Closing time

Random thoughts floating in my head right now:

• I love coming home from work at looking up at the sky. If it is a clear winter's night, the stars are vibrant and beautiful. I stand watching them for a minute, perhaps make a wish or say a silent prayer only my subconscience knows, evaluate my day (or week or life), and know that whatever I am feeling at that very moment is so small, so miniscule compared to the universe, that things will be okay.
• I don't like seeing my friends go through things that I am very much familiar with, and not being able to help. Words are only words and I don't know if they are understandable to the recipient.
• I have absolutely no idea why I am still awake. I have to teach in the morning, which means -to my regular blog readers- this won't be updated until at least after 4 pm. It's elementary schoolers.
• I have no idea what kind of state-of-mind I am in right now. I am being rather poetic about things and writing in extravagant ways not normally seen. And the frightening part about it is that it's not metaphorical or make-believe. When I reread this tomorrow, it'll probably sound like an inspirational movie-of-the-week gone bad.
• I need energy to teach, I need sleep to gain energy, I need to stop composing this blog to sleep.

On that note, Thank you and Good Night.

Usually reserved for myspace -

- but today I am feeling a bit spry. Here we go with 1) directions: Name ten flawless albums. These are the albums that you can just put on, knowing full-well you don't have to skip tracks or pick up the stylus. Just put them on, and you feel comfortable, safe and full of emotion and 2) results [in no particular order]

1. Rob Thomas - Something to Be
2. Matchbox Twenty - Mad Season
3. Johnny Cash - The Hits
4. The Beatles - Past Masters, Volume One
5. GooGoo Dolls - Gutterflower
6. Ludwig van Beethoven - Symphony No. 9 in D Minor
7. Gettysburg - Soundtrack
8. Les Miserables - Original London Cast
9. Buddy Holly - The Buddy Holly Collection
10. Train - Drops of Jupiter

thoughts of the day

So far awesome morning. Up at 6, out the door by 6:50, to the school by 7, done by 9:20, and home at 9:30. I'm in the middle of my seven hour layover between jobs, which is fine. I'm tackling my in-progress book pile and am determined to finish at least one of them by the weekend. To the relief of some people, this is not intended to be Harry Potter, though I cannot promise it won't end up that way. These other books are slower reads and I am afraid that my lightening fast reading speed that I developed while at U-D is slowly slipping away. Perhaps that is the underlying cause that I have eight or nine books which I am currently reading.

Notes to self: polish and sharpen pocket knives; learn to properly head lock an individual; practice not cutting a right eye.

Of historical importance:

• Another ambassador to this nation's struggle for racial equality and freedom died today. May we never forget Coretta Scott King or her husband and both their contributions to ensure human rights and liberties reach all races.
• Alito was confirmed by the Senate. We now live in a country in which George W. Bush has appointed two Supreme Court justices. This means the reprecussions of this president will have an impact on the people long after his days in the White House. I'm not sure circumstances could be more dismal.
• To end this section with a silver lining: By this time in three years, a new president will already have been sworn in. And it won't be Georgie boy.

In an attempt to make a friend feel better, I have come up short. In the future, I shall remember to write down what I mean to say, especially if it is not meant to be said at the current time. Or I should just come out and say it before I forget and fail. Either my brain has begun rotting from not being in school (which I was completely warned about) or I am getting old. Both might be a very valid reason.

Time to Shine

Shine bright, dear Detroit, during your week in the spotlight.


[Despite this being an old picture (the Penobscot Building now shines with red and blue lights instead of all white, not sure about the gas comany building), it is still a pretty one.]

Strange things happening because of the Superbowl: Al let Jimmy Kimmel drive his zam before the game Sat. night for some promo thing. Wierdness, I mean really, really wierd. I never would have thought Al let anyone drive his zamboni, let alone Jimmy Kimmel. On the off chance I watch late-night tv, I much prefer NBC. Downtown looks all nice and shit. Suburbanites who bash the city are taking a liking to it. The local news has stopped reporting homicides, arsons, and other grim subjects. I actually can't think of a place I would rather be further away from (it was delightful being out-of-town for the All-Star game last July).

