AUGUST 2003 - NOVEMBER 2003

11.24.03 - First Day On The Job

    Well, I got my first look at what office life is like. I didn't do a whole lot. I got some footage of some Ray O Vac batteries and toured the building in the morning. In the afternoon, I went with one of the veterans on a shoot and played with a kid. I'm about halfway through the KTIV Employee Handbook. I hope the pace picks up.
    In other news, the Vikings actually won on Sunday. I was worried for most of the game and threatened to give up fanship if they lost, but they pulled through.
    And last but certainly not least, my little brother, Ben, was part of the All-State Music Festival in Ames on Saturday. In case you didn't make it to the concert to hear him (and a bunch of others) perform, the program can be seen on IPTV on Wednesday, November 26 @ 8:00pm and Thursday November 27 @ 1:00pm.

11.13.03 - So Long Suckers

    I got a phone call from KTIV this afternoon. And it was a good one! They offered me the part time Creative Services Producer position. So I can still keep my job at LAMB Theatre and I can tell Applebee's to stick it! Even thinking the words make me happy. I will know more about the details of my new job soon... I know I'm working with clients and promotional stuff. But I'll be writing and shooting and editing and etc. again. So that is awesome. Well, thought I'd share the good news with those of you who glance here every once in a while.

11.11.03 - Keanu Sandwich

    I finished watching "Matrix: Reloaded" yesterday, and for those of you who know I couldn't make it through "The Matrix" without falling asleep until last summer, that was quite a feat. Well, it was a bunch of special effects and every line said by every character in the movie sounded exactly the same. I am reminded of something I heard a long time ago. (I think it was Kwik Witz.) The Keanu Reeves Sandwich: No matter which roll you stick it in, it's still just a hunk of meat.
    Other than that, Green Bay lost last night. Which is a good things for the Vikings, so they better start stepping it up. I'm looking at you Culpepper.
    And work... I don't understand the rudeness of people. All day, all the time. No matter how nice you are to them or even the people around them... you better be prepared to defend your niceness. Let's all keep our fingers crossed that I don't have to deal with this much longer.

11.10.03 - I'm Doing This For You, Viks!

    Any of you who watch ESPN, listen to a radio, read a news paper or live in the United States probably heard about the Minnesota loss this Sunday. And it's all my fault. I decided to wear a purple shirt yesterday and I'm convinced that is what brought them down. So, to further their losing streak, I'm putting their colors on my website. Yay. Go Viks!
    Well, Halloween is over and I'm still riding high on a sugar buzz. I got to see my brothers and my cousins last weekend and that was a blast. Caught up with some old friends and saw the lovely sights of Ames. That's always fun.
    I interviewed for a producing job at a television station, so everyone think good thoughts for me. (Please.) And the only other thing that is really new is that I'm dead set on making a Broadway musical version of 28 Days Later. Wish me luck with that.

10.26.03 - Daylight Savings

    It gets dark sooner and makes you think you should be in bed by 7:00 p.m. That's right. It's time to save some daylight. All the newscasters said that I would get an extra hour of sleep last night... and I didn't. I just woke up earlier and spent that extra hour resetting clocks. What a waste of time.
    The Vikings fell from their undefeated position today and the Marlins won the World Series. I bet it was all because of this time phenomenon. With gymnastics, ice skating, bowling, pool and football on this afternoon it was a huge dilemma which "sport" to watch. But seeing Moss lifted over a teammate's head was reason alone to stay tuned in.
    This weekend was pretty nice, even though the weather wasn't the greatest. Went and got pumpkins to carve at a nursery south of town. Got free hot chocolate and cider and a hayride too. We also got candy in preparation for the trick or treaters.
    I'm not looking forward to going to work tomorrow. I still feel very out of place at my serving job. I've gotten a few leads on something better and more in my field. So cross your fingers for me! (Please.)
    And last, but certainly not least, my very talented little brother has done it again. On Saturday, Ben was accepted into the All-State Choir (along with 6 other UHS choir members.) He will be performing in November at the Hilton Coliseum in Ames.

