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| The second year was spectacular. There were multiple spectacles. They kept falling off my face, though, so I put them down in a safe place.
Some highlights are these:
- I taught a chemistry elective for the first time. I made some blunders (organizationally), but the class was enjoyable and productive. I look forward to improving it for the second time around.
- There was the hair dye thing. Not sure if I'll repeat that.
- Fun Fun Fun Fest was...as advertised?
- I wrote a song about ocean currents.
- I started singing in a choir at the Unitarian Church. I'm not sure if I'll continue that next season. It was fairly fun this spring, though.
- I learned a lot of astronomy stuff (life cycle of stars, etc.), and it was a lot of fun to teach. I wrote a song about that, too.
- I skied Colorado for the first time, with my dad. I graded papers in a bar for the first time, without my dad.
- I kicked some major ASS in a scholastic cover band of the same initials.
- I organized and executed a field trip from the ground up.
- For another field trip, out of state, I did my part and look forward to doing it again. I may even have to run it myself in a few years, and I'm okay with that.
- I found more people with whom to play disc golf. And I've started playing tennis with Lew again. (So good, and good for you!)
- I sold my boss and a few kids on a philosophy elective for next spring. I get to write the curriculum myself.
Summer has gone well so far, too. Highlights are the following:
- I moved all my fucking stuff into a new house for about a month, while the foundation in my landlady's original house is being worked on (and then the floors). The new room is bigger, with better air circulation. I'm okay for a month. There is a fairly crazy neighbor, though.
- I've connected with people from my old certification program. I helped a person prep for the certification exam the other day, kind of pro bono work, you know? It felt good. I'm also going to hang out with one of the people who happens to be an old friend from sixth grade. Cool, no?
- I've signed up for the National Karaoke League: North Austin Division. Come see me rock out on Wednesdays this summer.
- My new room is big enough for the drum set I'm borrowing until next school year. I'm teaching myself to play drums! Here is the result: http://www.tindeck.com/listen/aaqj
- Tim is coming into town tomorrow. He and I are going to go see Camera Obscura play. I paid too much money?
THIS MATTERS.
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| sleeper bus 100 wings dialogue driven augusta georgia herbal sleeping pills good competition beer beer beer wood filler Dead Bowie goodbye
THIS MATTERS.
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| Regarding Spring Break,
Breckenridge is okay for a warm-up, I guess. Go there for somebody who's going skiing for the first time. It's too much work to get to a challenging slope. The parking is pretty good for five dollars.
Beaver Creek is a real toss-up. The parking is free, but it's a bus ride away from the slope. Unless you'd rather pay something like thirty-five dollars. There are some amazing runs (my first "glades" and double black diamond bullshit), but there's often a long lift line associated with them. Add to all that the fact that the place is relatively far from Frisco, much less Denver. It all adds up to a "not going back there".
But you get to call it "the Beav".
Arapahoe Basin is a winner. Parking is free, right next to all the front side lifts. The back side is challenging and with practically no wait. Ditto on some parts of the front side. At this place I did my first "extreme terrain" bullshit. It's the first time I've been scared to go down a slope in a number of years, and that's exciting. I want to go back there, but not with someone who's new to skiing.
Keystone is very touristy (like "the Beav"), but it's well run and the slopes are nice. Like Beaver Creek, however, I found that it took me at least a half hour to get to anything exciting (some very cool and lengthy glades). Overall, I feel kind of mixed about it. I might go back there, given the chance.
Colorado has some great t-shirts, if you can find them, but often they are long-sleeved and unsuited to Texas weather outside of the winter time.
Stop regarding Spring Break.
I started drinking beer because Heather and I were at a bar and she ordered one. I didn't want to follow up by not ordering one. Turns out that I can drink these things and not throw up. True story. I tell you these things because I'd rather you hear them from me, you person, you.
The band is going hilariously well. We're most likely playing at a bar in early May. And not quite so hilarious is the fact that I sing in a choir now. Haha, I sing in a choir now. I sing the bass part because it's easier for me to pick out; I imagine my voice is a little more suited to tenor.
I haven't been to karaoke in months. Now I just read about karaoke. Isn't that sad?
I taught myself to solder, and I started building a guitar pedal. I started out by not building it and instead letting it sit around for a couple months. I continued by building half of it, and now I've been letting it sit around again for a few weeks. A guitar pedal is not at all like a fine wine. It will taste much better, I assure you. And no cork!
Plate tectonics is still a great subject. Now accepting applications for relevant puns. And I can't wait to go to New Mexico and Colorado this summer, provided there isn't another impressive hail storm before then.
THIS MATTERS.
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| I almost lost my voice yelling at kids playing sports.
I dyed my hair rather blonde. It turned slightly red. I cut a lot of it off. It looks alright.
I'm getting weekly practice on the bass. I'm learning new songs.
I had a tire go flat. I drove on the flat for about a mile. Then I put on the spare, with some help from Matt.
I voted early.
I've been doing the Jumble and the crossword just about every day. This is new to me.
I feel satisfied with my work. But I don't want to be married to my job.
THIS MATTERS. | | |
| You know, I couldn't tell you why I'm drinking Pucker and vodka together with a menthol cough drop -- I just don't know. Let's call it an experiment.
Results: It's not that bad. At least it's not beer and tomato juice.
Highlights of my past couple of weeks include the following:
I drove to College Station with my brother and housemate. We played some disc golf with Tim and cooked some good food.
I watched the first presidential debate with Heather & co.
Rachel, my housemate, and I went to see the opening of Beverly Hills Chihuahua. It was everything I could have hoped for in an awful movie. It was originally Rachel's idea, and my, it was a good one.
My landlady also threw a kickass thirtieth birthday party. She rented out an upper room and patio at a sweet bar, and she had a DJ doing his thing for the whole night. It was the first time in a few months that I ended up in a diner at three-thirty in the morning.
Things to which I am looking forward include the following:
Purchasing the new Marnie Stern album.
Watching the next presidential debate, hopefully with good company.
Having my picture taken later this week, I think.
Cutting my hair after having my picture taken.
Dressing up in goofy outfits next week.
Voting early would be nice, since I recently changed my registration address.
THIS MATTERS.
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Lifetime