My biggest discrepancy: City Airport has been renamed Coleman A. Young International Airport. Seriously, Kwame, what the fuck is wrong with you? Does it not seem completely inappropiate to 1) rename a city owned airport after a crooked mayor, under whose administration Detroit went to shit (Had it not been for Coleman's long-term, drug dealing days in office, the city wouldn't have had to spend millions to clean it up for one event) and 2) international? what the bloody hell is international about city airport? Southwest stopped flying out of that airport years and years ago and they are not even an international airline. It is used now for private flyers, yet again, nothing international about it. Unless of course there are some Windsorites who use the airport for their private planes, though I would think heightened security (after 9/11, not just for the Game) and different laws (U.S. vs. Canada)would prohibit our kind neighbors from any such benefit.

Though one thing remains the same: Jay Leno continues poking fun at the city. Finally some reassurance from which we can all seek comfort.

My words for the wise: Party on. Stay on the main corridors where street lights protect the weary. Watch out for unexpected surprises. Always carry a pair of surgical scissors (I will use this until Jack uses a common item in an uncommon way). And remember, the Detroit River is only four blocks away from Ford Field.

50% off worse than Christmas

I may have both Friday and Saturday off, but it comes as a price. I have to close next Sunday, so I'll be a late arrival to any Superbowl festivies I may attend. While this may be disappointing, I am ecstatic at the idea of having two consecutive days off from any of my three employers.

Speaking of which, I am not back to the Joe until Feb 18, when I will enjoy watching the Alumni game. Then the 25th, when Sparty plays Lake State. The next Red Wings game I work will be in March, when Phoenix comes back to town. I saw one of my season ticket holders in the mall today. I was going to go up and say hi until I realized that he would have no idea who I was and that just made me run away in the other direction without being seen. On a similar note, I was sitting down in the mall just relaxing (I got there too early to go straight to the store) and this little girl comes up and starts talking to me. I have no idea who she was, but she was cute. She was complaining to me about her brother...hahaha...so fitting. Then as she was leaving with her mom, she turned around and waived by to me. I felt like Dr. Doolittle or something. This also helped put me in a happy mood.

And speaking of Phoenix, Happy year of the Dog. Cheers to you, Cuj! ; )

20 years gone by

Today is the twentieth anniversary of the Challenger. That's all I have to say about that.

First job today went well. The store was busy. Compared to the last few weeks, there were A LOT of people in the store. It's great news, but I also had a lot more to straighten since people tend to be complete idiots when they shop.

Next up, hockey game. It is not the Wings - thank goodness - but rather Michigan-Michigan State college hockey. These crowds tend to be a little less tense than pro hockey games. And my section falls in the middle of Spartyville. Thank God! I cannot stand U-M fans at any level and the hockey fans are exceptionally obnoxious morons. So let's go Sparty.

I hate you, mr. low-life wings fan

I hate my job...er...one of them anyway. I don't even know if I want to bitch about it anymore. I had the worst game since coming back from the lockout last night. It rivals how I felt after working the Flyers game, whenever the bloody hell that was. It was not even a full moon, so I have no logical explaination for why people were being such fucking unbelievable, moronic assholes last night. For more profanity on this event, read the blog at myspace. If you do not know my address, tough, but this is all I am going to say about it. If I ever have to experience a game like that again, I am quitting on the spot. Case Closed.

Got done teaching today and home by 9:30. That is sweet. Now that I am done posting my blogs, I am off to seek therapy through my Jacks. I don't know how I am going to accomplish this, but I will find a way. Being the stubborn, efficient person that I am, there has to be a way to do this, and I will discover it.