10.19.03 - The New Guy Downstairs

    After about a month and a half of no downstairs neighbors, we now have one. And that's pretty much what's new. Monday was my last day of training and now I'm making the big money.
    As some of you know, I'm a HUGE fan of smoothies and I'm in search of the perfect smoothie. As far as I know, the best one I've ever had was at the Juice Stop in Lincoln, NE. I've come pretty close with my recipe... which I will now share with you.
1 cup frozen fruit
1/3 cup water
1/3 cup milk
1/8 cup lemonade mix
1/2 cup sherbet
Put ingredients in a blender. Blend.
    It's pretty simple and you can use whatever fruits you want. Substitutions are acceptable (i.e. juice for water and/or milk, frozen yogurt or ice cream instead of sherbet) but I usually stick with my tried and true frozen peaches, strawberries and raspberries and rainbow sherbet. Sometimes I'll throw a few pineapple chunks in. I know it's not really smoothie season... but I'm already gearing up for next summer and new and improved smoothies.

10.12.03 - Football and Laundry

    This weekend has been very good. Really relaxing and no working. That is the thing I like most about my new job. I don't have to work on the weekends. That makes it 100% better.
    If your are my older brother... call me. Or you know, if you know my number and want to talk, you can call me too.

10.10.03 - Fall Madness

    The Twins didn't get too far in the post-season, but the Cubbies are doing great! Sammy is hitting the homers and the pitching is phenomenal. Keep your fingers crossed.
    Other than that, I've been watching the football and training at the new job. It's nothing really to write home about. Picking up a few substitute classes at LAMB and I've ushered a few shows. Nothing too exciting. Except that brain transplant.

09.30.03 - Cassette Tapes Rule!

    A week and a day ago I returned home from Los Angeles. It was overall a really great trip. I had a lot of fun and saw some really cool stuff. The weather, in comparison to the cold drizzle that I left here in Iowa, was beautiful. I made sandcastles on the beach and went swimming and since there was an overabundance of plankton I got to see the glowing waves at night.
    The festival itself was okay. Two full days of "horror" and "sci-fi" films were enough to last me quite a while. We did meet some interesting people. We stayed in the Manhattan Beach area and the festival was in Hollywood but on the weekends the traffic isn't too bad and we were able to commute in about 45 minutes.
    Since I've been back, I have ushered a show at LAMB Theatre and taught a weeks worth of classes. I've searched this city high and low for jobs... And the Twins and the Cubs made it to the division series!! Go teams!

09.17.03 - I'm Leavin'On A Jet Plane.

    That's right! At 7:30am tomorrow I am boarding a plane and flying to Los Angeles via Denver. I'm attending the A.K.A. Shriekfest in which "Damaged" the movie I worked on last summer was accepted. I'll be there with Dan, the director. So yay! And thanks to Dan for everything.
    Another weekend tidbit, is that I was asked to do props and set dressing at LAMB Theatre for their opening show, Run For Your Wife. I got most everything done and even though I won't be able to attend... I wish everyone a broken leg.
    Good night!

09.14.03 - I'm The Dancing Queen!

    Saturday I drove to Fort Dodge, IA for my cousin's wedding. Brian (the groom) is about 6 months older than I am and we both graduated from ISU last May, as did Dawn (the bride). The ceremony was nice and nobody passed out or fell down, which is unfortunate because I was hoping to send video in to AFV and win $10,000.
    The reception was pretty cool. I got to dance with all of my cousins and half of my brothers (Ben wasn't feeling well, but claimed he could dance better than anyone there) and I generally had a blast. The band played good oldies most of the time but Jeremy, Ben and I almost started breaking things and people when they played Jimmy Buffett and there is no reason any wedding reception should be graced with Mustang Sally's presence 3 times. All in all, it was the best workout I've had in a long time and it was great to see everybody again.

09.13.03 - Can't I Watch In Peace?

    Last night was my second trip to the movie theatre here in Sioux City. The first movie I went to was Open Range. The first two times we attempted to go the movie was sold out. The third and successful try we got into the theatre only to be frozen, watching a movie on a dark and dirty screen. We met some friends to go to Matchstick Men last night and, while it wasn't sold out, I was appalled at the number of small children attending this 9:45pm showing. During the previews, a couple with a mall stroller walk in and sit down in the front. They leave the stroller with about a 6 or 7 foot poll on it behind their seats and proceed to fuss with one out of three of their children. I don't tolerate stupid audience members very well and I went down to ask them politely if I could move their stroller. It went a little something like this:
ME: Hi. I was wondering if it would be possible for me to move your stroller over to the side, the poll is blocking the screen for several people in the theatre.
WOMAN: What!?
ME: Can I just push your stroller over to the side so it isn't blocking the screen?
WOMAN: (Stare/glare)
ME: I'm just going to push it over, okay?
WOMAN: Fine!
    And she proceeded to give me the evil eye while I did this. As if this weren't enough, the kids ran up and down the aisles in the front during most of the movie. Mid-movie the woman got up and walked over to the stroller, pulled out a plastic sack and loudly pulled out the contents. And they didn't even stay to watch the end of the movie! The couple stood up and collected their things and children and continued to block the view while they walked out, I am assuming to put their children to bed. Several other patrons decided before the movie was over to leave the theatre with their children.
    I would have just left the kids at home with their Treat Ball.

