'll wait, I don't mind. Are you back? I hope so. This seems fun, let's see what happens.
Here we go in 3, 2,...
I believe wherever you are right now, it's temporary. It seems like such a simple concept really. Yet change catches us all off guard, all the time if you think about. How many people do you know that didn't see something big coming along? They thought they were in the job they'd retire from and then boom, let go, downsized, fired. They then had to come to terms with life not going according to plan. Did it turn out better? Did it turn out worse? Just remember, it's temporary. I don't have the time to quote book, chapter and verse of the Bible to you right now, but there is a simple perfect verse to sum up this concept. "It came to pass." Simple concept right? It's kind of mind blowing if you think about. It didn't come to stay, it came to pass. I'm borrowing this observation from a comedian I once heard remark on this subject. I want to say his name was Mark Lowry, but I could be wrong. It means enjoy it while it lasts, it means keep going if everything around you is burning to the ground. If you still draw breath, keep going forward damn it!!! I hope that wasn't too many exclamation points, but if you need the motivation right now I want to make that point exceptionally clear. KEEP GOING! Enjoy what's around you. And if life is good, you know really good. Keep Going. Things change, and if we don't keep going we can miss what's next. I know, I've been there. I was married once before. I stopped moving forward. Everything stagnated. There was no direction, no goal for my life. Just work, play, repeat. When everything 'hit the fan' as like to refer to it, it was a shock, I was numb, it was unbelievable, I didn't know how or when things would be better, or if they could be better. I have good friends though. I have an amazing family.
AND time...
332 words in ten minutes.
My apologies for the abrupt ending. I hope you enjoyed it though. If not I'm sure you'll find a better post to read soon.
I Believe...I'm late with this post.
I believe I'm making this post a day late.
I believe in God.
I believe I have very high standards for myself.
I believe I don't hit those standards far too often.
I believe my cat is adorable.
I believe I have been blessed immensely in my life.
I believe peanut butter is amazing.
I believe I'm kind.
I believe I can be a jerk.
I believe what you say to yourself, about yourself, is more important than what other people say to you.
I believe what people say about you when you're not there is none of your business.
I believe in preparation.
I believe I have an awesome family.
I believe I will make a great dad one day.
I believe in self-reliance.
I believe God speaks to us in more ways than we realize.
I believe in your potential, even if you don't.
I believe pizza should be a food group.
I believe winter is the best season of the year.
I believe the best is yet to come.
I believe that wherever you are right now, it's temporary.
I believe Dominos is better than Pizza Hut.
I believe I have time for one more belief statement.
I believe my wife is incredibly gorgeous.
I believe in God.
I believe I have very high standards for myself.
I believe I don't hit those standards far too often.
I believe my cat is adorable.
I believe I have been blessed immensely in my life.
I believe peanut butter is amazing.
I believe I'm kind.
I believe I can be a jerk.
I believe what you say to yourself, about yourself, is more important than what other people say to you.
I believe what people say about you when you're not there is none of your business.
I believe in preparation.
I believe I have an awesome family.
I believe I will make a great dad one day.
I believe in self-reliance.
I believe God speaks to us in more ways than we realize.
I believe in your potential, even if you don't.
I believe pizza should be a food group.
I believe winter is the best season of the year.
I believe the best is yet to come.
I believe that wherever you are right now, it's temporary.
I believe Dominos is better than Pizza Hut.
I believe I have time for one more belief statement.
I believe my wife is incredibly gorgeous.
Sunday, June 14, 2015
Personality, writing, and maybe a cat picture.
Hi, I'm Dave, welcome to my blog. I'm glad you're here, even if it is just part of an assignment. This blog is more of a journal as part of an English class I'm taking, I certainly don't think of myself as a blogger, but I'll do my best to keep it interesting, or at least provide pictures of my cat being adorable. After all, that's what the Internet is for, right?
So, one of the things I'm to do this week is to use the results of a Jung Typology test, and look at how that compares/contrasts with my perceptions of myself as a student and a writer. The results? I am an ESTP. Which is Extrovert, Sensing, Thinking, Perceiving, heavy on the Thinking.
My first impression upon reading up on the common ESTP type, dead on. Let's see.
Likes writing shorter pieces? Check.
Struggles with lengthy independent writing? Check.
May put off getting started? (Am I working on this the morning of the day this is due?) Check.
Not to be overlooked, is how accurate this describes my attitudes towards learning as a student. If the information presented is clearly practical or important for the course, or life in general. No problem, I'll absorb it, remember it, share it with friends whether they are interested in my new found knowledge or not. Is it just filler, or boring, or just not relevant to why I'm in that class? I check out.
Now, while it's true that I procrastinate, especially on things like homework assignments. I have found that this isn't necessarily a bad thing. To be sure, there is the stress of having things happen last minute that can complicate finishing an assignment, which wouldn't be an issue if someone (me) had just started working on it a few days ago. I have managed to harness my procrastination to a degree though. The lack of time to finish a given assignment from not starting earlier, provides a little added focus that helps to tune out the distractions that might otherwise pull me from working on it in the first place.
So the question is, "Will this new insight help me be a better student or writer?". For now, I don't know. It can't hurt, that's for sure.
So, one of the things I'm to do this week is to use the results of a Jung Typology test, and look at how that compares/contrasts with my perceptions of myself as a student and a writer. The results? I am an ESTP. Which is Extrovert, Sensing, Thinking, Perceiving, heavy on the Thinking.
My first impression upon reading up on the common ESTP type, dead on. Let's see.
Likes writing shorter pieces? Check.
Struggles with lengthy independent writing? Check.
May put off getting started? (Am I working on this the morning of the day this is due?) Check.
Not to be overlooked, is how accurate this describes my attitudes towards learning as a student. If the information presented is clearly practical or important for the course, or life in general. No problem, I'll absorb it, remember it, share it with friends whether they are interested in my new found knowledge or not. Is it just filler, or boring, or just not relevant to why I'm in that class? I check out.
Now, while it's true that I procrastinate, especially on things like homework assignments. I have found that this isn't necessarily a bad thing. To be sure, there is the stress of having things happen last minute that can complicate finishing an assignment, which wouldn't be an issue if someone (me) had just started working on it a few days ago. I have managed to harness my procrastination to a degree though. The lack of time to finish a given assignment from not starting earlier, provides a little added focus that helps to tune out the distractions that might otherwise pull me from working on it in the first place.
So the question is, "Will this new insight help me be a better student or writer?". For now, I don't know. It can't hurt, that's for sure.
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