I also need to find a way to up the dosage on my patience pills. Obviously the ones I use for the mall and the ones I need for the Joe are completely different. I couldn't even find it in myself to have a decent conversation with four men who flew in from Vancouver. They were awesome, sporting the blue and green jerseys. I sent them on their way to Windsor so they could enjoy a nightlife. Seeing as Detroit is a 9-5 city, I'll give my southern neighbor a little business. Yes, Windsor is south of Detroit. Only place in North America in which Canada lies to the south of the United States.

Geography lesson is over for today.

I'm off to find comfort in Hollywood blockbusters and hot actors. Wish me luck. Auf Wiedersehen.

The power of "Thank You"

I just love subbing at my old high school. I let the kids do whatever they want - within reason. I lucked out by getting the only kind of science I can remotely understand: biology. They had worksheets to do and I got two more chapters read in Harry Potter. For slacking members of the arbitrary Order bookclub, I'm up to 15. And yes, I will try to slow it down a bit.

Anywho, a couple stories about how my day went:
-Boys will be boys. Some of them were picking on this one kid and he was getting completely frustrated with the whole situation. I walked up to the group and said the next person who bothers this student will be sent straight to the office, no questions asked. They shaped up and left him alone. The kid thanked me for saying that. I felt awesome about it after that. I am a kind person who takes in a "thank you" at so much more than face value. Said at the proper time, it can do wonders for reassurement that not all of humanity has gone to the dogs.
-One kid guessed (within six months) how old I am. Guess I have to start accepting the fact that I will turn a quarter century and get used to the way it sounds. UGH! Whenever I feel old, I take comfort in knowing that my brother is two years older and his age always sounds much worse than my own.
-I completly avoided eye contact with my own tenth grade biology teacher. To this day, the woman still scares me. That and I did not want to hear her fake story about how good it was to see me (if she even remembered me) and blah, blah, blah. She strongly disliked me as a student (don't worry, the feeling was mutual), I need nothing to do with her now. Unfortunetly, I didn't make it upstairs to see my favorite English teacher. Another time, perhaps.

Getting my gear in order for tonight. Canucks are in town and ready to rock the Joe. For the Wings' sake, I hope they win. They need to win. I don't want to hear the fans whining about their inability to win. However, if I remember history correctly, I believe the Wings have always sucked leading up to the Olympic Break.
My checklist:
-surgical scissors: check
-patience pills: check
-uniform

That's all for my exciting day. Later

The Bauermobile has returned

That's right ladies and gentlemen, after a week of wondering and waiting, the Bauermobile is back in action, with a new name, new crankshaft sensor, and new oil. Since Jack is the obvious yet completely unrealistic cause of the mayhem of the past week, I am honoring him by naming my car the Bauermobile. It seems the only appropriate thing to do.

Teaching went better today. It was a 3/4 grades mix, so there was another teacher in there too. And by checking the site early this morning, I got four more days. Working my way up to 50, one day at a time.

Fresh out of things to say. Later all.

Jack's grip never loosens

Please be aware that if you betray Jack, his grip never loosens and the feeling of doom becomes more and more relevant. Helping your family does not constitute a good enough excuse to be exempt from his wrath.

For those of you linking from E.T.1 (aka myspace), let me update you on the car chronicles:
As of 5 pm, Kevin has worked on my car all day. The crankshaft (not crookshank, Hermione) sensor is a plug, located adjacent to the engine in a tricksey position. He has the new part, it was just a matter of getting the old, broken one out in one piece. Well, after a day's work, he has to drop my oil pan. Included in this is a new gasket and oil. By the end of the day tomorrow, and assuming this fixes the problem, I should have my car back tomorrow. A new name is under consideration...probably something to do with Jack Bauer. Suggestions are always welcome.

I take back my comment about calling third graders cute and sweet. They are loud and bad. I have a headache. And I am punishing myself by teaching the same grade (albeit in a different school)tomorrow. Hopefully having the kids a full day will be better, since they will be under my direction from the beginning of the day, not just after lunch.