09.07.03 - Simpsons, Spiders and Spilling Drinks

    That's pretty much it. Watch some Simpsons, come into my room, find a huge spider on the wall, try to squish it, it moves so fast that I knock over my water... and the rest is history. Well, at least the spider is. I finally snuck up on it and managed to exterminate it. Might have a couple of other odd jobs with the LAMB School. And I did manage to get a couple of nights of sleep in. But it's 2:46am right now and I'll let you come to your own conclusions.
    P.S. My fish and children love playing with their new Treat Balls.

09.03.03 - I Don't Drown Puppies in Wading Pools

    No matter what you've heard I couldn't bring myself to do that. I like wading pools too much. I'm kidding. Puppies make great pets. That's why this product bothers me so much. The Talk To Me Treat Ball Dog Toy allows you to never again speak directly to your pet. You can tell the ball how much you love your pet and then it will tell your pet for you. As an added bonus, it dispenses treats, so you never have to feed your pet either. What a great toy! I'm ordering one for my fish.

09.02.03 - Insomnia & Milkshakes

    I have been insomniatic (if that is even a word) for the past couple of nights and this morning, instead of watching Punk'd and infomercials about weightloss products and other instant beautification marvels, I decided to work on my site. I hope you enjoy. So go ahead - sit back, relax, and have a good time.

08.28.03 - My Attempt To Entertain Myself

    In an effort to stop organizing everything in the apartment and do something useful with my time I decided that I should make a website. Be patient and forgiving, as I have absolutely no idea what I am doing.
    I went on a cruise in early August with my mom and my two brothers. It was a blast. We drove to Kansas City and flew to New Orleans via Dallas/Fort Worth. We had a couple “Fun Days at Sea” before we arrived in Montego Bay, Jamaica. After watching the sunrise over the island, we left the ship and boarded a bus. Our bus driver, Baris, was crazy beyond words. He drove no less than 90 km/h over the speed limit on very narrow roads. There were times when there would be another bus coming from the opposite direction, a steep cliff on one side, a pedestrian on the other and a small car in front of us and Baris would honk, speed up, pass the car and straighten out the bus milliseconds before we collided with the oncoming traffic. We about hit a guy on a bike but he swerved into a culvert. Our tour guide told us she didn’t want to hear any “OH MY GODS!” or “We’re all gonna dies!” And, should we encounter any more of those situations, we should just close our eyes and say “No Problem.” We safely arrived at Dunn’s River Falls in Ocho Rios. It took a little over an hour to climb a 960’ natural waterfall with our guide, Bigfoot. Our next stop was Georgetown, Grand Cayman. The water was too shallow for our ship to port, so we had to take tender boats into the dock. We went on the Reef & Wreck tour and spent two hours snorkeling with exotic fish and shipwrecks. It was one of the coolest things I have ever done. We got some great pictures with our disposable underwater cameras. We spent the rest of the afternoon wandering the shops and harassing sea creatures. Our final stop was in Cozumel, Mexico. We took a ferry to Playa del Carmen and then got on a bus to tour the Mayan Ruins of Tulum. It was an amazing experience. The buildings were incredible and the view of the sea was jaw dropping. On the bus ride back, they served beer and soda. We had another Fun Day before arriving back in New Orleans. There was never a dull moment on the ship. There were 3 pools, 6 hot tubs, a waterslide, an arcade, a casino, ping-pong tables, day and night shows, duty-free shops, and a bunch of lounges/bars. They fed you constantly and in-cabin movies including Two Towers and From Justin to Kelly. We spent several hours in New Orleans before heading to the airport and flying back to Kansas City via Cincinnati. We got back to LaPorte at 6:00am after driving all night. But it was an experience I will never forget. I promise I will try to get some pictures up as soon as I figure out what I am doing.
    I got a job at The LAMB School of Theatre and Music teaching Creative Dramatics I & II. It doesn't start until mid-September and I only teach 1.5 hours a week. So, still being mostly unemployed the past few weeks I have been filling out job applications, going to interviews and making inquiries on the phone... to no avail. So, wish me luck as I keep trying.