Food, Potter, Bed. This is the routine I have planned for this evening. I haven't been home on a Tuesday night in so long, I almost don't know what to do with myself. Almost. ; )

Auf Wiedersehen

Balancing act

My supervisor and usher friends were, to say the least, quite shocked to see me last night. To anyone that would listen, I said that I have three jobs and have to balance when and where I work. This seemed to be an acceptable reason as to my poor attendance at the games this season. Speaking of jobs, I have a half day to teach today. I am looking forward to it because third graders are still cute and sweet (at least for the most part). I am also looking forward to it because I haven't taught in close to two weeks due to final exams and the start of the new semester. So it does wonders for both my bank account and confidence level. No I wasn't blacklisted after cancelling work that one Friday due to a 24 hour bug and yes, finally I am back to teaching. This will, without a doubt, leave me in a confused blur as to what my future really holds. The more I think about it, the more I think I will be happy with a Master's instead of a K-12 teaching certification; teaching college level instead of teaching secondary. I just need to win the lottery in order to accomplish that.

Note to self: always carry medical scissors in my back pocket and always look in screens to check for assassains. This will not only help stop killers, it will also benefit my ticket holders in my section with row 18 seats. They have started to tie and connect the folding chairs again. This annoying and pointless custom is usually reserved for playoffs. But since Detroit has the pleasure of hosting the Superbowl and fire marshalls are more present than normally they would be, they had to connect the chairs last night. I promptly went to the medic, asked for his scissors, and cut every other tie and both chairs at the end. Row 18 is reserved for handicap persons, so tell me Mr. Illitch what exactly is the point of tying chairs together when there very possibly could be a guest in a wheelchair? Also for evacuation purposes, it would make more sense to the leave the chairs untied and not connected, to ensure an escape for all patrons. Please note that arena seating is not rocket science, that the Superbowl is not for two weeks, that Ford Field is no where near Joe Louis Arena, that the FanFest festivites in Cobo Hall do not start until February 1st, and that pissing Amy off is a really bad idea. Although when it comes to working for your organization, the last bit is not that hard to accomplish. Lucky for me, the nearest exit to my section are the River doors.

Other notes of interest in downtown: As I exited the Lodge I noticed they were powerwashing the side of Cobo Hall. They have put a Superbowl store on the corner of Washington and Congress. They have installed new ticket booths on Cobo Roof. All of these things -except the store- are pointless. Wait for the blizzard that hits Southeast Michigan on Feb 4th at midnight to smear the freshly cleaned walls of this building. Cobo Roof will be closed during the fan fest Feb 1-5 at the request of Homeland Security. The usher office is in Cobo Hall and also at the request of Homeland Security, we are not "allowed" to walk through the building to check in. This is because they do not want us waiting to go through the security system they will have in place for all guests going to the football stuff upstairs. This (and also lack of ability to navigate the city streets due to closures) leads me to pass on any and all events during those dates: one Red Wings game and two Kid Rock concerts. I have seen Bob in concert more times than any one person should ever be subjected too. To those who wish to comment on this paragraph, be aware that I become rather touchy when people that aren't from Detroit start bashing it, I was born and raised south of Eight Mile and will defend it to my dying day. It is more of a personal rant than anything else and mentioning the heightened security plans might warrent me time in Cuba. Oh well, at least the weather is nice. Do you think they would put a deferment on my student loans?

Off to the third grade now. When I was in third grade, I got 100% on every spelling test. There is also another funny story, but I shall share that at another time.

Hockey-going nutcase

A true test of technology: I have my DVR set to record 24 tonight. Lord help me if it doesn't work and I have to deal with a second week of Jack's wrath.

Speaking of 24, day four is running on A&E right now. Poor Edgar, he needs a hug. Always hug Edgar. :*(

They have started tearing down the Firehouse. For those of you who never knew the cozy corner bar, you should feel saddened by this. Last July it went up in flames, as the blackest smoke ever filled the sky. The remaining stench of rotting food filled the air months later. And now, they have started the demolition. Many happy memories in that establishment. Many hockey games watched. Many meals consisting of the best pizza, burgers, and ribs on the East Side. And the sheer convenience and benefits of having a bar at the corner can only be imagined.

Kevin is still Up North and my car won't even be looked at until tomorrow.

I got a power supply for my computer, so maybe my good cpu will be returned by week's end.

I have three hockey games to work this week. Tonight is the make-up game from when Fischey collapsed. Thursday is versus the Canucks! Saturday is Michigan-Michigan State hockey. I get to be a Wings fan, Canucks fan, and Sparty fan all in one week! I'll be exhausted come Sunday. ; )

Things are now in motion that cannot be undone

Congrats to me: I officially am in student loan repayment as I made my first payment today. Shortly after, I received this message:

• Welcome, Amy, to a life of poverty for the x amount of years. Thank you for giving us back money used to fund your near-useless college degree. As you continue to endure employment and economic hardship, we will be spending your payments on crooked politics to piss a lot of people off. Sincerely, the Bush Administration via Jennifer Granholm.

Oh how much I truley love federal student loans funded through state agencies. No matter how greatly my life will suck until I find a routine to pay these monsters, going to U-D honestly made me a better person and for that, there is no pricetag. If you think "Avril" is something to reckon with, imagine the hellion I was before.

No car means no work means teaching drought continues.

New bookcase in my room with neatly organized shelves is nice, though the overall feeling of clutter, chaos, and *add other 'c' adjective here* still linger. I wonder if I will realize what this void is and stop walking around in a stupor. Until that realization dawns on me however, I shall continue on with my dull existence with a smile on my face and bright, chipper attitude and tend over my flocks by night. Precisely.

Bless you, David Palmer

Whenever I see an Allstate commercial, I just hold my neck and a feeling of sadness comes over me. Needless to say Dennis Haybert is the man.

angst conquers all

You Are Avril Lavigne!

A bit hardcore on the outside...But sweet and sensitive on the inside."It's a damn cold nightTrying to figure out this life"

Who's" Your Inner Rock Chick?

where for art thou, consideration?

After much purging, dusting and straightening, my room is only a touch cleaner. I don't feel that it is anymore organized than it was before; it is just less cluttered. I think I need to invest in a rather large bookcase for my basement and take care of the mountains of books I have everywhere. Perhaps then I will find the answer for which I am searching. Perhaps.

Before you read on, you should know how much I dislike the evils of alcohol and what it turns people into. Not only do I have to work to control drunk people at one of my jobs, I have been an eye-witness to the darkside for 24 years and strongly dislike - if not hate - the affect it has on individuals. However we all have our limits and as long as consumption is kept within those limits and can be controlled, fine. The moment one steps out of bounds due to alcoholic overload, is the moment I become weary, angry and upset. On that note...
For the second time this week, I have gotten a drunk phone call at 3am. This friend/co-worker of mine closes the bar on an almost nightly basis and for some reason calls me while driving home. Not only is this particularly dangerous, it also really, really sucks. My name starting with A also does not help matters, since I am probably near the top of his phone book. I haven't even talked to Dennis in ages, yet, he always calls at 3am. I am saving the messages to play back to him Monday night when I see him at the Joe. This won't make him stop calling me at all hours of the night, but it would give him a good laugh. With the exception of four people, I will never answer the phone when it rings in the middle of the night. So I don't even care that he or anyone else does it, but seriously, where is the consideration? He knows that I am a teacher and if he put the two remaining brain cells together, he would know that I wake up early and go to bed at reasonable hours of the night.

On the way to the post office this morning, I came across a driver who was driving ten miles an hour less than the posted speed limit - on dry roads mind you - and another one who couldn't quite decide whether or not he was in Britain or the United States, so he was driving in the middle of the yellow line.

If this is the way my day is starting, I can hardly wait for when I report for work. Since it is the main manager working tonight, she will most likely use my on-call shift. Whoopie do. Wish me luck and patience with my day.

A turn to the upside, please

Okie day, now that I have seen part two of the 24 season premiere, please let my luck turn upward. No more spiraling down to the depths of hell. Time to come back to the daylight. : )

And wow. People told me that it was something else. Indeed it was.

That's all I have to say about that.

Trashed

It is January 20th. I am just now deciding that I will make a resolution. Maybe it won't last the whole year, but like any new decision, I will face this with a lot of determination and energy.

The space around me is in utter chaos. I cannot stand this. Maybe the mess is a reflection of my life at the moment, which is why I am resolving to clean things up a bit. Blame it on the 50 degree weather this time of year in Michigan or whatever else, but I am sick and tired of it all. This clutter is getting on my last nerve. And in the next 24 hours, half of it will be in the dumpster in my parking lot. Also, I think it is about time that I get rid of some rest of the shit that I used when I was in school. As my loans are in repayment now, those days are long past me.

So away with the trash and on to a clean and organized living space. Hopefully the metaphor will continue on and I will start to feel a little more put together in other areas of my life as well.

Technical Wizardy

Today I have installed a cable/dvr box. Successfully. And I only had to re-trace my steps once. ; ) Cable works and DVR works, just have to keep trying OnDemand.

Now, I never have to deal with the wrath of Jack Bauer again. And yes, I still have to find a way to watch Monday's episode. So please Mr. Bauer, make my car feel better. And while you are at it, please ask Hurley to fix my computer, maybe with Sayid's help. Thanks, Jack.

Diagnosis: Super Chev

Finally, at 5:30 my mechanic called. Apparently, the crankshaft ~note: not crookshank~ on engine isn't sparking. Because of my old engine, it's a little tricksey. It could still be the modulator attached with engine coils. Kevin is going up north tomorrow, so he won't get to my car until Monday. And he doesn't want the other guys in the shop to touch my car, therefore adding to the postponment. But that's okay. I can rest assured knowing that I have at least a primary diagnosis.

At work: more time on the register. I did some of everything tonight. I still don't know if I like it or not, but I guess that is just part of the job that I will have to deal with.

After work: it has been so long since I've gotten a text message that I almost forgot how to retrieve them. I actually stared at my phone asking it to come up for me. After a few seconds I remembered and all I can do is sing my own special song, even if nobody else sings along. AND I got to talk to my best friend in L.A. on the way home. We haven't talked in awhile and that makes me feel happy too. : )

I found my much sought after silver lining from yesterday. All I can say that I am counting my lucky stars that my car is deciding to break down now and not a year ago when I was still in school. Phew!

Pip

I am spending the afternoon hiding out in the Shire. The happy hobbits are taking good care of me, feeding me properly, teaching me how to brew ales and the proper techniques of smoking pipeweed. Fun times, indeed.

I love Pippin. He is my favorite hobbit. Why? Because he says things like this: "We need people of intelligence on this sort of mission. Quest. Thing." Sometimes I wish I could be more like Pippin on a daily basis.

As there is more to this hobbit than meets the eye, I am off to continue the adventure.

Yes, even I get nervous

So yeah, almost 11:00 and no word from Kevin. This is testing my nerves of steel and patience. Both of which fall off their tracks sometimes.

Funny story about being nervous. As I was hesistantly learning the register Tuesday night, I said to the girl training me that I really shouldn't be so nervous right. The register is really nothing more than a computer system. I have the brain power to handle that. Cari, one of the managers says, "Amy, I really can't see you as the type of person who gets nervous." Very nice compliment and very true. Except I am nervous and going out of my mind waiting to hear about the damage on my car.

Reading isn't helping. Put Harry Potter on hold to allow other members of the Order of Pheonix to catch up and I don't know why, but I can't get into this Emperor book like I did before. Ancient Rome just isn't doing it for me today. Then again, neither was London.

I'm all sorts of distracted and uneasy today. :*( Perhaps I will scour my library for an unread book that jumps out at me.

Something I Miss

I miss seeing the Wings wear white. I rarely watch away games anymore and I really miss seeing them play in white jerseys. Somehow, it reminds me of a time when things were happier, machines weren't breaking around me, I was a deep-blue, die-hard Wings fan, and me and the guys used to watch every single game down in the basement with nothing but beers and pizzas. And maybe, just maybe, I miss being a Wings fan.

When everything falls down from around you, you yearn for the simplicity of happy memories such as a white hockey jersey.

Where are you, silver lining?

If my life in the past twenty-four hours could be considered hell, then today should surely go down as being a very, very cold day in hell. So much so that I am thinking about packing my bags and going to Siberia, where I will find a nice hole to hide away in, equipped with silver walls, cozy blankets, and plenty of books to take my mind to distant and fictional, perferably warmer places.

I feel rather irritated by the fact I had to learn the register last night at work. I feel I am better than that and I hate the way that makes me feel. And sound. I am not a spoiled little bitch who hates not getting her way, I am a smart, stubborn, independent chick who wants so much more in her life than can ever possibly happen to her. BLAH...for more on this, read my blog from last night. Continuing...

Today is Wednesday and my dad gets a ride to work on this day. I had his car here, enabling me to go to my brother's apt and drop of his shit. Why is this a big deal? Because as I go to start Super Chev this morning, it doesn't turn over. Happy damn, snowy day, right? WRONG. By the time I realize this is not a fluke and it is really broken, I am already pissed. One, because I have to go to my brother's and two, because I have no idea what the shit just happened to my car.

Because when it is properly working I have an uncanny memory, I thought it was the battery. It was the same sounds, etc from when the battery died. Because I jump the gun and think I can solve anything, I went and bought a battery. There was a fun story to accompany this, but under the circumstances I am not sharing because it lost it's humor. So around 3:00 my dad gets home from work and I tell him what happened. We go out and try to change the battery, but because it is a side-socket compartment it really sucks to change. And then we couldn't get the negative side undone. And then I noticed there was some wire broken. Bloody christ. AAA is paid for a reason, so a tow truck is called and within 45 mins arrives to take my blasted car to the mechanics.

Initial diagnosis is that it is not the battery. He threw out the words fuel pump, sparks, modulator (attaches to engine coils), and possibly a few more before I sank even further into thinking that my idea about a trip to Siberia would be a really, really good idea. Whether this trip comes into reality or not is dependent upon whatever shattering figure Kevin comes up with on my car.

More exciting news on my day-o-gloom. My good computer crashed last week and word on that front is "the motherboard is getting power, so thats not a great sign." And "theres nothing physically blown inside the power supply that i can see." Statements like "how much money do you want to spend," just lead me to this reaction: Christ Alive. Amen.

Keep it coming. Keep it all coming.

The walls around me are crashing down and there is no silver lining to be found. Except, of course, for the walls in my cave in Siberia, where I will be hibernating the rest of the winter.

The Experiment Begins

The real reason why I started this blog is to start writing again daily and perhaps re-tap my creative side. As I am sure I can't go on rambling about the nothingness of my days very much longer, largely because it is boring to both read AND write, I will start the purpose of this website.

I do, however, have some groundrules for both strangers and friends alike:
1) Do not steal my work. I beg you. In the event that I find the right people and they think my writing is worthy of a larger audience, please do not take this. This is merely a testing ground for gaining feedback and confidence.
2) Constructive criticism only. Quite frankly, I don't care if you don't like what I have to say, but if you leave comments do so in a polite manner, otherwise, I will not listen to what you have to say.
3) Not every entry will contain special writing, but I will every once and awhile when I feel so inclined to do so, enjoy!

On that note, here is experiment one...

Time

Time spent apart. I suggest a thousand
Fortnights in separate corners of the Earth.
It will make things better,
Help heal the battle wounds of our war.
This is the time needed to make you see clearly.

See that I am not a weak-minded person.
See that I am not ashamed for the choices I once made.

You appear the same way mounted on your horse:
You both are with blinders afraid of the peripheral.
What made you start to behave this way?
Why are you shut out from the way things are?
Will the long years apart shed light to this darkness?

Little did you know that I learned your secret ways.
I could see all what you despised about me.
I heard the harshness of your thoughts.
I read rapidly between the words you spoke.
I outsmarted you at your own game, and now look,

Look at the wreckage of war with no victor.
We no longer stand on the battlefield, so is the truce called?
Time spent apart. Drop the swords and shed the blinders.
Let us start to heal from these trenches before us.

Written: January 29, 2001
Revised: February 16, 2005
Revised: March 8, 2005

beautiful people

yummy johnny:
and for the guys, evangeline looked just as hot:

Day Five - Part II

I disappointed the Jack last night and instead of staying home and watching the second part of the premiere, assisted my cousin with her children instead. They are the only kids I watch anymore because at my age, I am past the babysitting prime. To everyone else I am retired, unless there is an excruciating circumstance, and then I will do it only because I am such a nice person. Here are some highlights and lowlights from my evening:

-lost an incomplete game of Monopoly, Star Wars style to my nine-year-old second cousin. It is a comfort knowing that even children have the capability to win that game when they play against me.
-I didn't even get to see Em. She is sick and was sleeping by the time I got there, and managed to stay asleep the entire time. She'll be more disappointed than I, especially when she learns she slept through my entire visit.
-I discovered I may in fact be allergic to rabbits. No Bugs, Babs, or Buster for me. If I ever go to the WB lot, I will join Elmer Fudd for a wittle wabbit hunting.
-Watching award shows has always been a guilty pleasure of mine. Watching it with my cousin and her husband while they were in an intoxicated mindset was even more fun. Although I only saw the last hour of the show, I saw all my favorite actors and saw all the good awards. WOOT! GO LOST.
-I had the hatch song from LOST in my head ever since I heard it on the radio Sunday night. It was so violently stuck in my head last night that I could not sleep. As soon as I awoke this morning, I downloaded it. To my delight, I even found it on myspace. To my disappointment, it is only available for downloading, not adding. Blasted kids with no respect for oldies. It's such a happy song too, I could pass my "angsty" days again. Ah well.
-In my altered sneezing state last night, I have a new-found appreciation for the Seven Dwarfs.
-Allergies suck, giving me all the more reason why I am going to move to the Mediterranean. I may be dead when by the time I go there, but I will. I will also learn to spell it without the help of Noah Webster. Until that day comes, I am sure this will only be a very persistent dream.
-I am not teaching, again, because this week is finals. I am afraid that my assignments will be few and far between this week, giving me plenty of time to do nothing. Joyous occasion for us all.


Even though I typed a lot, it really wasn't all that exciting. I would have loved to stay home and watch Bauer kick some ass at the Ontario airport. Thank goodness for friends with tivo, and back up plans for back up plans.

the hockey gods are smiling down

what a fearsome trio

let it be known that Forsberg never stands still during warm-ups. therefore, this is one of two decent shots i have of the man.

Steve Yzerman - a man unto himself

Day Five - Part I

Still blown away by the first two hours of 24. Watching Jack Bauer on back-to-back nights will surely spoil me, seeing as I have never watched a season on television before. Commercials are a good thing, especially after we saw Jack's entire covert existence fall apart. I believe they are installed to that show not for their monetary purposes, but to ensure Fox executives that their viewing audience is still breathing. Those four or five minutes are an excellent time to catch up on oxygen deprivation missed while watching the show.

Jack Bauer + no CTU control = nothing but good times! And I now have a thing for avaitor sunglasses and bomber jackets....hmmm, didn't see that coming. ;)

I don't know any html and have a blog...off to Borders to make me website-savvy.

So it begins

I welcome myself to the blogging world. I'm starting this as a way to experiement with a recently re-discovered desire to tap my creativity and let it roll. I think it will be a good source for me and I welcome readers who may come across this site.

This is all for now, more interesting reads will come again soon.